What is model railroading?
thank you if you answer![:D]
the worlds greatest hobby[:D]
Well, like any form of modeling (Aircraft, Automobiles, Military Equipment, and of course Railroads) it is nominally the reproduction of prototype (or real-world) objects in a smaller form. I say nominally, as sometimes we model railroaders produce somewhat non-prototypical objects (either cause it’s good enough, or cause we feel whimsical, or cause we really like a given locomotive say, but want it painted for a railroad which never had that type). Also, our models move (although this is not limited to just trains - RC car and airplane modellers, among others, create moving, self propelled models), and in addition we often build backgrounds and scenes for our models to move through (again, some modellers, like military equipment guys, build scenes and dioramas, but usually their models don’t move). So, we tend to get a bit more involved in setting the scene for our main interest of trains, by also building scenery such as landscapes, structures, roads, details like vehicles, street furniture you name it (I know a few scale racing layouts [‘slot cars’] which were also pretty detailed and landscaped, but I doubt if it was as common as railroad layouts).
I guess one difference from toy trains is that model railroaders usually try to follow prototype operations when running their layout as opposed to just letting the trains go round and round (this is probably very contenious, and I don’t really stand by it that much). Actually many layouts are point to point, so you can’t go round and round…
Finally, the most important trait to remember is that model railroaders are incredible intelligent, and on the average have IQs much higher than most Mensa members.
“What is model railroading?”
How about a ‘Doll House’ for Boys?
Notice the question was “Model rialroading?” I don’t have a clue what a “Rial” is!
BB
Jbart05,
[#welcome] to the forum!!
Like chutton01 said, “it is a reproduction of real-world trains in a smaller form.”
Modeling is to build a scaled down version of a full-size object. Model Railroading is to build a scaled down version of a full-size railroad. Most of us that are building a model railroad pick a railroad company, an era and a place or area that we can identify with and build a scaled down version of the original.
For my model railroad I chose Santa Fe and model the buildings and cars to represent the early 1950’s along Route 66 east of Flagstaff in northern Arizona USA.
Playing with toy trains?
Model Railroading is a terribly addictive habit that tends to (if you are not careful) consume large sums of money and time. There is no known therapy to treat this addiction. Extreme cases are currently being studied by the National Institute of Mental Health.
The MRR addiction has several methods of introduction. The newest form is on-line MRR forums (like this one). [:-,]
So run while you still can! [swg]
a secret place i go when i want to get away from the Mrs…
A Rial is the standard unit of currency in Iran, Oman, and Yemen. Its also a surname. So, uh, now you know. [;)]
So a “rialroad” would be a road made from Omani and/or Yemeni coins? [:D]
Bob Boudreau
A number of years ago a letter was published in MR. A young fellow had put together a “CTC Dispatcher’s Board”, with switches, magnetic pannels, etc. He “modeled” operations with a time-table schedule, and “advanced” his “trains” over his division w/ dice and a rule book of operations. The editors “philosophised” as to weather this was a “model” RR or not. They reached the conclusion it was, as it mimiced prototype activities! I guess it was HIS rr, and that’s the way he ran it!
Rial-istically speaking, I suppose that’s true. [(-D]
Andre
Snake (Dave):
SHHH!! Don’t tell JBart05 about SANTA FE, he/she might turn out as a CB&Q fan yet!![8D][}:)][:O][:D]
Model - A small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object.
Railroad - A road composed of parallel steel rails supported by ties and providing a track for locomotive-drawn trains or other wheeled vehicles.
Thank goodness Webster was around to solve this dilemma.