Good evening everyone. I stumbled across this forum while searching for information on the original Thomas the Tank engine layout (and yes, I got the info I was looking for). Anyways, I decided to join the forum because, in my lovely 23 years being alive, I have aquired such a collection that its pretty insane. Currently in the classic category, I have boxes of an American Flyer I got when I was pretty young from one of my great uncles. It consists of parts ranging from post war up until the early 70’s but it also includes many Plasticville buildings that were bought in that period as well. I know this because my great uncles son, who died in his late 20’s, had gotten all of what I have now in that era and once he passed, the American Flyer was boxed up and stored for many many years until it became in my posession. Also, when I was little, I also aquired a good chunk of original AC Gilbert Erector set as well and it goes perfect with the American Flyer. Unfortunatly, in the years I have owned my American Flyer, I haven’t had it running since the engine needed a major rewire done to it and at the time, I wasn’t up to doing the work to get it running again. I recently got another identical engine to te one I already have 6 months ago and hopefully will have it running this year for Christmas time since I already have an awesome winter scene to go with it.
Also, in my collection, I have boxes on boxes of HO scale as well as N scale and Z scale. My HO is by far the most out of everything I own, including trains and sets from France (TGV is one that I can remember off the top of my head). All of my collection are in boxes at my parent’s house because I’m going back to school, living in an apartment and well, just don’t have room for all of them right now. All of this started when I got hooked on Thomas the Tank Engine when I was 4 years old
Hi, Russell. After you have read-in some more and read some magazines, you may notice that things have evolved quite a bit. You may not realize, for example, that there is a (relatively) new way of controlling locomotives digitally with micro-chips that control the lights and motors to make them accelerate and decelerate independently of each other, even on the same section of track. The track now receives a digital and altered AC signal from this new way of controlling trains, called Digital Command and Control, or DCC. This is by no means a mandatory thing, just what is available and gaining in popularity.
Thomas has certainly done great things for the hobby. It has brought in new blood.
Yes! I remember reading about the DCC waaaaaay back when I was still a young kid in my '93 year of MR! I remember Marklin having an ad in the magazine about it. Whats funny too, is I still have all of my issues including the '94 January anniversary edition.
So sitting here reading other threads started about different things going on in the railroading scene, I remember a few things. First off, the brand on which my french TGV, its made by Jouef. I also have a 0-6-0 steam that lives in a plastic case, along with a matching Elf tanker. Both of which are made by Jouef as well.
I was also going to see how many people in the PNW have heard of the CSME or the Corvallis Society of Model Engineers located north of Corvallis, Oregon? I used to go to their open house every December when I was little and I sure miss going. Maybe I’ll have to go down there and take a trip down memory lane, especially since my parent’s still live in Corvallis.
I have books and books of model railroading that I’ve collected over the years and seeing pics and videos of people’s layouts, it makes me miss working on the 4x8 my dad started me on when I was 5. I maybe be a “few” years older now, but I still haven’t grown up![:D]
Erector set? Wow that brings back memories. I still have some that my dad had as a kid. We used to run a stationary live steam engine with a system of spring “belts” to working fountains, table saws (OSHA would love that these days), a generator and lights, etc. I spent hours bolting together steel buildings and bridges. Of course the Lionel was there too. Kids had real toys in those days. [:)] Thanks for the memories.
Oh, and finish school. You’ll be able to afford more train “stuff” on a higher salary.
cooboobaroo, Welcome to the forum, being in Redmond you have two great shops to choose from. For HO and other stuff go to Trains,Planes and Automobiles near the Fred Myer shopping center in Redmond. For your American Flyer repairs go to Eastside Trains in Downtown Kirkland. If you haven’t been there, you will be amazed at their WALL OF TRAINS.
Some things about us never changes, right? You will find, if you haven’t already in your lurking here, that every single member is in one of about four stages or states of model railroading.
Some are avidly learning and scheming to get their first, or next, layout underway. They are close to having the cash outlay they’ll need, or they have it squirreled away and it is burning a hole in their pocket.
Others are well underway and are learning that they didn’t have it all figured out…not quite.
Others have done most of what they can do in a concentrated effort over several weeks and months, and are now enjoying running trains, even when they run into that 6’ square patch that has yet to be scenicked.
Then, there are the ones who figure they’re done; either they’re burned out or their plan has backfired and they are just learning it. They’re bummed and have begun to think about their next effort.
I am currently in the third category. I can run trains all over my planned track footprint because it is in place, and so is about 70% of my scenery and details. Now comes the difficult part where you are torn between, “Really, this is okay…good enough,” and, “I really should add more trees to this four tree forest over in this corner,”, or for me, “Will you ever get the Danby Sawmill kit out and start sanding and painting the boards?”
I think you’ll have a lot of fun with your American Flyer S-gauge stuff. It’s a niche market, but I think it’s growing in popularity right now. There’s a great S-gauge modular layout up here in New England that I see at one or two train shows every year.
Are you thinking of a layout right now? It might be a good time to try out a small shelf-sized switching layout, just to get your hands dirty (and your fingers glued together) while you polish up your modelling skills.
I’ve been back at this now for about 2 1/2 years, after pulling my trains out of the boxes they’d occupied for 40 years before that. The engines weren’t worth much, but I’ve been able to resurrect almost all of my rolling stock, and even a few structures. It’s a great feeling to see those “old friends” back in action again.
By the way, you should also check out the Classic Toy Trains forums. We don’t have a lot of S-gaugers here, although we’re always happy to chat about it, and we’d all love to see your pictures when you get something on the rails again.
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. In all reality, my American Flyer is more in my mind, a “set up under the Christmas tree” because of the sentimental and family value of the set. One of those that its nice to pull out ever once and awhile and yes, maybe have a small shelf deticated to it but to me, my HO is where the layout is.
Just some memories pulled out of the vault…
When I was 4, my parent’s got me a circle set in HO for Christmas but I had some Duplo Lego train set that I played with. Then the next year, I got another set and had enough to build an oval around some plywood that my dad helped me build. This same sheet, I read and did some scenery, reworked some track layouts, and got some awesome ideas from MR and some that just popped into my head while I was out pondering my next move. Well needless to say, I got a small 1’x1’ area of scenery done, plus a small switchyard with some docking. Not too bad for only being 12! Now over the many years since I got into the HO scale, I’ve gotten some awesome deals from garage sales. One was for $50, it came with a little layout, lots of track, lots and lots of cars, a few buildings, plus, a whole box filled with N-scale! I also got a Z scale set from my dad’s friend who was cleaning out and asked me if I wanted it. So in all reality, I wanna get back into my HO set and even though I’ve been out of it for a long time, I got some ideas generated by the hampsters running on the wheels in the back of my mind. One of my options is to build a layout in half of my parent’s garage once I get it cleaned out again and all of my boxes of stuff out from the dusty shelves where they’ve been hiding out for the past 10 years.