I’m retired in Lewiston ID, been a railfan all my life,however living most of it inSitka AK slowed down the railfanning. I’ve built models since I was 7. As a kid in MT I lived near the GN mainline and so that is my Fav road. nHarrison21 I saw an NS engine in Spokane WA last Sunday.
Central Maryland here, Carroll County farm boy, turned Service Manager. Growing up working on tractors and cars, taking grain to the mill and watching the Western Maryland rumble by hooked me, and got me out of Christmas gardens and into full year modeling. After the hormonally tumultuous teenage years, when the trains accumulated dust, I got back into trains after my 1st son was born, and have been there ever since. Did a 2 year stint as a conductor on a local dinner train in the mid eighties, and became a Maryland Midland fan at that point. The dinner train is gone, but I have modeled the entire regular consist, mostly from scratch.
I’ve been a member of the Four County Society of Model Engineers for about 15 years now, having served as President, VP and Secretary over the years, but have dropped back to a regular member the last few years as I get some major changes in my life taken care of. (Moving twice,the big D, and finding the true love of my life)
Now I am on my way back, smarter and better than ever ready to fulfill my dreams of that big pike in the basement. It’s a little ways off yet, but I can see it coming, the light in the tunnel,woo hoo! Its a train!!![:D]
Well here I go [:D] Grew up in El Paso Tx. on the sunset route, fell in love with the SP, after serving 4 years in the Army, (by the was Texansoldier, I was stationed on Adak island for a year ) I found El Paso just didn’t have anything for me(work wise), moved slowly to Erie PA, were I landed a job with GE, Yes we build the real thing here. Did many different jobs over the last 36 years at GE. Began by building the infamous U-boats, built U-50’s for UP, moved on to electronics jobs, (thanks to the army I had some knowledge), Tested Transit cars, re-built the Metroliners in the 70’s got a license to operate and tested them on our test track, also loco test. Got to run many different units in my time. Now I work in computers here, 1 1/2 years more and I will retire at 60. I have been building layouts since the early 70’s. Actually started in N scale then. moved into HO in the 80’s. After many moves and many torn down layouts, my latest is 12x16 in a purpose built seperate room in the basement. Ho- mostly SP with a ficticious shortline connection to the town on my layout. Lots of industrial switching.
Built my first layout in 1955 in an old chicken house, it didn’t last but about a year-- was American Flyer S scale – I was 15. Built an HO 4x8 layout in the middle 70s – not enough planning. Built a 4x20 in a store room – not enough room. Retired from Itty Bitty Machine Co. in 95, moved back to the farm where I grew up – figured I’d have pleanty of time for Model Railroading as soon as the house was built — WRONG! I have a 20x60 Studio (for the wife)/Workshop (for me) that has a full attic. Don’t panic abt the attic, it has a gambrel roof (think Yankee barn) where the ceiling is 7’ and up at 2’ out from the baseboard. I’m enclosing a 16x20 section of the attic for model rail use. I live 60 miles south of Waco and 80 miles east of Austin and about a mile from where the San Antonio & Aransas Pass RR use to run in the middle of ‘Cow Pasture, Texas’. Name being John T. everything on the internet is Jawn (as in Jawn Henry) T
What time period did Ho and N scale come out. Theres a lot of railroaders out there who have modeled G and Lionel for years… when did the other scales become popular
I was born in 1957, my first layout was Loinel, that was 1961. In 63’ I got my first HO set and my parents would buy MRs’ for me every other month, I would drag them every were with me. I still have alot of these, looking back, it seems HO started in on the scene in the late 40’s. But really took off in the 50’s. The biggest builder was Mantua, Globe, and Loinel started to make the HO entry ( their stuff was made by Athearn. Athearn took over Globe’s line of products, oh I forgot Varney.
Its fun to look back when HO started, O scale was KING, every one laughed at those little trains. Which in the late 60’s when HO had become King we laughed at the new tiny little N scale trains. In there somewhere was TT I have been in this hobby for 40+ and have never seen a piece of TT. It was in between HO and N.
This is what I recall, add to as you see it.
Dave
One request on these pages, please don’t come in and ask for food, it just sounds like a bunch of nerds are here!
HAHA! No food here… if you want food… go buy some. this is about the rails. Anyone here actually a engineer or anything… or worked for the rails?
[quote]
Originally posted by Texansoldier
HAHA! No food here… if you want food… go buy some. this is about the rails. Anyone here actually a engineer or anything… or worked for the rails?
]quote]
[8D] Former conductor on a dinner train! (Dinja read my post?)
Food and Trains at one place !!! Too Cool!!!
Worked on a track gang for a week, thought I was going to died, does that count.
Michigan native, moved to Maryland at age 13. Currently living in the quiet little town of Woodstock, MD, near the B&O [now CSX] Old Main Line. Have always loved heavy industry (especially steel manufacturing), coal mining, and harbor scenes. Also like rural single-track main lines quite a bit. I’m hoping to fit ‘pieces’ of all these on my contemporary-era HO scale garage layout.
HAHA! Well thats awesome. Ive always been interested in working around locomotives. But im still in the military, so i cant quite do that! We have what looks to be either a SD-40 or a GP-38 at the base that moves coal hoppers around the power plant here, it facinates me! Plus i love it when the Alaska RR brings in the new loads of coal and fuel… ill stand by the tracks and just watch… ill get some pics soon if you guys would like
I can’t believe this topic. I was thinking about something like this a few days ago. Thanks for getting it started. I have lived in Miami, Ft. Worth, Covington, Va, Bluefield, WV, St. Clairsville, OH and Bluefield, VA
I have now lived in Columbia, TN since Dec. 2001. I’m a retired pastor. I’ve messed with HO off and on since 1968. I got serious in 1991 when I finished working on a D-Min. I realized that if I was able to keep up with my ministry and go to school, I could still keep up on my ministry and use some of the time for model railroading. I joined the Pocahontas Chapter of the NRHS in Bluefield, WV - VA and met some great guys who knew a great deal about modelig. That helped me a lot. My railroad is the Appalachain and Southern. The period of time is 40-60. I have locos and rolling stock from everywhere as I tend to buy what is on sale. My last few years I focused on Seaboard, Atlantic Coast and Florida East Coast, becuase I was born in Miami and lived there until I was 28. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I have fun. My two grandsons, help me run by 18 X 8 + 4x4 layout. Today I guided them in putting their first Athearn kits to gether.
I am now 70.
Thats great, im still a pretty young guy, but i love railroading. You wont find that much! I guess i just look back at me helping out my father, and i love those days! I think model railroading is a great way for people with great minds to get together and put multiple hobbies into one, you cant beat it! Well I was doing some thinking… so here i go haha!
I was looking at doing a southern section of the CSX line, with NS and Seaboard System having rights on their tracks. Set in the mid 80’s.
But picture this… im having a dual layout… about 6 ft on the right side of a corner of my basement… and 6 feet on the left.
Well, on the left im looking at doing like a 50s area layout of something… just to have some variety… maybe intertwine the two… in an almost ficticious way. But never sharing track with either layout, just mixing it up a little.
I dont know how this sounds to you guys… but i think it sounds like a fun project. Tell me what you think!
John
Waverly, Alabama; Anybody ever heard of it? It’s a small town with a population of 183. We are about 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, 100 miles south, southeast of Birmingham. We are 10 miles north of Auburn, home of Auburn University, War Eagle. I am relatively new to MRR. I have been working on a 4x8 HO layout for a few months. Trains are running and some scenery is in place. Currently working on structures. I am also working on preliminary plans for a 13’ x 23’ HO layout. I am basing it partly on what is now the CSX line and NS line that intersect in Opelika where I grew up (12 miles from Waverly). Plenty of trackage and industries (textile mills, tire plant, lumber yards, quarries, scrap yard, etc) to model, but the scenery is somewhat lacking. I am considering freelancing the towns and scenery but using the prototype track and industries. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.
I live in Brantford Ontario, I’m a store dept manager. I’ve been HOing for more years than I can count. Currently I’m putting togehter an attic train layout,going to be mostly traction with a bit of CP thrown in for giggles. Trying to negotiate the land and air rights for an outdoor G scale layout as well. [:-^]. When I’m not working I restore and run the real thing at the local (1 hour away local ) streetcar museum.
Rob
I’m originally from Houston, Texas (actually, a bit north of there, from a town called The Woodlands) but relocated to Amarillo, Texas, about 4 years ago. I modeled the U.P. until they started all their pay-royalties-or-be-sued nonsense, whereupon I ditched all my engines and now model the W.P. circa 1954 in HO. Yes, I know it’s still technically modeling the U.P. but I’ve grown to like The Feather River Route.
I’m in Tipton IN (LE&W and Nickel Plate-now NS) and I’m a Construction Gang Signalman for the NS. I model in both N and HO. N is “modern shortline” and HO is “logging in the '40s”. N layout is in the early stages (no track down) while HO is still in planning and research (lumber bought for benchwork though!). I plan to work on both slowly for the next twenty months till I retire and then I plan on “picking up the pace” and getting them running. [:D]
Hey everyone ! I live in Paris, Ontario - and work for our provincial gov’t. I grew up in Brantford ( a stones throw from the RR station) have been fascinated with proto and model trains since I was a kid (first N Scale Minitrix trainset in the early 70’s).
Now I REALLY live a stones throw from the Canadian National Toronto - Windsor corridor; --in fact it’s in my backyard.
I currently belong to both HO and N Scale clubs; and am working on a good sized N scale layout at home. Even though I’m really busy with my little guy I still find time to build and detail things and of course, buy more things to work on. Eventually I would like Model railroading to become more than just a hobby.
My name is John, as you can see on your left I am in the Inland Empire. I have been married 19 years and have 2 children. I am on my 5th layout which the family is looking forward to helping me with after I get the electrical done. They really got on me for taking down a layout that was small but almost finished.My current layout is 15x13 L shaped with yard , passing siding at the summitt , a town for extra work , and a three track staging yard.It WILL be dcc soon.N-scale.
Sure would be nice to find some Modelrailroaders in the area for a round robin group. Clubs are ok, but round robin clubs would get more done on each layout.
MY handle; Southern Pacific In Dads Garage.