Model Railroad Shame -

Is there sort of an anti-model-railroad sentiment around here?

I have to confess that I am moving along with my 1/87 system and am pretty close to running the first train all the way around.

So - tell me the truth before it is too late:

Is this a "helpless clueless nerd" thing or just another natural manifestation of the true gearhead?

BTW - current issue of Model Railroader features none other than pop rocker Rod Stewart and his enormous (think 30' x 120') HO layout. At least it wasn't Billy Joel or Michael Bolton, thank the lord.

James

 

I love trains and break my set out every year. When my son gets older I am going to set him up a 4x8 plywood base and track down in my basement hobby shop, also known as the man cave. It really is a good opportunity for me to revisit my youth and relax, just as I do when I break out the Scalextric slot cars.

 

I love trains also. Had a huge HO brass collection, mostly Union Pacific and Santa Fe, some BN. Gotta love those UP turbines and the Big Boy! Sold it all when I moved to Florida, no basements. I still go through the train department when I visit a hobby store.

I do have most of the classic Marklin Z scale sets, about the only size that makes sense in a condo.

Go for it, its a great hobby.

 

Thank you for your cooperation & support!!!

Maybe I should find a way to weave an HO scale slot track around the trackage, which would ensure that the Ferrari club guys would have something to do if I have a watch party or two next season.

But I bet a lot of them would want to run the trains, too.

 

Trust me you're not alone. My uncle is a HUGE train guy (models and real). I still remember seeing his trains he did in high school. UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE detail.

He's in at least one train organization. I found his name here:

http://www.kingswayrc.com/gcst/contact.htm

He's the Membership VP of the Gulf Coast Chapter apparently.

Post up some of yalls pics I'd love to see them.

 

Funny that you start such a thread just today - this morning in the train there were two gentlemen reading model railroad magazines and getting excited about some weird stuff, such as the differences in the current collector (correct me if I'm using wrong terms, have to look them up in the dictionary) between two otherwise identical locomotives and laughing endlessly about, well, let's call them ... thrilling stories about signals being wrongly placed in some obscure forest in the middle of nowhere and the driver thus having to toggle some switch to keep on moving, don't know, but they were having a good laugh about it while everyone around watched them with slightly puzzled looks. I thought "oh my god, I never want to end up like THAT", but then it dawned on me that all the Ferrari racing lore and serial numbers and which sheet of metal had been replaced on which Le Mans Ferrari when and why talk and whatever we enjoy to do here isn't that different ....

 

Billy Joel is far more taleted then Rodny!

But Rod has better taste in cars....

 

And I assume he has a little better driving skill, too...

 

trains are cool in any scale, even 1:1.
Have had N gauge in the past.

 

Is it an age thing?

I am 30, and I don't personally know anyone interested in model trains...

Different people I know are into cars, real estate & renovations, nightlife, video games & other home entertainment, etc... but not trains, sorry.

That being said, I don't have anti-train sentiment..



~shahedc
.

 

I think most of us have at one time had some interest in model trains. I for one started with trains then moved to cars, but I will make sure my son gets his HO scale layout on his 7th birthday!!! Only this one will have nice roads and maybe even a Ferrari dealership.

 

Actually, I am also in to slot cars. I am over 40, but I guess a kid at heart. I have HO, 1/32, and 1/24 slot cars and track. Unfortunetely all in storage. I used to buy 1/87 race cars, either slot or static, thinking if I did someday have an HO RR track, I would incorporate some sort of auto race track in the scenery.

I have a ton of semi trucks, 1/87 race cars (NASCAR, Indy Car, sports cars), and even some 1/87 slot cars (NASCAR, Indy Car, and sports cars) I would like to sell. Interested? PM me.

 

Id love an HO scale train set. Ive kinda planned one for years..but Ive got other addictions to feed before I move to trains (*cough* World of Warcraft)...but we wont talk about that here

 

HO Trains !

Scalextric race cars !!

Radio remote cars and planes ! ! !

Gotta love them all.

Right now, due to space limitations the planes hang in the basement from the rafters, and the trains and cars are boxed up until I regain control of the basement. Once the kiddles move out, I will have my man cave back,

DM

 

I'm a huge train fan, but it's in my blood. My great grandfather drove a swither on the Illinois Central, and my father was some sort of mascot or such and stood on front hitch of the Illinois Central "City of New Orleans" when she was christened back in the early 40s.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

 

Wow... I can't believe this. I LOVE Trains and I had several HO layouts. This is to weird... I was looking into buying HO trains again with some day, to build another cool layout but space is ALWAYS an issue. My favorite railroad was the Southern Pacific as now it's all gone now, as UP purchased them back in 1996. I also had a few brass locomotives (SD45T-2s). My two passions in life are Ferraris & Trains. I’m hoping that we can keep this tread going.
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I am picking up an MTH tin plate set for the Christmas tree this week.

I haven't run a train in 30 years, but the kids are now old enough to appreciate it.

 

Hi friends,

If you like trains, that`s your place.

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

Best wishes

Manfred
www.mitorosso.com
Ferrari Online Magazine

 

For the best large scale trains in the world check out

http://www.fineartmodels.com

They make a number of different, highly detailed, models. Just amazing.

 

Those are stunning! Excellent work there man.

 

+++ on that, sir!!!

I may have to call upon a moderator to put an end to this thread, and then start another one called -

MODEL RAILROAD PRIDE

Thanks, James

 

I didn't know there were other gear heads that liked trains! I've been collecting HO trains since I was 10. I used to have a layout that was 5' x 21' in the garage but that went away when I got my first car. I saved what ever track I could get off of it and kept all the locomotives and cars. Since then I built a double track loop around the top of my living room. I put some videos recently on my myspace page of my trains. www.myspace.com\nicolatyper just look under my videos section, there's about 6 short videos of it.

Great looking SP trains!

 

Trains are cool. I love trains also ever since I was a little guy. I model the Western Pacific Railroad which was taken over by UP in 1982. I'm currently building a new layout. I weather and super detail my own equipment, hand rails, lift rings, windshield wipers, bells, antennas, M.U. hoses, etc. I also hand build my own switch tracks ,Ties, rails, frogs, etc. I can build about 10 + switches for the cost of one at the hobby shop. I use code 70 and 83 weathered rail. I'm currently building the last 4 F-units (913, 917, 918, 921) the Western Pacific ran, all will be powered, fully detailed, weathered, with cab interiors and sound.

 

Wow! Great thread. I love trains (model and real ones). I've always been fascinated by them.

Jim, very cool. I rode in the last F Units of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio back in the late 70s, when I was 15 and 16. I ordered and had made GM&O/IC HO E7 and GM&O F3 locomotives, highly detailed, weathered, etc., but I've never had a layout to run them on.

 

This may sound weird:

I am ambivalent about trains. I just am not into them. But I am Very happy that other people are so passionate about them. I think it is cool that something that I have no interest in and is not very prominent in modern culture still has such a devoted following. I hope passions for things like trains, the civil war, and other niche hobbies continue to flourish for many generations and that all this knowledge and info is not lost to time.

Best,
dsd

Whose only train is a cheapo for under a tree.