Does anyone do model trains?

As a teenager I was into trains as well as flying models and ships.  I now will build scale non-operating trains- usually locomotives- when I can find them.  There is not much out there- wish there was more.

I was a model railroader for several decades. I got a little hung up on th operating side of it, which means real estate, so after a while I got tired of building layouts. Still have it all in storage.

One other hobby that seems to have overlap in this group is working on cars.

I was really impressed with the weathering work I saw. Surprisingly I don't recall much in the way of boxcar graffiti though, some of which borders on art itself.

Only thing I had was the 50's Lionel so many dads bought but put their kids name on the Christmas gift. I'm afraid I may be one of only a few that remember the cool sparks one would get when you draped some LEAD tinsel across the tracks.

I suppose one into both trains and military could really go wild on a military depot setup, providing there is enough out there to match up in scale. I remember my last 6 months in Germany loading APC's and 175 SP's onto flat cars for the twice yearly trek. Lionel! by Glenn Hanson, on Flickr

Hi;

    After I got into H.O.trains I always wanted to do a dio of a Southern Port ( Savannah/New Orleans ? ) With a Train and a Riverboat .Too much space required .

     Now I do it for fun at the Museum where I am Vice-president( Modeling ) We are dropping hints as to your location with the trains and buildings . New Braunfels , Texas .It is fun too .

 The reward ? All those amazed and smiling faces of Children and Adults that visit .

Tanker - Builder

Hi;

    After I got into H.O.trains I always wanted to do a dio of a Southern Port ( Savannah/New Orleans ? ) With a Train and a Riverboat .Too much space required .

     Now I do it for fun at the Museum where I am Vice-president( Modeling ) We are dropping hints as to your location with the trains and buildings . New Braunfels , Texas .It is fun too .

 The reward ? All those amazed and smiling faces of Children and Adults that visit .

 

That's probably why I have no doubt there is a mile long waiting list with guys to run these outdoor setups at the Botanic gardens near me in Glencoe. I don't know what gage they are. The track width is maybe around four inches?

I've had a start of a layout in all but one house. The first one, the one that arose from my first HO train set and the old Kalmbach publication "The HO Railroad that Grows", which my dad and I built together was the one that got closest to being anywhere near finished.

I agree, the hobbies overlap.

On a side note, the arguably biggest home layout in the world is a mile from my home, and the man who built it opened a train store less than 1000 ft from my front door and has become a freind. This is not good for me because I like to buy train stuff.

Click here for a sample video of Jerry's layout if interested.

Here! Yes, I do HO scale (1/87). I'm building a huge layout depicting the Southern Pacific Railroad Sacramento Division, 1980s, including Davis to Woodland (West Valley Line), Roseville to Marysville (East Valley Line), and Davis to Truckee (SP Overland Route mainline through Sacramento, Roseville, Colfax, over Donner Pass to Truckee). Scenery will be late summer in the valley areas, and progressively more snow on the mountains. Layout will be operational for the era, possible to run 39 trains in a session (20-25 cars).  Yes, I'm a little nutty!  No, it will never be finished!

Hello Glenn!

In Poland, but also in Germany you often see railroad models and layouts by people who could learn a thing or two from the military modellers, when it comes  to weathering. Some of them are plain afraid to do anything to an engine that can cost 200$ or more. But those who picked up some tricks and have the cojones to paint up those brand new models often get spectacular results.

The crossover between trains and military is also there. Search online for "Roco Minitanks" and you'll get a lot of pictures like these:

I have also built an engine and a few cars for my brother in 1:87, but my main interest is in the Vietnam war, so that was only a passing phase in my modelling.

Have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel

Some of them are plain afraid to do anything to an engine that can cost 200$ or more.

I can relate to that, I am one of those people. Ironically once I bought a 'factory weathered' diesel locomotive. Go figure.

I used to do N scale but the eyes aren't up to that anymore and I just don't see the point in investing the time and money in building up a larger scale collection and layout. Plus model aircraft building is much more conducive to the budget.

When used to work (part time on weekends at a hobbyshop) I built and weathered some buildings and rolling stock for display.  I did not have room for it.  I do know several guys who do do model railroads.   My brother-in-law has been getting into model trains again.  His two sons are grown up and he wants to get back into the hobby again.  We go to a hobby store together.  Family bonding.  You can go nuttso on detailing as well.

Hi Glenn;

 That would probably be " G " guage or larger .They can be pretty detailed .I had a five car passenger train in the scale about fifteen years ago .With the Engine and Tender it was almost 21 foot long . T.B.     P.S. With real muddy water and the engine bodies removed I weathered a whole train then covered it in Flat Clearcoat ! Didn't turn out too bad . My favorite H.O.and N steamers ( Southern Pacific Daylight and Twilight are done this way .)

Glenn;

 With " RocoMinitanks " the sky's the limit .Our train at the Museum has a large 105 mm Gun on a flatcar and two dropside boxcars with 5"-38 guns in each .Two tanks and two military diesel engines . We run that on Veterans Day and the Fourth of July !

Tanker - Builder

Hi Glenn;

 That would probably be " G " guage or larger .They can be pretty detailed .I had a five car passenger train in the scale about fifteen years ago .With the Engine and Tender it was almost 21 foot long . T.B.     P.S. With real muddy water and the engine bodies removed I weathered a whole train then covered it in Flat Clearcoat ! Didn't turn out too bad . My favorite H.O.and N steamers ( Southern Pacific Daylight and Twilight are done this way .)

 

Yep I just looked. G scale. I was there one summer and a frog laid eggs in one of the little ponds. It was like the town was being taken over by a tadpole apocolypse! Also you got me off looking at those mini tanks. It says they are ending production this year.

https://www.chicagobotanic.org/gardens/railroad

Hi GlennH,

I've been a model railroader for most of my life and am just now getting back into plane, armor, and car modeling.  I've found building in different areas really helps improve my modeling across the board.  For a little change of pace, try building a top end narrow gauge train car kit in HOn3 (HO scale, 1/87th), Sn3 (S scale narrow gauge, 1/64th), or On3 (O scale narrow gauge, 1/48th).  The details are really amazing and when you're done you can not only display it on the shelf, but you can run it on your layout.  If you are a detail junkie and want to take a look at what can be done, check out a company called P-B-L. (www.p-b-l.com)  They sell fine scale Sn3 plastic train car kits and models.

I'm not pushing any trains, its just that all modeling is fun for me.     

Tickmagnet

Plus model aircraft building is much more conducive to the budget.

I second that emphatically.

There is an aspect to model railroading that is unique. 

I can't be the best person to explain it, but it is generally considered to be when one or a group becomes an operational railroad.

Layouts that run are a thing of respect,.

My Grandfather was the Pesident of the NMRA for quite a while. He scratchbuilt locomotives and rolling stock on 1/48 scale and ran them in Detroit. His ficticious railroad was the New Michigan Central, based on the New York Central. I have quite a few of his models.

I will also say I learned about weathering from the train guys.  I believe they were the first to do it.  I occasionally pick up a MR mag every year or two when I see an issue with a construction technique I think I can learn something from.

GMorrison

My Grandfather was the Pesident of the NMRA for quite a while.

As a MR enthusiast, even an unaccomplished one, I find that pretty darned cool.

 There is a special place in my heart, for trains (mainly the real deal).

Family tradition has always been to set up a village/train under the x-mas tree. Grandparents had a huge scale train (bigger than Lionel)...my little brother got that.My Dad had/has Lionel...gave the extras to my older brother.I got to keep the HO stuff I had as a kid.

 Years ago, I had big plans for doing a whole layout, but I know me, and know that I'd never finish it....simply because once it's done....then what???

I've build enough buildings and houses for my "village". I even weathered the train, including "graffiti". The graffiti is all the families names...grandparents, parents, brothers, nieces/nephews and one box car dedicated to our dogs(RIP).

GlennH

 I'm afraid I may be one of only a few that remember the cool sparks one would get when you draped some LEAD tinsel across the tracks.

My dad still had several packs of the "old school" stuff. Goes on the tree one by one...comes off the tree one by one...neatly packaged in wax paper.

When we cleaned out my grandparents attic, we found 10 unopenned packs of the stuff. Price tag was 5 cents a pack! MINE!!!! Goes on the tree one by one...comes off one by one...neatly packaged in wax paper.

fermis

 There is a special place in my heart, for trains (mainly the real deal).

Family tradition has always been to set up a village/train under the x-mas tree. Grandparents had a huge scale train (bigger than Lionel)...my little brother got that.My Dad had/has Lionel...gave the extras to my older brother.I got to keep the HO stuff I had as a kid.

 Years ago, I had big plans for doing a whole layout, but I know me, and know that I'd never finish it....simply because once it's done....then what???

I've build enough buildings and houses for my "village". I even weathered the train, including "graffiti". The graffiti is all the families names...grandparents, parents, brothers, nieces/nephews and one box car dedicated to our dogs(RIP).

 

 

GlennH

 I'm afraid I may be one of only a few that remember the cool sparks one would get when you draped some LEAD tinsel across the tracks.

 

 

My dad still had several packs of the "old school" stuff. Goes on the tree one by one...comes off the tree one by one...neatly packaged in wax paper.

When we cleaned out my grandparents attic, we found 10 unopenned packs of the stuff. Price tag was 5 cents a pack! MINE!!!! Goes on the tree one by one...comes off one by one...neatly packaged in wax paper.

 

Yep and the teee brances would be touching the floor in days.

I like to make and paint stantic replicas. No layout currently or planned.