Hi BNSF Fan, My journey down this path may have started just a little earlier, as my Grandmother told me I use to watch trains at her house when I was 3 years old. But I know the bug was firmly planted in 1967 with the addition of this Athearn Train Set I received from Santa.
That's great Rich. That pic of me was just across the street from my grandmother's house in Graysville GA. It's on the L&N and not all that far away from the TA&G
Jake, I only wish I had given more consideration to N scale before u started up again. I had sold all my HO trains a few years back and this was the perfect opportunity to switch. Too late now and I have a 24' monstrosity.
In addition to my previous post, simultaneously to the real trains I saw up in St. Paul, we had an American Flyer set my father bought for my oldest brother when he was a few months old in 1949. I was transfixed by laying on the basement floor, at the end of the 4 X 8 plywood board with an oval of track on it, watching the Atlantic come toward me and make the curve just in time. Yes, I would say I was hooked, very early on. Doug
There are 2 reasons that I love toy trains. First, it’s a creative hobby. I can create my own little world. I can closely follow the prototype or go pure fantasy. Model railroading allows me to be creative in a way that appeals to me. Second, trains are fun. Building a layout, watching the trains running, switching cars, detailing scenes and other aspects of the hobby are fun. Running trains on my layout is the most fun but the whole process is truly enjoyable and satisfying. Creativity and fun have kept me in this hobby my whole life.
Rick, You asked for it, I'll try to be brief. Go back in time to 1940 with me. My father had hired out on the T&NO RR in June, I was born in August. My mother wrote in my baby book that "Carl made his 1st train ride today and loved it". I was at the ripe old age of 3 months and rode, in the cab with my father, from the roiundhouse to the Alfalfa yard. Talk about hooked. Heck don't remember a thing. My dad had Lionel trains that we played with all the time. When I was 9, I built my 1st HO scale layout. Around the age of 15 I operated a steamer assigned to a steam shovel work train making rainout repairs. I am fairly sure that the loco was the infamous SP 2-8-0 # 3420. Later at approx. 18, I actually moved a 100 car reefer block out from under the PFE ice dock with a lash up of an ABBA set of F-7's in blackwidow, no less. Three consecutive years I worked the ice docks during the summer, lots of trains and action even on graveyard shift. Oh, should mention a lot of cold cervesa, it gets real hot working those 300 lb. blocks of ice. Those were the "good ole days" ! My brother was a clerk and call boy for 20+ years on the SP, my dad worked for T&NO / T&L / SP for 42 years. Being a train nut just came naturally or is that just being a nut. I have gone from 1:1, tinplate 3 rail, HO, and finally N scale. Love it ! One other thing is that I like steamers even tho I have diesels too. Why ? The action of the side rods and valve gear are very relaxing and mesmerizing. At 82, I need that mesmerizing !
Carl, Your right I asked for it. My story is similar to yours. Nothing like having had a family of railroaders to help a kid understand what's going on. Nothing like it.
My addiction started with my Grandfather working as a "section foreman" for the NYC in Ansonia, Ohio back in the mid-50's. I got my 1st Lionel train set complete with Cowboys and Indians when I was 4. Soon after, our family moved 1 block south of the PRR running right throug the center of Greenville, Ohio. At that time I was around seven. Whenever we heard the horn from the trains blowing, we would walk a block up the street and watch the train go throgh town. Usually at night. Fast forward to 1975, my dentist, Herb Fogle, in Englewood, Ohio, invited me to come and work on his layout at home. I had never seen as detailed as his HO scale "Mineral Aaron and Deadwood Railroad". Herb was dabbling in the 1st command control systems. Fortunately we had a retired Air Force Electronics technician going the control system and wiring. From then on there was no turning back.
No turning back in deed. Curious I was in Dayton, Ohio or better said Kettering, Ohio. For a short stint. Seems to me I remember an HO railroad that fits your description. The one I'm thinking of was in Kettering. So it looks like we missed each other. You were somewhere else in the great state of Ohio? Funny, but Ohio seemed to be the Meca of Model Railroading. I worked for Toy Trains out of Kettering. We had customers coming in from as far away as New York, Las Vegas and the list goes on. Our majority of customers came from Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton Suburbs. Sorry, we had to shut down. Nothing like a Hobby Shop. Favorite job bare none. I set up a train set for a Amish father and son. Took a bit of imagineering but we got it done. 12 volt battery, wire wound rheostat and the trains were running. No purer DC. You are so right. No turning back. This hobby is a keeper.
There's no way I could make any money in a model railroad hobby shop! I'd take home all my earnings in product!
That happened to a Hobby Shop owner in Brentwood, TN. High rent disctrict, a preference to Brass HO trains, etc.
There was a civilian contractor at Wright Patterson AFB that had a LARGE N scale layout in his downstairs familly room. He also sold N scale by mail order. You have to wonder with today's environment, how did anybody know who he was? He lived in Kettering or Centerville. I can't remember exactly. That was 46 years ago. I'm surprised I can still remember name after all those years. LOL!
My dad had a simple HO layout when I was a kid. I played with it more than he did. When the LHS closed its doors in the early 80’s, the hobby in the house faded away. I got into N scale after seeing a layout at the state fair in the late 80’s. Set up a little loop and purchased an engine and some cars. That lasted about a year and then I moved onto racing RC cars. Fast forward to 2004 and I was looking for a hobby to share with my kids. Along came N scale and an obsession. I’ve been on and off in the hobby as I move with my job. Sometimes there is room for a layout, sometimes it sets idle. Either way the hobby has provided challenges and enjoyment through all of its aspects. For the last several years, my primary focus has been modifying both plastic and brass steam locomotives. I really need to get back to finishing out my layout.
I've often ran this thought through my head and the only thing I can come up with is this. Unlike military or car models, when you're done building your train models, you can play with them instead of just sitting them on a shelf where they collect dust.
Without a doubt this drives it for me. There are a lot of things I enjoy about the hobby, but operations is at the top of the list. Even my present state of "plywood pacific" operations has given me more satisfaction from the hobby than ever before. And there is something about the physical nature of the models that makes it enjoyable. There are computer train simulators, but I have never really found those enjoyable much.
Yes! ^^THIS^^ When I first got into trains I was about 5, my folks gave me some Lionel and track, which I faithfully laid down enough tracks to circle our big open basement. When that stuff died, they bought an HO set and built me a figure 8 with an up and over a 4x8, but no turnouts, so I was content with another but smaller loop. When I was in Highschool I bought my first N scale set, and met a few friends who also had N scale, but they had turnouts! We spent hours moving cars from one siding to another, didn't have a clue what we were doing, but it kept us entertained for hours! Today my layout is filled with spurs and sidings, and it was designed from the get go for operations. Operations have been the driving force for my layout and this hobby. I gave up Roundy rounds long ago and have never looked back. Everything is geared for Operations which keep the interest high. The more I learn, the more I become intrigued. No I am NOT a purist, a rivet counter or a prototyper, but the more things that I find out about the prototype that I model keeps me interested in the hobby. My list of things to do should last me till my grave. Operations rank high and this has spurred my interest and want lists. For those who keep the operation door closed, imho are missing out on what can make this hobby even better. But I get it, each to their own...
