Introductions

[vr6Dad]

I've been lurking for a week or so, getting the lay of the land, etc. and I guess it's time to say howdy to all y'all.  ;D

My name is Adrian, and I'm in the planning stages of a new layout. Many moons ago I worked at a hobby shop (before DCC and before there was any real selection in N scale) and we sold plenty of trains and accessories. My modeling interest at the time lied in model cars, and I did a little professional work, so I'm a pretty decent modeler. I dabbled a little with HO scale, but never got serious. However, work and family got going and here I am 15 years later.

I bought a Lionel Thomas the Tank Engine set for my little boy for Christmas, and got the bug again. I'm not rushing in, and I'm examining the pros & cons of each scale. As it stands, I won't have a lot of real estate, so it looks like a shelf layout for me. To get the most bang for the square foot, N-Scale looks like the way to go.

I plan to model after the Tennessee Southern Railroad, which is a short line owned by Patriot Rail servicing about 120 miles near my home, with a hookup to CSX a few miles from me. TSRR has some newly rebuilt GP-10 conversions, which may pose a problem for me - unless I do some heavy ktbashing. I may end up having to freelance and use TSRR as a role model. It's a neat little switching line with plenty of industry variety, and a river port at a terminus.

I like the N-scale feeling of this board, and have already learned some really cool things while lurking here - I especially love the weathering and paint fading topics.

[GaryHinshaw]

Welcome aboard gents!  I've learned a ton (and laughed a lot) in the year+ I've been hanging out here.  Glad you like the paint fading topic, vr6Dad. 

[al1218]

Greetings,
i just found out about this forum in a thread over at the Yahoo N scale forum and thought I'd check it out. I've been an N scaler since "the beginning". At present, I don't have a permanent home layout but my wife (she's my dcc expert and wood kit builder) and I do have 18 Ntrak modules. For those of you in the Seattle area, we'll have our layout at the annual United Northwest Model RR show and swap Meet in Monroe, WA this weekend.

[Chulvis]

Greetings,
i just found out about this forum in a thread over at the Yahoo N scale forum and thought I'd check it out. I've been an N scaler since "the beginning". At present, I don't have a permanent home layout but my wife (she's my dcc expert and wood kit builder) and I do have 18 Ntrak modules. For those of you in the Seattle area, we'll have our layout at the annual United Northwest Model RR show and swap Meet in Monroe, WA this weekend.

Welcome Allen. Cool to see you here.

[Blazeman]

Lots of references on the forums to other forums led me here. Been in N dating from the Postage Stamp Trains ads that ran briefly on TV in the late 60's.

All those years with nothing but boxes of cars, structures and locos to show for it. A very small layout has been constructed and partly scenicked to allow running of some of the equipment. This somewhat gives me a train fix.

Structure building has commenced and I feel more confident in learning skills with each effort.

Most exposure has been to HO people and had been a member of a club in Phoenixville where I live . This allowed many friendships to develop with model railroading as the common thread. Having moved to Phxvl not knowing a soul, this was a very good ice-breaker to become part of the community.

In the last few years, my effort on modeling has accelerated. My only lament is the seeming dearth of N scalers in the immediate area. For instance there are but three layouts in SE PA for N on the November layout open houses.

So if you live in the area, speak up.

My job allows me to work with the real railroads; not as good as working for one (at least to many on the outside), but I get to use my railroad knowledge gained over the years of being in this avocation for my vocation. Some would say that then it isn't work.

I really enjoy seeing the photos submitted by the members of their work. I'm still amazed simply by the technology that allows this to be done. So I'm in awe of this hi-tech stuff and befuddled on anything beyond the basics until I feel my way through.

The one encouraging aspect of what is shown and discussed on here is that there are just as many modest sized layouts as there are room-size ones. I've learned bigger is not better, and operating on a large HO layout has made me realize the larger it is, the more effort it takes to maintain. This deducts from train time.

If you scan the other forums, you'll see my name here and there. I like to check out what everyone is thinking.

[Mark5]

Welcome!

I'm the resident do-nothing when it comes to actual modeling. 

Mark

[gp40xdg]

Hi all,

My name is Dave, native to California but moved to northern Virginia 11 years ago (*sigh*, time goes fast).  My interest in model trains goes back to my pre-driver's license years . . . a WW2 friend of my parents' gave me his American Flyer train set (which I enjoyed once upon a time, but am now going to sell).  A few years later, before I was hypnotized by hot cars and cute girls (or was that cute cars and .... well, anyway ....), I was given an A.C. Gilbert HO train set for Christmas, which held my enthusiasm for a long time.  But high school and young adulthood brought many other interests, expenses, time-consuming activities etc. and my train things began collecting dust.

Fast forward to the mid-80s . . . a wife and several kids later, I strolled into a hobby shop one day and picked up a copy of Model Railroader, and I was instantly infected with the model RR bug all over again.  After a lot of $$$ into HO trains, track, plywood, etc. I suddenly ran across an N scale Atlas (Kato) RS-3 Cotton Belt locomotive in a train store, and I was lethally bitten by the N scale bug.

Since then, I've dabbled in HO but have been fiercly into N scale.  I built a 3'x6' layout in the mid-80s, but gave it to my now-grown (and married with 3 kids) son.  The past couple of years, I've been trying to design the "perfect" layout, but with limited space and too many things I want to include, it has become a bit frustrating.  Meanwhile, I spend some time here and there detailing and weathering locomotives, as well as rolling stock and structures.

Being from central California, I grew up a big fan of the Southern Pacific -- it is now gone via assimilation by the YouPee, but will live on forever in my memory and on my layout/modules (and those of many others).  I like the motive power from just about all eras, but have settled on modeling the SP, SSW, ATSF and DRGW in the early-to-mid-70s.  Some of the scenes will be freelanced, but there will be some scenes modeled from the real world too.

Well, I'm usually short on words, and I didn't think I'd be this long-winded . . . I'll cut it short for now, but look forward to reading about the activities of others, get some good tips and insight, and generally enjoy all the posts here.  With that, I'll send this off and then compose my first "real" post or two . . .

cheers,
- Dave
Converted from Horribly Oversized to Normal scale in 1985
David Gates
stargazer_7@cox.net

[John]

Looks like another potential member for the Northern Virginia BORG .. I mean NTrak crew

[davefoxx]

Looks like another potential member for the Northern Virginia BORG .. I mean NTrak crew

Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated.   ;D

[Allegheny]

I'm a new member to Railwire and I'm a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 26 years of Enlisted and Commissioned Service.  Initial active service, six years in the Reserves and the last 17 years are on active duty.  I belong to two other forums (not mentioned) and enjoy reading DCC, Layout and N-Scale posts.  Due to my military duty, I don't have a layout (yet) but have several ideas and drawings.  I may have a final HCD plan I can build this summer.  I'm also with my third N-Trak club when not on duty (rarely).

I like the Mid-Atlantic or "East End" line Railroads: B&O, C&O, N&W and WM.  My favorite era is the transition period when the last of the Super Power steam road the rails and the first generation diesel engines made their debut.  I have enough mallets/diesel engines and rolling stock to have a respectable C&O or N&W coal drag (90 car+).

I just joined Railwire in search of more model railroading information.  I find there seems to be a little more information the more I search and read the different forums.   I'll post a question from time to time and add my "2 cents" on topics of interest.

See you down the line.

Thom

[csolivais1979]

I'm a new member to Railwire and I'm a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 26 years of Enlisted and Commissioned Service.  Initial active service, six years in the Reserves and the last 17 years are on active duty.  I belong to two other forums (not mentioned) and enjoy reading DCC, Layout and N-Scale posts.  Due to my military duty, I don't have a layout (yet) but have several ideas and drawings.  I may have a final HCD plan I can build this summer.  I'm also with my third N-Trak club when not on duty (rarely).

I like the Mid-Atlantic or "East End" line Railroads: B&O, C&O, N&W and WM.  My favorite era is the transition period when the last of the Super Power steam road the rails and the first generation diesel engines made their debut.  I have enough mallets/diesel engines and rolling stock to have a respectable C&O or N&W coal drag (90 car+).

I just joined Railwire in search of more model railroading information.  I find there seems to be a little more information the more I search and read the different forums.   I'll post a question from time to time and add my "2 cents" on topics of interest.

See you down the line.

Thom

Welcome here, and thank you for your service!

[John]

I'm a new member to Railwire and I'm a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 26 years of Enlisted and Commissioned Service.  Initial active service, six years in the Reserves and the last 17 years are on active duty.  I belong to two other forums (not mentioned) and enjoy reading DCC, Layout and N-Scale posts.  Due to my military duty, I don't have a layout (yet) but have several ideas and drawings.  I may have a final HCD plan I can build this summer.  I'm also with my third N-Trak club when not on duty (rarely).

I like the Mid-Atlantic or "East End" line Railroads: B&O, C&O, N&W and WM.  My favorite era is the transition period when the last of the Super Power steam road the rails and the first generation diesel engines made their debut.  I have enough mallets/diesel engines and rolling stock to have a respectable C&O or N&W coal drag (90 car+).

I just joined Railwire in search of more model railroading information.  I find there seems to be a little more information the more I search and read the different forums.   I'll post a question from time to time and add my "2 cents" on topics of interest.

See you down the line.

Thom

Very similar to my Navy career .. 26 years enlisted and officer ..

We are also an east coast modeler .. The Maryland and Ohio Railroad ..

This forum tends to focus on modeling. Others are more for kvetching. Have fun ..

[Bruce Bird]

Hey- I'm new to Railwire this weekend but I've been reading and watching for a couple of months now.  I was pointed in this direction by Lee Weldon and our mutual association and admiration of everything Western Maryland.  I currently live in Mt. Zion, IL (near Decatur) and I grew up in Tuscola, about a half hour east.  I've been in N scale since my parents bought my first Atlas N train set in 1976 and I've been active in several local Ntrak clubs.  I currently have a sizable layout in the basement covering the WM in the early 70s.  The layout covers the WM from Baltimore/Harrisburg west to Connellsville and Elkins and I am just a few months from being able to host my first op session.

How does someone growing up in Illinois get interested in the WM?  The B&O line from Indy to Springfield, IL passed thru Tuscola and in the late 70s and early 80s the coolest-looking locos were WM GP7s, GP9s, F7s and GP35s and GP40s that Chessie gathered up and ran west.  Having a pair of 5-chime Nathans almost knock you off your bike has a long-lasting affect!

[Puddington]

It occurred to me I never posted here even though I have been here a while.....

I grew up a 3 minute bike ride from the CNR Woodbridge viaduct.... as kids we rode over to watch 6060, the famous CN Mountain run it's weekend excursions... this would be in about 1968 or so.... how could you not be a train fan after that................?

My dad built my first train layout on Christmas Eve, 1968 after we watched Apollo 8 circle the moon...... it was a magical 24 hours....



I still rememeber it..........

The years went by and trains were still part of it..... as teens we got tossed out of the Toronto CP John Street yards often; we hung out at the Weston Ave diamond; we went to Rigby's Hobbies; we built about 3 HO layouts ( and one n scale one too)  and fought to love trains as much as we wanted girls; until the girls won out.....I still bought MR; but didn't tell anyone....

Fast forward to Richmond B.C in 1993... being transfered out to take over a plant means two things if you're a single guy... 1. No one at work will like you much for a while...... 2. You run the risk of spending too much time in the local tavern.............ergo; after driving by the now defunct Pacific Scale Rails store in New Westminster, I bought an Atlas RS3, some cars and some track in n scale ( I had a small condo so HO wan't going to cut it and had had a small N scale layout at age 10....) and it was done..............I was an N scaler....

16 years later my N scale addiction is complete - CPR op's in British Columbia along with interchange with the PGE, GN, NP, SP&S......more than one can ask for................ except..............



A five year old engineer to share it with........................Now I build passenger cars; I plan to bring the various pieces of the PVR together one day and marvel at  5 year old that makes slow speed switching moves and asked daddy if he has the high ball to pull out..........

Perfect !

[N_DaveS]

Greetings all,

Long-time lurker here but after moving to a house with an actual train room (with its own bathroom, no less - at least my wife will know where I am) I guess it's time to speak up!

I grew up on the NYC Water Level Route in upstate New York and got into trains and railfanning just after the Conrail merger, so I got to see any number of patched-over paint schemes. I had an N scale layout in high school/college whose salvageable parts remain in my parents' attic pending a near-future rescue mission. In the meantime I have begun planning and construction of a 6x11 N scale layout, whose progress I hope to chronicle starting here: http://p4500.blogspot.com/2009/02/layout-update-1-intro-and-carpentry.html

The track plan in the link above may not show it but I feel like I've benefited greatly from the discussions here, and I look forward to sharing my progress with you!

Best,

Dave Slattery
Arlington, VA