Howdy from a new member

[Jguess733]

Howdy from the Pacific Northwest.  My name is Jason and I’ve been a model railroader for the last twenty-two years.  I started out in HO in the third grade and stayed with that until I graduated High School.  After a twelve year hiatus from actively modeling (I’ve been an armchair railroader the entire time) owing to a career as an Active Duty Submariner in the United States Navy.  I’m going to start down the road to modeling again.

I’ve been active on several forums but have recently started moving away from them.  Three years ago I decided to move from HO to N scale.  Two years ago we moved from our apartment into Navy housing.  Those of you that have ever lived in Military Housing understand that while the houses are nice, they lack space.  My original concept was to build the Carolina Central based on a free-lanced Texas short line loosely modeled after the Fort Worth and Western.

Space was negotiated with the “Boss” or the Commodore as my wife jokingly refers to herself.  But after a lot of though I decided against the Carolina Central.  It was about the only track plan that fit my space perfectly but I didn’t want just one scene with only a two track staging yard.  So back to the drawing board I went.

One benefit of being an armchair railroader for so long is that I have collected an untold amount of data on my computer.  Dave Vollmer has been one inspiration for me because he is another AD modeler.  I have followed his layout closely and have (at least I hope) learned from the mistakes he says he made.  So while pursuing through an info station download from the MR website I realized that with a little more space I could build David Popps Naugatuck Valley railroad (the original, not the expanded version).  So I have re-negotiated space to build in my son’s bedroom.  The Commodore agreed with the caveat that he has to be allowed to help/play, and I can’t disappear in there every night.

Then another dilemma presented itself.  I didn’t want to model New England in the Transition era.  I wanted to stay with what I know.  Some place in Texas (my home state). I wanted to model something that’s not so mainstream (like Jack Burgess has done).  Long story short I settled on the Fort Worth and Denver in the early 1970’s.  The Colorado & Southern and the FWD were absorbed in the BN Merger but operated independently until the early 80’s. 

This gives me a lot of versatility in my equipment.  In 1973 Texas you could find first and second-generation locomotives, cabeese, and freight cars in GN, NP, CBQ, FWD & CS premerger paint schemes with BN patches. As well as repainted BN equipment, some with FWD & CS sublettering.  Talk about a rainbow fleet.  Since the FWD discontinued it’s passenger trains in 1967 I’m going to use some modelers license to add an early free lanced Amtrak train, mostly using rainbow fleet equipment. 

So here comes the good and the bad news.  The good news is I’m going to start building the Fort Worth & Denver’s 3rd Sub in February 2013 based on the Naugatuck Valley line when I take my four weeks of transfer leave prior to reporting to my next duty station (finally I’m headed back to shore duty).  The bad news is we’re not moving to a bigger house.  Just kidding that’s not really bad news since I don’t have to work a move into my scheduled construction time.  I can’t wait to start a construction thread to follow my progress.


J

[GP38-2freak]

Welcome Jason to the A$$hats' forum I hope you'll enjoy your time here as most of us do...and keep us update with your layout...

Tim

[Jguess733]

So I have to ask.  What's the deal with the A$$hats? I've seen it in other posts, and have been curious about it.

J

[GP38-2freak]

Uhm, I'm not allowed to speak about this 

[Bart1701]

Welcome to the forum. I have found that there are a lot of very knowledgeable members who are more than willing to freely share their expertise and suggestions. Every time I have needed some help, I have found it here!

I also based my layout on the Naugatuck Valley layout as you are thinking about doing. Here is a link to photos of my layout - from a bare room to where it was as of a few months ago:
http://s1187.photobucket.com/albums/z391/bh1701/Railroad%20Forum%20Photos/. 

Hopefully these photos give you some ideas. Even though David Popp's layout is set in New England, that did not fit my Santa Fe / Union Pacific equipment very well. If I had to pick a location for my layout, I would think that somewhere in Missouri might make sense. I feel my layout has a midwestern feel to it (since I grew up around Chicago) and the low hills seemed like they could exist in Missouri somewhere. David Popp's layout is a solid plan and you can certainly tweak it to fit your desires.

You mentioned that you were from Texas; I live in the Dallas-Forth Worth area now. If you're anywhere nearby, please feel free to shoot me a Private Mail through the site and we could certainly chat further.

Thanks,
Bart

[Bart1701]

Oops - I guess I need to read better 

Your first sentence says you are in the Pacific Northwest - not exactly close to Dallas-Fort Worth. But, feel free to engage me via Private Mail on the site if you want to chat further.

Bart

[Zox]

So I have to ask.  What's the deal with the A$$hats? I've seen it in other posts, and have been curious about it.

It's one of those things where a group has adopted a derogatory term, and claimed it for themselves in a positive light. Around here, it means "a modeler who both gives and accepts comments in the spirit of mutual self-improvement," or as another group puts it, "better modeling through peer pressure." 

In any model railroading forum other than The Railwire, it tends to mean "jerk who fails to tell me how awesome I am." 

[Jguess733]

It's one of those things where a group has adopted a derogatory term, and claimed it for themselves in a positive light. Around here, it means "a modeler who both gives and accepts comments in the spirit of mutual self-improvement," or as another group puts it, "better modeling through peer pressure." 

In any model railroading forum other than The Railwire, it tends to mean "jerk who fails to tell me how awesome I am." 

Well then you can count me as a proud A$$HATER.

J

[central.vermont]

It's one of those things where a group has adopted a derogatory term, and claimed it for themselves in a positive light. Around here, it means "a modeler who both gives and accepts comments in the spirit of mutual self-improvement," or as another group puts it, "better modeling through peer pressure." 

In any model railroading forum other than The Railwire, it tends to mean "jerk who fails to tell me how awesome I am." 

Wow, that was put so eloquently I think it should has it's own line in the help section!!!   

Jon

[PAL_Houston]

Well then you can count me as a proud A$$HATER.

J

Well, would it be inappropriate to welcome you aboard? 

In the spirit of irreverent fun, I shudder at the imagery expressed by contorting oneself sufficiently to wear their a$$ for their headgear.  With this in mind, I guess that I too am more of an a$$-hater than an a$$-hatter!!!   Eeeww!!!  Gross!! 

[Jguess733]

oops.  I guess I should proof read the things I post.  lol.

J

[JoeD]

May we see your papers?   

[robert3985]

Hey Jason,

Welcome aboard! New blood is always good, and I'm always one to encourage model railroaders to pick a prototype road and era to model!  Congratulations on making that decision.

I congratulate you on your service to our country, and I'm happy that you're finally up for shore duty for a while.  I'm sure "The Commodore" is also happy.

Since you know you're going to be moving around as most military families do, I am going to encourage you to build your benchwork sturdily, but in sections or modules, so that your layout is fairly easy to take apart and put together again in its new location.

For myself, I have a fairly large section of the U.P. in my head to eventually build (Ogden to Wahsatch...about a 60 mile run) in 1951 through 1956, but I don't have room for all of it, so...I am building it in sections, which are mostly 6' in length and roughly 3' wide at the common, modular ends.  I have a media room which it gets set up in between shows while I work on it, and it is comprised right now of several LDE's which run together in a logical manner and mainly comprise Echo Utah and Devils Slide in LDE's which are each about 24 feet long.

Until I have sufficient space (about a 30' X 40' room) I'll continue to build my 6' modules and run them at the shows in a larger configuration than I can at home three times a year.

Something to think about.  It's served me well in my life as I have moved too many times, and I'm very happy that I haven't had to scrap my layout every time I moved.

Yes, this IS A$$hat territory, and we are not outcome-based modelers here.  It's a very opinionated group, and, I might add, a wealth of information about almost every model railroad subject resides in the torquey brains of many of the crew here.  Pick and choose well, and you'll profit from all of it.

Cheers!
Bob Gilmore

[x600]

Hi J,
 Being in the Pacific NW, and being a bubble head, (one word or two?) You can only be one place. Congrats on getting shore duty.
Lots of stuff goes on here, particularly in N-Scale, so you don't need to feel alone. Show season is coming up and there are some great deals to be had if you know where to look. Lotsa  great clubs and groups,too. Look me up if you get to some of the shows.
ssn 683

Greg O.
mrns,org
 

[Ike the BN Freak]

welcome Jason, I'm also in the PNW, or maybe the Inland NW, Spokane...and also a BN guy.