Introductions

[DKS]

Hope I don’t write to many grammatical typo’s here  since my language is Dutch.

Bruno, welcome to the 'Wire! Not to worry about grammar. I have found that people for whom English is a second language often do a better job of communicating than many native-born Americans. I hope you enjoy your time here.

[Billg]

Hello!

I'm Bill.  I retired from the UP in '08.  I started with the C&NW in '72 as a switchman, went through the ranks of Fireman, Engineer, Dispatcher and Traveling Engineer.  After the UP took over I became a MOP.  Held that position for 14 years right up to retirement.  I enjoy shooting, traveling on our CanAm Spyder and, of course, N scale modeling.  I'm just getting into sound thanks to LokSound!  I didn't think sound in N scale was all that great until I heard Intermountain's 40-2.  Gave me goosebumps.  Guess I'm hooked!

[John]

Welcome Bill .. we welcome your participation, and insight into the big trains really do it .. I'm starting to get hooked on sound as well

What is a travelling MOP ?

[Philip H]

@Billg - welcome aboard! Coffee pot is brewing in the corner and the beer fridge is pretty cold. Grab a chair and join in. Start a thread I. layout Engineering Reports on your layout and don’t forget Weeknd Update te. After 25 posts you will get access to crew lounge and a few other spots - that’s how we make sure you are an actual person.

There’s also a great sticky somewhere around here about our rules of the road and our atmosphere. We aim for better modeling often through peer pressure. And we’re all here to learn, so teach us what you know.

[peteski]

There’s also a great sticky somewhere around here about our rules of the road and our atmosphere. We aim for better modeling often through peer pressure. And we’re all here to learn, so teach us what you know.

Welcome Bill.
As Philip mentioned, some  useful info about the forum is in the FAQ section: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?board=41.0

[Billg]

What is a travelling MOP ?

Hi John!  I was a Traveling Engineer on the C&NW for 3 years.  I was stationed in Cedar Rapids IA.  There were 21 of us system wide at the time.  Then one day the Northwestern decided they didn't need us any more.  They went from 21 to 2!  When the UP took over, I was approached by UP Mgmt asking me if I would like to become a MOP (Mgr. of Operating Practices).  I finished out my career in that position.  Hope that clears it up a bit....

Bill

[John]

Thanks for the explanation .. every profession has their own language .. and sometimes the oudsiders don't get it  

 

[Mboehnke523]

My name is Mike!   I model the C&O in N scale, although I will tolerate other lines.   I work as a precision machinist in Houston and have just purchased fixtures and tools to hand lay track and the stuff works great.   Those of you that are interested can look it up online.   and I have a dog too and she is not too careful around my projects, but that is ok.   also, I own a C&O H8 Allegheny from Key Imports and she is a sweet machine.   I will be posting pics of my structures in the coming days.     

[RRmodelbuilder]

Hello, My name is Dale and I live in Northern Colorado about 300 yards from UP mainline to Cheyenne. Although I love modern equipment I choose to model earlier times as I also like steam. My current layout, which construction is about ready to begin, depicts a maritime theme in the Northwest US and West coast of British Columbia with a logging branch on the upper level. The layout will be small (11x15 room) but I think it is just right for the time, money and energy I have to put toward the hobby.

I am not quite sure how I ended up finding this forum, but I am glad I did. It seems to be a great resource and I look forward to being an active participant.

[peteski]

Welcome guys!  It will be great to see your work!  Keep in mind that the forum members can be brutally honest - no gratuitous atta-boys are given - but a lot of honest and constructive feedback should be expected.

[reinhardtjh]

Hi Mike!  Welcome to TheRailWire!  I split my time between C&O and PRR, both in the transition era and Norfolk Southern in the modern day.  I'm envious of your H-8!  I have a number of Bachmann H-4's and H-5's.  I wish they'd do an H-8.  I'm near Fort Worth, having just moved into Texas in the last 5 months.

Hi Dale!  Welcome to you as well.  Sounds like your layout will be interesting.  Are you in N, HO or some other scale?

[notenuftoys]

Good evening.  A Texan here from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. 

I built my first N scale layout about 25 years ago and that lasted about a year.  About 12-13 years ago when my boys were little I started on a 3x6 layout but that never really took off.  I always wanted to build a layout in our game room, but at the time that wasn't an option with too many curious little fingers.  Now the curious little fingers are all grown up (senior and freshman in high school) so it's time to start planning again.

I've love several things:  short lines or branch lines, agriculture services set in a rural environment and modern diesels.  Due to space I don't see ever running big 6 axles, but the options for GP3x or GP40 are plentiful.  I've been spending far too much time on RailModeler Pro and so far I've come up with a couple viable options.  I'm also spending too much time researching industries to model.  The result will be a "freelance" based on Texas/Oklahoma with actual industries from different towns tossed together in the layout. 

My biggest regret is selling my locomotives and rolling stock about 12 years ago.  So this will be a slow build since I have to re-acquire the necessary parts.  Fortunately I still have a Digitrax system and a bunch of Tortoise turnout controls.

[matze]

Howdy! Long time lurker here, thought it was about time to post something…

I've been tinkering with a few things every now and then for the last 10+ years, such as a not yet finished Robert Ray caboose kit for the NP. Moving around internationally, having a family, and grad school unfortunately didn't leave much time for a lot more. That's hopefully changing, and I'd like to raise from my armchair and actually start a few (or maybe just one) smaller layouts.

My primary interests are two-fold. One is modern day switching, especially around Chicago with the UP lines close-by Goose Island and the Chicago Terminal servicing industrial areas around Elk Groove Village. I've played around with Anyrail trying to re-create one or two industry scenes there without many compromises. My current plans are to create a small ~3 sqft linear Chicago-inspired industrial scene with handlaid code 40/30 track to experiment and refine my skills. Operations should happen as described in Lance Mindheim's recent books and blog posts, with attention to somewhat realistic procedures and short ops sessions.

I'm also fascinated by fallen flags in the Pacific Northwest, mainly the SP&S in the Columbia river gorge and the Spokane International in the 50s. A few years back, I had created a small 2.5x4 loop with a grain elevator depicting the PNW that never went beyond static grass. It got discarded recently as it is too big for my small French apartment, but I would also like to create a simple, smaller 2x3 loop again. Just to be able to watch trains go by without a lot of involvement on my behalf…

I enjoy seeing you all create amazing and inspiring trackwork/engines/weathering/layouts, and it is a pleasure reading about it. I hope join in and to also contribute to the community going forward, however little I may accomplish.

Cheers,
Matthias

[eric220]

Welcome to the fold, Mathias and @notenuftoys ! Too bad no one else around here likes the SP&S.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=37591.0

[Florent]

Hello,
I am French guy currently living in Norfolk.
I am arrived in July 2017 from France and I practice N scale since many years. Currently due to my moving, my layout has been disassembled but it was not too big to fit in an apartment. Of course it was a SNCF one, which is the name of the French railroad company. Made with peco code 55 tracks and driven with railroad train controller.

But I always liked US materials and more particularly GP15, 38, 40, SD45, AC4400... They are so impressive on real and on our layouts. So now that I live in US, I take opportunity to buy rolling equipments (Atlas, Kato, weathered MTL) and to begin a new layout. A small one again, with the aim to try some other technics like ramps and to see my locomotives roll. This what I prefer. I made it with Minitrix tracks, wich is code 83, I think. I had a big stock of them and didn't want to buy to much tracks without exhausted my current stock. It is not as fine as code 55 tracks but never mind.

I will post photos as soon as possible.

Florent