# Model Railroading, Anyone?



## SifuPhil (Apr 10, 2013)

When I was 5 years old or so my middle brother David developed a love of model railroading ("toy trains" to most people). 


(Yes, it's a model - hard to tell sometimes)


Now, David was a unique person - he disliked most people and was always unhappy dealing with the real world, but when it came to his railroad he lavished hours of attention on the smallest details. I remember watching as he would "weather" a box-car using different colors of charcoals and diluted flat paints, or as he would painstakingly create graffiti on the side of an HO-scale warehouse.

Of course, my Dad had been into Lionel trains at one point - we had pictures of him dressed in an engineer's cap, a big ol' cigar in his mouth, as he operated the simple loop-layout he had put up in the basement.

David, however, was of the NEW generation - new and improved! Smaller, faster, better! He built eye-level shelves around our entire basement and would run his "consists" around the room, the train often being followed by his pet gerbil, who loved nothing so much as being allowed to play Godzilla in this miniature landscape.

Me, I gave trains a try for a while - just before adolescence hit  - and it was OK. I was more turned-on by my HO-scale slot cars; to me, trains were slow and _boring_.

40-some-odd years have passed (and believe me - they WERE odd) and I think that if I had the time - and the money! - I would like to "get into" the hobby again. One thing that would give me pause is the cost of everything now - what used to be at most a $50 locomotive now usually runs around $300 for a basic model. What used to be quickie plastic building models - glue 'em and paint 'em - are now craftsman wood dioramas with hundreds of accessories, going for several hundred dollars a pop.

Remote computer control, high-tech engines ... it just ain't the same! 

So ... anyone here ever have them or still have them?


----------



## R. Zimm (Apr 10, 2013)

I have thought about this hobby several times over the years but always run into two "lacks", money and space! I was seriously thinking about doing N guage using the N-Trak system. That's where you can build modules that are designed to be attached to other modules so that a few people can together create a larger layout. If I were to do it that's the way I would go.

http://www.ntrak.org/


----------



## rkunsaw (Apr 11, 2013)

I think it would be great. When I was a kid I always envied the kid up the road who had a great layout with several Lionel trains.
It can be an expensive and time consuming hobby as well as requiring a lot of space. 

The aforementioned kid had his mounted on a sheet of plywood in the garage which could raised to the ceiling so the car could be put in the garage.


----------



## SifuPhil (Apr 11, 2013)

R. Zimm said:


> I have thought about this hobby several times over the years but always run into two "lacks", money and space! I was seriously thinking about doing N guage using the N-Trak system. That's where you can build modules that are designed to be attached to other modules so that a few people can together create a larger layout. If I were to do it that's the way I would go.
> 
> http://www.ntrak.org/



I remember reading just a little about that system right about the time I was giving up on the whole idea. Thought it was cool, that people get together and create a giant layout by combining all the smaller modules.

My problem with anything smaller than HO scale is that my eyes are going, so I'd have a lot more trouble working on the fine details. Also, I don't know how it is now, but back in the day there was a ton of HO stuff available, whereas with N-scale there was a lot less and Z-scale was just a dream in someone's head. 



rkunsaw said:


> I think it would be great. When I was a kid I always envied the kid up the road who had a great layout with several Lionel trains.
> It can be an expensive and time consuming hobby as well as requiring a lot of space.
> 
> The aforementioned kid had his mounted on a sheet of plywood in the garage which could raised to the ceiling so the car could be put in the garage.



I've always thought that was a clever solution to space problems. Nowadays, with the way we pack our garages with junk while our $50k car sits outside, I'd think a hard-core railroader would have NO qualms about making a permanent layout.


----------



## That Guy (Apr 11, 2013)

Man, I love those model railroads.  There used to be a great set-up at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz when I was a little guy.  Was always my favorite attraction.

When I was living in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1970, the beautiful young lady I went there to see lived in a railroad family.  I got to know some of the guys who worked in the roundhouse at night and would hang out with them.  One retired guy had a fantastic set-up in his home that went all around and through the walls.  Fun!


----------

