Havn't Seen any Good Train Sets Lately

[porwolf]

Is this the biggest ever?

[mikeesik]

I was also going to post and ask if their are any train modelers out there, in time.

I am one and had a fantastic HO scale that was in the basement.

22x 26 foot. Code 83 Atlas flex-track.
4 different levels. Went out of the room into the furnace room and came back. Was very proud of my Masterpiece. 8 years in the making with my 2 Kids. It was analogue but I was going to change to D.C.C.
It took place in the Rocky Mountains and in a valley.
The valley went up 5 feet from the track on 3 walls. All cast and painted. Paint mixed with cigarette ashes to get the right color.
I regret using ATLAS turnouts= -JUNK- and grief.
If I make something it is a copy of real life, not junky. The bench work was strong enough for me to stand on and my smaller kids at the time.

Unfortunately going through my Divorce -my X!!!!!!-was living in the house and took it upon herself to destroy the layout with a 3 pound hammer. This was with the Kids at home and she made my Son watch!!!
This was their holy grail of toys and they played with it even when I wasn't around

I couldn't a can't believe what she had done to the Kids and to the layout.

After the fact in my small condo that I used to live in, I tried my best to make up for the loss.

I started work on another layout in my living room . It took up half the living space.
When someone would come over you could see it in there eyes -WTF!!??????
So maybe at times I'd explain and others not!

It was the best I could do.

A 4 x 12 foot Ho scale layout with code 83 track.
When we buy a house , instead of renting such as this one, we will build another one. I promised my Son that.

[porwolf]

HO! I grew up with those train sets and everybody else in the neighborhood had one too. Long time ago...

[mikeesik]

It's a really fantastic Hobby.

Teaches you -Carpentry, electrical-electronics- Art-casting-painting-History-Mechanics...and some how to manage impatience.
It's never-ending.
I still had, I imagine another 4 years to go to make it right.

[HardDrive]

mikeesik, do you have photos of the old layout? I have boxes of both HO and lionel sitting in storage. I have not had a layout since I was young, but still would like to get back into it. So many hobbies, so little time.....

[mikeesik]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

mikeesik, do you have photos of the old layout? I have boxes of both HO and lionel sitting in storage. I have not had a layout since I was young, but still would like to get back into it. So many hobbies, so little time.....

No-and I'm sorry.
I think about it a lot. All that work and the great time with the Kids.

Any pictures that were taken were left at the house as I was kicked out of my own home.

I don't even have pics. of what I took of the Kids being so very young and with me at that period.

-You see, after 5.5 years, the x HAD to move out as I had a court order to sell the house. So anything that I would cherish is absolutely out of my hands.

It really sucks and hurts bad. Can't imagine the effect on my Kids.

ANYWAYS....
If you have any ambition at all, start of with a piece of 4x8 mdf and start laying some track. It is really kinda cool to lay the -usually- cork roadbed and then laying down the track.
You can then see your railroad starting to form.
I have zero experience in LIONEL but I was a good observer. LIONEL is very forgiving but not too realistic.
Have you read any train magazines-Layout Magazines?

I tell you, if this was my home I'd design a great track around the circumference around the house and wouldn't be able to stop. Then when we are going to move..then what?
It starts off awkward and then starts to flow and then you really get into it.

I will make one with my Son hopefully next year when we are permanent and he is living with me. It is a never endind hobby.

My Kids and I were absolutely into trains. We went to all the trainyards in town and took pics. and talked to people.

On my Sons 10th. Birthday I was able to set up with an Engineer that my Son would have control and drive a G.E C144W in the yard... and it ended up with Simon coupling some cars in the yard.

Fantastic fellow-Mike- He won't be forgotten too soon I tell you.
I wasn't able to drive the train and I love them!!

Take one weekend and figure out what you'd like to build.

Just start and do it. It might make you find something that clicks with you and you will enjoy making your miniature world.

I hope you give it a try.

[herr_oberst]

There's a huge layout here in Portland; if you open the link, the house at the top right is where the layout is. The whole house. Basement, everything. Only open to the public once a year around Christmas.

Crappy web site......

http://www.cgmrc.com/

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by mikeesik

I was also going to post and ask if their are any train modelers out there, in time.

I am one and had a fantastic HO scale that was in the basement.

22x 26 foot. Code 83 Atlas flex-track.
4 different levels. Went out of the room into the furnace room and came back. Was very proud of my Masterpiece. 8 years in the making with my 2 Kids. It was analogue but I was going to change to D.C.C.
It took place in the Rocky Mountains and in a valley.
The valley went up 5 feet from the track on 3 walls. All cast and painted. Paint mixed with cigarette ashes to get the right color.
I regret using ATLAS turnouts= -JUNK- and grief.
If I make something it is a copy of real life, not junky. The bench work was strong enough for me to stand on and my smaller kids at the time.

Unfortunately going through my Divorce -my X!!!!!!-was living in the house and took it upon herself to destroy the layout with a 3 pound hammer. This was with the Kids at home and she made my Son watch!!!
This was their holy grail of toys and they played with it even when I wasn't around

I couldn't a can't believe what she had done to the Kids and to the layout.

After the fact in my small condo that I used to live in, I tried my best to make up for the loss.

I started work on another layout in my living room . It took up half the living space.
When someone would come over you could see it in there eyes -WTF!!??????
So maybe at times I'd explain and others not!

It was the best I could do.

A 4 x 12 foot Ho scale layout with code 83 track.
When we buy a house , instead of renting such as this one, we will build another one. I promised my Son that.

Damn that is nutz! I'm sitting here on a peaceful Sunday eve, wife had a nice ma's day I read the first post and watch a vid and then Mike's post. Did you take a three pounder to the hags head?

[mikeesik]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Mike's post. Did you take a three pounder to the hags head?

Honestly, I'd love to. If things really turn out for the worse, i can guarentee you you will see me on the news.
When I have nothing left, it will be done.

It was a work of art-art that was made with 'HER' Kids as well....and then it was taken down and especially forced to have my Son watch. My Daughter ran upstairs and hid under her covers.
Get the **** back here she told him. And he had to stand there.

The only maintenance done to the house in all those years was , her family taking the model railroad to the dump with my Son in the truck seat , 3 times over! The asseser knows this along with social services, and nothing, nothing was done about this!
I am telling you the truth.

Needless to say, i have some serious anger stored.
Forgot to say, the trains were thrown away as well. Nothing less than $130.00- $350. I liked the hobby myself and almost refused BACHMEN.

I will never marry again. Unless she drives a Locomotive.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by mikeesik

I will never marry again. Unless she drives a Locomotive.

Unless you get railroaded into marriage.




Sorry to hear of your loss, the model train loss.

When I was a teen I was fairly much forced into selling my trainset to a nieghbour for his kids. I'd had it for over 10 years and was in perfect condition. I bet it didn't take those little pricks long to ruin it

[Bill Douglas]

Update: Ha, nine years later.

I've bought the same make and model train that I had as a kid. And loving it. With slow Covid times I've had time to play with it and setup a few things.

[Scott Douglas]

That looks pretty cool Bill.
My last adventure with trains involved cleaning up a conglomeration of tracks and cars I managed to talk my son into buying off the Goodwill auction site.
It was a good deal, for what he got, but the cars were less than 'pristine' like the set he grew up with. I managed to get things cleaned up and even figured out how to get the two sound cars working too.

Here's a before pic of one of them:


And an after pic:

[Eric Hahl]

I like N scale. Still lots of detail and a much smaller footprint.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

I like N scale. Still lots of detail and a much smaller footprint.

I agree, fitting H-O scale on a 4x8 sheet of plywood, with a dedicated room for it's operation doesn't allow much track, or buildings/scenery.

https://myhobbymodels.com/model-trains/n-scale-layouts/

[Jolly Amaranto]

I model primarily in N scale but do a lot of HO for friends layouts. Here is a kit bashed HO Atlas Maywood Depot made to resemble a Southern Pacific depot as it appeared in late 1940s and early 50s. I do a lot of scratch building and kit bashing where a commercial kit is altered to look more like a similar structure. I go from old photographs to guide me.

[HobieMarty]

Wow, that is pretty cool. I still have a Tyco HO scale train set that I got for Christmas one year. It is the "Durango" set, says Kansas and Colorado on it.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[sugarwood]

I think people today just get a divorce. Way simpler.