Newbie Introduction

[RAILPOP]

Howdy folks!

     I'm happy to join a group I can relate to in this field, since no one else in my circle is even remotely

interested in things railroad.  I'm 59 and I grew up in Iselin, N.J., where, since I was old enough to

ride a two-wheeler, I would go downtown to our little train station on the Pennsylvania R.R. and

watch for hours the GG-1's and E-44's as they passed my town.  MP-54 commuter trains in Tuscan

Red paint were frequent visitors.  My Dad took me to the circus in New York when I was five and we

rode one of those '54's.  To be honest, I remember more of the train ride than the circus.  I can recall

the tracks being clogged with freight traffic then, particularly the yellow reefers.  I guess this was

pre-Interstates, before all the trucking came along and robbed the railroads of traffic.  More's

the pity. 

     We often visited Grandma in Middletown, N.Y. when I was a boy (a mere 0-4-0 in the train

scheme of things.  It was usually on weekends when we visited her.  She lived right on the

Erie right-of-way, so I had some wonderful views of Erie trains as a tired old E or F unit would

pull out of town with some old coaches.  In winter, the snow would add to the magic of the

scene.  These memories gave, and continue to feed, my love of trains.  Right now I'm in the

planning stages of a medium-sized Lionel-type layout for my basement.  My two grandkids

(girl of 6 and boy of 5) will hopefully enjoy helping me run it.  Who knows???  Kids have so

many different things competing for their attention now, most of it electronic.  Me?  I'm a

lover of "the way it was". 

     Railpop

[henry6]

Welcom POP!  I'm a litlle less than 10 years your senior and my experience was sort of in reverse of yours.  I grew up hard to the rail of the DL&W in Denville but often visited parents best friends...the Rosinski (sp?), Madelyn and Paul.  So many a Sunday afternoon found me walking over to Islen station and marvleing at PRR's electric power and its speed!