I can honestly say patience was not once one of my virtues. Not to preach, but my walk with the Lord along with my train building adventures has changed all that. I didn't jump into at first... I kinda walked my way into it. Plus I have the mindset that is always looking for ways to improve something or asking myself questions like "how can I make every box car I have into an operating box car?" Then I try to answer my own questions. Whenever I have bought a train item, the first thing I do is pull it apart to see how it's put together and can I improve it.
When I first got into the hobby I noticed the cheaper dual can motored locos "growled" a lot, especially on curves. I noticed K-Line put traction tires all over the place with seemingly no rhyme or reason. I noticed MPC locos always had the traction tires on one side only. But they were single motored locos. So I wondered what if I removed traction tires on my locos to get them all on one side. And that helped.
When I got into running my layout on DC power, that was an accident too, because I had screwed up the circuit board on one loco. When I test ran it on DC, I noticed a very distinct improvement in speed consistancy and a reduction in growl noise. Now I've completely converted to DC operation. I figured out how to modify my operating cars to adapt to my new set up.
The kitbashing and scratch building started simple too but quickly grew. I mean, it's not like you can go to college and take Toy Train Building 101. You just have to try it and keep at it. Early on I was very frustrated with the lack of modern types of smaller traditionally sized trains in current roads... that was another big motivation for me. Conrail is one of the greatest trun-around stories in American business and railroading. Conrail was all over the place at one time, yet was sorely lacking in toy trains. I realized I would either wait forever (16 years ago I didn't realize I'd still be waiting even today) or learn to make 'em myself.
Plus there's plenty of beaters, junkers and common stuff out there which in many cases are prime candidates for such projects. I never bought into the whole "collectible" thinking. At a show some years ago, some TCA guy was giving me some guff over repainting stuff on the whole collectible angle. I pulled out a beat up train car out of my bag and asked him what he'd give me for it. He said it was in rough shape and would give me $2 for it. I answered that's what I paid for it, and given the car was 50 years old, I doubted as was it would ever be worth more, so that settled the debate in my mind forever. Any collectible is only worth the cash someone is willing to place in your hand for it... the only variable is whether you want to patiently search out someone who is willing to give you more. Of course, there is a difference between something that is "truly" rare and something else that someone else wants to con you over.
BTW, I know not all TCA guys are bad, but it sure seems like many of my experiences have been negative, with a lot of them overly concerned over the money/collector end of the hobby rather than the operating fun-side. Besides, every junker and beater I take off the market, helps make those other good condition ones worth a little bit more.
brianel, Agent 027
"Praise the Lord. I may not have everything I desire, but the Lord has come through for what I need."
I am mostly into HO logging for a layout, but one of my grand daughters manages a thrift store and gave me a box of Lionel last year that included a really good looking GG1, a good ATSF F3 and a broken F3 (I replaced the body off bay), a KW transformer, lots of freight cars and 6 turnouts. I was hooked on collecting. Now I have passenger cars, track, repair parts and some more freight cars off Ebay. For about $350 total investment (and climbing) I have around $2,500 for insurance purposes. I am hooked on post-war collecting and bidding.
I enjoy the forum every day.
The rest will wait until I am too old to make the little stuff, then I'll sell the HO and set up tinplate.
TARP
I enjoy doing
A: Maintenance and clean....
B: Modify and improve....
C:Restoring
D: running
E: chating
F: Reading
G: to lend
bottom line....I love trains (Post war more the other)
Andre.
Once again, a very interesting topic, Dave. You're always coming up with good ones. Well, here's my ranking...
1. B. I'm very much a collector. Prewar and postwar toy trains are my primary interest (although I also have modern HO). "The Hunt" is one of the best parts of the hobby for me. I'm always checking antique stores, pawn shops, flea markets, garage sales, train shows, ebay and anywhere else where old trains might be found. Many times there aren't trains at these places or they're over-priced, but the trains I do find more than make up for that. Whenever I do find some new piece, I'm always on a high. There's a great deal of excitement in not knowing what I'll find next. Here's one example: About four years ago, I was given the opportunity to purchase a 1930's Bub (German) tinplate baggage car lettered for Canadian National, which is from a set sold exclusively in Canada and is very hard to find even here. It was a lot of money, but I doubted that I would ever have another opportunity to buy another one, so I got it. I later found the passenger car and tender for the set on ebay with a junk Marx set, which I picked up for only $20. Then, I found the engine alone on ebay and got it for only $30. Within a year of purchasing the baggage car, I had a complete Bub CN set, which in itself is something to be proud of, but also which altogether cost me far less than its full value.
It's always great to complete a set, like in the example above, or find some new variation or item that I have been looking for or, better yet, didn't even know existed.
2. F. Researching and studying vintage toy trains. Perhaps this goes along with collecting, but I'm putting this as a seperate activity. The historical aspect of the hobby appeals to me enormously and I'm always eager to learn more. I read anything I can on vintage toy trains. However, finding out the details of the histories and product lines of lesser-known manufacturers really interests me.
While there is an enormous amount of detailed material published about the major manufacturers (seriously, what is there about postwar Lionel that hasn't been documented in detail?), there are many toy train companies with little known about them. This fact makes me want to know about these obscure manufacturers all the more. For example, I've collected a very large amount of Japanese toy trains. There is virtually nothing documented about them (except Sakai, which has a strong following). Because of this, I've paid special attention to these trains and scrupulously seek out every variation I can. (Someday I'd love to write a book on the subject.) For example, I'm close to having a boxed example of every plastic HO set made by Toy Nomura of Japan in the 1960's, many of which are only slight variations of one another (over half the sets have the identical engine, tender and gondola car).
If I ever see some wierd tinplate train that I know nothing about, I want it all the more. Finding out all about it and being able to have that knowledge is very rewarding.
3. C. I love to talk with others about toy trains, whether it's here on the forums of in real life. I love exhibiting at train shows and might have listed that as a seperate activity, but the thing I love about going to train shows is meeting other people who are interested in the trains I have, whether they are also knowledgable collectors, scale modelers who find my tinplate trains intriguing and want to know more or people who remember having, or who still own, simmilar trains from when they were a child. The people you meet is one of the best things about the hobby! I've made many friends through my trains, not just other train enthusiasts (although they're the majority), but also antique dealers who keep an eye out for trains for me and people whose childhood trains I've got running for them.
4. A. I think this one speaks for itself.
5. E. I really enjoy the creative and imaginative aspects of building a layout: visualizing how things will look in my mind and arranging everything in a way that is most aesthecically pleasing. However, the technical parts (building benchwork, wiring, etc.) are probably the part of the hobby I enjoy the least and think of as a necessary chore more than anything else.
6. D. This isn't something I've really done anything in and I doubt I'd be very talented at it or have the patience for it, although I've always greatly admired those individuals who do this kind of thing. The closest I've come is a factory/warehouse type building on my HO layout, which I built using some kind of a kid's building set I found at a thrift store which you can make buildings out of that have windows and doors almost perfect in size for HO scale. I painted the whole thing in realistic colours and made signs on the computer for it for Vandelay Industries (from Seinfeld, my sense of humour at work on the layout). I must say that I did have a lot of fun creating that!
Bob Mitchell Gettysburg, PA TCA # 98-47956 LCCA# RM22839
1) C, I like to read the posts and topics in all of the different forums.
2) A, running trains is my escape from everyday life. I like to listen to the Railsounds System, the air whistle from my 1st Lionel Steamer, the wheels on the rails, Mel's Diner from MTH, and the Lionel Singing Hobo water tower.
3) F, reading about other people's layouts in CTT, looking and reading the wiring diagrams, reading the tips and tricks column. I am looking for a bunch of articles right now about hiding building bases under foam, making roads, cutting foam and then painting it to make scenery, and scenery techniques.
4) E
5) B, I don't like to have trains sitting on shelves, I like to run them.
6) D, I don't have the patience to scratchbuild anything.
A - love to run the MTH proto sounds, have many proro1, a few proto 2
B - Collecting - has to be pre-war Lionel Standard and O gauge
C - Chat - no time for that, I commute, makes for a 12+ hr day
D - Scratch Build - no, too many projects at home
E - new layout, under design, CTT has been very helpful, forum very helpful
F - other - I also have trouble keeping Houndzilla ( a beagle) away from trains.
Hate dealers who price things very high. Solved that problem for the forseeble future.
Recently purchased a HUGE collection of MTH trains, acces, buildings, many mint in box,
at very reasonable price. Took four loads in a GMC Jimmy to get it home.
Love good trainshows, York, Harrisonburg, Dulles Expo Center. Don't think I will be purchasing many trains in the near futuer. Spent many years train budget last month.
Jon
So many roads, so little time.
E. Planning, building layout
A. Running trains
C. Chatting about trains
D. Scratchbuilding (although haven't gotten that far, yet)
E. Collecting (don't have the layout done yet, so haven't the $ to collect anything until buying the necessities)
Number one would be adding, building, changing, searching for "scenics" for my layouts. I recently joined a modular group so I could build things that were too large for my 5x8 layout...like a Drive-In Movie (to scale...not with small cars).
Number two would be watching other people run their hi-tech, super-detailed, expensive, looong trains on our huge modular layout. Joe
1. building a layout. I spend most of my time in the hobby planing and constructing or changing my layout.
2. Buying trains. Right now my roster is not very large so I enjoy looking for more trains, visiting diffrent train shops. My son loves to go with me. Plus there nothing more pleasing then finding a great bargin on a train.
3. Running trains. I believe this will move up the list as my roster and layout mature. I've only been in the hobby for about 3 years now.
4. Reading books about and mags about trains, layouts and sceanery.
5. Talking to other in the Hobby. (Sorry guys your last. No hard feelings I hope)
c) chatting would eb first for me because i do more of this than anything. as i wake up looking to see the responses i check in the middle of the day for responses. and i check before i go to bed for responses also i check in between those times i named for responses. thats alot of time wasted on the forum instead of it going into me working om my layout.
b) would be next as you cant run trains unless you have them to run.
e) would be next as you have to have some type of layout to run the trains on wether it be carpey or benchwork.
a) running trains as thats why you bought them in the first place as that would be the enjoyment for you and also to get your moneys worth.
f) other would be the times i go upstairs and just look at my layout and say when am i going to do some work just to get the first train running which i should have by the weekend if i stay dedicated to working on my layout.
d) would be last as i have only thought about what i would like to scratch build once i get my trains up and running.
A. Chatting about trains (on forum and phone)B. Thinking, changing and working on the layout.C. Running trains / trolleys.D. Reading toy train and modeling and train magazines (got the latest MR and Trains this week).
I don't think I collect or scratchbuild 'well'. I do enjoy making something from items not intended for model railroading - like furnace filter trees or box-based hills.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Well Dave, when I got back into the hobby 16 years ago, it was the lack of current road names and either the lack of painted bodies (or enough color put into the plastic body material) that got me interested in repainting. Now it's one of my favorite activities - by choice and by the continued severe lack of current roads on smaller train items.
Modeling on a budget got me started in kitbashing years ago. As my comfort level rapidly grew I got and into the design, creation and building of my own train accessories. My own custom designed iciing station still works after 15 years. Having limited space for a layout has forced me into the modification of many train items. My current layout design would NOT be possible if I did not chop down the 027 swtiches to just the actual track size... the as if footprint of the switches is very limiting on small layouts. I've made my MTH operating freight platform smaller as I have made other items smaller. I've built a number of 027-ized locos that are my favorites.
When I was doing shows, I always was flattered with the many comments and compliments on "where did I get that?" or "when did K-Line make a CSX Alco?" or "how did you make your milk car operate anywhere on your layout?" or "who made that good looking small Conrail loco?" It was also neat to have folks with kids look at all the layouts, even the big scale command layouts, and then come back and tell me mine was the best. Or to get notes from dealers thanking me for helping them to sell another train set. Those things were really nice and seeing the smiles of excitement on the kids faces over the very kinds trains the importers say kids don't want not only proves them all wrong but was just great! Kids still like trains, they just have to be affordable and available for those kids parents.
I once sold a custom built 027-ized loco and then quickly realized what a mistake that was (Williams Dash 9 shells are hard to come by) and made a vow not to do that again. Years ago I though one of the importers would wake up and tool up at least one single new 027-ized modern style loco without the fancy electronics.... good thing I decided not to wait for them!!!
So I'd say my "messing, modifying, improving" with trains comes first. Running comes second. Talking to newcomers and novices at small regional local shows comes third (everyone should go to YORK once, but you will NOT find the typical novice at YORK). I do like yacking on the forum, but also realize I'm out of the loop in many instances. I've always thought if folks like me got more vocal, we might see some more products geared for affordable beginners, but it seems the train companies would prefer go bankrupt before serving the majority of modelers. I predicted years ago on another train forum that K-line would go under due to their indulgence on the scale end. Other than the success of FasTrack (which surprised me and I was wrong on that one) I've been batting pretty good.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
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