New member wanting to learn more about Garden Rail Roading:

[Anonymous]

Hello:
My name is Raymond (Ray) Pittam, 65 years young. I'm, a retired trucker, but worked for CB&Q, with many of my family members in my youth. My Oldest Brother has been a Model Rail Roader since 1944. I, have always enjoyed his hobby, and wanted to someday get into it in some degree.
I, was a forman for Rockwell, Steel Co. Atchison, Kansas, making the Pushin Cushion Hitch. I, also, have worked as a volunteer for several Rail Road Museums. My Trucking Company, hauled many loads of Rail Road Equipment for Museums.
Now, I'm retired, know nothing about Garden Rail Roading, but have been around several as a sight see'r. I, have always had a love passion for Steam Engines because as a kid back in the 1940s and 50s, I would ride up in the cab of Steam Engines from the places my father worked to where I lived across town, in St. Joseph, Missouri.
I, would like to correspond with some Northern California, and San Francisco Bay Area Garden Rail Roaders, and possibly start a Lay Out of my own. If, there is anyone, who has the paticence to show someone around, I would be greatly interested in looking some Lay Outs over and getting acquainted.
I, live in the Concord, Walnut Creek area.
Years ago, I hauled an Engine, Tender, and two cars for a man in the Woodside area, with several hundred feet of 18" spread Rail and ties. I, have often wondered if this person was still alive, and a Member of the Garden Rail Road Club? His name has excaped me. He, entertained many of the Top Show people of the Bay area, back in the 1960s-70s.
Sorry, I got carried away!
Sincerely: Ray

[kstrong]

Ray,

http://www.bagrs.org/

That's the web site for the Bay Area Garden Railway Society. They're a very large and active group, and will definitely be able to assist you along your journey. You'll no doubt have a plethora of established garden railroads to see and draw ideas from. Garden Railways columnist Jack Verducci lives quite close to you, and is always willing to introduce folks to the magic/insanity that is garden railroading.

Good luck!

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

Thank You, for the prompt reply, I'm looking forward to seeing what this intels. I, hope I can meet some new friends either way. I just hope I, can afford the hobby. Sincerely: Ray

[bman36]

Hi Ray,
Welcome to the forum! I too am steering and gearing for a living....but live waaaaaay up North from you. There should be no shortage of people in your area as Kevin has directed you to. Have fun! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] Ray, Grab a chair and some coffee and enjoy! ask questions and if time allows scroll through back pages in the various forums.

WARNING! THE UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL HAS DEAMED GARDEN RAILROADING AS A ADDICTIVE HABIT WITH NO ILL SIDE EFFECTS!

[grandpopswalt]

Welcome Ray. I retired about two years ago and have happily filled my time with garden railroading. This can become a passion. You'll also find that the folks on this forum are friendly and always willing to help.

Enjoy your retirement, I'm sure you've worked hard for a long time and deserve it.

Walt

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] Ray!!

Enjoy your Stay

[Anonymous]

Yes Ray I am in your league 68 and been retired for 2 years although I wasn't a truckie. You will meet many pleasant, smart and helpful people in this hobby and it is good for you psych irrespective of cost, its worth it. The beauty of it all is that there is no wrong or right way of doing anything and we often have barying opinions and will disagree about just about anything and that is one of its strengths

If you stick to this forum you will meet many people of different persuasions and several countries and different views on just about everything and thats great.

Why don't you get yourself an LGB starter kit and try it our and see how you feel if you send me your email address I willsend you a few photo's of my layout which is very different toi any Yankee layout I have seen.


Regards


Ian

[Capt Bob Johnson]

The best advise I can give for one entering this hobby is to think elevated! None of us are getting any younger, and some of us have some difficulties getting up and down to work on the ground. Harder to see things way down there too! IF IT AIN'T GETTING TO YOU YET, IT PROBABLY ISN'T FAR AWAY. Just get what you can afford, have fun with it, enjoy the imagination part, be like a kid at christmas when you get a catalog, and add to your layout and equipment as you can afford it. The other thing is that if you are married or have a squeeze living with you, get her involved too! She can get into the plants, helping with the scenery, and provide the extra pair of hands sometimes when you desparately need them!

[Anonymous]

Hi Ray
Welcome to the world of bankrupcy insanity but above all fun[:D] that is garden railway building.
Make it a family job and the enjoymet it can bring makes it all worth it
scratch building some things will cut some of the cost and also add to the fun and individuality of the line.
Phils scratch building classes listed in the scratch building lists and pullout plans list are worth reading as well
you can get plenty of adbice and help from theses forums as well
regards John

[Tom The Brat]

Nice to meet you, Ray.

Just hand around here for a while, you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know[:D]

[Anonymous]

Welcome Ray , glad to hear from you . You'll learn alot from this forum , lots of great people here who always are willing to help . I drive for a living too with the overnite company DHL . Can't wait to retire myself and devote more time to my backyard railroad . Sill have about six more years till i'm outa there . Good luck with you railroad !

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] Ray
I am also retired 4 years now , got in to GRR' about 6 months before i retired ,started out small , and added and added and want to add some track next summer again, I also have an inside track of 100 ft around my basement ceiling, when it's cold out i can run trains in side. out side i have about 170 ft of track , with a pond . .Ben

[Marty Cozad]

HI Ray, I will retire in 22 years, sorry, i'm just a young buck.
welcome to the forum.

[Anonymous]

Hi Ray, big welcome from us in the UK. Don't take too much time looking or that may become the hobby As Ian said, buy a starter set or enough to get trains running and you're on your way. Enjoy.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Gary Crawley]

[#welcome] Ray
All the best for the future and rember you only have to ask a question (about anything) and we will answer.
Regards
Gary

[Anonymous]

Dear New Friends:
Please bear with me, I'm so over whelmed at all these nice welcome letters, I, am, astound. This is unbelievable. I'm a gold winger motorcyclist, and have belonged to several Associations, and even been a person who started many programs, and never have I received such a wonderful welcome.
My oldest Brother, Wm. E. Toney, is in the small Model Rail Roads and has been over 60 years. He has a layout that is so unbelieveble. It looks like a big Clubs Layout. He has several hundreds of Thousands of Dollars worth of Rail Road in his home. He even has a Library of Engines and cars that date back to the late 1930s and early 40s. I, ask him what his plans are, for them, because he just lost his eye site with a Blood Vesel burtsying in his eyes. He said, he wished he could sell them all as one layout to some Historical Museum, but they won't give anything for them.
Myself, I, build miniture Doll Houses, as well as, small barns, garages and even built a Round House once with a working turn table on the one inch scale . I, do have some photos of my houses, as well as other toys I made. I, have ven made scale trains on the same scale. All home designed and cut and formed by myself.
Garden Rail Roading just seemed so interesting when I went to the Orinda, California Garden Rail Road Park. That was about five years ago. I, have been interested every since. I'm in hopes I can buy someone's set that is wanting to get out of it, Or someone who's wife is selling because of the loss of her husband.My funds are not, what I thought they would be by a Long, Long way, when I had to sell my Trucking business.
I, hope as I get acquainted with others, I will find friends, mostly, and then start planning my program. I, alsso make water falls and running streams with Coy and fish ponds. I'm really looking forward to meeting new friends over Coffee, and as they learn to know and trust me, will invite me to see their layouts.
I, want to thank each and everyone of you, for your wonderful welcome, once again.
Sincerely, Ray
[e-mail], (home)
or
[e-mail], (My wood shop,)
[e-mail], (My trucking and open Chat )

[Anonymous]

Ray,
Do you make dolls houses or buildings in half inch scale? If you do then they would be the right scale for 1:24 scale trains. I often look in the doll's house section at the model shop if I am about to do a building. Often you can get lots of detail pieces and a bigger range and cheaper than from a train manufacturer. I also look at the model cars for gears and motors and the model boats for chains and things, so you can find lots of stuff every where it you look.

I am sure you will have fun Ray. I actually built a couple of railway stations in half inch (1:24) before I got my first train, as it was an easy & cheap way to get started.
So Ray you could start now! and with your skills, by the time you have got the train and track you could have a whole town ready!

Good luck.
Glen.

[Anonymous]

E-mail me, at [e-mail], and I will send you some photos of my work.

[Anonymous]

E-mail me, at [e-mail], and I will send you some photos of my work.

[Anonymous]

Nice people here and Garden Railroading will provide you with some mild exercise.

Mikadousrp

[Anonymous]

Ray, I always forget to mention this to beginners, I myself being one. Get the book [i]Garden Railroads - Getting Started {I/] I got mine at a local hobby store.
It's packed full of good info!

[Anonymous]

Hi Ray
Reading your resume it seems to me the only thing when it comes to building town is to remember its for the railway and aprox half the size or there abouts to what I understand is the common size for dolls houses
so aprox 1/2 " to the foot give or take a bit instead of 1" to the foot[:D].
That will cut a big chunk off the expenditure if you have the machienery to build dolls houses that same machienery will build railway wagons and passanger coaches so it will just be a case of buying what you cannot make..
I would get the book Matthew sugested and a Garden Railways mag taking the pull out plan down to the shed and make a start on the first car while you think on what you want to do the thing is to take that first step I also tend to agree with the get a starter set that will give you a loco some track an a couple of cars to be going on with and a train controler as well, you can always get more track and better curves later as you can aford it.
It is the taking the first couple of steps that is the hardest part
thats [2c]
regards John

[Anonymous]

He are some photos of Rays work that he sent to me.







I'm off on holiday now. Catch up with you all in a week.
Glen.

[Anonymous]

Ray, you are a talented person with an eye for detail! You'll do great!

[Anonymous]

Ray

Don't be fooled they may seem like nice people but underneath they are a pack of bastards and the only really nice person on thisa forum is me.


Rgds Ian

PS I've got 3 grandkids here with me for the moment will send you some stuff shortly'