Hello, I'm new here, so let me introduce myself. My name is Bill, I'm a retired Electrical Engineer, I will be 77 in January, I'm in relatively good health but have poor vision, married with a wife who is a retired teacher and porcelain artist, have a main home in Albuquerque, NM and a smaller home in Tucson, AZ where we scram to when it gets cold in the winter.
My main hobby has been Control Line model airplanes (remember those?) since I was a pre-teen; my secondary one has been Railfanning and Model Railroading off and on over the years. Blood pressure meds (and old age) make me borderline vertiginous, so the CL flying just has to go. Knowing that the time would come, I have acquired cork roadbed and flex-track (300' of each), turnouts, locos, and rolling stock over the past fifteen or so years. The time has arrived.
I'm a typical nerdy engineer. That results in my wanting to have every detail planned and documented before any work begins that involves cutting wood, etc. To that end I have also acquired a rather extensive library of all the recommended Armstrong and Wescott classics as well as many of the modern Kalmbach et al. books. I am currently disposing of much of my model airplane equipment and materials and am re-configuring my garage-sized shop from a model airplane building facility to a model railroad layout room. Years ago, I acquired a radial-arm saw in anticipation of this day. It will join my small table saw, drill press, sander, scroll saw and a gazillion hand tools.
I have many ideas and look forward to running many of them through here to get the valuable opinions of this sage group!
Hi Super-C
Welcome! The Model Railroader website is populated by helpful and good people from the hobby and you will get answers to any question you ask. It is also very worthwhile to get subscriptions to MR Video Plus which has the best 'how to' videos and entertaining knowledge base on line in the hobby. Also consider getting the MRR Archive to look back over all the MRR magazines over the years.
Didn't mean for this to be an ad for MRR but believe me all the help I have needed in the past is here.
Welcome again and have fun!
Barry
Bill!
Welcome to the forums!
You have obviously done your homework. Don't hesitate to ask questions. There are lots of good people here who are willing to help.
A word of caution - there are a few on the forums who can be a bit negative. Pay them no heed!
You are in for a lot of fun.
Take care
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Welcome from the LION. LION operates the largest subway layout in the state o f North Dakota. Not your ordinary layout, but it does do what I want it to do, and I can spen hours each week fsussing around with it.
Since you are an engineer, and want everything planned out in advance, allow me to scandalize you with my hap=hazzard methods of model construction. I knew about what I wanted to do even as I took down my last layout, and now I have three levels along the east and south walls of my train room. The manufacture of the bents went well even though the plans were only located in my head.
If something did not work or if I changed my mind, I simply tore it our and rebuilt it as my new whims and thoughts required. I have only re-wired the whoe thing three or four times, but now I got it right.
LION, like ewe, is an old beast, and him has decided NEVER to go under a train table again. All wiring is mounted on the fascia. There are some stand-offs with magnets glued to them, and these hold the finished fascia in place, yet allow easy access to the wires. Gotta get to the wires.
LIONS do not use DCC, but this did nost stop him from using several hundred relays to enervate the signals and provide the analog automation necessary to run eight trains at a time, while the LION stands aside and chats with the guests. (Him has to decide what kind of sauce will go good with which sort of guest.) They never catch on that nobody is running the trains. And that is as it should be.
Of course, you may hap do not wat to be as complicated as a LION, and that is likely enough to be a good thing, but do drop by my website to see what I have builded.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
aboard Super-C, from another old boot here.
You have indeed come to the right place, and I am sure you will fit right in and feel at home here. Keep in mind that we are all different and some of us might not be as detailed as you. My mind set is to get at it and don't waste so much time studying it out. There is nothing that we do with our layouts that if we are not satisfied with it cannot be torn out and re done. In that regard I am much like Br. Elias in North Dakota (The Broadway Lion).
Keep us informed of your progress and you will always get answers to your questions, do study those to make sure they fit right with your mind set and what you are trying to accomplish. There are many ways of reaching the same end. I am also one of the Gang here whho hasn't gone to DCC., but many others have. Depends on your wants & needs. What are you planning on using ?
My layout ( the LM&E ) is 17ft. x 13ft. three level, A helix from the bottom level, which is for Service, industrial and yards)to the middle (branchlines)and long ramps to the third (main line) Four staging tracks are in a adjoining storage room off of the main line.
Remember the joy is in the journey not the destination.
Johnboy out.....................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
Welcome aboard, Bill. You apparently have already done your homework. I know exactly where you're coming from, I'm from a family of electrical, mechanical and piping engineers. My Dad never left a "stone unturned" in any of the "gazillion" projects. A simple repiping job would thing it was a nuclear power plant! I inherited that same work ethic (sometimes a curse but usually a benefit), works for me, however, got to give myself a kick ocasionally to go from "over" design to start production. Even in this hobby some of the best (and overthought) plans tend to need revision as you go. This is especially true in your trackplan/ benchwork. Enjoy, there are many experience members here that are willing to help out.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Hi, Bill, welcome to the MR forum.
First, I am compelled to point out that my kids would suggest that "nerdy engineer" is redundant. I'm a retired chem E, but my pocket protector circular slide rule is in the desk drawer. My retirement outfit (in central TX) is gym shorts and a T-shirt, which I consider relatively styish. Shorts with a belt is semi-formal.
Anyhow, I got into this (again) a few years ago. starting a modest layout 3 years ago after getting management approval. Like you, I wanted to understand things before diving in again. That was part driven by a 1980 layout (supposedly for the kids) where I quit after installing track, probably because of being spread thin but also disappointed with constant derailments.
While considering building again, I enjoyed a couple of winter playing with (computer drawn) track plans....for the upstairs office area, maybe 1/2 the garage, etc. That was educational in itself. When closer to deciding on a plan, I got into more research about track laying, turnout manufacturers, DCC and associated wiring. There are lots of great websites and (IMO) useful books. Plus the forum has been a boon when specific questions arise, where old threads may be found (the serach block on the right, or more effective, googling) or simply ask questions (someone will help out). Once into it, I've enjoyed tackling new things for me: buildings and their lighting, scenery (only so far along), loco conversions (for those I find that are not DCC/sound or currently made) to DCC, etc.
It's a fun journey. We'd like to hear about your layout space & ideas.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Hello Bill,
Welcome...welcome to the forums.
As you will find...this is and will be one of your best places to get answers to your questions.
Lots of knowledge and experience here.
Also as you will find...there are some very interesting characters here too.
I started here 2 years ago. I actively returned to the hobby 4 1/2 years ago. I'm 54 and have been in it for 45 years. I'm a former professional railroader. So I may have a unique perspective of diesel locomotives and track.
Once again...welcome.
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
Hello, Bill,
We're the same age, but have had different careers -- mine was U.S. Army Intelligence service for 26 years followed by 16 years as a civilian instructor at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, which is 70 miles SE of Tucson.
I'm a member of a local club in Sierra Vista that has N, HO, and G-scale trains. Our web site is www.cwmrrc.com
If you're ever down Sierra Vista way, please stop in for a visit.