It has been a while since we had a poll as Kevin stated on the "Expense of hobby thread". This isn't really a poll, but you can tell us about yourself, though it would be interesting to find out how old we are and compare it to other grumpy old man statistics.
Partake if you wish.
Joined forum July 2006, 6745 posts. When I joined I could not see myself even hitting a 100 posts. Guess I needed more help than I thought from these fine people.
Age 63
Retired at 52
Blue-collar/high school education.
Lives, West Coast of Canada an hour SE of Vancouver.
Scale HO
Modelled Treble O scale as a kid.
Current layout fills a 15' x 24' room
Likes steam best but can't resist things from all eras.
Other current and past interests are guitar, skiing down a hill as fast as I can possibly go, golf, mountain biking, flying and travelling.
So tell us about yourself.....Or not.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Hi Brent!
Here is my story:
- I joined the forums in 2006.
- I have posted 11,597 times.
- I have a couple of threads that have had significant numbers of viewers. My thread on my old club's layout construction had almost 70,000 views, and my current thread on building my layout on a rotisserie is at about 16,000 views.
- I am 66 years old.
- I have been with my wife Dianne for 44 years. She fully supports my involvement in the hobby.
- I retired in 2012 at age 58, although I did do a short stint with Home Depot after that.
- I live in Bradford, Ontario, which is about 30 miles north of Toronto.
- After years of telling myself that my bad back wouldn't allow me to build a layout, I am finally building a 5'4" x 12' layout. The benchwork will be able to be rotated so I can do the wiring etc. without having to crawl under the layout. It will be 36" above the floor so I can work on it and operate it from a seated position.
- My main interest is in Canadian Pacific during the 50s and 60s, with emphasis on the F series locomotives.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Started reading the Forum when I retired in 2007, joined in 2009.EE degree from Texas Western College 1960 (now UTEP).Age 83, next week.
Married to my wonderful wife Andra for 53 years. She participates in my hobby bulding scenery.
Raised 7 of our own and 1 grandson, 23 grand and great grand kids, three more in the hanger.Retired at 70, 49 years and 10 months in Public Saftey two-way radio communications.Stuck living in miserably hot Bakersfield CA.Started model railroading at 8, Lionel 027. Got into HO scale in 1951.First HO locomotive MDC/Roundhouse 0-6-0 kit purchased with paper route money in 1951. ($6.85)Started my fourth and final layout in 1989, 10’ x 14’.I model the early to mid 1950s. Favorite locomotive Southern Pacific Cab Forward followed closely by the Southern Pacific AC-9.Favorite portion of model railroading, reviving old clunker locomotives to look and run better than new.Like all kinds of electronic goodies related to model railroading. Got into CAD drawing in 1984 with Pro Design I, now using DesignCAD 20.When I need a break from the workbench/layout I draw on my computer, pictures and schematics.I am one of the grumpy old (older than dirt) men on the Forum.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
RR_MelAge 83, next week.
A slightly premature "Happy Birthday Mel!!!"
May you have many, many more!
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hmm, don't remember when I joined, but I have 28305 posts (28306 now )
Turning 54 in a couple of months
EE degree from Lehigh University, 1988, but I've pretty much been an IT geek apart from some of the time at my first job. Been witht he same company now for over 20 years (name printed on my paycheck has changed a few times though - at least they still pay me)
I live outside of Reading - so modeling the hometown road, though I've lived all over southeast PA over the years. A friend posed the question on Facebook the other day so I counted, I moved 16 times (not counting living on campus at college) to 14 different places (had to move back home twice to get regrouped).
Pretty much always been in HO, from age 2 on up (a working 8mm projector and I can prove it). Did have a few N scale layouts for a time, as it was the only thing I had room to leave up all the time - the HO except for one layout at home was seasonal only.
Not sure how I ended up modeling the Reading, actually - possibly memories from the Summer before I turned 5, so this would have been 1971. We went on a camping trip to Hersheypark, and the Reading tracks went by just down the end of the row where out campsite was, and every time I heard the train, I ran down to watch - but I don't recall what it was I saw exactly. But, it all works out, I'm close to the source, and my favorite loco is the Alco RS3, of which the Reading had an abundance.
AFter 6 years in this house, I finally had the basement redone to make a nice train room and I finally started a serious layout. Work progresses slowly. But it'll get there.
Other interests: reading (sf, mostly. my Kindle Unlimited is almost always maxxed out, I read a LOT), electronics, computers, listening to music and going to concerts (classic rock, prog rock, and blues).
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I live on the Gulf Coast in South Florida.
I am 52, retired earlier this year at age 52.
I have been married 32 years, have three adult daughters, but no grandchildren.
Grew up in Gainesville, Florida on the Campus of the University of Florida.
Except for a year in Slaughter. Louisiana, and a year in Nashville, Tennessee, I have lived in Florida my entire life.
Dropped out of college at 18, later went on to earn degrees in Diesel Engine Technology, Mechanical Engineering and Adult Education.
Worked for the same employer from 1990 to 2020. Went from "Apprentice Novice" to "South Region Manager of Technician Certification and Dealer Development."
I have built five layouts of my own, two for others, and been majorly involved in three more.
I joined this forum in 2017 right after I tore down my layout in the spare bedroom. I have been without a layout for 3 years. I have never been without a layout before.
Modeled in N scale from 1981 through the mid 1990s then switched to HO scale. I have always modeled my private roadname STRATTON AND GILLETTE railroad, although it has changed location, era, and scale several times.
Was a founding charter member of Scale Rails of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, Florida in 1982. Left the club in the mid 1990s.
I was a member of the Florida Live Steamers from 1984 through the mid 1990s.
Other hobbies are Board Gaming, Wargaming, Cosplay, and Photography.
I am a classically trained pianist, but a severe injury to my right hand & arm in 1982 put an end to that. I have played the guitar for 30 years, but still play like a novice because of my hand injury.
I am a master miniature figure painter, but have yet to win a Golden Daemon, Golden Sophie, or a Golden Paintbrush... that is a personal goal for someday.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I joined this forum in 2014 when I got back into the hobby-- this is my 175th post. I don't post a ton, obviously, but I read what's posted here daily and take in a lot.
Might be on the younger side here-- turning 31 next month.
I've always been in HO scale-- started with a 4x8 my mom built for me, then built my own 4x8 at age 12 and got rid of it at 18 when I went off to college. Returned to the hobby at 25 and started concentrating my interests (and layout space) down to what it is now-- I model a Colorado short line on an eight-square-foot shelf layout, with one locomotive.
My model work, layout included, is all designed to be portable because, since jumping back in, I've lived in five states: IL, PA, CO, CA and now NC. (Insert millennial jokes here.) And it looks like in another year I'll be moving states again, so right now I'm all about having my fun in small spaces that can be adapted to new living situations.
Phil
I'm 73 and have been in model railroading since I was a kid.
Been on the Forum off and on for many years
Started out in 3 rail O gauge, went ho, then to N scale and now back to ho to stay. .
I model today's railroads, love big modern diesels with sound and dcc.
worked for 54 years in the grocery industry in various positions.
have lived in NE Pennsylvania my entire life
high school and some college education
have built many layouts in many scales, now building a ho layout. No theme just nice scenery to run my trains.
I'm 72 and aging fast...
Grew up in NY / NJ and graduated as chem engineer from Penn State.
Got to fly F100s in the Air National Guard for 7 years.
I worked for an oil company (in LA & TX), retired at 58 and we moved from Houston area to central TX.
I think I've been on the forum since 2010.
I built a snap-track 4x6 HO layout in Jr High (in an apartment), a flex track layout (poorly done, many derailments) in 1980. Did not get much past rioadbed & track stage and gave it up after a few years.
I got interested again in retirement and around 2008 I planned some modest layouts with XTrackCAD. Started the current 5 x 9 or so layout in 2012, completing ballast & scenery this year.
20200424_090128 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
I enjoy building structures, converting locos to DCC with custom speaker arrangements, and building car kits.
I have a very strict UP period modelled, from a camelback & 2-6-2 to C44-9W & SD70M. (I say I have a UP museum, and buy any loco I like.)
A favorite activity is running trains for the 7 grandkids and friend's young ones. Thus I like the folded loop layout, which can run two trains handily.
My other key activities are family visits, golf, occasional vacations, and volunteer income tax prep for the AARP TaxAide program. A prior hobby was restoring, starting 1991, a '66 GTO, which I sold 2 years ago.
Though I never knew my grandads, one was a switcher engineer in Sidney, NB, and the other worked at the Baldwin Loco works in Philly. A great-granddad was a construction supervisor on the parallel UP mainline additions in the late 1800s.
I got to chase UP #844 two times with my grandson in TX a number of years ago. In 2019, a friend & I did a road trip for a 2-day chase of #844 led by Big Boy #4014 in the run to Utah. I got to chase #4014 on its run through TX in October, including a special day with my grandson (then a HS senior).
I do enjoy the forum, and check it out daily.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
This is an excellent thread for so many reasons.
I'm now 82,
Played with trains since 1941
Influenced by my dad, two uncles who ran steam, and John Allen.
Started with pre med in college and after being tossed out after two semesters, then found a job on the Southern Pacific for almost a year.
Went back to college.... Parson's School of Design, NYU, Universities of London and Paris.....BFA Industrial Design
US Army throughout the 60's and became a professional pilot. Quit in 1977 and started an Industrial Design firm..sold it 10 years later and retired into model railroading as the co-promoter of the Great Scale Model Train Show and owner of the Piermont Division/brasstrains.com which was sold to Dan Glasure in 2005.
I built several model railroads...some for others, and my own which I think is well known.....HO and O scale. I have added two rather large additions over the years....henceforth the huge space.
I've been married to Sandy now for 18 years after two failed marriages. She is wonderful and supportive.
I began [website URL removed] building custom buildings and now rolling stock in any scale.
I also started a hobby shop in 1973 as a part time venture with mostly HO trains. I sold it in 1975 as I had received an incredible opportunity to fly as chief pilot for a major company which required 100% of my work time.
There is really too much other stuff, but my other passion is old timey and folk music. I play clawhammer banjo and guitar for a popular local string band with a bunch of other dinosaurs including my wife Sandy who is the fiddler. Our band slogan is "Live music by folks nearly dead". I once played fiddle, but Sandy and cats will not allow me to take it from the case.
I grew up in north Jersey (Allendale and Teaneck) and moved completely to Maryland in 1966. Also I have never laid claim to having my groundhog fully baked.
I have a feeling that I am going to be the youngest on here!
- Just turned 21
- I work in a dodge dealership, actively persuring a job in the rail industry
- Just moved into an apartment with my amazing girlfriend who let me put up a 8x2 layout in our living room, she loves it!
- Had a 4x8 when I was 10 and never progressed more than track nailed down to plywood
- started another 4x8 about a year ago, never finished becasue I was moving out
- now I am modeling WSOR in southern wi and northern IL, specifcally the fox lake sub with a taste of the CNW lake geneva sub ( now abandoned and a walking trail with some really cool bridges)
- This forum has been a really nice experiance for me, lots of great guys with great advice
- love cars and trucks as much as trains, my silverado is my baby. Hoping to buy another one soon and turn it into a drag truck with a big ole supercharger
Thanks, Brent, for starting this. It's interesting to read the background of others who enjoy this site.
Age: 68
Retired: Age 64
Educaton: Master's Degree from Louisiana State University at New Orleans
Work: Teacher, then school prinicipal for 42 years, much of it in the mid-city section of New Orleans
Now: Middle of the Great Plains in a town of 7,000. The nearest town over 7,000 is 50 miles away, and that town has only 55,000, which is huge to us
Joined Forum: 2018
Railroad experience: Started my first layout in 2017
Model railroad: N Scale, 'L' shaped layout 9 ft by 8 ft. Modern locomotives, Union Pacific and BNSF. I also have a Stratton & Gillette boxcar on the layout, thanks to Kevin
Discovery: Like Bear, I was surprised to find that I enjoy scratchbuilding structures more than any other part of the hobby.
Other interests: Not many. I watch a lot of 1930s and 40s Turner Classic Movies on TV, and naturally enjoy time with my daughters and their families, although none of them live close to us
Forum Favorites: Jeffrey's Trackside Diner and the Weekend Photo Fun!
Happy Birthday, Mel! You, your modeling skill, and your website have been an inspiration to me in this hobby.
York1 John
I've been here since December 2004. I've got over 19,000 posts.
I'm 73 years old. My health isn't what it used to be, but until a couple of years ago I still played ice hockey and did downhill skiing. Now I'm happy to just bicycle.
I also play Flight Simulator and I enjoy cooking, although dietary restrictions have taken some of the fun out of that.
After a divorce a couple of years ago, I'm a happier man but my trainroom is smaller. Maybe this winter I will make a serious effort to reconfigure and reassemble the layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I'm 38 years old, married with no kids. Grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania and am old enough to remember when the big gray building in Lyndora still said PULLMAN STANDARD on it. Been in Northern Virginia and DC for 10 years now.
I'm a Federal contractor, currently working at FAA headquarters supporting a team that manages air traffic control systems. Most of the last 10 years I spent at NASA headquarters in performance management.
Did my B.A. in Political Science/International Relations at Penn State. In less than a month, I'm starting grad school for my Master's in Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics at George Mason.
No layout right now, only three modules for my modular club. We bought a house last summer and the basement renovation has been very delayed from the original plans. When I get the basement refinished, I'll be building a contemporary Pittsburgh area layout.
I like to watch college football and my Penguins. I enjoy playing board games, but wouldn't call myself a board game guy because those people are way more serious about games I can't even wrap my brain around. Like doing projects around the house, even if sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I also like going antiquing with my wife. I resist a lot of things because I don't want to become a railroadiana guy, because you want to talk about an expensive hobby? There's one. I also enjoy American military history and particularly like the Revolution. Found out my house is on land once part of one of George Mason's plantations, which I thought was neat. Although he had 676 acres here and I have .25 acres of it.
First, thanks for starting this.
It's interesting to read the background of others on this site.
Age: 70
Semi-retired:
Graduated from Portland, Oregon's Benson Polytechnic High School in 1967.
I have helped manage a small machine shop untill 1976 then started an automotive body shop specializing in the repair and custonmizing of corvettes which opened the door for being a fiberglass component subcontractor to Freightliner, did this for a few years until the economy tanked in the early 80's.
Worked in the boiler industry from 1985 through 2006 then went to doing Industrial Mechanical Project and Site Managent consulting which I still do.
I left Oregon in 2001 for employment in Wisconson, then to Nebraska and now in Tennessee looking for another opportunity.
I think I joined this forum in 2004
I was given a Lionel train set for christmas in 1952, got interested in HO back in 1957 to 1962.
Left the model train world in 1962 and then started back up in 1974 with N Scale and have been there ever since.
Currently I have my layout in storage while my wife and I find a sutable house for us and my 27 ft, by 24 ft pennsula shaped layout.
My other interests are Corvette automobiles of which I have a 2011 Grand Sport and helping people with their business'.
I joined in Dec. of 2014.
Age 29.
Caregiver for my disabled father. (My mother is very petite and can't do the heavy lifting etc.) I'm attempting to write a graphic novel, but it's on hold at the moment due to noisy, annoying neighbors.
I live at home, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Scale is HO.
Started out with O and G scale as a kid.
Current layout is a 6' by 4' oval with a spurr/team track that's about 3'.
Like BATMAN, I like steam the best, but can't resist things from all eras. (And road names).
Other interests include model building, (I'm currently in the finishing stages of building a Nebula class starship from Star Trek. (It's a kitbash of an AMT/ERTL Galaxy class Enterprise D model). Also drawing and reading. I also enjoy classical music.
P.S. Happy early birthday Mel!
Wolf359 I'm attempting to write a graphic novel, but it's on hold at the moment due to noisy, annoying neighbors.
I am sorry for this. When my middle daughter was in 11th and 12th grade we had a very noisy and annoying neighbor. She was in AP mathematics classes, and I could not believe how much more difficult this situation made concentrating on her studies.
Right now my neighborhood has the best set of neighbors we have ever had. Noise is minimal and eveyone is getting along. It has not always been this way.
I hope you can continue work on your graphic novel.
SeeYou190 Wolf359 I'm attempting to write a graphic novel, but it's on hold at the moment due to noisy, annoying neighbors. I am sorry for this. When my middle daughter was in 11th and 12th grade we had a very noisy and annoying neighbor. She was in AP mathematics classes, and I could not believe how much more difficult this situation made concentrating on her studies. Right now my neighborhood has the best set of neighbors we have ever had. Noise is minimal and eveyone is getting along. It has not always been this way. I hope you can continue work on your graphic novel. -Kevin
Thank you, Kevin. I wish my neighborhood was like yours. Something I forgot to mention is that I was born in Gainesville, (small world, isn't it?) but we lived in Ocala, then Pensacola, back to Ocala, and then here to Colorado Springs when I was 3, and we've been here ever since. All of us would love to move to Wyoming though. Just waiting for the door to open.
I am 67. I got a degree at the Maryland Institute in Interior design but got into renovation while in college and as I was about to graduate started asking "what am I really going to do for a living". Landlord at the time who I had given free labor to (was bored alot) said "have I got a deal for you" and sold me three shells of apartment buildings on the fringes of a good neighborhood along with a job. Retied first time at 29, then got married and had kids and there went retirement. Retired second time at 52.
maybe people should update their profiles
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I am 16, will turn seventeen in November. I will graduate high school in 2022.
I joined last year, however I had been reading the forums many years before the point.
I started off with HO scale and I am still with it to this day. Initially I was interested in only North American railways but my tastes have shifted overseas to China two years ago. I was fortunate enough to travel with my family every three years to China to visit our extended family and purchase a item from the Bachmann Shanghai shop every trip before it's closure.
My home layout is a 4x8 built on a foam core base with plywood reinforcement, started in 2012 and construction is still ongoing, albiet slowly.
"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." -Lin Yutang
-
Well, I just turned 70.
I was born, raised and lived in Maryland until I joined the US NAVY in 1969.
During my 6 years in the NAVY I found and met my wife of 46 years. She passed away almost 3 years ago.
I worked for an airline which changed names 3 times from 1978-2013 as an Aircraft Inspector. Worked on some great aircraft and also Airbusses!
That unfortunately had me stuck in Scum City (Houston, TX) for 35 years. I loved Texas but hated Scum City.
Retired in 2013 and moved to the NW Arkansas area in the mountains.
I started out with American Flyer as a child changing to HO about 1960. Around 1977 I changed to HOn3, then HO again moving into Sn3 then S standard gauge. In 1996 I again changed to HO and have been there since that time.
I model the Western Maryland Ry in 1954 by proto freelancing.
I started custom painting in 1973 having been inspired and taught the art by Joe Luber of Pro Custom Hobbies. It's my favorite aspect to this hobby.
Currently working on the layout in a custom built 14x16 building.
oldline1
gregc maybe people should update their profiles
I joined this and the Bachmann forum in 2008?
I am 63, born, raised and still live in Maryland. I did spend one year in my teens living in Huntington Station, on Long Island.
Originally from the area south of Baltimore, I now live northeast of Baltimore in Havre de Grace, where the mighty Susquehanna River joins the Chesapeake Bay.
I am married to my wonderful wife Donna for 26 years now. Before that I was married to my first wife for 17 years. I have three children from my first marrage, and Donna has three children from her first marrage. And 10 grandchildren in all......
Yes, I married young the first time.....it did last 17 years........
High School education with some college level study, mainly in Architecture and Historic Presevation.
Originally trained and started out as a draftsman, I have worked both in the field and as a project manager/designer in many trades, electrical, plumbing, industrial refrigeration, carpentry, architecture and HVAC.
I have also sold MATCO TOOLS, been a shop foreman in a BMW store, and wrote service for several brands of new car dealerships.
Today, and for the last 20 years, I have been self employed as a historic restoration consultant, residential designer, and master restoration carpenter.
I began model railroading at age 10. My father was a "holiday modeler" setting up a large Christmas layout every year when I was young.
When I was 10, we moved into a house with a basement. My father set up the trains, building a nice "L" shaped layout with the two 5x9 platforms he had used for years in the living room for the holidays.
This time with elevated track, hidden staging, semi-automatic block control and more.
He quickly turned over creative control to me.
At age 13 I was working in the local hobby shop, at age 15 I was accepted into membership at the Severna Park Model Railroad Club, and at 19 I was managing the train department of a another hobby shop.
I have been active in the hobby is some way all of my life, building equipment, belonging to clubs or round robins, even when I did not always have a layout.
I have always model in HO, and I have modeled the same era and prototype roads for the last 30 years.
I am a freelance/protolance modeler with my ATLANTIC CENTRAL which interchanges with the B&O, C&O and WESTERN MARYLAND. The layout is set in 1954, three years before I was born.
I run DC, using an advanced cab control system I designed, using Aristo Train Engineer radio wireless throttles.
I am about to start my 5th layout in my new to me retirement digs after just selling the 1901 Queen Anne home Donna and restored and lived in for 25 years.
I have a wide open rancher basement of about 1500 sq ft, I plan to fill it......
My other hobbies/interests include listening/collecting music (vinyl), HiFi speaker design and construction, guns/shooting, classic cars/hot rods (although I don't have any right now, I have restored several cars from the ground up), GRAVELY garden tractors, old houses (go figure), and studying history.
Sheldon
I've only recently gotten involved with The World's Greatest Hobby.
I was born in Florida, and for 35 years I lived three blocks from the ocean. Got tired of the heat, the bugs, and the tourists, so I moved north (Atlanta) to work on some very large high-profile multi- multi-million dollar engineering projects.
Got tired of the heat, the bugs, and the traffic, so I chucked it all and moved to a small little farm two miles outside a dinky little town in the mountains of west Virginia (west Virginia, not West Virginia).
Ten years ago, the economy changed and circumstances beyond my control required that I relocate. I now find myself living and working in an even dinkier little town in the high desert of Wyoming. And I build small little tiny structures.
Not yet retired, but starting to think about it.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Hello, hello —
<<< Joined the Forum in August 2003
<<< Looks like I have 10.3 k posts
I'll be cresting the big sixty-four here in a few weeks. Been railroadin' one way or another since I could walk.
Here I am with dad holding me on the C&O 2707 when it was placed on display in Cleveland back in 1957:
April_RR_C&O2707 by Edmund, on Flickr
Then a year or two later on the East Broad Top, riding the private car Orbisonia, of course:
EJT_EBT_20_edited-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
We even tip-toed into Canada a few times for some of the great C-N fan trips through the '60s:
6218_Chatham-cab by Edmund, on Flickr
Looks like I'm giving the Churchill Victory wave there.
Dad built a 4 x 8 layout in the basement for "us" but it wasn't long before I pretty much took control, with his help:
First_HO-1962 by Edmund, on Flickr
Dad's father and his three brothers all worked for the Boston & Albany their entire careers other than a little stint in Europe in the early 1940s. I applied at one railroad, the Erie Lackawanna here in Cleveland back in the late '70s but I'm sure they figured I was just too young at the time. Actually I'm kind of glad I didn't actually get hired on the railroad as I later found a good job as a millwright at a GE plant here that lasted almost forty years. Retired from there in 2016 just one week before they announced they were closing the plant.
I did get plenty of railroad experiences thanks to several friends and acquaintances I've had along the way. Through most of the 1970s I was involved with a group running the fromer GTW USRA 2-8-2 4070:
Edmund at Conneaut 4070_0002 by Edmund, on Flickr
That's me with the snarky look on the far right. We had some good times with that engine. I got to fire while double-headed with the Reading 2102 on the Pennsylvania Railroad main line on segments between Pittsburgh and Altoona back in '77. I actually was snoozing when we went around Horseshoe Curve. Lots of great railroad adventures back then.
4070_derby by Edmund, on Flickr
Another friend worked on Penn-Central and Conrail and I tagged along on quite a few runs with him. Yep, things were sure a lot different on the railroad back then.
P-C 3246 by Edmund, on Flickr
I met my first wife, Sandi, through one of the other 4070 crew members and we had two sons together then she died suddenly, aged at only 27. Since that time I've pretty much stayed with the model side of the hobby. Occasionally going on some private car trips and dabbled with running a Fairmont "speeder" for a few years. Even played dining car waiter for a while
P1100033 by Edmund, on Flickr
Many of my scenes and equipment on my present HO layout are done with the prospect of recreating some of the memories I recall from my early railroad days.
Today my terriffic wife, Dee Ann, and her two children, plus nine grandchildren enjoy a quiet life out here in the "country" east of Cleveland. I built a "replica" caboose as our cabin in the woods and I get plenty of layout time, daily actually, since I really enjoy the benefits of this hobby. Dee Ann has quite a few hobbies of her own and we both stay busy with "projects" and activities.
There's another thread here about the cost of the hobby. In my estimation, for the relaxation and "theraputic value" of building models, creating scenery and running trains there's no substitute at any cost. Worth every penny!
Regards, Ed
The earliest post I can find is 2001. I've been here longer than that.
I'm 80 and have been modeling on and off since I was 6.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
I live in Northeast Ohio.
I'm 73 gaining on 74.
Joyce and I celebrated our 52nd anniversary this past June.
I retired from the Coast Guard in 1995, a LCDR, Naval Engineer, after 30-years.
I finished my BA, Business Administration from Columbia College and then a Masters in American History at Cleveland State. Worked at the Cleveland Police Museum for 10 years, starting as collection manager and ending a Curator of the museum.
Started my HO-scale BRVRR in 2003 and joined the forum in 2004. The original 4x4 layout in the utility room has expanded to the current 4x10 BRVRR in a spare bedroom.
My oldest grandson was fascinated with trains, particularly steam engines and Santa Fe Warbonnet diesels. His little brother, now 14, is still fascinated with trains, steam engines again. The first locomotive was a SF F7. I model the NYC and Santa Fe because I liked their liveries. We've added Pennsy and UP plus a few others that have fascinating steamers.
Its a rare week that goes by we don't go train watching at Olive Street in Elyria, Berea or other hot spots in northeast Ohio.
In addition to trains, I read a lot, maintain a website which will turn 16 next month, have mild interest in computers and digital photography.
I try to contribute to WPF weekly and to 'Show Me Something' as often as I can find time to do so.
The forum has proved to be a rich source of information and ideas for the BRVRR and is one that I check on almost daily.
Thanks to all of the forum participants out there.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
I joined June 2005 and have gotten up to just over 4,000 posts!
Turned 30 this year, but I've been in the hobby since I was 6 months old (proof is in our family videos)!
Homeschooled through high school, then got a 1-year community college degree.
Currently a technician and patent-holding product engineer.
Been in central IL my whole memorable life.
Main scale is HO. Also have some N, 00, O and Standard.
Finished layout portion is 7' x 4', but will be expanded with a 5' x 3' + 4' x 4' section.
Era and area don't matter to me. If it looks interesting, I'll get it!
Some other interests include, gaming, custom PC building, baking (not gonna lie, my cheesecakes rival the Cheesecake Factory), plastic models (cars, ships, etc), and some gardening. I was also a hot Wheels collector until the product line got too huge and kind of boring. I'm also a sound and video engineer at my church, and used to be really good on the piano.
It helps to have multiple hobbies. Whenever I feel burned out on one, I can just switch over to another for a while!
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