Welcome EVERYONE!!!! *****Please Read This First*****

[Anonymous]

I was just wondering if anyone who has left the OGF will sit in the grandstand at York and listen to the talks from Rich and the OG gang on April 16. It may be interesting. What will your answere be when Jin Barrett asks everyone who is a member of the OGF to stand up and give your screen name?
[:D]

[Anonymous]

Awww...I screwed up and did my intro in another thread, so I'll do it here
again.

I am a recent "refugee" from the OGR forum. I joined over there at the re-
commendation of a friend. I don't agree with the new policies being put
into place, and the comaraderie was/is just not there. I can't/won't pay for
the site. I have had a subscription to OGR since the days of when it was
Scale O Railroading, but the subscription, too shall end soon, with no
renewal.

I have been a subscriber to CTT since the beginning. (Actually Issue #2,
as I learned of it from my late father who gave me a copy of Issue #1, so
I'm not quite a "Charter Member") I enjoy CTT much more due to its style,
content and depth of coverage.

I have been involved with toy trains for the past 50 years. I am a third-gen-
eration toy train operator/collector and now have grandchildren of my own
who are interested in trains as well. Hopefully, they will have mine when
I'm finished with them. I stayed with the hobby constantly without a break
(even thru GIRLS/WIVES!). Both of my wives had/have train collections of
their own. [8)]

I have recently retired and relocated to a house that affords us a finished
basement given over entirely to trains, layouts (multiple), and train repair
facilities (machine shop). I finally am able to unpack things that I bought
decades ago specifically to enjoy when I retired. I have also inherited my
father's, grandfather's, and great-uncle's trains. All of them are original and
operate as well as the day they were made. I even run them on the origin-
al 80+ year old track and switches with no problems outside of routine
maintenance. (dusting, oiling, replacing the occasional worn out roller, etc.)

Hope to learn much here and to be able to share some here. Am a member
of the "old school" where you fixed your own stuff (on the rare occasion it
needs fixing). Those old trains were made to be rebuilt and repaired by
their owners. Even the old transformers can be rebuilt and rehabbed. Not
so with today's disposable tech. Think we will ever see 50 year old video
games?

Nuff said.

[RI Jim]

I'm another refugee from the OGR forum and wanted to say hello to everyone over here. I hope that more people find their way here once they start charging to post over there. I was known as Jim S on the other forum.

[Anonymous]

I'm also a refugee from OGR. Hope to see all of good friends here soon!

pax[:)]

[Anonymous]

Hi all! I'm new here, and I've been on OGR since 2001. I am more of a tinplater/toy train operator than a hi-railer, although I have great respect who can do a great hi-rail layout with almost prototypical accuracy (except for that pesky third rail). I got into trains in 1955, when I received my first Lionel Warbonnet freight set. (Its on the layout, ready to go, as I post this!) Got back into trains in 1988, with N Gauge, and slowly got back into O in the mid-90's. Since then, I've acquired modern Lionel, K-Line and MTH items, and more PW and MPC items. My layout is either TMCC or conventional, as I wish at the moment. One of my sub-passions is pre-war European tinplate, and I've acquired locomotives, rolling stock and tinplate structures by Hornby, Bing, Bassett-Lowke, Karl Bub and Leeds, among others. I love tin lithography, and I enjoy Plasticville also. The layout also allows me to display numerous diecast vehicles, many of which are buses, both British - and American-outline. The result of all this, of course, is that the layout cannot represent any one time or place. That's perfectly fine with me.[4:-)]

[cnw1995]

Wow, jay jay, your layout must be spectacular! Can we see it somewhere?

[Dave45681]

Thanks for the Welcome Wishes.

I am a new member here, although I am not sure I am abandoning the OGRR Forum yet. I know I am not paying for it at least until June, and even then I may lurk for a while to see who is still around and where the content migrates before deciding. Due to the nature of my screen name, I was able to choose the same one here. [:)]

I first started over there sometime in May 2002, as I was looking for info on the cable to hook DCS up to play nice with TMCC (since the MTH cable was not for sale yet). Hence my first benefit from my on-line train activity was reading about Ernie's (Lionel2341) DCS-TMCC cable. It just kind of snow-balled from there! [:D]

I certainly learned some things, and I think I helped people a few times as well (at least I hope so). I hope to participate similarly here. I know once or twice I may have stepped on a toe or 2, I will try not to duplicate that here. [;)]

Since other people are mentioning it, I am a subscriber to both CTT and OGRR continuously (or really close to it) since about 1997 sometime.

My interests are varied. I like some "scale" type engines, although I don't worry about accuracy to the prototype too much. If I like the general look of an engine/car, I will buy it. I also like what are definitely considered "toy trains". I have Disney, Warner Brothers, Airplanes that travel on metal rods around a pylon, etc. Speaking of the last item, I really like interesting accessories. As for scenery, my tables have green outdoor carpetting stapled down to the plywood, and that's good enough for my operating pleasure at the moment. I may venture into plaster mountains and such if/when I move to a house with a big basement and possibilities of a larger layout.

[Anonymous]

CNW1955: I don't have a website, and I am a "film camera" guy. I intend to acquire a digital camera this spring. As soon as I figure it out, and the upload pictures function, I'll post some pictures. The layout is up for reconfiguration, in any event, from walk-around to around-the-room.[8D]

[Anonymous]

Have a good day and I will check back again

[MikeSanta]

I found OGR forum first in 2001 and then I found this one in 2002.Theirs was a lot more user friendly(remember that hideous way you had to click on EACH INDIVIDUAL POST to read it and then go back to the top to find the next one.) Anyway, I'm a hi-railer who still has a good chunk of postwar stuff. I subscribe to both magazines and to the Trains e-mail thing. I take photos of the 12" to the foot layout outside my house. I think that instead of feuding about what gets posted on a website somewhere we ought to feud about the manufacturers not having more Amtrak or BNSF or CONTEMPORARY trains in starter sets. I think that if kids could buy trains like they see at railroad crossings the hobby would be better off.

[Anonymous]

I messed up to and posted in the other thread so here goes.I was new to OGR on the 13th of March and I'm new here by the way thanks big boy 4005 for the warm fuzzy welcome so far this forum seems pretty good and I've seen some names I recognize from OGR their forum was pretty good to but pay to post bothers me alot and since hearing about that I've joined a couple of other forums one which Lehigh valley railroad and my self are trying to get an O gauge forum started in is railfan.netforums and we could use a show of support over there from some fellow O gaugers to get it going now I'm not trying to steal anyone or horn in on CTT just looking to get the support so they will start a new board for O gauge over there.I'm an x-n gauger and x-ho gauger and just recently have discovered the wonderful world of o gauge.My 6yr old daughter and I have a 4x8 layout that is still in the constuction stages out in the garage and we are starting to get into collecting all sorts of o gauge equipment.I try to promote the hobby as much as I can and I really enjoy the comraderie and help I have received in this gauge from the people I've met in these forums so hats off to CTT and its members for allowing this to continue in this forum and please if possible check out railfan.netforums and lend us some support thanks John[^][^][^]

[Anonymous]

Ogauge forum at Railfan.net is up and running so stopby and say hi we would love to hear from you! [^] [^] [^]

[Big_Boy_4005]

I actually just signed up for the railfan.net forums. Not just for the new O gauge section but for some of the other topics as well. Thanks for the tip. I will probably read mostly over there and keep most of my posting here.[8D]

[Anonymous]

fleet621,

That railfan.net forum you keep promoting looks like a morgue to me.. And I don't think the moderators are very sharp. There's more action here.[:)]

[CSXJOE]

OK, I joined here today.

Grizzled veteran of over 2000 posts on OGR.

I wonder if M. DONALDSON will be polling over here too?

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Joe Polska

fleet621,

That railfan.net forum you keep promoting looks like a morgue to me.. And I don't think the moderators are very sharp. There's more action here.[:)]

Joe, this used to be the morgue, before Rich made his fateful decision.[swg]
Now CTT is a happinin place!![^]

[Anonymous]

I guess I should have read this first vs. posting. Maybe my wife is right about my inability to read. The reason for my getting back into this hobby is 2 grandsons; and since they do not share very well (do any?) I jumped into this with both feet. I lurked on both forums but after needing answers I finally signed up.

My goal is to develop a somewhat simple layout that they will enjoy as well as myself. It will consist of a steam (MTH 0-8-0 Reading) and a diesel (Lionel RS-11 Northern Pacific). I will use Dept. 56 and Lemax buildings along with a Hawthorne Village John Deere Farm. (Yes, I know not everything matches to scale). Two nights ago Dinosaurs were introduced to the Layout (temporarily).

Thanks for the ability to ask questions; I have been a member of a gofl forum www.4gea.com and have not only received valuable information, bought,sold, and traded stuff but most importantly have met individuals from all over the U.S. and England who I can call friends.We lost a friend from this website through 9-11 and it made us all feel closer.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Not to worry Bob, this topic has really served its purpose anyway, and was ready to fade into the sunset. We had such a rush here 2 weeks ago that the board would have been buried if an effort to welcome and round up all of the newcomers hadn't been made.

The rush seems to be over for now, and just a few people are joining these days. I would expect another large group closer to the June cutoff for OGR. In the meantime, WELCOME!!![#welcome]

[Anonymous]

Hey Bob, If you have young kids or grandkids that you are trying to get involved I would suggest 2 things. One is get as many hands-on operating accessories on the layout. My kids will play with the ice house or the crane or the rocket launcher all day long. The other is get an o-scale thomas engine. My kids would rather run percy or thomas which are the bare bones, no sound engines than some of my top of the line lionel steamers with all the bells and whistles!!