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What do you do outside this hobby?

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  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: ERIE PA.
  • 1,661 posts
Posted by GAPPLEG on Monday, August 27, 2007 7:42 AM
I guess I'm just a boring old guy. After my 4 years in the Army. I started working at GE, at the locomotive plant. 38 years I've played with the real things, before the railroad goes out and wrecks them. I work on the computers that keeps the plant running.  Like some I've seen above I too will retire Jan. 08.  Love to read , travel.
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  • From: On the Banks of the Great Choptank
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Posted by wm3798 on Monday, August 27, 2007 7:20 AM

I'm not an architect, but I play one on TV.  After a number of years working for a builder, I took off on my own doing nothing but residential design.  It's been pretty good to me so far, and since I computerized, it's really been fun.

 

I also do illustration work (by hand) doing commissions of people's houses, historic landmarks, and local oddities here on the eastern shore...

In the name of shameless self promotion, you can get to my business website via my hobby site listed in my sig.  I'm not above designing a basement with a couple of rooms above!

Lee

Route of the Alpha Jets  www.wmrywesternlines.net

  • Member since
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  • From: hillbilly hide away and campground C, M-ville,ILL
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Posted by inch53 on Monday, August 27, 2007 7:14 AM

Other than model trains and taking train pics, I chase the grandkids I baby-sit. When I get time I do gardening, woodworking, carpentry, camping, fishing and trying to keep the wife happy. Also watching football and baseball on tv or listening on the radio.

I no longer work, but when I did, I farmed or worked on cars, also did a tour with the USAF [got to see the country from 35,000 feet]

inch  

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309

DISCLAIMER-- This post does not clam anything posted here as fact or truth, but it may be just plain funny
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Posted by wetidlerjr on Monday, August 27, 2007 7:06 AM

 I am a Signalman for Norfolk Southern (till Jan. 08, when I retire.)

My other hobby that takes the rest of my money after model railroading is shooting rifles and handguns.

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 27, 2007 2:50 AM

I work Wed and Sat in a Pawnbrokers Store, the rest of the week I work on my layout, also love holidays away in my caravan and photography.

Spent 25 years as a Wedding Photographer and all being well will be retiring full time at the end of Feb 2008.

  • Member since
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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Monday, August 27, 2007 2:01 AM
 jeffers_mz wrote:

When I'm not railroading, I...

...chase these:

I didn't know you're a storm chaser. One of my duties as a fire fighter is the chase tornados and report their position to 911.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
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  • From: Southeast Texas
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Posted by Tracklayer on Monday, August 27, 2007 1:53 AM

I live a quiet life and work a quiet job. I raise dogs, take care of my house and property, try and get along with my neighbors (I did say try...), get out my guns occasionally and target shoot, buy stuff off of eBay I could really live without, fish once in a while in the lake behind my house, do quite a bit of walking in order to help keep my diabetes under control, collect old Wallace Beery movies and older pre 1980s movies in general, hang out with my buddies when we all have time, chase and photograph trains once in a while and what ever else comes along that catches my interest that's not illegal or immoral...

Tracklayer

  • Member since
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Posted by jeffers_mz on Monday, August 27, 2007 1:52 AM
 ezielinski wrote:
 jeffers_mz wrote:

When I'm not railroading, I...

...compete with these:

Boy, I forgot about mine.  With all the other stuff I do, I haven't made it out to the range this year.  I used to shoot military "iron sight" competitively with a Colt AR15 HBAR and an HK-91.  Military firearms were my first obsession.  Nothing like unloading a 30 round clip in 5.88 seconds to get the heart pumpin'!

Thirty rounds in six seconds is handy if the bad guys are inside the wire, in battalion or better numbers, and you're about to get overrun, but so far, I've managed not to ire the DCC crowd this week, so I'm just sticking to the Highpower definition of "rapid fire", which is 10 rounds in 60 (sitting) or 70 (prone) seconds.

Ammo's just getting to expensive, and in the case of Black Hills Blue Box, non-existant, for much mag dumping bullet hosing "training".

Tell you what, I'll trade you Cudaken's BLI for a crate of M193 ball...deal?

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Greenville, WI
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Posted by ezielinski on Monday, August 27, 2007 1:36 AM
 jeffers_mz wrote:

When I'm not railroading, I...

...compete with these:

Boy, I forgot about mine.  With all the other stuff I do, I haven't made it out to the range this year.  I used to shoot military "iron sight" competitively with a Colt AR15 HBAR and an HK-91.  Military firearms were my first obsession.  Nothing like unloading a 30 round clip in 5.88 seconds to get the heart pumpin'!

  • Member since
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Posted by jeffers_mz on Monday, August 27, 2007 1:16 AM

When I'm not railroading, I...

...chase these:

...make these:

http://users.in-motion.net/~jefft/tech/Mapping/afghanistan/index.html

...climb these:

http://users.in-motion.net/~jefft/places/index.html

...play with these:

http://users.in-motion.net/~jefft/tech/index.html

...compete with these:

...ride these:

...jeep these:

...ride herd on these:

http://users.in-motion.net/~jefft/people/index.html

...and wrestle with these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorentz_transformation

Once in a while I cut more grass than Loathar has, (and mine is taller, too!), work in the woodshop, weed the garden, and today, I picked, prepped, cooked, canned and processed half a bushel of tomatoes.

The other half is ready to go, first thing tomorrow.

It keeps me out of trouble...most of the time.

 

:-)

  • Member since
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  • From: Jersey City
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Posted by steemtrayn on Monday, August 27, 2007 12:27 AM

 conrail92 wrote:
Ha that is very cool... does it run? You have a creative talent.

Actually, I didn't do it, I just photographed it. I saw it outside an art store near Kingston, N.Y., along with other stuff like this:

  • Member since
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  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Posted by Cederstrand on Monday, August 27, 2007 12:17 AM

***cudaken, are you sure you aren't a long lost brother of mine I never heard about until now? Both my brothers are audiofiles and my oldest brother is into the same cars as you. And, ALL my syblings are into trains, except the oldest sister.

Cowboy [C):-)] Rob

  • Member since
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  • From: Western transplant to the Deep South
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Posted by Cederstrand on Monday, August 27, 2007 12:05 AM

What an interesting and diverse lot of folks we have in this hobby. 

I became a full time wildlife artist in 1992 and never looked back. Highlight has been a safari in Africa. Met my wife in England over ten years ago but only got married last year. Hey, had to be sure, you know! Wink [;)] She started as a fire fighter, but is a long time RN now (CCU & ER mostly). We have a farm with Paint horses, miniature horses, pygmy goats, miniature Zebu cows and two rescued pot-bellied pigs. Down to 6 dogs (3 Pyrenees, 2 rescued Italian Greyhounds, one Porch Dog) and assorted barn cats. Free roaming wild turkeys, guineas, peacocks, chickens, geese and ducks round out the farm. I love working with horses, when I have time.

In a former life, was a serious endurance athlete and martial artist. Older now, paying for my youth and injuries over those years. Have Sarcoidosis, so I tire easily these days. No big deal.

That's not everything, but perhaps more than you wanted to hear. Cowboy [C):-)] Rob

 

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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:45 PM
Ha that is very cool... does it run? You have a creative talent.
"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
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Posted by steemtrayn on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:39 PM

I tried customizing cars, but could never get the hang of it...

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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:30 PM
That is also true, Those in this Hobby are a helpful bunch of people. And very diverse.
"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
  • Member since
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  • From: Prattville AL
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Posted by UP2CSX on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:26 PM

Dang, Loathar, that's a heck of a big yard. Maybe the drought this year isn't so bad after all. Smile [:)] I'm surprised to see what seems to be a pretty even split between technical and "helping" professions, like fire fighting and nursing. I started out life as a respiratory therapist for 3 years, signed on with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and did that for 6 years while I got my college degree. I found I could be a full-time cop or married but not both and I loved my wife more than I loved being a cop. Got my masters in hospital admnistration and was a hospital administrator for about 15 years. Moved up to northern California during that time and became a reserve deputy and search and rescue coordinator for my county. I was asked to help supervise construction of some our firm's new hospitals and ended up in project management, eventually opening my own firm, which I ran for about 12 years until I retired 3 years ago. Unfortunately, my wife died of leukemia within a year after we both retired. Sad [:(] Sold the house in California, bought an RV to travel the country, and was lucky enough to find the second love of my life in Alabama. So, here I am, living in Dixie with a nice big basement and building my first layout in about 25 years. Life takes some strange twists and turns but it all works out somehow.    

BTW, I have a lot of admiration for you firefighters. I was always running out of burning structures while you were running in. Way braver than me!

Regards, Jim
  • Member since
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  • From: South Eastern, Wisconsin
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Posted by MilwaukeeRoad on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:25 PM

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" border="0" />

Two state championships, one of them I was MVP. Last one, I wasn't so lucky.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" border="0" />

I got checked into the boards by a HUGE kid with 2 minutes remaining in the quarter final game. Broke my ulna and radius. As you can see, I was kinda pale by it lol.

 

Alex Czajkowski
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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:17 PM

I notice alot of model railroaders are into extreme sports and High speed things. I'm figuring most wouldn't expect that. Maybe it's just a stereotype that we don't get out much and the most extreme thing we do is see how fast we can get a locomotive to go. :P

 

BTW: Awesome car ;) 

"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
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Posted by cudaken on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:16 PM

 For a living and working for a company that sales Mattress, till you have a good one you don't know what you are missing. Much like a Pan Cake motor Life Like and a BLI.  I will added I do enjoy it because I know I am helping people.

 For now trains are my hobby and pretty much all I care about. But first ture love is old cars and mainly Mopars. Was in auto repair for 25 years, mainly auto body and paint but one day I just got sick of cars and got on the crazy train.

 I all so collect coins and I am a Audiophle. But all have taken a back seat to the train hobby.

 Few PIC of my Cars and Cars I have done.

 

 68 Charger for a friend, that is not me in the PIC.

Reason I am call my Self Cuda Ken

 

 The money pit, 69 Charger R/T.

 

 My amps, feel the power Mono Blocked Adcom's at 600 watts a side at 8 ohms.

 This gear has been cut back some when I added silver jumper cables and Carver 4000 T preamp.

 

 I love dogs, I am the one with the hat.

 

 Money Pit again.

 

 My baby, 1968 Road Runner. Got it from Mon and Dad that bought it new in 1968. Got it when I was 17. Has a 1963 426 Maxie wedge in her now. Orginal 383 is under the train bench.

 Yep that is me with the Runner when I started dating my wife. Boy I am old.

                                  Cuda Ken

I hate Rust

  • Member since
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  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
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Posted by WCfan on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:13 PM

Well what my friend and I do Down Hill Bike Riding. Now you guys are probably thinking, what the heck is that? Well what we do it we bike up hills, and go down them with our bikes. We usually try to break the speed limit. We had come close to it. Sometime I will have to take a picture of one of the steepest hills in Wausau. Nicknames Steppe, I'm guessing she had about a 5-7 percent grade. Other wise I like to play Basket Ball. 

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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:04 PM
That's alot of yard.
"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
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Posted by loathar on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:00 PM

Mow grass! And enjoy drag racing.

That's just the front yard.

There's a drag strip just the other side of those trees in the distance.

 

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  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
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Posted by selector on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:56 PM

 R. T. POTEET wrote:

THERE IS LIFE OUTSIDE THIS HOBBY???

Oooooh, I am sooo there!

My personality is one where I am essentially obsessive/compulsive about anything that appeals to me.  At first it was Astronomy, then Karate, then my wife, then long distance and competitive running (I know....yawn!), then Astonomy as an adult, then grad school, then my work as a military psychologist, and now it is model trains and steam engine history.  It has always been full bore all the way.

So, I do have a life, but it comes in stages.  Very intense stages. Cool [8D]

-Crandell

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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:56 PM
Ha wish I could say the same about my Basset, She's lazy and sleeps 75% of her life, and other 25% eats :P But we love her.
And shes funny in her odd way. Amazing she did this by herself :P
"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
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Posted by csmith9474 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:51 PM
 dragenrider wrote:

 conrail92 wrote:
I love the dog very cute :) I have a basset hound myself but always loved dachshunds.

Dachshunds are incredibly smart little dogs.  Cody Dog is pretty sharp at figuring out how to get his way.  Whether it's treats or games, he's got our weak spots figured out! 

We have two doxies ourselves. They are a lot of fun. Talk about free entertainment. It is hard not to spoil them (don't get me started on the treats). The black and tan is Franklin Wilhelm and the red dapple is Polly.

 

Smitty
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Posted by larak on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:50 PM

 conrail92 wrote:
Just curious when we're not modeling our dreams what are we doing? Where do you work and what other hobbies do you have? Or maybe Model Railroading is your life. :) Just a question I thought about asking.

Well Conrail, I am a professor of computer science and networking. I am also a part time (licensed master) electrician and computer tech. (it was the other way around until the college made me a good offer including health benefits).

Education is electrical engineering with a minor in criminal justice

Hobbies: Volunteer Firefighter (Chief officer for 11 years, just a grunt now - less paperwork), hiking, rapelling, spelunking, off roading, local history (was commissioned for a book by a major publisher), woodworking, audio, computer gaming. I gave up street racing when I bought the house 16 years ago. I miss that hobby.  

A little of each, a good amount of railroading.

I don't watch much TV  Big Smile [:D]

You should get a very interesting cross section of responses here.

Karl

 

 

The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open.  www.stremy.net

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Posted by dragenrider on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:44 PM

 conrail92 wrote:
I love the dog very cute :) I have a basset hound myself but always loved dachshunds.

Dachshunds are incredibly smart little dogs.  Cody Dog is pretty sharp at figuring out how to get his way.  Whether it's treats or games, he's got our weak spots figured out! 

The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!

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Posted by conrail92 on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:38 PM
I love the dog very cute :) I have a basset hound myself but always loved dachshunds.
"If you can dream it you can do it" Enzo Ferrari :)
  • Member since
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  • From: Ozark Mountains
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Posted by dragenrider on Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:36 PM

My job as a fire chief requires tremendous commitment and flexibility.  Fortunately, I love my job!  The odd ball hours and emergency calls go well with a hobby like this.  I can drop my tools and respond on calls, then come back to where I left off. 

It helps to have a loving and understanding wife!  Smile [:)]  We have no children, only a spoiled dog, so we both have plenty of time together and apart.  She has her hummingbirds and I have my trains.  Cody Dog has his toy box and a pillow by the sliding glass door.  In all, our household is peaceful and full of happiness.  I am truly blessed! 

The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!

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