Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

You may NOT be a model railroader if...

5600 views
57 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 2,392 posts
Posted by Tracklayer on Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:45 PM

You may not be a model railroader if you're 40 years old and still living at home with your poor widowed mother who you talk vulgar to constantly that has to wake you up every morning so you can be to work on time, cook all of your meals, wash your clothes and clean your room. Also that has to have someone else build all of your layouts and scenery, maintain all of your locos and rolling stock while all you do is throw money at the hobby to kill time while you're waiting for your crack head/hooker girlfriend to get out of jail - again... Yes. I really do know someone like this I'm ashamed to say. I've never seen someone so mentally messed up, warped and dysfunctional in all my life... Talk about human waste.

Tracklayer

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:06 PM
Your not a model railroader if you don't own a model locomotive, and track. Your not a model railroader if you follow Life-Like's scenery techniques. You are not a model railroader if you don't have a tight budget, and don't have to improvise with natural materials.

Alex

  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 668 posts
Posted by Tjsingle on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:52 PM

scars, burns you name it, i have it.

Your not model railroader if you take a cardboard box and cut a hole in it and call it a "Tunnel".

Tjsingle

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:45 PM
....or you have no scars from errent Xacto knifes that didnt hit the floor but did find your thigh on the way down (and I have the scars (!) to prove it)Shock [:O]

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Shakopee, MN
  • 225 posts
Posted by Weighmaster on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:22 PM
...you have not lost skin to acc.  ...you have NO solder burns ANYWHERE on your body.Whistling [:-^]  Gary 
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: upstate NY
  • 9,236 posts
Posted by galaxy on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:14 PM

....Your layout consists of:

1) a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood on two saw horses

2) covered entirely with green grass mat

3) with pre-formed foam tunnels

4) cereal box "buildings"

5) "model" cars that are the same size of the loco of your Tyco train set

6) a municipal water tower that "whistles"

-G .

Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.

 HO and N Scale.

After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: upstate NY
  • 9,236 posts
Posted by galaxy on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:05 PM
 chicochip wrote:

You have a 4 x 6 oval of snap-track, a 5-car train with horn hook couplers that fits under the Christmas Tree, and you refer to it as your "train set." 

 

chicochip

....and you add Dollar Store ceramic buildings to this and call it your "model railroad layout"

-G .

Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.

 HO and N Scale.

After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Sorumsand, Norway
  • 3,417 posts
Posted by steinjr on Thursday, June 19, 2008 8:27 PM

 loathar wrote:
You actually get mad and curse at those darn trains when you get stuck at a crossing instead of taking pictures and making prototype notes.

 You may not be a model railroader if you don't curse when you realize that you left the camera, pen and notepad at your in-laws home when a 1:1 scale CF-7 in one of your favorite railroads' paint scheme unexpectedly shows up behind some bushes, trundles slowly past the playground where your kids are playing, 20 yards from where you are standing, and disappears behind more bushes, pulling a perfect model railroad consist of two boxcars, four covered hoppers and an empty centerbeam lumber car Big Smile [:D]

Grin,
Stein

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:47 PM
In the dead quiet, middle of the night, the only thing you hear is the whistle blast from miles away across the countryside and you don't smile before you roll over and go back to sleep....

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Amish country Tenn.
  • 10,027 posts
Posted by loathar on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:21 PM
You actually get mad and curse at those darn trains when you get stuck at a crossing instead of taking pictures and making prototype notes.
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,484 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:20 PM
 chicochip wrote:

You have a 4 x 6 oval of snap-track, a 5-car train with horn hook couplers that fits under the Christmas Tree, and you refer to it as your "train set." 

You mean, that's NOT a train set?

If you have anything that your refer to as your "train set," then, well, you may NOT be a model railroader.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,484 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:16 PM
When you come to the fork in the road where the LHS is to the right, and the shoe store is to the left, you turn left.  (Unless, of course, the ATM is also to the left, and you're going there to get cash so your train purchases don't show up on the credit card.)

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 178 posts
Posted by chicochip on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:11 PM

You have a 4 x 6 oval of snap-track, a 5-car train with horn hook couplers that fits under the Christmas Tree, and you refer to it as your "train set." 

 

chicochip

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Carmichael, CA
  • 8,055 posts
Posted by twhite on Thursday, June 19, 2008 7:04 PM
 tomikawaTT wrote:

You look at somebody's nice kitbash update of a rather mediocre brass locomotive, then berate him for, "Ruining the one piece I needed to complete my collection of Max Gray imports."

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

Chuck: 

OMYGAW, can I relate to that one!  I was running a kit-bashed Rio Grande 2-10-2 of mine one time and one guy looked at it and said, "Hey, that's not bad.  What was it before?"  I told him it was an old PFM Santa Fe 2-10-2 junker that I bought for $25 at a swap meet, you'd thought I'd attacked the Vatican with spray-paint.  I then proceeded to have a lecture thrown at me about how ALL brass was SACROSANCT and meddling with it was tatamount to Heresy.  I decided not to tell him about the 2 old Akane Yellowstones I'd resurrected with new drives and Cal-Scale castings or the Akane USRA 4-6-2 that I'd just outfitted with a complete Cal-Scale Elesco FWH system.  I mean, he ALREADY looked as if he was going to have cardiac arrest. 

Tom Tongue [:P]

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:58 PM
If you didn't let your future wife know before the wedding that the 1000 SQ. FT. nanny suite will be converted to a train room as soon as you don't need the nanny any more. And yes she agreed without hesitation. MAN I love that woman!

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:54 PM

You look at somebody's nice kitbash update of a rather mediocre brass locomotive, then berate him for, "Ruining the one piece I needed to complete my collection of Max Gray imports."

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Culpeper, Va
  • 8,204 posts
Posted by IRONROOSTER on Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:46 PM

You're kicked out of the club for crashing the trains.

Your wife has more shoes than you have boxcars.

Your trains all have faces.

Enjoy

Paul 

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Elmwood Park, NJ
  • 2,385 posts
Posted by trainfan1221 on Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:03 PM
Well, somebody beat me to the Tyco remark.
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Carmichael, CA
  • 8,055 posts
Posted by twhite on Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:01 PM
 vsmith wrote:

Having a collection of 200 brass peices, all safely boxed and stored, but no actual layout or display shelves to show them on.Confused [%-)]

Thankfully, that type of collector seems to be on the wane and selling their wares either on consignment or E-bay so guys like me who like to RUN brass can get them for decent prices. 

Oops, WAIT A MINUTE!  We're talking NOT model railroaders here, LOL!Blush [:I]

How about: "Hey, I wonder how FAST these trains will go around these mountains?"

Tom Tongue [:P]

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: On the Banks of the Great Choptank
  • 2,916 posts
Posted by wm3798 on Thursday, June 19, 2008 5:37 PM

...if you visit a club with an elaborate layout, and ask "How long does it take to set this up every year?"

 

Lee 

Route of the Alpha Jets  www.wmrywesternlines.net

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,207 posts
Posted by stebbycentral on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:59 PM
You purchase all of your locomotives and rolling stock through the Hawthorne Village.

I have figured out what is wrong with my brain!  On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Amish country Tenn.
  • 10,027 posts
Posted by loathar on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:39 PM

You see a big sheet of 2" thick pink foam board laying discarded on the side of the road and you DON'T stop and pick it up...

vsmith-I'd like to have one of those unopened Choo Choo sets!Big Smile [:D]

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: New Jersey
  • 8 posts
Posted by HHP-8 on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:22 PM

Correction to above post... anything made by tyco!

If you have reffered to a yard sale which pays you to take the trains as your "hobby joint," you may not be a model railroader. but you are an idiot!

Known in other places as Chessie GM50 Owner&Operator of the sourland&eastern rr. Visit the railroads website here.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: California & Maine
  • 3,848 posts
Posted by andrechapelon on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:20 PM

1. You've never trashed MR, its staff or its content.

2. You've never complained about hobby prices, but have instead shown that they are not out of line compared to inflation adjusted prices in the past.

3. You've never gone on a rant about the death of craftsmanship and how it's just too easy just to buy stuff ready-to-run.

4. You've never insisted that the 1950's were the "Golden Age" and everything else since then is crap.

5. You've never assembed a steam locomotive kit including assembling the valve gear correctly. (You can't be a model railroader if you just model diesel. Real model railroaders model steam locomotives. Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] )

6. You've never heard the name Gonpher Coughie.

7. You think Tony Koester was killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Andre

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:20 PM

you look at a deal and say it;s just a toy

 

Model railroading is just a hobby(it's life)

I saw this on the forum somewhere: we don't sell toy trains

 

 

  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 664 posts
Posted by mustanggt on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:20 PM
 vsmith wrote:

Being absolutely convinced your 30 year old original Tyco Chattanoga ChooChoo set, still in the original box, is actually a "valued collectors item" Laugh [(-D]

my father, lol.

Dave

C280 rollin'
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Thursday, June 19, 2008 4:13 PM

How about the guy boasting about how much better his stuff is compared to all the dribble on the model contest entry table, but never allowing any living being outside of his cat to actually see it.Grumpy [|(]

Having a collection of 200 brass peices, all safely boxed and stored, but no actual layout or display shelves to show them on.Confused [%-)]

Your entire empire consists of one 30 year old original Tyco Chattanoga ChooChoo set, still in the original box and still stored under the bed.Shock [:O]

Being absolutely convinced your 30 year old original Tyco Chattanoga ChooChoo set, still in the original box, is actually a "valued collectors item" Laugh [(-D]

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Eastern Shore Virginia
  • 3,290 posts
Posted by gandydancer19 on Thursday, June 19, 2008 3:36 PM
You may NOT be a model railroader if you have not built at least one kit.

Elmer.

The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.

(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Florida
  • 244 posts
You may NOT be a model railroader if...
Posted by railroadnut675 on Thursday, June 19, 2008 3:31 PM
   Well, I figured I would give it a try, what do modelers NOT do, or worse; What do phony modelers do?
All hail the Mighty HO Scale Does thinking you're the last sane person on Earth make you crazy? -- Will Smith from I, Robot

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!