I'm venturing to guess that all those Londoners built their model railroads when the Spitfires was one of the worst teams in the OHL.
Since 80% of Canadians live with 2 hrs of the US border, southern Ontario will probably seem like it is the mecca of Canadian modelrailroading. I have noticed we have a few of our francophone friends on here as well. Well, I am guessing they are francophone since they are Quebecois, but realize they probably speak francaise and anglais fluently.
It's probably a good thing that Canadians have other "house" hobbies in the winter. I have noticed the tendency for homes is that they are rather small ones and if they practiced that "other" long, dark winter time activity their homes would be filled with children and they would need bigger homes.
I have visited Ontario a number of times and love all the places I have been to. I had the bug so bad in the late 80's that I wanted to move there. My fiancee was recently looking at grad schools for Geology. Univ. of Toronto was one of them and I was all excited about that. The pics I have seen on here of the Canadians modelrailroads are amazing. Keep up the good work, eh. IIRC the Niagara Region NMRA is very active also.
Robert H. Shilling II
wojosa31Could this huge interest in model railroading in Ontario have to do with the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Could this huge interest in model railroading in Ontario have to do with the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Most of us used to call them, "The Falling Leaves", but now I just call them "Compost" 'cause they can't fall much lower.
Blue Flamer.
betamaxYork Region may think they are the center of the universe, but when it comes to Model Railroading, Ottawa is where it is at. A number of local layouts have been featured in various publications, probably a higher per capita than anywhere else in the country. Along with a good number of active modellers. Not to mention the rich railroading heritage of the capital. Names like CP, CN, CNor, NYC, and a number of others. The Chateau Laurier was built by the Grand Trunk, whose president perished aboard the Titanic, which sank with the hotel's furnishings in the hold.
The reason that Ottawa probably has more ACTIVE modelers is due to the fact that ALL Federal politicians from across Canada gather at the legislature up on Parliament Hill, right next door to the Chateau Laurier Hotel. The resultant hot air from them arguing what to tax us on next and where to spend the income from said tax instead of paying down our considerable debt, melts all the snow and ice for at least 50 MILES around. That allows the modelers in the area to get out in shorts and sneakers to get to their local Hobby Shop when the rest of us are up to our derriere in snow and the snow plow just blocked the end of our driveway with 3 feet of frozen slush. LOL
I was searching through a number of calenders and I could not find any holidays named "seasons greetings day" or "happy holidays day", so I will call it what it is and wish you and your families a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" and political correctness be da**ed.
Thanks guys.Its nice to know stuff about other places. Someone reminded me that Toronto was where the Lone Rangers Tonto retired to. I understand he's teaching Esperonto (an invented language someone expected to be universal but never panned out.)
Gerry,I stayed in the Thomas Edison hotel right under the bridge to ca.That explains at least part of the heavy traffic. BILL
Jason,
Ya forgot the two little railway companies as well, South Simcoe RR & the boys in Uxbridge who run to Stouffville.
Gord
Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!
K1a - all the way
wojosa31 Could this huge interest in model railroading in Ontario have to do with the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Or the Toronto Blue Jays----or the Toronto Argos----or the Toronto Raptors---or the----
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
I also am a resident of Port Huron, Mi., and I get the feeling that Ontario must be pretty much "full up" because about 400!! trucks a day are bringing trash from Trawna into Michigan to dump. That's not to mention all the gons hauled through the "Sarnya"/St. Clair tunnel filled with scrap from Ca-na-da (eh?). All that aside, the CN/GTW is a great road to use as a prototype. A ton of history for the steamers, and still quite a bit of action for a modern era modeler like myself. Gerry S.
It's already been mentioned, but i think the combination of a large population and a great number of trains is the reason for so many railfans and ferroequinologists alike in Ontario, particularly southern Ontario. A good amount of railroading diversity doesn't hurt either. Coupled with that is the fact that there are many great hobby stores within a relatively small area (in southern Ontario) which support and are probably a result of the seemingly high number of modellers up here. Not that the long winters with plenty of indoor time aren't conducive to spending time on model rarilroading either
BTW, though I'm from Hamilton, I call London home as i am here for school most of the year.
Peter.
tatansAny one that does not live in Ont. will tell you that we continually hear that Ontario (specifically TORONOTO) is the centre of the universe, this may explain the profusion of MR's
Any one that does not live in Ont. will tell you that we continually hear that Ontario (specifically TORONOTO) is the centre of the universe, this may explain the profusion of MR's
Jason Shron - President - Rapido Trains Inc. - RapidoTrains.comMy HO scale Kingston Sub layout: Facebook.com/KingstonSub
Bill H.Blaine's Trains I am very curious as to the number of fellow ferroequinologists who are from London.Blaine Ferroequinologist? Hmmmm... I will admit having had no clue as to the meaning, so it was off to Google. Now I know. Learn something new every day.
Blaine's Trains I am very curious as to the number of fellow ferroequinologists who are from London.Blaine
I am very curious as to the number of fellow ferroequinologists who are from London.Blaine
Ferroequinologist? Hmmmm... I will admit having had no clue as to the meaning, so it was off to Google. Now I know. Learn something new every day.
Ferroequinologist - One who studies the Iron Horse.
---
Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
===================================
"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
tatans Any one that does not live in Ont. will tell you that we continually hear that Ontario (specifically TORONOTO) is the centre of the universe, this may explain the profusion of MR's I always thought Toronoto was the Lone Ranger's sidekick.
Any one that does not live in Ont. will tell you that we continually hear that Ontario (specifically TORONOTO) is the centre of the universe, this may explain the profusion of MR's I always thought Toronoto was the Lone Ranger's sidekick.
You must've run into some of our more---aherm---coff coff---vociferous Torontonians----I've fell over a few of THOSE---
R. T. POTEETRunning trains is apparently Ontario's most exciting night life.
Running trains is apparently Ontario's most exciting night life.
You've apparently never experienced duckpins - or a really hot curling contest.
BTW two-letter country abbreviations are common in computer / internet usage. For example, my employers website is www.taxes.state.mn.us with the .us meaning "United States". IIRC "ru" is Russia, "ca" is Canada, "uk" is the United Kingdom (Great Britain), "de" is Germany (Deutschland) etc.
rekleinI been watching the weather channel this past summer and the area is always green,'cept now its white.
I been watching the weather channel this past summer and the area is always green,'cept now its white.
I dunno about the rest of Ont-ari-ari-o, Bill, but it's mostly brown around here.
reklein Anyways nearly everyone must have a lake home .
Anyways nearly everyone must have a lake home .
You got that one right: relatively speaking, I've got Lake Ontario out front, Lake Erie out back, and Niagara Falls next door.
Actually, it's only some of the people in Toronto who think that and also that the sun shines from a certain part of their anatomy.
tatans I always thought Toronoto was the Lone Ranger's sidekick.
I always thought Toronoto was the Lone Ranger's sidekick.
The reason for that misconception is simple: you're pronouncing the name of the city incorrectly. It should be Trawna.
Wayne
Taxes? Taxes? We don't need no steenking taxes. I want to know more about Ontario, Canada. I have a brother in Port huron MI.Thats Michigan not Mississippi.I see London ,Ontario ,Canada, is not too far from Port Huron,Michigan. Also I see there's 1.2 Jillion lakes in Ontario Canada is that why it rains and snows so much there? I been watching the weather channel this past summer and the area is always green,'cept now its white. Anyways nearly everyone must have a lake home . BILL
doctorwayne R. T. POTEET Running trains is apparently Ontario's most exciting night life. Perhaps not the most exciting , but probably one of the few not taxed (after the initial acquisition) almost out of existence. I'm sure that the pinheads at Queens Park (the Provincial Legislature) are working on it, though. Wayne
R. T. POTEET Running trains is apparently Ontario's most exciting night life.
Perhaps not the most exciting , but probably one of the few not taxed (after the initial acquisition) almost out of existence. I'm sure that the pinheads at Queens Park (the Provincial Legislature) are working on it, though.
Hey---i thought we already pay taxes to run our trains! We pay the GST AND PST---and after they harmonize---- After all taxes generated from paying the electric bills---and all the dang take out bills are tallied up on ops night and -----
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Hi,Just an exert from the Elgin County Railway Museum, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, included in the London Metropolitan area,The railway has been a part of St. Thomas since 1856 with the completion of the London and Port Stanley Railway. Since then a total of 26 railways have passed through town making St. Thomas to be known as the "Railway Capital of Canada".Blaine
Blaine's
Commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty.
Ontario, California, was my initial response also, until the original OP started talking about long, cold winters, LOL! However, there are TONS of model railroaders in Southern California, and a great many up here in the northern part of the state.
But I've noticed a lot of our Canadian buddies on the forum with some absolutely masterful layouts, so my thoughts are: Ontario Canada or Ontario California, it's just nice to see that the hobby is so alive and well.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
cacole Uhh, Reklein -- CA is the abbreviation for CALIFORNIA, and there is an Ontario, California. Your subject line is very misleading.
Uhh, Reklein -- CA is the abbreviation for CALIFORNIA, and there is an Ontario, California. Your subject line is very misleading.
That was my thought when I saw the thread title, too: I don't ever recall seeing Canada, despite its size, being abbreviated.
Much of southern Ontario was well-served (although not necessarily served well ) by railroads in earlier years, which may have influenced some of us. My hometown of Hamilton had 4 common carrier lines serving the city (albeit three of them using the same tracks) in addition to numerous industrial lines.
I can see how MRR would be popular in Ontario, Canada. Looooong, dark winters, lots of snow.
Ontario, California covers a pretty large area in San Bernardino county, just to the west of Los Angeles; population about 200K. Fairly low cost of living for that area, but a correspondingly low per capita income.
For some reason, Ontario California also seems to be prominently featured in a lot of home improvement shows, and a lot of movies.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
And we use CA to denote Canada--as well as California----as well as a certain glue---
Aren't Abbreviations FUN!?
Hi folks, checking in from Ottawa, Ontario. Can't answer your question about why so may of us are here - just wish there were more of us! As already stated, Ontario is the most populous province, so the odds are in our favour. Cheers.
Blaine's Trains Hi, I've been thinking the same thing. There seems to be a disproportionate number of Forum members, not only from Ontario, but even more so from my home town, London. Will all of the Forum members from London please reply. I am very curious as to the number of fellow ferroequinologists who are from London. Blaine
Hi,
I've been thinking the same thing. There seems to be a disproportionate number of Forum members, not only from Ontario, but even more so from my home town, London.
Will all of the Forum members from London please reply. I am very curious as to the number of fellow ferroequinologists who are from London.
Blaine
Now you got me curious---which London? Me? I'm here in London ON---originally Woodstock ON