Hello, My name is Don. Live in Philly PA. Retired USNavy. Worked for a few years for Penn Central (title examiner, so neither aboard rolling stock nor on the RoW). I've been a RRNut since a kid in the 1950s with those massive Lionels some of us received one christmas - and subsequently were highjacked for tree circling duty every yuletide (when the only time others got to work the controls). I am a huge PRR/NYC/PCTCo fan and essentially have little interest in other RRs, and with that comes my love-affair with GG1 and Dreyfus J Hudson streamliners. Again, there are no others that really fascinate me, though I get goose-bumps when I see any image of the Alco UnionPac "Big Boy". Who doesn't?
Anyway, I finally decided to join a forum on trains, generally keeping my interests to myself unless a discussion comes up in passing. Also I am without a model trainset nowadays, living in an apartment and will be in the market for one in the next few months, God willing, after I figure a plan and the best way to set it up for the limited space I have. [When I lived in a Manhattan efficiency many moons ago, I made an N-Scale set up on the closet door I took off for that purpose. Beautiful couple of GG1s pulling a few cars around a 6-foot long track. Pretty neat. But gave the set to a kid in the neighborhood who loved trains but whose parents couldnt afford a good set-up, and I was moving to Australia for a job. 'Nuther story.]
I just wanted to give a longish relevant intro to myself.
Cheers,
Don
Hi Don,
Welcome to the party. It goes on 24/7/365 and there's usually someone around who knows something that could help, so just ask.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
LION been in the Navy Once...
Him was cook during the Vietnam war.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Don - from the other side of the Big Pond!
The party, as Mike states it, does not only go on 24/7/365, but also spans the world! Feel free to join us at Elliot´s Trackside Diner, the place to meet with friends and share the day. Mostly off-topic talk there, but within the policy of this forum.
Hey, Lion - is that you on the pic?
Welcome aboard Don. 6 (1969 - 1975) Years USS Pintado SSN 672. I just got back into MR after a 30 year hiatus.
You will meet some of the best modelers in the world here.
Regards
Steve
Life is tough, but it's tougher if your'e stupid.
Weird, small world, so many Navy connections in just a few posts. To add to the fun, my FIL was the last skipper of the USS Blueback (SS-581), the last diesel-electric sub in the fleet. If you want to know more, read "Blindman's Bluff" cause he's not talking...
Just to follow Mike, I was not in the Navy, but worked for Electric Boat (subs) and Newport News Shipbuilding (Nimitz & Eisenhower carriers)
Welcome to the forum Don! Keep that doortop N scale in mind. There is room to start something small even in apartment. Just slide it under the bed when not in use. Don't let a small space slow down a start on something.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Don,
To The Forums.
Lot of Navy guys eh'.
How about a US Army, DAV Vietnam Vet 66/67 Heavy Arty 8'' & 175mm self-propelled Howitzer.
Take Care!
Frank
I'm retired Army with 26 years active duty in the Military Intelligence field, followed by 16 years as a civilian instructor at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Even spent a couple tours on Air Force bases during that time, but still as an Army MI person. Overseas tours included Korea, Okinawa, Vietnam, and Germany. An uncle is retired from the U.S. Navy as a Lt Commander who was aboard the USS Arizona when it was bombed at Pearl.
Mike, um... Cap'n... read Blindmans Bluff. My boat had the distinction(?) of being mentioned in it.
What class was Blueback? I was 637 Sturgeon class.
Welcome aboard.
Another Navy vet here. 1966, 7, & 8 but I had stateside shore duty. I worked at NSA. Three of my closest High School friends and both of my brothers were also in the Navy.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
And another Navy vet here. Not quite as crusty as some of y'all. I was a Chop and a Desert Shield /Desert Storm vet. Helped shoot 56 Tomahawks from my Aegis cruiser USS Normandy CG60. Also did tours at SEAL Team Two and USS Minneapolis-St. Paul SSN708. Ended up at the Groton sub base, and now work at Electric Boat.
Welcome to the club!
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
Oh What the heck, I might as well way in too. US Navy retired with 30 years service as a Captain (O-6), Mostly surface, destroyers and salvage vessels. I would build a model RR at each duty station and then have to dismantle it on transfer. Even hauled one to Japan and back. Retired in 97 so its been a while but now the wife lets me use the garage for trains in staed of cars. Welcome to the forums. I have learned a lot since joining and so will you. Go Navy Beat Army.
Marty C
Steve,
Cool, I gotta read that someday at my leisure. I've skimmed it for reference a few times, but never really read it. I actually do intelligence history, but mostly on the Air Force side of things. Trying to get my diss done this summer, so not much time or brain capacity for reading mostly for pleasure, except for a few RR-related titles of course.
Blueback was a Barbel-class boat. I do have a leg up on my FIL. I was aboard her first. I'm an AF brat and we were stationed in Panama. Dad heard she was coming in, as she was on a West Coast shake down cruise, her very first. Got home movies of her in the bay and next to the dock. I know we went aboard and pretty sure we went below decks, just those old 8 mm cameras couldn't do that sort of thing without great big lights -- and I imagine you navy fellows were kinda antsy about such things anyway while aboard.
Mike, model railroading is almost... almost as fun as this.
Y'all have seatbelts, right?
I was an Electronics Technician (ET2) in the Navy from '59 to '63. In the Med for two years and in Florida for a year (Cuban Missle Crisis anyone). Here is my ship (AO 144) refueling a tincan. I've been back in Model RRing since 1980.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
Mike, I was a sonar supervisor, and all our seats had seat belts. One heck of a roller coaster ride.
Gee whiz guys, what a wonderful piping aboard. I never would have imagined there were so many of us "squids into trains in general and model railroading additionally. But why not?
I am still learning the navigation on this forum. The forum's engine apparently has a hissy fit with my BBq10, resulting in a delay from keystroke to page, and other goofiness. I will have to use my desktop to interact. no biggee.
Thank you for the fun familiarity fete with a bunch of fellow vets; regardless the branch we all wore the proud colors of our respective flags and nations. Railroading is our commonality.
Now i'll start lurking forum threads to feast on what y'all've been yapping about (my loose English notwithstanding).
Thank you all again,
don lively
Fouled Anchor Mike, model railroading is almost... almost as fun as this. Regards Steve
Steve --
That's only fun when the cooks aren't trying to prepare a meal. My CO didn't get it.... why can't we do the emergency blow for the VIP's 30 minutes before we serve them a fancy meal?
My Grandpa served on the USS Missourri, and the USS McKinnley in the Korean war. I still got a copy of his picture on the Missourri in my one album. Was part of Operation Wigwam. (and IIRC Operation Orange.??) Finally was able to hear about some of it a few years back, not "declassified" till then. Shortly after that he lost to his cancer, so never really got to hear most of it, I'm sure.
I always thought those "N scale on a door" plans were cool, but I got into HO myself.
And, BTW, !
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.