nycmodel I buy my own Christmas trains and my wife wraps them and puts them under the tree. In fact, my Trainworld order is due today!
I buy my own Christmas trains and my wife wraps them and puts them under the tree. In fact, my Trainworld order is due today!
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Motley nycmodel I buy my own Christmas trains and my wife wraps them and puts them under the tree. In fact, my Trainworld order is due today! Can you please tell us what you ordered? (what santa is bring you)
No, he can´t - it wouldn´t be a surprise anymore!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
SeeYou190 Howard Zane Any ideas on how to tastefully drop hints on what to get a train nut for christmas. My wife's family (which is now 100% MY family), has a simple rule. You do not buy adults presents for Christmas... children only. It makes the holidays so much more happy. . -Kevin
Howard Zane Any ideas on how to tastefully drop hints on what to get a train nut for christmas.
My wife's family (which is now 100% MY family), has a simple rule.
You do not buy adults presents for Christmas... children only.
It makes the holidays so much more happy.
.
-Kevin
We have roughly the same rule. All of the Grandparents get a picture book of the grandkids every year. The kids get lots of presents. Almost no other gifts are exchanged and everyone is happy.
The only train I need under the tree is the Lionel + Plasticville layout that my son and I put under the tree each year after thanksgiving. Provides a bit over a month of Christmas train fun and we look forward to it every year.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
maxman LMAO. That's exactly what I did a couple years ago. Bought a Broadway limited AT&SF A-B-A EMC E1 set. Gift wrapped them myself. Labled them 'from' my better half, my dog, and Santa accordingly. mbinsewi I don't think anyone who has posted, including me, have expressed a "dislike for Christmas". Well let me be the first. I'm not particularly fond of it. I'm told that the real meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with keeping score to see who has the biggest pile of gifts. Beyond that, it is overly commercialized and advertised. Pretty soon the stores at the mall and Amazon will be putting up their decorations the week after the 4th of July. And everyone who has to buy a gift for someone who has a hobby racks their brains and finally ends up with something that the recipient thinks is a piece of junk. I think the landfills expand a percent or two every year in the weeks just after the holiday. Might as well give me a fruit cake. I'm sure I can re-gift one of those to someone I really don't like. Or throw it through the front window of the train store to do a smash and grab. And Howard. I don't think that you're exactly a spring chicken. I can't understand why you haven't learned that the best way to get a train item for the holiday is to buy what you want, steal some wrapping paper from the better half, wrap the item yourself, label it "from Santa", put it under the tree, and act surprised the following morning. Stronger negative opinion to follow!!!! Regards The Grinch
LMAO.
That's exactly what I did a couple years ago. Bought a Broadway limited AT&SF A-B-A EMC E1 set. Gift wrapped them myself. Labled them 'from' my better half, my dog, and Santa accordingly.
mbinsewi I don't think anyone who has posted, including me, have expressed a "dislike for Christmas".
Well let me be the first. I'm not particularly fond of it. I'm told that the real meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with keeping score to see who has the biggest pile of gifts. Beyond that, it is overly commercialized and advertised. Pretty soon the stores at the mall and Amazon will be putting up their decorations the week after the 4th of July.
And everyone who has to buy a gift for someone who has a hobby racks their brains and finally ends up with something that the recipient thinks is a piece of junk. I think the landfills expand a percent or two every year in the weeks just after the holiday.
Might as well give me a fruit cake. I'm sure I can re-gift one of those to someone I really don't like. Or throw it through the front window of the train store to do a smash and grab.
And Howard. I don't think that you're exactly a spring chicken. I can't understand why you haven't learned that the best way to get a train item for the holiday is to buy what you want, steal some wrapping paper from the better half, wrap the item yourself, label it "from Santa", put it under the tree, and act surprised the following morning.
Stronger negative opinion to follow!!!!
Regards
The Grinch
Medina1128I use Walthers "Share Wishlist" feature. It sends an email to interested parties...
I had to laugh at Walther's ad for this in the January MR.
Nick on the left side of the page created a holiday wishlist. Picture Dave with a big smile holding a new diesel.
Opposite Nick is Dave. He didn't create a list. Picture Dave with a not so happy face holding a steam iron.
My wife has bought me my subscription to Model Railroader magazine for over a decade. Seems like a nice gift to me. I can't afford it for myself anyway.
What was I thinking? I should have realized that my wife, Sandy is the finest Christmas present anyone.....train nut or whatever could ever get.
Howard Zane What was I thinking? I should have realized that my wife, Sandy is the finest Christmas present anyone.....train nut or whatever could ever get.
I dunno Howard.. While my late wife wasn't a Christmas gift there was times in our 27 years of marital bliss we thought it might be better to return one of us to "lost and found" department from whence we came..
We never could decide which one of us needed to be return to said department.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Larry,
If you want I can try to clone Sandy for you. My first wife actually hated model trains, my second wife understood how important they were for me, but still hated them and berated me constantly. I feel in both cases they were intimidated and possibly envious as it took up much of my time that I could have spent with them. Sandy is the anthesis of these two, and I'm considering erecting a statue on our property in her honor. She enjoys the shows and my model railroad buddies that visit and really enjoys the open houses as she meets many and makes new friends.
As mentioned what could be a finer Christmas gift? In all fairness, I am winding down a bit on the layout, but not the hobby. Since my right knee went south, I've been replacing all of my rolling stock with scratch-built wood cars built in my upstairs shop-studio and enjoying every minute of it. Possibly I may get a bost of energy as my pike will be featured again in the Feb. Model Railroader as so much has changed since last coverage in 2004.
Howard Zanemy pike will be featured again in the Feb. Model Railroader
That is great news. I am looking forward to the update.
I love your layout.
Living the dream.
Howard ZanePossibly I may get a bost of energy as my pike will be featured again in the Feb. Model Railroader as so much has changed since last coverage in 2004.
Cool! My modeling has wound down some due to living in a retirement home.. I spend more time watching live railcams then actually modeling. What modeling I do is mostly adding details to my older BB SW7,SW1500s GP38-2,GP40-2, SD40-2 and my Atlas/Roco Alco S4s.
Larry, retirement home? from your posts I thought you were a young guy. After my dad suffered several strokes, family talked him into an assisted living home, but he said nuts to that and just left one evening and went home after stopping at the local LHS to purchase several Walthers O gauge kits. I don't remember the exact details of his "escape", but I do remember the life coming back into him.....thanks to again playing with trains.
In your retirement home, is there a MR club, or can you start one. My third father in law also lived in such a home with a fairly large sized club, but unfortunaltely due to illness could not participate. I think he would have enjoyed being a club member. Or is your home in an over 50 community? If so I do apologize for adding years.
Howard ZaneIn your retirement home, is there a MR club, or can you start one. My third father in law also lived in such a home with a fairly large sized club, but unfortunaltely due to illness could not participate. I
There's three other modelers here but,the club idea was nixed so,we get together and talk shop and watch railroad videos.
I will be 72 in February.. I built my first Penn-Line locomotive kit(a PRR H-9) when I was ten under my dad's supervision. The second locomotive was a Hobbytown RS3 followed by several Hobbytown drives for Athearn's GP7. Again under my dad's supervision.
Needless to say I can recall the last days of mainline steam in Columbus,Oh as well as brand new GP9s and RS11s.
I can't remember not being in the hobby and that includes my 6 1/2 years in the Army..
Nothing for the indoors HO. 3 PIKO building kits for my G Scale garden RR.
I think the best "train" Christmas I ever had was when my younger son, still a college student, was at a loss as to what to get me. He lives in Denver, so I said "come on, jump in the car, we're going to Caboose Hobbies". With him being a college student, I went easy on his budget. I picked out a freight car and a few detail items. On that same Christmas, my older son and his girlfriend took me to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. I will forever remember that Christmas. But, like you, Howard, and others that have posted here, I will be specific about what I wish for, otherwise I will get something I probably already have (maybe many times over), or something I will never use.
maxman Medina1128 I use Walthers "Share Wishlist" feature. It sends an email to interested parties... I had to laugh at Walther's ad for this in the January MR. Nick on the left side of the page created a holiday wishlist. Picture Dave with a big smile holding a new diesel. Opposite Nick is Dave. He didn't create a list. Picture Dave with a not so happy face holding a steam iron.
Medina1128 I use Walthers "Share Wishlist" feature. It sends an email to interested parties...
I got a chuckle out of that, too!
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Howard, I feel the same about my girlfriend, Sandy.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Model trains go together with Chrismas like wine and cheese!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Santa just showed up yesterday and I saw these under my tree. Wonder what it is. One says Lombard Hobby and the other says Spring Creek Model Trains.
Gonna be a good Christmas!
Santa seems to be wearing a USPS or UPS uniform these days when delivering goodies.
I keep forgetting to put those brown or white boxes the post man delivers under the tree. I got one from Lombards with six Arrowhead D&RGW hoppers at half price, and another parcel from TrainLife with a bunch of Black Friday sale goodies (3 ExactRail 4427 hoppers, an ExactRail Rio Grande girder bridge and a TrainLife welder repair building).
Hello Howard--
First it's nice to see you posting here more often as of late!
I've got a few comments to offer:
With a son about to go to college, and a wife that doesn't like it when I sell/trade trains away (and lose money--she's ok if I keep them and just use them), and who is trying to plan a surprise cruise for February, I just said this year: forget about it. Don't get me anything for Christmas. I already got my present for myself. On Monday of this week I received an absolutely gorgeous Overland MLW M-636, pro painted by my favorite still-living painter, who is 69 now, and easing into retirement from painting after 30 years of doing it professionally...Then I was indeed a bad boy and real quick scarfed up a reasonably priced Overland SP&S Alco C-636 that may get painted into a hot Mexican scheme (one last model from my painter).
So clearly, by any stretch, I've more than done Christmas for myself (also mostly paid for by sales proceeds of other brass models and some plastic.)
I very much miss childhood. My mom encouraged the model railroad hobby by getting me train books to read for Christmas. Being in the 1970's most were mostly black and white--and I'd have them read by noon on Christmas day--and I subsequently read them and reread them again and again. My sister and I were allowed to get up as early as we wanted, to open presents, as long as we were civilized, quiet, and not fighting. I have very fond memories of reading those not even so great black and white train books by only the lights of the Christmas tree, as we were up with presents opened by about 5:30 on the typical Christmas.
Also, I vividly remember exactly which diesels I got for Christmas in which year back then...and the Christmas money I blew at the train store the next day.
Those were good years while my Dad had a good job...
Here's hoping the wife gets you a train book you haven't already seen, Howard!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to all--
John Mock
I told my wife this year I'd deal with all the xmas present buying -including that which she is getting me. She said that at least she would want to wrap, but I replied knowing what they are would ruin the surprise. She was dubious, but went with it.
I know what's under the tree for the last month or two when purchases started, but can't touch any of it for another few days yet.
I get the xmas anxiety of having an untouchable gift under the tree and will share her surprise/joy as she unwraps the gifts 'she got for me' and I tell how excited I am to get them. And she gets the surprise of all the stuff I got her. No kids to worry about, only cats. Makes things easy. ;)
The plan worked well. Without saying what was inside, I built up the unwrapping of my trains with the stories of how I came across this particular batch, (Fedex lost my very 1st purchase, so it was good I ordered back up!) how much they meant, dreams and such and when finally ripping paper open, she was beyond thrilled and so happy.
Turns out her dad used to buy her brother trains so that he could himself run them. As such, she also has an affinity to the hobby and when the first loco went on the test track and that familiar burning smell came off the motor, that took her back. A smell she hadn't smelled in decades, instantly bringing all her memories flooding in.
It was a good xmas. Hope others enjoyed theirs too.
First post from a new subscriber. I am entering the hobby at a late age and hope to get my grandkids in model railroads as well. To that end, I built two starter layouts that were unveiled this Christmas. One was an oval under the Christmas tree that included a small village consisting of structures my Dad built many years ago. The other was a small shelf layout with an Inglenook Crossings switch layout. Both of these were well received by my grandson and we're already planning to take a ride on a real train!
Happy New Year
Tim
Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....