Some times I feel so alone...Am I the only woman here?

[electrolove]

lisap,

I can understand how you feel. I'm a model railroader from Sweden. I'm a guy but I have no model railroaders to share this hobby with in the small city where I live. So my model railroader friends are the nice guys on this list and many other forums. I don't even have a LHS so every time I want something I must order it from the US and wait several weeks. But I love this hobby so much it's worth it. Nice to see a girl here. What are you modelling? It's always nice to see some pictures so if you have any, please post them. I'm a D&RGW fan. Right now I'm modelling the royal gorge hanging bridge area (HO scale). Today I will lay some masonite spline roadbed.

[Anonymous]

Yea I agree and I'm pretty handy with paint it's amazing what you can do with some paint, a brush and alittle imagination.

Well I'm off to bed my boys will have me up at 7am regardless of what time I go to bed. So good night and thank you all for your imput.

[GearDrivenSteam]

Hay that's a great start. Thing is, if you get it right with the "cheap life like" oh how sweet it will be with the good stuff.

[Anonymous]

For the most part it is a great site, except all information is user-submitted.  Thankfully it is all cited.

A funny story about wifes and railroading (or atleast I found humour), is Dick Patton has his wife make all colour choices due to the fact he is colourblind.

[GearDrivenSteam]

Trains are loud, nasty and powerful. Kinda like a man.

[Anonymous]

Safety Valve That was so sweet, of course not everyone would apprecite a prososal like that.My husband knows I have dreams of empire but I would be happy with a room in the house as opposed to a shed in the yard( I'll take what I can get though)

[Anonymous]

There are women in the hobby. Perhaps not on these forums proper.

Two weeks ago a Wedding Proposal was made and accepted by the bride to be at one of our LHS's during a class. I would think something like that is very special.

My wife thinks that I have dreams of empire and fill the house with trains. But she sees some of the work and is happy. Once construction starts I might enlist her with trees, people and other scenic materials.

[Anonymous]

That article cleared up a few things in my mind I think I'll use that site as a reference site for sure. The engine came in a set I wonder if the engine is the F-7A and the second car could be the F-7B, I'm not sure , just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Haha, that is true.  This is a great article on it:

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

[Anonymous]

I'm not really sure my self but I have found that the only way to overcome ignorance of a subject is to admit we are ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Ah.  A B unit is used in place of another engine to help power it.  Instead of three A types, it'd typically go A-B-A.  Though I'm not too familiar with Diesel so I may not be 100% correct.

[Anonymous]

I'm not really sure I have The part diagram and it lists it as F-7A/F-7B I'm still to new at this to know which is the correct one.

[Anonymous]

...you have a B unit as an engine?

[Anonymous]

By the way Don I haven't met any pigs  here though I did cook ham for supper(HA HA)

[Anonymous]

Dirtyd, It's a crying shame isn't it my husband doesn't consider a trip to the hobby stor to be a great time either but at least they (the railroad spouses) put up with us.

[Anonymous]

ArtHill, I don't have a specific era or place but I model HO, The layout I'm doing now is new, My first was small(4x4) because it was surposed to be a starter for my oldest son, he wanted a train set for his 7th b-day, he enjoyed running the train but (as it is for most kids) he soon got tired of the little set, so I set up a 4x8 layout in the dining room (hubby got sick of that after about six months), now I'm out in the shed it's about 9x14 but with the studs it figures out to be about 7x12 so my 4x8 bench and I have been trying to find our nitch in the world. I put my table on wheels so I could get behind it to work on it. My engine is pretty decent (Athearn F-7b Diesel) but most of my rolling stock is cheep Life- like Type cars(E-Bay specials), I haven't been into the hobby for long (almost a year) so I know the quality will improve. Right now I just want to get my Layout right then I'll start buy some quality trains.

[Anonymous]

Sadly most any gathering of modelrailroaders be it in real time or cyberspace is a giant sausage party. None of the girls I've ever met consider a trip to a hobby shop to be a romantic outting.

[Don Gibson]

'I may just change my name to "The Lone Lady"

.

... or ' The Lone Arranger'... which makes your point of view even more imprtant to us 'shauvinistic pig's.

'Hang in there baby.' Our experience is were're spending too much on our hobby, instead of 'them'. (Ie: competition). Your input appreciated, regardless what you may read here.

[Anonymous]

Brian, I'm not sure what it will take to get more women into the hobby. Trains have alwys facinated me, growing up I live in several places where there were train stations. I remember my first train ride when I was about 4 my grand mother took me to Boston from Wilmington, MA that was one of the best memories I have growing up. When we moved to NH it so happened that or house was near a set of tracks unfortunately the trains ran infrequently but when ever possible my Dad would take me some place where I could "count the frieght cars". I wish I had daughters to pass my love of trains on to but I have been blessed with three boys( all of whom love trains). My thoughts to the wives and daughters of all of you men are trains what's not to love(of course I have a husband who doesn't get it any more than your wives do).

[perry1060]

As a Dad, I sometimes let my girls (age 8,12) read the forums with me, if that helps you feel better. They love the trains and the hobby, so maybe they'll have their own logins to the forums when they are older.

[ARTHILL]

If my grandaughter counts, you have one gender friend. What are you building, to ask a male type question.

[wjstix]

I suppose it's a double whammy on the forum, as both railroading and computers have traditionally been "guy things", although obviously women being computer savvy is much more common than it was a decade or so back. Maybe a similar growth spurt will happen with women and trains???

[Anonymous]

Well, you may be the only female on these forums, but I assure you, that you aren't the only female in the hobby.  Often enough, there are just about as many females in the hobby stores around here as males.  You may be in the minority, but it is a rather welcome minority!

[ShadowNix]

Hey Lisap,

I bet you are right for the most part... trains have traditionally been a father son thing more than a father daughter thing in the past.  I think this is changing (although both my children are boys!), and I see more and more little girls at train shows and hear more stories in this forum about grandchildren (including girls).   I think times are changing and you are just a "pioneer"     I am sure some other ladies will chime in...  Perhaps you can give us tips on how to get our wives to enjoy the hobby as much we do (not including bribes with pedicures, massages or other gifts!).  Nice to have you in the forum.

 

Brian

[Anonymous]

I really appreciate all the guys I have met on this and other forums but I have yet to meet another woman, I realize this isn't a "girly girl" type hobby but I find it satisfies all of my artistic talentsand it seems there would be others like me.I thought it would fun to see if there were any other women who enjoy railroading too. But If I'm to the only lady on this forum, so be it, I may just change my name to "The Lone Lady".