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 Posted - August 29 2013 : 8:35:18 PM
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I got back into the hobby in 2009, after dragging out an old Z scale train I bought in Germany in 1985. I had so much fun with it, my wife suggested I get my old HO stuff out of the closet and "put it on a board in the bedroom". Oh my, she did not know what she was saying! I tried to warn her but it was no use - and so my 5 cars and a F7 grew to over 400 pieces and two different layouts - and I feel like I am barely scratching the surface.
I tell her that I am "living the dream", and I am. My father was a real railroader, as was his father - and now I am, at least as close as I'm going to get.
I really enjoy HO scale, and run DC. No DCC for me, I applaud those who do but I have zero interest in it and sorting through the electronics, as well as the added complexity and cost. Especially cost. Much of my rolling stock is vintage Bachmann/Lifelike/Tyco/Athearn/Mantua/etc. Some of the most satisfying part of the hobby is bringing old pieces back to life, upgrading them with proper wheels and couplers, rebuilding/repainting. I love the history and background behind the old equipment, wondering whose hands it has passed through, how long it may have languished in a box in an attic somewhere...or how many laps it made around a Christmas train set loop years ago.
As others have noted, this site seems to be dramatically free of snobbish attitudes. I find that refreshing and conducive to true enjoyment of this great hobby.
Anyway, have really enjoyed the forums here - so much knowledge and great stories. Looking forward to more - thanks!
http://tycodepot.com/
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 Posted - August 29 2013 : 8:46:49 PM
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Jerry,
I'll be the first to say.... isn't THIS what its supposed to be about...anyway?
I agree, free spirited here is like the open force of what once was....NOW, you got the DCC stuff, high end......EVERYTHING with an equally high dollar to own, almost like the real railroads.... the next thing you know, these companies will want 1:87th the price of the real thing! (OK I'll shut up now on that one......)
But yes, that's the reason I'm here, even tho, I myself consider myself a "rivet Counter" ONLY in the prototypes I model, but even then, its not "exact" UNLESS its bought brass models and even then, they're questionable.....
One thing, all has to remember, we're just a bunch of full grown..........KIDS! And these trains we play with. wait a second, read that again, "play with" doesn't that make them....TOYS?
Boy, you don't know of the guys I know who would blow a gasket to hear me say, play with toys. with anything to do with trains. but the truth is the truth is the truth! No matter how its told!
Glad to have yet one more who loves the hobby for what it once really was and what it needs to be remembered as even in a time when those "others" make all to serious!
For God's sake they're TOY trains, dig 'em out, set up a track on the carpet and HAVE FUN! That's what its all about......
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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babuff
Little Six
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Posted - August 29 2013 : 9:21:08 PM
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Let me add my welcome to our community of train men (as my lady refers to us). what ever you interest you will probably find it here. Some of us ,like me are mechanics who like you love the chllenge of fixing up train show junk into running models, be the prototype or not. kind of like when we were a kid and took things apart to see how they worked. Fortunately when we grew up (somewhat) we learned how to put them back together again (my grandfather never realy forgave me for his railroad watch  ) As for dcc we have them here too and we love them as well. They tend to be the "let's see what an old dcc MANTUA would be like with it in it for ha ha sake" kind of people. But as EM-1 said we are all here to have fun "playing with our trains and sharing it with our friends". So welcome to the FUN!!!
leo
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babuff
Little Six
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Posted - August 29 2013 : 9:22:42 PM
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Let me add my welcome to our community of train men (as my lady refers to us). what ever you interest you will probably find it here. Some of us ,like me are mechanics who like you love the chllenge of fixing up train show junk into running models, be the prototype or not. kind of like when we were a kid and took things apart to see how they worked. Fortunately when we grew up (somewhat) we learned how to put them back together again (my grandfather never realy forgave me for his railroad watch ) As for dcc we have them here too and we love them as well. They tend to be the "let's see what an old dcc MANTUA would be like with it in it for ha ha sake" kind of people. But as EM-1 said we are all here to have fun "playing with our trains and sharing it with our friends". So welcome to the FUN!!!
leo
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Posted - August 29 2013 : 9:32:06 PM
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Glad you're "living the dream", my wife is getting on me about my collections, as I have a small house, a not much room to put a layout. Of course, if I got rid of alot, I might could have one...anyway, I'm with you, I enjoy resurrecting junkers, playing with the stuff, and just having fun. Proto-UNtypical is how I operate. I like running consists of helium tank cars, flats with airplanes on them, NASA tankers, you name it. Currently trying to upgrade an old Bachmann Jeepster Trackster with modern motor, to really make it a smooth runner.
I enjoy DCC with my club , allows more freedom and more trains to run at once in an open environment. A small layout doesn't need 20 trains running at once.  But the sound/ audio functions available with DCC are a HUGE form of enjoyment for new generations of operators, before you just run your train silently, now you can have authentic diesel and steam sounds from your locomotive ( for a price, of course. ) That is one thing DC can't really offer I don't think.
No matter...we all enjoy this hobby as we want to, and allow others to follow their own paths, so it's all to the good. Glad you're with us enjoying old trains!
Jerry in VIrginia
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - August 29 2013 : 10:56:27 PM
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Wecome! I found my self gathering the old Tyco trains and slot car track that I had on my layout as a kid. Then I started buying the stuff that I WISHED I'd had as a kid!! That also includes some Life-Like and AHM buildings and train cars...
Enjoy the forum...
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Posted - August 29 2013 : 11:20:18 PM
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Welcome aboard Jerry! Glad to have you join our merry group.
-Thomas
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Posted - August 31 2013 : 08:25:31 AM
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quote:Welcome aboard Jerry! Glad to have you join our merry group.
-Thomas
Originally posted by Redwoods - August 29 2013 : 11:20:18 PM
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Thanks everyone for the welcome. Funny thing, when I first signed up here some time ago I did a shorter introduction but still one nontheless - which I forgot about entirely  Over 50 and the memory seems to be dumping as fast as possible!
Also another crazy thing - I had been hanging around the COTW and LOTW mostly, but one day I scrolled down...and down....and down..... there is a ton of cool stuff here! Love the kitbashing threads and the Athearn one. So much great stuff here, and I had thought it was a Tyco-only site.
Anyway, thanks again and will be seeing you on my regular haunts and some new ones as well.
http://tycodepot.com/
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