question

[jbrock27]

It is not so much looking as it is seeing.  Kinda like seeing the title of an article in a newspaper, even if you don't bother to read the article.  But I understand what you are saying Rich.  And I for one, DO NOT wish for it to snow like hell this winter.

[electrical whiz kid]

Well, Jim my friend;
guess what its' gonna do?  Did you see the 35-car pile up on I-93 by Nashua, NH on the news today?
Trackwise, as I have said, I like what I have been working with for all these years.  My endeavor now, however is to get going on my layout, using Central Valley turnouts in the yards, with code 70 and 55 rail.
SGT C.

[jbrock27]

Ugh, snow?!?  Say it ain't so Joe!

No I did not see it.  From snow?  If it was, you would think those folks know how to drive in it .

You are a master craftsman-what more can be said?

[electrical whiz kid]

Jim;
I hope you meant Joe with that "master Craftsman" stuff.  All I am is a master electrician-it is what I know-and that is it!  I love this hobby, and enjoy when something I do comes out good; this, to me, is the way it should be, and to anyone on this board, I say to enjoy it-it is one heck of an elixir for the rigors of everyday life.
Thirty five cars.  Yep, and no one was killed!  This is an area I base my layout on; from Portsmouth NH, to Troy, New York, running the borders of a three-state area.  To me, it packs a wallop of modeling potential reminiscent of something Currier and Ives...
I got "lasties" on the bonus room over the garage after everyone has left; so size is really no issue.  I like the idea of using a smaller space effectively; so packing small New England/New York towns with a lot of small industries, built by the swift-flowing streams this area is blessed with, really appeals to me, and gives those smaller towns a reason for being as well.
SGT C. 

[jbrock27]

Delaware and Hudson run through Troy?  New York Central?  Rutland?

[Len]

Interesting video on the Troy Union RR in the 1956 - 1959 time period at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8AnDnDmwI

A bit of history here too: http://penneyvanderbilt.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/troy-union-railroad/

Len

[jbrock27]

Thank you Len .

[Irbricksceo]

I envy you, I also model Railroading in the NY, NJ, Pennslyvania area. Mostly the ares that the NYSW and Erie would have run through in the early 50's. Difference is, I'm a broke college student building on a 4*8 in his bedroom so I need to take some liberties an generalize it into something small. Still, one day.....

I lived in Bergen County New Jersey for almost 13 years, that area is so pretty I just had to model it! For now I just use roadnames that ran in the northeast even if not in that area specifically. I've got one or two locos from each the NYSW, Pere Marquette, NKP, B&O, and L&NE. Plus an NJ Transit F40 cause why not!

Shame that it will be a while before I can do scenery but for now, I can have fun running trains and that pretty good.

[jbrock27]

Yep, it should be whatever you would like it to be and enjoy it!  Look at it as using time to your advantage; you will have plenty of time to gather info, make decisions and implement; instead of just throwing something together for the sake of having something to run trains around.

With all the malls, any hobby shops still around?

[Irbricksceo]

I moved down to Georgia a few years ago. Unfortunately, about a year we left a hobby shop that I frequented closed its doors. I actually managed to find a nice article about it by googling:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/hi-way-hobby-house-closing-ends-an-era-1.317788

Its sad but true what it says, how there just aren't enough young people entering the hobby. I was brought into this hobby by my grandfather who got me into trains before my second birthday. I look at the rods on a steam locomotive and think its one of the most amazing marvels of engineering ever created. But for every person like me, who really enjoys this, there are hundreds who wouldn't touch it with a  5 foot pole.

The guys who ran that shop were very nice people. Bearing in mind I was a nine year old the first time I entered that store and 12 the last time I ever had the chance, I was obviously not going to be some big spender yet they would be glad to answer any question or let me see any model, whether I was there to buy a piece of track, pick up a small locomotive, or just browse while passing though. I didn't get to go often in the two years I knew of that place, less than 50 times I bet, being young meant that where I went was largely dependent on where my parents were. But going there was always something I looked forwards to. Another thing I liked, when you bought a locomotive, they tested it before your eyes. If you had a question, they would answer it. When I came into a bunch of old tyco cars with X2F's, they set me up with an athearn box car that had one side X2F and one side Kadee for less than 10 bucks all set up since, after all, a 10 year old's budget makes mine look like a fortune.


The model train department had shrunk a lot by the time I got there, but it dominated the front of the store getting the first three isles, the front most display cases, and a nice HO and N display layout behind the counter. Its sad that it had to go but perfectly understandable. Its not cheap to live there (one of the reasons we moved).

I don't know if its really possible to be nostaligic at only 19, but if so, this is definitely one thing I'm nostalgic about. I dont know of any other stores like it, even here. Sure, we have a hobbytown USA, but it isnt the same.

[jbrock27]

I know what you mean about it not being cheap to live there.  Franklin Lakes?  Ramsey? Oakland?  Faaghet about it.

Interesting the very beginning of the article mentioned the Internet having a hand in the downfall of the shop.  I would say that many of us are on the Internet a lot for both shopping and information.

I can't remember the name, but there is model train seller that is big on Ebay out of GA.  They have a warehouse or two worth of stuff.  Don't know if they have a storefront too.  I had won a Spectrum GP30 that I never got bc they could never locate the item after the win.

[Irbricksceo]

Yeah, I know that the owners of this shop also ran Standard hobby, their Mail order version of the store. I think it went with the store.

We lived in Ridgewood, the taxes were outrageous. I can only imagine how expensive it must have been to maintain a storefront.

[the Bach-man]

Hi, Guys,
I worked at Hi-Way from the mid 60s to the late 80s, and I miss it. Every time I drive by on 17 and see a fitness club it makes me sad...
I believe Anthony has a small shop in Sugar Loaf, NY.
the Bach-man

[jbrock27]

B'man, I am guessing that was around the same time you were in Suffern?

[Jerrys HO]

A fitness club? what's that. I get enough work out working on my layout. Let's see leg crunch's (squatting under the table), leg stretch's ( leaning over the layout while standing on a ladder), jumping jack's ( when the train makes it all the way around the layout with no problems), who needs a fitness club!