Balrog21

Those pictures would make nice backdrops.

I would love to take a break and go to those places!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best lay-outs for us are going to be these "U" types folks are posting which make sense

for reaching and fixing derailed rolling stock. Right now we have a 9x9 and its tough to reach

toward the middle but it has served the purpose for the time being. Now that all the kids are back

in school and getting settled we can start to look forward to getting this project moving.

Thanks everyone for sharing!!!!!!!!

Forgot to mention I like the wmwalker set up above I can see how it attracts all kinds of folks.

Somehow we need to capitalize on all the skills and learning that can be had with this hobby.

The discipline of reading, applying what you read, planning, building, electronics, sound ,lighting, learning Rail Lines that help with Geography, History, Math , Science etc ALL because of this HobbY!!!!!

Then there are the Socialization skills it goes on and on. At some point these attributes will be picked up on and slowly the Hobby is on toward another Golden Age.

Please keep this thread alive for awhile as there are bits of truth in all of what everyone is saying.

From my own experience with my kids, it didn't take very long to transition from the Thomas wood stuff to wanting the "Real Electric Trains" The steamers were very impressive to little ones because they smoke, whistle, and ring bells.

I have been impressed with Bachmann O-Gauge as it is not delicate and seems to handle the little ones "pawing" at it. Yea we had a few mis-haps but Bachmann as a great repair service as well as a near by local hobby shop. Point is you gotta let the Little ones handle and "RUN" the trains!!! Put the controls in their hands and they are hooked.

They "control" a world in miniature and their imaginations do the rest. BUT we elders and "keepers of the train flame" have to do our part to keep them encouraged and supportive. The kids need to respect the hobby and the "stuff" of others but we can't have too many grumpies chasing them away.

Today I ran into a 20 something who consults with The Big "L" folks and rubs elbows with some of the corporate connected folks. It seems that all the O-Gauge companies know that it's all this electronic gizmology that is going to attract and keep the youngins comin around until the youngins get old enough to introduce their ideas and bring the hobby to a different level like Neil Young and all the others did.

I truly believe this hobby has a future only limited by the imagination of those who carry the torch for it. There are lots of challenges ahead. What helps this hobby and keeps it going is the Love and Passion people have for it. Some how the wiser corporate types will offset the corporate types who only look for big profit for the shareholders. The paradox is we need each other and more and more ALL of us have to be in this!!!!!!

Just wanted to say I really like what everyone is sharing on this thread and it has all been a great help!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

I eventually hope to post pictures of what I have had up the last few years.

I picked up some hollow damaged doors from Menards for $5 a piece(5 doors) total

30inches x 84inches put them up on some cheapie wood horses covered it with indoor outdoor green carpet and proceeded to set up a 3 line layout with line in the middle going through our Makeshift town so a bumper car or the Peter Witt goes through.

We have set up the old tube track in between the lines as a "rail yard". Menards sells these nice looking buildings at Christmas Time and we have accumulated a number of them.  Well Joey and I have had a lot of fun running the various engines, rolling stock, and sets we hav picked up.

We keep trying to tear it down because we have someone now who is willing to help us build what I have dubbed a "Balrog Like Table" that Balrog posted on another thread. Our builder has built many layouts for people but agreed to only do the initial table set up and then Joe and I do the rest.

I can appreciate what GG-1  has as mine is not much better but we have all kinds of experimental "areas" all over the place as we have tried out various types of carpet colors the latest is the stuff that looks like real lawn. We paint different colors. We use empty Clorox wipes containers paint them up and use black straws to simulate piping and abra ka dabra oil refinery!!! The kid is having a great time. The buildings are a hodge podge of HO and those Menards Ceramic as well as some real O-scale.

Joey made a Coal tower using legos which we painted and it looks really OK !!! Key is we are practicing and trying to have fun until we get the green light that our builder is ready to make our table for us.

I always admire what a lot of folks can do with their layouts. It's really inspirational. I also like the fact my son is using his imagination to work the lay-out and create all kinds of things like over head bridges and under bridges, trestles, delivery platforms, oil refineries and barrel delivery platforms etc.

Today we took some of my 1/48 scale airplanes and made a airport runway. With the wife gone for a few hours we ran the trains for over an hour!!!!!!

It was a good day!!

Being originally from Illinois I really liked the IC pieces!!!!!

The whole thing looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep us up to date

Thanks

Just noticing and from talking to some of the "ear to the rail" types at the hobby shops I visit. Lionel has come out with some Conventional versions of Locomotives that were Legacy rigged originally. All the new tech-no stuff is great. There are programs coming out where you can run your trains from your I-Pad or Smart Phone.

If that brings more folks into the hobby GREAT !!! I always will appreciate what Neil Young did for all of us.

That aside as long as Conventional run locomotives have the basic engine rev sounds, horns and bells and whistles and maybe one or two vocals I think a lot of us will be happy.

I agree the lighting needs to be brighter on the locomotives and it can be done with LED's and wig-wag would be cool to. BUT I also think an on/off switch should be included because there are days you want to run the engines and not have all the noise. Especially at night when kids are getting ready for bed.

Just a thought!!!!!

At least for now we have those "Buses" coming out soon. Those should look really nice in LARGE scale.

GG-1 what an incredible nice set up of shelves for the trains.

Thanks GG-1 and Loco-Bill for the help and ideas.

I am going to leave the track up over the Winter. There are days that are nice so I'll just make sure the track is clean and dry.

ALL trains etc will be kept in-doors until we run them over the weekend or around Christmas. I just want to give it a try.

I remember my exchange student days in Germany and those Germans had LGB track up all year round and very soft brooms to brush the snow off. I liked how with those "Italian Lights" set up around the property it was really festive. I am thinking I would like to try something like that.
\What a hobby

Check out TRAINWORLD they have a big closeout sale going on the the full scale GG-1's.

Just a thought if the center of the  big driver GG-1 wheels "articulated "just a bit to accommodate lets Say-O-42 I think they would be better received.

I have 2 of the semi's and would like if they were 2/3's as the semi's look too short. Not to mention they don't match well with the Williams Congressional Passenger cars unless you go with a 0-27 (if they made Congressional O-27 I don't know.)

I was able to find a set of Williams Congressionals in the original boxes un-opened along with that "mildew" smell. There was some corrosion on the bottom of the Vista Dome car but some good gun-cleaner took care of that.

I didn't realize the high quality of Williams products until I started back in this hobby 4 years ago.

Anyway just my $0.02. After reading articles about the GG-1 its development and service record I was hooked. Also my favorite picture is of a Tuscan Red 5 stripe GG-1 pulling Congressional Passenger Cars over a famous stone bridge at Dawn on a clear blue sky day. That's what got me hooked to have those passenger cars and that Tuscan Red!!!!!!

Does water from the melted snow affect the G-Scales when they are outside.

I may just leave the track up during the Winter instead of taking it down!!!!

Loco Bill

That was incredible to watch that plowing action!!!!

It made my day.

When I linked to it my 2 older boys 16 and 14 came into the room and said NO WAY that little snow plow is going to push any snow.

They were ready to laugh. As that plow train plowed the tracks it got quiet in the room!!!

Thanks !!

TRAINS magazine had a special issue edition on famous Train crashes. Casey Jones was one of the featured articles.

I highly recommend it !!!!

In the old days there were no radios, computers or electronics of Any sort it was all seat of the pants and instinct train driving. Like in aviation a lot was learned in the "old" days when accidents often ended tragically with injuries, loss of life, and damaged equipment.

I for one consider Casey a hero. He could have jumped the train but when you read the article he did his best to make sure the conditions were survivable for the crew jumping off. We will never know why he didn't jump the article suggests he ran out of time, maybe he "froze" or the conditions of where to jump were not available.

In a time when our kids are no longer being taught many of our traditional heroes such of those with character, code of conduct, and self sacrifice we need to keep their spirits alive for the next future generations.

Would WBB consider a short run on this Bershire with the Pere Mar... livery??
I would sure buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those GP-9's are nice.

NS runs near our home a number of times a day!!!!