Model Railroading

[n0Mad]

I wasn't really sure where to put this but I guess it's art. Anyway, I'm just getting back into the hobby again after about a 10 year+ hiatus and surprised about how much I had forgotten. I'm also amazed about how much the hobby has changed in a decade with technology and stuff.

Anyone else into this, or am I alone in my geekdom?

[sass_in_the_pants]

I don't make them or anything but I love love love them.

I could watch them go round and round for hours.

The Redford Theatre sets one up every year at Christmastime.

[Hellion]

I have 23 years of architectural model building experience,and thought of doing this someday,I have seen some amazing layouts built by others,the G-scale is by far the largest model railroad gage you can buy,a little over on third bigger than lionel trains,and then there is Z- scale witch is half the size of n- scale.G scale can be used out doors as well.but unfortunately its a very expensive hobby.

[n0Mad]

G-scale is by far the largest model railroad gage you can buy

Actually, Number 1 gauge is, so named because there's one foot between the rails. It's big enough you could ride on in. In fact, the kiddie trains at the zoo and parks and such are Number 1 gauge. Very expensive and pretty impractical unless, of course, you are a zoo. Some people use it for garden modeling though G Scale is the best for that.

My dad and I started a 64 sq. ft. HO layout about 20 years ago but when I went away to college it started collecting dust. He and I keep talking about renovating it but with him and mom starting construction on their retirement home, it doesn't make sense to get the layout all fixed up only to be torn down and moved. Of course he really wants me to get my own place so I can move it into my basement but I don't have a good enough paying job yet to afford anything with a basement.

Back in high school I started a 2.5'X4' N Scale layout. I didn't get too far on it mostly because I couldn't afford it. I dug up the plans last week and that's the one I'm fervently working on to springboard myself back into the hobby. I downloaded some freeware track planning software from Atlas and discovered that I need a bit more room than my pencil sketches indicated. So, next week I'll be building 3'X5' framework.

Just to show what a big model railroad geek I am (and just a geek in general), for my Eagle Scout project I designed and built a 4'X8' HO scale model railroad for an American House retirement home. It was a lot of fun. The residents and my fellow troopmates all worked together on various aspects and when we were all done, American House kept the layout so when families came to visit the kids would have something to play with.

[Msterbeau]

My brothers and I would visit this house in the neighborhood once a year to check out the huge layout in the basement. Modeling in general has always been an interest, but these days, not high enough to warrant spending anything on it.

If you want help building stuff, I'm in!

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I have always wanted to get into it... I have as yet to be able to afford it.

[Msterbeau]

I have a slot car track for the girls. We revived some of the old cars I had when I was a kid. As always.... they think it's funny to make them go flying off the track.

[StormKnight (1)]

Used to do O-scale trains for a while. While I do have the ability to do high detail, I lack the space to set up the large layout I would want to have

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I used to be obsessed with it from around age 15 to 22 or so. Used to have subscriptions to the model railroad mags, there is still a pretty large layout in my parents basement. HO scale (which i always preferred just due to it having the most options in terms of engines and kits and such, i actually probably would prefer N (smaller) if there was more stuff for it and my only railroad buddies weren't all doing HO too. I remember redoing my plaster mountain range and adjacent forest like 6 times one summer hehe. (The whole thing was late 1800s/Early 1900s era themed) Working steam/smoke trains etc.

Its been a decade now though since I've followed it.The whole thing I had was electric though with working lights and such. Bridges, under/over mountains , a "city" part, "country" part and a rail yard with working turntable and all that. Lots of little miniature persons and such as well. Lots of water (always liked the fake water and the shenanigans that you can do at the edges with bathers and docks and boats and such.

I'd probably still be doing it if there was any reasonably large following for it with people my age (and there was a single girl train hobbyist on the planet, hah.) Mostly I just worked on it by myself and sometimes my grandfather and one of his friends.

I migrated away to models and dioramas (especially military stuff) now I'm not really doing it at all. My "nerd hobbies" is basically just playing MTG at the moment.

[n0Mad]

Lots of water (always liked the fake water and the shenanigans that you can do at the edges with bathers and docks and boats and such.

You should see how far along water effects have come. No more casting resin (although you can still do it that way). Right when I was getting out of the hobby the latest innovation was plastic pellets that could be melted in a coffee can and poured into place. For any corrections or touch-ups you just blasted it with a heat gun for a second or two. Amazing stuff and what I used for my Eagle project layout.

Now, Woodland Scenics has this pour and dry instant water that looks awesome for still and slow water, and if you need fast water or waterfalls you can add water effects on top for ripples. I briefly used it a few years ago on some Warhammer terrain I was making and it's simply the easiest and best looking stuff I've ever worked with.

[Hellion]

When I used to build architectural displays,the one thing that I used for shingles was sandpaper,but I could not find any cardboard with brick imprinted on it.I actually had to make it from scratch.