Trains

[Crown Vic P71 20]

Is there anyone here other than me that has an interest in trains or model trains?

[Wheel Horse Kid 105]

Right here man! My grandpa has a big electric train setup in his basement that he has worked on for years and years! Always loved to play with them when I was a kid and still like them now!

[canam1991 2]

Right here also american flyer est. 30,000-40,000 worth

[Crown Vic P71 20]

Right here also american flyer est. 30,000-40,000 worth

Wow!!! I love American Flyer stuff!!

Is there anyone here other than me that has an interest in trains or model trains?

What Scale?

[AMC RULES 37,132]

My Dad hired out on the Erie Lackawanna(EL) line as a brakeman when he was 19 years old. By the time he retired, had worked his way up to the engineers seat. Was an engineer through the entire Consolidated Rail(Conrail-CR) days, and ultimately retired in 2000 from Norfolk and Southern(NS). My Dad had many opportunities to break into railroad management, but couldn't bring himself to give up what he loved doing most...driving them trains. That man worked the rails his entire life long, God rest his soul.

I miss my Dad.

[Crown Vic P71 20]

My Dad hired out on the Erie Lackawanna(E-L) line as a brakeman when he was 19 years old. By the time he retired, had worked his way up to the engineers seat. Was an engineer through the entire Consolidated Rail(Conrail-CR) days, and ultimately retired in 2000 from Norfolk and Southern(NS). My Dad had many opportunities to break into railroad management, but couldn't bring himself to give up what he loved doing most...driving them trains. That man worked the rails his entire life long, God rest his soul.

I miss my Dad.

That's amazing!! Sounds like he was a really good man!

[312Hydro 474]

I've got a lot of HO trains in storage. Used to work at a hobby shop when I was 15. I have the TYCO Spirit of '76 Engines and cars mint in mint boxes. Also a lot of Athearn ,AHM, Trains Miniature and some Walthers and Roundhouse kits. Got my first train when I was 7 for Christmas,still have it too.That was my first big hobby. I had a layout with the hard-shell scenery for a multilevel mountain. Gotta love those trains! All the scales!

[SousaKerry 501]

Just as my avatar says Crazy Train watchin WH guy from M I

Grew up in Ohio our farm bordered the B&O Willard Subdivision just outside of the train watchers Mecca of Fostoria, If you stood in the right spot you could also just make out the Pennsy line to Toledo (Coruthers Secondary) Of coaurse by the time I was a teen it was CSX and Conrail-spin off to a short line operator called Indiana Hi-Rail (IHRC), now it is operated by the Northern Ohio and Western (NOW)

I used to be in pretty good with the local engineer from IHRC and would get regular cab rides from one end of the yard to the other and occasionally a ride from their tracks out to the CSX interchange. A few times he would sit me in the seat hand have me blow for the crossings. For power they had an EMD GP-35, old AA unit it was in very bad shape and rodel like a tank. One year they had an Alco C-420 as the 35 was out for a rebuild, that thing was a Dream compared to the Chevy, smoked like a steam engine but what a ride and the sound of that big turbocharged 2000 Hp 4 stroke diesel was music to my young ears.

One day they had borrowed an EMD SW-1200 from a local industry (regular power was broke down again) I was riding the cab as usual. The conductor was at the other end of a long cut of cars throwing switches and we had stopped to cut the power off to run around to the other end. The engineer jumped down to pull the uncoupler but couldn't as there was no slack on it. He yells up to me "go on get over there and pull her forward I know you know how to do it" like a shot I was across the cab released the train brake put the reverser in forward and notched her up to about 3. One of the greatest moments in my life was driving that 1200Hp switcher all of about 6 feet, solo.

Been watching them every chance I get ever since, I sure do miss the days when you would get invited up in the cab to take a look around, my 8 year old Son will likely never know the thrill of that outside of a museum. If I ever win the mega millions I'll start model railroading again in 1:1 scale and store my Wheel Horses in old box cars.

Oh yeah and I have tons of HO stuff in storage waiting on a basement empire someday.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

I had 3 great uncles and my grandfather all worked for the Southern Railway...Later the Norfolk & Southern.

Each one has passed now, but I remember the stories and songs my great uncles would tell.

They actually started back in the days of "Stream Engines".

[rmaynard 15,519]

I've got my 8 year old grandson sitting here with me tonight, and he is a big train fan. I used to be an HO train buff when I was in my teens, then I graduated to N gauge. I gave all of my trains to Ryan (the 8 year old). He doesn't go anywhere without a train of some type going along with him. I am still fascinated with the old steamers. Right here in Baltimore, we have the B&O train museum. We have a family membership and all the grandkids love it.

[whc160 74]

I have my Dad's American Flyer train he got as a boy. Been in storage for years. When I was a kid we set it up on the basement floor around the holidays. My boys age 6 & 3 love Thomas the train. They have them all over the house. We have even went & rode on Thomas twice. It was a great time. When they are a little older I will let them get Dad's train out.

[Wheel Horse Kid 105]

I've got my 8 year old grandson sitting here with me tonight, and he is a big train fan. I used to be an HO train buff when I was in my teens, then I graduated to N gauge. I gave all of my trains to Ryan (the 8 year old). He doesn't go anywhere without a train of some type going along with him. I am still fascinated with the old steamers. Right here in Baltimore, we have the B&O train museum. We have a family membership and all the grandkids love it.

Sounds like your grandson is a train nut!

[Ken B 3,164]

Your Dad sounds like he was a real cool guy Craig. He had to be cool, he drove a Chevy and it looks as though he was mighty proud of it!

[smoreau 658]

I have been into trains for years. I started with HO and then went to N for several years. I was a little overwhelmed with DCC and spent big $ to go to it. It cost me a loss of interest in the hobby for know. I sold off 80% of it and know into my WH tractors. I still play with trains that are 1/4 scale during the summer months at Junction Vally Railroad. Its a lot of fun and we have a great time there. During October we have a Spook Train ride that is great for all ages. Here is a link to there site. http://www.jvrailroad.com/

[AMC RULES 37,132]

Your Dad sounds like he was a real cool guy Craig. He had to be cool, he drove a Chevy and it looks as though he was mighty proud of it!

Yep, he loved that truck...so did I when I took over it's ownership. That '90 was a great one...just like him.

[Crown Vic P71 20]

Just as my avatar says Crazy Train watchin WH guy from M I

Grew up in Ohio our farm bordered the B&O Willard Subdivision just outside of the train watchers Mecca of Fostoria, If you stood in the right spot you could also just make out the Pennsy line to Toledo (Coruthers Secondary) Of coaurse by the time I was a teen it was CSX and Conrail-spin off to a short line operator called Indiana Hi-Rail (IHRC), now it is operated by the Northern Ohio and Western (NOW)

I used to be in pretty good with the local engineer from IHRC and would get regular cab rides from one end of the yard to the other and occasionally a ride from their tracks out to the CSX interchange. A few times he would sit me in the seat hand have me blow for the crossings. For power they had an EMD GP-35, old AA unit it was in very bad shape and rodel like a tank. One year they had an Alco C-420 as the 35 was out for a rebuild, that thing was a Dream compared to the Chevy, smoked like a steam engine but what a ride and the sound of that big turbocharged 2000 Hp 4 stroke diesel was music to my young ears.

One day they had borrowed an EMD SW-1200 from a local industry (regular power was broke down again) I was riding the cab as usual. The conductor was at the other end of a long cut of cars throwing switches and we had stopped to cut the power off to run around to the other end. The engineer jumped down to pull the uncoupler but couldn't as there was no slack on it. He yells up to me "go on get over there and pull her forward I know you know how to do it" like a shot I was across the cab released the train brake put the reverser in forward and notched her up to about 3. One of the greatest moments in my life was driving that 1200Hp switcher all of about 6 feet, solo.

Been watching them every chance I get ever since, I sure do miss the days when you would get invited up in the cab to take a look around, my 8 year old Son will likely never know the thrill of that outside of a museum. If I ever win the mega millions I'll start model railroading again in 1:1 scale and store my Wheel Horses in old box cars.

Oh yeah and I have tons of HO stuff in storage waiting on a basement empire someday.

I knew a conductor in Woodville that would let me and a friend go into the cab and blow the horn... So I'm, familiar with the secondary...Also great story!

I've got a lot of HO trains in storage. Used to work at a hobby shop when I was 15. I have the TYCO Spirit of '76 Engines and cars mint in mint boxes. Also a lot of Athearn ,AHM, Trains Miniature and some Walthers and Roundhouse kits. Got my first train when I was 7 for Christmas,still have it too.That was my first big hobby. I had a layout with the hard-shell scenery for a multilevel mountain. Gotta love those trains! All the scales!

Let me know if you need help getting rid of any!! hahaha

[312Hydro 474]

Your Dad sounds like he was a real cool guy Craig. He had to be cool, he drove a Chevy and it looks as though he was mighty proud of it!

Yep, he loved that truck...so did I when I took over it's ownership. That '90 was a great one...just like him.

Is that an AMX fender?

[AMC RULES 37,132]

Your Dad sounds like he was a real cool guy Craig. He had to be cool, he drove a Chevy and it looks as though he was mighty proud of it!

Yep, he loved that truck...so did I when I took over it's ownership. That '90 was a great one...just like him.

Is that an AMX fender?

That's the right front corner of my avatar you see bouncin' up there.

Yep, a '73 Javelin AMX fender Rich.

[canam1991 2]

Right here also american flyer est. 30,000-40,000 worth

Wow!!! I love American Flyer stuff!!

Is there anyone here other than me that has an interest in trains or model trains?

What Scale?

Ho and s gauge

[massey 118]

I was always into the HO scale trains. In the early '90's I built a bunch of the Athern kits and decaled them in Lehigh Valley some Reading and NJ Zinc tank cars as these were the ones I remembered as a kid. Someday I'll dig them out of storage again. Good memories there.

[SousaKerry 501]

I was always into the HO scale trains. In the early '90's I built a bunch of the Athern kits and decaled them in Lehigh Valley some Reading and NJ Zinc tank cars as these were the ones I remembered as a kid. Someday I'll dig them out of storage again. Good memories there.

NS just painted a wide cab in Lehigh Valley google it it looks awesome. They are doing a whole series of heritage units something like 30 of them

[massey 118]

I was always into the HO scale trains. In the early '90's I built a bunch of the Athern kits and decaled them in Lehigh Valley some Reading and NJ Zinc tank cars as these were the ones I remembered as a kid. Someday I'll dig them out of storage again. Good memories there.

NS just painted a wide cab in Lehigh Valley google it it looks awesome. They are doing a whole series of heritage units something like 30 of them

Thanks for the info, that is so cool they are doing that.

[sscotsman 148]

I grew up within earshot of where the Lehigh Valley mainline passed under the Erie Lackawanna mainline in Waverly, NY..

but I was only 7 years old when Conrail arrived, so I mostly missed both of them..I only have vague memories of LV and EL locomotives as kid..

by the time I started taking train photos as a teenager in the 80's, Conrail was well entrenched..

but we also had D&H and Susquehanna running through town, so it was all good!

I had an HO scale layout when I was a kid..then dropped out of the hobby for most of my 20's and 30's,

and got back into it again with "G-scale" about 10 years ago..I also do G-gauge "Live Steam"..which is locomotive

models powered by fire and water, just like the real thing..

all my model, and prototype, railroad pages are here:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos/

Local railroad history (northern PA, and central and western NY) is one of my obsessions..

Both of my grandfathers, one great grandfather, and one great great grandfather worked for the LV

out of Sayre PA..where I was born.

Sayre, PA, about 100 years ago:

Scot

[sscotsman 148]

I was always into the HO scale trains. In the early '90's I built a bunch of the Athern kits and decaled them in Lehigh Valley some Reading and NJ Zinc tank cars as these were the ones I remembered as a kid. Someday I'll dig them out of storage again. Good memories there.

NS just painted a wide cab in Lehigh Valley google it it looks awesome. They are doing a whole series of heritage units something like 30 of them

The LV unit has been quite controversial!

I was one of the LV fans who lobbied for "no white nose stripes please, it wont look right on a wide cab"..

and it seems NS listened!

but now we hear the LV unit is going back in the paintshop for modifications, and it will probably recieve the white nose stripes afterall..

which is fine! it will be a gorgeous unit no matter what..the Erie unit is my favorite so far, She's a stunner!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=398802&nseq=7

Photos of all the Heritage units, so far (they arent all done yet) can be seen here:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=56989

There are going to be 20 of them, painted in these NS predecessor schemes:

Central of Georgia Railway

Central Railroad of New Jersey

Conrail

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western

Erie Railroad

Illinois Terminal Railroad

Interstate Railroad

Lehigh Valley Railroad

Monongahela Railway

New York Central Railroad

New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road)

Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk & Western Railway

Pennsylvania Railroad

Penn Central Railroad

Reading Company

Savannah & Atlanta Railway

Southern Railway

Virginian Railway

Wabash Railroad

Scot

[linen beige 14]

When I was a kid I cut grass for a local guy that had a 60 foot sqaure HO layout in the attic of his garage. It was built over top of an older OO scale set up. All of his track was hand laid, several THOUSAND feet of it! He also built most of his locomotives and much of his rolling stock, not to mention the structures and scenery. I got into N scale with an Atlas B&O E8, a Pennsy box car, Mobile one tank car, Pennsy gondola an B&O caboose in Jan. '69. I now have a couple dozen locos and several hundred pieces of rolling stock (mostly Micro Trains) and a few hundred feet of track. All of this is in storage right now, but my daughters are nagging me to get it out and start another railroad.

One of my late great uncles was one time president of the railroad telegraphers union. My wife is in executive management of a firm that manufactures railroad signalling devices.