[SUX VR40 Rider]

I recently started a new hobby to occupy my spare time in the winter months when I am not riding. Actually 2 new hobby's. they are: Model Railroading and Train Spotting/Rail-Fanning.

I have 2 train sets to get me started. An N scale German made Arnold set. Arnold was the very first company to introduce N scale and used to be a German company. This set is small, with 3 cars and a steam engine, that in full size was fueled by oil, not coal. The other set is called the Hy-Vee Savings Express and is HO scale. Hy-Vee is a grocery store chain mainly found in the mid-west. This set has an SD40-2 for a locomotive and 5 cars.

I am building a portable, modular layout for the HO scale set first, then I'll build one for the N scale set. This will do 2 things. First help me determine if I want to continue model railroading and second decide, if I do, help me decide to go with N or HO scale.

This new hobby is why I have not been around here for a while. I'll check in from time to time to see if anyone sends me a PM and if there are any topics I want to jump in on.

 

[Grenouille]

Post some pix of your layout !

 

[avmech]

My trains are Marklin HO I got when I was in Switzerland. They are over 40 years old, my grandparents got me most of them when I was a teenager. They sit in boxes, one of these days I will have room to set them up.

 

[TxCyclist]

Railfan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Learned something new today.

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

I'll post some pix showing the progress of my layout when I get home from work tonight. I will also post links about my train spotting/ rail-fanning experience.

 

[TxCyclist]

Can't wait to see what you post.

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Here are the 2 train spotting/rail-fanning trips:
Local Sioux City Rail Yards
Train Spotting Tuesday December 20, 2011

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

I hope you enjoyed the posts about the locomotives and snow plow.

My camera battery is completely dead so therefore is charging as we speak. When it is charged I will take the photos of the train sets and the layout as it is right now and post them.

 

[TxCyclist]

I liked the snow plow, never seen anything like that down here.

 

[funetical]

Wow, I've been mislead as to what trainspotting is.

What's up FMC? Long time no see.

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Wow, I've been mislead as to what trainspotting is.

What's up FMC? Long time no see.

What did you think train spotting was?

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Here is the progress thus far on my layout:
Hy-Vee Savings Express Layout
What do you think?

 

[TxCyclist]

Here is the progress thus far on my layout:
Hy-Vee Savings Express Layout
What do you think?

Is it going to take up your entire basement?

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Is it going to take up your entire basement?

No. The room in my basement is about 12' wide by 35' long. The portable layout will be displayed at the one end where there is not a lot or nothing stored.

A lot of what you see around the work area I am using will be removed, or relocated when I start building my permenant layout along the wall. The permenant layout will be 27' long and can be up 8' wide at one end and 5' wide at the other with up to 4' wide in between. In actuallity it will have a combination of 4' to 2' wide sections along the length with 4' wide capping each end.

The permenant layout is a ways off. I have to finish my current build. Build a portable layout for my N scale train set. Then I have to finish the walls to build the permenant layout. As you can see this room is largely unfinished. The permenant layout will be a shelf style attached to the walls, instead of bench work that sits on the floor.

The room will still serve as secondary storage for the bicycles you see hanging in the background and the shelf unit that stores the bike accessories, tools, etc. and will also be used for some other storage. But a good majority of the lumber and panelling material will either be disposed of or relocated to the rafters in the garage.

 

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Here is a link about another train set I have:
Lionel Battery Operated Popcorn Tin Train Set

 

[DaveGlebus]

I have been collecting H.o. trains since I was 6 yrs old. I had a layout down my basement that was L shaped 38 feet by 24 feet. When we moved into our current home I packed it all up and it is in boxes down my basement. One of my favorite things about biking is trainspotting. I actually thought for a while about selling off some of my collection to buy a new ride. I also have a bunch of old lanterns and ticket punches and office supplies with the great northern "rocky" the goat on them and the northern pacific logo BN logo and BNSF. My dad worked for the BN. Started there with the NP went through the merger and retired shortly after BNSF merger. I've got a huge collection of maps of every state the BN operated in. also 25 yrs worth of calendars.