The BeginningRight now Model Railroading is one of my more passive interests. With all the other activities I have become involved, I can not create the time to be an active "model rail." I am content to claim title to the "armchair" variety. That is no shame as the periodicals I purchase today do an outstanding job of photography and attention to detail. "Armchair" insinuates a person who is not actively involved in building or operating, but rather a person who sits back comfortable in an "armchair" and is content in reading about and viewing the achievements of others. I have been the other (active type) in the past. My very first train set was an A.C. Gilbert American Flyer. I got my first set in the 1950's and still have it today. Commonly called "S" gauge, it was a smaller size than Lionel "O-27." American Flyer used two rail track while Lionel was three rail. Both were A/C powered. Two rail American Flyer required special attention to polarity in certain track layouts while three rail Lionel eliminated that problem. These are called "tinplate" trains as compared to the scale trains I am interested in today. Tinplate because of the stamped tin metal early "toy" trains were made from. This is not a derogatory statement as many people now collect and operate "Tinplate" railroads and equipment. Scale RailroadingI settled into HO as my first choice of Scale. (Pronounced "Aich-Oh" not Santa's laugh.) "Half O" because it is half the gauge of O but not quite half the size. It is close enough to think of it as half size. I built a huge layout using Lambert nickel silver code 70 flex track and switches. It was finished to the point where I could run trains, but it was never sceniced. I tore it apart in sections and gave it away when I moved to New Hampshire in 1986. I haven't built anything since. I have bought lots of magazines! Today's InterestI have become interested in the larger scales with narrow gauge and shortline type prototypes. I enjoy reading the large-scale magazines and their coverage of these types. Probably because my eyesight and steady hands are not as they used to be! With my latest interest in machining, I am taking serious consideration to the building of live steam engines. Possibly as large as three quarter inch to the foot scale. That's usually 3.5 inch gauge. I don't want to build as large as the type where the engineer actually rides behind the engine. That seems way outside of a manageable and affordable hobby for me. My hobby interest will be the engine and car building, not riding around a small track as a hugely out of scale passenger. But, to each his own... I have always considered model railroading a form of 3-D art. Blended with history and imagination. The machines are awesome, the engineering impressive. A chance to be GOD over your own small world. Solve problems or create them in all types of disciplines. Electrical, mechanical, nature, art, business, construction -- its all there. But, as I grow older tastes change... The large scales depend less on layout construction, unless you put one in your own back (or front) yard. I see small (HO) layouts now more as dust collectors and consumers of indoor space. A fixed asset hard to pass along to others. Yes, beautiful to look at but a bear to maintain. A complex large scale live steam engine is a marvel of engineering and a prize passed on for generations. Just an engine alone is a great achievement. Can a mere mortal build one (or more) of these from scratch? I will have to ponder this... I have pondered enough! I have begun construction on a 3/4" scale Pennsylvania A3 switcher. Here is the link to the CONSTRUCTION site. Web Sites to Visit Here are some great sites to get you started:
Reading MaterialWe all know the old standby from Kalmbach Publishing Co. Model Railroader Here is one of my favorites: Narrow Gauge and Short Line GAZETTE Here is my favorite Large Scale publication. Finescale Railroader (formally Outdoor Railroader) |