Anyone else think like me?


J

Joe

Member
Well I've been thinking and I think I like model railroading better than the actual prototypes. Problably due to all the actual operation I have been learning about. I don't know. Anyone else think like this or am I insane?
 
Not me. I would much rather look at the real thing. What I can't do is see a fruit block full of ice reefers heaed east led by four F-units any longer on the real thing. For that, I have my models.
 
Model vs Real

I worked for the railroad and spent many 12 hour days running trains. I also spent many 12 hour days in my basement running trains. It's a draw.

NYC_George
 
I dunno,
-40 temps and grease and dust up to your elbows, people who just have to get across the tracks at all cost ... or a nice clean warm train room where the trains back up for you if you miss the shot?
I'll get back to you!
(did I mention the beer fridge in the train room?)
 
Well I worked in filling hopper cars and unfilling tankcars and when it's 10 degrees outside and blowing snow I would rather be indoors doing it on my layout !!!
 
Once in a while I think about a story told by a friend who's from Minnesota (and never mind if he got the details exactly right):

Up there in Minnesota they have the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range. The way it runs is that they load up the train with iron ore at the mine, and that's an interesting operation. Then they take the trainload of ore to the dock, where it's dumped into ships, and that's interesting too. But in between the train crawls for 8 hours across scenery that's no better than scrubland, and it's boring as hell. Now, if you could model the DM&IR at full scale, would you? No, of course not. You'd model the two ends and leave out the middle. And that's why model railroading is better than the real thing.

Not to mention the weather in Minnesota.
 
Depends on where and when you go. I don't go out fanning when it's -40 out. I'm also not wild about being out there when it's 90/90 (degrees/humidity). But, I've been out when it's 90 with about 60% humidity. I'm sitting in my lawn chair with the rest of the gang with a ice-cold beverage in one hand and chowing down on Church's fried chicken while watching the parade of trains go by.

:D

Kennedy
 
While I like to watch the real steam trains run, I have two Shays #10? & 15 from West Side Lumber Co, somewhat close by it's also real nice to be able to create my own model RR world and enjoy operating my own trains besides it's a lot cleaner. The Shay's ar great to watch in operation or ride behind but talk about dirty, few, they're both Oil burners and a fine mist of oil, soot and water is dispensed everywhere for several hundred feet from the trackage and there are many very large Cedar and Conifers that surround the trackage too as well as the station and engine house area! So I'd have to say that for the most part I like my models better but it's nice to see the real thing from time to time also!
 
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