When I was a young model railroader......


I'm convinced I had a layout around the top of my crib railing. Trains and their models have been around sharing my time with ship models, slot cars, stereo equipment, short wave, real cars, etc. but always been there. I've used the model railroad and trains in general in all aspects of my school work from grade school through graduate school. 7th grade shop classes I was making structures. My capstone project for graduate finance class was a comparison of the CSX and NS as they dealt with the impact of the Conrail "merger". Even got my last job because of model railroading (I knew what a "turn" was).
 
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Airfix models and my father’s ever expanding and never completed HO layout dominated my early years…

Dad was into RC planes as well and after he passed away I ended up with a pile of his RC and train books…

I kept the RC books because I have one of his built planes and an unbuilt balsa kit…

Ironically, I tossed the train books because I never thought I would take this hobby route again…
One of the books had the plan of his largest layout…

I went searching for the RR books when I came back to the hobby a few years back and after a while of rooting thru boxes I remembered that I had recycled them….Oh well
 
Like Iron Horseman I to think I had stuff going around the top of the crib. Dad built an American Flyer loop with figure 8 in the middle on a 9x5' table. I found HO at some garage sale and ripped up the track and started down that road as you could do 'more'. Still have the GN GP9 of the times and it runs .. well at least it did a few years back. I forayed into plastic Planes and Ships for a bit, but always came back to HO. Then Military, girls and cars got in the way; not necessarily in that order. MRR stuff was always with me - First thing that got moved along with albums, clothes. 1st MR was 1964, still have it with almost all since. N scale came into the works in the late 60's and I built a under glass coffee table thing. I liked HO better so the N stuff got sold and I have stuck with that ever since. Besides the basement layout in the 60's, had a bedroom layout in Spokane in the late 70's, and another one in my apartment in Snohomish circa '90. Always buying things I thought/think I would need/want. Ya, right. Finally got to our forever home and do not have to pack around 100's of pounds of mags, rolling stock, building and engines. Progress is slow but being made on the last layout.

L8r
 
My mother says I’ve loved trains since I was a couple years old. I’ve had an unknown amount of train sets lol and for many of my adult years attempted layouts but never really committed to the idea of a “true” layout. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I made my first layout that was “complete”. I’ve always had ideas in my head of what I’ve truly wanted in a layout but have yet to achieve. I’m hoping this next build checks those mental boxes:)
 
My dad had built a lift up table for my brother's Lionel trains before I was born. I got one steamer of my own before discovering HO scale Plasticvlle buildings and wanted an HO train. By then my brother didn't care so the Lionels were replaced. First Christmas (age 10, maybe?) a Varney Dockside set. Each year until sophomore in HS, my empire grew. Then I moved on to girls, cars and Rock & Roll. After marrying the girl I met in HS and having a son, I started a 4X4 layout for him. A second son, a house and many years, the Fox River Valley Railroad is finally almost completed. My wife Debbie of 48 years and my son's Chris and Dave all have involved along the way. I remember telling my mom that when I quit model railroading before I never felt I was done with it. Now as I hit 70 it's time to call it DONE and just enjoy running trains.
 
I had model trains from age 3 to 11. We moved around too much keep at it, so I left the hobby behind until about 18 months ago. I figure 55 isn't too old to put my dad's model train inheritance to good use. I'm semi retired and thoroughly enjoying building my first actual layout. My childhood trains were bought as sets that came with an oval track that we ran on a hardwood floor. Not exciting, but it was fun.
 
I remember my Dad having a train "board" layout under the Christmas tree every year. I really got interested in model railroading when I was about 12-13. I continued until I was in my mid to late 20's. We had horses growing up and that took a lot of time too but both were enjoyable at the time. Didn't really get back into the hobby until I was 50-51 years old. I still had all my railroading stuff from before, so I had a little bit of a head start with building a layout. I have buildings that were for sale back in the 80's and some are still in production today. One that comes to mind is a Carriage Works building that I bought in the late 80's and now that kit is selling for over 60 bucks. I know I didn't pay that much for it.

Between my 20-50 years old, I was stilling building models, they were just 1/2th scale horse drawn vehicles, miniature furniture, and also full time job building cabinetry.

I started building an around the walls type layout and had about half of it done when I figured this is dumb, I don't have time for this and it's just to big. So, I took paper and pencil, wrote down what I wanted and decided on a shadow box design switching layout. I've built that, moved, and basement in our current home not finished (yet) my layout is setting in the corner of my shop covered waiting for a new home.

58 years old now, and never regretted getting into model railroading. It's taught me many things and in my younger years kept me out of trouble.😁😁
 
I liked trains as a kid. There was a picture of me about age 3 in striped overalls and cap. I also have a pic of me and my brothers on the steps of a NYC switch loco. Lionel was something we got out occasionally, and built layouts on the attic floor. As for modeling, my brother got me started with car models, though I always had a passing interest in trains. I remember borrowing my friend’s MR magazines, and generally finding trains of interest.

As a young adult, trains again found their way into my attention. I married the daughter of a lifelong LIRR man. Co-workers had an interest and kinda sparked it in me. When my kids were very young, I had no time for hobbies, but when they were both over age 5, I decided to start a layout. My son showed an interest, too. So I built the original 5’x11’ benchwork. That moved to a new house and was expanded to a 20x20 L. Thirty years later (2020), I scrapped the addition and again moved the 5x11. I’ve converted it to DCC and am building additions. And as a side note, my son now is a civil engineer and works in a government rail agency - and has lots of HO equipment that says Amtrak on it.

Now the disclaimer: my first interest is in bicycling, especially cycle touring. But model railroading runs a pretty close second. That means you’ll find bike trails and scale bikes on my layout.
 
Canalligator said:
Now the disclaimer: my first interest is in bicycling, especially cycle touring. But model railroading runs a pretty close second. That means you’ll find bike trails and scale bikes on my layout.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I killed my own interest in bicycling in 1976 on the TransAmerican Bicycle Trail when they did this Bikecentenial thing. Thought it sounded like a lot of fun, but got out into western Kansas and eastern Colorado and it was so miserably hot, dusty, and windy. I lost all interest in long distance biking. Never even made it to the mountains.
 
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