Greetings fellow Trainboard members! After about 5 years and many many BIG changes in life, I have finally returned to my favorite spot on the net. I look forward to catching up with many of my old friends here and meeting all my new friends as well. One really big change is guage and railroad model (from Santa Fe in N to Colorado and Southern on On30). Anyway, I am still doing the PhD so I will be in and out, but can't wait to start talking railroads again. This site has changed as well ( I like it), and if there are any new rules, please let me know. Best Regards, John
Welcome Back!!!!!!! Looking forward to seeing topics on your new Colorado and Southern layout... :w20z6q::w20z6q::w20z6q::w20z6q:
Hey, its great to hear from you and great to be back. As I write this I am also working (with the other hand!) on a freelanced coal bin to add to our first module, which will include a turntable, three stall round house, branchline water tank and some building flats. the modules will be 2 by 4 feet each, salvaged from the N scale railroad. It is so much easier to get fine detail in O scale I can't believe it. I just hope they never stop producing wooden coffee stir sticks... John
Welcome back! On30 has grown like wildfire. (Sorry, Darren.) The ability to freelance, be whimsical, yet emulate prototypes, has grabbed many people. I've noticed many familiar names in N scale, having gone up in sizes. Such as Art Fahie. Who went with Sn2. Even built a full sized replica of the Strong, Maine depot to house it. Ted Brandon left his N and Nn3, for On30. I'm still with N. But the "n30" stuff has been pulling me harder, and harder..... Boxcab E50
Of course there is the old eye excuse...but in reality these old eyes could still do N easily, but I am really having more fun with this scale than I ever have with N or HO. My Santa Fe Southwestern in N scale saw exactly one operating session. Between myself and my three and eight year old we have had at least 50 real operating sessions on a rough 2 by 4 foot layout with a single switch (this has since been replaced with real module construction). John
In my case, the eyes have faded a little. My main problem, has been degeneration due to nerve damage from injuries. Makes N scaling difficult at times. But, at least there are alternatives. I may not care to eventually leave N scale. However, I have made new friends in other scales. And know I can have just as much fun! Boxcab E50
I have thinned my N scale. Slightly. But when the time comes, that I might change focus completely, the N gets stored. I won't dump it right away. Boxcab E50
The nice thing is that I also have all of my HO stuff. What we don't kit bash into On30 will eventually pass to my kids. Some of that stuff is already antique but runs better than anything out there currently. Although I never saw myself in O scale (three rails???) when Bachmann came out with the On30 stuff I was immediately interested. Unfortunately that was about the time my life started coming apart and railroading had to go on hold... I like it too because I can scratch build rolling stock etc. from things on hand. I was always afraid to try that in N or HO. The scratch built stuff my 9 year old and I have done so far is not going to win any awards but it rolls and it looks ok. John
Thanks Charlie...it is good to be back. I note that at least one of my old friends has passed away. Always sad, he was also a friend to me off the board for a long time, but we lost touch... It is my hope to continue to be involved here on a semi-daily basis, but until the dissertation is complete that will likely be spotty. John
As I mentioned to you in one other thread, welcome back!! Since you've been here many things have changed, and I hope you like what you see so far on TB. BTW, I'm no longer in Colorado either- having moved back to Texas. Currently I'm with a healthcare agency that places healthcare professionals in temp positions- so far, Cheyenne, WY and Sherman Hill; Augusta, ME and Goofy-er, Guilford RAil, lobstah, and a visit with the boss (Charlie); and Gallup, NM, and 60-70 BNSF trains a day- and nothing else.......). Like you, I'm building (or planning to build) a new layout, this one in HO scale, a switching layout based on the Frisco's Miami (OK) Branch. Eve, with the exposure to Colorado 3-footers and Maine 2-footers I've not considered even On30, but who knows? If and when my eyesight goes from wearing bifocals to trifocals, I may look at it. PS- Where the heck is Aztec, NM?
Great to be back and I love the changes here at TB. Sounds like you are a busy guy these days. Do you do the travel or do you send folks to where they are needed? I had a relative that used to travel around in a radiology program. Good money, but a lot of scooting around the country! Sorry to hear you to have left Colorado. I miss my home state a lot, but this is where the work is. Where is Aztec? In the far corner of NW New Mexico, about 11 miles east of Farmington. Only train action around these parts is over 30 miles away in Durango, Co. I get to Gallup every now and then to watch trains move and actually did some work near their line in Arizona. I look forward to hearing more about you new layout. Swithching layout.... should be great!! Best, John
