Well, we brought the new trainboard inside last night. The five year old helped lay track. Simple loop with one switch (which is dead until I can wire a separate cab). Anyway, we decided to stretch some loco legs. The boys decided that this would be "Porter Night" no other engines allowed. Note the T.V. is on, a favorite game is in...and forgotten. Here is how the session worked. Each of the boys had a turn being engineer. Dear old Dad called out train orders...like load and carry 20 sacks of mail to the mine. Once there pick up passengers and return to the station. They stayed up an hour past bedtime playing this new game!
And a Few More Once I had the thing "sceniced" the train orders were started... Next time it will be 2-6-0 night and eventually DCC night!! Not bad for a temporary layout!!
All kinds of little teakettles! I think this can be a major obstacle for some folks. They collect, plan, fiddle around. Actual operation is way off in the future. Getting something running sure helps boost enthusiasm levels. :thumbs_up: Boxcab E50
This was the point I made to the wife...who was not overly enthusiastic about putting up a trainboard in the basement. I have been horsing around with stuff for six years with the dream of building the layout in the garage. This has not happened because a.) the wife keeps saying we are moving again so why bother and b.) mice beat me to the garage and I can't stand those little buggers! BUT, my boys are not getting younger so I decided to make some effort. I will be adding a few more switches so we can do some switching on this thing. We will do some basic scenery...just enough to allow for dual use as regular layout and as a Christmas layout...but the point is to get them going on something real...they can't sit at the work bench and scratch build flat cars that never run and stay interested in the hobby. BTW, last night we ran the Climax to break it in. MAN I love that loco...it CRAWLS along, very nice! (if only it had DCC and sound). Anyhow, I am having as much fun with this as they are, even though I am not driving the trains...giving the train orders is ok by me as long as they are interested!!
