Would you be in Z Scale if there were No Internet? Think about how you got involved with Z, through the internet, or a friend got you into Z, who themself got involved through the internet? :shade: My story is simple, I was involved with N Scale, and got the Laser Cutter, and decided to test it's limits by scaling down an N Scale NP Caboose. I posted the picture on the internet, and Jeffrey MacHan laid some positive propaganda on me, and the next thing I know, I was hooked! Let's hear your story?
I got into Z scale before I knew of.... Yes, I can say that I got into Z scale before I knew all of the cool internet websites for Z scale! I have to admit though, the internet has made my love for Z scale multiply many times over! Long Live "Z"! Hobo Tim
I had a layout in N designed by John Armstrong. Built a new house instead, The movers solved the question as to whether I should continue with that layout. Ormandy's is a LARGE Z scale Marklin dealer. I bought a set from him and then discovered there was a LOT of other equipment available. MTL brought out the GP35 and others also had some good train items and it has been a surge since then. Yes the Internet has been EXTREMELY helpful otherwise Z would not have ramped up as fast as it has and I would not know anywhere near as much or anywhere near the people I have met regarding Z. Without the Internet it would have been the old fashion N & HO way. Probably would still have my allowance also as my "allowance" disappeared into the Z cyberspace. ...don
I had looked longingly at Z scale sets for many years but had never purchased one because they seemed awfully expensive and Marklin never seemed to have the US prototype models I wanted. Three or four years ago, my sister watched me spend a half hour ogling the Z scale stuff at a GATS show (where I had gone to buy some G scale track for my overhead track in my office). That Christmas, she gave me a Marklin starter set. So I would definitely have some Z scale without the internet. I had never really done any modeling and I found the yahoo group at the time to be a tremendous source of information and I got a lot of help there, including some invaluable direct assistance from Bill Kronenberger. Without the internet, I would NOT have nearly as much Z scale as I do and I would certainly not have made the acquaintance, both online and in person, of so many great people, including, but not limited to, Bill K., Robert, Don, Mister Dave, Loren S., Randy S. and a lot more. Deane S.
I don't know if I would be playing with trains at all without the Internet. My local hobby shop as no Z and very, very little in N. None of my friends are into trains, they all say "Woo Woo" (whistle) when I mention trains. I had a Marklin Z scale set (non-USA) when I was in 7th grade. Took about a month before the locomotive no longer ran, but that could of been from my lack of any skill back then. I did HO for a long time and bought a Erie N scale locomotive that sat on my shelf. Later I sold all my HO at a local show. Further down I wanted to "play" and dug out that Erie locomotive. Starting buying N scale, I was now a N scaler. Still kept my N scale, but it wasn't till I got a computer and saw what every one else was doing that I wanted to build a layout again. Checking Trainboard I always looked in on the other scales. Z was one that I kept coming back to. I asked some questions here a few years ago, but never bought anything. Finally last year I did. So here, this forum online, a old issue of MR from 85' with a Z scale layout, and people like Robert filling in with what mfg's don't make. That's how I'm now in Z scale. I don't like Z for any other reason than it is smaller. I don't have much room so fitting more in less space is what I wanted. As for online. Forums, E-bay, E-tailers, and people who I only know by their screen names have all helped and I think kept my modeling going.
I was buying my HO scale big boy Bowser kit with super detail parts (100's of cast brass parts) at the train shop when I saw the MTL Mogul for sale at $450. I thought some one must be crazy to buy that loco. Next thing I know was I was scanning Ebay for Z, got some cars kept it aside continued with HO then the scale vs. details of Z struck me as being a lot better than HO. My bowser big boy went to storage I still have it. I was bitten by the Z bug. So without the internet I would not have been hooked on to Z. Also no matter how one complains about Marklin just remember if there was no Marklin there will be no Z today like it exists. Kim
I would still be in Z. I have my first z scale set since my college days. After going into a z scale train in a hobby shop in San Francisco, I desided to build a layout. I probalby would not get into it so deeply, or model NA without all the help and inspiration I got from Robert, Rob,Tim, David, and others. Boy, do I love the internet. By the way, my second favorite use of internet is online banking.
Without internet i woud still be playing with my H0 trains, because the first time i read about z was on the internett, i tougth Z looked cool so i went to a zmod show. And i was hooked! Now i am off to a MR show!
I definiteley would be in Z because 20 Years ago (as I startet with Z) there was no commerical Internet!
N-Scale to Z-Scale I would not have started with MR at all I think if it hasn't been for the internet. And the choice off Z-Scale is thanks to Heine Pedersens homepage about his coffee table layout. http://www.heinepedersen.com/miniclub/ That and a temporary bad back over the Christmas holidays got me started. But my first layout in my coffee table is actually N-Scale. When I went to my local Hobby Shop I picked up a small starter set and thought it was so small that I was sure it was Z-Scale. After building for some time I just couldn't relate to all off Heine's scenery on the same amount off space that I built on. So I looked at the box that I bought and spotted the label N-Scale. Gosh, my face got red when I realized that I was building in the "wrong" scale. I finished up the N-Scale layout in my coffee table, and started building my "Needle Eye" modules in Z-Scale together with Svein-Martin Holt and a couple off other Z-heads. http://www.platelayer.com/index_e.htm But I think I'm one the right track now
Yes the internet is a huge help for info, but I was also hooked on Z before 1995. I prefer tiny models. Problem was, I couldn’t afford Z scale trains during that period. I was still paying for my education, but I was always on the look out for products. I first learn about Z, from retired German folks who bought some 500 acres land close to our farm and were visiting Canada during the summer for 6 months period time. One of their sons was hooked with Marklin trains back in Germany. They told me about Marklin and that miniature models trains were very popular in Germany. That was in 1990. In 2002 my Job brought me to work for 1 month in Hamburg Germany, I said to myself woo hoo! No freight cost, Marklin fairy land and everything, but the prices were even higher there, I had the time to see 3 hobby stores close to my hotel room, but their Z stock was pretty inexistent, I was a little shock. In the end I did not purchase anything. On the other hand the good thing was that I had discovered Miniatur Wunderland which I really only learn about a couple days before I left Germany. Even if their layout was HO, this is “ in my humblest opinion ” the greatest layout in the world. And they had doubled their superficies since my visit. Imagine a Z-scale layout at that size, dream dream dream! Live long Z-Scale !
Yes, I would be in Z without the internet, but probably wouldn't still be in Z. I've been in Z off and on for about 10 years. I modeled in HO, and decided to try some HO scale carnival modeling. Everyone had N scale for miniature trains, so I decided Z would be something different. I ordered a powered and dummy MT WP F7A, a couple flats and a caboose, as well as 3 turnouts and a crossing. My plan was to build a small 2 lap line around my carnival models. When my Z came in at the shop, he had another caboose, 2 gons, a couple tankers and a boxcar. I snatched them up at a discount and was officially in Z. I've had a few Marklin sets over the past few years, as well as about 2 dozen MT freight cars. Now my roster consists of a pair of powered MT F7A's, a boxcar, flat, caboose and a Rogue GP38-2 shell (no mechanism) that I purchased from Jeffrey MacHan. I'm sort of "in transistion" right now, but I'm still in Z, and the internet has definitely helped keep my interest alive for this "scale of scales" Now I just need the money to get half of what I want Regards, Dan MacKellar
Well, I was always interseted in Z. My best friend when I was a kid had a large HO layout and I would often go with him to the hobby shop. I saw some Marklin Z scale there. I had a small HO layout for a while, but when I got older, the space was needed for other things, so, I gave up on it. After college, I wanted to build a layout again, but I travelled for work, so I didn't have a lot of time at home to do anything. In 1996, I was in Chicago at a friend's house (another HO scaler) and went with him to a hobby shop. They had a Marklin battery starter set (0-6-0 diesel switcher) on clearance for $75, so I bought it. I carried it with me on the road for a few months, but, then it went on a shelf. In 1999, I took a new job with less travel, so, I decided to look into it again. I ordered an MT starter set (NYC) from a walthers dealer. After that, I was hooked, but I still didn't get to the internet aspect of it. In 2001, I started to look for Z on eBay (you could still get some deals back then, and find some new stuff) I found some PZ hoppers (Pennsy) and that's all she wrote. Through eBay, I met Uncle Will and Andy Shaw. They told me about the Mid-Atlantic Z meet at London Bridge toys. That's where I met my first fellow Z scalers (in person). Through Sam Berliner, I heard about a couple of Z sites and from them, Z track magazine. Now, the internet is my primary resource for Z info and product news, and socializing. Dan S.
As an administrator of this board I can recall in the early days the Z forum was never posted. Now it is increasing in usage to a point where it is one of the top 5 forums. So there has to be a lot of truth in what Robert says
It's all Robert Rays fault!!!!! He asked me for a paint job and showed me a bunch of stuff in Z. and handed me a NP station kit and said try it. And that was 2 weeks ago. Now i have a 30 degree module for BAZ Boyz, and working on stuff for myself. Cant wait for the Nov. show. to put my module together with everyone from BAZ. Nick
Although I purchased my first Z items (a MTL Santa Fe red warbonnet F7, a few MTL boxcars, a box of Peco flextrack and a pair of Marklin turnouts) before the advent of heavy internet culture, thanks to my local hobby store which carries a few Z items, I would have probably given up due to the lack of knowledge: -I probably wouldn't have known Z track, -And I probably wouldn't have known all the manufacturers who offer various items (structures, accessories, etc..), provided I'm interrested in american railroads and provided here in France most Z items are european prototype related. Furthermore, although my local HS presents a fair choice of Z items, I realize I continue to purchase 95% of my Z items with the web.... Dominique
Not only would I not be in Z without the internet, I definitely wouldn't be in Z without eBay! I have something of a Lionel Christmas tree train set mentality about some aspects of model railroading... basically the test for me is if you can buy a Santa Fe warbonnet powered streamliner and a steam powered freight train without too much sweat, then the marketplace has reached critical mass and the rest should follow someday. But entry price was keeping me out for a while....... until the things I was looking for became available direct from sellers in Germany at very reasonable prices. Plus some Micro-Trains track, Zthek throttle, brass micro structures. All on eBay, but just about nothing available at local shops yet - at least not at eBay prices.
