My History with Trains

My history with Model Railroading I think started when I was a kid. I don’t know what sparked my interest, but I do remember working on a layout with my dad when I was a kid. It was one of my many hobbies as a kid, which I eventually lost interested in as I was pretty impatient. My parents did keep a lot of my stuff, so I still have a lot of it until this day. I even found an old scrapbook that had pictures of trains in it, so it could have been something that was sparked very early.  My grandfather (on my Mother’s side) actually worked for the post office on the Erie Lackawanna line.  So there’s my tie to that line – even though they’re not from the midwest like me.  I don’t think I’ll end up running these trains much – but may make them into a display case to mount on the wall (I have a set but I need to add interiors and lighting).

It was a few years ago that suddenly I got interested in Model Railroading again. I’m not sure why, but I decided that I wanted a train under my Christmas tree. I think as a kid we did this quite often, so that may have been where it came from. I got a simple piece of plywood that was 4 x 4 ft. and put it under the tree. I then put a track down and some buildings, threw some scenery on, etc. It was very free-form quick job, just creating a scene and going with it, using what I had. I think the train even ran around, even though I almost didn’t care.

The next Christmas I decided to do it again, since I enjoyed it so much. It was kinda of like a long fulfillment of a dream, as I was able to create the effect of the scenery that I was very good at doing as a kid (I’m much more coordinated now than I was then). I really also enjoyed just doing it, not trying to be perfect or making it to last. I did get a little crazy one year, as I think I wired up the building using overhead wire. That was quite a challenge, as twisting and taping that small wire is quite challenging. Now I realize I could have just soldered it together a lot easier.

The next Christmas I decided to go with a snow scene. I basically created the same scene and then covered it with snow. I think at this time, the train didn’t even really run, as my trains didn’t age well in my parent’s basement.

That year was the last year for a while I was going to do it underneath the tree, as I was having a baby and my wife was going to do day care at our house. I didn’t think little fingers and a layout were a good or safe combination (for them or my layout). I decided then that I need to set up elsewhere, and began planning for a layout in my basement. For my last birthday I bought a modern train engine and a new power pack so I had reliable power to work with. I’ve actually only ran this around a test track once or twice, as I don’t currently have any place to put it.

I’ve come to love the KCS line – especially the streamline engines.  I also spent some time at Union Station as part of a train club and got to see some of them up close.  Those colors and those styling really appeal to me – my goal is to eventually run that passenger train (with sound and lights) across a layout of my own.

As is common in life having kids really put a damper on my time and energy for trains.  I dropped out of that train club and barely look at the trains anymore – even though there is room in the basement.  Right now there are 2 “modules” I was working on for the club – that are just wood, paint and track.  My plan was to build some structures to fit onto these – but I haven’t gotten very far.  I have room for a decent sized layout in my basement – maybe built as an extension of the 2 4ft x 30″ modules I have (which would be mostly curves.  I had plans to put in a siding where bulk oil would be delivered and a small town.

I have a few structures built so far – some from the diorama I built and a few new.  I’m stuck on one as I just haven’t had time to work on it – I think it was to be a pizza parlour that I had to make a custom sign for on my printer.  It’s sitting down on a workbench (which I built) in my basement gathering dust.  Maybe over the winter I’ll have more time to work on it – get to a finishing point on that model and think about starting a new one.