Who here still likes big toy trains?

[CNfavorite]

I've been in a apartment all my life, and grew up with a circle of Lionel track and a train, a HO spread all over my floor, a N scale mish mash on a big plywood board, and now a somewhat decent Z scale stretch on 2 bookshelves. With a laptop and MSTS, I haven't ran my Z scale in months, maybe a year! (yikes!) MSTS is the perfect 'model railroad' for a guy like me in the confines I'm in. But I still would like to get a huge G scale layout behind my secluded mansion when I win that big lottery. Get prototypical G brass engines and all that. (Yeah, I know I'm dreamin'! ;-) )

But I fear that MSTS may cause a downturn in small scale model railroading? I used to dream of doing something like the Kalispell area in Z scale, but the cost would've been astounding for me, and the operation would never be fully satisfying.
Who else has abandoned their 3D models for 2D MSTS here? And/or who else wants to get their hands on something 'bigger' now?
(I can't thank MSTS for that, I've always had a crush on G scale for it's size and realism, okay maybe not LGB - but you know what I mean. ;-) )

[Smokewraith]

I've always wanted to get into live steam, but being an apartment dweller myself I don't have the space, the money, the time, etc, etc.

Bill http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c5331560f0d567b.gif http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c5331120d699a5d.gif http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c5331390e50aaf7.gif http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c5331120d699a5d.gif http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c5331120d699a5d.gif http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c53318410136ac9.gif

[CPR_Malice_96th]

I have ALOT of HO scale product......I mean ALOT !!

I have been collocting stuff since I was about 8,( I am 31 now )

Unfourtunatly my parents were military, so setting up any sort of large Model Railroad was out of the question as we moved about every 2 years.

I still purchase lots of new stuff every year. ( All CP CN & VIA ) The amount that I buy you would never know that I did not have an HO layout.

I presently run my trains at a large modular railway club here in Winnipeg........LOTS OF SPACE THERE

I also have just bought a house and will be moving in the First of June, so plans for a large basement layout may be in the future............Although this is more fun now in my opinion.

Time will tell

Later

Tim Kent
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"Power for You"

[rpicardi1]

Is this toy big enough?

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It's a restored B&O eight man section gang car. It's fully operational and uses a hit - miss gasoline motor.

There is the Junction Valley RR in Bridgeport where the owner has built himself a 1/4 scale railroad empire. That's 1/4 actual size. You sit in and drive the engine or ride in the cars. This is all highly detailed hand built engines and rolling stock.
And, a backyard hobbyist over on the next road scratch built his 1/4 scale train and 10 acre track.

http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3cdc7bc53a796ad0.jpg

This is my train module. (You can see where I got the idea for the Bascule bridge.) This bridge does work.
I plan to display it with the SRV club for Railroad Days in Durand, Michigan May 18-19. The town is always packed with rail fans on that weekend. We may be over at the school instead of upstairs in the depot.
Of course, I have been playing with MSTS and TSModeler instead of working on the HO stuff

SRV Ron

[century242]

I have a huge collection of HO scale that I have been collecting for nearly 25 years. I am still buying even though all but my brass is in storage due to the fact of a 1 bedroom apt. I find excellent deals on Ebay all the time and as soon as I get out of this rinky dink joint I have plans. Big Plans. Probably dreaming, but in the mean time here I am on MSTS.


"KEEP ON TRUCKIN BY TRAIN"
"Your Freight Goes Great, When it Goes By Great Northern"

Erik Pierson
Sacramento, Ca
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http://sacramentolocomotiveworks.com

[wpfan]

Yeah hurry up and get out of that dinky 1 bedroom apartment, that way I can take all of my HO stuff out of storage and still be able to live in a dinky 1 bedroom apartment. We ought to just chip in on one of those bankrupt Lumberjack buildings, although we would probably have to get my dad to haul in the hydrocal by the truck load.

The voice of insanity in a seemingly normal world.

[atsfdude]

I have an HO layout in the basement. Try to spend about 3-4 hours a week on it, but I have noticed that lately I have spent alot more time on MSTS. Gotta do a better job of balancing the two.

ATSFDUDE

[CNfavorite]

Thanks for the re-assurance guys.:) I'd like to think I'll have childern someday (If I can be lucky like Tony Randall - he's 78, she's 33 - something like that? ;-) ) and have the Rockwell picture type setting of 'pops lettin the young-un's handle the trains in their hands'. But aren't you guys also worried that in 5 years you will have bought the MS Games Vibra-Seat, "Old Factory Scents' and Radio Shack roto-lights, and have your desk area recreated like the interior of your favorite cab whilst you play MSTS 3.5 on a 24" Flat Screen? The more I add up what's on MSTS in the way of visuals, sound, lighting, and challenge - then I look over at my 'Hurk&Jerk R.R.' with it's spaghetti-western of wires underneath, and tweezers and oil and paints up top - it somewhat seems like I'm looking at a torture cell now?

Maybe if my laptop dies or HD crashes outright, I may re-convert back to the flock? ;-)

[lightbg]

On June 1st ( MSTS 1st anniversary) I purchased an MRC Prodigy DCC system for my HO layout. I had 2 Atlas GP38 Master units with decoders built in, and I also got a 3 pack to install in other units. I WON'T GO BACK TO PLAIN DC! The control ( even just on lighting ) is incredible, the programming is a snap, and the control is more precise than I had imagined possible. When MSTS first came out, I had abandoned my layout, but now I spend about 70 - 30% of my time with the HO stuff. I just like anything that involves trains, and even though MSTS has convienence and no physical restraints, I can airbrush with the best of 'em ( my textures in MSTS are lame ) and I've NEVER had a Blue Screen of Death with my layout! There's plenty of enjoyment in both real and virtual railroading for me.

---------Jake------------
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[Interborough]

I run O-gauge. I have a whole lot of MTH and some Lionel. No one should miss out on K-Line's $300 Challenger. I'm waiting for someone to do an O-gauge FL9 or Acela (MTH says they will do every american/canadian locomotive ever made. I have a small loop in my room and I run my OLD GG1, or my subway cars (R42 and R21).

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John

[CNfavorite]

Yes, the 'Blue Screen of Death', I'm getting my fair share of those for Audio app's I'm trying, and wonder why I don't just fire up an ol' keyboard and play into a tape deck like the good ol' days. Spent 5 hours wrestling with this stupid USB Audio device of Yamaha's last night to no avail. :(
And I've heard mention of Marklin going 'digital' with Z scale as well, which is intriguing - and probably expensive? But you say the control is much better? Must be amazing on a large scale?

There's another question for you folks with layouts - How many are into the 'automated' control? Where you can have 2 or more trains running at the same time, and they stop at signals in block sections and all that? I've always been a '1 train type of guy', although all my switches are automatic and have dead zones and all that.

[lightbg]

To CNfavorite:
You haven't experienced Audio Disaster until you've tried to get a Tascam US428 to cooperate with USB via 98SE! Audio ain't bad but MIDI's brutal ( with the timing snags )......and Don't forget to defeat your Anti-Virus unless you like 10 seconds of audio streaming, then "pop", 10 sec,"pop", etc....

AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH! ( But it is sadisticly fun when it works! )
---------Jake------------
http://forums.flightsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3c45e929167a95bd.jpg

[Simerjoe]

I've been collecting N Gauge trains ever since I was a little boy. Now it's in storage debating wether to sell everything.
For me, MSTS is the ultimate railroad model.

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Joe