Railroad
Routinely Derailed
I was going through some old photos recently rescued from my digital junkpile. I'm posting some of them here so you can see what I used to do with my spare time and space.
Railroad's old Hobby Pics
- Thread starter Railroad
- Start date
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
I had two active model railroads: one in HO scale with 7 scale miles of track, 2 tunnels in a mountainside, 2 freight and maintenance yards; and one in N scale which was never really completed with an industrial area and a small town. The tiny "General Smoke & Spirits" building had 2 apartments above the booze/tobacco shop, was fully lighted inside, and had a ceiling fan in the shop in front of tiny glass showcase for cigars.
Were you modeling any place in particular? I saw the Western MD loco but realized that there is no US or MD "Rt 13" on the Western MD line.
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
Totally fictitious, with some of the Western Maryland terrain.
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
Thanks! The HO layout took up most of a 16 x 16 loft and took literally years to build and rebuild, plan and replan. I had just started in N scale when my wife's condition precluded spending a lot of time out of the house. (the loft was over the garage, and the N scale layout was located in an outbuilding).
My son bought the property from me and took all my model railroad stuff to the dump.
RPMDAD
Well-Known Member
RR, please don't take this the wrong way, no disrespect intended. If your son took all of the model railroad stuff to the dump then he is an idiot. Again no disrespect intended JMHO.
Agreed. Even if he had no interest in it himself, he could have made quite a bit of money off of selling it.
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
No disrespect taken! That hobby kept me sane and I loved it. It grew out of helping him with his first train set. I don't understand him anymore.
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
Very true. Hundreds if not thousands. Some of the rolling stock (cars) were rare antiques, including two serialized special-edition, collector's item Campbell's Soup locomotives.
Stupid Question:
Why didn't you get your stuff out of the property before you sold it?
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
Not a stupid question at all. He and I had a verbal agreement that he'd hold onto my stuff until I had space for it after relocating to better care for my wife. I guess he decided he didn't need to honor the agreement after a period of time he set in his own mind. I don't really know.
Very cool stuff, RR. 
I remember going to this place when I was young (late 60s/early 70s?) and being amazed at its size and the incredible detail that went into creating it. I'm doubly amazed it's still around today:
Roadside America - Home
I remember going to this place when I was young (late 60s/early 70s?) and being amazed at its size and the incredible detail that went into creating it. I'm doubly amazed it's still around today:
Roadside America - Home
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
Very cool stuff, RR.
I remember going to this place when I was young (late 60s/early 70s?) and being amazed at its size and the incredible detail that went into creating it. I'm doubly amazed it's still around today:
Roadside America - Home
Yes! I plan to visit there someday. Thanks!
Railroad
Routinely Derailed
By way of further explanation, the changes occurring since the "homestead" in Hollywood was vacated include a lot of things going away. My wife, my son (who chose to divorce himself from me), the lifestyle, most of 34 years of family things, my subsequent fiancee now passed away, my career of 30 years, my income - lots of things. To say that I'm in transition is not inappropriate. I did manage to save a few things from the railroading hobby, but sold most railroad stuff and lots of tools, etc., to help feed myself while unemployed last year; the rest I will probably also sell, since I need to cut the ties to most thing in preparation for moving on and into a significantly downsized lifestyle. I'm becoming a different person, I think, so looking back is hurting less and less. Hence sharing the pictures.
mamatutu
mama to two
You brought back a huge memory. My father and brothers big hobby was building the railroad. My father cut a piece of plywood the size of a ping pong table, and they would spend hours building and adding. I love that memory. I was the only girl. I would tell them how great it was, but I wasn't interested. Now, I think it was really cool.
Sadly, I don't think anything is left of that empire!