Model Trains
Today where I live they had an “open doors” even across the city where there where free tours and such at a lot of the museums and arts & cultural centers. It’s a great way to get out and see what your city has to offer for free and might entice you to become more involved or sign up for a program or two. With so much to see and do, it can be hard to pick, but I knew what my choice was… The Model Train exhibit!
Model Trains are so damn cool! I’ve never owned any, but I totally respect the amount of craftsmanship that goes in to running these huge mini yards. I love all the details they put in to the little locations. It’s makes me smile just thinking about it. ^_^
There where several trains going around 5000 feet of hand laid track. The train group members told us that each rail tie was hand sanded, stained and spiked by hand. That’s crazy… crazy awesome!
I was just giddy at the thought of getting some cool shots of the mini buildings. This one is my favorite. There where signs up saying that they where looking for new members and you didn’t need any sculpting experience. How fun would it be to set something like this up?
There trains moved pretty quickly around the track, which made for some cool shots.
Seeing the whole set really made me want to become a member and help out. I wouldn’t have the time to do so right now, but I could see myself doing it later in life. Is it something you might think of doing at some point?
One of the things I loved the most was looking in the little buildings and discovering fun little details like this guy. He was welding and had a little blinky light to show the sparks. ^_^
The Model Train exhibit was pretty damn cool and totally makes me want one in my basement. Did you have a train set when you where little? Have you ever seen a large Model Train yard?
Play Asia
September 30th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I enjoyed model trains as a lad, but I quickly discovered that train sumulator computer software was far cheaper and far less work.
My favorite software is OTTD [www.openttd.org], which does more than just trains, also road vehicles, ships, and airplanes! It’s free, open source software, and so is highly extensible and runs on numerous platforms, to boot.
October 1st, 2012 at 12:51 am
i’ve always wanted to do this, but i dont have any room here, and i dont have any money either lol. but someday i think i will.
October 1st, 2012 at 1:02 am
Hee! I see I’m not the only one out there sticking trolley poles on diesel (and other) locomotives…
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6887679/
And, yeah, setting trains up for kids of all ages is lots of fun! I do it on a regular basis…
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2514896/
October 1st, 2012 at 1:14 am
Talk about coincidence – I just got back from visiting a local model railway exhibition earlier today!
Personally, I couldn’t care less about historic accuracy or engine/carriage models and all that jazz – I like the idea of model railways pretty much in an aesthetic capacity – it just seems fun.
I used to have a bunch of Micro Machines train sets as a kid that I loved messing around with and figuring out all sorts of track layouts with, but wouldn’t have the time, patience, space, skill, inspiration, creativity or the inclination to sink lots of money into a hobby like that. I do have the utmost respect for the people that do – the love and detail they put into the sets they make are fantastic!
October 1st, 2012 at 2:34 pm
My 4 year old nephew loves trains! He has a huge collection of Thomas the Tank Engine toys. My sister takes him to see real trains often and he just goes all gaga when he watches them roar by.
October 9th, 2012 at 8:38 am
This post reminded me of my father’s train collection. As a child, we had a room in the basement in which my father had a set of trains and an elaborate series of tracks set out on a large table. Funny thing is that he only cared about the logic behind the track paths, and didn’t put any (as in at all) detail into the aesthetic details. It was a plain, paint-splotched wooden table with a convoluted web of tracks nailed to it and a small self made switchboard for redirecting the trains. It always perplexed me….