How did you get the USA /Canadian Modelling Bug?

[ANT]

Hello

 

I thought I would start a thread to find out how members got interested in the USA/Canadian Modelling.

For me this started out a Scaleforum at Leatherhead in 2004, were the layout Federal Street (Proto:87) was being exhibited by John H. Wright, seeing this gave the ideal that not all American layouts needed trains to be long with 2 or 3 locos pulling it. I then got my hands on a copy of the MRJ No 155 which had a review of this layout and I was hooked (though I still model British Railway as shown by my layout thread). I then after a fashion decided that the Burlington Northern set in the early 1980s would be my choice of railroad, shortly followed by a purchase of a Proto 2000 GP38-2, though I have not got round to starting a layout yet! though I have an got stock, track and buildings.

Thanks

SEEYA

ANT

[steve fay]

Watching container trains that seemed to go on forever whilst driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas sparked my interest in American railroading.

It's only been the last few weeks that the modelling side had taken hold, I'm eagerly awaiting a athearn SD70Ace in UP heritage livery ( I want them all) originally going UP 1950s but the modern stuff has got me hooked.

Still modelling UK outline in O gauge.

All the best

Edit; post man delivered my SD70ACE this morning

The result I'm hooked!

[Ozexpatriate]

I grew up in the Australian, former-colonial afterglow of the 1960s and 1970s, where model trains still meant mostly British outline. My grandfather (whom I never knew) had a collection of largely British inspired Railway magazines which I pored over as a youngster.

 

When I moved to the US in my early 20s I was disconnected from my GWR models and model railways were put aside for a while. I resisted their tidal pull for years, and when I was ready to succumb, in the pre-internet world, US outline was literally all around me.

 

I lived only a couple of hundred yards from the C&NW mainline out of Chicago and inevitably, the first non-British model I bought was a C&NW F series A+B set with a streamlined coach set. (Being green and gold didn't offend my Australian sensibilities either!)

 

Since then I developed a deep attraction to large articulated locomotives and streamlined steam, particularly those on the eastern coal conveyors like the N&W. But having since moved 'out west' the Southern Pacific is now my 'local' muse. It's cab-forwards and GS-4s satisfying my interest in articulated and streamlined steam locomotives.

[F-UnitMad]

My interest began with some articles in the original Airfix Model Trains magazine in 1980 (now available as Model Trains International) where Editor Chris Ellis discussed American Short Lines - a term I for one had never heard of, and he blew apart all those myths about all American trains being miles long with 5 engines at the front, and always needing a whole basement to do an American layout... Short Lines were the way we space-starved UK modellers could run US trains. He also enlightened us to the superior running qualities of even Blue-Box Athearn locos compared to the then-UK standard pancake motor, and the fact that very often this superior quality was far cheaper than UK models!

It took me a while to put all this into practice - the lure of Westerns & Deltics is strong! - but I eventually tried US N scale in 1988, and although I now have some British O Scale and my lad has some OO, my own UK interest has very much taken second place ever since. With US outline I have gone through N, HO, O and now returning to HO again (whilst keeping the O).

As for the Soo Line, my interest in that was sparked when I received a big book about US Trains as a present in 1990; there were three pictures that stood out - two of Grain Hoppers & Elevators, and one of a Soo Geep - I loved the livery with the bold "SOO" on the side, and it also appealed as a fairly easy livery to paint in N Scale!! There seemed little available for the Soo Line RTR at that time, which I didn't mind as it would make my own models a bit different to anyone else's... that hasn't changed much with my current O Scale collection of Soo locos!!

[PhilH]

1. A large amount of red wine.

2. Perusing ebay at silly o'clock on a Sunday morning.

3. More red wine.

4. Clicking 'Buy now' on a very cheap, very nice sound equipped Proto SW switcher from a guy in America.

5. Being absolutely delighted when it turned up.

 

That was the start of my very slippery slope.

[trisonic]

About 1965 when my late brother was really struggling with a GWR BLT in OO and everything was giving him problems from a "K's" Dean Goods to the fibre sleepered track. I thought there had to be a better way.................

 

Best, Pete.

[rouse2037]

A 3 week road trip to the USA in 1997 with my future wife, stayed a night in Bakersfield (i think it was) near the tracks and heard loco's all night in the distance. Seeing long long trains with big ugly wonderful loco's up front. (Then later, seeing Class 66's in the UK..) Despite all that, didn't actually dabble until a few months back when I saw a friends Canadian HO at a show and decided "must have".

 

Roger

 

Remember - Goblins can be less than helpful

[Talltim]

My interest in Guilford came about through researching comfort cabs for a friends Lego model! I liked the scheme and then liked the way the road used so much old equipment and it just spread from there.

 

My interest in New York rail marine stuff came about through researching what locos would 'say' New York' for a friend's New York Lego layout. After looking at and not being particularly inspired by the LIRR and NYA I came across a NYCHRR Alco and it just spread from there!

Bit of a theme I think

 

I also borrowed a load of old Model Railroaders from model railway club, which helped me along.

[Allegheny1600]

My interest was sparked in late 1989/early 1990 after many years of actually disliking US outline(!) when the front cover of "CM" showed a model picture of a Santa Fe silver 'Warbonnet' U30C (or similar) on a hotshot freight - wow! That picture did something to me and I quickly went out and swapped my remaining British N gauge for a complete mix of US N.

Within a week, I had exchanged that for an even bigger mix of H0 and then proceeded to buy everything US outline H0 I could get my hands on.

After some initial frustration with the horn-hook or X2f coupler, I was informed about Kadee couplers and joined the newly formed US section of Mickleover railway club in Derby. I've since been through modelling Espee, C&NW, KCS, C&O, New Haven and BAR, not to mention DB, DR, K. Bay, SNCB, DSB and BR but I think US outline is simply so captivating, I can never lose the hold of "The dark side"! And, I wouldn't want to either!

Cheers,

John E.

[highpeak]

I first visited the USA in December, 1975. Prior to the trip I had bought a copy of Model Railroader at Beatties in Manchester (I lived in Buxton and was going to uni in Salford). On the back of the magazine was an advert for a Pacific Fast Mail B&M B-15 Mogul, no price and I had no idea how much they cost. My future wife lived in Maine, so I thought this engine would have some relationship to Maine railroading (they didn't) and thought it looked interesting, especially the graceful arched cab windows.

Railroads in Maine were a bit elusive on that visit. I saw plenty of railroad tracks as we travelled around, but no trains. Eventually I saw a train going through Bath, ME with a GP7 which I thought was a very interesting engine. I went back to England with an Athearn switcher and a few boxcars and was amazed at the engineering (no flywheels but drive to all wheels and pick up from all wheels).

After we were married we lived in Buxton for a couple of years. I discovered MG Sharp in Sheffield, and there was that B&M Mogul. Seventy five quid! I would have to be happy with my Athearn Blue Box switcher and now a GP7 (inaccurate as it is, I still love the Athearn Blue Box GP7), plus an AHM BL2 and RS2. My wife saved every penny she could and at Christmas there was that shiny Mogul.

In 1980 the company I worked for sent me to the office they had opened in NYC. We lived in Westport, CT. I had marvelled as a kid at pictures of Grand Central Terminal, a cathedral of a station. Here I was using that station as a commuter every day.

I was hooked.

[shortliner]

As I said before. I started in Eggerbahn, and built a couple of Peco conversions for Arnold chassis - then prices went silly! - Thought about N but Continental was still silly price, and UK Poole Farish was garbage so went into American N - Like Jordan the Chris Ellis article sent me down the shortline route. I sold up and went into Fantasy figure painting and Dragons, Eventually came back to HO USA shortlines in minimum spaces - The "darkside" never lets go once it has bitten you!

[Oldddudders]

Capital Model Railroaders, I think they were called - a London-based club. 40 years ago this August, they exhibited their HO layout at the Westminster show, and I was hooked - trains that worked! Big articulateds and multiple geeps, running at sensible slow speeds - because they could. I took a whole film on my Nikon F, and when they came to my local show in Dorking a few weeks later, was pleased to pass over the slides. I soon bought a few bits and pieces, and while marriage etc caused this lot to be sold, I tried again in the mid-80s. Now I have rather a lot, with sound, DCC etc. HO Rock Island and Rio Grande, with input from Santa Fe and Mopac.

[298]

Aged 11, I was given a Lionel Streamlined Pennsy K4 by a friend of my Dad's because I liked trains. A few months later I got talking to a collector at a swapmeet, and persuaded my parents my Christmas present that year should be a tender for it and some track. We picked up said items a few weeks later, and included was a copy of RMC Sept.1985, which featured an article about this model. Flicking through the magazine enlightened me to a large basement empire, and drawings and photos for an unusual Line Car that ran on an electrified railroad in Washington State.

 

Fast forward to about the year 2000, and I was looking for a subject for a small home layout that could possibly include some of the large fleet of 4mm scale AC electrics that I had built for a club layout. Nothing seemed to fit the space I had available, so thoughts turned to the unusual prototype I'd read about previously. Ten years on, I've been to Yakima three times, have built and exhibited two HO layouts of said prototype, and am good friends with the author of the original article.

[M Graff]

I had a Fleischmann starter kit as a young boy, I got it for my 6:th "Birthmas" (I can´t remember if it was the one or the other ). And visiting a store in Stockholm wich was named US Hobby when I was around 12, they had a brass HO scale Shay operating in the store! That made the German 0-6-0 and 2-10-0 I had look toylike and ugly..... And created a desire to have US locos instead!

I sold the Fleischmann the next week and bought a Brass FM H 10 44 (wich I actually could afford then B)). I got some more US rolling stock from my parents, and then one Christmas (I know it was) I got "THE BOOK"! The one about John Allens G&D! That made it even more interesting to me! I have never looked back......

Now I model a fictitional east coast RR in HO with a Harbour theme, and couldn´t be more happy with the hobby!

 

(The Shay in brass then? I have never got round to buying one.... But I have two Bachmann Shays!)

[PhilM]

Often looked at US exhibition layouts and thought they were cool but never thought it was for me.

 

Then one and only trip to US (Illinois) 2 years ago and big black IC diesels blew me away. After that much like PhilH - too many drunken late nights in front of ebay. Strange thing is I assembled a very large amount of IC/ICG stuff in the first 6 months or so and since then it seems to have dried up (thanks goodness!).

 

The other spur is the almost total lack of support for the GER in 4mm - got fed up with waiting.

[Moxy]

Like Jordan & Shortliner, it was 'Scale Model Trains' that first showed me there was more to railways than BR 'banger blue' & brown wagons we saw everywhere at the time.

 

First loco was an 'HO' Athearn F7 in Chessie livery, (totally fictitious as I later realised), but eventually I graduated to a freelance New England line, partly because I liked the scenery of the area, but mostly because of the Delaware & Hudson grey/blue lightning stripe livery.

 

I'm still modelling a New England shortline, but currently in 'N' set in late '70s just after the formation of Conrail, so plenty of excuses for 1st & 2nd generation Geeps in NYC, Pennsy, Penn Central, New Haven, EL and others, as well as Boston & Maine, MEC & D&H too.

 

Sorry but 3rd generation stuff (SD80's/90's & Dash 9's) just doesn't do anything for me, so I can't see my modelling going much past the mid '80s. (But I'm happy there!)

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Glorious NSE]

Back in 1994 we had a family holiday to the North East of the US, and I decided I wanted to find out something about US trains before I went, so I started buying Railfan & Railroad which was sold at a local railway book shop (this was way before we could get Trains in Smiffs!) - I saw a few US trains, and brought back a couple of Athearn loco's and a handful of freightcars as 'souvenirs'.

 

The comparison with trying to get something fulfilling out of the products of Hornby and Lima at that time versus the Athearn was huge. The US modelling started off as a 'sideline' to my UK stuff, but the roles gradually reversed...

 

 

[CraigZ]

I'm enjoying reading these stories. On the other shoe, my interest in UK railroads came from a couple of places - traveling there and having a couple of English friends who took me to Scaleforum and Expo EM when the opportunity presented itself....

[gridwatcher]

On a skiing holiday in Banff........say no more!

[Willy]

I spent some time with the US forces in the 1960's and one of the friends I met had a father who worked for the old Reading Company (merged into Conrail in 1976). Then through friends of his I had a visit to the old C&O shops in Huntington West Verginia and then to a 'model train show' which I believe was what they called a model railway exhibition. Anyway, I was so impressed with it all that I bought some bits and that was it really. I kept in touch for many years and over that period he send me lots of photos and timetables and other documents of the Reading Company which I still have somewhere. I lost touch with him sometime in the 1990's and my interest waned and I sold off all my stock including an 0 scale layout. It is not until recently when I found RMWeb that my interest was rekindled and I hope to make a start on a H0 scale sometime soon.

 

Willy

[alastairq]

Chris Ellis got me into US models.....way back in the early '80's , following an accident which laid me up for nearly 12 months....living off Invalidity, I was a 'subscriber' to Chris Ellis' 'Scale model Trains mag.....

 

I came across a short series of articles by Chris, on Southern Pacific switchers,and how to modify cheap [Mehano] diesels to more 'accurately' reflect the prototypes.....

 

Mention was made of Walther's catalogues....so...intrigued [especially by the quoted superior running qualities of Athearn]....I got the book, which I still have.....bought an Athearn SW from Victor's.....and a few box cars.....and off I went!

 

By the time I underwent my second set of operations , I had found a 'local' model railway dealer who sold me a Bachmann GP40 and a Mehano C628....very very cheap, and ripe for improvement.......I noted...no motor bogies....so from there on I was hoooooooked...

[Neil Rogers]

for me it all started in the mid-late 80's

my father brought home an Atlas (Roco) CB&Q SD24 & BN FP7

2 reasons, the quality of the running and the colorful liveries sold it for me!

 

cheers

Neil

[tetsudofan]

Spent most of my working life in the Far East (ssshh...working for a bank.....but when they were banks...not the mickey mouse organisations that they are now ) and once I found out that a Round-The-World air ticket was less than the cost of a direct return air ticket to the UK, planned all my home leaves based on Round-The-World tickets which meant travelling back to the UK via the US.

 

Each trip was planned to visit a different part of the US so got to see many different lines and model shops so always ended up buying something - got to have a momento of the places you visit . In addition, my cousin lives at Framingham just outside Boston so was also buying stuff in the US and having it sent to him for collection on one of my trips.

 

At first my main interest was in streetcars and interurbans but later expanded to the big stuff and got hooked on things Union Pacific, later expanded to include the various lines taken over by UP. The wierd and wonderful stuff like the Mallets, Challengers, Big Boys, Steam Turbines, Gas Turbines etc. have always interested me....

 

My only problem is that I also like European, Japanese and Chinese stuff so am just starting to build a "multi-user" layout so that I can run what I want - have a room 29ft x 11ft to play with.....

 

Keith

[F-UnitMad]

...bought an Athearn SW from Victor's...

I nearly gave Bernie Victor a heart attack at the Warley Show one year, when I held up an Athearn box and asked if he had anything cheaper?... !!!

His eyes almost popped out their sockets, but to be fair, I had picked up a loco at £30, and he found me an Athearn SW7 for £20...

[warbonnetuk]

V similar to Mr Read in that I modelled UK diesels using Lima / Hornby and got fed up with 'pony' running qualities once I detailed them. Revelation occured when a friend returned from a trip to the US in the late '90's with some Athearn Bluebox and built a contemporary era layout based on Fort Myers, Florida. The running qualities on DC got me hooked then DCC and sound were the clinchers.

 

Dan Spalding