Now Retired and Trying to Start over

Good evening folks. I discovered this website by logging onto another website who very much enjoys this website and highly recommended it. So here I am, newly registered and logged in. So I thought I would try and put in my two cents as an old hand, but a new beginner. A little back ground about me. I'm Retired Military and now retired as a civilian too. I've spent the last 15 years as an O.T.R. Truck Driver (and I still own my own Semi Truck and Trailer (even though it is now parked out in my back yard as a house hold storage shed)).  Now finally, I'm retired and am wanting to start my Model Railroad Hobby over again. I've built several layouts over the years Both in HO and in N-Scale, and each time I've had to tear them down again when I've had to move to a different house and/or to a different location or state. This time I have gotten a hold of an older model discarded twenty foot long by eight foot wide single axle "RV" travel trailer which I have already gutted out and have remodeled with new interior paneling and ceiling. Until the other day I hadn't decided what I intended to do with that travel trailer except maybe for an odds and ends storage shed. But two days ago I decided to make that travel trailer into my Model Railroading layout, and Hobby Shack because I have decided that I want at least a Semi-Portable / Semi-Permanent house and room for my new layout and where I won't have to tear it down again if I ever have to move. ( I can just hook onto it with my pickup and go). It's not going to be anything fancy, but I think it will provide me with a decent size layout for me, my wife and grandkids to enjoy ourselves in our spare time. I still have a lot of HO scale equipment as well as a small G-scale starter set and an N=scale Starter set which I have never had out of the box yet. At this time I have more HO equipment than N-scale equipment and I'm still not sure whether I want to build an HO scale layout into that travel trailer or an N-Scale layout into it. Any Ideas? Well, enough jacking my jaws for a spell, and I'll let some other nice Model Railroading fans have their say. Have a great evening, and a better day tomorrow folks.

1860s

Actually if I remember correctly Micro-Trains released two 150th anniversary Civil War train sets in N scale. Otherwise you may have problems finding rolling stock and locomotives of this era.

Even for HO the choices would be limited although 1860s rolling stock would not be hard to scratch build in HO scale.

Modeling Missouri Pacific Railroad's Central Division, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Bremner's picture

Micro-Trains

Those locos were the ok Bachmann 4-4-0's

Here is what spookshow has to say about them;
http://www.spookshow.net/loco/bach440a.html

am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric Freight modeler in the world?

https://sopacincg.com 

Virginian and Lake Erie's picture

Ref. - It's you and not me

Ref. - It's you and not me but I

Thank you for your response sir - What I have in mind is modeling a layout of around the 1860's Era  with 4-4-0' steam engines - which would include the following - a couple of old wild west towns and a couple of gold or silver mines along with a U.S. Calvary Fort and an Indian village with wagons, stage coaches etc. - I know they used to make that old wild west equipment of What I want to do in HO scale but I'm not sure if they still produce that style of western equipment in HO or even in N Scale My Idea is to portray a larger layout of terrain area by using N scale - But if I have to I will try to accomplish the same thing in HO scale. - Anyway thanks for your input - "Happy Rails" to you and may Derailments never happen.

I would suggest reading back through some of the threads on here as someone just built a very nice 4-4-0 from a Bachmann unit on here and it looked very good. HO scale will work real well for the time period and models you are looking to put together. It will also fit your space extremely well. In addition to the 4-4-0 there are at least a couple of modelers building equipment in your time period or very close to it and they are doing fantastic work. You will likely be able to find all the items to build your layout in HO scale at reasonable cost and more so there than any other. The reason I am saying this is your choice of modeling theme is a bit off the more popular ones, nothing wrong with that at all, but when one begins to look for the unusual it is often easier to find and keep it working in HO scale than any other.

Once you begin communication with some of the folks that are building similar items to what you are looking for you will likely make some new internet friends that will be vary valuable to your re-entrance of the hobby.

Welcome back and hope that your prospecting turns up gold for you.

Rob in Texas

ybandell's picture

White foam vs blue/pink/green foam

The white foam is harder to shape due to the beads easily breaking free, but that is not the main reason not to use the stuff. The main reason you don't want to use the white foam is because of fire safety: the white foam keeps on burning when you remove the ignition source, while the blue/pink/green foam extinguishes itself when the ignition source has been removed.

As for which scale: it is highly personal, depending on space available, what you want to model and how (use ready to run or kit bash or scratch build or a combo), hand/eye coordination now and their ability in the future amongst many other factors. If unsure, build a small diorama of like 1x2 or 1x4 in scales you're interested in and see what 'feels' most comfortable to you.

-Yaron.

jimcol51's picture

Civil War SIG

Hello Old Prospector,

Welcome-back-to the hobby. I too am retired military and expecting (hoping) to retire from civilian work in a couple more years.

Lots of good input here from folks and I find this forum the best resource for all sorts of information, but sometimes for a smaller niche, it's good to hookup with folks also interested in that area/time period. 

I know there are some here who do not like the NMRA for various reasons and that's fine (I am not starting a discussion on that here) but they do have a Special Interest Group on Civil War railroading. That's not your location but it is the same time period - 1860s. No doubt they have folks who have specialized information on modeling (in whatever scale) for that time period. I seem to recall that at the last national NMRA convention, there was a display setup with an operating Civil War railroad by one group. At any rate, if you think it worthwhile, you can find out more about the SIG from NMRA's SIG page: http://www.nmra.org/national/sig/sig.html. There's also a link there to their Yahoo Group. 

Happy modeling to you, sir, and thank you for your service.

 

Jim C.
Ceres, CA

Reference - Civil War SIG - By - Jim C.in Ceres, CA

Thank You Sir, Twice - Once for replying back to me - And again for your Serving as well - Welcome Home Bro - Anyway I'm glad to hear that some other Model Railroading Fans are also interested in that time period Era. I will try and check out that site and see what they have going. I think with my background, (Ever since I was a child my mind has functioned like MacGyver's), I have been able to look at something or find something that has been cast off as junk or scrap, and have been able to modify it, repair it or rebuild it into what I need to suit my own purpose. Because of that I might be able to scratch build, or kit bash, a lot of the scenery and structures that I need. The only thing I'm skeptical about would to be able to build the spoked wooden wheels that I would need for any wagons or stage coaches that would be used in that era.(At this time, I'm not sure where I could actually purchase complete wagons and stage coaches in either HO or N scale) But I know that I could build the wagon box and frames for the wagons, along with the log stockade, and canvas tents for a Calvary Fort and probably the false front buildings of a wild west town and the Teepee's of an Indian village. ( the problems would be to be able to locate the figures of miners, townsfolk,cowboys, calvary troops, Indians and the livestock, such as cows and horses). As far as layouts go, I'm not so much looking at doing a Civil War layout (Even Even though my family ancestors actually did fight on the side of the Confederacy in the civil war) but in doing a layout pertaining to the Wild West area around the Arizona, New Mexico area. Anyway thanks for the comeback and Happy Rails to you sir.

Virginian and Lake Erie's picture

How about this, there are others

Noch Gmbh & Co #16703
 


Box Wagon w/2 Horses & 1 Figure
Walthers Part # 528-16703, p. 750 Walthers 2014 HO Scale Reference
HO scale, $26.99, currently in stock at Walthers

 
Sets include wagon, figures and horses.
 There are lots of items in the Wathers Catalog and these items have been around for a fairly long time. You may be able to continue to search further on your own and go to manufacturers web sites. A check of advertisers on this web site may turn up more in the way of items as well. Looking into logging, and circus may also turn up various wagons as well.

Enjoy your modeling

Rob in Texas

Reply to - OT: Your Handle - By Steve of klamathline.blogspot.co

Thank you sir, for your come-back. In reference to my handle "Old Prospector". Well that goes back quite a few years to the 1970's, when I was married to my first wife. We decided to take a trip and go to Lewiston, Idaho to visit her cousin "Roy Lagal", and his family who was a well known gold prospector (after all these years I'm not quite sure of the spelling of his last name. I haven't heard from him, or his family in about twenty years, he may have passed on into the land of solid gold, but his son may still be around in that area doing some prospecting). He usually always had his name listed somewhere in most of the mining and gold prospecting magazines, as well as in the "Garrett" and "White" Metal Detector magazines. While we were visiting with him and his family, Roy and his son, taught me how to go prospecting and panning for gold. As a tribute to him (back in the 70's when I was strongly into "CB Radio"), I selected the name of "Old Prospector" to use as a "CB" Handle. I have since used that particular handle for just about everything. So, as "Paul Harvey" would always say; Quote "Now You Know The Rest Of The Story" Unquote. Thanks for your come-back reply and Happy Model Railroading to you sir. - The Old Prospector.

HO stage coach

Look in the Walthers on line catalog, product # 360-234, by Jordan Products.  They also have several wagons and a buggy that would fit your time period.

Good luck with your space and concept.

Chuck

(And while I was typing the above, Rob sent you the name of another manufacturer.)

Virginian and Lake Erie's picture

And here is a picture

Jordan Products
Old West Stagecoach w/6-Horse Team - Kit
Jordan Products #234
 


Walthers Part # 360-234, p. 739 Walthers 2014 HO Scale Reference
HO scale, $9.95, currently in stock at Walthers
This product is on-sale today for $8.98

And here is a picture of the item Chuck was telling you about. I think you will have lots of fun discovering what is now available for you to utilize in your model railroading pursuits.


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