am I a hi-railer or a 3-railer?

You sound a lot like me; I was working on a hi-railer layout and discovered tinplate along the way. I guess that makes us Hi-Railer-Tinplaters.

Scott Smith

scott.smith posted:

You sound a lot like me; I was working on a hi-railer layout and discovered tinplate along the way. I guess that makes us Hi-Railer-Tinplaters.

Scott Smith

 

 

Everybody enjoys this hobby differently and there is no point in trying to pin your interest-range down with a single descriptive phrase.

So my answer is "you are both, but also so much more" 

Don't believe that we need to wonder about who we are to enjoy this hobby. Never considered myself to be anything other than a model railroader. If I have to call it, I was an O gauge collector in my early years and an O gauge layout artist and operator now.

From what I can tell, your a High 3 Tin Railer! Very rare combination...... In the train world you're a VSOP.

Gilly@N&W posted:

From what I can tell, your a High 3 Tin Railer! Very rare combination...... In the train world you're a VSOP.

VSOP??

wow, your group has a super big modular set up!

I've always wondered about these modules- what is the green fabric you use, and where do you find it?

How tall are the modules, 42"

VSOP, the finest grade of Cognac. One taste of Martell VSOP (if you can find it) and you'll understand...

Ken's wife found the fabric. I'm sure it must have a special name, but it is basically a real nice shirt type quality fabric. Probably a blend. Regina sewed up all of these for us. She's a super nice lady and an honorary club member.

Good eye on the height of the modules. "I think" the official height is 40.5". We picked this height so our modules would match-up with another club's modules. They were instrumental in getting us going.

I would consider you a serious train person who leans toward Hi Rail railroading.  Please enjoy the ride, it is a good one.

I like to paraphrase the term from Thor Shiel, (thortrains.net) and use the term "tin-scaler"

I don't worry about what people call me. I just like to play with trains.

I enjoy, play with and model O-scale trains, using 3-rail Altos O track and (mostly) Woodland Scenics scenery, and I enjoy and play with Standard Gauge trains with 3-rail tubular track, with hopefully getting to model and scenic in that gauge someday as well. So what am I, other than a toytrainfreak

Well, the one thing that pops in the old beanie you are most certainly a Bi-3railer. you may even use AC or DC current on your layout , you are definitely a Pieces. A person with imagination for sure.

Why classify yourself, Enjoy the hobby.

I sometimes run scale, then sometimes I run O-27.  I just do not run both at the same time.

BTW, look at pictures of the classic ionel showroom layout.  They ran O-27/31 on it, but on o-72 loops, scale would have looked OK.

You're a real Renaissance Woman!

Matt

I don't even think about what category I would fall in. I just have fun.

Labels are for the birds (they love to shred them, believe me, having a parrot and a love bird!), you are someone who enjoys having trains, and that is all that matters. We all reside in many worlds, and none of them define us, so why should trains be any different?

Even so, I have always wondered what the definitions are for hi rail, 3 rail scale, and is 2 rail hi rail or is it 2 rail scale?

cjack posted:

Even so, I have always wondered what the definitions are for hi rail, 3 rail scale, and is 2 rail hi rail or is it 2 rail scale?

I am sure others have their definitions/views on this, here is my shot at it:

Tinplate- that emphasizes the 'toy' nature of the trains, usually have layouts with tinplate track, with the accessories and such, that seeks to replicate the kind of experience kids had with their Christmas tree layouts or the old 4x8 with the artificial grass on it. The emphasis is not realism. 

3 rail hi rail- The idea is to try and make the layout more realistic looking, hence they might use non tinplate track (or tinplate track made to look more real, with extra ties, painted, etc) that is ballasted, they will have structures that appear more realistic looking, weather things, have ground scenery, backdrops, and so forth. With hi rail, it isn't that strict, people can and do still run semi scale equipment, they may have operating accessories but try to blend them in more, they may try more realistic operational schemes and they want the overall look and feel not to be as 'toylike'. 

3 rail scale- This is kind of like the 'big brother' of hi rail. People into 3 rail scale often will convert the couplers over to kadee to be more in line with scale, they will buy equipment that is only prototypically to scale (so for example, will run vision line or imperial line scale engines, but would not run Williams stuff that is mostly non scale), they make the track look as realistic as possible, want it to be as close as possible, do realistic looking scenery, and many design their layouts for operation in a protypical manner (and again, there is no one definition, these are just typical of what I have seen). It doesn't mean someone with a 3 rail scale layout migth not occassionally run old cherished semi scale stuff, just means their emphasis is on as much realism as possible. 

2 rail- with 2 rail, I would argue by default it is 2 rail scale, while there is equipment in 2 rail that is semi scale (especially if people convert over 3 rail semi scale to be able to run on 2 rail O track), most of the people in 2 rail are in it to do the realism thing IME. There probably are variations in 2 rail as to how prototypical they want to be, whether they are to the rivet counter level or if they are okay with stuff not perfect, etc.