Brooklyn, NY, model train fans?

Hello, I live in White Plains now, but we are all from Bay Ridge! 76th and Narrows. Spent many of Saturday AM's at Train World on Ave M.

I’m in Staten Island now. Grew up in sunset park. I do all of train running in Paterson nj. 

Hey I'm from brooklyn and I been running o guage trains for over 30 years 

Was in Brooklyn 55 years just recently moved to upstate ny but in bklyn a few times a week.  No layout yet still working on 25x25 room in basement.  Had many layouts in bklyn apartment.

P.S. love those display cabinets.  Did you buy them or make them?

Hello Brooklyn New York!!!

In a place as big as Brooklyn, and with Trainworld in the neighborhood, there must be many model railroaders. You probably would see them if there were train shows in the borough.

MELGAR

Born & Raised in Brooklyn NY, went to Brooklyn Tech and frequently buy trains from Trainland & Nassau Hobby.

Don’t live there (Long Island) but am there often enough for work!

Miguel posted:

Hey I'm from brooklyn and I been running o guage trains for over 30 years 

You're FROM Brooklyn, but where are you now?

I'm from Detroit, but I live in Brooklyn now...

E-UNIT-79 posted:

P.S. love those display cabinets.  Did you buy them or make them?

I had them custom made by Classy Woods, which advertises in OGRailroading.

However, when I go to their website now I get this weird 2-line message that they're not doing anything right now.

Here's a close-up of the first case I had him make:

It has a single door that swings out—the hinge is on the left—and it's held closed with magnets.

The second case I had made a year later, and it's designed to sit on the first. Has sliding doors:

rockstars1989 posted:

Hello Brooklyn New York!!!

So, where ARE you???

MELGAR posted:

In a place as big as Brooklyn, and with Trainworld in the neighborhood, there must be many model railroaders. You probably would see them if there were train shows in the borough.

MELGAR

The problem is that large exhibit spaces are incredibly expensive, which is why the Greenberg shows are held in Edison and Secaucus, NJ. There was a train show at Queens College a few years ago, but we got a foot of snow that weekend, and I didn't go.

Let me also add to the equation that I don't drive. Went to the Secaucus show via bus from the Port Authority; to Edison via NJ Transit to Metuchen from Penn Station, then took a cab.

Born in the FAMOUS borough in 1942 and lived on Putnam Avenue in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn until about age nine. Then moved to Woodhaven in Queens and lived there until 1961. I remember the street cars and the Dodgers at Ebbet's Field. Attended Brooklyn Tech (1956-1960) and Adelphi College (1960-1962). 

Hey brother I'm still in brooklyn lol 

Born and raised in Brooklyn (Marine Park). I ran LGB in my front garden for 35 years. I met with fellow model railroaders in Brooklyn starting in 1980. We met every Tuesday night. At one point there were about 25 of us. Sadly there are only 3 that still meet every week. My participation has dwindled to several times a year. There are about 10 of us that still get together between Syosset LI, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and here in NJ.

In 2007 I ran the first Metropolitan Division TCA show in NYC. From 2008 till 2012 I ran 2 shows a year in Howard Beach.

We had 70 - 100 tables, operating layouts, and train races for the kids.  Pictures may be seen at the http://metca.org photo gallery.

We left in 2014 and moved to Equestra at Colts Neck Crossing, NJ;its a 55+ gated community. I was invited to join a train club that was forming 3  days after I arrived.

We run a Christmas layout for 6 weeks during the season. In the meantime I've been building an 8 x 16 layout in my home.

Head down to McDonald Avenue and talk to the folks at Trainworld. They’ll have a good idea how many of their customers live in the borough.

I lived in Brooklyn till 1996 then moved to Staten Island. I too went to Brooklyn Tech Class of 1970. Grew up in Fort Green by the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Saw the last train of the Myrtle Ave El go by from my bedroom window on Vanderbilt and Myrtle Ave. In 1969 they the tore it down. Now I run my trains at the NJHirailers in Paterson NJ.

Jim D

I was born and raised in Bay Ridge and now reside in Staten Island.  I didn't go to Brooklyn Tech (even though I was accepted.)   St. Francis Prep for me when it was in Greenpoint.

I also run my trains at the NJ HiRailers.  You should come on over or consider joining!

Miguel posted:

Hey brother I'm still in brooklyn lol 

Just sent you direct e-mail!

Jim R. posted:

Head down to McDonald Avenue and talk to the folks at Trainworld. They’ll have a good idea how many of their customers live in the borough.

That's an excellent idea, though why do I suspect they'd be really reluctant to give me any actual names and addresses?

Maybe I could do up a simple flyer, if they have anywhere to post that sort of stuff.

I remember, from when I was involved in rail fandom back in the 70s, there used to be at least one Railfan club in Bay Ridge...

There was once an impressive O scale layout and club in Bay Ridge with outside third-rail operation. Operators in the mid 1950's communicated with headsets and mikes.

Okay, just vastly updated my profile, with link to my Wikipedia page, my history—unless you read science fiction, you'll find it boring—my interests, etc. And put in my just-received TCA membership number, which should post now...

Tinplate Art posted:

There was once an impressive O scale layout and club in Bay Ridge with outside third-rail operation. Operators in the mid 1950's communicated with headsets and mikes.

Art,

That group had to vacate their space during 2019. The layout was saved and dismantled and is now in Kingston, New York (as I recall) but has not been reassembled. Here is a link to the Forum thread that includes the recent developments.

https://ogrforum.com/...b-brooklyn-ny?page=1

MELGAR

I was raised in East Flatbush and have a strong Brooklyn identity. I’ve lived outside of Seattle for forty years, but still remember Brooklyn as home.   In fact,  I just went back for a bucket list thing. That was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. 
I collect train stuff from New York and Brooklyn. As a Cub Scout we went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and explored WW II navy ships. So, of course, I have to have a New York Navy Yard #51 switcher. It should’ve said Brooklyn on it. It was probably just a typo. 
A Breyer’s Ice cream factory was a couple of blocks away so I have one of their reefers. 
Some club put out a Coney Island trolley a few years back so there’s one of those. I think it came in a two pack with a Palisades trolley too.

I have an MTH Brooklyn electric trolley complete with a Brooklyn accented conductor.  I remember riding these as a kid.

There’s the MTH Redbird subway set.   And there's the elevated subway station platform waiting for those Redbirds to show up that I built,.
I have  LIRR items as well. 
My layout has a New York section with skyscrapers and a ton of yellow taxis. 
And, I shouldn’t forget the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series commemorative car from MTH. BTW, Ebbetts Field is where I saw my first baseball game when I was about six. 
So, come to think of it I’m still pretty vested in New York and Brooklyn. 
Alan

As an after  thought:  I have pre-ordered the Lionel Brooklyn East Terminal Lionchief Plus 2.0 switcher.

Once a Brooklynite, always a Brooklynite!  ☺

NAVY DAY at the Brooklyn Navy Yard was always a must attend! My dad served there as a civilian corpsman (EMT) for twenty years.

Tinplate Art posted:

Once a Brooklynite, always a Brooklynite!  ☺

You can take the boy out of Brooklyn but you can't take the Brooklyn out of the boy - as they say.

MELGAR

"I'm in Brooklyn Heights, know of no other model train fans here in my part of NYC who actually have trains or layouts."

I thought that model railroading of some kind or another was required by city ordnance or state law in that part of the country.

ajzend posted:

I was raised in East Flatbush and have a strong Brooklyn identity. I’ve lived outside of Seattle for forty years, but still remember Brooklyn as home.   In fact,  I just went back for a bucket list thing. That was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. 
I collect train stuff from New York and Brooklyn. As a Cub Scout we went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and explored WW II navy ships. So, of course, I have to have a New York Navy Yard #51 switcher. It should’ve said Brooklyn on it. It was probably just a typo. 
A Breyer’s Ice cream factory was a couple of blocks away so I have one of their reefers. 
Some club put out a Coney Island trolley a few years back so there’s one of those. I think it came in a two pack with a Palisades trolley too.

There’s the MTH Redbird subway set.   
I have  LIRR items as well. 
My layout has a New York section with skyscrapers and a ton of yellow taxis. 
And, I shouldn’t forget the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series commemorative car from MTH. BTW, Ebbetts Field is where I saw my first baseball game when I was about six. 
So, come to think of it I’m still pretty vested in New York and Brooklyn. 
Alan

That trolley combo was a 2015 TCA offering. You missed the Brooklyn Navy Yard boxcar that METCA designed and had made by Lionel. METCA also designed and produced a Charles Chips Boxcar by Lionel and a Charles Chips Divco delivery truck by WBB. 

Sounds like they're 3-4 Technites in this topic, when I went to NJ Hi-Railers last winter Meryl told me there were 3 or 4 Technites in their club.

ajzend posted:

I was raised in East Flatbush and have a strong Brooklyn identity. I’ve lived outside of Seattle for forty years, but still remember Brooklyn as home.   In fact,  I just went back for a bucket list thing. That was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. 
I collect train stuff from New York and Brooklyn. As a Cub Scout we went to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and explored WW II navy ships. So, of course, I have to have a New York Navy Yard #51 switcher. It should’ve said Brooklyn on it. It was probably just a typo. 
A Breyer’s Ice cream factory was a couple of blocks away so I have one of their reefers. 
Some club put out a Coney Island trolley a few years back so there’s one of those. I think it came in a two pack with a Palisades trolley too.

There’s the MTH Redbird subway set.   
I have  LIRR items as well. 
My layout has a New York section with skyscrapers and a ton of yellow taxis. 
And, I shouldn’t forget the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series commemorative car from MTH. BTW, Ebbetts Field is where I saw my first baseball game when I was about six. 
So, come to think of it I’m still pretty vested in New York and Brooklyn. 
Alan

If you're that into Brooklyn (and who isn't!) then you should check out our MP-15 in NY NJ Rail livery that we have for sale on our store.  They operate the Bush Terminal switching operations.

NJ Hi-Railers Web Store

I should mention that a bit of Brooklyn still remains in me, 45 years later, as evidenced by this photo. My R-32 Brightliner commuting across the tracks of the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club in 2018.

My sentimental NYC Transit favorites are the BMT Standards, the old Myrtle Avenue open platform el cars, and those distinctive BMT units that ran on the Canarsie Line.

Andrew-Porter posted:

rockstars1989 posted:

Hello Brooklyn New York!!!

So, where ARE you???

Cleveland Ohio....Have friends in Brooklyn! Love the people. Class with a little dose of attitude. Nick

Hi`, i`m in Florida now, born and raised in Brooklyn, Flushing Avenue and Adelphi Street, across from the Navy Yard, got my trains from Capelli`s Hardware on Park Avenue under the BQE, Happy Holidays to all, Phil

marshelangelo posted:

Sounds like they're 3-4 Technites in this topic, when I went to NJ Hi-Railers last winter Meryl told me there were 3 or 4 Technites in their club.

Greg add another fellow Technite NJ HiRailer   Class of 74   I laughed at one of the comments above  If you passed the test you went to Tech  There wasnt any other decision  I owe a 32 year career at Ibm to Tech

Hi Phil, I went to Sacred Heart School and Church. My Father's whole family when to that School.

Jim D

I took ALL the tests for the Catholic high schools in Brooklyn and made all except Brooklyn Prep. When I passed the Tech entrance exam in 1956, it was NO contest! I took the chemical course of study for the last two years there and would probably have had a career in chemical engineering except for calculus (😐) in my second year as a chem major at Adelphi College in Garden City. Just could not deal with those integral equations! Did later become a US Army Battalion Staff Chemical NCO after training at the Chemical Corps Training Center then located at Ft. McClellan, Anniston, Alabama 1962-63.