Combining Trains and Other Interests

There are some excellent videos on Youtube of trains, real and model, with excellent background music.  Not only does my love of trains take me away to my little world, but watching those music backed train films relaxes me even further.   

Another combination is model trains and smart phones. I can't think of a better way to make model railroading more appealing to those under 30 years of age.

How about trains and boats?

Lionel has made two vertical lift bridges, three bascule bridges, and a swing bridge. They also have made tugboat, lighthouses, and amusements that would make a great boardwalk scene.

And their signature passenger train is based on "the seashore's finest train".

Trainman2 posted:

How about trains and boats?

Lionel has made two vertical lift bridges, three bascule bridges, and a swing bridge. They also have made tugboat, lighthouses, and amusements that would make a great boardwalk scene.

And their signature passenger train is based on "the seashore's finest train".

Great idea. I bet there are a bunch of Forum members that love boating. Adding boats, bridges, lighthouses, etc., to their layouts makes perfect sense. And when another boating enthusiast sees their layout, they might find model railroading more appealing.

Obviously, I'm not the first person to come up with this combination concept. The major train manufacturers are well aware of it, as is evident from combining trains and smart phones. However, the more mindful we are of creating appealing combinations on our layouts and in our hobby activities, the more popular model trains may become.

Arnold

Riding my Harly to train hotspots and old industries that railroads once served. I also take long-distance Amtrak and VIA rail trips. 

clem k posted:

Riding my Harly to train hotspots and old industries that railroads once served. I also take long-distance Amtrak and VIA rail trips. 

 

 

There have been recent posts showing O Scale motorcycles parked in front of an O Scale bar and grill. I bet that is something that you, Clem, would particularly like.

i like trains and Transformers especially the Generation 1 and Transformers Armada 

as well as GI Joe and sometimes i'll mix everything and create like a battle scene

in fact my you tube account is called Decepticon Railfan Productions

Rail trails. I am crazy about my mountain bike anyway, add that to exploring some 'lost' railroads totally does it for me.

I love trains, & I love to hunt and shoot and Ive got a layout out at the farm. I can take the dog out hunting and then come back to the house and run trains. its a blast.

I am a collector of die-cast cars and trucks and have always loved model building! Since getting into the hobby I have found that I enjoy building and kit bashing stuctures almost as much as the trains! I have always loved miniature things, scenes etc. Even my wife is only 5 ft tall! LOL Terrific thread Arnold!

play trains posted:

I am a collector of die-cast cars and trucks and have always loved model building! Since getting into the hobby I have found that I enjoy building and kit bashing stuctures almost as much as the trains! I have always loved miniature things, scenes etc. Even my wife is only 5 ft tall! LOL Terrific thread Arnold!

whats the craziest thing you ever built did you ever build any transformers related stuff

play trains posted:

I am a collector of die-cast cars and trucks and have always loved model building! Since getting into the hobby I have found that I enjoy building and kit bashing stuctures almost as much as the trains! I have always loved miniature things, scenes etc. Even my wife is only 5 ft tall! LOL Terrific thread Arnold!

That's awesome!

I have been into model trains forever and have recently have got into slot cars. Space requirements are the same, well a little less for slot cars, tablework, track planning is close to the same.

The O Scale figure manufacturers should read this thread and make little people like us doing the various things we like to do. We will buy them because they will be irresistable, and then we will put them on our layouts. LOL

For instance, this is me, playing the guitar sitting on the station platform, singing to a wino, in O Scale:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

For instance, this is me, playing the guitar sitting on the station platform, singing to a wino, in O Scale:

This brings us back to trains and music. So many different genres of music, from country, to folk, to children's have lyrics that involve sitting in a train station. 

And Johnny Cash was a big time railfan. He even appeared in ads for lionel.

I'm puzzled......among other things however theres this,

Doing a G O T marathon today. Season 1 & 2 so far 5 more to go to now.

There's also trains and baseball. Lionel fans are probably aware that Joe DiMaggio and Roy Campanella were in their ranks. I wonder if they're aware that Casey Jones himself was an avid baseball fan.

So a ballpark on the layout is also a great idea.

Paigetrain, to answer your question ,no I have never built transformer stuff. I kept to old cars, Dusenbergs, Packards, cars and trucks of that era! You and I are from different generations! I probably have socks older than you are! But I do have Transformer figures in the house for the grandkids to play with! Does that count? LOL

paigetrain posted:

play trains posted:

I am a collector of die-cast cars and trucks and have always loved model building! Since getting into the hobby I have found that I enjoy building and kit bashing stuctures almost as much as the trains! I have always loved miniature things, scenes etc. Even my wife is only 5 ft tall! LOL Terrific thread Arnold!

whats the craziest thing you ever built did you ever build any transformers related stuff

By transformers I assume you mean those that are like robots. I'm 66, so those are toys I never had or wanted as a child. I'm delighted to know that your have combined your interests in trains and robot like transformers.

The craziest thing I built is also the most unique thing on my lay out. Below is a picture of the monuments in centerfield of the old Yankee Stadium:

They are made of the tips of popsicle sticks painted gray and the faces are those of Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Miller Huggins, former Yankee manager during that era. I found the faces on the Internet and simply printed them out and pasted them on the sticks. When I made them, I said to myself, "what am I doing, I must be crazy." Those thoughts are often in the back of my mind when I do modeling. Such thoughts are a hang up of mine; I want to rid myself of them.

For our young Forum members who may not know Yankee Stadium history, those monuments were on the playing field of the old Yankee Stadium in the 1950s and early 1960s. Co median Billy Crystal does a skit in which he says he believed as a boy that those monuments were grave stones where Babe Ruth and Gehrig were buried. I also believed that as a child but never told anyone.

Arnold

Norton posted:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Very cool biker. Is he a Hells Angel?

Trainman2 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

For instance, this is me, playing the guitar sitting on the station platform, singing to a wino, in O Scale:

This brings us back to trains and music. So many different genres of music, from country, to folk, to children's have lyrics that involve sitting in a train station. 

And Johnny Cash was a big time railfan. He even appeared in ads for lionel.

Very interesting, didn't know  that about Johnny. Thanks

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Trainman2 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

For instance, this is me, playing the guitar sitting on the station platform, singing to a wino, in O Scale:

This brings us back to trains and music. So many different genres of music, from country, to folk, to children's have lyrics that involve sitting in a train station. 

And Johnny Cash was a big time railfan. He even appeared in ads for lionel.

Very interesting, didn't know  that about Johnny. Thanks

Johnny Cash hosted a TV show in 1975 called "Riding the Rails, where they reenacted famous moments in railroad history. He was even shown at the throttle of 4501. You can see the videos of it on YouTube.

You can also see his Lionel Commercials there.

Trainman2 posted:

There's also trains and baseball. Lionel fans are probably aware that Joe DiMaggio and Roy Campanella were in their ranks. I wonder if they're aware that Casey Jones himself was an avid baseball fan.

So a ballpark on the layout is also a great idea.

Love this!

Can you imagine a layout built by a major league baseball star of today? With the 10 to 20 million dollar per year salaries they earn, they can easily afford to hire others to build gigantic layouts in their mansions. I bet some have done this and we don't know about it.

check this out

not my video though 

AUTOBOTS ROLL OUT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...8Njk2yQj0&t=179s

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Very cool biker. Is he a Hells Angel?

He looks to clean cut to be one of those...lol

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Very cool biker. Is he a Hells Angel?

Before the Angels there were the Wild Ones.

paigetrain posted:

check this out

not my video though 

AUTOBOTS ROLL OUT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...8Njk2yQj0&t=179s

 

Very nice, Paige. Now I have an idea of what trains and transformers are about.

Norton posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Very cool biker. Is he a Hells Angel?

Before the Angels there were the Wild Ones.

Great photo of Marlon Brando. We need him in O Scale.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

Trains and motorcycles for me. I have been riding them almost as long as being involved with trains. Rare is the motorcycle trip that doesn't include trains as a stop or destination.

Pete

Very cool biker. Is he a Hells Angel?

Before the Angels there were the Wild Ones.

Great photo of Marlon Brando. We need him in O Scale.

Probably not a Hell's Angel as they mostly ride Harley's and Choppers and he's riding a Norton (from the guy with the same moniker . Marlon rode a Triumph in The Wild Ones. Needless to say, I'm into motorcycles. 

Since we moved to CA from PA my wife and I started hiking, so I included a very steep hiking trail complete with hikers on the mountain I built:

Neither an Angel nor a Wild One. Just your typical biker.

Pete

Being's I have a few vintage Harley's, it would only be appropriate to have a cycle shop in Mackenzieville.

Great idea for this thread, Arnold. 

I have been adding my favorite things to the table layout for years.  They always draw extra questions and comments.  I agree that it adds to my daily enjoyment as I peruse the different scenes/rooms.  I've had lots of ideas on how to make/add them, but, I'm just about out of room for anything else.  The easiest are my tunnel portals, which are not textured and make good places for pics.   As you know, I'm a huge Yankee fan.

A mini, not accurate, representation of the bar, pool table, and game machines in the basement where the two layouts are located.

The MTH version is too big, so I made this one and named it after the greatest cook I know, my wife Tina.

This Whistlestop diner needed some improvement....

There was no way to get the train to run behind center and rightfield.

I love tigers.  Capitol Lunch in New Britain, CT makes the best hot dog sauce there is.  City Fish is the best market around.  Watney's Cream Stout is the best beer I've ever tasted.  My buddy Bob Bullard makes a great stout.  Backwoods ******* is the best stout currently available.  

The Godfather(s) and GWTW are the best movies ever made.  Also, those four Yankees are the only players to have monuments.  Miller and George never played for the Yankees.  The stadium pic above them is the trajectory of Mantle's HR off Fisher, that nearly cleared the facade. 

I needed to cover a speaker box.  You can see the wire running under the pic of Leigh, Gable, Mitchell, Selznik, and DeHavilland.  Women just don't get the Stooges, only guys do.

A one inch wood strip covers many wires running to a ZW in another room.  I decorated it with Aaron Judge pics.

We now have seven turkeys that visit the backyard.

Don't eat fastfood any longer, but preferred Burger King.

Trains combined with your favorite stuff?  It's a great idea.

Jerry

stangtrain posted:

Since we moved to CA from PA my wife and I started hiking, so I included a very steep hiking trail complete with hikers on the mountain I built:

Very nice

JerryG posted:

Great idea for this thread, Arnold. 

I have been adding my favorite things to the table layout for years.  They always draw extra questions and comments.  I agree that it adds to my daily enjoyment as I peruse the different scenes/rooms.  I've had lots of ideas on how to make/add them, but, I'm just about out of room for anything else.  The easiest are my tunnel portals, which are not textured and make good places for pics.   As you know, I'm a huge Yankee fan.

A mini, not accurate, representation of the bar, pool table, and game machines in the basement where the two layouts are located.

The MTH version is too big, so I made this one and named it after the greatest cook I know, my wife Tina.

This Whistlestop diner needed some improvement....

There was no way to get the train to run behind center and rightfield.

I love tigers.  Capitol Lunch in New Britain, CT makes the best hot dog sauce there is.  City Fish is the best market around.  Watney's Cream Stout is the best beer I've ever tasted.  My buddy Bob Bullard makes a great stout.  Backwoods ******* is the best stout currently available.  

The Godfather(s) and GWTW are the best movies ever made.  Also, those four Yankees are the only players to have monuments.  Miller and George never played for the Yankees.  The stadium pic above them is the trajectory of Mantle's HR off Fisher, that nearly cleared the facade. 

I needed to cover a speaker box.  You can see the wire running under the pic of Leigh, Gable, Mitchell, Selznik, and DeHavilland.  Women just don't get the Stooges, only guys do.

A one inch wood strip covers many wires running to a ZW in another room.  I decorated it with Aaron Judge pics.

We now have seven turkeys that visit the backyard.

Don't eat fastfood any longer, but preferred Burger King.

Trains combined with your favorite stuff?  It's a great idea.

Jerry

 

Fabulous pictures, Jerry, and you have masterfully combined trains with other things you  you love.

Combining trains with music, particularly music with great rhythm, does it for me. Discussed this with my 29 year old son, David, yesterday, and he suggested this song, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and a train that delivers the mail.

Maybe Stevie Wonder has trains in his basement that deliver the mail, including his love letters:

One of my other passions is pipe organs.  I had to have an organ factory somewhere on my layout!

Someday, I hope to install a sound module with organ factory sounds.  NOT music, but typical sounds associated with organ building...woodworking equipment,  pipe voicing, metal working etc.

Tom