Two and a Half Men and Trains

I was curious as to who built that layout for the show.

The layout was very nicely done, for sure.  As an added touch, all the walls and even the door to the room were painted a natural looking sky blue.  The comments made in the dialog would certainly upset a number of folks in the hobby (we tend to be overly sensitive and defensive), but some of them were pretty much spot-on.

Actually, I should get "Herb" to switch to O gauge and do some "Rail Tales" features for the magazine since he seemed to have a good many made-up stories for the little people inhabiting his layout.  

Trains on TV, I almost fell out of my chair!!!

(No engineer hat please) 

Trains on TV, I almost fell out of my chair!!

Actually, they are on the Big Bang also. Allan ought to try to get Chuck Lorre who produces both shows. Betcha he has trains.

Gerry

It starts out when Herb and Charlie are with two call girls and walk into Herb's living room with the model railroad taking up the whole space. Herb says ,"there, the finest HO that money can buy" and Charlie says "no need to spell Herb,these girls know what they are".lol 

The episode referred to at the start of this tread is an entirely new one.  No "Charlie" involved...just "Herb" and "Allen."  The trains portion runs for quite a few minutes.

Here's a link to the full episode (complete with commercials, of course).  Train segment is about halfway through, as I recall::

http://www.cbs.com/shows/two_and_a_half_men/video/

Sadly no Judith?

Well, I haven't seen my wife in over 4 weeks and I must say I've been running a lot of trains lately.  Full volume and without restraint.  It's a beautiful thing.

Sometimes, when my married life has not being going well, I get a very lonely feeling and can't stand being by myself, in my train room.

For me, that intensifies the feeling/sense of being lonely... cut off from the  rest of the world.

I'll take a good relationship or friendship any day, over model trains.

I seem to only really enjoy my trains, when I'm feeling secure, re: the important relationships in life.

Rick

The layout was put together by The Train Shack in Burbank, CA according to their manager, Tod. He told me about the upcoming episode several weeks ago when I last visited the shop.

Next time you visit, tell Tod that they did a very nice job with that layout.

The 3 rail train on the shelf layout looked like the Railking F3 set.

theres a clip you can click on thats2:22 long with the whole layout scene. the show never done too much for me, i took it as an insult to model railroaders.-jim

Oh,I didn't know it was a new episode. Will have to check it out,I just have not been able to get into the Ashton Kutcher episodes. I wish they had hired Hugh Grant,but he backed out at the last minute-that would have been funny because he is like Charlie was in real life.

I stumbled upon that same episode last night.  Don't usually watch that show, especially the post-Charlie Sheen episodes, but since this episode was one of those that feature Ryan Stiles I thought I would sit through it since he was one of my favorite performers in the "Whose Line is it Anyway?" comedy show.  Pretty cool-looking layout, my wife agreed too.  Sorry to say but I think some of the stereotyping associated with Ryan's character does indeed seem appropriate, but I thought it was still funny.

All the same, I'll take Big Bang Theory any day over Two and a Half Men.  At least Sheldon's a train nut too, and likewise I think his personality in that show also perpetuates certain stereotypes towards our hobby as well, sometimes to a fitting T. 

I saw the episode too and it paints a bad picture of us train folk, maybe in good jesture. We're lonely/crazies. But when you look at the layout we're pretty creative and industrious.

I saw it last night. Thought it was kinda demeaning, but then you have to consider the source -- written by someone who based the character on some stereotype or preconceived notion (much like my preconceived notions about sitcom writers.) The irony is that most of the model railroaders I know have regular jobs, families and activities that keep them from getting model railroad projects done.

The thing that bothers me about it is that they seem to want to associate aberrant behavior with model railroading, like the serial killer in a CSI episode who liked to build models of crime scenes and happened to be a model railroader, or a drug dealer/gang member/criminal in "Clockers" who happened to like to collect and run Lionel trains. In my case, I'm a megalomaniac planning on global domination and subjugation of the human race who happens to be a model railroader.

It was kind of insulting to model railroaders. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who likes trains do that.

Glad to compliment them for you, Allan.

Yeah, what next ? An episode where the guys sit around and talk on a train forum about how unappreciated and misunderstood they are?

How insulting!

Hey Vulcan - Thanks for the guffaw!

Pete

As Sheldon says 'It's O scale or NO scale'.........(Big Bang)

Oh they made "train enthusiasts" look bad, What's new?  If you like trains you are in the same class as a conspiracy theorist.

I don't want to be "mainstream" or "normal" - whatever that is.

Sometimes when a wife leaves, it's ultimately for the better. usually. Time will tell.

Hi Dennis,

As soon as I read the initial post in this thread, I knew many reading it would feel a deep discomfort. The powerful feelings associated with loneliness are truly some of the most difficult, for social beings to  bear.

Some solo activities help provide relief, i.e. some work or chores, walking, exercise... ; but, for some reason, for me, being in an isolated room with my trains just doesn't feel good.

The first time I felt that awful loneliness... I wanted to immediately get rid of all my trains; they made me feel almost claustrophobic.

Recently, I had a complete physical, and during my conversation with my doctor, I told him we're all insecure; it's just to what degree. When our relationships, health and finances... are in order, we feel securer; but, if that significantly changes, negatively, in a way... our sense of well-being and security diminishes.

Fortunately, in many cases, time has a way of soothing things...

Rick

I can't speak for all folks in this hobby but from what I observed through my life is that most of us are basically loners.

Not that we don't crave the security of a loving family around us, but most of us would go nuts if we did not have our alone time. We are the types that need that more then most people. 

When I was a teenager I started to look at girls due to the normal development of my social and family drives. But, when I found a young lady who would demand all of my time I  would be gone before you could say, no way lady.

This was true of me even when I was not in the hobby. Of course when I met my wife and started a family, love and responsibility took over and I spent 99 percent of my time seeing to it that those things came first.

But, when I finally got around to spending some time in my train room I would not tolerate the loss of those few hours a week alone with my thoughts and toys.

My wife once told me that the basement, or in my case train room should be converted to a play room for my son. I simply told her to forget it, I had to work to get my mans cave let him work to get his.

Well, she would not stop even after I gave her space for a laundry room, storage closets, a second bathroom and more. So I made up a sign that hung on the header as you walked down the steps to our basement; "My Wife Told Me That if I Buy One More Toy Train She Would Leave Me, Gee I'm Going To Miss the Old Girl"!

Some may say I'm a hard nose, well I say tough DoDo. I bought our home where she wonted it,I fixed it up how she wonted it, I worked two jobs and overtime to pay for it and If I can't spec out ten percent for myself then I'm not sure if I need all this togetherness stuff.

Oh yea I forgot to tell you guys that when I walk up those steps out of my little hole in the ground my wife is the boss and I like it that way.

I'm not a loner. I run trains to relax. It takes my mind off things.

There have been a number of TV shows with trains of late, other shows have shown O Gauge.

Pretty Little Liars had a show with what looked like a 4x8 plywood layout in the front room with a child running trains. Just a loop of Fastrak and Lionel set 0-8-0 perhaps a couple of buildings, and the weird thing was it looked like a 70' MTH full length dome car in the middle of the old steamer freight train.

Big Bang has done some different ones but several you see Sheldons Lionel trains on shelves in his room.

Perhaps the best O Gauge layout was on I Carly where Freddy visits his train club with Sam was a nice looking room some larger scale ? Standard gauge on shelves around the room. Nice looking engine mural large size on door side of room. Looks like some basic Lionel starter steam sets and other details and Fastrak. Sam does a head on with the 2 steam engines. But train room looked great and some scenery on the large O Gauge layout.

A few years back I had a TV crew come over and rent out a couple of boxes of trains, track and transformer for one of the Vampire TV Shows not sure which one or episode. But the rental cheque paid for a new engine. They purchased a few junker rail cars to destroy in the taping.

Perhaps will see some more positive train features in future shows. O gauge would be great.

heres that sagment..no sound from the trains.. just blow that wooden whistle..lol.. the o gage is a santa fe f3 warbonet..

http://www.cbs.com/shows/two_a...ys-and-their-trains/

The whole show was very funny to me.I never saw the show all these years,I didn't know what I was missing.I know it is(or was)a big hit,I can see why now.I will have to start tuning in for more shows. 

Dan

Some of you people really need help.

Gerry

Ding...Ding...Ding! We have a winner! 

the subtle posing of a telescope at a low altitude setting between closed drapes in Herb's living room probably doesn't help the 'lonely guy' perception either.

Definitely something of an understatement!  

here's a link to just the train layout scene. I just can't sit through a whole episode of that show....

http://www.cbs.com/shows/two_a...ys-and-their-trains/

Tim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss

He's deceased now, but there are some like Dick Proenneke that enjoy being alone. All he needed was a portable generator and a deep root cellar(a substitute for a basement) for a layout; and he would have set the benchmark, for the true lone-wolf model railroader.

Guys like Napoleon could have been model railroaders, too... with all that solitary time to kill, in exile.

Rick

Check out the current thread "Untouched layout for 45+ years. Anything Worth Anything" found on the 2-rail forum; that's a good example of how alone the former train guy was, re: his hobby. "Untouched for 45+ years..." Once the guy passed, his model railroad tomb sat undisturbed...

Rick