What Are You Most Excited About?

At the moment I'm most excited by the quality of 2nd Run 3rd Rail GP7/9s that I've been reviewing sample photos of.  So much better than the first run.  I often wish I could have an example of each, but that would clearly fall into gluttony! 

What excites in this hobby does change frequently though.  The fact that I am getting my own metal brake to finally bend light gauge metals and plastics is also exciting. 

I am looking forward to the Base3. 

@MartyE posted:

I am looking forward to the Base3.

I’m with you on that. Running my Legacy engines with the universal remote and app is okay, but I’m looking forward to the full potential of these. I do prefer the app but one engine at a time kinda stinks. Coming into the hobby late 2021 I haven’t experienced a handheld remote nor will I spend the going prices for them knowing warranty work is or will be nonexistent.

Gene

Completing the elevated line on my layout. It has been a huge project, but it's about halfway done. It's double reversing loops with a 45 degree crossing. Here's the 1st half. I still have to cut and lay the track, but that's easy compared to all the custom woodwork.

Another one of your interesting thread topics, Arnold. Right now, I think I'm most excited about how well my 11 year old medium-sized layout has held up over the years and how all of my locomotives and rolling stock are performing, with everything working as it should and no pending repairs. I have only  a handful of engines and spend maybe a cumulative hour a week running trains. So right now, all is well and I'm only hoping that it lasts and lasts (knock on wood).

1. the possibility of Sunset 3rd Rail E7/8/9's
2. the possibility (however slim) of Atlas announcing E6's or E8's tonight
3. October York

My #1 is similar to BlueComet400.  I just redesigned the “yet to be built” elevated section of the layout to be 060 minimum, which allows much more variety in running my 054 minimum engines.

My #2 is curved display/storage shelves built into my layout.  My other hobby is woodworking and like the idea of including some challenging woodworking projects into the build.  Figured out how to make some cherry shelves built into the base of the layout that follow the 072 curve of the outside loop on the layout.

Well, not railroad related but, what I found exciting this morning was the official announcement that Quarterback Aron Rogers has been traded from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets! Thus, maybe, just MAYBE, the Chicago Bears might be able to finally beat the Packers one day.

* The coming Golden Gate Depot MP and T&P Texas Eagles !!! 👍😜  

* Hopeful for a rerun of 3rd Rail E7 that includes MP, T&P, MKT, and Frisco !!!!

@Hot Water posted:

Well, not railroad related but, what I found exciting this morning was the official announcement that Quarterback Aron Rogers has been traded from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets! Thus, maybe, just MAYBE, the Chicago Bears might be able to finally beat the Packers one day.

I would imagine that it is most likely to happen. I think Fields is a great QB and will have some great teammates to make that possible.

What am I most excited about?

Well, there are a number of projects for upgrades that are on the table, some in the works, others waiting in the wings. None of which my awkward hands will touch other than shipping to the great hands of those who do the necessary job of upgrades. That is what I am excited about. Almost a whole two hand finger count I believe, heck, maybe just a bit more. All this will be in motion from now until maybe the next year or two depending on how busy people are.

@Hot Water posted:

Well, not railroad related but, what I found exciting this morning was the official announcement that Quarterback Aron Rogers has been traded from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets! Thus, maybe, just MAYBE, the Chicago Bears might be able to finally beat the Packers one day.

Hot Water, I recommend that you construct an O scale football field on your layout since you clearly love the sport. Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Hot Water, I recommend that you construct an O scale football field on your layout since you clearly love the sport. Arnold

Sorry but, I exited the hobby and got rid of the layout and sold everything through Stout Auctions.

Pretty excited about my expanding layout.  Much thanks to the members here.  Still a mess in progress, but I'm excited!

I am very happy that I have young help to work my layout, which has been in shambles for the last ten years, back into working order with more operation possibilities and upgraded scenery. My son, Chris, my former go-to help works long hours at a full-time job and is VERY infrequently available for layout work. Fortunately, a former French horn student of mine at the Maryland Conservatory of Music, and former employee at my French horn repair and customization shop, now comes to my house once a week on Sunday mornings to do layout work for me that I cannot do anymore. In both my now closed for retirement repair business and currently the restoration of the train layout, She has been an enthusiastic Godsend!!!!! With my physical disabilities, I can no longer climb up on the platform or crawl under it to do wiring. Zora Maya, loves doing both of the aforementioned as well as test running trains. She was a GREAT student and employee and is a cherished and trusted friend,

I find the hobby to have so many areas of interest that my momentary focus changes frequently. I study, read about and model five railroads primarily: New Haven; Boston & Albany; Boston & Maine; Long Island; and New York Central. All it takes is one new model locomotive or rolling-stock purchase to make me pull out the books and read whatever I can find on that subject and its railroad. My layouts were completed years ago, but while they were under construction, I read incessantly about these railroads so that I could buy modelling products to build structures and terrain to represent them. During layout construction and after completion, I've occupied myself by writing articles for publication in OGR Magazine. But I must confess that I'm running out of topics. Of course, the OGR Forum is a favorite and I post photos and videos on "Switcher Saturday" every week. That activity keeps me busy shuffling model trains on and off the layouts during the week. I also spend a fair amount of time looking for model trains online and reading about the latest offerings. The hobby provides lots of ways to occupy myself, spend money, and in which to be interested. But I try to remain calm and not to get too excited about anything in particular - except when one of my favorite engines needs service or repair. Then I get busy right away.

MELGAR

Been thinking about living on an Amtrak Train for 30 days. $499.00

Hope to see you out rail-fanning. Gary 🚂

My Sally the Yard Goat, discussed at length on another recent thread, has been a source of both aggravation and excitement for me since I bought her in mid January. During the last 2 days it's been all excitement for me because she's been running without stalls or derailments. Fingers crossed.

It's downright exhhilerating for me solve a problem like Sally. (Reminds me of the lyric in one of the songs in the Sound of Music: "how do you solve a problem like Maria").

I'm also excited about eliminating, or at least greatly reducing, the clutter on and about my layout. Too much clutter gets me depressed. My space is quite limited for my trains and layout in my half basement, so too much clutter is a big problem for me. A long term solution would be to sell what I rarely run (I've hardly ever sold anything), which would reduce clutter and free up space. My recent short term solution, which is a positive development, is to better organize what I currently have, and store what I rarely run under the layout. Trains commonly run are either on the main lines or numerous sidings on top of, or in closets with shelves alongside, the layout.

Arnold

I'm building my long awaited yard, 10 lanes plus reversing loop, 11 turnouts.    It's in  separate room from the layout and I can't see the trains.  I've built the platform, run and terminated trunk wiring, created train access thru 10 inches of concrete, and have the beginnings of turnouts installed in the yard.  There are four logic modules:  1) turnout control, 2) track power control,, 3 )actual route turnout position and 4) lane occupancy.  Also have a camera and TV to observe yard train movement or lack there of.  Hoping to start building a rolling work platform over the yard to complete track and wiring installation.

@trainroomgary posted:

Been thinking about living on an Amtrak Train for 30 days. $499.00

Hope to see you out rail-fanning. Gary 🚂

Sounds terrific for train lovers like us.

@MELGAR posted:

I find the hobby to have so many areas of interest that my momentary focus changes frequently. I study, read about and model five railroads primarily: New Haven; Boston & Albany; Boston & Maine; Long Island; and New York Central. All it takes is one new model locomotive or rolling-stock purchase to make me pull out the books and read whatever I can find on that subject and its railroad. My layouts were completed years ago, but while they were under construction, I read incessantly about these railroads so that I could buy modelling products to build structures and terrain to represent them. During layout construction and after completion, I've occupied myself by writing articles for publication in OGR Magazine. But I must confess that I'm running out of topics. Of course, the OGR Forum is a favorite and I post photos and videos on "Switcher Saturday" every week. That activity keeps me busy shuffling model trains on and off the layouts during the week. I also spend a fair amount of time looking for model trains online and reading about the latest offerings. The hobby provides lots of ways to occupy myself, spend money, and in which to be interested. But I try to remain calm and not to get too excited about anything in particular - except when one of my favorite engines needs service or repair. Then I get busy right away.

MELGAR

Melgar, you are an inspiration for many of us. Arnold

@Hot Water posted:

Sorry but, I exited the hobby and got rid of the layout and sold everything through Stout Auctions.

Hot Water, you might enjoy visiting a layout with a football field, or better yet, joining or visiting a train club with a baseball field.

Anyone with a baseball field on their layout might post photos or videos of it on the Forum for Hot Water to see it. I'm a baseball nut, so I have done that many times showing my Popsicle Stick Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds.  Arnold

I am probably most-excited to start building my first permanent layout. Been designing for close to a year and finally have something I'm satisfied with. Thinking about benchwork design now and have started buying the tools needed. Getting closer and closer, one step at a time!

@0-Gauge CJ posted:

I am probably most-excited to start building my first permanent layout. Been designing for close to a year and finally have something I'm satisfied with. Thinking about benchwork design now and have started buying the tools needed. Getting closer and closer, one step at a time!

With the demise of our club layout, I also have decided to build my first home layout.  I\made up my plans, I puchased the plywood and I just need to pick up 1 X 4s for supports below the plywood.  The only thing holding me up, I have to clear out all the empty train boxes.  I need to find a lot of space for these boxes or I have trash everything but the engines boxes.. 

I am most excited for the Lionel Iron Hippo train set which will hopefully be here by this time next year.  That set contains the PRR I1sa #4483.  That is the first real (non-amusement-park) steam locomotive I ever saw.  My parents took me to see it when I was very small when it was on display at Westinghouse Air Brake in Wilmerding, PA.  I remember being very impressed.  It is also one of the very few train-related memories I have involving my mother (she passed away when I was 7).  For years, I had been hoping MTH would do it when they still had the tooling, and it kind of puzzled me that they never did a model of the only survivor of the class.  But now, getting one with Legacy, I am over the moon!

Andy

I am excited that despite changes in the economy and the demographics of the hobby, we have at least four O gauge three rail companies producing rolling stock and locomotives. Lionel also continues to produce catalogs that rival those of any in the past or current history of the hobby in size and variety, with lots of innovative concepts.  When I see the Lionel, LGB, Rapido and Marklin catalogs/new product these days, it's pretty reassuring and exciting to see what they come up with.  So the near future is looking pretty good all around for model railroading.

I also find the enthusiasm and energy of the young social media influencers in the hobby to be exciting.  Their podcasts and Youtube videos are terrific. I also am excited to receive at least four major model railroading magazines every month or two, as I really enjoy print media.  I'm pleased to receive publications from several model railroad clubs every quarter or few months. The hobby is richer with information available from online and hard copy sources than ever.

I am excited to check the OGR Forum each morning and see what folks are up to or thinking.

Another great query, Arnold.  I am most excited about "finishing" (are we ever truly done?) my layout last fall after 8 years of construction, with the possibility that an article, which describes that construction, I submitted to O Gauge Railroading magazine may get published!  It's a double reversing main line on the lower level with 7 freight consists on various spurs and an around the room double main line on the upper level with 3 passenger consists including a spur.  Lots of vintage Lionel operating accessories to rekindle my youth.  Engaged the grandkids throughout construction, hence, it's the GFRR - Grandpa's Funtastic RailRoad, but now they are into video games more then operation.  Still "funtastic" for me!

Michael

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Hot Water, you might enjoy visiting a layout with a football field, or better yet, joining or visiting a train club with a baseball field.

Anyone with a baseball field on their layout might post photos or videos of it on the Forum for Hot Water to see it. I'm a baseball nut, so I have done that many times showing my Popsicle Stick Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds.  Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

As I have told you several times before. I am a life-long Yankee fan!!!! I LOVE your representation of Yankee stadium with Monument Park in-play in center field and Don Larsen pitching the only perfect game in World Series history with my favorite baseball player of all time, Yogi Berra behind the plate. I don't remember the Polo Grounds, unfortunately, where Willie Mays the most amazing catch in center field. I wish that I had enough real estate on my platform to put a baseball field in my in-progress, redesigned layout. I will try to ae least include the facade of Yankee Stadium with lines of fans at the ticket windows. Department 56 made a GREAT facade, with ticket windows, years ago in their "Christmas in the City" ceramic building series. Previously owned ones are rather expensive, but if I can make the space work I may splurge and buy one.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

It could be a locomotive, train car, or something about your layout or anything on it.

It could be something brand new or ancient.

It could also be about the comraderie you have with a fellow model railroader or group of them.

I will give this subject more some thought and post something in a little while.

Arnold

Arnold,

Hope is what I have to look forward to.  I am working on the layout so little that I have to use canned air to dust before I start again.  In this hobby, I have never been 100% happy with any one item, or of my personal modeling skills.

    For me, it's never been about what is.  It's always about what could be.  Every time I look at the benchwork, I see a new future.  That's what keeps me interested.

The last time I got really excited about a model train item was when Lionel announced their new remote engine control system called TMCC.  At the time, I was running conventional O gauge trains with my brother and father-in-law as a way to do something with them, but I personally thought it somewhat boring.  TMCC sounded like something that was going to change the hobby.

What would get me excited now?  An easy way to open any coupler anywhere on the layout without having to memorize a name or scroll through a list.  Something like a laser pointer to hit the end of a car to open that coupler.  As an operator, that would get me excited.

I'm excited for a lot!

• Getting the blast furnace models completed and set up on my layout. It has been YEARS of research and tinkering to make and hopefully I can sell some kits to fund building the layout
• Getting my trackwork done
• The CAB3 system
• The Triplex rumors
• The Youtube crowd

I think there is a lot to be excited about in the hobby at the moment and I know there is a lot of great stuff happening in my basement! The activity will be winding down a bit for me here as summer approaches but I'm sure we'll have some rainy days for me to work on the layout. Plus I'm on OGR almost daily!

Great thread @Arnold D. Cribari and as mentioned above, your stadium is top notch. It absolutely captures the essence of a baseball stadium experience for me. I'm not much of a fan of baseball on TV but I love going to the ball park to watch the Pirates lose play

I believe Rodney Carrington sang a song about them.   I'm also looking forward to the draft.  As a Bears fan, my hopes are high until the season opener.  

Coming up with a Forum topic that is well received by you Forum folks always gets me excited.

the lionel fast fright lionchief set i'll hopefully be getting later this year plus the add on maxi stack

any engine that Cori from lionel does crew talk for hope she does the voice for the fast fright set Pretty please

anything Halloween or graffiti

the 2024 vision line locomotive reveal

the 2023 vol 2 catalog

any future catalog

any future technology in the hobby

my YOUTUBE channel hitting the 50 subscriber mark

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Coming up with a Forum topic that is well received by you Forum folks always gets me excited.

@Arnold D. Cribari

Arnold:

You are the OGR Forum Grand Poohbah Of great thread topics! They are always thought provoking and stimulate our creativity. Bravo!!!!

I have had many false starts (and life interruptions) in building "The Layout". But I am excited today about a new footprint I can build from what I have. I am going from a 4 X 14 footprint to a U shaped with 2 6' extensions and a 30" by 6' middle.  It will be built on height adjustable folding tables to allow me to sit and work on it as opposed to crawling underneath.  Getting down is easy  getting up off the floor is not!

@Michael Pags posted:

Another great query, Arnold.  I am most excited about "finishing" (are we ever truly done?) my layout last fall after 8 years of construction, with the possibility that an article, which describes that construction, I submitted to O Gauge Railroading magazine may get published!  It's a double reversing main line on the lower level with 7 freight consists on various spurs and an around the room double main line on the upper level with 3 passenger consists including a spur.  Lots of vintage Lionel operating accessories to rekindle my youth.  Engaged the grandkids throughout construction, hence, it's the GFRR - Grandpa's Funtastic RailRoad, but now they are into video games more then operation.  Still "funtastic" for me!

Michael

Wow neat looking.  I hope OGR publishes it.  I look forward to seeing how this is all in that space.  Don't post anymore pics.  I don't want to jeopardize your possible submission.

@paigetrain posted:

my YOUTUBE channel hitting the 50 subscriber mark

I just did my part (#47).  Now get working on some content! 

I am still excited about getting my paws on a McKeen car "kit", and to get it built, after misplacing some parts. and having to fabricate replacements, originals now found, so it awaits a rebuild, but is and was the Holy Grail of my envisioned short line.   Who knows, maybe this plastic printing technology will produce Mack railbuses, and some of the other critters in the broad spectrum of railroad history?  Why should three-railers be left out?

I am very excited about designing and installing a working signal system on my layout.  This was a goal when I built my current layout and I am finally ready to tackle it.  We want to be able to run trains by the signals just like a real railroad.   I have started running trains bidirectionally and this will be a big asset in controlling them and preventing collisions.  Plus signals are one of the coolest features on a layout in my opinion.

Art