Large Scale Central

A Formal Introduction

General Discussion
#1

Hello all,

I am new to LSC and thought I would introduce myself. I model a freelance industrial 3ft narrow gauge line in 1:20.3 scale. Locale is somewhere in PA in the mid 1930’s, but still trying to figure out exactly where and what the name is. I am currently a college student, and I have been a large scaler since 8th grade, when I switched from ho scale. I am a life long lover of trains (particularly narrow gauge). I was first exposed to g scale at the B&O railroad museum in Baltimore at the age of four or five, but I was hooked on it a year or two later when I saw the Washington, Virginia and Maryland GRS display at Brookside Gardens. I ended up joining the WVMGRS and I am an active member. I am also a regular operator of Jim Strong’s Woodland Railway, where I befriended Kevin Strong. My roster is small as I don’t have loads of money and I try to decide exactly what would fit my railroad’s theme. I have an interest in kitbashing, and subsequently I can’t leave any new locomotive unmodified or untouched. It has to be different! :slight_smile:

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your group.

#2

Welcome aboard! As another guy doing this on a shoestring budget, there is a lot of fun to be had adapting local materials to meet your line’s needs! A newbie, I’ve learned a lot about how to do it from the members of this forum!

And now it is back to the garden!

Aloha,

Eric

#3

Welcome aboard Joe. I look forward to your creations(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#4

Welcome Joe.

Are you lucky enough to have an actual layout to run your trains or do you depend on the kindness of others? It’s quite ambitious to be both a student and a hobbyist.

With the advent of the web and sites such as eBay it is possible to acquire items for your railroad at reasonable prices. As with many things, it just takes diligence and patience. I also recommend attending model railroad shows and joining your local club as other methods to acquire needed items at reasonable cost.

Our tastes sort of parallel as I model a run down post-depression era narrow gauge short line. I’m a sucker for any geared loco and I’m lucky enough to have acquired most of the Bachmann versions. While the engines are 1:20.3, most of my rolling stock are in the other large scale sizes, mostly 1:22 and 1:24. I subscribe to the 10 foot rule and my ruler is made of rubber.

I started in model railroading in junior high school with HO and now that I’m older and retired I’ve moved to large scale since I no longer have the eyesight and steady hands of my youth. One of the “advantages” of large scale for me is that it forces me to be rather selective in acquiring items since they are often a bit pricey and, well large, and here on planet earth space is not infinite!

#5

Welcome aboard, Joe, and I think you befriended the right guy. He’s a got a good brain to pick as far as narrow gauge is concerned.

#6

Welcome to the MAD house… hehehe (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#7

Welcome, Joe. Don’t limit yourself to just kitbashing - think about scratchbuilding as well! Come on down to VA sometime and visit! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#8

Welcome Joe!

You could make your “locale” a 50 mile radius of the Pine Grove Furnace area and pretend that all them narrow gauge RR’s in that area made it into the 30’s ? I still pretend that the CVRR made it (actually it did as NS still uses their trackage).

#9

Welcome

 

#10

be welcome!

#11

Kitbashing and scratchbuilding are fun activities for a cheap (aka poor) college student. I spend my 2 years of a MA degree working on a few projects.

Welcome to the forum, and now I’m not officially the youngest anymore (33). (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#12

Welcome aboard!

#13

Welcome to the trainster’s crazy family.

Dennis

#14

Welcome Aboard.

#15

Andy Clarke said:

Welcome to the MAD house… hehehe (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

I couldn’t of said it any better !

#16

Hey Joe,

.

One more on our side never hurts. It never is a bad thing to be amongst friends.

#17

Strength in numbers?

#18

Not “Cheap”; resourceful might be a better and more friendly description…

Welcome…

Fred Mills

#19

Welcome Joe!

#20

Thank you all for your kind welcomes! Once my skills become more developed, I would like to scratchbuild. Until then, my arsenal of tools is also not developed, and I really struggle with cutting wood and styrene in a straight line. :frowning: