Bill,
That is an amazing piece. I have always loved trains. As a kid, I not only had models, but drew them constantly. Even now as an old fart, I still love the trains. Although I only have one more modern large scale train set but with enough track to go through several rooms of a house.
The construction and attention to detail of this is simply amazing. Thanks very much for sharing this. Would like to see some more of your hobby.
Patrick
You should understand I have several pieces of brass. My interest is more toward the mechanical aspect of the hobby. I have a layout, of sorts, that allows me to run a locomotive or car that I have built or updated. Most of my models go beyond 'vintage' to antique or archaic. I often acquire a locomotive or tender as seperate items and mix and match as suits
me. Steam is my area of interest,
I don't have any modern diesel models, even plastic. The 'Russian' was a 'spur of the moment' purchase with a very low starting bid where I could play. The 'Russian' is far too large for my modeling, most of my stable represents a backwoods, deep south, depression era road that is hanging on by the skin of their teeth. There are several Mantua (pre-TYCO) models with brass boilers. Both 2-6-0s and 4-4-0 'Belle of the 80s'. They quit making them sometime in the 1950s. Another piece is a NWSL logger that dates around 1965. So old that NWSL has no record if it. I found it cheap, with a bent frame and some other problems. After straightening the frame and remotoring, it runs, sort of. As noisy as a 12":1' loco, but it stays on the track now.
My interest goes back to childhood, before I started school. Somewhere around age 10 (1960ish) I made the transition from toys to models. Essentially by myself, I didn't have a 'mentor' to call on 'til I was out of the service. My father had worked during the 'Great Depression' for Norfolk & Western. My maternal grandfather was a section hand for AGS (now Southern) around the same time. Guess it's in my blood.
Large scale has always fascinated me. I tried 1-1/2" scale, 7-1/2" guage, and still have some pieces. Just junk now, the 'good' stuff is gone. Even with a half acre back yard, not near enough room. And dealing with my chair puts such ideas out of reach these days. I never got into 'live steam',
steam is dangerous. NYC and PRR electrics though. . . run from a battery and a welder fed 'third rail'. Now that's railroading. . . I have been NMRA since 1971, went Life a couple of years later. Got my 50 year certificate a couple of months back. I feel like I belong even though I don't associate with the local 100% club. Always been a stand-alone sort. Not anti-social, just not very sociable.
.
