Mind Bending Model RR Build Thread

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caveduck

semi old rocketeer
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This is for people with secret model railroad tendencies. Everyone else can ignore, though you'll be missing something very cool. :wink:

I just tumbled across this German-prototype (by one Michael Rose living in Florida) HO scale model RR build thread: https://forum.reynaulds.com/forum_p...the-breitenbach-rosenheim-railroad-version-ii while indulging some of my non-rocketry interests. A few things of note:

  • The pace this guy works at is absolutely boggling. He has filled a huge room with pro level benchwork, lighting, backdrops and some roadbed in just under 4 months.
  • The LED strip lighting he uses provides about 3x more light than his previous fairly dense array of fluorescent lights. Perhaps instructional to people lighting their workshops (like me).
  • He references a wood board product called Taskboard https://www.taskboard.com/ It's a wood-based art fiberboard available in 1/32, 1/16 and 1/8" thicknesses. I don't recall ever seeing it referenced here, but I think it would make a great low/medium density laser-cut fin core for glassing MPR size models.
 
if I had the room to do it, I would easily get into railroading because of seeing layouts like this when I was a kid.
 
That's going to be one hell of a layout.
When I was a kid my Dad had a layout that took up about 2/3 of the basement. I remember sitting on one end of the table working on rockets and Dad sitting at the other end working on model RR stuff. I'd love to have a layout but rockets take up any space I could use.
 
GOOD GRIEF.

That dude has some serious cash.

Go look up prices for task board. I bet he has at least $1k wrapped up in just that material alone - probably more. Makes me wonder how much that entire project cost...
 
GOOD GRIEF.

That dude has some serious cash.

Go look up prices for task board. I bet he has at least $1k wrapped up in just that material alone - probably more. Makes me wonder how much that entire project cost...
Also consider that he seems to be purchasing all new trains almost at once just for this layout... For a normal human that is stuff that would be accumulated over years.
 
Also consider that he seems to be purchasing all new trains almost at once just for this layout... For a normal human that is stuff that would be accumulated over years.

Yeah I just started glancing around the 'net to get a rough idea of cost of those little thingy's and good googly moogly...This project has to be what, $50k - 70k total?

If I could spend that kinda cashola on rocketry I'd go to Black Rock at least once a year in a camper and fly lotsa M's and N's.
 
I have a friend living in my area that has over $2,000,000 (yes that's right it has been appraised and insured) in HO trains. Obviously most all pristine and boxed. Although he has a rather extensive track layout also. It is all housed in a high-security, climate-controlled FSI building. Looks like a modern warehouse in there with shelving, all items tagged with exact locations in a database.
 
I have a friend living in my area that has over $2,000,000 (yes that's right it has been appraised and insured) in HO trains. Obviously most all pristine and boxed. Although he has a rather extensive track layout also. It is all housed in a high-security, climate-controlled FSI building. Looks like a modern warehouse in there with shelving, all items tagged with exact locations in a database.

What is his motivation behind collecting in this way/to this extent? I'm not asking with any snark, but just because I don't understand what the motivation is.
 
Same as any other collecting. He likes having it and/or he anticipates value appreciation.

What is his motivation behind collecting in this way/to this extent? I'm not asking with any snark, but just because I don't understand what the motivation is.
 
Same as any other collecting. He likes having it and/or he anticipates v<script id="gpt-impl-0.3131452887298798" src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/gpt/pubads_impl_107.js"></script>alue appreciation.

Lego is going that route too. I'm sure half the boxes bought by the older crowd are going to sit in a basement for 10+ years.. I got tired of the AFOL Lego FB page which was just that.. "Look what I got!!": one box (kit) to build, one or two boxes to 'part out' on their Lego parts store page, and one or two boxes as "investments" especially the Star Wars and other movie / licenced themes..

I do appreciate a nice HO layout too. that guy is going about it whole-hog!!! he might have won a lotto, he might have lost the previous iteration, maybe he's a licenced builder...
 
GOOD GRIEF.

That dude has some serious cash.

Go look up prices for task board. I bet he has at least $1k wrapped up in just that material alone - probably more. Makes me wonder how much that entire project cost...

yeah,im thinkin its beyond a hobby and borderline addiction.
glad i dont have that problem in rocketry.
its my lie i'll tell it like i want!:kill:
 
yeah,im thinkin its beyond a hobby and borderline addiction.
Not having a collector's mentality myself, I tend to think that about all collectors. Never made much sense to me, but to each their own.

In general, if you combine collector's mentality with substantial disposable income, you end up with crazy situations like that.
 
Exactly. It's because he can...


Steve Shannon

Yes both Peter Olivia and Steve are correct. He does trades and auctions from time-to-time and does see the market appreciating. It's crazy actually. I've been to a couple auctions with him (model train only mind you) and not only do you have active local bidders but 10X that number bidding from Japan, Russia, Brazil, etc.
 
Yes both Peter Olivia and Steve are correct. He does trades and auctions from time-to-time and does see the market appreciating. It's crazy actually. I've been to a couple auctions with him (model train only mind you) and not only do you have active local bidders but 10X that number bidding from Japan, Russia, Brazil, etc.

Fair enough, to each his own. I'm about to drop a huge (for me) amount of money on parachutes for my L3 project, and 99.99% of people would think what I'm spending on that entire project is absolutely insane (I may be one of them actually), so who am I to judge.
 
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I'm not trying to derail the thread. The originally posted build is epic. I can't imagine how much time he is putting into that project to build that fast.
 
Fair enough.

Now saying that he's also nearly 80 years old. I know and work with his granddaughter and also know his grandson, both are thoroughly disinterested in any inheritance of model trains, land and cash yes, model trains, no. Goes to show, you should have some type of living will (which he probably does BTW) to specify disposal of assets. For example, I have specific instructions on who my wife should contact upon my passing to have my tons of rocketry "junk" transfer to and auctioned off for the benefit of a local club.
 
I had a Lionel L shaped layout 16' x 10' x 7' and I had over $60,000 invested in it.
Shot of Diesel in front of the station.


I had over $2000 invested in this 3 x 6 door sized N scale layout.

nscaletrain.jpg

SCAN0010.jpg
 
I had a layout when I was a kid. It was stupid expensive back then.
Then I discovered rockets.
It was a more realistic hobby for a 10 year old dollar wise.
I've got tons of books, many on layouts.
I was going to get back into it at one time, that's why I bought the books.
But, cost again was too much for me.

I do enjoy a good you tube video when the the cam is on top of the engine for a run around the track.
And I prefer the steam engines vs the diesels.
Pre war era stuff is getting harder to find these days.
They do have clubs out there where everyone contributes to one large layout.
People can even come in and work on scenery if they like.
They usually have a designated rented or purchased building.
 
I had a layout when I was young. 2 actually. One when I was a pre-teen. Dad's idea to "bond" I guess. And the 2nd was post-divorce, so again, dad's idea to "bond". I still have a box of track, a box of old beat-up buildings, and all my locos & cars are displayed in dedicated wall hanging shelf thingie. I do intend to build myself a layout.. one day.. When I have more space!! (Although a small switching shelf lay-out is a realistic thought!)

And, of all the hobby magazines available, Model railroader is probably the only one I buy regularly. (and Digital camera World from the UK) Rocketry I get thru NAR, R/C airplane mags have been going downhill since RCM folded.. stained glass comes out quarterly. Lego mags are few & far between & hard to find..
 
I have a friend living in my area that has over $2,000,000 (yes that's right it has been appraised and insured) in HO trains.

For that kind of money, he could probably.. ya know.. buy a real train :)

With that being said, I enjoyed reading through the build thread posted at the top. I'm not a model train guy, but it's nice to see that amount of craftmanship put into his hobby.
 
I'm not a model train guy, but it's nice to see that amount of craftmanship put into his hobby.
Agreed! I feel the same way. I have a few hobbies that I try and do the best job I can in, and I'd like to think that if I tried to create a room full of train stations I'd be able to do something even close to this. I'm very excited to see how it turns out and I'm not a train guy at all, although I do like watching them.
 
I have the original Atlas Layout design software somewhere on a CD.
It came on a 3.5" floppy.
Atlas Right Track I think it's called.
Very basic, but it came out shortly after the conversion from 5.25" floppy's to 3.5".
I'm sure there is much better design layout software out there now.
Atlas was an HO only back then, not even sure they are still in the game.
It's fun just to see how much track and different levels you can fit into one area and not exceed 4% grade.
 
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