Toy train dorks?

Jim K

Jim K

360 For Spacing
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Richard Digits
This house we moved into has a full basement. It also had the 4x8 train tables I built, but never actually set up, 30 years ago. I thought I was going to build a layout for my Lionel trains back then, but then discovered cars, motorcycles, and girls, mostly in that order.

So I've been schlepping these toy trains around in boxes between the last 4 houses. I got the basement organized and managed to leave a huge gaping train table sized hole in the middle. I've been giving the 3D printer a helluva workout, and have taught myself enough Fusion to more or less make what I want.

For an aviation connection, here's a couple cars I've been working on:

IMG_20250101_144729136.jpg

Both were Ebay finds. The Bonanza car was supposed to be NIB, but the racks to hold the planes were missing. The other one came in a lot of broken stuff with broken wheel trucks and no capsules. 3D printer to the rescue. I'm also working on printing the trestles so I can have an elevated track and a ground level track. BTW...where has super glue accelerator been all my life?

Of course all this progress will probably come to a grinding halt when the RV kit arrives, but it's been a nice distraction. The eventual goal is to integrate the trains and the kids' completed Lego kits.
 
I can't imagine the amount of 3D printer files you can find to enhance the model train hobby. @baboss and my grandfather was a big HO gauge train hobbyist back when we were growing up. The ability to create the stuff you need via Fusion and then print it takes the hobby to the next level. I've been 3D printing for a few years now, and struggling to learn Fusion even though I know I need to just sit down and watch the videos and learn it. Good stuff!
 
Years ago, a relative gave me a few boxes of 80s Bachmann HO scale stuff, but I ended up giving it all away when my kids got into Lego trains. A few months ago, I rescued a discarded Ikea table from a nearby alley. I finally got around to turning it into a train table this week...
 
I have all of my dad’s trains, and a layout. But it hasn’t been used in years as my kiddo never took any interest and we have other hobbies instead.
 
Was a train dork when I was young. Nice HO layout on two connected 4x8 tables. A nice mainline that used piers to cross itself, and two reversing loops. With another person who knew what they were doing you could get two nice longer trains running at once.

Now I’m just an old trainless dork.
 
My Dad and I built an HO layout back in the late 60s and early 70s. Eventually I got distracted and it was more his thing than mine, but I still pitched in with building and maintenance from time to time through high school, and did run trains through my teens and on occasion after I left home. Eventually some of my nephews and a brother-in-law got more interested. After Dad's passing, the entire thing went to a brother-in-law and nephew, where it's been since 2005 or 06.

Fast forward to last week; during our family Christmas get-together, we find that my now ex BIL has the set dismantled, his kids have taken what they wanted for "sentimental" reasons, and he's looking for a place to donate it. Oh, hell no. My youngest now has a 4 and a 6 year old, and a huge basement. It's going to their house, and I'll be helping to rebuild and restore it to working condition. God only knows what we'll have to replace, and I haven't looked at the HO train landscape for decades now, but I'm going to guess this won't be cheap or easy. The layout was 4' x 8'; it may end up a bit larger.

I remember the two biggest challenges we had were keeping the copper track rails clean, and those bloody weak little solenoid switch actuators that often decided not to switch quite all the way. Taking a quick look, it looks like there are at least new options for those, which is good news.
 
Yeah, those things would buzz loudly and only switch part way. When you heard the buzz it was time to replace the solenoid.

I imagine one can do all kinds of computer controlled stuff now.
 
Bill said:
Yeah, those things would buzz loudly and only switch part way. When you heard the buzz it was time to replace the solenoid.

I imagine one can do all kinds of computer controlled stuff now.
Click to expand...
Having done extensive work with embedded microcontrollers, servos, and all that stuff I can imagine a ton of stuff I could do to automate the layout. I'm going to work very hard to avoid doing that... it'd be fun for me and would teach the kids nothing more than "Push button, watch something go". They get quite enough of that, and I have plenty of my own hobbies - no need to ruin theirs.
 
A few years ago we went to NYC for the Macy’s Parade. We had some spare time so we visited the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Gardens.

www.nybg.org

Holiday Train Show & NYBG GLOW Are Just Around the Bend!

Holiday Train Nights Adults 21+: November 23, 29, 30; December 7, 13, 14, 29; January 4, 11, & 18 All Ages: December 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, & 28 Enter a winter wonderland unlike any other at the Holiday Train Show, where cherished seasonal traditions find a home in…
www.nybg.org www.nybg.org

Those folks are real toy train dorks, but it was cool seeing it.
 
DaleB said:
Having done extensive work with embedded microcontrollers, servos, and all that stuff I can imagine a ton of stuff I could do to automate the layout.
Click to expand...
Same. I instantly start to think about all the sensors and logic I could put in to make it increasingly more elaborate :)
 
Dad and I got into HO model trains when I was a kid. We had a 4x8 layout and were planning a somewhat larger "ultimate" layout when we discovered R/C airplanes and that was the end of the trains. Still have all the train stuff in boxes in the attic where it's stayed except for a few years when the kids were young I ran a train around the Christmas tree with coal cars full of candy. Next year I may do that again for our granddaughter.
 
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