Covering Our Tracks
November 2, 2014 1:12 PM Subscribe
Covering Our Tracks "My son and I are building an HO scale model train layout. [...] We have a long way to go. This project will involve carpentry, electrical wiring, building and soldering a control panel, laying track, model building, landscaping, painting, and, most of all, patience. Some of these skills we have, some we can learn, others we'll just do the best we can." [via mefi projects]
Wish I had had a father like him. Actually, any father.
posted by notreally at 1:49 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by notreally at 1:49 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
All I can say is "fucking awesome". Not very eloquent, but there you are.
posted by C.A.S. at 1:57 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by C.A.S. at 1:57 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Wish I had had a father like him.
This kind of 'Dad Porn' is one of my favourite genres.
posted by colie at 1:59 PM on November 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
This kind of 'Dad Porn' is one of my favourite genres.
posted by colie at 1:59 PM on November 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
Very cool!
posted by benito.strauss at 2:04 PM on November 2, 2014
posted by benito.strauss at 2:04 PM on November 2, 2014
I used to lust over the model railroad postings every month in Boy's Life...
posted by jim in austin at 2:24 PM on November 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 2:24 PM on November 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
Ah, Boys Life.....all the fishing, bb gun, scouting, model making, cycling, and camping articles you'd ever want. Plus the ads in the back for the plans to make a hovercraft out of a vacuum. I always wanted to know someone brave enough to make the hovercraft.
posted by C.A.S. at 4:08 PM on November 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by C.A.S. at 4:08 PM on November 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
In the early 70's I had a giant HO scale locomotive, with track and cars. You could put this pill thing in the locomotive and it would smoke, sorta, like an old coal fueled locomotive if you had an imagination. The smoke was white and reluctant. Besides a bicycle it was the coolest thing a child could have back then.
I had a figure 8 track with a bridge thing but not enough cars to cause a collision at the intersection.
It was a bit dangerous. If you pressed your hands down on the tracks firmly you would get 120 volts, especially if you had the transformer on maximum.
Small things are fun. You can control the world. It will come as no suprise to those that know me that I relished crashing the train, over and over.
posted by vapidave at 4:14 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
I had a figure 8 track with a bridge thing but not enough cars to cause a collision at the intersection.
It was a bit dangerous. If you pressed your hands down on the tracks firmly you would get 120 volts, especially if you had the transformer on maximum.
Small things are fun. You can control the world. It will come as no suprise to those that know me that I relished crashing the train, over and over.
posted by vapidave at 4:14 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not sure I will get to this level, but definitely one of the pros of having a kid who's into trains, lego, matchbox cars, etc., is doing all this stuff all over again. We just had a weekend playing train crashes, wooden railway so far, but it was totally fun.
posted by carter at 4:19 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by carter at 4:19 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm super jealous. I'm the custodian of Lionel train collections from both sides of the family, but there is never really enough space to lay them out. I put them around the Christmas tree every year, but I wish I had enough basement space for a permanent installation.
Some of them need some work, so if you want to try your hand at electric motor repair I'd be happy to bring the over anddrink beer help out.
posted by backseatpilot at 4:58 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
Some of them need some work, so if you want to try your hand at electric motor repair I'd be happy to bring the over and
posted by backseatpilot at 4:58 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
Holy wow, I made the front page. This is kind of amazing and also a little bit frightening.
This project was a long time coming, mostly coming from a school project my son did on model railroading. From there we decided to commit to building a layout and it's been quite the commitment so far. As the project page says, we have a long way to go.
Wish I had had a father like him. Actually, any father.
My dad never really did much with me. Having a kid allows me to break that cycle of neglect and make up for what I lost. My philosophy throughout has been "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."
You should build the Simpsons' house as well.
That's actually a really good idea! After I get done with my childhood house, my current house, the former Carling brewery, and maybe a Twinkie factory I may tackle that.
In truth, after I build the first house I will probably see something shiny, take a break from model building and then return to it some time in 2016.
I wish I had enough basement space for a permanent installation.
I am super, super lucky to have a rather large, clean, dry, new basement. I've used most of it up though so it was actually kind of hard to find a spot for the train.
Some of them need some work, so if you want to try your hand at electric motor repair I'd be happy to bring the over and drink beer help out.
You're on. Bring 'em over. I don't really know much about repairing trains either but I will drink beer and attempt a repair. At the very least, when you mix beer with a soldering iron you're sure to have a great time.
posted by bondcliff at 5:22 PM on November 2, 2014 [22 favorites]
This project was a long time coming, mostly coming from a school project my son did on model railroading. From there we decided to commit to building a layout and it's been quite the commitment so far. As the project page says, we have a long way to go.
Wish I had had a father like him. Actually, any father.
My dad never really did much with me. Having a kid allows me to break that cycle of neglect and make up for what I lost. My philosophy throughout has been "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."
You should build the Simpsons' house as well.
That's actually a really good idea! After I get done with my childhood house, my current house, the former Carling brewery, and maybe a Twinkie factory I may tackle that.
In truth, after I build the first house I will probably see something shiny, take a break from model building and then return to it some time in 2016.
I wish I had enough basement space for a permanent installation.
I am super, super lucky to have a rather large, clean, dry, new basement. I've used most of it up though so it was actually kind of hard to find a spot for the train.
Some of them need some work, so if you want to try your hand at electric motor repair I'd be happy to bring the over and drink beer help out.
You're on. Bring 'em over. I don't really know much about repairing trains either but I will drink beer and attempt a repair. At the very least, when you mix beer with a soldering iron you're sure to have a great time.
posted by bondcliff at 5:22 PM on November 2, 2014 [22 favorites]
Plus the ads in the back for the plans to make a hovercraft out of a vacuum. I always wanted to know someone brave enough to make the hovercraft.
I ordered those plans! And was very disappointed to find out that it was basically the equivalent of flipping over an air hockey table.
posted by mikurski at 12:28 AM on November 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
I ordered those plans! And was very disappointed to find out that it was basically the equivalent of flipping over an air hockey table.
posted by mikurski at 12:28 AM on November 3, 2014 [3 favorites]
Ah, Boys Life.....all the fishing, bb gun, scouting, model making, cycling, and camping articles you'd ever want.
Boys Life was awesome. Way, way better than Nuns Life. Way better.
posted by Naberius at 6:13 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
Boys Life was awesome. Way, way better than Nuns Life. Way better.
posted by Naberius at 6:13 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
My dad is 70-something, and just last week he said he was thinking of busting out his track & trains and making a new layout, which he hasn't done since…the 1980s, maybe. Which made me so happy!
When I was a kid he had AWESOME layouts for his HO-scale trains. Once my mom gave him a small pack of tiny, preciously-cute Z-scale gear from Germany, and we were happy just to set it up on the table and watch it run in circles (much like those videos of pet hedgehogs). But the HO stuff was the best because you could get tiny people and kits for making buildings, but you could also get yer God on and make an entire countryside out of wire and plaster and pigment and trees and stuff.
Occasionally Dad lent me his skills at landscaping for various projects: he made display bases for the gaming miniatures I painted for a local comic shop, for example, and once I turned in The Best Diorama Evar!!1! at school. But his own layouts, built on 4'x8' sheets of plywood, were things of tilt-shift beauty, and I would be delighted to hear that he was getting back into it so my nieces & nephews could experience some of that magic like I did.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:16 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
When I was a kid he had AWESOME layouts for his HO-scale trains. Once my mom gave him a small pack of tiny, preciously-cute Z-scale gear from Germany, and we were happy just to set it up on the table and watch it run in circles (much like those videos of pet hedgehogs). But the HO stuff was the best because you could get tiny people and kits for making buildings, but you could also get yer God on and make an entire countryside out of wire and plaster and pigment and trees and stuff.
Occasionally Dad lent me his skills at landscaping for various projects: he made display bases for the gaming miniatures I painted for a local comic shop, for example, and once I turned in The Best Diorama Evar!!1! at school. But his own layouts, built on 4'x8' sheets of plywood, were things of tilt-shift beauty, and I would be delighted to hear that he was getting back into it so my nieces & nephews could experience some of that magic like I did.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:16 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
At the very least, when you mix beer with a soldering iron you're sure to have a great time fire, so much fire, oh god, the burning.
posted by maryr at 9:08 AM on November 3, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by maryr at 9:08 AM on November 3, 2014 [5 favorites]
The one thing I saw from the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Days was the Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club. The are having another open house on the 16th of November.
These guys take the train conducting very very seriously.
posted by srboisvert at 10:37 AM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
These guys take the train conducting very very seriously.
posted by srboisvert at 10:37 AM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
Respect!
posted by Kevin Street at 12:48 PM on November 3, 2014
posted by Kevin Street at 12:48 PM on November 3, 2014
Brings back so many happy memories of doing the same with my Dad.
The guy that used to repair our car had a layout in a caravan next to his workshop. If we had time I was allowed to have a look, for a five year old kid it was just magical. I remember being taken to a model exhibition and all the really fancy layouts and just being blown away by the detail and cool track designs.
We were lucky living near York, so could visited the national railway museum whenever I convinced my parents. Seeing the full size engines up close was great. I still have a love for heavy engineering.
I haven't had a layout for years but I'm so glad the current generation is still experiencing this.
posted by Z303 at 3:39 PM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
The guy that used to repair our car had a layout in a caravan next to his workshop. If we had time I was allowed to have a look, for a five year old kid it was just magical. I remember being taken to a model exhibition and all the really fancy layouts and just being blown away by the detail and cool track designs.
We were lucky living near York, so could visited the national railway museum whenever I convinced my parents. Seeing the full size engines up close was great. I still have a love for heavy engineering.
I haven't had a layout for years but I'm so glad the current generation is still experiencing this.
posted by Z303 at 3:39 PM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
Wish I had had a father like him.
I had one of those fathers. (Still do, I suppose.) The guy was a pain in the arse. Always trying to get me up and doing practical things when I just wanted to be left alone with my books.
I love watching this shit on the internet though. I love the obsessive compulsive nature of the people who do it.
I'm just glad I don't have to live with them any more.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:03 AM on November 4, 2014
I had one of those fathers. (Still do, I suppose.) The guy was a pain in the arse. Always trying to get me up and doing practical things when I just wanted to be left alone with my books.
I love watching this shit on the internet though. I love the obsessive compulsive nature of the people who do it.
I'm just glad I don't have to live with them any more.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:03 AM on November 4, 2014
Ultimate Dad must surely be the father of Brian May, who built him an electric guitar out of an old fireplace and some motorbike parts that he went on to play for his entire career.
posted by colie at 11:22 AM on November 4, 2014
posted by colie at 11:22 AM on November 4, 2014
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And Neil Young
posted by IndigoJones at 1:43 PM on November 2, 2014 [2 favorites]