# How Long



## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

How long have you been into Garden Trains?

1 1-5 years

2 5-10

3 10-15

4 15-20 

5 20-25

6 25 years and more.

I been into G scale about 26 years


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

#1


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## Joe Bartolini (Jan 2, 2008)

6 years, going on 7. 
Discover G-railroad modeling in summer of 2003. Joined MLS that summer too. Just renewed my subscription. Have started building 4x8 modules out of treated 2x4s in a manner similar to Richard Smith. then it got way to hot to do anything. Will with luck complete Part 1 of layout this fall. Once it is up I will post pictures. 

Joe


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

about 16 years.... I think. But then I don't remember where I put the car keys yesterday....


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

#2 but I just broke the 5 year mark.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

#2 (9 years)


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

#1 - 3 yrs


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

23 years, but only three years in 1/20.3 narrow gauge.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

#6


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

#2, 9 years


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

#3 a little over 10... had a layout in one gauge or another since 1955. 

Greg


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## Truthman (Dec 13, 2008)

#2, 5 - 10 years. I also have had layouts in N, HO, S and O since the 1970's. 

Nate


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

#1; I inherited my fathers G gauge trains about 3 yrs ago. Before that I inherited my twinn uncles American Flyer trains back in 1965 and have had HO trains on and off since I was 2 or 3 yrs old.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

#2, I guess.


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## Al McEvoy (Jan 3, 2008)

#2 - 6 going on 7 years this fall.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

It was about 1979 when I got my first LGB starter set. It has been all downhill from there. I think that it was in the mid to late 80's when I moved the train outdoors. 

So my answer is #6.


Chuck


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

#5 25 years next year, Jill bought me my first large scale loco just after we got married. But I have had model RR's of all scales since about 1953.
Rod


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Don's just tring to see if he has the biggest number..... old man...


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I might be old, but young at heart! : )


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

3-4 years now...I think... 

(thats having them..actually running them, thanks to all the layout rebuilds...)


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## OzarkRR (Jan 2, 2008)

15 years


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Check #2


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rlvette on 08 Aug 2009 12:06 PM 
#1; I inherited my fathers G gauge trains about 3 yrs ago. Before that I inherited my twinn uncles American Flyer trains back in 1965 and have had HO trains on and off since I was 2 or 3 yrs old. 

Humm, maybe I should be listed as a #4 since I bought the Big Hauler set for my dad in around 1990. I also bought him the 2-4-2 UP Steamer and Gandy hand car. Since the layout was a table top, I helped dad wire the layout and I ran the trains when visiting.

Randy


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## jdm (Jul 19, 2009)

3 years


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

Outdoors, about 20, live steam for the past 12 years


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

#2


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

Going on 4 years.............Jim


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## MikeK (Jan 3, 2008)

#5, 21 years, when the LGB starter set first ran around under the Christmas tree....


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

# 5. 25 years next year.

I discovered LGB in 1985 and almost immediately wanted to battery R/C them.
I have been doing that ever since.

I actually had a 2 rail 00 layout in England around 1950 my Dad made for me after a visit to the Earls Court Model Railway exhibition the year before. He was in into building 3.5" gauge live steam.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

#2..Started out with a used Bachmann Santa fe nbr 51 to put up on a shelf in the train room from evil bay... Then after a week I fig. I needed some track and that's when it started to go out side. Then also found nbr. 49 to go with it. Been with Santa fe ever sense and lost count of what I have. laf. I think this ( Garden R.R. ) is worse hobby than the Ho trains I have been in sense 1952. Last few yrs. been selling off most of my Brass ho stuff.


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## Fred (Jan 2, 2008)

#4 I guess, bought the Bachman Big Hauler in April, 1990 while birthday shopping at TOYS R US for our 9 year old son - I had just read an article in the April MR by Russ Larson about outdoor railroading. I thought for $50 I'd give it a shot. (been very active in HO since 1961) Didn't know very much about this outdoor stuff, local hobby shop didn't even carry GR or anything about "G". Bought more plastic track, needless to say that was a giant waste of $$$ - finally in 1998 I got serious about it when my other son ( 10 at the time) and I got to go on a club's open house tour. With him as my "backup" we were able to secure funding from the chief financial officer (wife) and started up our outdoor railroad. Due to his interest we attended the Nat'l Conventions in Chicago (twice), Cincinnatti, and Denver. Our roster expanded as he asked for trains for his birthday and Christmas. In 2004 I sold off my HO equipment to fund conversion of my FA and RS-3 to RCS battery and to obtain more track. My son though lost interest while in high school, sports & working for the newspaper took up most of his time. I've continued to expand the layout. Although my oldest son has followed in my footsteps in that he too now works for the railroad, he never got involved in model railroading.


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## Santafe 2343 (Jan 2, 2008)

I would be in the #4 range. 17 years . I think the one that will have the highest number,when he chimes in, will be R.J. I figured it would be him, because he also holds the original formula for dirt.[/b]


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

my wife gave me my first LGB red and creme 3011 coach and a single piece of track for my birthday in 1985





so thats


24 years 





been accumulating ever since


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## Toney (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi

I bought my first engine, the SEG Mallet 2085D in 1982, it was the first Loco in correct dimensions manufactured by LGB Nuremberg. That is 27 years ago!
Have fun with your trains!


Toney


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I got my first large scale train (a Buddy L set) in December 2005, and started work on the permanent layout right after New Year's of 2006.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

#4 19 years. Ha Rex there is a few others here that know more about dirt than I.







I spent 40 years in the HO trains. Later RJD


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

#6 

Going on 26 years in "G" gauge. Started back in 1983 with an LGB starter set for Christmas.

We've only been outdoors for 8 years.

I still have that old starter set packed away in the box, but nothing from it is used on the current layout. Just keeping it for sentimental value I guess.


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

#5
24 years ago got my first LGB mogul.


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## thekollector (Jan 2, 2008)

1982, when my wife to be gave me a Blue Train set. I took the ball and ran! 

Jack


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

1981....saw LGB and fell in love. 

1985...Mamod in the garden... 

Insanity ever since!


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## GaryY (Jan 2, 2008)

#1 - 3rd season. Terrific fun. Wish I had started years ago.

Gary


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

35 years #7. - My older son was born in 1973. When he was a year and one half we figured he would not be able to put little HO trains on the track, so we bought the first LGB set in 1974. Yes, we have yellow boxes. The 27 year old son makes sure the outside layout runs every year. Yes, I am an old man now. The grand daughter takes care of Sesame Street, Thomas, and Eggliners at the Castle Layout.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

We're a #2, Donnie. We got back in HO in 1998 at the San Diego Model RR Club and then purchased a home in Prescott, AZ in 2000. Had no room for an HO layout and found we could run "G" outdoors on battery power. Purchased a Bachmann Big Hauler set, had it converted to batteries and R/C and it's been that way ever since. Moved to a better location 4 years ago, rebuilt the layout and it just keeps getting gooder and gooder.

Battery technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and the RCC equipment today gives us much better control of our trains with excellent range. Yup, it's getting funner and funner as well.


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## Robbie Hanson (Jan 4, 2008)

I started with the Lionel Thomas set in 1993 when I was three. A year later...."Mommy, real trains don't have faces" and I've degenerated from there. 

So let's say 15 years for this 19-year-old crazy


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

33 years. I started in 1976, at the age of 5. My family went to England in 1975 to visit my uncle who was stationed there with the Air Force, and saw LGB trains running in an outdoor exhibit in typical English weather (pouring down rain). Dad thought that was pretty cool, and was equally enchanted when we saw the trains for sale in a London toy store (Hamley's). When we got back stateside, dad sent his brother a check with the instructions to head to London at his next convenience and buy us some trains. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Later, 

K


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## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

Around 56 years! 
First train was by Tri-ang in OO gauge, stayed with this size for years until downsizing to N.After a few years with this I wanted someting with more detail and started in 7mm fine scale, mainly GWR. 
This was great fun with a number of scratch built locos built in brass from the Swindon drawings,still have these and will never part with them. 
About four years ago I graduated to 1.20 and have not looked back,got garden layout running this year for the first time with support from wife and interest from eldest grandson. 
A great hobby with many facets,meet great people too! 
Bunny


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Number 5.

Got my first LGB starter freight set in Dec. 1985. It had an R1 circle of track, the starter power pack, the Stainz (sp?) locomotive without smoke, the brown two-axle gondola car, the banana van, and four figures, including the engine driver. Still have the set, much modified. It will probably get Kadees sometime down the road. No "real" North American locomotive models available back then, but I think the red Mogul was out the next year. Have it as well. Still enjoying the ride.

As for toy/model trains. Got my first set when I was about 2 or 3 years old. Second-hand pre-war Lionel. Just got a close replica of that train this summer. That makes 60 years of playing with trains for me.

Best Wishes,
David Meashey


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## Joe McGarry (Jan 4, 2008)

Two years. Damn, wish I had started sooner. 

Hope I live long enough to get everything done that I want to do

Jeo


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Joe McGarry on 13 Aug 2009 05:28 PM 
Two years. Damn, wish I had started sooner. 

Hope I live long enough to get everything done that I want to do

Jeo

Joe.. I don't think we will ever _get our layouts done no matter how old we are.. 
Even my typing gets tired.....laf._


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

1998 for me still haven't even come close to what the TWO OL'e geezeers above me have done, but i keep on trucking and trying to get stuff done before i leave trainville here in West Ne.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I have had my eye on large scale since the eighties but just only took the plunge 3 years ago and I still haven't come up for air. 
Todd


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Dreamed till 2000 and acquired my LGB xmas set ... 

Committed to outdoors in 2009. 

In or out.. g scale is the best. 

gg


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