I grew up as a kid loving the big train garden my dad would set up at Christmas, but then hated taking it down in January. All the houses were hand made by my Great Grandfather, and the trains were a couple lionels my dad had bought.
I always said if I had the room, I'd build a big train garden that I could work on year round, and I'd make it realistic, not just lay down some parts and be done with it.
I now have a basement to do such in. But I stopped by HobbyTown USA and was pretty shocked at what this hobby can cost. $50 for a plastic house is highway robbery. So I decided if I was going to go forward, I wanted to build 90% of it from scratch.
I've been reading, mostly looking at the pictures, of alot of great stuff on these forums over the past week or so. I'm amazed at what people have been able to do. Over the weekend I started a small building to see if I'm capable of making a quality piece before I even start to plan a layout.
Here's what I've done so far.....I'll be working on the roof some more and painting it tonight.
http://www.the-gauge.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=26121&stc=1&d=1143501005(first two pictures)
This was my inspiration for the model. If/When I decide to do a layout I'm basing it on the Steel Mill and the town the Steel Mill built here in Sparrows Point.
(bottom picture)
I always said if I had the room, I'd build a big train garden that I could work on year round, and I'd make it realistic, not just lay down some parts and be done with it.
I now have a basement to do such in. But I stopped by HobbyTown USA and was pretty shocked at what this hobby can cost. $50 for a plastic house is highway robbery. So I decided if I was going to go forward, I wanted to build 90% of it from scratch.
I've been reading, mostly looking at the pictures, of alot of great stuff on these forums over the past week or so. I'm amazed at what people have been able to do. Over the weekend I started a small building to see if I'm capable of making a quality piece before I even start to plan a layout.
Here's what I've done so far.....I'll be working on the roof some more and painting it tonight.
http://www.the-gauge.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=26121&stc=1&d=1143501005(first two pictures)
This was my inspiration for the model. If/When I decide to do a layout I'm basing it on the Steel Mill and the town the Steel Mill built here in Sparrows Point.
(bottom picture)