Playing with Trains-The Book

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XavierJ123

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Dec 17, 2004
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Lexington, Kentucky
Has anybody besides me read the book? This was the book mentioned on the Sunday Morning TV segment about model trains. After reading a few pages, I didn't think I would like it; but then I really got into it and found it very enjoyable. Especially when he started talking about my hero John Allen and the Gorre and Daphetid. He even taught me how to pronounced it. I think he expresses very well what a lot of us have experienced in the hobby. I am trying to decide if I like him or not because he has the money to:
1. hire a carpenter to do the wood working on
the layout.
2. hire an electrician to wire his layout
3. hire a experienced train modeler to assist him and
lend his expertise.
4. buy a new steam locomotive everytime he visits
the LHS.
5. afford but passes on purchasing an out-of-print
$200 train book from the Red Caboose in NYC. Not
to worry his wife surprises him and gives it to him
for Christmas.
PS: I checked the book out of the local library. I won't tell you anymore. I am on page 92 of 217. I guess I shouldn't be jealous of people with lots of money. :oops:
 
XavierJ123 said:
1. hire a carpenter to do the wood working on
the layout.
2. hire an electrician to wire his layout
3. hire a experienced train modeler to assist him and
lend his expertise.
4. buy a new steam locomotive everytime he visits
the LHS.
5. afford but passes on purchasing an out-of-print
$200 train book from the Red Caboose in NYC. Not
to worry his wife surprises him and gives it to him
for Christmas.
PS: I checked the book out of the local library. I won't tell you anymore. I am on page 92 of 217. I guess I shouldn't be jealous of people with lots of money. :oops:
Click to expand...
1. Wheres the fun and enjoyment, if you pay someone to build it for you.
2. wheres his pleasure in the design coming to life at his own hands.
3. wheres the satifaction in the knowlage you did it.
4. wheres the freindship of the input from others(difarent to paying someone)..have a good one..steve
 
Indeed--my stock phrase about things like buying RTR kits, paying someone else to build benchwork/wiring/scenery etcetera goes as thus: paying someone else to do my modeling for me is like paying someone else to make love to my wife--I'm paying to miss out on all the fun, and even if the professional does a better job than me, I'd get more satisfaction by doing it myself!!

Besides, if I don't have enough free time, then my priority should be on making more free time for things I enjoy...
 
I read the book and didn't realize until I got into it that it was going to be about a professionally built model railroad. While most of us can't afford that and others, whether they can afford it or not, choose to do their own modeling, I still enjoyed the book. As I am more into operations than building, I have considered hiring someone to build at least a portion of my empire (depending on what I could afford); but that's one of the great things about this hobby -- lots of different ideas and viewpoints; but it's all about railroads.
 
I read it over Xmas weekend. I liked it, I guess I would agree with Tony Koester's column in MR where he said he thought it was an excellent, well-written book but that he didn't agree with all the opinions/conclusions that Posey expressed.

I guess you could argue all of us have some things 'done for us', isn't like the 30's where you had to build every building and car etc. from scratch. I have several RTR cars on my layout (which I usually weathered and/or detailed myself) and even one pre-built building (hobby shop had the built version but not the kit so I bought it) but to me that's a big step from having one guy do all your benchwork and another all your wiring and build all your buildings and cars etc.

BTW I didn't think the MR article he wrote a while back on forced perspective was all that good, maybe the fact that he didn't do a lot of the stuff himself came thru somehow and caused me to not care for the article??
 
I haven't read the book, but have seen several reviews of it. My opinion is that the title suits the contents of the book's pages. The author isn't what most people would consider a "modeler" in that someone else built everything for him. I would call him an "enthusiast" as a person who likes to play with trains.

If I may offer more opinion...it sounds like this guy has too much money. He might've visited a friend's house, saw his layout, and decided that he wanted to play with trains. This guy will soon get tired of his prefab toy and it will sit unused in the basement for the next 20 years. Look for the sequel "Playing With Trains, Divorce, and You".
 
From what I understand, Sam Posey has Parkinson's Disease. I reckon he can be excused for getting help on his modeling.

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of certain nerve cells in a part of the brain (substantia nigra) that produces dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, that the brain uses to help direct and control movement. In Parkinson's disease, these dopamine-producing nerve cells break down, dopamine levels drop, and brain signals directing movement become abnormal.

From WebMD

http://my.webmd.com/hw/parkinsons/hw93188.asp
 
Not likely he will tire of it, he spent years having it built. BTW he did about 100% of the scenery and laid some of the track, made pretty much all the decisions about what goes where design wise. If you read the book I think you find he has had this thing for trains his whole life, he didn't "see" a friends layout then want one.
 
I have Blake paint the locomotives I want to make sure look their best, cause I know he can do it better than I. One of my favorite layout articles in a magazine was on a Florida East Coast layout, it was built on commision for someone, the photos showed that it was excellent, I was glad someone had had the cash to have it built, so I could enjoy it for the $5 or so I spent on the mag. I didn't care who built it. Yes, I love building my layout, and other than painting locos have done it all myself, but if someone has the money, more power to them!

Gary
 
XavierJ123 said:
Has anybody besides me read the book? This was the book mentioned on the Sunday Morning TV segment about model trains. After reading a few pages, I didn't think I would like it; but then I really got into it and found it very enjoyable. Especially when he started talking about my hero John Allen and the Gorre and Daphetid. He even taught me how to pronounced it. I think he expresses very well what a lot of us have experienced in the hobby. I am trying to decide if I like him or not because he has the money to:
1. hire a carpenter to do the wood working on
the layout.
2. hire an electrician to wire his layout
3. hire a experienced train modeler to assist him and
lend his expertise.
4. buy a new steam locomotive everytime he visits
the LHS.
5. afford but passes on purchasing an out-of-print
$200 train book from the Red Caboose in NYC. Not
to worry his wife surprises him and gives it to him
for Christmas.
PS: I checked the book out of the local library. I won't tell you anymore. I am on page 92 of 217. I guess I shouldn't be jealous of people with lots of money. :oops:
Click to expand...
1. Not everyone likes to build benchwork
2. Rolf wired the layout out of his own volition (He didnt hire Rolf, Rolf did work on the layout because he enjoys the hobby)
3. See 2
4. When does he say that, the engine he bought at the Red Caboose was a X-mas gift for his son
5. God forbid a woman spends money on a christmas gift?

If you, you know, read the book a little more you'll find out that Mr Posey did all of the amazing scenery on the layout, And he let rolf do everything else because he was more capiable then posey. I guess to have any credit in the hobby nowadays you have to be a master at every aspect of the hobby and live on a GED income.
 
Apples And Oranges, Maybe?

Okay, not to be overly difficult, but ponder this analogy.

Two guys each have 1971 Hemi 'Cudas. :) One fellow restored his in his garage, on his own time for years...because he could. The other fellow bought a professionally restored one, because he hadn't the skill or time. As long as they both love the end result... :thumb:
 
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