George sent in his railroad memory:

Nineteen sixty two I took my first train trip.  Over night from Buffalo to Louisville.  (basic training at Ft. Knox)

That was when I learned that when you lift the sink in a sleeping compartment,to dump the water, your razor, tooth brush and the water all end up on the tracks…..A mistake you only make once.

If you have a railroading memory you would like published on the blog go to: http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/memories.html

Chip sent in this railroading memory to share with others:

A memory from my childhood. It was the summer of 69, I was Nine and my parents and I were visiting my Sister’s Family in Roseville Ohio. One afternoon I wandered down the hill her house was on, to the tracks and crossing below. A Train was coming and moving slow so, I placed a penny on the tracks and stood by to watch the Train flatten my penny. Workers on the Train saw me and immediately knew what I was doing. At first it was my delight that the Train stopped right in front of me and inches from my penny. A man from the Train disembarked and approached me. He then began to warn me that the Train could spit that penny out like a bullet and I was too close. He then walked me away from the engine (numbered 6013) and gave the signal for the engine to move. The Engineer crept the Engine forward and flattened my penny. The man peeled it off the engines wheel and then presented me with my specially prepared flattened penny.

This story gets better cause much to my surprise; the man asked if I’d like a ride on that Train! Of course I said yes and enjoyed a free Train ride to Zanesville Ohio and back! The worst part of the whole trip was, we rode the Caboose of a Coal Train. When I got back to my Sister’s, I was covered in the blackest dust imagined. I didn’t care – I had the most memorable vacation ever! I’m in my Fifties now and still have that Coal Train Penny, (somewhere!)

If you have a railroading memory you would like published on the blog go to: http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/memories.html

Bob sent in this memory:

“Probably about 1947 my mother wanted to visit a friend in a neighboring town, and it was decided that my brothers and I would ride the train with my mother, spend the day with her friend, and my father would follow in the car after he got off work. We arrived at the station, and since my brothers were a couple of years younger than I my mother took them on board while my father and I walked the length of the train looking and watching. My father sold life insurance and knew practically everyone in town, and he and the engineer were friends. My father lifted me up to the engineer who lifted me and pulled me in thru the window (maybe it was the door) of the ACL F7. I got a tour of the power plant, got to sit in his seat, pull the cord for a short toot on the whistle and push the throttle forward and rev the motor, not too much. But the clock was moving, I was lifted out thru the window/door to my father’s arms, and off we went to join my brothers and mother who was fit to tied because she heard the whistle blow and motors rev and knew that the train was going to leave the station and me behind. And what would my father do with me all day long?”

If you have a railroading memory you would like published on the blog go to: http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/memories.html

Bob sent in these train memories to share:

“During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in high school I was selected to attend a camp in NC by a national organization which shall remain nameless. I traveled by train from Tampa to NC with a layover in Jacksonville to pick up the Pullmans and to meet up with other campers from other parts of Florida. The berths were prepared and off to to bed we went. We pulled into Savanah and I asked the girl below me if she knew where we were, what was going on, and she invited me to join her so I could see for myself. I know she had no idea what she had done. After some minutes we pulled out of the station and one thing led to another. There is much to be said about the romance of the rails, even though it can’t be said here. But I’m 72 years old and haven’t forgotten it yet.”

384 model railroaders responded to our last poll which asked:

Do You Repair Your Own Model Train Stuff?

Results were as follows:

– In addition to doing ALL minor repairs including dismantling and cleaning motors etc. I ALSO install and replace decoders, program decoder functions (29%)

– As well as ALL minor repairs I dismantle and clean motors, replace motors, and clean gears (22%)

– I do minor repairs, AS WELL AS some repairs such as removing train body, replacing bulbs, resoldering loose wires (22%)

– I do some minor repairs eg. tightening screws, clean wheels, touch up paint, traction tires, replace couplers, sliders or pantos (15%)

– I don’t do my own repairs (8%)

– I also do repairs for others (4%)