friends can be jealous

[csxengineer]

I'll probably regret posting this later but,

Ever go to a friend/co-workers house and see their large train layout which has 5 different scales, army men, lego houses, and 0-4-0's pulling amtrak superliners and you still say to him "Wow! That's really really neat, I love this, and I love that, and Howdya make that, That is sweeet".

Now, months later, you show them a couple pictures of your layout, or invite them over, and they could hardly give a @#$#.

sorry, but I had to vent.

 

[hminky]

or you show someone your layout and he says "that's ok, but you should see my friend's setup" and it is that one you just described.

Harold

 

[ezdays]

Ya know, when I first got into this hobby I was looking around for someplace that I could get information, meet some nice people and get honest opinions. There are several forums I spent a bit of time on, some were frequented by boorish self-centered jerks, others had a bunch of never-to-mature individuals that would challenge your every statement. Most of them seem to know everything there is to know about railroading and modeling. I mean, on one forum, somebody took a picture of their newly painted loco and the first comment was, "hey that would look good if you used the right shade of yellow." Come on, someone spent hours doing something they are proud of, there's no need for that kind of response. I didn't spend much time on those forums and I spend even less now.

Then I came here to the Gauge. One of the first comments to my wife was that I found a place that is not only helpful, but could find some good in everything that another person did. You could spread some dirt on a board and take a picture of it, and you get back a few comments, "heck of a start" or "boy that's gunna look great when you add track".:thumb: :thumb: These are the kind of people I want over to see my layout and to go see theirs. There are too many people in this world for me to spend time with those that are so self-centered they can't see anything good in what anyone else does. No sir, I wouldn't have that guy back over to my house, and I certainly wouldn't go back to his.peasoup (Hmm, this is the first time I found a spot where the "pea-soup" smilie was appropriate)

 

[Gary S.]

Somehow I got lucky when I was researching mrr stuff 3 months ago. The very first forum I ran across was "The Gauge." I came away thinking what a great place this is, very friendly, informative, and encouraging. I've really enjoyed the time spent here. I've never even wandered over to the other forums, I have no need to because what I am looking for, I find here.

And I will second the comment from EZDays... life is too short to be worrying about people that bring you down.

 

[abutt]

I used to know one of the better writers for one of Carsten's (RMC) pubs called Model Builder. He's gone now, the way many heavy smokers have gone, but he was a wonderful writer and a good friend. He used to comment on how many letters the editors got about covers on both MB and RMC...and especially MR. There was always someone knocking something, rarely complimenting the hard work some hobbiest had done.

I've been in this hobby all my life (I'm 75) and I have never come up with a nicer bunch of guys (and gals?)... People so ready to lend a hand to the newcomers to model RR. I've also seen some really terrific work you guys are doing, covering every aspect of the hobby. And that's one of the great things about our hobby. There are so many aspects of it...room for the designers, the carpenters, the artists, the electronic mavins...and last but not least, the railroaders! The real backbone of the hobby. I bet there are people out there that may not have ever SEEN a train, but still love the hobby.

I'm happy to have discovered all of you. I view this site daily. It's part of my regular routine now, and I hope it will last until my last scheduled departure.

Allan

 

[ausien]

All I can say, is a repeat of what my father told me many years ago..." It dont matter how much you know, or dont know you can allways learn something. even if you know nothing about anything at all, you can still add to the, conversation, project, or party, even if its only mistakes, and making mistakes is what makes you a better ????????."

 

[MilesWestern]

Exactly Ausien. I love how friendly everyone is here! Even though I don't got too much response from what I do that's ok, I guess! :thumb:

When I come home, the first thing I check is my E-mail, then The Gauge (my E-mail usually leads me to the guage anyways) I've never had a place where I've had a 100% question-to-correct answer rate, out at my train club or on the internet, before I've come to the gauge! I've learned so much and feel that I must now pass that knoweledge onto other people now too....Spread the word everyone~!!!

 

[Wyomingite]

Hi Don,

I agree with you a thousand percent. I used to visit some of those forums but settled here and AMR. There are great people here who are very helpful. I found out later some of those no it alls did'nt even have a layout.

Ron

 

[ezdays]

Hi Don,

I agree with you a thousand percent. I used to visit some of those forums but settled here and AMR. There are great people here who are very helpful. I found out later some of those no it alls did'nt even have a layout.

Ron

Too busy counting rivets, fan placements and checking other details to have time to build a layout.

 

[nolatron]

Same here, I have to agree with Don.

I stumbled upon the Gauge from probably google back in 2004 when I got into the hobby (at 25). Lot's of great info came from the users here. Very helpful guys (and gals).

I've been away for a few months after Katrina kicked us out of New Orleans, but with our return home nxt month, I'm getting back into the N-scale spirit and hope to start work on a new layout in a few months (as long I can get the soon to be wife to ok it ) I'm actually driving back this weekend to see the apt and will be taking some measurements.. you know, for furniture...and "stuff"

But it's certainly good to be back and see some familiar names again.

 

[Clerk]

I am a member of another train forum and Robin (Bless his soul) E Mailed me the URL for the Gauge. Between the two, I am on the gauge about 90 percent and the other forum about 10 percent..

I am the shy type and seldom give advise but quite often complement and praise another persons work. That is how I get my kicks on here.:thumb: :thumb: .

 

[jim currie]

been here since june of 2003 and I'll say this is the only fourm I have stayed at for over 6 mts.lurked around for almost a year before i joined (waiting for the flame war to start like all the other fourms i had been to) to check out the quality of the members, and to my delight the few times things started to get out of hand the mods jumped right on it.

 

[Herc Driver]

My two cents...

I just wanted to add my input to this thread...I've seen other forums on the web and posted a question or two and didn't really get the quality response that I have come to expect from the members of the-gauge, so I rarely go there anymore. I appreciate the fact that a newbie like me can use a track like Bachmann EZ track (for various reasons) and not get absolutely shot down for not being a "real" model railroader (as I have seen posted on other websites). I guess what I'm really saying is the people who frequent this site allow someone with less knowledge to post a picture of their work, ask basic questions, get some terms wrong now and again, and still make them feel welcomed and included. To me, that makes this forum the best and improves the hobby as a whole.

 

[GeorgeHO]

I hope we all can find something good in everything, and keep our criticism as constructive as possible, and have the Gauge continue to be a nice place to visit.

 

[who_dat73]

To start off with I love the Gauge also great bunch of friends to have:thumb:
But Have you ever spent a week of nights working on your layout got everything set in place put together and running only to have to tear it all down because you made a small miscalculation that sent the whole thing into a derailing heap and then relize you will have to replace almost all your road bed switches foam and rewire the whole thing and the whole time you have a wife that hates you spending money on your RR to begin with so you try to do things as cheap as possable and fights you tooth and nail when you want to just bye a few pieces of track:curse: :cry: wall1 can you tell tonight I am a lil stressed and mad at myself cuz I had to tear my layout apart for a small misjudjment in inches??ops:
Sorry everybody I had to vent!
Mike

 

[shaygetz]

I am the shy type....

Pushin' 1600 posts?:thumb:

I can't remember if it was Robin or Fred who invited me here from another forum but I do know that I've had no cause to regret. I've enjoyed the fellowship, the model work here and the wide, wide array of characters here. Sorry 'bout your visitors reactions, I generally don't experience that though some folks look at me like I've grown a third eye. At the club, I'm viewed as something of a novelty, only two or three others model on the same relaxed level that I do.

 

[60103]

I've had one or two disinterested visitors, but I've been lucky with the rest.
The major problem I've had is getting the model railroaders to offer criticism so that I can improve things. Usually, the better the modeler, the less I can get them to suggest.
(I know that I shouldn't have the farm located right at the end of the tail track, but no-one mentions it.) One of my wife's nieces offered a suggestion as to why there were no children in the schoolyard.
If you post a picture on the gauge and ask for comments, we will feel free to have our say, but we recognize that you have already made some effort.
Except for a few topics, we don't absolutely insist that our way is the only way.

 

[Wyomingite]

Hi Mike,

I think that has happened a time or two to some of us. My advice would be lay your track and road bed and wire it. Then run trains for a few weeks maybe building models in between. If after a few weeks there are not any derails move forward to working back on your layout. Putting down and laying the track is the big one. Landscaping and balasting in most cases can be easily repaired. Have fun'

Ron :thumb:

 

[jim currie]

Mike sorry to hear your sad tale but as for the wife tell her you could be out to the bar drinking but insted you want to stay at home to be near her

 

[nachoman]

Maybe a little off topic for this thread, but I have noticed many of the other forums seem to have considerable numbers of trolls, spam, troublemakers, ****ing contests, and the like. Why do we not get those here? I sometimes wonder if this forum attracts like-minded people and the trolls just arent interested in us.

I think this thread pretty well proves to me why this is the best model railroad forum on the web.

kevin