Ron's Story From the Club Car - Choices...choices
What a wonderful hobby model railroading is.  In addition to meeting and interacting with some of the finest people you’re ever likely to meet, there are, of course, the trains.  Aahh the trains… those miniaturized, motorized masterpieces of commerce that transport freight and passengers to the near and far corners of this great nation (or at least as far as the limits of our imagination choose to take us).  As a died-in-the-wool model railroader, it never ceases to amaze me that there are so many ways to enjoy this great hobby... read more

Len's Layout - How it all began
This story began six years ago.  I had a layout in my home, but had maxed out the available space in a 10 x 10 room.  The layout I had built was a double mainline on 3 levels, with a helix in one corner. It was fun to build, but I was losing interest in it – there had to be something more exciting in my future! One day my wife pointed out to me that I had trains in 3 rooms of the house...  read more  
 
Ron's Story From the Club Car - Getting to Know You
By the time most people read this, members of the Tamps Bay Model Railroad Club will have completed a visit to the new layout of the West Pasco Model Railroad Association in Elfers (that's on the cusp of New Port Richey). The West Pasco group has invested considerable time and effort (and more than a few dollars) and are creating a first class HO scale model railroad of which their members can be justifiably proud. Visiting other model railroad layouts is not new... read more

Ray's Story - Do It Now
 In June of 1957, my father retired from the navy. From Astoria, Oregon, we returned to the family home in Jacksonville. Atlantic Coast Line diesels were still wearing purple and silver paint. A twenty minute walk down a creek and through some woods put me beside the rails. The mainline was double track. Freight trains abounded, and passenger trains with colorful cars from other roads were a regular feature.  Seaboard and Southern abounded on the west side of town also... read more

Ray's Story - Why Are We Here?
One of the best things about belonging to a club, is the gathering of like minds. It is the place where others will appreciate your joy at finding something in your prototype, or the completion of a cleverly named structure model. Each person brings a skill set, some bring several skill sets. In our case, we begin with a concept.  The staging yard comes to mind. Where to put it? How does a train get there and back?... read more


Ray's Story - Playing With Trains
My earliest memory of trains is a Lionel Scout set on a piece of plywood. I would have been three or four. The set had a  2-4-2 diecast locomotive with smoke. The tender was stamped metal.  A Baby Ruth reefer, a Lionel gondola, and a Lionel caboose made the consist. The Scout set had couplers which were different from other Lionel equipment, making it difficult through the years to add on. The train board was suspended from the rafters in the garage on four perfectly spaced hooks... read more