Garrett Family Layout started about five years ago. It has changed many times over the years. One of the main reasons for creating this layout was to have quality time with family. Model railroading can be a great family hobby. There are so many options. For example, something called Operations. This is where you spend time sorting or cutting cars using your: rolling stock (The term rolling stock can include: locomotives, freight and passenger etc. For example, we have: two Tropicana Reefer cars, which we return, replace or pick up at a business called: Jake & Son’s Refrigeration.
Most of our characters names are either family, friends, or biblical names. Our businesses are also named after family and friends. Our Layout has a granite mine, a salvage yard, a CSX sub-yard, an NS main yard (with maintenance and fueling abilities), a plastic business, a café and fuel truck stop, a Caterpillar Transport, and of course Jake & Son’s Refrigeration. Along with this is a small town and church.
Scenery: This has given our family many hours of discussion and creative skills. We’ve created mountains and buildings, trucks, customized rolling stock. The HO Scale has so many possibilities. Now we are by no means “Experts” at this hobby. After five years we’ve only begun to learn the hobby. The connection between modeling and actual railroad terminology is a lot of times similar but not always. I began HO Scaling around 2010 and I’m telling you I’m learning every day.
For example, there is DCC and DC power. I started with DC as many do, But I believe DCC (personally) is a lot more fun. I’m sure there are many who disagree. For me the DCC is more interactive. That being said: DC is a lot easier to learn. Another issue with DCC is it is a lot more expensive, (Start Slow) build as you learn more about DCC.
Our Layout is pretty much point to point, point to point, has an origin and an ending of your train’s operations. A lot of times your model train just goes around and around, which can be fun as well. But we like being able to run from one destination to another. Sometimes, however, you just want to watch the train go round and round, with the clickity clack that trains can provide.
Right now, we have: NS, JOBX, CSX, rolling stock, The reason we’ve bought the cars we have is because we thought they would best serve our operations. Our locomotives are currently: Norfolk Southern, and CSX. The brands we have are Bachmann and Atlas. Recently, we’ve come to a discussion about where we might go next. Perhaps BNSF or some other company. The thing about model railroading is you can go in any direction. Myself and my family like the RIO Grande Logo (even though they are from the past) Which brings me to one final thought. Freelance or prototype. We will discuss this another day.
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