Model Railroading > My teenage MRR dreams

Like many of us, growing up I was pretty big into model railroading, which culminated in my one and only attempt at a real layout in our garage in the mid- to late-80s when we lived in Dallas. I was in my mid teens when our family moved from Detroit to Dallas (something lots of people were doing in those days) and found I had all this space in our 2-car garage that was mostly unused, so I convinced my parents to let me build a layout in roughly half of it, which I started and never finished. I had big dreams for my layout, influenced by growing up in Detroit and adding the new territory around Dallas, so I chose some representation of UP's Dallas Sub, which was a busy line with lots of variety and leftover MP units, as well as many CR units on run-through trains. I got most of the track laid and had lots of equipment for operations, but never got any scenery started before I left  home and gave all of the rolling stock to a friend who modeled with me, and the layout ended up in pieces in someone else's garage before being scrapped. I haven't had the time or inclination to resume serious MRR again since then, but being in my early 50s now maybe I'll take it up again at retirement. Anyone else have big model railroading dreams never realized, or perhaps have them realized much later? Wasn't half-bad for a feathered haired punk back then. Here's six shots from those days, all prints:

1) Looking much like run-through train INFW from those days, out on the mainline
2&3) A couple of versions of the TOFC trains along the line back then, CHDAZ, CHFWZ and NYDAZ (which allowed for the CR units), lots of trailers and single-level containers

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4) Coal train representing what I saw back east, including the PC of my early youth, and a fantasy CR tunnel motor (hey, everybody cheats reality in MRR)
5&6) Yard facilities with a variety of Athearn and other equipment, including an unfinished CR C32-8

Thanks for looking,
JG

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Looks like fun memories.  A few years back I had a "plywood pacific" with fairly random old HO buildings and Kato unitrack.  It was enough to host a few fun operating sessions and whet my whistle for the more permanent layout I'm working on now (slowly).  Thanks for sharing!

This was my teenage MRR dream!

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Yeah had some of those myself, prob not as well dressed...

JG

Posted from Android

I like your collection because it brings bacck good memories

My layout looked a lot like yours. Similar UP power, a gazillion Athearn/Roundhouse  rolling stock all on an unfinished plywood in a garage.

I don't have the space, but I really enjoy seeing people's collections and layouts.