Greetings from Virginia


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nickf06gli

Member
I'm new to the hobby, I started a 4X8 custom layout last year (and then abandoned it for a year) and now I'm getting back into it, I really enjoy making customer scenery and messing with lighting and the like. I run HO scale and don't know much about how things go together, I'm 28 and married my wife enjoys painting so she is a big help. I mostly work on this when work is slow.

Nick
 
Welcome to the forums, Nick. This is the best and friendliest site on the internet for model railroading. Do web searches to get answers to your questions and ask here if you can't get answers or need clarification on topics. There's a lot of folks here that can help you out.

One resource for info that another member pointed out to another beginner is Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine. http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine It's free and has a lot of info to help you get started. I found it last spring and read it every time a new issue comes out. Like I said, it's free and you don't have to drive anywhere or walk out to the mailbox in the rain or snow to get it.

What more could you ask for?:p
 
Welcome back to the hobby. You might check out the train show that will be the first weekend of Feb up in Timonium, MD. on the north side of Baltimore. Plenty of stuff to buy and operating layouts.
 
Do they have any coming up at the Dules expo center. I try and not drive up to Timonium if I can avoid it. (I drive over 70k miles a year)
 
nickf06gli said:
Jim are you in Nova?
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I live in Sterling, and work in Reston. I have close friends in the Warrenton area, so I'm fairly familiar with your area as well. If you see any old late 60's to early 70's Mopar muscle cars roaming the streets of Warrenton, the drivers are probably friends of mine.

No Greenberg show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly till next summer. The Timonium show is worth the drive though. The Greenberg show in Chantilly has everything from doll houses to Spiderman dolls. The Timonium show is ALL model railroad related. The Timonium show is also about six times larger than the Greenberg show in Chantilly.
 
Ok I have seen some old mopar in town. I work all over Nova and in Reston and Sterling a lot. Is there any local swap meets?
 
nickf06gli said:
Ok I have seen some old mopar in town. I work all over Nova and in Reston and Sterling a lot. Is there any local swap meets?
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I only know of the Greenberg and Timonium shows. At least you have a hobby shop in Warrenton. The closest one to me is Chantilly, and I think the one in Warrenton is much better stocked with HO stuff.
 
nickf06gli said:
Yeah the Warrenton shop is pretty nice, there was a big shop in Alexandria right off 95
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You're probably thinking of the one in Newington just about a block east of 95 at the Fairfax County Parkway exit. I stopped by there on Saturday. I actually went in to look at 1/32 scale slot cars but came out with a couple HO scale structures instead.
I don't think any of the local hobby shops can compare to M.B. Klein a few blocks from the Timonium train show or Tommy Gilberts up in Gettysburg, PA. So far, those two seem like the closest hobby shops that actually stock alot of HO scale product.
 
nickf06gli said:
Yeah the Warrenton shop is pretty nice, there was a big shop in Alexandria right off 95
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Ahhh, Trains etc.? Buying stuff there is like grocery shopping at a 7-11. You can buy stuff through MB Klien on line and have it shipped and you will still save money.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Ahhh, Trains etc.? Buying stuff there is like grocery shopping at a 7-11. You can buy stuff through MB Klien on line and have it shipped and you will still save money.
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True. What can I say. It was an impulse buy. One of the pieces I bought was discontinued, so I didn't consider checking MB Klein. I usually order direct from Walthers. I order by phone more often than on line, and Walthers is alot easier to reach by phone than MB Klein is, and seems to have more of the specific things i'm looking for in stock. I have also ordered HO scale stuff recently from Hobby Link and from Truckstop Models.
I know that the small local hobby shops can't compete in price with the big suppliers that sell on line, but theres something to be said for the instant gratifacation of finding a treasure at a store, buying it and taking it home. If the rest of these small shops either disappear or stop carrying train stuff, we all lose in the long run.
 
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Welcome from another Virginia native. Born and raised in northern VA, however I have since found myself out in Cali for the past 2 years. Welcome back to the hobby.
 
Could you provide more info on the Chantilly and Warrenton hobby shops please? And thanks for the Gettysburg info (name, location - easy to google)
 
GDSmith said:
Could you provide more info on the Chantilly and Warrenton hobby shops please? And thanks for the Gettysburg info (name, location - easy to google)
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The people are pretty fair to deal with, there stuff is "reasonably" price for a train store, much cheaper than hobbytown usa and the likes.

Hobbies Ect.

251 Lee Highway suite 699
Warrenton

(540) 347-9212
 
Harpers Ferry huh, I have to drive out there tomorrow for an appointment with a client, that is beautiful country out there.
 
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