# Greetings From OKC!



## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

Hey everyone,

First post here. I know most of the more experienced guys on here would rather see a first post with tons of cool pics and an amazing collection...sorry, just a guy who is about 48 hours into it haha. 

Anyways, to introduce myself, my name is Scott, I'm an Air Traffic Controller by day and a musician by night. I belong to a couple other forums (for drummers) so I should be able to navigate around here pretty easily. I will do my best to utilize the search function before asking a million questions you all have probably heard way too many times. 

So, for Christmas my wife bought me a Lionel Scout and a track starter set. I had previously said something a few weeks ago about wanting a train to go around the tree this time of year, and she really ran with it, LOL. So, the train is set up around the Christmas tree right now but in the next couple of days I will be getting a table for it and will begin to get some layout ideas going. Honestly, I didn't know how into it I would be or how much time I will have for it...between work, the wife, my kids, and 2 bands life is hectic!! But it's pretty interesting and I would at least like to give it a real go. It seems like this is a hobby that appeals to young and old, and you can spend a lifetime building the perfect set...not to mention collecting the trains themselves. What is it about trains? Why can I sit there and watch that thing go around and around and still get a kick out of blowing the whistle??? Needless to say it's a huge hit with my 4 and 5 year old boys! 

So, if collecting trains is like anything else, there will be low end and high end stuff...vintage, modern and custom. I'm guessing that my Scout is on the lower end of the Lionel line? It has the smoke function but no bell...even though the gear box has a bell button. I also noticed that there are different size classifications as well...and I guess I'm in the O catagory. 

I really look foward to meeting you all and getting some insight from the experienced guys on here!!

RHD


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## Glasstream15 (Dec 3, 2010)

First off, welcome

The train that is running around my tree right now is the one I got for Christmas when I was 4. My father and ubcles played with it until I was 8 or 9 and i wasn't allowed to touch it. I've been in and out of the "hobby for more years than i care to admit and doubt I'll ever set up much. Room & money constraints primarily but something I have enjoyed for many years.

With a little care, that Lionel Scout can still be running strong for your grandkid's 4th or 5th Christmas.

Enjoy and welcome. There is a tremendous amount of info and I think you can get an answer to just about any issue.

Gaines


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

RHD03 said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> First post here. I know most of the more experienced guys on here would rather see a first post with tons of cool pics and an amazing collection...sorry, just a guy who is about 48 hours into it haha.
> 
> ...



Welcome to the site.

If you don't have a basement or attic, then what you got to do is clear out the living room, put the wide screen TV in the bedroom and set up a layout.

What Scout did she get you?
I hope you have some cars to go with it.

I have a bunch of older scouts and they run pretty good.
Some are made cheaper then others.

What do you mean "I have a bell button on the gear box"?
Do you mean the transformer?

What transformer is with it, the CW 80?


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

Glasstream15 said:


> First off, welcome
> 
> The train that is running around my tree right now is the one I got for Christmas when I was 4. My father and ubcles played with it until I was 8 or 9 and i wasn't allowed to touch it. I've been in and out of the "hobby for more years than i care to admit and doubt I'll ever set up much. Room & money constraints primarily but something I have enjoyed for many years.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the welcome, Gaines!

Sounds like that train you got years ago has been running for quite a long time! I look foward to being a member here.


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

big ed said:


> Welcome to the site.
> 
> If you don't have a basement or attic, then what you got to do is clear out the living room, put the wide screen TV in the bedroom and set up a layout.
> 
> ...


Hahaha, nice idea. Basements are really hard to find in Oklahoma for some reason...even though I have a storm shelter...go figure. And after my understanding wife gave up her dining room last year so I could turn it into my "Music Room", I don't think she'll like me stealing the living room. lol But I am either going to gut the office or maybe the garage, but with the garage I would be worried about the moisture...which is why I don't keep my drums out there either. So, if either of those ideas don't pan out, I'll steal the kids' room! haha

She got the Scout set that came with the Tender, Gondola w/canisters, Hopper, and a Caboose. 8 curved tracks, a couple straight tracks, and picked up some extra straight tracks. 

Yes, I'm sorry, the transformer. It is the PowerMax Plus Transformer. It has 3 buttons on it- Direction, Whistle, and Bell. But through reading the owner's manual, even though I have a bell button, apparently it says that my engine is not equipped with a bell sound...which is a little disappointing haha...I want to press that button!!

Thanks for the welcome and the reply Ed! After viewing some of the posts on here you seem like one of the guys I could learn a lot from!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

RHD03 said:


> Hahaha, nice idea. Basements are really hard to find in Oklahoma for some reason...even though I have a storm shelter...go figure. And after my understanding wife gave up her dining room last year so I could turn it into my "Music Room", I don't think she'll like me stealing the living room. lol But I am either going to gut the office or maybe the garage, but with the garage I would be worried about the moisture...which is why I don't keep my drums out there either. So, if either of those ideas don't pan out, I'll steal the kids' room! haha
> 
> She got the Scout set that came with the Tender, Gondola w/canisters, Hopper, and a Caboose. 8 curved tracks, a couple straight tracks, and picked up some extra straight tracks.
> 
> ...



The CW80 looks like yours but it is 80 watt.
Yours is 40 watt.

Heck, I am still learning too.

Theres a lot more knowledgeable members here then me, I don't want to throw names out though. 
I might forget someone and get them mad at me.


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

big ed said:


> The CW80vlooks like yours but it is 80 watt.
> Yours is 40 watt.
> 
> Heck, I am still learning too.
> ...


Thanks again for the info. Just got done watching tons of instructional videos on Youtube...like I need another reason to spend money.


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## TulsaFlyer (Sep 21, 2009)

Greetings from up the road in Tulsa!!

Unfortunately, my train time has been very slow lately. I'll catch up someday.


Jody


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

Hey Jody! My band just played up there a couple times last month! Next time we are up the Pike I'll let you know!


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

So, I went to the local train store today and picked up enough extra track pieces to get a simple figure 8 going. And grabbed a couple vintage cars for kicks  An old tank car and one box car with Wheaties logo on it...pretty cool.

Gutted the office and moved some stuff around...then stole the wife's Dinning Room table, put all the extra table extensions in and laid the green felt table top protector down. It's not turf...but better than nothing right now! lol


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

RHD,

Welcome ... nice to have you onboard. So this is a new Scout set you have?

I have a pair of 249 Scouts from '58, and a 233 from the early 60's. The 233 was pulling a load 'round our Christmas treet this year.

T-Man had a fun "Scout Meeting" thread a few weeks back ... check it out:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5246

Cheers,

TJ


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> RHD,
> 
> Welcome ... nice to have you onboard. So this is a new Scout set you have?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the welcome TJ. It is a new Scout set. I'm still a total newb at this, but it's a 246X...not sure what the X is, does that mean it's a recreation of an early model Scout? lol

I checked out that thread, pretty cool! I'll have to get some pics up in the next couple of days. Pretty impressive that the 233 was still pulling after half a century!!


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