About

What's this? The start!
February 27, 2017

United States Railroads is my own collection of HO Scale equipment and a personal way of keeping track of what I have. I always loved trains and recently started in this amazing hobby. So far, I haven't spent a whole lot on it, buying mostly on eBay and some Model Railroad Shows. Let's say that all I have is the equivalent of not even two or three "Gevo's." The majority of the engines were bought in lots as non-working but I quickly developed the miraculously ability of making them run no matter what the problem was. Usually cleaning the wheels, lubricating the gears and motor or looking for loose cables or missing brushes does the trick. 

I'm totally old school, although two generations younger than the average hardcore modeler! I don't use DCC and now I started the conversion to the awesome Kadee Couplers. For many experienced or purist Railroaders, converting Tycos, Life-Likes and cheap Bachmanns is something beyond crazy. Even so, I'm having a blast doing it, specially with the challenge of most of these locomotives. I'm also creating my own railings out of wire, experimenting with weathering, installing missing horns and brake wheels and so on... No metal wheels on rolling stock just yet!

Right now, I'm learning every day, struggling to identify this or that locomotive, finding vintage parts (prices on eBay are ridiculous sometimes, have you ever been to a Train Show half an hour before closing time? We get the idea) or with space. Hoping to start a big permanent layout sometime in the near future!

I'm not an expert in any way so maybe you can help me out if you see something that is not right!

Greetings from Florida!