Just thinking out loud a bit here
Right after I posted that, I tried to remember when it was. Not sure. Someone else will probably have the answer. It was a mess for a while, but it eventually got sorted out. Nobody mentions waffles any more.
Bill
Hello Bill,
Wishing you a Wonderful and Healthy New Year, I read your Historical from 2006 to present. That is a long time to be in the Game.
I was in Modern Warfare Game (Military) for about 5 yrs and figured out how much I was spending a month ! Ouch.......And needed a diversion as I had just retired 2011 from 50 yrs of working several jobs. In 2014 switched over to Trainz, actually found Trainz by accident, as I was playing some Game Simulation in Valve with Microsoft and other Games.
So at present, I have 8 yrs in need 2 more with Trainz to get my 1st Decade........However, I have played with both Simulation Trains Wood to Real Life Trains for 66 yrs. It is something to think about, the changes in Real Life Trains and from Wood Toy Trains to where I am now, with Virtual Trainz...
Congrats to all the Rest here, in the Decades of accomplishment you've made and continue to make.
Thinking out loud here, as I watch it start to Rain again, and much welcomed with our prolonged Drought issues in 11 Western States, Pacific Coast side.
One of the other reasons I went to Virtual Games for Hobby reasons, my back issues with pinched nerves, arthritis etc, just general aging of body, I wasn't going to be able to play, repair, build a Platform Layout, my last being in the garage, size was 22' x 7.5' feet long with hundreds of feet of track, multitude of wires, switches and actual signaling, took over 5 years to build with 1x2,2x3,1x4 boards and heavy plywood.
Model Railroading is not cheap either, I estimated the initial investment was way over 10,ooo$ and upwards to 15K$. Remember this was in mid 70's so that was a chunk of Change to spend. I remember saving money each month to buy Nickel Silver Tracks, new Train Rolling Stock, and all the other things you needed for Automation of said layout.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nickels+silver+train+tracks
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=model+train+companies
- Athearn.
- Atlas Trainman.
- Arnold by Hornby.
- Bachmann.
- Broadway Limited Imports.
- Fox Valley Models.
- Intermountain.
- Kato.
Played with Lionel down to Z Trains, really small trains, got very expensive, if you had Brass, well it was almost like buying Gold......So there's that! Never bought Brass, but had a lot of friends that did. I didn't like the look, what can I say.......
Took my beloved Layout apart about 3 some years ago, very hard thing for me to do, but I had reached the conclusion that this period in my life had to come to a closing for health reasons. And then it was Trainz, a decision even today, I feel was the best of all things and no regret. Everything takes work, be it Physical, Mental or construct of both.
Looking forward in my Geeky Computer mind, OOPS what a Nerdy person I am, EEK,
I'm following AI Development Trends and what it is doing to our Social Construct, this includes VR and Metaverse Technology. (Think about all the amazing Science Fiction movies, Star Trek for example, that we have watched)
https://about.meta.com (We’re moving beyond 2D screens and into immersive experiences in the metaverse, helping create the next evolution of social technology.)
Looking into 2023, there most likely, and it is already started this year, amazing and scary changes with the way we deal with Computers, Simulation, Metaverse, VR Technologies. It will be interesting to see where Trainz and other Railroad Simulators evolve too?
https://www.google.com/search?q=visual+technology
Technology and the way we view things is on Fire, too hard for me to keep at my age, but I try to be aware of it......Are World as we know it, may become unrecognizable in the next Decade.
Happy New Year :wave: