Just getting started.

Greetings all.

I'm Matt and I have joined this group at the suggestion of several other members. I'm new to z-scale railroading, having tried HO and N scale and not getting very far with either for many reasons. This is my last kick at that cat so to speak.
I'm 60 years old, just recently retired and looking for something to do during the long cold Alberta winters. Gardening takes up most of my summers, but one can hardly do that during the winter.

After attending the annual Supertrain show here in Calgary, and seeing for the first time, and operating Z scale layout, I decided that this was what I wanted to do to keep me going during my golden years. So this past October I started planning and bought my first z scale train set, and I have been planning, building, testing, and asking questions ever since. Having designed my EMPIRE, as I call it, around a central focal point in the Canadian Rockies, I have already made several modifications due to space and have finally come up with a workable plan that, when complete, will see my layout size in the neighborhood of 20ft x 18ft in a T type style and all of it on modules so that I can take it to shows for display.

I understand there are a few z scalers here in Calgary. It would be great to meet fellow z scalers here and share ideas. Perhaps even start our own club. I hope we can get together.

I'm will be running an all Canadian layout in as far as engines, cabooses, and passenger cars are concerned. Most of my rolling stock will be either CN CP or BCR. I even hope that some day I will have a z scale Via Rail passenger train running through my layout. That remains to be seen. The rest will be made up of stock from other North American lines as well as private companies and provincially owned cars.

So anyway, this is me and I hope to meet you all as time goes on. I will have plenty of questions and I hope to find answers to help me see my empire grow.

Thanks

Matt.

Greetings Matt, I'm sure someone from Alberta will chime in. We have about 4 members from there. I used to be married to a gal from Calgary. But, that is another story. Post pictures, ask questions, contribute. That is what ZCS is for. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Welcome from The Antipodes Matt, and your empire sounds impressive. We'll all be interested in your progress.

Hi Matt,

Welcome! I'm in Edmonton. As far as I know, there are no Z scalers in The Big "E" that go to shows. If my husband Chris and I take our micro layout the the Edmonton show in the autumn, we'll be the only Z scalers there. I've recently gotten to know a few N and HO modelers who have modules set up at a mall not far from our home. Their displays are open Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Londonderry Mall, second floor near the south end of the mall by the Bay. The HO folks probably show up in Calgary for your local train show, though I don't know about the N folks.

You're sure ambitious doing an 18' x 20' "T" layout Which part of the Canadian Rockies do you hope to model? If it were my layout, I'd model the old Jasper townsite

I'm pretty sure there aren't any Canadian cabooses available as I have just scoured the Internet in my own quest for these illusive creatures. I did find a Canadian Z caboose wood kit that is no longer available, but that's about it. There are some CP and CN cars and diesel locomotives available, but nothing in steam for the Canadian roads

I hope you ask tons of questions and post lots of photos of your layout as it grows and matures.

Take care!

Hi all:

Without going into two much detail, my layout, although huge, is going to be build or a 15 to 20 period. It will give me something to do during the winter in my golden years. The focal point of my entire layout will be one specific area of the Canadian Rockies, just inside the BC border. The Sprial Tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass and the town of Field. Originally I was going to try to model the entire CP line from Lake Louise to Golden, but realistically, it would take up far too much room and certainly too much space. So I've scaled it back. I had also originally designed it to be a rectangular layout as a continuous loop, but again space became and issue so not I've decided to go with a T type layout. Phase 1 of my layout which is the actual tunnels themselves will take about 2 or maybe even 3 years to complete.
I've seen this done in HO by a club I think are from either Golden or Revelstoke. And it has been done in N scale and is currently on display in a huge plexiglass box at the Ontario Science Center in Toronto. After seeing it at the Calgary train show last year, and also seeing a z scale layout for the first time, I decidedd that this was what I wanted to do. Yes I know it's a mega project, but it's something to keep my mind occupied instead of watching the TV and listening to the old lady bitch about this and that all winter.

So that's what I've got going on. I'll be posting pics and talking more about my empire as time goes on.

Perhaps, one day I'll be at the show in Edmonton. I have already applied to be in the one here in Calgary next year. So we shall see what happens.

Cheers

Matt

Hi Jim.

As you can see, I made it. I do find this website though difficult to navigate. I don't know where to go to find information about things and it took forever to figure out how to post messages. I almost threw in the towel. But I'm here now and I will eventually get the hang of it.

Matt.

Matt, Actually one of the difficulties is that there is so much here. Don't for get the Archives. The Forum will answer every question and the Photo Archives will probably have the photo you need. I see folks buried in the Archives for hours at a time. None:) bigger, none better. Press all the buttons. Cheers, Jim CCRR

Matt have you found the archives that Jim mentioned yet?

If you haven't, use the "Community" pull down on the header at the top of this page. The first item in the pull down is "The Archives" and then you will see a side bar that says "Archive Forums" and "Archive Photos". Click on to either of these and you will find a wealth of information, including reviews of locomotives.

The archives are from the "old" Z Central Station so search functions don't work on it but you will find so much info from some very good modelers there, it is worth plowing through it. I spent a lot of time there learning from these veterans before jumping into the fray.

Keep Z faith,
Jerry