Model Railroading Aromas

[Dave V]

My father swore by Ambroid cement for building wood kits or scratchbuilding in wood (he doesn't do styrene!).  It has a very distinctive smell.  When I was a kid I used to watch him work over his shoulder.  I learned a lot that way but probably lost a few brain cells along the way from the fumes.

[mu26aeh]

Magic smoke 

Walthers Goo, Testor's plastic cement, anything out of a rattle can.

Oh, one last one.  That pleasant, fruit punch aroma that Shapeways products seem to have when you get them in the mail.

[ncbqguy]

The Lone Star 0-8-0 set I bought when I was working a 1964 summer job as a shoe salesman at Monkey Wards....that got me into N and by 1967 I sold off my HO.   
Never had a layout for the OOO though.   Still have the boiler for the 0-8-0 and should put it on a mechanism....
Charlie Vlk

[nkalanaga]

"Michael's Castin' Craft"

Never tried it, but thanks for the warning!

[MK]

BO from tight operating sessions.   

[C855B]

BO from tight operating sessions.   

TMI, TMI. 

[wm3798]

Nothing in the world could compare to that chilly Sunday in November, usually the week before Thanksgiving, when my old man would haul the old Christmas Garden, or our affectionate term "Train Boards" from the basement rafters where they resided during months with no R in them...

My mom would have us off to Sunday School, filling our heads with the mysteries of faith, but we knew that when we got home, heaven would be under construction in the basement as the boxes of structures, Tyco and Mantua engines, and of course, those Life Like lichen trees would come out.  There we were, freshly pressed in our sport coats and clip on ties, and there was dad, crawling around under two 4x8 sheets of plywood, each festooned with "grass paper", cork roadbed and brass track... as he hooked up the 7 million wires needed to run three trains on two tracks, and light up the village of Faller's finest.  (Dad advised us weekly that he had again managed to abstain from sin, and therefore earned the privilege of getting his Gospel from Smokey Stover, Pogo and the Wizard of Id...)

Some new addition might require a little jigsaw work, and there was the ever-present House of Windsor cigar.  If it was after lunch, you might also catch a whiff of National Premium Beer, and a cold cut sub from Maria's.

So for me, it's the combination of sawdust, cork roadbed, cheap cigar smoke, local cuisine, and the Vitalis we slicked our hair down with for church...  An odd mix, to be sure, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about it...

And man could that Mantua Pacific spit out some ozone!

Lee

[Chris333]

Lichen and saw dust must be my first MRR smells. Those green grass mats were just paper with saw dust glued on.

[Rossford Yard]

BO from tight operating sessions.   

Yeah, was scrolling through to see if anyone would mention this one.  Sad to say, but it is often the most over whelming "aroma" in some railroad rooms, LHS, and train shows. Many of us could use a full scale bath!

[Doug G.]

Yeah lichen. It smelled SO good, new. Can one still get it? It's been so long since I've actually done any scenic work.

Doug

[Doug G.]

I was hoping nobody WOULD bring up the BO thing although I knew somebody probably would. I kind of wanted this to dwell on the nice smells in model railroading.

Doug

[wm3798]

Lichen can be bought by the bag full at Ben Franklin, JoAnn Fabrics, and I suspect any of the other crafty chain stores...  Look in the Garden Gnome department...

Lee

[Doug G.]

Thanks, Lee.

Doug

[Jbub]

Nothing in the world could compare to that chilly Sunday in November, usually the week before Thanksgiving, when my old man would haul the old Christmas Garden, or our affectionate term "Train Boards" from the basement rafters where they resided during months with no R in them...

My mom would have us off to Sunday School, filling our heads with the mysteries of faith, but we knew that when we got home, heaven would be under construction in the basement as the boxes of structures, Tyco and Mantua engines, and of course, those Life Like lichen trees would come out.  There we were, freshly pressed in our sport coats and clip on ties, and there was dad, crawling around under two 4x8 sheets of plywood, each festooned with "grass paper", cork roadbed and brass track... as he hooked up the 7 million wires needed to run three trains on two tracks, and light up the village of Faller's finest.  (Dad advised us weekly that he had again managed to abstain from sin, and therefore earned the privilege of getting his Gospel from Smokey Stover, Pogo and the Wizard of Id...)

Some new addition might require a little jigsaw work, and there was the ever-present House of Windsor cigar.  If it was after lunch, you might also catch a whiff of National Premium Beer, and a cold cut sub from Maria's.

So for me, it's the combination of sawdust, cork roadbed, cheap cigar smoke, local cuisine, and the Vitalis we slicked our hair down with for church...  An odd mix, to be sure, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about it...

And man could that Mantua Pacific spit out some ozone!

Lee

That's some beautiful writing there. You seriously took me to your childhood, aromas and all.

[Rossford Yard]

I was hoping nobody WOULD bring up the BO thing although I knew somebody probably would. I kind of wanted this to dwell on the nice smells in model railroading.

Doug

Sorry to have derailed it temporarily!  From now on, BO will only refer to the beloved Baltimore and Ohio Railroad......

One of my few smell related memories include hearing a guy trying to pick up a woman, and telling her how great she smelled.  After thinking about it for a while, I realized the only comment I ever made on a woman's smell was to tell here how BAD she smelled.  So, at least I came by my comments sincerely!

Back on topic, I can't say there is an aroma that takes me back or gives me fond memories or special sensations.  Of course, there are different ways to receive information on the world around us, and only a small part of the population is really tuned into smell.  Most of us rely mostly on visual inputs, and I know I am mostly a visual person.

Cheers.