Just wanted to introduce myself to the members of the forum and say howdy to y'all. I've visited your forum before and decided yesterday to join up. Although I live in Texas, I am quite interested in railroading (both real and garden variety) on the continent. I own mostly LGB stock and mostly European style. I have been a railroad modeler for a long time, and I still have my first train set - a 1955 Lionel O Scale passenger set with Wabash A-B F3 Diesels and aluminum streamliner passenger coaches. My Dad got it for my Christmas present when I was 1 year old. I drifted off into HO scale stuff as a teenager and well into adulthood. Somewhere along the line I was introduced to LGB - I won a starter set in a raffle, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am fairly well traveled, having seen quite a bit of Europe and Asia on various business trips. I have visited a couple of tourist railways in France - the latest being CFBS last year (what a great little railroad they have- I love their Corpet-Louvets). Somewhat unusual for an American, I can actually speak (somewhat) other languages, namely Français, Deutsch, and Bahasa Indonesia. Also unusual for an American, I actually like France (and most of the French folks I have met); I'm also a fan of Edith Piaf's music.

Hopefully future trips to the continent will allow time to perhaps make a visit to some garden railways as well.

Cheers,

hi Bill and welcome to the forum. I have a very good friend who lives at Mission in Texas, not too far from you. Re your user name;I thought everything in Texas was BIG

Mikey

Hey 400 miles in Texas?He could be your neighbour!! You're going to fit in OK here, you have a sense of humour!!! As does Scott our other colonial friend

mikey

Bonjour, Bill:

Playing Piaf, Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour while running trains is the essence of "tortillardisme" (hope the Academie doesn't ban my neologism!)

Phil

Glad to see to two getting along then.


...mmm Edith Piaf music. I must admit to being a 'fan' myself and I spent some of my younger days at a café in Lille with a cellar bar called le Bateau Ivre where on Thursdays each week people used to gather for Edith Piaf recitals and a sort of Cognac and Gitanes fuelled Karaoke.

Bet they all wore black and smoked very strong gaulloise's Carl Its where the beatniks started!!

mikey

Bonjour,

Bienvenue

Laurent

I'm gonna be a real thicky now (cos all the others will know) but what is the loco in your avatar Bill?

Mikey

Hi Bill. Good to see you here.

(You no doubt know that your sign in name refers to the loco in your avatar)

quoi? Explique SVP

mikey