Introductions anyone?

[Cappen Boidseye]

Thanks, that has got me going, Crowded with trains isn't it!

[fastflame]

I’ve been a foamer from my earliest memories, and now at age 65… I been loving trains a looonnnggg time! My wife thinks there’s something fundamentally wrong with me. Her and her sister have recently resorted to calling me Choo Choo Charlie. In any event, I am an engineer, but unfortunately, the Howard Wolowitz kind rather than driving a train kind. If I had it to do all over again when I got out of collage, I would have applied for work at the RR (Conrail at the time) rather than the local steel mill. Steel mills in my area are now long gone, but the two Class A’s (NS and CSX) are still here. Although I also love model trains, it was always both too expensive a hobby and meant for people who have unending patience. However, I was thrilled when MSTS came out back about 2001 or so and hopped on that bandwagon immediately. Unfortunately, the computers I had back then didn’t do graphics-intensive software justice. That changed last year when I finally invested in a decent gaming desktop… and Run 8… and a Raildriver. So here I am, looking forward to some exciting multiplayer sessions. I also ran Trainz and Train Simulator 2014 & 15 for a while, but didn’t have the computer power and didn’t like the difficulty using them, anyway. Have spent the last 20 years involved with the mining industry including working for the government and now an insurance company. The photo was taken a few years ago at an iron mine when I got the chance to sit in the cab of an AC4400. That driver’s seat fit my butt perfectly. I started off in the west coast routes of Run8 but am now concentrating on the A-Line. We have CSX and NS here, plus I prefer the speed signaling paradigm over route signaling. I do a lot of technical writing and started using my CAD to develop a more “time table” style track map for the A-Line mains. Happy rails to you!

me in cab.jpg (23.26 KiB) Viewed 9826 times

[David]

I’ve been a foamer from my earliest memories, and now at age 65… I been loving trains a looonnnggg time! My wife thinks there’s something fundamentally wrong with me. Her and her sister have recently resorted to calling me Choo Choo Charlie. In any event, I am an engineer, but unfortunately, the Howard Wolowitz kind rather than driving a train kind. If I had it to do all over again when I got out of collage, I would have applied for work at the RR (Conrail at the time) rather than the local steel mill. Steel mills in my area are now long gone, but the two Class A’s (NS and CSX) are still here. Although I also love model trains, it was always both too expensive a hobby and meant for people who have unending patience. However, I was thrilled when MSTS came out back about 2001 or so and hopped on that bandwagon immediately. Unfortunately, the computers I had back then didn’t do graphics-intensive software justice. That changed last year when I finally invested in a decent gaming desktop… and Run 8… and a Raildriver. So here I am, looking forward to some exciting multiplayer sessions. I also ran Trainz and Train Simulator 2014 & 15 for a while, but didn’t have the computer power and didn’t like the difficulty using them, anyway. Have spent the last 20 years involved with the mining industry including working for the government and now an insurance company. The photo was taken a few years ago at an iron mine when I got the chance to sit in the cab of an AC4400. That driver’s seat fit my butt perfectly. I started off in the west coast routes of Run8 but am now concentrating on the A-Line. We have CSX and NS here, plus I prefer the speed signaling paradigm over route signaling. I do a lot of technical writing and started using my CAD to develop a more “time table” style track map for the A-Line mains. Happy rails to you!

me in cab.jpg

Wow such an interesting story Welcome aboard!

[Schmidtrock]

Hello to all.

I am Kevin, go by Schmidtrock on the internet. I live near Asheville NC but originally from Jacksonville FL. My grandad and an uncle were both railroaders for SCL then CSX and I reckon I've been a foamer since I was a little boy. Had an extensive Lionel collection back when and moved into HO with my grandad. As I grew (much) older over the years my interest waned back and forth. I discovered Run8 last year just before V2 came out. Have been running it sporadically until about a month ago when my interest returned full bore. Looking to learn how to run prototypical. Still learning the ins and outs of the actual mechanics of the sim and then on to procedures. I can run a road train as long as my line is fleeted Anyway, glad to be here and hope to meet some new friends along the way.

[David]

Welcome aboard Schmidtrock! Feel free to let me or any staff members at Highball know if you need anything.

[Swiss3400]

Hi all

after having participated in some multiplayer sessions I think it's time to introduce myself
My nick in game is also Swiss3400, my real name is Thorsten - I live in Switzerland and I am interested in railways since childhood days. I had the luck to see the last working days of steam engines in Germany, the last retired a I went 8 years, and having a grandpa who worked as engineer for the German Federal Railways (DB). I assume he is the reason that I developed the interest for trains, since he told me many storied from his railway life.
I tried to follow his footsteps and aimed to get engneer too, but I can't recognize colors (yellow / green) good enough, so there has been no way.

I became a System Engineer for Windows based server systems instead and have to compensate my lost childhood dream with using train simulators
Starting in 2001 with MSTS (a gift from my wife), followed by Railworks / Train Simulator. Now, as DTG presented TSW I had to decide to stick with DTG stuff or try RUN8, which I have been not aware of for a long time. Since TSW is still without MP, I chose to try RUN8 and I am somewhat happy with it, since it provides the freedom and possibilities I missed in Train Simulator or MSTS.

I have to commit that I am not very familar with US railroading, but during my MP sessions I learned some things in the last days and hope to improve over time. Besides from the railway related content, RUN8 also offers the possibility to interact and talk with real people from all over the world which is also interesting for me - can confirm that all I had a chat or Teamspeak with have been very helpful and friendly, which is great.

Looking forward to have a good time here and see you soon in a session If someone may has some spare time to give me an introduction run, I am really interested in this.

Cheers

Thorsten

One last thing - since I am also member of the local voluntary firefighters it may be the case I have to leave a session very quick, please bear with me in this case, I'll try to cause no impact on the server and remove my tran before leaving.

[transnamib]

Hallo

My nickname is TRANSNAMIB.

I have not participated in any only sessions on Highball's servers but have many hours on the South-African servers. We have made up the trains as near to the real world in America as we can get. Unfortunately our server reached the end of the line and we are stucked. As it goes with railfans, we cannot be without trains for too long. So I was looking around and found this server. I am looking forward to be online with other members.

I am not new to Train Sims. Started many years ago with MSTS any created many scenarios for the South-African routes. Later it was Railworks. And then came Run8. The best one ever. The interaction between driver and train and AI trains, is just amazing.

Although my nickname is TransNamib, the Rail Company from Namibia, our neighbour Country, I am living in Bloemfontein, South-Africa. I grew up in Namibia and have a special love for their trains.

I love to do trainspotting wherever and whenever I get the change.

Hope to see you on the server soon.

Regards

[Schmidtrock]

Welcome aboard Schmidtrock! Feel free to let me or any staff members at Highball know if you need anything.

Thanks Robert! Sorry for the lengthy delay. I'm back now though and have my Run8 nice and updated including the freebie power.
Hoping to finally get logged on the server later today and catch some folks on who will help a newbie foamer.

See ya on the rails!

[bill3779]

Hello from the little town of Shelton, WA. Names William but I also go by any rendition of the name. Been a train junky since I could walk. I have played just about every sim out there but have only just delved into this one. I even was quite fluent in Train Dispatcher back in the day because that was always a passion of mine. I worked for the UP as a ramp loader (tiedown clerk) for about a month tell personal issues came up and forced me to quit.

Anyway....looking forward to running with you guys.

[CBQJohn]

Hello. My name is CBQJohn.
I am new to your community. Have been using Run8 since last June. Have all the routes and subs and all available rolling stock through latest San Bernadino add-on.
I will be joining you on the servers as soon as I get settled in.
I am outside of Tampa, Florida; and have enjoyed the experience of the HyRail CSX A-Line and the Waycross extension very much. Like all of you, I am a train junky from way back. Regretably I never got to make a career out of it.
These servers and Run8 are virtually as close as one can get to diesel and machine oil smells of the real world trains.
Looking forward to meeting you online soon.