Posted by wjayw (64.12.116.138) on September 14, 2007 at 16:35:58:
As a lifelong Jersey Highlands native and a decades long HO scale modeler (Erie, DL&W, EL + connecting North Jersey roads), I finally jumped into another lifelong interest, subway modeling, after discovering an unmarked box containing a Traction Models IRT Lo-V white metal, wood and aluminum kit at a Pennsylvania train show a year ago. That led to contacts with Quentin of Q-Car and Joel of MTS, both of who were patient and extremely helpful with my many questions. Thanks, guys! As luck would have it, the 2007 Mass Transit Modelers Convention was less than a month away and there I received the full exposure to this great part of the hobby.
While there, I also found some cast white metal parts for another relatively obscure, out of production kit I "had" to find, as it was for one of my favorite prototypes, the R-11, (which I had first seen as they were traveling through an IND station in the 1970's on some sort of fan trip). At the show, I had asked if the seller had any more parts, and my question may have not been clear as he must have thought I meant just parts or "at the show." On the way home, I though I should have asked that vendor's name...
Late last spring, I took another look at this Model SubTalk site and decided that I would methodically read all of the posts, (in short sections) concentrating on my scale, HO, and see if I could find out about the oop kits. Just nearing the end of my search, I found what I was looking for in the archives. As it turned out, the vendor who I had purchased the parts from was also the person behind the manufacture of the BMT Models' R-11 kits in the first place, Mike Masino! Again, as luck would have it, he was still active on the site and a week or so later, I had purchased the remaining kits and begun one of my most interesting and fun modeling projects, still under way.
Without this Model SubTalk site, I might not have found those models. In the course of reading the many comments, I also learned much about many other subway models and discovered several prototype web site and resources as well, so a tip of the motorman's hat, to you Pat for maintaining this site!