I was just wondering if any of ya’ll get to work on your model railroad at work…sometimes it’s really hard to get a layout built in a timely manner when you’re putting in 40 to 50 hour weeks at work…I work in the refinery industry which means I have to sit at a desk and control a plant with a computer which gives me two choices…1…I twiddle my thumbs and click a mouse to control a valve on the plant when it’s necessary then twiddle my thumbs some more or 2. i’m running up and down towers and turning manual valves the entire time feeling the sheer terror of unexpectantly taking off like the space shuttle if something in the column goes wrong…My employer has never said anything to me, but once in awhile i’ll bring in kits or pieces of rolling stock to work on if nothing serious is going on that day and as long as the plant is kept between the ditches, they have no problem letting me do such tasks at my desk…does anybody else get to do this?..your comments please…chuck
Yes, I can.
But I am self-employed so I get to set my own rules [:P]
Officially, NO; but unofficially, my boss doesn’t care if I do kits during my “break” periods - as long as my [job-related] work gets done on schedule.
I am self-employed and work from my home so I can work on my RR anytime I want, No questions asked.The only ‘‘problem’’ is that busisness is very slow and I work on it for hours a day. I get a lot done but no money to get new locos and the store bought stuff, I scratch build everything I possible can, may not look as nice as some of yours but it gets the point across. Mike
I have never brought kits to work, and I am not sure that they would like it if I started building a model kit at my desk, but I have read many a Model Railroader magazine at work. I have also been able to install my track planning software on my desk PC and did most of my layout design while sitting at my desk here at work. I also get most of my layout research completed here a work between calls and such.
Since I support the help desk at my organization I typically wait for calls to come into the system. Most times I can resolve a case in less than 30 minutes, and other cases that are still open are pending customer action so the ball is in their court. I also have some other duties, but they are only as a backup for others when they are out of the office. I have a lot of time a work to spend on RR related things.
I will sometimes bring brass car sides to work to curve the skirting on them. I have a perfect set-up on my tool cart to perform this task. I am almost positive that it is not officially allowed, but my boss doesn’t mind.
I do hate beating on new brass car sides, but it has to be done.
Kits, No. But I am at work looking at the forum. And occassionally I’ll work on my layout plan at work. Since it’s on the computer and done in Cad.
John
Hmmmmm… we DO have that one unused bay. [swg]
And there’s some plywood and lumber in the back… [:D]
I retired from the Oil and Gas Industry in Febuary so I have all kinds of time now. When I was working I traveled a great deal and spent many days in a hotel somewhere. I usually took something with me to work on while I was gone. I traveled alone so I never had anyone looking over my shoulder anyway. It was a great way to pass the time in between visits to drilling rigs.
Thats the great part about being self employed!!! I started a model train web business, so all I do all day is work on the site and model trains :>
David
I once brought some kit bits to work when I worked by myself late at night, but mostly the closest thing to railroad stuff I do at work is research–online or in books–on prototypes, or track planning, or other book-heavy stuff that looks enough like work to the untrained eye that nobody can tell the difference unless they get close and see the pictures of trains in the books! I spend a lot of staff meetings doodling track plans, that’s for sure.
Two years ago medical problems forced me to quit work and go on Social Security. This was a couple of years earlier than I had planned. I’m feeling much better now and so yesterday afternoon I stopped in at this courier company to see about getting back to work. They have a route available which is high mileage (500 miles per day) but it can be run with a sedan automobile and pays a comfortable $175.00 to $200.00 per day. I did this kind of work for over ten years before having to quit. You can’t do any practical modeling while your caboose is plastered to an automobile seat but it sure gives you time to daydream and most of the features on my current/last layout were worked out in theory while dodging traffic on the Phoenix freeways.
I do all most every day. I have a tool box that I take to work with all the MRR tolls I have. I have tuned trucks, cleaned up old engines, bulit bulidings etc. Only thing I have not done is install software on the computer at work.
Cuda Ken
I like hearing stories of come-backs, R.T. I am happy for you…must be a big load off, too.
I , too, work from home, even though I retired quite early. My in-progress (sort of) layout is about four yards away, in the basement where I work. When the urge gets too strong…