I’ve been in this hobby for over 25 years and sometimes I just don’t work on the trains like I should…Is there something wrong with this?..It kind of comes in spurts…i’ll really get down to business for about 6 months and then i don’t even go into the train room for a month or so…The past two weeks have been like this…i’ve been really busy at work and when i get home i’m just too tired to work on anything or a pressing “Honey Do” comes up that takes my time…I was in the train room last Sunday and got a GP50 painted and a few decals on it but that’s as far as i got and wasn’t in the mood to complete it and haven’t been in there since even though i have at least 20 kits to build sitting around collecting dust…i’ll try again this weekend…guess that’s why they call this a hobby…Chuck
When I get into one of these moods all that needs to be done is get invited to another layout for some OPs and then I am ready to go on my layout as I have seen something new on the visited layout I think I should try on my layout. I then am good for another month or so!
BOB H – Clarion, PA
Chuck,
That’s perfectly normal. I know people who only ‘do trains’ during the colder seasons when they have to stay indoors. Sometimes we all need a break.
And about those kits “collecting dust”, at least you’ve got 'em - they’ll be there whenevr you’re in the mood to get back to them!
Cheers
I like Ben King’s philosophy - his layout was very small, and it took 40 years to build or something like that. His philosophy was/is to only work on his MRR when he was in the mood.
When a hobby crosses the line from intriguing, interesting, etc. to “work”, or stressful, it’s time to scale it back!
In a word; yes. Do I let it bother me? No. I just focus on something else for a time, then it all starts coming back and I go back out into the garage and start in again. I’ve been putting off some scenery for WAY too long, using the excuse that the weather’s been wet lately, and the plaster will take forever to dry. Some excuse!–I was doing scenery right and left this winter during weather that would make Noah’s Flood look like a warmup. I run hot and cold on things–always have, it’s in my makeup. A friend suggested I might have a mild form of Adult ADD–well, if I do, so be it. I used to let it bother me like crazy, but I don’t anymore, because I know that these phases are always just temporary. I know in another week or two, I’ll be out there, happily plastering away and planting trees like crazy. Haven’t done a thing this week, just relaxed and watched some old Errol Flynn movies. But it’s no big deal, I’ll get back to the layout.
Tom [^][^]
I suffer from the same disease (whatever it is). Been working on a 4 X 8 layout for 30 years. The early years and somewhat even now is lack of funds. Retirement has made a big difference in my interest and have accomplished more in the last 3 years that all of the time before. My MRR work is mostly in the coldest part of winter when there is no outside work and it is too cold to heat the woodworking shop.
The many advances in senery products and procedures and this web site have kept me more active that before. I often lost interest because my efforts did not meet my expectations.
Hi Chuck,
You are not alone in this. If you don’t have these spells where you step back you are in danger of burning out and leaving altogether. With 25 years of your life invested in it, that woul d be a shame. If you cross the line from hobby to work, what’s the point. A break is as good as a change. Do sweat a temporary lack of interest. Eventually you’ll get the buzz again and you’ll be found back down in the basement with your nose to the grindstone.
Trevor[:)]
Yes I suspect it is quite a common malady. Take two Locos and call me in the morning!
Tom: There are several sights on Adult ADD/ADHD, which are well worth looking into.
According to my wife I’d qualify!
Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. We need to take a rest from time to time.
So relax
Fergie
Sure, in the words of several posts “its a hobby.” There won’t be any
“guilt or shame” trips on my R.R., only “joy rides” and fun challenges are allowed. It wouldn’t bother me if a couple of months went by without driving a spike. However, I won’t let things sit around collecting dust for long. When I asked Mel Torme (professional musician/vocalist) when he planned to retire from “show business,” he replied: “When it ain’t fun no more.” I “copy” that 100%.
When I hired out on the NS several years ago,some of the other guys (who are modelers also)told me that doing this for a living would ruin the hobby for me.Well I didnt believe them.
But it did happened.I actually got to the point that I hated trains,couldnt stand the sight of them,so I got out of the hobby compleatly for a few years.I dont know what brought me back ,but I am back.
It did not ruin the hobby for me,but it did change it.
Burnout?
Sure. The symptoms are avoidiance, lack of desire, inability to pay attention to daily tasks and some irritation when you drive by the LHS.
Usually a month or so passes and all of a sudden that kit that sat for a year half finished might be completed in 2 days round the clock work.
My recent burn out involved metal wheels. I just finished converting everything to metal. At the moment I am really sick of metal wheels. But I know in time I will be getting some more in the future.
I am half tempted to leave a freight car with a set of plastics and hide it in a train to see if anyone is paying attention.
I do believe this is what caused the burnout to begin with…I just put metal wheel sets and new kadee couplers on over 150 cars…what really got me was that I was replacing existing kadee couplers and the old draft gear boxes were glued on which cause a major repair jop to just about all pieces of my rolling stock …but when i’m done (have about 20 more cars to do) i think i’ll enjoy it more…the burnout will pass but for now i think i’ll just try to do something else besides all that rolling stock action at one time…chuck
All the time. But, as others have mentioned, it is cyclical. I have other hobby interests that take over from MRR when this happens. And if life is throwing too much at me to take any hobby time, I try not to let it bother me (although that is tough sometimes too).
I’ve never ‘finished’ a layout in my life, (been involved in the hobby for 30 years or so) and at first that did bother me. Now it doesn’t, as I try to keep the ‘this is a hobby, it is supposed to be fun’ philosophy. Once I stop having fun, I let it lie for a while and persue other interests, until that one becomes not fun.
The only downside to the multi-hobby track is there ends up be less $$ available for all of them. But for me it works out just fine.
One evening last week I had planned to work on my layout, but I had been working hard and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So spent the evening with a big bowl of popcorn, an alcohol-free beer and read about the Gorre and Daphetid Railroad.
I watch the “Emperor of the north”. That usually hammers out the blues.
Yes. But not as frequent as some of you. Some times I feel like I’ve hit an invisible barrier that impairs my ability to get things done. Most of the time the burnout comes after accomplishing too much, too quickly. (apparently its possible)
To get back in the groove, I drink a little Vodka and watch one of my Vintage Prototype DVDs. It works most of the time.
Lately I’ve been on a roll. I feel the spirit flowing freely. Gotten much more scenery and ballasting done. A burnout may be coming soon.
Chip-- ‘alcohol free-beer’? Whats the point? [;)]
I love beer, but it severely messes up my sleep patterns and I just can’t do it any more.
Occasionaly, I wish I stayed with HO. I just keep a stiff upper chin and tackle a less demanding project until the mood passes.
once got so burned out on mrr thought no more for me sold all my trains (yikes but I did[D)][sigh][banghead][banghead]) walked out of hobby shop went to mall anf first thing I did was buy a different scale train set didn’t like it sold it and went back to my O/O27 and have never been that dumb again I now collect O/O27 and HO but didn’t like the kalamazoo G. I just say okay time to cool it for a while and then pick up where I left off.
By the way I’ve been with trains for my whole life just about and I’m 50 now
SPURTS is exactly what I have. I don’t get burned out because I do my modeling when the mood strikes me. I won’t sit for hrs. putting a FSM kit togerher or spend days just laying track or scenery. I do it in spurts. I drive myself nuts thinking about what I could buy next. That is whats eating at me all the time.