Hey guys
lately I have not been feeling like working on the layout at all ( or building kits for that matter ) does anybody else feel like this from time to time? last time this happend was in march and was not back working on the layout for 4 months…
hope to hear some thoughts
Jeremy
This came up in May, I think, and someone stated that he was in the doldrums and couldn’t get motivated by his layout, or even model trains in general. Some of us counselled him to actually give it up for a while, maybe even a year or two. Sometimes we need a break. If you get sick of chocolate, you stop eating it, don’t you? Same here.
Tidy up in that space, maybe place a dust sheet over your tracks, and close the door behind you on the way out. Pick up that book you’ve always wanted to read. Painting exterior doors and their frames is a good investment this time of year (it’s what I’m doing between visits here). My guess is, by mid-October you’ll have a healthy hankering to get back at it. If not, don’t sweat it…wait it out.
One thing that did come up loud and clear on that discussion thread…do NOT sell anything!!! Several guys joined the discussion lamenting that they had gotten so fed up with toy trains that they sold all or most of their stuff and were now regretting it.
its not a feeling of I want to get out of the hobby, just I have done ALOT on the layout lately and I thinks its catching up to me,lol
Jeremy
I felt that way for 22 years. Now that I’m back its better than ever. I took a short break a couple weeks ago, kept walking by and pretty soon needed a place to hunt pheasants. The canyon will wait while I plant the corn, cut it and get some plowed. Getting pheasants is as hard as in full scale. It got me going. Who knows, it is a hobby you know.
I had felt that way for a while. Then I discovered this forum and much inspiration for new projects.
I feel that way every time I go to the layout room. But, I pull myself up, and kitbash, build kits, and carry on with normal model railraoding activities.
Problem is, I have way too much junk.
uspscsx
More and more lately. But that’s because everything my wife doesn’t want or need right away goes on the train table. All the junk on it just makes it that much harder for me to really get going. It has to stop soon because the urge is becoming to great to ignore much longer. Sometime in the next few months the junk is going to be gone and I’m will tear down half of my layout and build it back the way I should have 30 years ago but didn’t know it. When I found this forum, all my thoughts and energy went into reading all the posts that interested me and replying. It soon became all I wanted to do and my wife noticed I was spending too much time here and then proceeded to let me know that she knew. Then she asked why and I told her, “with all your stuff on my table, I have no interest.” That was in March 05. In October the building and removal of stuff will begin in earnest. You too will get the bug again and will be surprised at how much you missed the fun. It will also be easier to do the job that might have turned you off in the first place.
Ain’t it great!!
Archie
PS, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who gets this way
You MUST seek professional help immediately!!! If caught in it’s early stages, this dread illness need not be life threatening!!!
Quick, where the nearest professional doctor, loathar?
[swg]
uspscsx
I never get burned out in fact, I wish I had more time to work on the layout. I divide my time between working on the railroad, scratchbuilding, detailing and upgrading diesels. The most I go between work sessions is about two days.
The best way I keep interest is when one part gets boring and repetious, I change up and work on another project.
Stop working on it and run some trains. Time for a change. I find that sometimes I get so caught up in working on my layout I forget to enjoy why I built it to begin with I LIKE TRAINS.
Yes, you need professional help. Fortunately, it’s as close as your LHS. Think about it. You could go to a shrink, who would charge you $100 and a week later you would have to go back and give him (or her, no sexism here) another $100. At your LHS, you could give him (or her) a hundred, and you would have a new locomotive, or a ton of track, or some rolling stock and maybe a building or two! Fear of driving? No problem! That new locomotive, rolling stock, track or building is only a few keystrokes and a credit card away!
Seriously, I found that the blahs used to be cured with a new record album. That’s when music came on vinyl, and cost $2.40, or $2.60 if you wanted stereo. This week, I found some barely-used (like new) Proto 2000’s at my LHS. It’s like old times, man. Batteries recharged, I laid down what seems like an acre of 2-inch pink foam, and tomorrow I’ll be up early (well, early for me) and ready to lay roadbed and track.
I get this way every now and then. I think everyone does. My solution (I’m sure it’s not the same for everyone) is to keep on pluggin away. I always work myself out of the funk.
My level went down with the heat, even though the layout is in the basement, it was muggy and hot so the fun just wasn’t there. Once we fixed the central air, well actually turned it on, last year it acted up, this year fine, I found mydelf back and interested.
I think Terry from MR summed it up about me, when school is starting is when it feels right.
I’ve got burned out working on the train " room ". Been putting up new trim, trying to get ready to paint. I know if I don’t get the room finished, I can’t start my layout.
Stan.
Like anything, you may need a break from it every once in a while. I haven’t experienced this for myself yet, since I haven’t started a layout. But, like said above, take some time to run your trains, and reap the benefits of what you have completed so far.
For me, there are so many different areas of things I can work on in the hobby, it doesn’t get boring.
Want to ballast some track? Want to weather some cars? How about make some trees? Or install some decoders and loco lights? Or paint some backdrop? The list goes on and on.
One thing I do to motivate me is host regular monthly operating sessions. I know if the guys are coming in a couple weeks, I’d better get off my fanny and work on the layout, so I’ll have something new to show them! [swg]
I’m just coming off a 3-4 month break from working on the layout, which I mainly took because the layout is in a spare bedroom in the top back corner of the house, and the air conditioning doesn’t quite cut it up there when the outside temps are hovering in the 90s like they have been. But that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to shop eBay and HobbiesUSA to keep building my rolling stock collection. [:D]
Actually started working on the layout again this weekend, since I had to drag out all my woodworking stuff to build some cabinet doors for She-who-must-be-obeyed. Figured since I had it out anyway, I might as well use it to start cutting up those two 4x4 pieces of plywood that have been laying around since May…
I like having my train room where I can close the door and no one else goes in there. I have “walked away” for up to 4 months and been able to pick up what I had been working on. I find that sometimes my “muse” is not on my shoulder and to try to force myself to work on something always results in disappointment. But, when the muse is there, watch out, 'cause I can get some very interesting things done in short order. Right now I’m not in the mood, and I have a couple of projects that need finishing, but I will just wait 'till the time’s right, then they will go fast and as they should.
Mark C.
Yes, I think I am getting burned out. Also, school has started, so you guys may not see much of me for a couple weeks until i get settled in to the routine…