I should like to know how much time – hours per days, days per week (average) – you spend working on your model railroad – building it and running it?
Also, how many times have you’ changed the layout – that is, totally reconstructed the entire pike?
I realize it “depends,” but there must be an average time spent building structures, layout track or running trains. Passion can run wild for some modelers, I suspect.
GGB
I figure I probably average about an hour a day. I’m still in construction, so I will occasionally have a marathon all-day session when the girls go shopping or something. My trackwork is mostly down, although a lot is only held down with clips, so I can run trains over the whole thing. Some nights, that’s all I do.
Overall, this is my third layout. I had Lionels when I was very young, and I switched to HO when I was about 12. That layout got taken down and stored when I went to college and moved away from home. Now, I’ve pulled those trains out of the boxes they’d been in for 40 years, and I’m building my first “grown-up” layout.
Until March of this year I was spending 2-4 hours a week avarage working on the pike and another 6 hours reading the fourm. Since I changed jobs 0 hours on the pike and I have been lucky to check up on the Weekend Photo Fun here every week.
1 1/2 . The new design was about ready and this pike was not long for this world even though it was not finnished.
Currently, perhaps 5 or 6 hours per week on my 75% completed layout…sometimes much less.
No, I haven’t much modified or rebuilt my layout from the original design I drew up…probably that’s why I can complete more of the layout than most do!
It’s difficult for me to determine the total number of layouts, etc. I’ve done over the years. Let’s say at least 3 layouts, half a dozen large, fully scenicked HO modules, extensive work on two club layouts and have built numerous dioramas for displays or to enter in contests.
CNJ831
I am medically retired so all I do is model,railfan and look over the forums…Its my “New” full time job…[;)]
Typically, I would spend 12-16 hours per week. There are times I get burnt and spend 8-10 hours a week. I’m in a semi burnt phase right now.
Last OCtober. I pulled everything but the trackwork and rebuilt the landscape to swallow most of my EZ track-so that it looks simi normal. It took 6 months to get it up and running again. Part of that time was cleaning and remodeling the are a where the layout stays.
I am on my sixth layout, only one could be condidered complette. I am determined to the point where my modeling will turn into super detailing but I must get the base scenery down bwfore I allow myself to go to that step. I will do the things not so fun first and reward myself with some operating or model building time, as the core of the layout must be finished first.
I spend too much time on forums and reading but when its not 95 degrees, 100+ in the garage I am working on the layout at least an hour or two every night. Most of this time is spent making decisions, dreaming.
I am sure that when I get to the point where Bob Grech is my focus may change.
Right now it is ‘zero’ time for the layout(yard/house duties, etc…). Later this fall I will be getting serious and expect to spend at least 10 hours/week working on the layout.
Jim
Operation/building averages 5 hrs wk. Total teardown and rebuild average every 4 to 7 years
Thanks for replying. I’m not too far off from most respondents.
GGB
Right at the moment I spend about 30 minutes a day operating on the truncated remains of my layout, about an hour a day in planning for the new and better Crysanthemum Empire (the whole garage, not just half) and about an hour a day scanning and posting to this forum. The rest of the time, I’m involved in “honeydew” projects and unrelated research.
Looking forward to cooler weather, when I can get back into serious construction. 115+ in the garage isn’t conducive to much effort.
Chuck
I retired in February so I spend a few hours a day on my home layout and detailing projects. I spend about 8 hours a week (±_) working on our clubs layout depending on what needs to be done. The rest of my time is spent trying to make the list on the refrigerator shorter. So far I have not gained on it at all.[banghead]
This is my first post since April. I’ve not put any time into the RR since before that…
In the winter probably an hour a day but in the summer the time spent is slim to none.
Well I am not married and have to kids and work for the government. So I have lots of free time! I spend about 3 hours a day at the workbench and an hour on the train boards at night. In the winter I spend more time than that.
I posed this question to the woman to whom I am married and she replied, “eight hours, fourteen minutes, and twenty-three seconds a week.” Her actual response was, “too much” but we’ll ignore that which is what she accuses me of doing for eight hours, fourteen minutes, and twenty-three seconds a week. A couple of months ago I offered to go out and chase women; she definitely didn’t appreciate that!!! I told her she didn’t really need to worry; at the age of sixty-six about the only thing I can catch is a cold!!
About an hour a day, in fits and starts depending on where I am in the construction/building/modeling phase.
I’ve never “rebuilt” a layout - either because of changes in scale, moving, or a complete re-design (building a module instead of an “in-place” layout). I always seem to start all over. But there’s no regrets - each time I correct old mistakes and get to make all-new ones…
When I’m active in the hobby, I suppose I spend about 5 to 8 hours a week. There will soon be a drastic increase as it is time to build a new RR WOOOHOOO!!!
[#ditto]
Although momentum is building again, 6 hrs this week so far…
Have fun & be safe
Karl