Model Railroad Doldrums, a Philosophy Friday discussion

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

A while back I reluctantly took over as the co-ordinator/ organiser of the Clubs annual train show, I was busy enough with w**k and was also annoyed the time lost from my own modelling projects.

After the show, I couldn’t get motivated to start back on my projects but figured that I was “trained out”, and just needed a breather.

However, two months later I still find myself “stalled”. I go to the work bench pick up my current project, look at it, then put it back down. I then look at something else, then perhaps look through my future projects file, or look in a drawer and find a half done project I’d almost forgotten about. In essence, I’m spending a whole lot of time doing nothing!

As you can see I’ve got more than enough to get on with but don’t seem to be able to escape from the Model Railroad Doldrums.

My question is twofold, am I the only one to suffer from this malady, and if not, what’s your remedy to get back into a more productive mode?

Cheers, the Bear.[:)]

2

Been there, done that - quite a number of times! I think that each and every one of us suffers from a period of “abstinentia model railroadiensis” and we all have most likely different remedies for it. I found the attitude of just sitting back, relax and wait till it´s over the best method of curing it. I also found that setting up a temporary layout with my old Marklin trains helps much better than starting another project, which is bound to fail.

Nice topic, btw - I am eager to see how others overcome the malady!

3

I think we all go though these type of periods. I have many hobbies such as slots cars’ astrophotography’ playing guitar’ ect. I get burnt out on all them and take breaks from them. I go one to the other and go full circle. If you have to force your self then it’s work not a hobby.

4

I believe a lot of people over think these kind of things…It’s a Hobby…You do what You want, when You want, (just like retirement…for Me anyway) no one is keeping score. If You never did anything on the layout again…life goes on…don’t dwell on it…Your just wasting energy, thinking about it, never solves any problem…Make someone else feel better, in turn You will feel better…then with a smile on Your face…You can look up at the sky and then say…well what am I going to mess up today and have Your self a great laugh and take one day at a time and try to keep that smile on Yourself to share with others, because life is too short to spend on worrying about it. We are all in control of our destiny from within, contrary to what we may be told or believe. We are all still learning how.

Take Care! [:D]

Frank

5

Back in the late 1990’s I was very active in the local model railroad club in Southwest Florida. I was actually a founding member of the club from 1982.

.

I ran the annual Fort Myers train show in November a couple of times, it all went well. The club voted to add a mid-year train show in Naples, and I was “selected” to run this one too. I don’t want to get into ugly details, but this was a disaster.

.

So… the doldrums really set in for my model railroading. This actually lasted about ten years in various severity. The worst part was I had just built a custom house with a massive “inverse basement” upstairs train room. There were other problems at the time also.

.

I became more active in other hobbies, especially wargaming. During this time I developed a few new modelling skills that have actually helped my railroading.

.

I am just now getting fully out of these doldrums. I guess they lasted through two layouts and almost 20 years. I am now very excited about model railroading again.

.

Believe it or not, just playing with trains has helped more than anything. After I took down the last layout I bought about $400.00 worth of Kato HO Unitrack and set up a huge loop of track running on the floor through the living room and dining room. Just getting out trains and running them around on the floor was a great experience and got me back in a big building mood. A couple people on this forum have jabbed at me for “playing with trains” again when I mention it, but hey, it is going to be a couple of years before my layout room is ready, and I am having fun. This also motivates me to paint new rolling stock which is my main modeling project while the house is being remodelled.

.

Another big thing that helped was throwing away all my unfinished projects. I posted a topic about this “purge”, but it went off track. Anyway, that turned out to be a big positive, and improved mo

6

Haven’t done a thing sence mid Feb. Like Bear, I go down there,look around,walk away. Went to a small local show last weekend,looking for a kick start. Walked thru the building,came home feeling ‘‘same old stuff’’.

As of late even the forums are starting to annoy me.

Looking for a cure

7

Variety is the spice of life. When I get burned out on playing guitar I work on my model railroad or slot cars or real cars. Keep it fun. Don’t turn it into work. Go hiking or skiing or something completely different. When you start missing it you will go back to it.

8

I have stalled for 15 months. I got to the track laying phase of my new build and ground to a halt. I painted the backdrop just before Christmas, making sure not to waste a teensy spurt of motivation that I found at the breakfast table one morning. That lasted two weeks.

Then came all the spring garden work. And stand-up paddle boarding. And my aged father needed me to accompany him on travel for two important surgeries, one of which was to save his life. I have been wrung dry.

It’s coming back, though. Last week I laid some roadbed for a parking siding at the main line end of a switchback leading to two industries. I’m beginning to think about the project more and more with each passing day.

I want to run trains.

9

Sounds like you’re burned out.

When I get burned out, I do something else for a while. Maybe get involved with a woodworking project or a long CPRG or just read a few good books.

OTOH sometimes I feel like I’m just not getting anywhere with the hobby. In that case I build a couple of easy kits - like Athearn BB, MDC Old timer, Accurail, Atlas building - upgrading the trucks and couplers or painting cast on detail parts. Something I can complete quickly, preferably in one (or two) sessions at the workbench.

Paul

10

I get the MR doldrums more often lately, I think it’s caused by old age creeping in (mainly pain). When the various parts of my body can’t perform like they did 20 years ago it depresses me.

Now after using woodworking power tools since junior high (66yrs) I put a notch in my left thumb three weeks ago, not good at all.

To get out of the doldrums I clean off my hobby workbench and set a couple of my most liked projects on it. After awhile I finally get curious enough to do something. Once I get started it slowly gets back to normal.

One thing to stay away from is a difficult project as that will set me back.

Reading the Forum also helps to repair my depression, all the neat activity from members does help.

Dinging my thumb has really set me back, I found out I’m c

11

Yes, we all go through it. I’m going through it right now. It seems finally, after having moved last fall I have my layout all reassembled, re-tracked and re-wired. Now, to get my workbench from the garage into my train room. Not so simple; you see, I’ve been using my workbench as a “saw horse” for making cuts on lumber outside, as I didn’t have room for my work bench in my apartment where I used to live. So, if I move the work bench inside, what do I make lumber cuts on outside? Saw horses, of course! So, another project: building saw horses. Just finished that project yesterday, but now, before moving the work bench inside, I need to clean it up and repaint it - - another non-trains project, just so I can do model railroading! After that, it’s moving all my “train stuff” and organizing it. so I don’t have all the clutter.

Bottom line: these are all what I call necessary distractions from the hobby. Make no mistake about it, I’m chomping at the bit to get started after an 8 month hiatus from it. I’ve got projects stacked up like crazy, but I just need a place in which I can do them. So I guess for me right now, it’s more the frustration of having to do all these things just so that I can do what I love to do - - model railroading.

12

When I get a case of the hobby doldrums I railfan,visit a club or take in a train show. A afternoon of railroad videos seems to kindle the interest.

IMHO the worst thing you can do about the doldrums is “taking a breather” because it can be hard to rekindle interest after said breather.

13

We all need variety in time spent from time to time.

As far as uncompleted projects. If you’re like me, you’ve reached a point where the goal may not be as desireable as you thought, or there may be more effort and skill needed than what you’re willing to devote. My guess is the projects might start to feel like a burden rather than enjoyment. The fact that they are not complete and forgotten about suggests you’ve already moved on from them.

14

For what its worth, I think we have all had our down time…some more than others. When I was building the current layout, “every minute” of time I could get went into the construction. Once up and running with scenery partially in place, I lost momentum. Since then, I go in spurts, with out any real explanation as to what brings me in or out of the layout process.

Saying that, I’m looking forward to reading more from others on the subject.

15

If I may and not to sound like a jerk but,I don’t know a way to butter it up…

Based on past experience including my own it sounds like you lost interest in the hobby…

My cure is thinking of what I love about the hobby and as you may recall its switching cars and what I hate about the hobby (a lot) and life without model trains and since the idea of video gaming 24/7 x 52 had no appeal I found ways to rekindle my love for the hobby to include planing a new short line or switching road.

Also all work and no play can turn off the hobby interest…Try running trains to include switching cars. You may find the zeal never left…

16

They say misery loves company so it is comforting to hear that the members I look up to and try to emulate are or had or are having the same experience as I am. The difference is that you are working on difficult projects or kitbashing whereas I’m on my first layout doing some basic stuff.

Last Fall I started a mountain tunnel project and worked almost every day on it until it was finished. Since then things have been at a stand still.

Before I do more scenery I have to paint track and for various reasons I need to do it by hand. Of all things that have to be done painting track is for me the worst part.

I need a kick in the butt to get started.

Bob

17

Having a heart attack last year, and surviving, put a whole new perspective on the rest of my life (I’ll be 63 in August). I wouldn’t recommend it though!

Anyway, I have wrapped all of my hobbies (professional musician and new golf interest not included) into my model train interests. They include hiking, rock and mineral collecting, physics, electronic circuit design, geology, stained glass work, literature database creation, arts and crafts, pencil drawings, woodworking, rail fanning, and others. So, when I tire of one, or can’t do one for a good reason, I switch to another and it’s still trains!

As long as my heart keeps beating, I don’t waste a moment and am having the time of my life!

Dennis

18

Good afternoon all,

I usually post on the CTT side, but this is a good topic for any type of enthusiast. I hurried last year to get tables up in time for Christmas and had track to run trains on, but that is as far as it gets. There are some buildings situated as well to give a hint as to what the completed goal is. Other “stuff” gets priority and while the motivation is there, the fear of ruining “blank canvases” probably causes more pause than anything. I run mostly tinplate so that should not be an issue, but right now everything looks “nice” and scenery is not my strong point. Eventually I will get going, but not for awhile. I look forward to more posts on this topic. I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

19

My question is twofold, am I the only one to suffer from this malady, and if not, what’s your remedy to get back into a more productive mode?

As you can see, you’re not the only one.

When I was building my layout, things went along at a good pace - until it came to scenery. It was like I was paralyzed. I had a genuine “fear” of applying scenery (having never done it before). It wasn’t until a good friend (who was building his own layout at the time) invited me over to his home to help him with scenery, that I was finally able to jump that hurdle. Asking help from others really helped me.

What motivates me? Visiting other layouts. No matter where you go. No matter what state of completion the layout is in, you can always come away with at least one good idea. I can always leave with something learned. When I’m in a slump, visiting someone’s layout always fires me up.

Another motovation for me - deadlines. I used to belong to a modular club. If I knew a show was coming up next month, I got to it! And I really enjoyed getting my module ready.

So shovel all the coal in, 'cause you gotta keep 'em rolling! John.

20

I have in my life been involved in,

Hangliding

Scuba diving

Flying. My friends and I would each rent planes and chase each other through the mountains North of Vancouver pretending we were fighter aces.[(-D]

R/C and line control airplanes

A lot of both road and mountain biking.

Motorcycles and sportscars.

Guitars. I played for three hours in the early morning sun yesterday.

Backcountry backpacking. Even took a two week outward bound survival course.

A lot of golf. Worked at a Golf course for two years in high school.

Use to plummet down Whistler Mountain on skis as fast as I could possibly go.

I have also traveled a whole bunch and have had some real adventures in that department let me tell you.

Over the years I coached kids Softball, Baseball, and Hockey.

I have done some extreme river rafting in a few countries around the world.

Now do to being a high mileage unit my health is in decline and I have come full circle back to model railroading. MRR was what Dad and I did together and I am glad he introduced me to it. Dad had Muscular Dystrophy so Trains and sitting in a boat fishing is what we did together.

All of the above activities (and more) I did off and on throughout my life with the exception of skiing, biking, and golf which I did on a regular basis. I was never obsessed with any of them but enjoyed them all immensely.

My wife, sister and departed mother are/were involved in the dog show hobby at the highest levels and seem to be on airplanes to dog shows constantly. There are some pathetic sick obsessive individuals in that hobby, let me tell you. My sister and wife are never like that and avoid all those that are.

The one thing about all those things I have mentioned is that in each and every one of them they contain people involved them that are so obsessive about their interest that they wouldn’t save their own children from a burning