Model Rairoading versus Your "Other Life"

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

This is one of those “shoot the breeze” kind of threads.

Even though I am not as hard core consumed a Model RR buff as some of you, I love Model railroading and get excited when I see a Kadee coupler, metal wheels on rolling stock, a detailed locomotive or rolling stock, or a well engineered layout with fine scenery, not to mention a real steam locomotive like the Santa Fe 3751 or modern UP or BNSF diesels, in my area. Like I said in another thread I have built a 15 X 20 ft layout in the past, which was mainly a desert scene with a yard, sort of like the former Santa Fe yard in Barstow Calif. As I said on some other threads, I’m resurrecting a 5 X 9’ layout I started several years ago, but never finished. I’m semi-retired and always seeking exrtra income to supplement my breadcrumbs of a fixed income so that takes up most of my time, and yes, I play the Lotto, hoping to hit the jackpot even though the odds are ridiculous.

But, who here has all the time it takes to devote to such an intoxicating endeavor?

Some are probably comfortably retired, or maybe a few here are financially independent. Still others fit it in when they find time. To me, Model RRng is equivalent to the special effects wizards in Hollywood, where you build a scene that is indistinguishable from the real thing, ala John Allens layout. In fact, at the L.A. show of the “Train Expo” last week here in L.A., I met one of our fellow modelers who had an exhibit there, and is an artist who has worked on “Titanic” and the “Aliens” movies. We talked about how great this “craft” of Model Railroading is. To some, maybe it’s just watching the trains move around the mainline, or the fun of yard switching. It’s different things to different people.

I remember seeing a cartoon in an old Model RR book, maybe it was Kalmbach where a guy is drooling over his layout with his engineer hat on,

2

Lets see, model railroading I have only just picked back up over the last year or so; and it has to juggle with postgraduate university studies (Master in Planning Practice), part time work, being just recently married (so new household starting) and other social/political organisations I (and my wife) belong to. As for priorities (a rather loaded question) I’d say priority four after ‘wife,’ university and work. Never the less am still going in leaps and bounds to produce this (as one of four scenes) More can be found at: http://bens-hotrainset.blogspot.com/

3

Yes, model railroading is indeed intoxicating and can lead to conflicts with your “other” life. I know quite a number of guys, who have been overdoing it and subsequently ran into problems, either in their jobs or in their family life.

The solution to the issue is actually fairly simple. Unless you are not in the model railroading business, simply don´t let it intrude your job - full stop! Keep it out! With respect to your family life - try to involve your family, your spouse in order to build up a certain tolerance for your hobby. But for heaven´s sake, do not devote all of your spare time to your hobby. Leave enough room for your family and their needs - they will love you for that and accept your hobby much more!

Btw, MR one published a little poem about a model railrader, ruining his life with his trains. It all started when his parents gave him a train set for Christmas… The poem was very funny - must have been in the late 60´s or early 70´s.

[:D]

Btw, I do have all the time I want to be dedicated to the hobby, but I am jobless, so no money!

4

My other half is very understanding. We’ve agreed that I can have all day Saturdays, as well as whenever she’s out of the house. All up, this gives me Saturdays, plus Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when she’s at the gym. I’m able to fit most of my projects into the one-day window - one Durango Press or LaBelle kit will fit nicely into it, along with the weekday evenings to finish up. As for the financials, as long as I’m able to save up money for our upcoming wedding, the rest is my business.

“In sickness and in health” - and she understands this is my sickness[:D]

5

How do you incorporate Model Railroading into your daily schedule and priorities?

Simple for me…My late wife and I knew we had hobbies and needed “me time” and we worked that into our schedule…It was better once she became interested in the hobby-building structure kits was more fun then knitting so she said.

As far as priorities we never really got caught up in that rat race-we took each day as it was handled to us and planned accordingly…We also knew we only get one shot in this fragile life and we lived doing what needed doing while stopping to smell the roses along the way to include letting grass grow a extra day while we smelled those roses…As parents we knew the kids had to have their “me time” doing what they like to do be it playing with toys or video games.

Its boils down to the way one sees life and if he allows him/her self “me time”.

6

When I retired and since I am not married I knew I had to develop some activities that would not only take up the time but would open up some new interests. I had seen some people become totally obsessed with some area and I was determined not to let one activity dominant life. So, I became involved in my community, started to do some traveling, did some volunteer work, and, along with a couple other things, started to build a layout. I would say that if I had to affix an amount of time to it, I would say maybe 8-10 hours a week depending on the season of the year. For me I didn’t want to let any one thing dominate my life as I believe it’s important to be have a variety of interests - besides, it makes the time spent on any one of them much more valuable.

BTW, I like these ‘shoot the breeze’ threads!! [:D]

7

I try to allow myself a little model railroad time, between work and family there is little time left when I am not dead tired. As my children have grown to become teenagers and have their own lives, I find that I usually try to spend an evening or two working on a model railroad project.

Really it boils down to balance and priorities, one thing I try to do do is split our hobby spending money (when there is some) 50 / 50 between my wife and I as she has her hobbies too.

Frankly I have been in a terrible rut lately and haven’t touched the layout, I have several projects on hold due to lack of hobby funds and that doesn’t help.

Martin.

8

Having the Other Life is why, after 26 years, the space for my 14 x 30 dream layout is only 60% completed. There’s more to life than the railroad.

When I see these huge layouts in MR that are completed in 10 years, I wonder what these guys do for relaxation!

George V.

9

Hi!

What a timely topic for me! I’ve been a railroad nut since the mid-'50s and have had 6 or so layouts, with the current one still under construction. I retired in 2006, but was pretty tied up with care-giving (in-laws) until last January. Now I am really retired, but like you all, have other things that I have to or want to do as well.

My latest distraction has been the acquisition of a new digital camera and tv. The new camera replaces a once “state of the art” Olympus from 1998, and the new HD TV replaces a 36" JVC “box”, also from 1998. We also got a Blu-Ray player too.

As you can guess, the new technical stuff is a giant leap from what I had. The old camera worked ok, but the new one - at half the price - is three times the camera. But of course, all those “bells and whistles” need to be mastered, something that takes up time and patience.

The old “theatre” was pretty nice when it was put together in the late '90s, but the “new and improved” is just a giant leap forward in both audio & visual. Redoing the wiring and placement of several speakers and components - and making everything “neat and pretty” - took almost a week to get it right. And while everything works as it should, there are all these new possibilities (i.e. games, PC inputs, 3D, etc.) that I need to investigate and educate myself on.

Oh, and when I think I know what I’m doing, then I need to educate my wife (probably easier than me).

Anyway, before this all hit, I was making good progress on the HO layout, but its been put on hold for two weeks now. I should be able to get to it in a couple of days, but… the grass needs cutting, the wife’s SUV needs a Mobil 1 oil change, the garden needs some tending, etc., etc., etc.

Hey, I’m not complaining - just wanted to share!

Mobilman44

10

Oh boy. Well I am single and I have alot of time available to the hobby. I work full time, so after I get home during the week, I take a nap, then I’m up all night working on the layout.

I’m glad I got into this hobby, before I was getting bored, now my time is used on these forums and building the layout, buying locos, rolling stock, scenery items, etc. I also have a pretty good job (Network Engineer) and I have some spending money.

11

WHAT other life? Seriously though, I put in about 2-3 hours a day either working on the layout or running trains. I just had to replace a section of track that had a curve that was too sharp for my 8 wheel driver steam locomotives. Looks better, too! The next project is to add some staging tracks. I have too many trains on the layout right now.

12

I am retired 11 years, financially sound and independent. Single (still looking). I work on or run my layout for only 1 or 2 hrs each week. I do spend almost 4hrs a week with my club, working on the layouts or running them. I spend the rest of my time working on my vehicles, gardening in summer, cutting and splitting firewood, working on my home and carpentry projects for my clubs and my home layout as well as my house. I do get to do some trainwatching at my favorite spots a couple of hrs a month too. I’m very relaxed and under no pressure to do anything I don’t want to do except to pay my taxes.

13

I think George and I are on the same page when it comes to integration of model railroading with the rest of our lives.

For me, model railroading is something I do and something I enjoy, but it is not a priority. Time with my wife and family is at the top of the list. Cathey is great; in our new house we’re planning a room that will be both my train room and her painting studio - we’ll be able to combine hobby time and together time.

14

I did the same thing. I combined my wife’s sewing room with my train room. It works out great. Although now I’m eyeing for more space, so with the kids off to college, she could move upstairs in a spare bedroom. But that wouldn’t be nice [|)]

I have many other interests other than the train layout. I probably spend maybe 4 hours a week on it. It’s almost done after 4 years now, so little money is needed to spend on it. Just Scenery and time. I don’t think I would ever want a huge basement monstrosity, as I wanted a complete working and scenicked layout in 5 years or less. 15 to 20 years to build something that big does not interest me. My layout is only an 8X11 shelf layout in a spare room in the basement. The largest I would ever go would be 12X20’. Something I could complete within 5 years. But, I like my rec room downstairs that displays my other collection. Matchbox Cars. I also like the space for the ping pong table, so no large layout in this house, even though I could easily do it.

And my Favorite Hobby…

15

Other life? What other life???

I’m retired now and by myself so I have a lot of time. But I have a lot of intrest in other things so I spend about 6 hrs a week working or running the my layout. I spend most of my time running because money is tight for materials to build stuff. Over the years (50+) the time I have for my model railroading has been as little as a few hrs a month to 15 hrs a week. I’ve never let my model railroad take me away from family, work, or friends The key is balance.

16

Other life??? I have been told by students back when I was teaching (retired 10 years) to “Get a Life!”

Well lets see, I like to play with 1/1 scale trains when possible:

Then there is community stuff like: I am Moderator of Deacons at the Presbyterian Church; active as a Commissioner, Chartered Partner Rep., Merit Badge Councilor, and Camp Properties Committee member for the local council of the BSA; former Vice-president and currently treasurer of the local Martin Luther King Committee, and currently serve as the Superintendent of the Lakeshores Division, NFR, NMRA.

Also have two darling little granddaughters to occupy any free time that might come along.

I manage to keep busy…

73

17

I find the time when there’s nothing else going on. I’d rather work on or run trains than watch TV!

I’m married (4 years now, first marriage for both of us), but no kids, and my wife works retail pharmacy, so she’s on a fairly random schedule as opposed to my 7:45am-4:45pm, Monday through Friday. My club meets on Monday and Friday nights, but I usually only go out there on nights that my wife is working late. the exception to this is business meeting night…as an officer, I sort of have to show up for that.

We try to keep things balanced…I have time for my hobby, but only if the important things (house, spend time with wife) are taken care of. The way I see it, if trains are the only thing in your life, you’re 1. single, 2. divorced, or 3. In the process of #2. [;)] That being said, I did tell my wife from the beginning that I would not give up trains completely. Trains are a part of who I am, and if she couldn’t accept that, then that would be a deal-breaker. Four years of marriage tells me that we’ve managed to balance things pretty well so far. [:)]

18

How much time do I spend working on the layout??

To begin with I am semi retired working a couple hours several mornings a week managing what’s left of the family business. At 81 thanks to numerous surgeries I am in good health with the exception of a sleep disorder that I’m currently working on. Getting under the layout presents no real problem so that’s good. It’s 48 inches off the floor.

When I started the layout I knew and wanted it to not interfere with my other family duties and responsibilities. It was to fill in the extra time I now had due to less time spent with the family business.

This sleep problem does limit the time spent on the layout. I’d like to get more done and quicker but I just work on it when I feel like it.

Model railroading is interesting and challenging to say the least especially for some one with few talents. I found that doing the things I thought I’d like the least like scenery now gives me the most satisfaction not that it measures up to what a lot of you do.

Happy Railroading,

Bob

19

I can’t say how much time I spend on the layout, but, I do get in quite a bit of modeling, running, etc. I worked in two professions (computer programming/systems design) and I am an ordained pastor, and I pastored small churches that couldn’t afford big salaries, and still managed to start and complete a 3 deck layout in a space 29ft by 33ft. It is complete, sceniced, and I host operating sessions. At age 74 I still do some supply pastoring, my wife and I travel off and on, and life is good.

Bob

20

What other life?