As a matter of fact Jeffrey I have, and may start thinning out my collection this coming fall. Don’t get me wrong, I really like trains, but I’m not really one that gets attached to material things - especially when they have value…
Tracklayer
You’re kidding, right… I appreciate the advice TA462, but I doubt I’ll build a new layout for a long, long time if ever again.
Tracklayer
Yes nucat78, I do in fact live according to a budget, plus, I’m one of the biggest tight wads in this part of the state. Since I was a kid I’ve always had a fear of running out of money, so I’ve always pinched pennies and gone the cheapest most least expensive route on things.
Thanks.
Tracklayer
G scale on a 4x8 ? Yes, it’s possible and is currently being done in smaller spaces than that! Did you ever hear of Gn15? This combination is G scale on HO standard gauge track. It usually represents industrial/mining/logging 15 inch gauge railroads. Gn15 can run on curves much sharper than the 18 inch minimum for HO and is a basher’s and super detailer’s delight with the convenience of HO. Check out www.carendt.us/ and Malcolm Furlow’s Mexican Hat layout for some ideas.
Tracklayer–
Right now, the temperature here in Sacramento is scheduled to be above 100 degrees for about the next week. And everything here is is going to settle down to the worst air this side of Los Angeles, thanks to SUV exhausts and pollen. I have a garage railroad, I also suffer from allergies and COPD. Which means I’m inside, while my layout is in the uninsulated garage. If you think i’m going out THERE for a while, then we BOTH need a talk, LOL! No, I’m not spending money on train items until the weather breaks, even though I’m in the process of putting together a Rio Grande dome car from about two kits, a whole bunch of decals and some interior goodies. But I’m doing this on the kitchen table, and that’s my project for a while. When the weather breaks, I’ll go out and test the air and hope my allergy shots have taken. But until then, it’s the little kit I’ve got, and the fact that I’ve got to help plan next year’s choral music for my choir at the high school where I teach, which starts up again in mid-August.
So it’s not that I don’t have anything to DO, mind you, I just have other things to do except go out and fight the air quality to work on what is supposed to be an enjoyable HOBBY.
So don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, okay? Sometimes stuff happens, and there’s nothing we can do about it except let it ride.
Tom [:)]
Any HO Milwaukee Road?
I am a bit of a tightwad also. But I buy quality items, I wasted enough money as a child on crappy junk. 50 dollars MSRP on a 4-8-4 that could not pull itself was the last straw and a lesson in life for me. It was 10 years before I got back into it again.
No brother railroader, sorry. No Milwaukee Road…
Tracklayer
Tracklayer: I may have gotten lost along the way on this thread and correct me if need.
It sounds that you have a lot of “RR stuff” collected at this point. But yet spending money / buying more is no longer fun! And that you need to spend time, effort and money on other issues.
So, are you a collector, more so then a builder? Or does the need to collect (got to have one of these to add into the scene someday) over shadow the time for building? Do you buy on impulse, and then think of where you might use that new (WHATEVER) after the fact?
I chime in, because for many years I was a collector, store housing supplies for the day I would have the space to actually build my pike! Most of what I purchased back then (some of it 15 years ago or better) is all good quality stuff…Even though I may not use some of it now as plans change.
For me getting started with the building was the hard part and making a transition from “Wow, that would look great,” to “Wow that looks great” was hard. I’m rambling…
But, if there is any advice from me in this, here it is:
The hobby (any hobby) is a balancing act with both time and money. Spend as much as you can (time & money) and only what won’t upset the rest of your life.
Work on all of the aspects so as to not get bored. As example; I have areas that range the spectrum from mostly finished / detailed, to some landscaping, to no landscaping, to wiring, to still building lower level benchwork! In this case, I can always find a project that will fire my missile at that moment.
Devise a plan and stick to it. Buy what you need for the project at hand and make sure you buy only what will fit the plan.
And lastly: From a fellow that now wishes he would have started actively modeling / building a MRR earlier in life. I think we all go through times of "gee, I’m wasting a lot of time and money on this
I would imagine your frugality and love for trains have squared off against each other. When the passion for modeling is red hot, it’s easy to overlook the money. When there is a lull, it’s easy to feel guilty about the expenses. My wife asked, " so what is the point of doing this? When your done, what do you have?" I asked her, what do you have when you’re done reading books, nothing. It’s the joy of doing it. I must say though, I’m trying to pace myself so I don’t get burnt out. I would step away from the trains for a while. I guessing in no time you’ll be excited again.
Yup…big time. When hem-hawing around about taking another stab at the hobby, this time in N because of the probable perminant lack of space, part of what was holding me back was the money issue. I’m retired on disability, and we’ve downsized everything (hense the lack of space). My wife convinced me to take the plunge…“we’ll make it work”. Well, we couldn’t. I invested several hundred “shouldn’t have spent” dollars on Unitrack, a couple of F units, and a Super Chief A set; before things got worse…wife’s job got sent to India. Now I have nothing but a tiny temporary twice-around sitting on the table…and a whole heaping pile of guilt for spending money that should have been saved for this kind of situation.
Last time I hung up my holster was in my HOn30 days. I had previously had a tiny and frustrating as all hell layout that got knocked to the floor and wrecked in an EQ. After that and a move I retried again but I was already dam near tossing the whole thing as it was a lousy scale to find good drive units in. So I said, OK thats it…hanging it up, not doing this, scrapped everything, tossed the layout, kept all the stock and structured in a box and stored it away and bought a mountain bike. Fast forward about 5 years and after moving into a new house I was at a going out of business sale for a LHS, when I saw an LGB large scale industrial locomotive for sale for $60, I felt the bug bite again, I didnt buy it as it was Euro, but I did shortly thereafter buy an LGB US Porter 0-4-0, and man, the bug bite hard, hit an artery, got suck in and went straight to the brain!
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I’m currently double digits into engines, many I’ve kitbashed and scratchbuilt. My layout has gotten squashed three times but I’m still shooting with plans for #4.
You never know when you’ll find interest in the hobby, I was into HOn30 for about 10 years, now I have zero desire to go there ever again, but I have found large scale to be a great boon to me as I can now do everything I found too frustrating in HO.
Suggestion, dont do anything for now, keep the stuff stored away and give yourself time till you decide something.
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A few ways to rekindle the flame?
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- try a different scale, On30 indoors looks terrific to me and would fit your spare room easliy.
. - go large, as in G outdoors, if you have a backyard layout building in large scale is a quantum difference from HO cause your building it just like the real RRs with real rock and dirt, fun stuff!
. - try live steam, all you really need is just one engine, a couple cars and a steam loop. those guys with burned fingers claim its the best!
Yep time to throw in my [2c]
I have collected over the last thirty years , more than I need. 80 some odd locos etc etc. I don’t buy much anymore because I know I don’t need it. My layout would have to be ten times the size I have in order to use all that I have. So now I’ve just settled down to looking at little details that I can add, most of which I don’t even have to buy , because their stashed away already , somewhere ! LOL. Now it’s detailing , I wish I were as good at it as Bob Gresh , or Misterbeasley. But now I run the trains more and buy a lot less. The passion now is the operation.
I know what you mean Tracklayer. Theres things that should be done before the model railroading bug gets its share of money or time spent on it. I havent really boughten anything huge for the layout since February had other issues to go for. Right now I’m in the fishing hobby or sport whatever you want to call it so my time is devoted mostly to yard work getting things on the parents house fixed up that needed it And of course the occassional putsing on the computer to see what other MRR’s are doing. Plus with the prices increasing more and more for things we either A want or B need its not that fun. I remember picking up locomotives for 35.00 Athearn BB ones now its almost impossible or they went up to 50 or 60 dollars.
Holy Smoke !! I thought I was the only one that “thunked” along those lines, it does get a little droll seeing quote after quote about the vast numbers of locomotives some people buy(how can they afford it?) then stick it away on a shelf. Some replies to this forum will be “the guy with the most crap wins” - - -and they are not kidding, get some scale wood and build something.