Now, I know why I do model railroading...

… instead of drag racing as a hobby. There was a time, many years ago, when I LOVED working on cars. I just spent the better part of the day fixing the brakes on the wife’s car. Model railroading is:

  • Cheaper.
  • More relaxing.
  • And aside from accidents with tools (we’ve pretty much covered the bonehead things we’ve done to ourselves with power tools), is WAY more fun.

I haven’t heard many call the hobby cheap, but relaxing is good [:)]

I once had a subordinate who was heavily into drag racing. No matter how hard he scrubbed, he never managed to get all of the grease off his hands. His hair reeked of scorched clutch and overcooked brake pads…[|(]

By comparison, model railroading is a hobby better conducted in the equivalent of an avionics shop rather than an engine shop. The worst thing I ever encounter is the need to scrub fresh caulk off my fingertips…[C=:-)]

Also, when the joys of spiking pliers or soldering tool fades, there’s always that pair of tin snips and that stack of steel studs…[:P]

Then, when I take off the hard hat and put on the engineer’s cap, there’s a run that lasts more than a few scant seconds - albiet at a far lower speed than anything ever run by John Force with a blown (out) engine…[^]

Model railroading. What’s not to love?[8D]

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

Let’s see.

R/C planes - Cost of fuel for plane, cost of fuel for truck to get to airfield. Crashed airplane $$$.

Derailed train? put it back on the track.

Cost of a decent airplane model (not including engine and electronics) the same as 10 boxes of code 83 Shinohara track.

Can be in the train room in less time than it takes me to walk out to the truck in the driveway, to drive 30 minutes to airfield.

Flying real airplanes. Cost of fuel[:O]

Golf, skiing or mountain biking. Trains way cheaper when all cost factored in.

Can wander in and out of train room all day without planning it.[tup]

Can drink Beer or Rum or enjoy a bottle of fine white and it’s 30 seconds to the sac for shut eye. Anywhere else. I won’t drink and drive.[tup]

Owning a hole in the water, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. One tank of gas = three nice steamers.

I could go on with some of my other interest but trains would still have them beat.

Brent[:)]

Not to mention that its hard to run fast in a dress… [:P]

John

ba da bing! [(-D]

You also have to look at the risks involved in any hobby. This hobby is a lot less risky.

I thought about taking up human cannon ball, sword swallowing, and swimming with sharks, but they seemed to be too risky.[(-D][:P]

I didn’t say it was cheap… I said it was cheapER. I enjoyed my racing days, but I don’t even want to think what it would cost to be competitive, now. And, face it, when you’re my age (55), staying up to watch the nightly news is a marathon. No more crawling into the sack, after being at the race track all day, at 0’dark thirty. Fuel, parts, etc. all are high enough, without factoring in paying $2.50 for a hotdog. And even if the WORSE thing happened (locomotive taking that plunge to the floor), I’m still nowhere near out the kind of money a spun bearing costs. I discovered why this truly IS the World’s Greatest Hobby close to 30 years ago.

Compared to your last hobby, it might be cheap. I guess it’s all relative though. whatever you’re interested in you should do it . You only live once. The good thing about this hobby is that it’s in the basement and I can turn it on or off any time. None of my past hobbies were like that. MRR adds up in cost, especially when you don’t pay attention but it’s worth it in the long run.

My previous hobby became a career which was building, repairing and giving support for road racers along with trying to race my own car. Last year I finally gave up on my racing as it wasn’t fun anymore and after I started model railroading I realized that I could spend money on something and still have it at the end of the day. I have taken on a 9-5 Monday through Friday, have cut back on working on race cars for my living and am getting my stress levels down because I have a place to get away on my train room. This is the perfect hobby because there are no agendas to get it done and you can practice all you want. Also the only thing that hurts is my head when I forget what is above it.

Joe

With many activities, the cost involved is for something “expendable,” either a fee (like a ski lift ticket) or something that’s gone (like the price of a tank of fuel, or a meal at a fine restaurant.) With model railroading, though, it’s more like an investment. Those engines I bought 5 years ago are still running, and they run on both the old track and the new track. There is very little waste. Even stuff that should be thrown away ends up in the scrap box, and sometimes comes in handy.

The Scotsman in me appreciates this.

I used to like working on cars, customizing them, stereo systems, etc. when I was younger, but now, the thought of replacing brakes just kills me.

Dang straight model RR’ing is way more fun than that!

I do play golf though which is my long time favorite sport to play. Funny though I haven’t even found the time to play, been spending all my free time with the new layout build.

It took me a while until I got THIS one sorted out [:D]

Boy you got that right Marion. I have been out of cars for around 5 years now and I really don’t miss it much.Spending $500 to $1000.00 to pick up .50 in the quarter mile? Staying up to 2:00 AM detailing a car for a car show? If or when you ware out a engine, having to drag out the cherry picker and wrestle with 750 pounds of cast iron? My last engine cost me $12,000.00, that would have bought a lot of steam engines!

And I can run the trains at 3:00 AM and not have the neighbors call the polices! (don’t start your car with open headers at 3:00 AM).

Cuda Ken

LOL! John, yer a crackup! I heard a comedian that once said, 'If horse racing is the sport of kings, is drag racing the sport of queens?"

Think Ru Paul.

I used to be hot and heavy into drag cars. WAY too expensive these days.
I’ll stick with my trains now.

Oh, its not that difficult… just wear a mini-skirt or one with a slit up the side… [:P] [(-D]

John

Now that’s funny right there… I’ll hafta remember that one! [:D]

I’m not going to even ASK how you know that…

I don’t think I want to know either…[(-D]