Six months or so ago, I purchased several packs of Blair Line wood grade crossings. I started on another project before installing them, and put in one of the bins on my scenery shelves for later (or so I thought [%-)])
Well over the weekend I started on the project I bought the grade crossings for, and went to the bins only to find the grade crossings gone! [:O] So far a search of the layout room has not turned up said items. [banghead] I know if I go to the LHS to get more the originals will mysteriously reappear. [:(!] So for now, I will keep looking.
Or if you’re like me, you stash the parts in a drawer, then finally get around to doing the project several months later. You forget you already have the parts, so you go out and buy (or almost buy) more before accidentally re-discovering the ones you already have.
But maybe that’s not so much a curse of “having too much stuff,” so much as a curse of “not being well-organized” or “not having enough time to work on trains.”
I think they were carried off by the same leprechaun that carried off the 2-56 tap and matching drill bit I bought. I found the screws I bought at the same time but danged if I can find the tap and bit. [D)]
Nick: There is a distinct possibility that they were caught in a “Transformation Chamber” and ended up on my Yuba River Sub. When I was installing my own said wooden grade crossings the other day, I looked at the AMOUNT of them and said to myself, “There’s no WAY I bought this many!”
Unfortunately, I probably did. I have that habit of going into my LHS and saying, “Hey, if two of these will do, SEVEN will do even better.” [:-^]
As a relative newbe I thought it was just me. As they say misery loves company so I’m glad to read this thread. I’m at the point now where I’m seriously considering about asking my better half if I can have the rec room floor for a few days and spread out everything I’ve stashed away. Then I can pack it up again only to forget what’s where in a few days.
That isn’t the usual way with me. Me, I’ll go to the hobby shop and say “That’s neat, I can use a couple of those, eventually.” This is repeated every 6 months until I’m digging through my “goodie” box and question having 8 of something which I’ll never need more than one or two. Almost as frequent is buying something not realizing they are somewhere in the closet or can’t be readily found.
Been there, done that! From 2000-2006 I went through a buying binge as I was in my last years of working and wanted to get all I could for that future layout - which is now under construction.
Wellllll, so far:
I can’t find a few “important” items that I know I bought and “put away”.
Bought duplicates of some car kits and tools (I heart Micromart).
Found some tools & cars & kits I just can’t recall buying.
Having started model railroading in the mid-'50s on a shoestring budget, I recall having tons of fun with a minimum of money spent on train stuff. Even in the '70s, a great gift for me was an Athearn $2-4 blue box kit. While there was a bit more money for trains, my enjoyment went up up up!
Today I’ve got all the stuff I want (and a lot I don’t need) and I still enjoy the hobby. But I have to be honest here, in saying that my level of enjoyment is not the same as it was when I was younger. I guess today my feelings are more of contentment and remembering “better days” when I am with my postwar era model trains…