I posted that thread in jest about reasons to hate the hobby. So, I figured that it was about time to get serious and start a thread about why I, and others, love this hobby.
Feel free to add your reasons. There surely has to be more than ten.
Model railroading is a refreshing diversion from everyday life and its problems.
Working on my layout is among the highest forms of relaxation and pleasure.
Model railroading takes me back to my childhood watching trains from the back seat of my parents’ car.
Model railroading allows me to be creative, designing layouts and panoramas.
Building a layout tests my skills, including carpentry, electrical work, soldering, painting, and model making.
Model railroading forums provide me with a source of camaraderie, knowledge and information.
Model railroading media including books and magazines, videos, Internet articles and photos provide a constant source of pleasure, knowledge and information.
Controlling the movement of trains places me square in the seat of an engineer and gives me a vicarious thrill.
Watching a train moving passengers or freight from one point to another is just plain fun.
Whether it is sitting back and watching what I have cr
Well said ! I could not have done any better than your list. People ask me what I do in my retirement ,between models and railfan outings my interest in history watching Red Sox baseball and getting together with my work buddies from Ma Bell the days fly by.Once in a while even working around the house.I just finished painting another side of the house and garage.
I love trains because no matter how beat up, worn out and old you are feeling, the trainroom is just steps away and that leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that something I enjoy so much is still easily accessible to me. Trains were a huge part of my life before I spread my wings and went out in the world and I feel fortunate that Dad got me interested. I feel like I have come full circle. [tup][:D]
Not a list, but an observation: As many of us get older, the fact that we have a hobby which focuses our physical and mental resources is a benefit to our continued better health. There are numerous articles online which cite the benefits of maintaining an active mind with respect to senior health. I know that this hobby keeps my blood pressure down; it gives me something to look forward to each time I sit down at my workbench or on the layout.
The self-satisfaction I derive from being an active model railroader is enough for me, but I do appreciate the opportunity to interact with others on this and other forums- it is an added benefit.
I like this hobby because it makes my relatives from across the country send me stories like this. [:'(]
Bagpipes in Nova Scotia .
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a man who loved being a model railroader. He had lots of family and friends, and they wanted him buried by some railroad tracks at a cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions. I finally arrived over an hour late and saw that everyone had evidently gone . There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this toy train guy. I played like I’ve never played before for this man who loved trains. In the end as I played “Amazing Grace”, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twentyfive years!
Great thread Rich, glad you followed the complaining thread up with this one.
The reason why I love this hobby. Is I always looking forward to doing something. Weather its laying new track, creating a new industry, building a passenger station, and working on scenery.
But most of all the important thing here is. As Rich said it, its a diversion from the dificulties life brings us.
I love is that there is so much more than just trains. Wiring, building buildings, weathering, doing scenery, researching full scale trains and railroads. And I can not play with my trains for a few weeks and then I can see my layout with a fresh set of eyes for what needs to be done next
[^o)] Hmmmm. Just out of curiosity and as a break from counting my Fuji War Bonds, I see in the 15 hours since this thread was first posted, there have been 12 contributors.
Yet in Richs “Top 10 Reasons Why I Hate This Hobby” thread there were 25 contributors in the same amount of time!!! I’m not sure what, if anything, this says about the members of this forum, but it doesn’t bode well to me.[:^)] Model Railroads are FUN.
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
Well, I like miniature things that look real. That’s hard to explain, it’s just a feeling. Model railroading happens to be the most complete form, with scenery, movement, towns, etc. I like the multidisciplinary aspect of the work side: one day I am an historian, the next i am a city planner, the next i am carpenter, painter, electrician, engineer, gardener, troubleshooter, etc. All professions and trades i can do with this hobby without the pressures of doing it as part of a real job, i.e. under my control. Accomplishing all these things the way i want and when i want, with acceptable results (see point about miniaturism), provides me a lot of satisfaction. Simon
[#offtopic] The first time I worked up in Fiji was at the height of the 2000 coup and the company that arranged the work also arranged that I was to be paid direct in NZ$ with the view that it would be safer than being paid in Fiji$. The strange and, slightly annoying thing was that for my whole stay the Fiji$ was worth more than the NZ$. Still I was paid well enough and apart from the difficulties in the last few days when the heavily armed soldiers guarding the airport access gate that I used every day were changed, things went surprisingly well.