What Inspires You when Progress is Slow?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I think that in the past two weeks I’ve done more harm than good and am no closer to seeing that perverbal light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve had to turn a tunnel into a cut, I’ve had to install guard rails and had to reballast several feet of track. What keeps you all inspired Please and Thanks

2

I usually visit (in person or on-line) other peoples layouts. Here some that I like to look over for that boost:

http://www.trainweb.org/EVL/
http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/
http://www.horailroad.com/fsm/fsmlayout.html

Take a break and see what can be done!

3

I copied and enlarged Andy Sperandeo’s editorial from Great Model Railroads 2004, and placed it by the computer and TV. Once in a while I read it and it gets me going again. It might be time to read it again. [:D][swg]

Thanks Andy was one of the first topics I ever posted here.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9543
It has been a long slow climb, but the helix is getting close to the top!!

4

I too get inspiration from viewing the progress of others on their layouts. Getting advice eggs me on when I feel I don’t want to start anew on the layout on the layout I’m planning. And, of course, there’s MR! Always a catalyst for continued planning.

5

Here’s another trick,### Invite friends over!![swg][swg]

6

Mine is Lionel Strang

7

Picking up past copies of MR, going down to the tracks (I live about 1/2 mile from the north-south CSX and 1/4 mile from the east-west CSX), watching trains run. Hoping that once my financial woes are behind me, I can start working on building an around-the-walls layout in HO, then maybe a 4 X 8 in N. Of course, I still have my Lionel…

8

I read a lot of back issues of MR or I come here for advice or I invite a freind over for a desruction & construction session or I design what might become part of the layout.
This was the case Sunday. ie all the above!
In order for the changes to work that I needed to do to make the yard lead & MEC diamond work, I decided to double track a section.
So out came 8 feet of track, roadbed & benchwork, & in went 8 feet of new benchwork.
Now all I need to do is fini***he roadbed, lay new track & I’ll almost be satisfied with my track plan.

Fun Fun Fun [:)]

Gordon

9

Definitely having someone come in and look at what you have done and exclaim over it. This past Christmas, when my boys visited and I could see in their eyes they really thought the old man had done good, that got me going for the next phase.

10

Make myself a loop of track and RUN ANYTHING.

Doug, in Utah

11

I agree with CP5415. When I find myself in a slump I dust off the old issues of magazines I’ve collected for years. I even got some inspiration from an issue of MR from June 74. You never now where inspiration may be unless you go looking for it. Good luck.

Thanks,
Jeremy

PS I’ve had many of those days. Sometimes I’ll aslo take a few days away from the layout to clear my head.

12

Hey Fergie, this one may have the makings of a POLL!![:D] Your topic, you start it.

13

I watch the videos of David Barrow, Allen McClelland, Gil Frietag (Stony Creek & Western), and others.

Ed

14

Joe, be careful about mentioning that you go anywhere near the tracks around here, you could get into a lot of trouble!!![}:)][banghead][(-D][(-D][(-D][swg][swg][swg]

15

I look at videos and magasines featuring other good layouts. Peps me back up.

16

Work inspires me…My wife’s that is…she goes to work and I slip out to the garage to get things done or down to the club and runs some trains…

17

[sigh]

This is the life of most guys think! [V]

Gordon

18

Time sitting in front of the layout and just thinking. The other day I needed something for the hospital on my layout. So I went to the net and found a picture of a General Hospital! Copied the picture and edited it on photoshop. Kicked the thing to the color laser printer after I had greatly reduced the size and bam a new sign for the place. Little things you learn from reading and thinking.

RMax

19

I read this thread and got started again on working on the roster. I have some engines that needed a good cleaning and lube. Proud to report they should should be ready for service now. I also added details to another engine to get it nearly road worthy.

Still have some engines on the bad order list but it’s shorter now.

I have some hoppers to finsh for the grain harvest…here in Kansas you can see green in the wheat fields. Now that the snow has melted.

DT

But after Thursday…all work must halt for major non railroad projects or my CFO will cut my funds for capital improvements.

20

I switch to a different aspect of the hobby. If I am burning out on trackwork for example, I can dig out a vehicle project, or perhaps work on a structure, make trees, or maybe just run trains rather aimlessly.
I recenly returned to a locomotive project that I at one point didn’t care if I ever saw it again. (Hey, I got an MDC RS3 running as smoothly as an Athearn- You have to have tried to know. I ought ta post a thread on that one.)

There are so many aspects to this hobby there are always some I havn’t dealt with in a while, making it fresh. Dan