What areas of the hobby do you enjoy most, and in what areas are your best skills in?
I like mountains and canyons and bridges and trestles and big trees. I also like to watch my articulateds pull trains through these scenes.
SCENERY!!! I suck at almost everything else.
Finishing something so I can show off my handy work.
Structure building and fiddling with the electronics, DCC etc.
I have been contemplating that a lot lately and hands down it has to be building (benchwork, foam work, tracklaying and wiring). Not so much on the scenery. Running the trains is OK.
Good topic.
Peter
Whatever I happen to be doing at the moment.
I really enjoy building specialwork and working out creative control circuitry.
Most of all, I enjoy running trains - on a Reader’s Digest version of the Master Schedule, which is slowly expanding as construction proceeds.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
My favorite part is Scenary, building kits, and Playing with my dcc and my locomotives
tjsingle
Scenery is probably mine, along with running trains.
Running the trains with my grandsons!!! Also going places like Steamtown & Strasburg with them!![8D]
Ok OK! I like to just run the trains!
Even if they only go 'round and 'round!
Yes! I admit it!
I can watch them for about 45 mins- hour before I get tired of watching them go round and round, and want to switch some cars or engines around, then go 'round and 'round again!
I like my new Bachmann DCC EZ COMMAND! It does what I want it to!
I do also like to build kits of buildings and structures!
I hope you dont get dizzy!
Railfanning a layout just like I railfan the prototype. There is just something about watching trains go by that is fascinating to me. For now, the only functional layout I have is a test oval built on a interior door with folding table legs. The other day I fired up a couple of locos and had them slowly pull a string of 24 coal hoppers around the loop. My 4-year old son and I just sat there and watched them go by. I have a bunch of boxes in the middle of the oval that are a very effective view block, and each time the headlight of the lead loco appeared around the bend, it was like the first time we had ever witnessed it. I can’t imagine how much fun it is going to be when we finally have trains running on the real thing. Jamie
#1: Detailing a “finished” scene
#2: Structure building; kits or scratch.
#3: Scenery itself
#4: No derailments or coupler mishaps!!! [;)]
Matt
I like operations!
Even though I only have 3 industrial spurs at present (if you don’t count the two tracks on the Annie Deuce) I enjoy picking a car at radom and saying this car has to go into that spur; now how do I get it there?
I usually keep anywhere from 8 to 12 cars in the siding at Port Tyler and, if nothing else, I’ll run the engines around from one end to the other (which involves tacking the caboose onto the opposite end - without backing the whole train into the caboose) and then run the train all the way out to the current end of track (just past Rocky Point) and bring it back to Port Tyler.
I know, I know! I need to get a life! LOL
Can’t wait until I get it all set up with car cards and everything!
-George
I enjoy running my railroad with a card order car forwarding system. My question is why do model rairoaders put so much work into a layout, scenery, buildings, electronics, scale rolling stock and locomotives if they don’t use them like there intended purpose? Think of it as a 3D video game.
Rob
Hmmm…I’d have to say kitbashing, scratch-building, and detailing. I don’t know if I’m necessarily good at it but I do find it increasingly enjoyable.
Tom
I have a love-hate relationship with scratchbuilding. The more of it i do, the less i hate it, and when i finally finish something, i love it. I kinda like building structure kits too, painting and assembling one is a great way to spend a couple evenings IMO (yes, i just confirmed it. I am a very dull person.)
Tim
Scenery and operations.
Kevin
Railfannig, Prototypical research and then collecting the models needed to re-create what was researched, track plan design.
I have been good at any skill I’ve tried. I think I have now tried almost everything from designing my own electronics to creating a forest of trees from broom straws. At first I thought hand-laying track looked way beyond me. When I finally tried it I found I was good at it. Same for scenery, took me forever to actually try it but then found it was much easier than I imagined. The moral of the story is to try stuff even one thinks it might be beyond their skill. Also try it more than once. There have been many things I’ve almost quit on, but when I tried it again is when it all “came together”.
I would guess many people’s favorite thing is talking about MR here on the forum.