I guess my thing as far back as I can remember is taking things apart. I also remember getting ‘talked to’ about taking things apart many times. Especially my Dad’s 1938 Silvertone Radio when I was about 5.
My uncle got me into electronics at a very early age, at 8 he gave me a Crystal Set Kit to put together. When I was around 10 I fixed my Dad’s Silvertone and he was elated, no more ‘talking to’ after that.
The part of model railroading I like the best is making 1:87 scale things come to life. When I found out that I could actually come up with very nice looking scratch built structures it really surprised me. I enjoy scenery and scratch building as well as lighting my structures and automation for my layout more than running my trains.
I think what I enjoy most about model railroading is being able to point to something on my layout and say, “I made that!” This can be anything from custom paint, decal and weathering jobs on my rolling stock to scratch built models of prototype buildings and even demonstrating how far my locos equipped with my home-made keep alive circuits will continue running after I shut down power to the layout. About a third of the structures on my layout are scratch built, another third kitbashed, and the remainder custom painted/detailed kits. In a nutshell then, my ability to create 3D versions of scenes in my imagination is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
But wait, I really enjoy getting together with friends to operate different layouts. Always fun and challenging with lots of good humored ribbing! Even more fun is introducing young kids to operations. Its a kick to watch how quickly they catch on (usually much faster than I did)!
I most enjoy scratchbuilding structures. It’s a surprise because that didn’t sound enjoyable to me before I actually started.
I’ve asked for some Arduino stuff for Christmas. I have a feeling I will enjoy learning to program and use it for some parts of the layout. Maybe if you ask this question next year, that will be my most enjoyable part of the hobby.
Suppose you have 100 points to assign to all the different activities that you enjoy about Model Railroading as a hobby. Remember, there are countless facets to this hobby. Your favorite will have the most points.
The list below is what I came up with.
Feel free to add something not on the list. I am sure I could not come up with everything. Also, feel free to combine things like the Scratchbuilding items into one item if that suits you better.
Also, things like airbrushing I consider to be part of kit building, but if you want to add something like that as a separate item, please do so.
Kevin Hobby Enjoyment:
Benchwork: 5
Building Any Craftsman or Resin Type Kit: 10
Building Rolling Stock Kits: 20
Building Structure Kits: 10
Detailing/Fine Painting: 10
Laying Trackwork: 3
Maintaining Layouts: 0
Maintaining/Modifying Locomotives: 5
Planning Layouts: 0
Scenery: 15
Scratchbuilding Structures: 4
Scratchbuilding/Kitbuilding Locomotives: 3
Scratchbuilding Rolling Stock: 5
Tuning DCC CVs: 0
Wiring: 10
So Building Rolling Stock Kits is my favorite. That should not surprise anyone.
For me, the best part of the hobby is going to all the manufacturer’s websites and checking out the “What’s New” section to see what items are currently up for pre-order.
Number one for me is just watching the trains run.
Other aspects of the hobby are interesting and most are enjoyable but I’d be pretty happy just watching model trains run even if not on my layout and not operated by me.
My favorite part is seeing a scene or layout come to life. From looking at picttures of bare benchwork to fully detailed scenes. Seeing the progress on my layout is giving me more motivation to work on it!
I like my trains to have a purpose and run from A to B.
To do that I like my trains to run through scenery.
I dislike things being perfect on my layout. I find life isn’t like that. I like things that are overgrown (in the right area). I like the little things that get broken. Guttering hanging off a building. Part of a fence in need of repair.
The little people have to have a reason to be where they are and not just stuck here and there.
When I am out and about I love the ‘fifty shades of green’ in Nature. I love the many colors of gray (yes gray) in the sky. (The sky is rarely blue here.) I love to see trees; how they grow and the many colors in one tree.
Scenery. I could go on and on.
That is why I have said to many people, " Go and look at what you want to model. See what you see and not what you thought you saw. Even worse is thinking what it should be."
i like the remote control aspect. similar to RC gliders. the understanding of electronics motivated my engineering inclinations
should be no surprise what i help others do on their layouts. i’m surprised by the ambitions of modelers given their lack of electrical/electronic/software understanding.
but i also enjoy final scenery (greenery). i’m guided my Mr Miyagi – “make look like tree”.
Track planning, benchwork, laying track, wiring - those are my favorite parts. Building rolling stock and structures is a lot of fun. As you progress towards more scenery, it gets less fun for me.
Which is why my layouts generally have trackwork where trains could run at warp speed if I were so inclined (I’m not) and not derail, but there is little to no ground cover of any sort to be found.
After your post and a lot of thinking I have come to the conclusion that the thing I really like the most is what I’m working on. When I start a project, no mater what it is, it becomes the most important thing to me until something takes it’s place.
That might sound stupid but like when I’m making figures for my layout it consumes me. I won’t tackle another thing until I finish the figures I set out to do.
It’s the same way with all my model railroad stuff. The only thing I have set up to work on sorta part time is my diorama. And the diorama is your fault! I got the idea from several of your post to build a place ready to take pictures of my model railroad to paste on the Forum. The diorama is the starter thing when I tried to hook my grandson into model railroading, didn’t work so I decided to go with the Kevin 18” x 48” diorama.
I just pick at the diorama rather than really get into it. This is the first project I can remember just picking at. It’s coming along pretty good. I have the complete base done, the cork roadbed with track and a crossing for the road. I finished the asphalt road base and one side of the road is ready for flocking.
I built a Luke Towan Static Grass Applicator and plan on figuring out how to use it on my Kevin diorama.
When I finally get my MRR wired-up & fully operational and looking a bit less like a Tornado has just passed thru this way, my ‘Like the best’ is simply - Running Trains. Either Switching Industries or relaxing as they go around & around and I watch them run by, thru 360 degrees, whilst possibly doing a bit of detail work to something on my workbench. Other times I will concentrate soley on detailing Models. Working-out Train formations and Waybills (which I have had a go at already) is good too. It has given me a whole new side to Modelling Railways. Paul
The list is long when it comes to all the different facets of the hobby and I like the fact I can pick my poison as the spirit moves me.
I am weakest in electronics, however like anything else in life, education through reading and doing is slowly changing that.
I can’t pick a favourite aspect of the hobby but when I am dead tired I love watching these incredible highly detailed models ply their way around the layout with a glass of wine in my hand.
With the help of forum members, I muddled through my electronic shortcomings and got this lighting done in the RH.
