Building Rolling Stock Kits: (Accurail/MDC/Athearn BB,…20…but the level of detail is no longer up to my standards, so…0)
Any kit more complicated or tedious: 0
Building Structure Kits: 10
Detailing/Fine Painting: 10
Laying Trackwork: 5
Maintaining/Modifying Locomotives: 10
Planning Layouts: 5
Scenery: 10
Scratchbuilding Structures/ Kitbashing: 20
Scratchbuilding/Kitbuilding Locomotives: 0
Scratchbuilding Rolling Stock: 0
Tuning DCC CVs: 5
Wiring: 0
Operations: 25
When I was a boy, I wanted to be an architect. I bought MR and RMC, and enjoyed layout displays, to look at all of the little buildings as much as it was for the trains…probably even more back then. I see that there is still that littl
Interesting question! Nice to see a non-complaining thread here for once…
I find restoration/upgrading of damaged models to be the most enjoyable. To see a model transform from a piece of junk to a smooth running, detailed model is in my opinion the best feeling.
Building kits, adding lights to passenger cars, and working with model steam loco internals are my second favorites. Installing decoders is also fairly enjoyable.
On the other hand, operation actually isnt so fun to me. Maybe because I have only a small 4x8 layout, mostly unfinished. Still working on foam terrain/scenery and man…its so boring.
Main issue with these interests is I end up having far more engines than I ever actually run!
Building bridges. I’ve been fascinated with them since I was almost to young to remember.
I designed my layout not even giving any thought to the challenges that would arise with the overpasses. I did that on purpose. I figured I’d cross that bridge when I get to it[:-^]
I would also have to agree there are so many aspects of layout building that you can always find something you’re in the mood to do at any given time. That’s the beautiful thing about this hobby[Y]
I think what I like best is the variety of different things available to do. If I get a little sick of one, I can do another.
I haven’t built much of a layout yet, but I think it would be easier to pick out what I am not looking forward to amd that is soldering. I will not get into the workings of the locos at all, thank you. I want them to run again.
What I need to do now is get my ____ in gear and finish the room, so I can put up a shelf. Trouble is now the great grandchildren have taken an interest in running “choo choos” and I will have to take down the current 4x6 to do it.
That’s funny stuff, although it’s been years, Judy used to encourage me to go to the strip club with my friends when they called back in the day. Number one, both of us have always had trust in each other since day one. Number two, she always liked the way I acted when I got home[(-D]
Anyway, … my other favorite thing about model railroading is no matter what, there’s always something waiting for me to do when there’s nothing to do anywhere else. Especially these days turning to Winter with nowhere to go and nothing to do. I’m sure glad my model railroad is sitting in my house.
P.S. I love weathering buildings, rocks, portals and stuff like that too Henry. I just can’t get myself to do it to the freight cars though! Especially not the locomotives! They’re just too darn expensive. I feel like I would be defacing them like graffiti. Maybe that will come at the end of The Hobby when everything else is done I guess[:|]
I had a friend who I played hockey with who used to ask his wife, “Would you rather that I hung out with a bunch of smelly guys or a bunch of smelly girls?”
I played hockey in high school and even for a lot of years after that. Quite the sweaty sport. I remember how my own gear smelled let alone everybody else’s gear in the locker room after the game. Do you think their Mom’s washed their gear everyday after the game or practice. I don’t think so either.
I don’t think they even had air freshener powerful enough for that back then[(-D] But everyone was always happy after you won the game and put up with it though.
P.S. I would like to at least try to stay on subject here and I think I can. I would imagine model railroading is a lot like hockey in a sense. Instead of trying to put the puck in the net, one tries to put the locomotive in the tunnel, …He shoots he scores!
I’m a big fan of a lot of things in this hobby but lately, I’d been enjoying doing freight car kit building, as well as the feeling that wow, I just crafted something unique, interesting, with details, painting, weathering, etc., that makes it mine. and even if not perfect, it’s my handiwork. Plus, I like that there are so many aspects of the hobby people can learn. Not into building freight car kits? Trying painting and weathering, doing scenery, benchwork, electronics, collecting brass, if you can afford it, and more.
