When I was a boy growing up in "Minne- SNOW- ta, building my first layout, I always seemed to get extra enjoyment modeling during poor weather, be it a summer rainy day or a winter snow storm. Looking back (and from a comfortable distance in decades and miles here in west Florida), perhaps it was the fact that the bad weather forced me to focus on my attention more, or something similar. Today, the morning brings an early thunderstorm and I get that same sense of heightened satisfaction- or is it that model railroading is just plain “good therapy” for the soul?
Would you consider 110+ for several days straight (and more to come) as “bad weather”? helped me stay inside, and while I’m inside, might as well work on the layout…LOL!
I agree that cozying up to some train work is very enjoyable when the weather is bad.
Actually, I like ‘bad’ weather! Notice I didn’t say ‘extreme’ weather. We have a covered deck and we enjoy sitting out when it is raining, or snowing, as long as the wind isn’t too strong. Tonight it is raining buckets and there is some thunder, but the wind isn’t up so sitting on the deck was very enjoyable. However, coming inside and sitting down at my workbench was even better, especially with the sound of the rain in the background.
Here I am working on my mountains in 2011. During the major construction phase I was doing this kind of stuff in all but the heaviest rain.
The detailed, model-making stuff, mostly gets done indoors. Summer is usually a good time for that because it tends to get so hot outside. But sometimes take my model work out onto the patio, and relax with it in the shade.
Yeah you’re right Larry, but it’s similar to the sentiments in the bumper sticker, “A bad days fishing beats a good day working.”
Even when a project goes temporarily pear shaped, I still regard Model Railroading as my escape into sanity, so weather doesn’t really matter, though to be fair while we have definite seasons, as a temperate maritime climate, [ip] we don’t have the extremes that the States has. (Yeah, I know I’m applying a fairly broad brush approach).
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
Bad wearher usually means I’m not robbing time from more pressing chores, but sometimes I need good weather for some RR projects. I made my “mountains” over the staging area removable so I can access the track when needed, but this also makes it a pleasure to just take them outside to do the really messy stuff like hardshell (glueshell in this case), and let the excess glue water run where it will, no worries. And later I anticipate doing the plaster-rock molds out there too, probably painting it too.
A plus in my behalf, any weather over about 90 degrees is not condusive to the more pressing house maint chores, so I can do rr stuff. Dan
I always liked to get in the mood for modeling in the fall, especially if I’ve been busy at other things, by reading the late John Page’s article on “attacking” his O scale Thomas Consol because of the “weather in November”(!) He said he let things alone as long as the sun was shining, “but comes a grey, rainy day and I drag out some hapless engine for ‘improvement’.”
And the first snow on the ground, either in Rhinelander, WI, or here in Duluth, I get out my spare copy of the January, '58 MR and read Paul Larson’s introduction to his construction article on an HO copy of the MILW’s gopndola-mounted snowplow–after I go for a ride and soak up that wintry mood. I have a Thomas Consol that still needs some work, but my O scale model of that Mineral Point & Northern snowplow sits on a display track, waiting for a finished engine to push it and a flanger plus bobber to bring up the rear.
I also enjoy working on my model railroad the most during the fall and winter. I also found running trains on my layout is a great stress reliever. A few years back, I had a horrible boss who forced me and my team to work seven days a week for over a month (the work involved software testing). One day when everyone was had to work from home due to a blizzard (and it was a federal holiday), I had a really horrible call in meeting (I had let one of team members stop working so she could get her blood pressure medication which caused my boss to explode). I suddenly realized that my boss had no dea what I was currently doing, I got up left the room and spent an hour running my trains. I felt great! I quit that position later and went back to my technical area.
Still living in Minne-SNOW-ta in a part of the state that might have “shorts/T-shirt” weather 3-5 months out of the year, even when it’s rainy; but, above freezing, I tend to enjoy other activities than model railroading and leave projects right square in the middle of their doing for outside activities. This is just me, however! Others certainly may maintain their “Hermit” status here in this state in the middle of the summer.
I’m most productive on my layout in the worst days of summer. The train room is air conditioned, and I hate the heat. In the winter, when many of you hibernate, I’m more likely to be out skiing.
In the fall after in cools off around Halloween I start to work on the railroad more. It is in the garage which it is too hot in the summer. I always want to have the layout in top shape in time for Christmas. I think there is something about memories of receiving train sets and accessories for Christmas that makes me want to relive it every winter. I usually build kits and paint figures etc while watching football on TV. It gives me an excuse to sit down and relax but also get something done. The week of Christmas vacation between Christmas and New Years I spend alot of time operating trains.
I also like to spend a bad weather day working on the railroad, on a day when there is a snowstorm I like to make a hot cup of coffee and escape to the basement
I’m working on my RR quite a bit lately, as I am getting very close to getting trains running again for the first time in nearly two years after a major expansion/renovation/reconfiguration of my track plan. The temperature here will be 100+ over the next few days - - nice to be inside!
