Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
My wife, Paula, likes trains. She bought me about 50% of my trains. She was a big help with the benchwork. Now, she is painting the scenery.
I have a few of her train paintings hanging in the train room. I have been very fortunate to have a wife like her.
Chuck
Boyd....What about yours ?
Whole family thinks I have a one track mind that's permanently de-railed
My wife has no opposition as I don't try to break the bank on train related purchases (models, books, paintings), I do spend time on other things (everything in moderation) and the historical aspect of the hobby is of interest to her. My kids don't feel that the old man has lost it because of his interest in trains (both real and toys) and are somewhat bemused by "obsession".
She likes my trains. She even plans to help me with my layout when I finish the basement. Since I work at the hobby shop partime and I don't spend money from our home account she realy doesn't mind what I buy. Thats a good thing since all my stuff is MTH Premier.
Ralph
My bride said "yes, with moderation", ( but that was after thinking about it for a minute)
Jim
Hi!
My wife of 7 years and I are on second marriages. I was single for a number of years in-between marriages and had a number of women friends. One thing that helped determine "future compatibility" was their attitude towards my collection of postwar Lionel, and more importantly, the HO layout that fills a large spare bedroom.
There were some extremes in attitude, ranging from a well to do woman's first question upon seeing the layout - "How much did all that cost?", to my wife's many questions concerning how I built this or that and so on - showing sincere interest. And then she volunteered to paint a number of unpainted cows and people I had on the workbench. Well, she returned them in a few days and they were beautiful!!! Needless to say, she was a keeper.
We are now in our early '60s, and retired for a couple of years. She has her own interests (computer graphics and such) and has her own hobby room - as I do. This has turned out to be an ideal arrangement for us. Oh yes, her hobby room is a showplace, mine is not.
Fortunately, money is not a problem. Frankly, I have pretty much all the train stuff I want, and if something comes along I just have to have, then I will buy it. Likewise, if she needs a computer upgrade or software, then we will buy it. Neither of us is goes overboard, and we certainly have our priorities (moneywise) in order.
Believe me, I realize our situation is pretty darn good when it comes to our hobbies. And, I suspect that for younger folks, their could easily be conflicts over the money, time, and space used by the hobby. My advice is to do your best in winning over your other half, and practicing moderation in the spending of money and time.
Good luck!!!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Yep, wife like trains too. I have to take her to yORK every year so she can pick up my Christmas presents. We also take personal days in the spring and make a great day of going through all the halls at YORK and having a nice day capped off with a great diner somewhere in Harrisburg.
laz57
I got my Christmas layout extended to St. Patrick's Day this year.....in HER (wifey's) precious (never used) living room. It always helps when the 4 year old granddaughter (O holy annointed one) is in my camp on the Saturday visits and helps play with the trains. Wifey actually has started working on me to "find" the basement and move these activities down there on a permanent basis, along with the exercise equipment plus find room to train our dogs indoors. Adult kids have had free storage long enough. But she wants me to be the heavy, announce a move it or lose it date. It's our turn.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
I think she's comming around....
I used to get an eyeroll everytime I mentioned trains. She bought train stuff for Christmas last year, and wants to get me train related gifts 'the kids would enjoy'.
Last week we drove by the Saline, MI train museum, and she said we should go there some Saturday...
Kurt
Well ,for the most part my wife of 17 years supports my ambitions of being a basement rail tycoon
Why, the other day she said,"You know you really need to hurry and paint this basement and put the new carpet down.". DO WHAT !!!
I think middle age is improving something.I don't know what,but something.
Aaahhh,but my wife owns some Coca-Cola trains
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
What I find interesting about this topic and some other threads along the same line is how when the wife steps into the picture things like a "normal" room start coming into play. Curtains, clean casement windows, a finished ceiling. No bugs or cobwebs. Must vacuum floor. Making layout skirts to cover the under the table mess. And here we have scenery makers and restoration painters. Add a sofa, scented candles, a fireplace, and a china cabinet for the trains and we have......
Mine thinks they are nice but also thinks I spend to much on them from time to time. But thinks I spend to much time on putor . She has even gone to the point when are you going to put up a layout so you can get away from that computor lol.
Keep telling her it takes money to build a layout that I just don't have and the truth is if I stopped looking on the putor and buying trains I would have the money lol. I don't normally but that often but if you figure about $30.00 a month ( average as a lot of months don't buy) I could have money to buy paint( to paint room) buy lumber for bench work and table top and then start buying track and switches and all that I need.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Jon
So many roads, so little time.
Jago wrote:Where do you find these women ?
found mine sharing a house with girlfreind at time that didn't work out
Mine tolerates the trains. She is ok as long I stay on budget and confine my empire to one room.
I did recieve a hug when I bought the recent Athearn RTR Cancer Car and coming from her it is quite all I will get too.
Over the holidays I get to cast aside budget limitations to purchase major items for the railroad two times per year total. One year for example it was a Super Chief DCC system. So far we have been ten years and counting. Doing quite well reasonably.
The real test was when construction started in that train room. Suddenly some tables showed up and followed by wires, track etc. So far we are still doing well.
Ask me again when trees and scenery starts to show up. Preferably after I heal from the iron pan beating I will recieve once she learns how much a tree is.
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
I asked the question out loud when I read it. Her reply was "I used to". Would rather have them running on rails than just showing up at the door! She is great. Tolerates my hobbies and supports my efforts. Likes the fact that the kids get involved too. As to where you find ones like this, I found mine at the hospital. Her main thought about it is that I am home when not working and spend my money on a fun hobby, not at a bar and getting into trouble.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
Sturgeon-Phish wrote:My bride said "yes, with moderation", ( but that was after thinking about it for a minute)Jim
Yea, thats probably how mine felt 14 years ago.....now I think she hates them just beacuse I have "too many".....Ironically, now I don't spend my income on them, I buy and sell the trains themselves so she shouldn't have any problem. She seems happy watching our 2.5 year old play with them, so maybe its me she has issues with!!!
While she doesn't actively participate in any phase of my hobby, she is totally supportive of it. In fact, it was her idea that I build a permanant layout in the spare bedroom off the family room downstairs in our raised ranch home.
Mike
My wife of 38 years thinks they are "cute". If they begin to exceed the agreed-upon boundaries, she might begin to think otherwise.
It's been well documented here that fifey's-wifey is very supportive of my hobby. She enjoys seeing the creative side to me, likes the fact that she'll never have to slug through a mall to find me a gift, and loves to travel when I go trackside.
However, I have been informed that she will decorate the living room when we move to WV, and the train prints will be relegated to the layout room. Only fair.
We support each other's hobbies. She has been my "Chief Engineer" for 37+ years with no derailments. Thanks for asking.
No. Married to her 33 years, started getting heavy into O-gauge about six years ago. I guess she tolerates it, but I am forced into a very small room in our house as a compromise. I've encouraged her to get into a hobby she might enjoy, but no luck. Dispite this, I think know she loves me and proves that fact daily. It's not a money thing, she thinks the hobby is childish, then is in awe everytime she learns yet another mature, responsible man "plays" with trains. Hoping she will mello out and get to the point were I can get her involved. She did act kind of excited recently when she exclaimed someone put her initials on my colorful BSNF AC4400's!
Stack
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