Time off

[trainfan1221]

I haven't worked on my railroad for a while, not because of lack of interest but because I had other things get in the way. I plan on going back to it in a big way soon. I do start to feel guilty, though. How much time do some of you stay away before you start feeling like you neglected your layout?

[Anonymous]

If you are talking totally, forums, operating, add to layout, LHS visits, MR, etc
perhaps a day or two.

GEE WHIZ CHARLIE, GET A LIFE.

[IRONROOSTER]

I never feel like I neglected my layout. This is a hobby and I work on it when I can and when the mood strikes me. But I have other interests as well. There have been times, some times years where I didn't do much beyond reading the magazines, and other times where I have worked on it quite a bit. But I have never left the hobby completely and usually I have a layout under construction. My current layout has been years in the building - I'm just now getting the second track in on the mainline. But that's okay because I'm having fun with it.
Enjoy
Paul

[BNSFNUT]

I have been away from the layout about 3 hrs now and I am having withdraw already[:)]
But really I work on or run my layout allmost daily but I sometimes miss several days due to other things having a higher priority. I check the forums at least once a day.
I have never thought that I have neglected my layout.
If I thought that I had to work on the layout it would not be a hobby.

[Eriediamond]

trainfan, I'm kind of like ironrooster, this is a hobby, not a job and there have been times when I've spent years away from it, other then reading books and mags or railfanning. In my opinion, if your feeling real guilt or neglect, that is not the proper motovation for enjoying your layout or modeling. My 2 cents worth, and best to ya, Ken

[MAbruce]

Trainfan -

Don't feel bad. I think its part of the natural ebb and flow to a hobby. It's healthy to spend some time away or you could get burned out and never return.

I've been away since the weather turned warm. A combination of warm weather house projects, lack of hobby funds, and a general lack of desire to model has done me in for a while.

However, I have found a way to keep inspired without actually having to model by using photography. I recently purchased a digital camera and some picture software. This has allowed me to take shots of my layout and then digitally manipulate them. I’ve been able to experiment by adding in different backgrounds and/or objects to see how they look. It’s been good fun as the cost to me has been nil, and the time spent is a fraction of what it would take to really work on the layout. It will also help me to see what will, or won’t work. So when the seasons change and I go back in-doors, I will have a far better idea of what direction to take on my layout.

[Anonymous]

Hi
With me its a case of who cares I work on it for a while get fed up with it then at a later date or when a flash of insperation hits go back to it. and do a bit more.
But I have other modeling interests as well so tend to move between them in a cycle..
Its only a hobby take time too relax and enjoy it don't stress out if your away from it a while it's not like the world will end if hill is not finished this minute
regards John

[cwclark]

I have to do the opposite..i get so obsessed in the hobby that I forget other things...I shouldn't have to have my wife beg me to mow the yard or come in for supper....i'm getting better, but once i start a project it's hard to lay it down for any reason...well ..at least my wife knows where i'm at..4 places...at work..(when i'd rather be messin with the trains)...at the LHS, at the hardware store...or in my train room...the more i think about it...the better off I think she is...I could be bar hopp'in or chas'in wild women...yep!...she ought to be thankful I'm in this hobby...nevermind......

[johncolley]

Amen to that! I find time whizzes by me and I am spending more time on line looking at train stuff, and reading train books and magazines. I wake up now and then to realize nothing is getting accomplished on my layout or my Free-mo modules. I try to spend at least an hour a day in there. Am I getting old?

[jjbmish]

I've gone thru a 10 year period were I didn't work on a layout, but I stayed in touch by reading magazines, books, watching videos, going to operating layouts, etc. I've now started building another layout but it doesn't bother me if I don't work on it everyday, its a hobby and supposed to be FUN not work.

John

[vsmith]

Eh, dont worry about it, its not like it going to walk away, right?

I havent worked on my layout in over a month, why? Because there's more important stuff to be done around the house. Its all about priority.

Getting the patio canopy built behind the garage is a higher priority than the layout.

Getting the new spring yardwork done is higher.

Getting the new pavers in the backyard is a higher priority.

I dont worry about it, once all this is done then I can work at my leasure on the layout.

I work on my HOBBY when i have the time and I dont fret about how much and how long i work on it, Its always there.

[Anonymous]

I use to have a job where I worked four days a week during the winter. That's when I got started in model railroading. But now I have another job and work at least fifty hours a week year round and I also volunteer on the weekends at my local animal shelter helping to find homes for animals and photographing them for our web site. I also have pets of my own that I spend time with. Needles to say I have very little spare time. It took me about six years building just the roundhouse and turntable. And it wouldn't be finished if I didn't I became ill and was off work for five months. It kept me from going stir crazy all winter.
Although, when it comes to model railroading I must have some kind of mental syndrome that prevents me from building anything as directed, which takes much longer to finish anything. Of course I had to scratch build a ultra modern cinder conveyor plant after I found prototype photos of one. Add on another 48 or so modeling hours. I also had to buy the most detailed coaling tower kit I could find. Add another 30 hours for paint and assembly for that. I'm turning 50 in a couple months and at the rate that I'm going, by the time I have a finished layout to run trains on, I'll be ready for the nursing home.

[Anonymous]

I've just re-started work on scenics for my layout - finally have all the track ballasted, and I'm slowly working towards finishing the backscenes (the article in MR recently was very helpful - I've basically painted the backscenes in light sky blue which looks far better than my previous attempts!).

I tend to move between my different interests - for example, recently I've been searching for older Pentax cameras on eBay (The old manual-focus Pentaxes of the 1970s and '80s are far superior to the latest ones, not least in robustness - I know someone who dropped a '70s Pentax K2 down a mountain, and it still functions perfectly some 20 years later!).

I've been persuaded to go back and fini***he layout for a number of reasons - one, my LHS is running a train show during August, and I've been asked to exhibit. Two, one of my other LHS has recently made massive price cuts on Athearn (and other brands) locos/cars - I picked up an EMD Lease SD40-2 (Blue Box) for £31, previously they were £45. I plan to go back over in a month or so (when I can afford to do so!)

[trainfan1221]

Thanks for the input, everybody. I do read up on things a lot so I guess that I am more active
on a regular basis than I thought. I guess a little break never hurts.