About a month ago I removed the "spare bedroom" STRATTON & GILLETTE layout.
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I have been going through what I saved, and purged (threw away) about 95% of it. I cannot believe how many projects were on that layout that were never going to be finished.
This was the 5th SGRR layout, and the only one that never had any traction towards being completed. Getting rid of all the stuff I was never happy with has really lifted a weight off of me. The blackboard is erased and I can move forward. I am planning new projects instead of trying to find time/motivation to work on old stagnant messes.
Has a purge of unfinished projects and junk ever helped anyone else?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Yeah, have eight projects going on as we speak. None of which will be thrown away.
I work on one project while glue/paint dries on another. My projects are completely scratch built one of a kind models. To much time invested to throw away. Like many other modelers. I find myself waiting on parts and that doesn't help with getting projects completed.
I get where your coming from. To many projects going on and needed a fresh start.
I'm building a 7' X 2' with 4' wing size layout just for heavy industry.
Fear an Ignorant Man more than a Lion- Turkish proverb
Modeling an ficticious HO scale intergrated Scrap Yard & Steel Mill Melt Shop.
Southland Industrial Railway or S.I.R for short. Enterchanging with Norfolk Southern.
Can't say that I have ever thrown away any large number of unfinished projects. I do have a lot of "almost finished" projects, like kit bashed locos that still need some additional detailing, but I still have a basket full of "somedays" to use.
Somewhat to your point, like most, I collected a lot of rolling stock simply because I liked it, but ended up not fitting my RR's theme once I refined it. My solution was to use these odd-ball items as trading material at swap meets, where I would happily give five of what I didn't need to get two or three of what I could use.
Having done that for a few years, I can honestly say that, except what I keep for nostalgic reasons, all my rolling equipment is in sync with my layout's time and place.
Jim
I do not think any of the purged items would have been much interest at a swap meet.
It hurt to toss out that partially finished Campbell model of Grandma's House, but I was never going to finish it, and there is no planned place for it on the new layout. It lifted a burden to get rid of it.
Seems like whenever I toss something I think of a use for it a month or so later. And I spend time searching for it until I remember I tossed it. I usually remember that at night when I am trying to go to sleep.
So now I save nearly everything, including some real "what was I thinking? disasters. However it does help (from a motivational standpoint if nothing else) to get the worst of it out of my sight. If I can't see it, I don't regard it as a project any more.
I even save the leftovers from laser cut kits. There is actually some useful stuff there!
Dave Nelson
dknelsonSeems like whenever I toss something I think of a use for it a month or so later. And I spend time searching for it until I remember I tossed it. I usually remember that at night when I am trying to go to sleep. So now I save nearly everything,
It has been a couple of years since I posted the purge thread.
Now it seems I too have reverted back into "save everything" mode!
Only a few unfinished project purges. Here is one - a Front Range 63' Thrall Centerbeam:
I did managed to assemble it and then discovered they painted the WP version dark blue and it should have been black. Anyway, I ended up selling it. Never got it full completed after the ExactRail version came along:
As for purging in general, over the past 10-15 years I have been going through my collection and selling off items I don't need, partly due to back dating about 10 yearss and there have been some projects mixed in too.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I, and I'm sure others, do not have the large disposable incomes and huge hobby budgets others enjoy. When I spend my dollor on an item, it gets used,reused and then used again before I consider it worthless and tossed
SeeYou190It has been a couple of years since I posted the purge thread. . Now it seems I too have reverted back into "save everything" mode!
Welcome home
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
UNCLEBUTCHWhen I spend my dollor on an item, it gets used,reused and then used again before I consider it worthless and tossed
Many items have been recycled from one layout to the next. I have three buildings from different layouts that have been featured in Model Railroader on their previous owner's layouts. These will always find homes on my layouts.
Using DPDT switches with 1/4" spade connections makes them easy to salvage again and again.
The Purge was not about full destruction, just getting roadblocks out of the way.
BigDaddyWelcome home
Thank you. I am glad to be here again!
Throwing out unfinished model projects?
Perj...purdj...pirge...pyrg...?
Agh!! Can't even spell it!
Repurposed a few.
OK, I have torn out poorly designed track, sidings, spurs that didn't contribute to the proper flow of traffic, and I have on occasion sent an ill fated component into "orbit" when it exasperated me beyond my limits, but never a wholesale unloading of models or projects.
Puhrg! That's it!
Dan
SouthgateThrowing out unfinished model projects?
Removing roadblocks to enthusiasm is important, otherwise I stagnate.
It works for me to do this every once in a while, when all progress has stopped.