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Why I get no complaints about having a train room

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  • Member since
    August 2013
  • From: Richmond, VA
  • 1,890 posts
Why I get no complaints about having a train room
Posted by carl425 on Thursday, February 6, 2020 8:47 AM

This is my wife at Montgomery Tunnel near Christiansburg, VA on what then was the Radford Division about 1969 or so.  Her grandfather was an engineer on the N&W from the late 40's to mid 60's.  She goes out to ride or chase 611 (and 1218 when it was running excursions) every time it's running anywhere close to here since her grandfather ran both of them when they were in service.

I have the right to remain silent.  By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.

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Posted by kasskaboose on Thursday, February 6, 2020 9:02 AM

Is there a picture somewhere?

I was told that the two most popular types of MR spouses are those stay away from the other's hobby or are engaged. 

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, February 6, 2020 9:22 AM

I see the picture.  Nice !  Looks like grandpa is piloting quite a lash-up!

Carl, does she still dress like that?  Whistling

Mike.

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, February 6, 2020 10:03 AM

Ah the good ol days.  It's always a major plus to have a wife who is train friendly!

My first wife (ex) was always hostile toward my train hobby and extremely stingy with how much I could spend, while she flitted off to Germany and other places.  Trains, being a lifelong passion, that situation was destined not to last.  I did not choose wisely as a young padowan. 

Wife 2 is much more train friendly, comes to train shows with me and enjoys the layouts and makes sure I don't miss any tables.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, February 6, 2020 12:29 PM

My ex-wife actually suggested that I set up my old trains when our daughter got beyond elementary school.  I think she envisioned something like a little Martha Stuart village running around the Christmas tree,  but my layout was far larger and lacked any silly kitchey stuff.  She always resented the trains and the time I spent with them.

The GF is much more train friendly.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
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Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, February 6, 2020 1:15 PM

My wife has her herd of Golden Retrievers and I have my trainroom. We are both happy that the other is happy and that is all that matters.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    June 2009
  • From: QLD, Australia
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Posted by tbdanny on Thursday, February 6, 2020 1:29 PM

Mine is supportive.  She's even run one or two trains during operating sessions.

Her mother is an artist, so she understands the creative aspect of it.

The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon
The Year: 1948
The Scale: On30
The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com

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Posted by Sierra Man on Thursday, February 6, 2020 7:03 PM

My wife made me remove the garage door and wall it in, finish the walls and install a drop ceiling just so we would have a proper train room. She builds beautiful plaster buildings, does scenery, and can out solder anyone ( she does it for a living). My kind of girl!

Phil, CEO, Eastern Sierra Pacific Railroad.  We know where you are going, before you do!

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Posted by Southgate on Friday, February 7, 2020 3:44 AM

Sierra Man

My wife made me remove the garage door and wall it in, finish the walls and install a drop ceiling just so we would have a proper train room. She builds beautiful plaster buildings, does scenery, and can out solder anyone ( she does it for a living). My kind of girl!

 

You're gonna get her kidnapped blabbin' that around! Stick out tongue

I can solder, in a necessary evil sort of way. 

My wife is supportive, and appreciative, but hands off, except she did hand paint a structure for me way back in the early '80s.  Dan

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Friday, February 7, 2020 4:25 AM

My wife is very supportive of my hobby while not actively participating in it. She has accompanied me along many a railfanning trip over the 36 years of our marriage. In her youth, she was frightened by trains. Her grandfather took her watching trains on a bridge and the clouds of smoke that were engulfing her as the engines passed under the bridge scared her until she began to cry.

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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  • From: Morristown, NJ
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Posted by nealknows on Friday, February 7, 2020 8:50 AM

My wife let me add a 20' x 20' train room off the living room area. We put frosted french doors on the room and you would never know what's behind the doors. They do match the rest of the furniture so it's a natural. She's supportive, comes into the room when I'm working on the layout, and likes to see the new stuff. That last for a few minutes and she's out the door! 

Neal

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, February 7, 2020 8:58 AM

The home we live in now, my wife designated the basement as all mine to do with as I wished, and she knew trains as she helped us find a house with decent train worth basement, albiet unfinished.

As I began looking at layout design, I could see that the back room (11x12) would not be very usable, at least not without some kind of lift out bridge, and I was able to designa fairly good sized layout for the main room.  So I told my wife she could have it, so we've painted it a cream color that she liked.  Once I get the lions share of the bench-work up, we can clean that room up and she plans to make a den out of it with coffee/tea bar, sofa, TV etc.

Having a wife den next to the train room will be a good thing as it will allow me to be nearby working on trains etc, and she can hang out there, keeping us more in touch and not like - "there he goes down to the train room" thing going on.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by RR_Mel on Friday, February 7, 2020 9:54 AM

My lovely wife of fifty years is into crafting, the layout is in the garage and we share our hobby room.  We have separate work areas but share paints, between the two of us we have about 300 colors of paint to pick from.
 
She occasionally likes to dabble around on the layout scenery.  She built a really neat cemetery about 8 years ago, painted the building and installed all the tombstones.
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
 
  • Member since
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Posted by mbinsewi on Friday, February 7, 2020 10:11 AM

My wife also encourages the hobby, and like to see the things I'm building.

She knows it's a winter time thing for me, and ecourages me to work on it, because she also knows that once spring and summer construction season gets underway, I'll be back up north, working on our little north woods get-a-way spot.

She, herself, is not a big hobby type person.  Right now she is enjoying her work.

Mike.

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Posted by rrinker on Friday, February 7, 2020 11:10 AM

 Keeping it completely train related - Sir Rod Stewart once sang "Some guys have all the luck"

 Current GF of 12 years is supportive of my hobbies. But the ex wife - she resneted the time I spent with her Dad (my father in law, ex Conrail and NS employee) working on our train layout in the basement. You'd think she'd be happy I got along well with the in-laws... Internally now that I look back I was more angry over it than I ever let on, as my own Dad passed away when I was 9, and working on the train layout and going to ride trains is one of the many things I remember.

 And my Mom, she she was working, she soldered too. Transformers, not delicate electronics. But when she burned my finger soldering together one of my electronic projects because she still thought I was too young to use the soldering iron myself, that was it - I just did it myself from then on.

 So my luck has been less than stellar, but at least I finally found a good one.

                                       --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by owen w in california on Friday, February 7, 2020 2:28 PM

Years ago I told my lovely wife that I can either spend my time and money on model railroading or with hookers at bars. You choose.  I'm good either way! :) 

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