What part of our hobby do you like the best?

["JaBear"]

Viewing and admiring Mels fiddly work!

[JR Santa Fe]

I've always loved miniature things, especially mechanical things.  Starting at a young age with Matchbox cars, then Hot Wheels and HO slot cars.  Then I got my Tyco train set and built my first layout. I just love the miniature world that can be created, and then watching the train movement.  And trying to make it as realistic as possible adds to the enjoyment, and all the techniques that go into creating miniature realism. 

[Paul3]

Operations.  It doesn't matter the type: car card/waybill, switch lists, turn-based, fast clocks, timetable and train order, whatever the type of operation.  As long as it follows some rules and is based on reality, I'm happy.

Better yet, operations with as many people as possible.  At my club, I'm the Operations Chairman and before 2020, we would routinely have 20 operators at a 2-hour session every other month.  Afterwards, we have a critique (AKA the Liar's Club) where we talk about what happened and ways to improve it.

We have a dispatcher, trainmaster, station master, and multiple yardmasters, plus up to 8 local freights and half a dozen mainline engineers or so.  When things go well, it's so pleasing to see.  When things go wrong, it's funny...in retrospect.

[hon30critter]

stevetx

I get excited finding an old heavyweight passenger car - kit built by someone in the 1950/60s that needs TLC to get it operational again.

Hi Steve,

I enjoy doing the same thing with old freight cars. A couple of years ago I scored a set of four Star Line stock cars. Star Line ceased production sometime in the late 40s or early 50s. Whoever built these kits was a real craftsman. The assembly was impeccable. There were some broken joints and other damage that needed repair, and I had to remove some of the cast framing in order to get the new trucks to work properly, but they turned out just fine. I am very pleased to have a few models on my layout that were built by an expert and are probably close to 70 years old by now.

Your locomotive work sounds really interesting too. How about some pictures?

Cheers!!

Dave

[Southgate 2]

I read every reply, and can relate to most. I think, like Mel, it's what I'm into at the moment. It's mostly about BUILDING.

A few have mentioned a little about automobiles. If I ever got out of trains, I'd still build HO light and heavy commercial rigs. And probably dioramas, but the layout fills that desire.

I really enjoy building critter locomotives, but am put off by lack of electrical pickup reliability. If and when I go to DCC, it will be for the keep alive aspect primarily. (Hornblower, we need to talk!)

Structures! I've never bought a craftsman kit. I scratchbuild to that level of quality though. I have 2 structures on my layout that are models of 1/1 local landmarks.  I love it whenever anybody who has seen the 1/1 "Crane Shed" in Bend Oregon (torn down in '04) lights up at seeing it in HO (at five actual feet long).

Track planning is the only thing I do NOT like! It's a necessary evil. If I was going by Kevins numerical list, it would be about negative 35. So glad that's over.

Inventing and engineering, and refining, even if only at my level. Does anyone remember "The Corrugator"?  A long fought challenge, but when it rolled out that first sheet of corr aluminum, and it looked right? I still smile. Only model builders can understand the RUSH something like that gives.

Scenery, track laying, wiring, even ballasting is enjoyable when I'm in the mood each takes. I can dread having to hand lay another curved code 70 turnout to fit a specific need, but then get completely absorbed in it, like be up till 5 am until its operational when the right time comes.

Yeah, everything's my favorite in turn, except track planning. Dan

[AntonioFP45]

Favorite (or most enjoyable) part of the hobby......METALZING passenger cars!

[Water Level Route]

My favorite part is turning the room lights down low, turning on all the little lights in buildings and such on the layout, and operating a local freight.  Other than that, I most enjoy making vignettes to be found like easter eggs, laying track, building benchwork, and creating interior scenes in buildings.

[richhotrain]

RR_Mel

What part of our hobby do you like the best?

The part where there are no stalls, shorts, derailments or unintended uncouplings when running trains.

Rich

[tin can]

Pruitt

Operations!!!!

I would like to point out that you do a tremendous job of documenting the process of building a model railroad; from room prep to building benchwork to scenery; and everything in between.  I have learned so much from watching and reading your posts and blog.  Thank you for doing this.

 

[Doughless]

SeeYou190

 

Kevin Hobby Enjoyment:

Benchwork: 5

Building Any Craftsman or Resin Type Kit: 10 

Building Rolling Stock Kits: 20

Building Structure Kits: 10

Detailing/Fine Painting: 10

Laying Trackwork: 3

Maintaining Layouts: 0

Maintaining/Modifying Locomotives: 5

Planning Layouts: 0

Scenery: 15

Scratchbuilding Structures: 4

Scratchbuilding/Kitbuilding Locomotives: 3

Scratchbuilding Rolling Stock: 5

Tuning DCC CVs: 0

Wiring: 10

So Building Rolling Stock Kits is my favorite. That should not surprise anyone.

What does your list look like?

-Kevin

 

Building Any Craftsman or Resin Type Kit: 0 

Building Rolling Stock Kits: (Accurail/MDC/Athearn BB,...20....but the level of detail is no longer up to my standards, so...0)

Any kit more complicated or tedious: 0

Building Structure Kits: 10

Detailing/Fine Painting: 10

Laying Trackwork: 5

Maintaining/Modifying Locomotives: 10

Planning Layouts: 5

Scenery: 10

Scratchbuilding Structures/ Kitbashing: 20

Scratchbuilding/Kitbuilding Locomotives: 0

Scratchbuilding Rolling Stock: 0

Tuning DCC CVs: 5

Wiring: 0

Operations: 25

When I was a boy, I wanted to be an architect.  I bought MR and RMC, and enjoyed layout displays, to look at all of the little buildings as much as it was for the trains.....probably even more back then.  I see that there is still that little boy in there judging by some of my preferences.

I also like switching layouts.  They focus on the industries, and the trains exist to serve THEM.

[up831]

Hi Everyone,

I suppose I like building structures kit or scratch the best, followed by building rolling stock kits.

im not skilled enough to take on a locomotive or even a freight car from scratch.

Next would be running trains.

Then everything else follows.

But, really, I like it all.

[Trainman440]

Interesting question! Nice to see a non-complaining thread here for once...

I find restoration/upgrading of damaged models to be the most enjoyable. To see a model transform from a piece of junk to a smooth running, detailed model is in my opinion the best feeling. 

Building kits, adding lights to passenger cars, and working with model steam loco internals are my second favorites. Installing decoders is also fairly enjoyable. 

On the other hand, operation actually isnt so fun to me. Maybe because I have only a small 4x8 layout, mostly unfinished. Still working on foam terrain/scenery and man...its so boring.

Main issue with these interests is I end up having far more engines than I ever actually run!

[Track fiddler]

Building bridges.  I've been fascinated with them since I was almost to young to remember.

I designed my layout not even giving any thought to the challenges that would arise with the overpasses.  I did that on purpose.  I figured I'd cross that bridge when I get to it

I would also have to agree there are so many aspects of layout building that you can always find something you're in the mood to do at any given time.  That's the beautiful thing about this hobby

 

 

TF

[doctorwayne]

I can't think of anything in my version of model railroading that I don't like.

Wayne

[SeeYou190]

Trainman440

Nice to see a non-complaining thread here

Yes, this has been a great thread.

Thank you Mel.

-Kevin

[RR_Mel]

SeeYou190

 

 

Trainman440

Nice to see a non-complaining thread here

 

 

Yes, this has been a great thread.

Thank you Mel.

-Kevin

 

Your welcome Kevin

You must have missed my little jab on the first page of this post.

I do appreciate the response and it is so nice that no negatives have dropped by, thank you everyone.
 

Mel



 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps

[oldline1]

My favorite part of the hobby is painting brass. Running trains would be my #2.

oldline1

[cowman]

I think what I like best is the variety of different things available to do.  If I get a little sick of one, I can do another.

I haven't built much of a layout yet, but I think it would be easier to pick out what I am not looking forward to amd that is soldering.  I will not get into the workings of the locos at all, thank you.  I want them to run again.

What I need to do now is get my ____ in gear and finish the room, so I can put up a shelf.  Trouble is now the great grandchildren have taken an interest in running "choo choos" and I will have to take down the current 4x6 to do it.

Sigh!

Have fun,

Richard

[Randy Stahl]

All things considered model railroading is still cheaper than hanging out at the strip bar..

[BigDaddy]

Randy Stahl

All things considered model railroading is still cheaper than hanging out at the strip bar.. Add Quote to your Post

It's a lot easier to go downstairs than to tell the old lady I'm going there.

My favorite is scenery, followed by painting and weathering buildings.  I'm not a great scratch builder, but I would like to do more.

[Track fiddler]

That's funny stuff,  although it's been years,  Judy used to encourage me to go to the strip club with my friends when they called back in the day.  Number one, both of us have always had trust in each other since day one.  Number two, she always liked the way I acted when I got home

Anyway, ... my other favorite thing about model railroading is no matter what,  there's always something waiting for me to do when there's nothing to do anywhere else.  Especially these days turning to Winter with nowhere to go and nothing to do.  I'm sure glad my model railroad is sitting in my house.

 

P.S.  I love weathering buildings, rocks, portals and stuff like that too Henry.  I just can't get myself to do it to the freight cars though!  Especially not the locomotives!  They're just too darn expensive.  I feel like I would be defacing them like graffiti.  Maybe that will come at the end of The Hobby when everything else is done I guess

P.S. again.   This is a great thread

 

 

TF

[MisterBeasley]

I had a friend who I played hockey with who used to ask his wife, "Would you rather that I hung out with a bunch of smelly guys or a bunch of smelly girls?"

Hockey won every time.

[Track fiddler]

Yes Mr B.

I played hockey in high school and even for a lot of years after that.  Quite the sweaty sport.  I remember how my own gear smelled let alone everybody else's gear in the locker room after the game.  Do you think their Mom's washed their gear everyday after the game or practice.  I don't think so either.

I don't think they even had air freshener powerful enough for that back then  But everyone was always happy after you won the game and put up with it though.

 

P.S.  I would like to at least try to stay on subject here and I think I can.  I would imagine model railroading is a lot like hockey in a sense.  Instead of trying to put the puck in the net,  one tries to put the locomotive in the tunnel, ...He shoots he scores!

 

 

TF

[cats think well of me]

I'm a big fan of a lot of things in this hobby but lately, I'd been enjoying doing freight car kit building, as well as the feeling that wow, I just crafted something unique, interesting, with details, painting, weathering, etc., that makes it mine. and even if not perfect, it's my handiwork. Plus, I like that there are so many aspects of the hobby people can learn. Not into building freight car kits? Trying painting and weathering, doing scenery, benchwork, electronics, collecting brass, if you can afford it, and more. 

Alvie

[Little Timmy]

I find decaling to be "soothing" to my soul .( yea... I do curse a bit while doing it. Maybe it's a form of venting ??? )

I also get a kick out of "kit-bashing" anything. ( I just enjoy seeing what a pile of parts can become. )

[Boiler-man]

I model in N Scale and like to kitbash buildings.

[SeeYou190]

Little Timmy

I find decaling to be "soothing" to my soul

Me too. Applying decals is the most relaxing part of model railroading, and other hobbies as well.

-Kevin