Chris, that is true and I also think this is an important discussion. I do feel that there is sometimes a happy medium when it comes to moderating - and where that point is may not be agree'd to by all, but in this case the significant other is a long standing element in the life of model railroaders. Having been a reader of the magazine since the early 1970's in junior high school, I recall reading the occasional article where this issue was discussed - even the wife of one of the MR staffers had a special article at least once I could recall, offering her perspective as the wife of someone which model railroading was a major part of their lives as both a hobby and an occupation.
BTW, your story was inspirational regarding your accident and the support you got to help raise your spirits! Encouraging those supporting souls is important!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
At least they did not lock the thread Rio Grande, as I feel this is actually an important discussion.
Why? Well the Grossers are a perfect example. In the video Renee speaks about buying a locomotive for Ray after he suffered a medical set-back, and that brought him out of the funk he was in. His involvement in the hobby grew, and eventually they both began working on the layout, as that is the kind of relationship they have together.
On Monday I was in a horrific accident at work. Between the physical and mental impact I was just overwhelmed. I had tickets to the train show in Edison NJ this week-end, but no one else could go so I was just going to bag it. My wife encouraged me to go anyway. She knew that "time away from the world" would do me some good, and it sure did.
Significant others are an important part of our hobby. Most tolerate, many encourage, and a few even participate in what is for many of us a passion. I started this thread because our significants deserve to be acknowledged for their part in model railroading.
So give them a hug, tell them your grateful, and never forget that they are part of this great hobby!
Chris Ballinger
Modeling the Clementon Branch of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in HO scale
Mrs HotRod I sent you a PM. Click on messages in your profile. It should be highlighted in red, but that does not always happen.
Congratulations MR for chasing away one of MR's significant others. It's not like they post much in train forums and it was kind of a breath of fresh air.
A litte drift now and then isn't that bad a thing, especially if it encourages the ladies who support the hobbyists to come in and post a bit. How about giving just a little latitude and encouraging those who support their spouses in the hobby please.
My bad - drifter saying goodbye!
yougottawanta
Congratulations on your recent marriage! Sounds like you are in a good place.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
My wife and soul mate passed away a few years ago from cancer. She wasnt into the hobby but tolerated it. This past year I met a wonderful single mom from my church. She went wth me to the greenberg train show and bought me a hybrid New Central steam locomative. I married her this past August. Life is GOOD. Every holiday and birthday she buys something for my hobby. Yep I am a lucky man. Again.
This thread is drifting...
There's a Diner around the corner if you want to discuss the weather.
For other model railroad-related topics, feel free to start a new thread. People who might be interested in modeling a particular prototype house, for instance, would probably never think to look for that topic in this thread.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
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I am sooooo sorry to have used that kind of language! I used "warm" and then looked at the area where all of you live. bless your hearts. Please forgive - but- we went from 50s and 60s to 20s and 30s for the next 4 days so I am doubly chastised. We HAD green grass, spring bulbs blooming and water lily leaves. Won't tomorrow! Gives us four nice grubby days for working indoors on the trains.
Warm? What is this word you speak of?
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Thank you both for your trouble. I will look through my stacks of mags (good time to put them in date order) and find the issues. No modelers around me so the internet and magazines are my daily source of inspiration. NMRA meetings are 100 miles one way once a month when I can. Sure helps to ask questions and get answers. Have a good WARM day??????
Thanks CTValleyRR. I knew there was a more recent article, but had not had a chance to find it. Bob Foltz's work is amazing.
I have always admired the Grossers, having had my first exposure to their work through the Allen Keller Great Model Railroads video of their traveling layout The Nostalgia Trip. There is so much pure gold in that 60 minute video, from Ray's design of the layout to make it portable, to Renee's techniques for making stucco and asphalt brick, that it is well worth trying to track down a copy.
There was an article in MR much more recently. I believe it was "Scratchbuilding Without Plans: Construction Tips for Building a Structure from Prototype Photos." by Bob Folz, in the Nov 2012 edition.
OK, got a better connection and found that the article I'm thinking of is actually from the July 1999 Railmodel Journal. It is "Structures from Photographs" and was actually written by Renee's husband Ray. It is, however, Renee's methods.
The article itself is accessible on the TrainLife website. Membership to the website is free. Some magazines are not available due to a server crash they had in the past, but I double checked and this one is veiwable. Good article, and I hope it gives you ideas.
Good Luck!
Thanks so much Chris. I looked at Google Earth and was able to get a footprint of the house. I haven't heard of Street View so I will check that out. It seems like I saw that article you mentioned in a pile of old Model Railroaders someone gave me. I will try to find it again. My brother is in construction and said we may be able to figure out the dimentions from knowns such as window and door sizes. I would love to try it even though I haven't scratch built anything yet. Even if it was only card stock, it would be cool. Thanks for answering.
Mrs. Hot Rod Chris, how did you build your wife's grandmother's house? I would like to build my grandmother's but have limited pictures of it and no access to it even though it still exists.
Chris, how did you build your wife's grandmother's house? I would like to build my grandmother's but have limited pictures of it and no access to it even though it still exists.
Actually, that was sheer luck. We were out visiting Deanna's grandmother, who lives in northwestern PA, when the National Train Show was in Cleveland. my kids and I went to the show, and one of the vendors, Wild West Scale Models, had done their "Pitkin House" in the same color green as my grandmother-in law's house. Except for some window placement, it's a dead ringer.
For your situation I would suggest an article in Model Railroader from a few years ago by Renee Grosser. I cannot remember the name of the article or the month/year it appeared, but it spoke about scaling plans based only on photos. Perhaps someone here can give you the exact issue, as I am having connection issues and can't see the magazine index at present. In any event good luck with it.
My wonderful wife of 23+ years is the reason I got back into the hobby. When I went off to college, I boxed up my train stuff and sent it to a cousin, thinking that was that.
Some 15 years later, my cousin's mother (also my cousin) wrote and said that they had all the train stuff in storage, and did I want it back. My wife could tell that I wanted to, and lost no time telling me to go for it.
Like many here, she has her hobbies and I have mine. We each have a budget and stick to it. She doesn't actively participate in model railroading, but she encourages me to spend time with it ("You haven't worked on your layout in a while. Why don't you spend the afternoon down there?") -- effectively telling me that she won't be complaining about the long list of uncompleted "honey-do" projects if I do.
We have only one small area of disagreement. One of her hobbies is photography, at which I absolutely suck. In spite of much pleading from me, she has no interest in taking photos of the layout or projects, even though I assure her that if she tried it, she would love it. Or not....
Not only does my bride support the model RR habit er, hobby, she helps out and every once in a while a surprise package shows up with things I need. She has a sewing studio in the same mobile home the RR is in so we are close when we are both working on our interests.
The other night I said I wanted to sign up for the conductor classes for the local scenic railroad. To my surprise she said "Can I go too?". We have both begun the classes and hope to be volunteering by this summer. Who'd a thunk? I got a keeper for sure!
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society
Mine has her own hobby too. She does cross-stitch and I have built a section under the layout with a bean bag chair and light table for her to work on her hobby right next to mine.
My wife and I are two peas in a pod...we both have our own hobbies and interests and we have no arguments over money or time spent on things. She has a successful career same as I do...so no issues ....
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Mrs. Hot Rod All the written hugs, pats on the backs and compliments on here are great but they are from one member to many members (all being rr men) so what about an evening in the train room with maybe food at a tiny little table, a candle, special running of a favorite train, something just for her????????
All the written hugs, pats on the backs and compliments on here are great but they are from one member to many members (all being rr men) so what about an evening in the train room with maybe food at a tiny little table, a candle, special running of a favorite train, something just for her????????
While dinner in front of the layout is probably not in her future, a few "something just for her" things are apearing on the layout. These include her grandmother's house (which was destroyed by a tornado with her grandmother inside. Miraculously, her grandmother survived and will be celebrating her 94th birthday this year), and an F. W. Woolworth (her first employer).
One other special item that she is not aware of is a teenage couple sharing a chocolate shake, but the girl has spilled some on her dress. This incident happened to us on the back step of my house the night before our graduation from high school.
My wife has been watching this thread so "SUPRISE!" Deanna. This one you'll have to find on the layout yourself. No hints...
I am definately one of the lucky ones. My wife Maureen has helped me build our layout by painting the backdrop, building structure kits and more. She goes with me to hobby shops and train shows and helps to pick out details for the scenery. We even have a family NMRA membership. Our layout would not be nearly complete or fun without her input and help.
Hi,
My wife of 15 years (#2) appreciates the fact that I do have hobbies and definitely appreciates what it takes to build and create a minature world of trains. Besides that, the hobby tends to keep me at home.
Having experienced two wives (one for 21 years, one for 15 and counting), and a fair number of girlfriends in between, I have come to some conclusions:
- If your significant other appreciates the hobby, you have it made.
- While some significant others share in the hobby, I'm quite happy that mine does not participate.
- IMO, the majority of the problems with "MRs vs. spouses" is due to spending "too much" money and/or time on the hobby.
For what its worth...............
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Since I seem to be the only "other" who has had something to say, I will add another point. All the written hugs, pats on the backs and compliments on here are great but they are from one member to many members (all being rr men) so what about an evening in the train room with maybe food at a tiny little table, a candle, special running of a favorite train, something just for her???????? Lots of possibilities for HER. Good for a laugh or two and they are really important to get through this life.
Going today to finish (I hope) packing a lifetime of one man's train passion that will now come to our house for the rest of our life's passion. All Lionel and American Flyer. I will pack and listen to his "look at this" for hours to come. Ain't life grand!