Some of my favorite things are building scenery and kits, either freight cars or buildings or even locomotives for the layout. Also finding little projects and scratchbuilding small details to add to the layout.
But I have to say that I think my absolute favorite thing is solving a problem that has cropped up and needs attention. The satisfaction of figuring out a balky locomotive or a finicky turnout is a great feeling. It feels like a small victory! LOL
Joe Staten Island West
After having to scrap a 2x16 switching layout right as it reached operational status, I've discovered that I enjoy planning a scene, building buildings, and scenery more than I'd thought I did. Once I'd "solved" the switching puzzle (not that it was a puzzle like the Timesaver, more that I'd figured out how I'd have to block the cars correctly), I realized that I didn't like switching! I don't like weathering much because I'm poor at it.
JeremyBAnother question, do you guys work on your model railroads during the wramer summer months. I tend to go in spurts during the warm months.
Easy..I enjoy fishing and railfaning but,when the weather eases into the 90s with a high heat index--hello A/C and modeling in the cool.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I enjoy the hobby in its entirety. But my most favorite activity is switching. Whether at home or at the club I will make up a train in a yard, run it out to several industries, switch out cars, then terminate at the farthest point. I then watch others run trains or run another train on my layout. After relaxing for a while I return and pickup the cars I previously swiched and return them to the yard. Very relaxing.
Having been in and out of modeling over the years my favorite part is getting back into it. I enjoy all aspects of modeling but it seems scratch building comes out near the top. So far I have scratch built more cars and buildings than kits or kitbashing. Like I don't have enough to do.
Yesterday I finished up my bench work and started on some of the foam base and sketching in my backgrounds. First time I have done steel studs and found it was surprisingly fast and easy. I used a crimper which saved drilling and screws and rivets. Very strong when you look at how flimsy the studs seem to be.
I and my CFO (aka wife) just passed our testing for conductors so we will be working 1:1 scale at times. Test ran from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Just physical and drug testing to do before we start student trips.
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society
That it is. But like most guys major projects I seem to keep until the cooler months. Even with central air on the basement can sometimes feel warm. My workshop is in the basement but on real hot days I can feel the heat in the shop.
After working in the backyard or garage during the hot summer months it is a welcome relief to ajourn to the basement train room and work on a small project that is not too involved. And, of course, model railroad railfanning after that.
All the best.
Reinhard
Joe F
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
I model the modern era, I've always modeled the modern era, mainly because railfanning is exciting (though I don't do it that much), and the challenge of modeling what I see excites me.
The MRR hobby is a multi-disciplinary hobby that includes skills such as woodworking, electrics, electronics, art, etc. There are some things I enjoy better than others, but I'd always like to improve on the things I'm not as good at.
I think the only part of model railroading that I don't like is paying my credit card bills :)
I do more railfanning than model railroading during the summer but there are days when the coolness of the basement is welcome. But as a rule it is deliberately unambitious project, perhaps finishing off a simple kit or building up my supply of painted and weathered metal wheel sets.
Dave Nelson
Building model kits.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Great to read about how you guys enjoy the hobby
Another question, do you guys work on your model railroads during the wramer summer months. I tend to go in spurts during the warm months. The days its too hot out to do anything outdoors I tend to use my free time doing small layout projects ( weathering,detailing ) or playing table top sports games.
For me there has been a two-fold joy in recently getting involved in the hobby. First has been the learning. I have learned about carpentry; I have learned about electricity and electronics; I have learned about trains. Second has been the sense of accomplishment as I have seen the results of my labors actually work. Okay, there is one more thing--I don't have to worry about having so much money in my bank account.
Richard
I like running my HO steam engines thru nice scenery at a slow pace. I don't do operations but love running my trains. Operations to me is like watching grass grow but hey if you like it by all means have fun, just not my thing.
I also like weathered rolling stock especially freight cars. Passenger cars must be clean according to the CEO and CFO (me).
I also have sound in all my engines which I really like.
I run DC with my MRC TECH 6 that also activate all my sounds. Nothing like it.
I like creating scenery, everything from ground cover and static grass to building structures and lighting them up. Even ballasting, as that's the last thing I do and it means the scene is complete.
Then, I'll sit down with a cold beer and watch a train run through the scenery.
Recently, I got a great deal of satisfaction from putting in operating grade crossing signals, one set with kit-built Oregon Rail Supply flashers and another with NJ International operating gates.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I enjoy watching my trains go roundy-round. The nicer the layout the better, but the act of a train running I find very relaxing.
I am a free lancer within historical limitations. Thus, research is key to what might have happened within the frame work of history. All my layouts had a backstory against real history up to their creation.
It is like time took a turn in a different direction after my road was created, but after its demise, it did not impact future history. Like it actually could have happened and not really impacted real recorded history as a whole.
This limits me to short line operations in remote areas for only a short life span of the road.
Creating from whole cloth a likely scenario from beginning to end. That is my great joy in MR'ing.
I also enjoy building the small, under stocked, friendly, little road, doomed in the end but operating with spirit and verve during its short run. (narrow gauge is perfect for this.)
What I do not like is formal operating sessions with schedules and the like. Far too structured.
My road will ultimately have a single main with a couple of passing sections, two major co-joined townships 3 miles apart of 200 total population and 2 or 3 tiny villages and only 0ne major mining operation with many tiny spurs serving tiny dog hole mines off the main. One scheduled train daily back and forth along 54 miles of road only. No formal passenger service. (very long combine caboose for limited passenger traffic and mail.)
Keep it small and simple, low operating costs, no roundhouse, no real yard save for a single tiny yard in that populus dual township right in the middle of the 54 mile road.
Planning, building and running a simple operation is what keeps my interest up. Modeling is OK, a necessary and often enjoyable part, especially, adding on to or modifying existing areas.
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
I like buiding the layout - benchwork, roadbed, track, wiring.
After that running the trains, building the models.
Enjoy
Paul
Have fun with your trains
My favorite aspects of the hobby are creating realistic scenery and scratchbuilding structures! I also love shooting photos and videos on my layout.
Hello All,
For me it's the imagination!
I can research a prototypical railroad and imagine what it was/is like to be a part of that experience; building, running and maintaining.
When I decided on a theme and era for my pike, I imagined what the ultimate layout would be...then I imagined what my wife's reaction would be!
The imagination of building...kits, bashing, scratch.
Imagining unusual scenarios for OP sessions: extras, specials and wrecks (thank you Gomez Adams!).
Looking at an object and imagining, Ohh...I could use this as a...(fill in the blank)...and, having it work!!! No matter what the rivet counters say.
And, fifinally...
Imagining when it's "complete."
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I like all the different challenges that crop up regularly.
For example, I have recently done my first two tone paint jobs. Learning how to do that was fun, and the results were very pleasing.
One of the two tone paint jobs was on a Grandt Line 25 ton switcher. The project also involved installing sound with two sugar cube speakers and the installation of a BullAnt drive from Hollywood Foundry. It came out great! (IMHO)!!
I have just purchased a resin kit model of a McKeen motor car. The kit does not come powered. I have only done a couple of resin kits previously. The McKeen kit instructions are seriously lacking in details whereas the previous kits (Kaslo Shops CP cabooses) had great instructions. Also, some of the McKeen kit parts like the pilot are pretty much useless because of deformations in the casting. I am seriously looking forward to turning this kit into a decent powered model with a proper pilot made from brass and an accurate representation of the prototype drive mechanism.
I also really like working on my track plan. I am waiting for my son to move out and take his exercise equipment out of the garage so I can finally build a layout. In the mean time I regularly study my track plan and I constantly find ways to improve it. The track plan was started almost 10 years ago but recently I was able to add two additional industries by just altering the benchwork profile a wee bit. I also was able to clean up the yard which had been a concern because nothing had lined up as nicely as I thought it should.
The bottom line is that I refuse to be daunted anymore by the model railroading challenges that appear before me. If others have done it then so can I, although perhaps not to the same standards initially, but heck, that's just another challenge.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I have to agree with dknelson. I love digging up obscure, hitherto unknown facts about equipment, facilities, operations, etc. Often this means digging into my own library, which is fairly extensive after over 50 years of collecting books, photos, timetables, etc. Sometimes it means mining the libraries of others or looking on the Internet. Sometimes it means going out and doing my own field research with tape measure and note pad, although the subjects that interest me are fast disappearing.
When operating with friends (another very enjoyable thing in itself), I usually prefer switching jobs.
Tom
I enjoy switching and just watching the trains run; very relaxing to railfan your own trains.
The part I do not care for is ballasting.
For me I like switching operations,building and painting structures,urban industrial scenery research of fallen flag railroads and old closed industries.I like modeling freelance short lines or terminal railroads.
What I never cared much for is building a layout,wiring,building car kits that has a thousand and one iddy biddy parts never cared for loop running or worrying over minor details--within limitations...
I have come to enjoy the research the most -- finding just the right photo (no matter how marginal) that shows a key structure as it was in my era, or a key track chart that clarifies where the culverts and signals were located, that sort of thing.
It amazes me how often my own research finds me in contact with other guys who are researching the exact same theme or topic, and how I have stuff they have been looking for forever and they have stuff I was sure no longer existed.
I also enjoy the research that makes clear whether a given car or locomotive actually is appropriate for my chosen era.
My favorite aspect of model railroading is railroading, ie, operations. The reason I got back into model railroading 3 1/2 years ago after a 22 year absence was to operate trains.