Hey all, I have a question for you, how many of you are lone wolf modelers, ( you have a layout that you work on alone)?? have you ever had times that you wished you had some help with work on your layout, you would like to have fellow modelrailroaders helping you create your world?? that's where I'am at right now, don't get me wrong I enjoy after a long hard day at work, being out in my trainroom enjoying peace and quite, but there are times I would like to have a operation session, or a contruction session, fellowshiping with fellow modlerailoders, sharing ideas, stories, tricks to the hobby, how would one get this idea off the ground???
I think all of us must have a couple of close friends in the hobby, and who wouldn't enjoy their company for a few hours, especially if they knew your plan and were willing to help out with scenery, track laying, wiring, etc. I have thought about that. However, the one guy I know really well is a lone wolf, even if he socializes several times weekly with photogs and modelers. He likes to do his own stuff. So do I.
I am truly a lone wolf and am not interested in getting help to get the"job" done quicker or even better. I know my layout will never be considered an outstanding piece of work, but it really gives me a lot of personal satisfaction to know it's all mine for better or worse. I don't wnat to admire some one else's work. It's my baby with no compromises.
This is my first layout and my only regret is that I don't have time to build a second after my learning experience with this one.
This is not to say that there's anything wrong with guys working togther. It's just an individual decision.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
TrainsRMe1Hey all, I have a question for you, how many of you are lone wolf modelers, ( you have a layout that you work on alone)??
Yes
TrainsRMe1have you ever had times that you wished you had some help with work on your layout, you would like to have fellow modelrailroaders helping you create your world??
No
I prefer to work alone at my own pace. Whatever it is - it's all mine. I did the group thing at work for many years before retiring. Now I like doing the solo thing.
I do go to local NMRA division meetings when I can. That and the online forums satisfy my socializing. I go to train shows now with my son who is into O gauge Lionels in a big way.
Paul
Being a lone wolf myself, I find its more a matter of time and opportunity issues that make it difficult to personally engage with other local model railroaders. Perhaps that may change as I fully retire in 4 years, when my schedule will be far more open.
That having been said, I don't feel like a lone wolf as I have relied on this forum, more than any other, to obtain advice (and offer some as well) on many hobby issues. The online community makes being a true lone wolf a thing of the past, provided one makes the effort to interact. Some live in areas where direct contact is hampered by distance, others live in Metro areas where contact may be more an option, but- as is my case at present- still problematic, due to time availability.
But all of us can easily be participating members of the greater modeling community- and it should remind us that we are never alone. A friendly response is just one posted message away at all times. For that, I am grateful to MR and my fellow forum members!
Cedarwoodron
Don't feel alone............. I've been a serious lone wolf MR since the mid 1950s. My idea of a layout is something I totally built by myself. It's likely a character flaw, but I don't want anyone touching the layout - although advice and instruction is OK.
I don't have any local MR friends, and none of my kids or grandkids have a serious interest - and frankly I'm OK with that now.
All that said, I do have a couple of really good MR friends that I met on this forum (I'm in Houston, one is outside Chicago, one in the mountains of Montana) and I value them highly.
The thing is, they are both lone wolf MRs as well, and our thoughts on the subject are pretty much the same.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Another lone wolf here.
Like mobilman44, I have no local buddies to share my passion. I wish that I did, but I don't, so I work on my layout by myself. I am fine with that situation. No interest in being a member of a club.
Rich
Alton Junction
I enjoy socializing with other MRRers - particularly at train shows - and have gleaned quite a bit of information from knowledgeable folks right here on the forum, which I am very grateful for. For the most part though I am a lone wolf when it comes to my layout because I like learning and doing my own work.
I guess I'd liken it to being an oil painter or illustrator: Make suggestions as to which colors to use and what various techniques might work best but...don't make a stroke on my canvas. In my eyes it will become less of my expression because of it.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Food for thought.If one is a true lone wolf why is he/she on a forum seeing a lone wolf is similar to a hermit?
I've walked the lone wolf path but,prefer to join a club and hang with modeler/railfans since we share a common interest.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I have been a lone wolf modeller for many years as in not knowing anyone in the immediate area with a layout, but this past summer I took the plunge and joined the Barrie - Allandale Railroad Modellers Club. They are a great group of people and they have certainly been free in terms of offering advice. There is an interesting range of knowledge levels and skills amongst the club members.
I have been active on the MR forums and that is where most of my modelling contact has been.
However, as far as having other people work on my layout, that isn't something that I would be comfortable with unless I really knew that the other modeller(s) was highly skilled in the specific task. I figure I will make enough mistakes on my own without having to go back and re-do someone else's errors too. I'm also rather fussy about not cutting corners. I built a $4000 deck for $7000!
There is also the fact that if I have done the work myself I will know exactly what and how it was done (at least until my memory fades and I can't find my notes ).
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter I'm also rather fussy about not cutting corners. I built a $4000 deck for $7000!
I'm also rather fussy about not cutting corners. I built a $4000 deck for $7000!
I know what you mean. I start a project and two days later I'm over budget and a week behind schedule.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Robert:
ROBERT PETRICKI start a project and two days later I'm over budget and a week behind schedule
I don't usually go over budget but I do overbuild. I had a contractor look at my deck roof to see if he could duplicate the design for a new garden shed. He couldn't get over the size of lumber that I used. Everybody loves the look though.
I'm in the same predicament with my layout benchwork plans. I can probably reduce the lumber by 1/3rd and it would still support a Sherman tank!
BRAKIEFood for thought.If one is a true lone wolf why is he/she on a forum seeing a lone wolf is similar to a hermit?
An interesting idea. I believe it reinforces the theory that forum users sometimes forget that other users are people - they believe they are interacting with a computer.
To paraphrase George Thorogood: Ya know when I model alone, I prefer to be by myself.
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.
I like the satisfaction of doing it all myself. I'm not on a schedule to get things done, and at any given point in time, my layout is what it is.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
BRAKIE Food for thought.If one is a true lone wolf why is he/she on a forum seeing a lone wolf is similar to a hermit?
Agreed, Larry. That's why I tried to make a distinction between the forum (seeking help/advice) and working on my layout by myself.
I'm a lone wolf but not by choise. My freinds that were in the hobby have mostly left the area or been forced to quit the hobby. All the local hobby shops are gone and so are the clubs. Clubs futher out always seem to have issues and little common sence and they always seem to turn a blind eye to the realitys of life, same problen of all the clubs that were close by, that is why they are gone now.
If I was building a layout, I'm not sure if I would want help with it. But, I have many local friends that I see all the time. We see each other at NMRA monthly meetings, train shows or just have lunch once in a while. I also can call them at anytime to discuss an idea or to ask for help with a problem. I met most of them at the local hobby shop or through the NMRA when I joined. I've been friends with some for about 35 years.
It's a lot more difficult to meet folks at hobby shops these days since most of them have closed around me, but I still meet new folks at NMRA events. It really only takes meeting or two people who can introduce you to others.
I don't want to turn this into a pros or cons of the NMRA, but it may be a way to meet a few people. It's also an easy way to observe folks to see who may have the same interests as you. I resisted joining for years until one older friend asked me to attend a local NMRA mini-meet with him. As it turns out, during dinner, I was seated across the table from a fellow who built a trolley layout I had been drooling over for years after seeing it in RMC. I had no idea he lived in the area and we've been friends ever since.
I don't think I would have enjoyed the hobby even a fraction of what I have if it wasn't for all of the friends I've made over the years.
Jim
Living in a town of 292 and the nearest hobby store is 100 miles away, I am forced to be a lone wolf. I would love to have someone to talk to about trains. Thank goodness for the forum.
Johnboy is definatly a Lone Wolf, until hopefully, when my Grandson gets old enough to take a bigger part in building and operating.
I do love the Forums though and have gleaned much from the contributors on them.
Thanks again and always to our Hosts at Model Railroader for their Forums for us.
Johnboy out.....
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
I belonged to club one time. I found the attention to detail when building just the benchwork was NOT the same among club members and building sessions ended up being more counter-productive than productive sometimes.
I set a pretty high standard for myself. While I try to be patient and not foist that on others, it's hard when certain specifics end up affecting overall layout design and functionality. For this reason I tend to be a lone wolf in that respect. And, if something goes wrong, there's only ONE person to blame - me.
That said, I very much enjoy gleaning and dissiminating modeling information that proves to be beneficial to me, as well as to others. So, maybe I'm more a 70%/30% lone wolf. Otherwise, I wouldn't hang around this forum at all.
For home, lone wolf. I live in an area where there is very little parking for visitors anyway. But I do some modular club running occasionally too.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I am a lone wolf modeler. That is not to say I wouldn't appreciate some help, but the very few people I know personally, who are into trains, are all pretty busy with their lives. I've offered to help one friend when he gets to the layout stage, but he's not there yet.
Due to my choices, prototype and methods, I am the ultimate lone wolf. Health problems (including recent surgery on a cancerous colon) and my wife's distrust of strangers limits visitors to family members, none of whom are model railroaders.
As for inviting others to assist in construction, almost everything I do is non-standard and some of my better tricks are counter-intuitive. I would spend more time explaining what I want done than I spend doing it myself.
I have gone the club route. In fact, I've held just about every elective office and several appointed offices. What I took away from those experiences is that my way is always at an angle to the majority, that a lot of people like to argue for the sake of argument and that I don't suffer fools (or foolishness) gladly. If this makes me an elitist, so be it.
OTOH, I am NOT anti-social. Nor am I a hermit. These forums provide a way to compensate for limited mobility, and have provided me with a source of information about materials and techniques that have improved my (admittedly mediocre) work. They also provide an occasional smile, and opportunity to use my almost 79 years seniority as a model railroader to give others a helping hand. Being able to do that is well worth the price of entry...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - NYC before that, but no longer)
I always took the phrase "lone wolf" modeler to mean a guy who did not associate with other modelers. I think lots of guys prefer to work on their layouts by themselves but nonetheless go to meets, clinics, layout tours, trains shows, and so on, and pal around with modelers and railfans.
I work on my layout by myself but hardly regard myself as a lone wolf modeler since I go to just about any rail or model rail event or show that I can, give as many clinics as I can find NMRA divisions who want me, and most of my closest friends are fellow modelers.
I know one guy who in my estimation really is a lone wolf. It was by pure happenstance that I even learned he was a model railroader. He never goes to shows, or meets, slide evenings, or layout tours. He has never seen another person's home layout evidently. He does not subscribe to any model railroad magazine (and obviously is not an NMRA member or member of any rail historical society, even though he models the Rio Grande in N). He buys by mail and never goes to any of the local shops.
I have offered him back issues of NMRA magazines or the loan of some of my model railroad books and magazines and catalogs and he refuses. Not rudely. I asked to see his layout and he flatly refused, again not rudely, but firmly. I socialize with him in another context (both retired from the same employer, as is his wife whom I have met) and he is very sociable and funny, and no hermit. But clearly he does not regard model railroading as an interest to be shared with anybody, anywhere, anytime. Music yes. Golf yes. Model railroading no.
Now THAT is a lone wolf.
Dave Nelson
When it comes to working on my layout, by choice I do it. However if starting over at my age, I would need help building benchwork.
For operating, I have fellow modelrailroaders come in on Monday evenings. Suggestions are sometimes made, and may be acted on, or not.
I was in a club of twenty years, some good people, some learning done, some things to be desired.
carl425To paraphrase George Thorogood: Ya know when I model alone, I prefer to be by myself.
As far as my own modelling and layout-building, I'm definitely in agreement with Carl on this one.
However, I do socialise with other local modellers, several of whom are good friends, and have worked with some of them on their layouts when they asked for assistance.I've also made a great many friends through on-line train forums and met many of them in person, too, so I'm definitely not anti-social.
I do attend a few train shows and participate (as a spectator only) in layout tours held locally or nearby. My wife, like Chuck's, isn't keen on strangers visiting, especially those nutty train people.
Forums such as this are especially useful for those of us who are less comfortable, for whatever reasons, in face-to-face social settings, and provide a good place to exchange knowledge and display our work.It also affords us lone wolf types of all sorts to control contact and exposure to whatever degree best suits each individual, in much the same manner as most of us control the modelled reality on our layouts....my world my way, your world yours.
Wayne
TrainsRMe1I would like to have a operation session, or a contruction session, fellowshiping with fellow modlerailoders, sharing ideas, stories, tricks to the hobby, how would one get this idea off the ground???
A good first step would be to join the NMRA. Railpass trial membership is $9.95 for six months. During that time, take advantage of local meetings to meet some folks. You may choose not to continue NMRA membership after the trial (although I would), but it would be a way to start to make connections.
For Operations, the Operations SIG has a callboard program and a members list that can connect OpSIG members with local operating layouts. Ten bucks per year with on-line magazine delivery.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Reality...an interesting concept with no successful applications, that should always be accompanied by a "Do not try this at home" warning.
Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.
"Oooh...ahhhh...that's how this all starts...but then there's running...and screaming..."
I am a lone wolf modeler. I don't like other people working or touching my layout. They can look and comment but no touch.
I have been this way for 40 plus years and not about to change now.
I do have freinds in the hobby and I enjoy going to shows. I'm having fun.