What part of our hobby do you like the best?I guess my thing as far back as I can remember is taking things apart. I also remember getting ‘talked to’ about taking things apart many times. Especially my Dad’s 1938 Silvertone Radio when I was about 5.My uncle got me into electronics at a very early age, at 8 he gave me a Crystal Set Kit to put together. When I was around 10 I fixed my Dad’s Silvertone and he was elated, no more ‘talking to’ after that.The part of model railroading I like the best is making 1:87 scale things come to life. When I found out that I could actually come up with very nice looking scratch built structures it really surprised me. I enjoy scenery and scratch building as well as lighting my structures and automation for my layout more than running my trains.What’s your thing? Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I like scenery, both structures and natural scenery like grasslands and water, particularly with bridges.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I think what I enjoy most about model railroading is being able to point to something on my layout and say, "I made that!" This can be anything from custom paint, decal and weathering jobs on my rolling stock to scratch built models of prototype buildings and even demonstrating how far my locos equipped with my home-made keep alive circuits will continue running after I shut down power to the layout. About a third of the structures on my layout are scratch built, another third kitbashed, and the remainder custom painted/detailed kits. In a nutshell then, my ability to create 3D versions of scenes in my imagination is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
But wait, I really enjoy getting together with friends to operate different layouts. Always fun and challenging with lots of good humored ribbing! Even more fun is introducing young kids to operations. Its a kick to watch how quickly they catch on (usually much faster than I did)!
Hornblower
Mel, I hope you don't mind if I expand on this question just a bit.
Let me know if this is OK.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Sure Kevin, do your thing. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I most enjoy scratchbuilding structures. It's a surprise because that didn't sound enjoyable to me before I actually started.
I've asked for some Arduino stuff for Christmas. I have a feeling I will enjoy learning to program and use it for some parts of the layout. Maybe if you ask this question next year, that will be my most enjoyable part of the hobby.
York1 John
RR_MelSure Kevin, do your thing.
Thanks Mel.
Suppose you have 100 points to assign to all the different activities that you enjoy about Model Railroading as a hobby. Remember, there are countless facets to this hobby. Your favorite will have the most points.
The list below is what I came up with.
Feel free to add something not on the list. I am sure I could not come up with everything. Also, feel free to combine things like the Scratchbuilding items into one item if that suits you better.
Also, things like airbrushing I consider to be part of kit building, but if you want to add something like that as a separate item, please do so.
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?
For me, the best part of the hobby is going to all the manufacturer's websites and checking out the "What's New" section to see what items are currently up for pre-order.
My favorite part is seeing a scene or layout come to life. From looking at picttures of bare benchwork to fully detailed scenes. Seeing the progress on my layout is giving me more motivation to work on it!
KevinI’ve never thought about my hobby like that, or anything that I can think of. I’ll have to kick that around awhile.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
High on my list:
- Running trains with the grandkids
- Finding good DC locos for my UP roster and converting to DCC w/custom speakers
- Rolling stock kits
- Structure kits & added lighting
- Adding layout details: signals, signposts, vehicles, people
- Scenery: now that I tackled it somewhat successfully
- Taking on a special project such as an IHC Pacific where I added DCC but also improved the loco details somewhat
- I'm proud of my custom control panel (following a MR 2012 article)
Some items low on my list:
- Apparently, routinely opening my locos for a thorough lube. I fear damaging details so only open them on an as needed basis. The oldest are age 8.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Without a doubt I like doing scenery.
I like my trains to have a purpose and run from A to B.
To do that I like my trains to run through scenery.
I dislike things being perfect on my layout. I find life isn't like that. I like things that are overgrown (in the right area). I like the little things that get broken. Guttering hanging off a building. Part of a fence in need of repair.
The little people have to have a reason to be where they are and not just stuck here and there.
When I am out and about I love the 'fifty shades of green' in Nature. I love the many colors of gray (yes gray) in the sky. (The sky is rarely blue here.) I love to see trees; how they grow and the many colors in one tree.
Scenery. I could go on and on.
That is why I have said to many people, " Go and look at what you want to model. See what you see and not what you thought you saw. Even worse is thinking what it should be."
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
i like the remote control aspect. similar to RC gliders. the understanding of electronics motivated my engineering inclinations
should be no surprise what i help others do on their layouts. i'm surprised by the ambitions of modelers given their lack of electrical/electronic/software understanding.
but i also enjoy final scenery (greenery). i'm guided my Mr Miyagi -- "make look like tree".
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Scenery (ballast too!), researching, weathering, building benchwork and structures, and planning.
Track planning, benchwork, laying track, wiring - those are my favorite parts. Building rolling stock and structures is a lot of fun. As you progress towards more scenery, it gets less fun for me.
Which is why my layouts generally have trackwork where trains could run at warp speed if I were so inclined (I'm not) and not derail, but there is little to no ground cover of any sort to be found.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
KevinAfter your post and a lot of thinking I have come to the conclusion that the thing I really like the most is what I’m working on. When I start a project, no mater what it is, it becomes the most important thing to me until something takes it’s place.That might sound stupid but like when I’m making figures for my layout it consumes me. I won’t tackle another thing until I finish the figures I set out to do.It’s the same way with all my model railroad stuff. The only thing I have set up to work on sorta part time is my diorama. And the diorama is your fault! I got the idea from several of your post to build a place ready to take pictures of my model railroad to paste on the Forum. The diorama is the starter thing when I tried to hook my grandson into model railroading, didn’t work so I decided to go with the Kevin 18” x 48” diorama. I just pick at the diorama rather than really get into it. This is the first project I can remember just picking at. It’s coming along pretty good. I have the complete base done, the cork roadbed with track and a crossing for the road. I finished the asphalt road base and one side of the road is ready for flocking.I built a Luke Towan Static Grass Applicator and plan on figuring out how to use it on my Kevin diorama.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
When I finally get my MRR wired-up & fully operational and looking a bit less like a Tornado has just passed thru this way, my 'Like the best' is simply - Running Trains. Either Switching Industries or relaxing as they go around & around and I watch them run by, thru 360 degrees, whilst possibly doing a bit of detail work to something on my workbench. Other times I will concentrate soley on detailing Models. Working-out Train formations and Waybills (which I have had a go at already) is good too. It has given me a whole new side to Modelling Railways. Paul
"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".
The list is long when it comes to all the different facets of the hobby and I like the fact I can pick my poison as the spirit moves me.
I am weakest in electronics, however like anything else in life, education through reading and doing is slowly changing that.
I can't pick a favourite aspect of the hobby but when I am dead tired I love watching these incredible highly detailed models ply their way around the layout with a glass of wine in my hand.
With the help of forum members, I muddled through my electronic shortcomings and got this lighting done in the RH.
Each new project makes us better at what we do.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Operations!!!!
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Spending money!!! I seem to be doing that more often than anything else these days so I may as well enjoy it!!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterSpending money!!!
Can't take it with you Dave, so it is full steam ahead on that front. The wife and I are really starting to crank up the spending as we figure we got 20 good years left and when we realized how fast the last twenty went by, it is peddle to the metal.
I'll take this thread off the rails -- I was thinking of what I liked the best about the hobby. During the day, I have been ballasting a section of track, and decided that, of everything I've done, laying ballast is the part I dislike the most. I can never get it to my satisfaction. No references to any song.
I very much enjoy every aspect of the hobby.
One subject in particular that I don't believe I've seen addressed yet is photography of finished scenes on the layout. This would include making "decent" videos as well.
The only "downside" of the hobby for me is sorting and keeping track of materials and detail pieces. I'm getting better at this, though.
Sometimes I get to the layout room and have no idea what "project" will find its way into my hands. Just the other night I was approaching a recently scenicked area and decided that I "needed" a signal bridge.
I went through my "stock" of on-hand bridges (I probably have a dozen or so different ones ready to go, less the signals themselves) then remembered I have an etched metal kit from Showcase Miniatures on the shelf. So for the last two nights I've been building a "craftsman-level" etched metal kit.
All in good fun.
Favorites:
Passenger operation; detailing engines and rolling stock and adding DCC sound and lights; creating visually interesting scenes with details and LPPs*; using lighting to full advantage including structures and locomotives and rolling stock; building all kinds of structure and car kits; re-vamping and adding DCC/sound to old brass engines; painting and lettering then weathering engines and rolling stock.
Photographing all of the above!
Spending time on the forum to share in all the fun! I don't have visitors often, maybe four-six times a year but I do like to share the photos here
Toward the bottom of "my" list is building resin car kits and doing "tiny" decal work, especially the frustrating delicate work.
Cheers, Ed
* LPP = Little Plastic People
This is a great question because our hobby has so many facets. I love tinkering, doing electric and electronics. I really love doing scenery. I hate ballasting. Did I mention that I hate ballasting? And really, sometimes just seeing trains run around and around is the best thing - it is healing.
Honestly, there is no wrong answer here - and whatever you find to be the best is great.
Thanks for this discussion.
Operations, absolutely.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
RR_MelAfter your post and a lot of thinking I have come to the conclusion that the thing I really like the most is what I’m working on. When I start a project, no mater what it is, it becomes the most important thing to me until something takes it’s place.
That is very true.
When I look back at my list I threw together, I saw that I left off operation.
It has been so long since I had a layout, I completely forgot about running the trains!
That says a lot.
I like running the trains.
Getting the local freight made up in the yard while the engines in my industrial yard do their thing and get the empties set to come back. Sending out the through freight while "the transfer job" brings out the return train. Then running the through crew back while the engines in the industries set up their customers.
I normally have 2 engines running at any given time, sometimes even 3 for a short time, or even 4 (again, for a very short time). This is on a 4x8 HO layout with an L-extension for the yard. I use a Samsung tablet with 2 loco controls displayed side-by-side (Roco z21 software app).
I'm not one for lots of scenery details, structure building, etc. For me, "it's about running the engine". That's what it was like for 30+ years "on the big engines", and that's how I like it on the small ones, as well.
A lot depends on what mood I'm in. In general my favorite is structures. I did get a little burned out for a while on them though when I was doing a large area for the club. Recently I have been scratchbuilding much of Black Hawk Colorado. I have enjoyed that- right now I am working on the station. I also really enjoy scenery and detailing (although rockwork I have to be in a mood to do- but that is finshed on my layout!!) that being my second choice. After that is assembing car kits. Least favorites are electrical and benchwork- that my back has to be in a mood for.
drgwcs In general my favorite is structures. I did get a little burned out for a while on them though when I was doing a large area for the club.
I have not built a structure kit in a decade. These are something I am very much looking forward to getting back into again.
This thread is very interesting and a fun read. Most of the posters are far ahead of me. I'm into old stuff that has minimal interest today.
I love giving new life to old Mantua 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 steamers. Sawing, grinding, and filing those old metal boiler castings and adding lots of CalScale castings and brass wire rod pipes gets my juices going. Then re-motor and re-gear, that's moving along.
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. Those card stock or metal sides and wood roofs are neat to restore. I look at my roster of heavyweights and just smile as it is hard to find even two matching green cars.
I guess I'm still a kid of the 1950s that loves the models of those times.
And to top it off, I'm into direct wireless control via WiFi or Bluetooth. A Bluetooth controlled upgraded 1960s Mantua Pacific pulling a consist of old wood and metal heavyweights - now that's a sight!
Steve in Texas