How heavily are you into this hobby?

[robengland]

How many folk out there actually have a layout? How many are modelling but with no layout? I'm 12 months into an HO 4'x12' layout which is a first learning layout before embarking on the "real one" which will be 7' x 20' plus external helix and staging yards. Stepping back after a year, I'm starting to wonder if i have the time and energy for this! Maybe I'll wind back the expectation a bit and just make a few models, help out friends with their layouts, join a club, build a few dioramas, a module, or a little garden layout...

[ereimer]

armchair so far , but i've spent the last 5 years playing Everquest and have decided it's time to quit that and do some model railroading . went out to a club open house last weekend and i'm seriously considering joining , it seemed like fun and the joking back and forth between the members felt comfortable . i've collected a few models over the years and partially built a couple of kits but never laid any track

[BMRR]

I'm in the process of making my garage into A living area, when that's finished, I'm going to build A 4' x 12' layout for my HO and A 4' x 12' for the O27. Hope to be finished by the end of summer. In the mean time I'll keep collecting rolling stock.

Stan.

[Anonymous]

Too bad one cannot vote in more than one category, I personally fit into five of them and could add more too!

Bob Boudreau

[selector]

Once I decide to do a project, it takes something catastrophic to get me off it. I decided just after Christmas that I wanted to tackle a substantial layout (not ridiculous), and set about educating myself on the subject. I commenced it on the 13th of January, and only my wife's beseaching got me up from the basement afterwards. Seven weeks later, I called it ready for trains, but it still needs lots of work. Like Bob, above, I enjoy reading, being among fellow modelers here, and trying to convince myself that I am largely over this model train thing. The garden beckons...project #2 for 2005. Somebody get me some oxygen!

[SpaceMouse]

I'm new to this, but like Bob, I can easily fit into 5 categories listed.

[twhite]

I'm into about five categories myself, but I decided to go with big room layout. Let's just say that I'm owned by three cats and 32 HO scale steam locomotives. I'm modeling the California Sierra Nevadas. In HO, that's just a little portion. If I were in N, I could model quite a bit. If I were in Z, I could model the whole mother-loving mountain range!
Tom [:P][:P][:P]

[orsonroy]

Yeah, I can easily fit into seven of the above categories...

[Anonymous]

I can fit into some of the categories but for now i will be doing some home improvements very soon and once that project is complete i hope to to start with my layout i been planning for some time no empire just a med. size layout that i will take my time on do not plan on spending a bundle on it .I been in the hobby since 1992 started with a 4x8 years ago now moving up to L girder& open grid benchwork hoped to have it up and running by xmas of this year.

[trolleyboy]

I can safley fit into at least 5 catagories as well.But for what it's worth I picked the medium layout option.I do some scratchbuilding (some of which isn't fit to see the light of day) I've been there and done that with clubs,before I bought a house I armchaired and collected for quite a while, and I've crewed on and helped friends with the same adiction as myself. All in all it's a hppy diverse hobby. Rob

[dwRavenstar]

Started thinking about my current layout around Xmas, planning in January, benchwork in early February, track through March and looking toward starting the second level later this month.

My initial goal was to be started on scenery by the end of April, so far right on "schedule". Using the benchmark of two weeks per structure kit till they're porperly assembled, weathered, detailed and surrounded by correct scenery and asthetic attributes I'm calculating six to eight months for the task. Granting a proper effort for general scenery, rolling stock weathering, detailing, coupler refitting and all that I'd be greatly surprised if I'm even close to satisfied with this layout within eighteen months, let alone thinking that I've even neared completion within a scant year.

Thinking that I often can't see the forest for the trees, I know I'll jump from one project to the next and back again several times. Details take on a life of their own and give life to the scene. No one who looks at the complete scene will see everything with one look (I'd hope) and I can't think that I'll see it any differently.

It's not a job or a chore but an endeavor, a creation. If it isn't a source of enjoyment it's not meant to be done today. Time is on my side. I have forever to get this initial part of the bigger layout done just like I have forever to get the rest of it completed. I am still breathing so I'm still building, it's that intricately simple. [:D]

Dave (dwRavenstar)

[soumodeler]

I am working on a medium size layout at the moment. I could qualify for other things like armchair modeler, club member, and kinda custom locos.

soumodeler
-----------------
The Southern Serves the South!

[GMTRacing]

I suppose I have a small layout, but I think the into trains part is more accurately measured by the time we spend on it. I think most of us spend a huge amount of time at first just trying to get designed and construction started and then (I hope) we slack off a bit and develop running skills and research. I know a layout is never finished, but there must be more to it than construction or so many of you wouldn't stay involved for so long. [:D] J.R.
he who has never made a mistake has never made much

[cwclark]

a 23' x 25' layout is plenty big enough ..how heavily am i into the hobby?....I just mailed a check to the credit card people for over $400.00 for this month's bill alone...yeah..i'd say HEAVILY into it...[:D]...chuck

[lyctus]

I could also have fitted a number of categories, multiple voting would be interesting! I have had to tear down 2 moderate sized layouts for home relocations over the years, and right now I am waiting to acheive completion of a stand alone hobby studio which will house my prposed layout. Right now I have a 8x4 test layout which is for testing,programming,experimenting in anticipation of the BIG one.

[Anonymous]

I am currently President of local P4 club here in Adelaide and we have spent the last year renovating our new clubrooms. We are now building modular baseboards for a through station with staging at both ends that will be part of the clubs permanent layout and capable of taking to model rail shows.

For myself, I hope to start a Nn3 layout soon of South Australian 3'6" prototype. It will probably be around 8' x 4'

As others have previously indicated, I could easily tick multiple boxes.

[davekelly]

Interesting poll, but I think a more accurate description would be something like "What is your involvement in the hobby. I'm sure there are folks with no layout that spend hours and hours a week superdetailing one locomotive or structure and there are folks with huge layouts that maybe spend an hour or so a month. Ben King is a great example. Not a massive layout, but very heavily into the hobby. Just my humble opinion.

[IRONROOSTER]

I picked medium layout, I guess that's where 11x18 ft layout goes. Like others, I do several things on the list.
Enjoy
Paul

[bpickering]

I also could fit into multiple categories, mainly because of my schizo life.

• build kits in 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there


• small layout (4' x 5') that is running, but not sceniced (sp?) because of lack of time. The four-year-old enjoys it, though, which is the most important thing. [:)]


• super-detailing/installing sound on engines (finally painted parts for an Atlas C30-7 last night)


• Then, there are times where all I have time for is briefly glancing at the topics here...

Brian Pickering

[jrbernier]

25' by 20' room - layout is a large 'L' with lobes and a 11' branch line...

Jim

[Anonymous]

It seems most of us fit into several of the catagories. My layout is currently "L" shaped about 20 x 13. Eventually it will be "C" or "G" shaped and roughly 24 x 13. I guess that's medium, but I am currently very limited on time. So how much "into" the hobby am I? It depends on how you reckon "into".

[johncolley]

tired of poorly thought out polls that don't allow multiple entries..... lots of us are some of several categories, why try to confine us to one little slot? Variety IS the spice of life, get some!

[bikerraypa]

I'm a serious amateur. I've had a couple of HO layouts, ranging from a small shelf to about 10' x 10'. Currently I'm limited to a 3' x 5' N scale layout, because I'm adding a room on my house.

To build a bigger HO layout. [:D]

And keep the N layout too. [:D]

Ray out

[Anonymous]

Like most, I could fit into several catagories. Wish I had room to fit into the second from bottom...

[jacon12]

I really don't know where I am in it, except it's too late to turn back now. I've started building the benchwork for my very first layout. It will run about 16 feet down one wall, turn and go about 12 feet, make a turn and go about 8 more feet. Kinda like a folded dogbone. I never could do anything half way! With the help I receive here, reading everything I can find and if the money holds out, I figure I'll be through in about... oh... 5 years or more... laying track, that is. :)
Heck, the fun is in the doing any way!
Jacon

[ericmanke]

I could say that I also could fit into a couple of catagories. I'm transitioning from more of the equipment collecting to actual layout planning and research. I've just recently moved and have a spare bed room that I plan to put a small layout and workbench in. The beautiful thing about the hobby is that you can are so many different facets and activity levels to model railroading/railfaning. I am looking forward to moving to a new level in my hobby activities. Anyone here live in the Milwaukee area? It's a great town to live in if your in the hobby. This is my first post, by the way, so I'll just end by saying hi and hope to learn some new stuff.

Manke

[Jetrock]

I too tend to be more into breadth than depth when it comes to trains--my layout is small, and I don't scratchbuild engines, but I do scratchbuild other things. Besides that I volunteer at railroad museums and do a bit of railfanning and lots of prototype research--the latest of which was a historiographic research project on Central/Southern Pacific history (the professor said we could choose our own subject for research--guess what I picked!)

[trainboyH16-44]

12x15 layout, modified from plan 48, 101 track plans, with a helix and bigger yard. I spend almost every [2c] I own on trains. The last time I spent money on something else was that $10 Cdn lego thing I bought 2 years ago. Since then, I have (Kato) 2 SD40-2s, 1 SD40, 1 SD90/43MAC, (P1K) 1 C-Liner, 1 RS10, (P2K) 2 GP9s, 1 GP7, 1 SD45. I think thats a good way to spend my income. I may use half of my penny jar to buy a sub sandwich, though.
Trainboy

[West Coast S]

I've been under PCS standby for over a year..so no layout in the traditional sense . I did transition into S scale and disposed of most my HO collection that I spent 30 years collecting.

I've discovered a underground group of S scalers and manfactures who are into electric freight operations. So along with my continued building of SP specific prototypes for small steam, i've ventered into doing some electric freight motors to apease my love of the Sacramento Northern and Pacific Electric.

Over 70% of what I model requires scratchbuilding, with 20% requiring extensive kitbashing, 10% is good enough to pass. Things are looking up as more HO manfactures are receptive to the idea of limited S scale sales, provided there is enough interest and down payments to cover the run.

I just scored a out of production kit for a SP 2-6-0 from a hobby shop that ordered it for a customer who changed his mind.

Right now i've got a 12X 7 loop that I use to test design elements such as how to handlay the best turnout, test various commercial track and turnouts, best benchwork and sub roadbed and now stringing overhead wire.

[challenger3802]

Fork lift truck required!!!

Ian