Why even bother any more?

[John Busby]

Well, it's Sunday evening and another weekend, and for that matter another entire week, has come and gone and I've not done a single thing related to model railroading. I started building my new layout in early May, and it took just two free afternoons to complete the basic benchwork - those afternoons came three months apart. Now I'm waiting for an opportunity to do my cookie-cutter work with the jigsaw. With the demands of a needy wife and family of four young kids, my only free time is late at night after the young ones are in bed - not exactly the best time to be rattling away with power tools. At any rate, even if the benchwork were finished, I'm still needing a couple hundred bucks worth of track and turnouts, and that's over a couple hundred bucks more than I have. So I've reached the point where I have to ask myself why I even try. Is it worse to simply abandon the hobby I enjoy so much or to spend evening after evening in frustration that I can't even briefly leave the pressures and responsibilities of my real life for the simple pleasure of directing my focus on something that really doesn't matter, like building a model railroad?

How does everybody else cope? How do you find the time that it takes to work on your railroad? And how do you afford it? As far as I'm concerned, I can't answer any of those questions. Right now I'm tempted to just box everything back up and use the benchwork to store the other junk that seems to incessantly accumulate.

Situation Normal

A mad rush to achieve something then a big gap it can be very frustrating some times

But stick with it you will get there try doing some small parts every so often to keep up the interest.

It will all come together in the end if you don't enjoy the time spent on the trains it time to think about a change of hobby it is a hobby that is supposed to be a safety valve for all the stress and worries of normal life

The space where you get the you time and to unbend a little.

Even if it's not trains you need a hobby to stay sane.

I have only been trying to finish the wall that will stop my GRR  main line falling into the neighbors yard for two years thus holding up the main line construction

But there is always something you can do to progress things sometimes it just takes lateral thinking.

I can't get progress on the main line so "NUFFIN" stopping place can be done.

Or just find time to do a little each week even if only 5 or ten minutes work on the railway.

regards John

[twcenterprises]

I can relate on all these matters, wife, kids, renovation, time, money, etc., but I am really feeling the crunch as far as time goes, since I'm an over-the-road driver, I'm gone for days on end.  Talk about not getting into the basement for a while.  Needless to say, when I come in, I don't get a chance to even go near the basement for at least a day while I socialize with the family.  As it stands now, the basement is only partly finished (walls are framed in, basement bathroom is stubbed in, train room has sheetrock on the walls mudded and painted, but no ceiling.  Bathroom and computer room are both without sheetrock on walls and ceilings.)  Finishing plans are to re-floor the train room (take out the berber carpet and install tile), tile the bathroom and computer room floors, install electricals for computer and bathrooms, hang sheetrock and durock in the bathroom and computer room, finish plumbing the bathroom, tile the shower, install the fixtures, paint, install trim, build shelves in computer room, install track lighting, do landscaping, build a garden RR, oh, and at some point, build an HO scale layout.  Let's see, did I forget something?

My kids (daughter, age 8, and son, age 2) both enjoy trains, so getting a layout at least operational has its benefits.  Once that's done, the kids will learn how to run trains (with supervision), and will get use the the Athearns (the expensive "toys" are "daddy's trains" only).

I'm currently trying to get involved with a club, but with my time constraints, that may be hard.

Brad

[cowman]

Time is my biggest problem, if you have a little one big enough to help, even if it is just to hold or get something for you, it will get them interested in doing things with you, "family time."  Though it is not a rush, rush hobby, I do feel frustration when I can't do something once in a while myself.

As for the financing part, I have a very limited income, but take a little bit each week and earmark it for the rr.  A few dollars each week can mount up pretty fast.  I have it on the computer as part of my bank account just list it as mod rr fund.  Add to it each week, subtract when you purchase something.  I zero it out with a closing balance and start a new entry with a starting balance each quarter so it dosen't get to be too long a list.  Any way that works for you, just set a little aside each week and you will find you have some cash to work with.

Good luck, 

[Dayliner]

Hey mononguy,

As others have said, I hear you (boy, do I hear you).  Started working on my own layout shortly before my wife gave birth to twins.  That was six years ago and, needless to say, model railroading has not been my chief occupation or top priority in that time.  But I've made sure to keep it part of my life.  We've moved house twice since then, and the layout has come with us both times, growing from 2x6 feet to 11x16 feet as more room became available.  It is still far from finished (maybe 8 square inches of scenery, tops), and sometimes I've gone for months without doing anything on it.  A little bit here and there, one project at a time, can make a real difference in the medium term, and a fine model railroad in the long term.  There's so much I have to do, either at work or around the house, that I try to avoid seeing the railroad as a "have to" project, and just work on it when the mood strikes.

One thing that does help motivate me is to invite a good model rr buddy over, either to help with a particular project or just to operate.  Knowing that I've got another modeller coming over to see "what's new" can be a great incentive to "get 'er done"

Hang in there

[rrebell]

mononguy63;

As they say, welcome to the club!

I went from 1964 to 1978 without a home layout; I did, however, belong to three clubs in those years.  I am not going to pretend that belonging to a club gives the same satisfaction as having a home layout; it does, however, allow one to accumulate operating assets (locomotives and cars) without the necessity of accumulating real assets (a layout).

In 1964 I had three stripes on my sleeve and two young girls who required a lot of time and attention.  In 1967 I began assembling my HO-Scale empire by building kits and by the time I retired from the Air Force (as a Testicle Sergeant) in 1978 I had assembled (and super-detailed) eleven or twelve locomotive kits from Hobbytown of Boston, Bowser, and Cary/Mantua and close to fifty freight cars.  I had three other locomotives under construction which I completed in the following three years.  One of my girls had gone off to college but the younger had decided to make substantial contributions to my quantity of gray hairs.  My plans for the "Great HO-Scale Empire" evaporated as I went to work, got a college degree, began the Great American Novel - which is still being written, by the way - remodeled a house - which, I have subsequently decided, was unremodelable.  The house should have been sold instead of the money spent on remodeling.  I soon discovered that I was not going to have the space for model railroading that I wanted to have so beginning in 1980 I transitioned to N-Scale and used the swap meet value of the sale of all my HO equipment to finance the changeover.  Do I wish I had been able to stay with HO?  You betchum, Red Ryder!!!.  Have I ever looked back from the decision?  Not really!!!

The point I am attempting to make is that you are never going to have as much space as you would like, nor as much money as you would like, nor as much time as you would like.  But BUDGET is the name of the game here; BUDGET your space. BUDGET your money, and BUDGET your time.  And you will be amazed at what you can get done!!!

Ain't kids great, we should compare horror stories, also remodel stories of which I am in the middle off and may finish one day if the city lets me, had hoped to be farther along on the new layout but kids, house and my ship that came in, it has sprung a leak!

[eastcoast]

 Hey Guy,

DON'T GIVE UP. Life is a juggler on a roller coaster and somehow the ride keeps going. As for making or having time, patience is the best medicine to an unfinished task. I myself am young with wife and kids pulling me in all directions and some serious budget constraints.

 To directly answer your questions, my schedule is not your schedule and yet it is as hectic. I seem to find that if I involve the kid(s) , time is found, even if I'm just listening to my daughter ramble. My project came about by taking 30 minutes a week and setting that aside for ME. I also set aside my play money for ME off the top of my check, and when the time was right, get the goods. It will take ALOT of time and patience, please do not give up, you NEED the release of stress, even if it means sitting in your space dreaming and planing some nights, like me.

May  GOD be with and bless you, just stick it out.

Ken_ECR 

[claycts]

I have posted to this thread already BUT: When you have HAD all the space and money to build what you want (1972) then loose it all in the big "D". Then you wait till 2000 to plan another attempt becuase you now have the time, space, money that is why it is a hobby. I did the virtual railroad with 3rd plant as soon as it came out. I designed and built and RAN about 30 or 40 plans till I designed what I have. Instead of worrying about the lack of space I spent my spare time working on a design that was worth my time, money and effort. So I did not waste from 2000 to 2005 before I swung a hammer I made the plans a refined them. You have started on you benchwork already, now you could refine your track plan before you spend the money and get what you want.

[RRTrainman]

You can always find a little time to work on your layout.  My first layout took 4 years to build and that was a 4X8 layout. You can find time to do it between the kids and the HONEY do list.  I have for years.  This is a hobby and its is to enjoy.  No time constraits.  Maybe get your wife involed or your kids.  I know my wife loves to paint so she now working on some back drops for mine.  She's also got in to building structures for for the expanding layout of mine.  Don't give up on something you love, just take a break for a littlr while.  Gather up the items needed and store them.  You will find time sooner than you think.

[R. T. POTEET]

mononguy63;

As they say, welcome to the club!

I went from 1964 to 1978 without a home layout; I did, however, belong to three clubs in those years.  I am not going to pretend that belonging to a club gives the same satisfaction as having a home layout; it does, however, allow one to accumulate operating assets (locomotives and cars) without the necessity of accumulating real assets (a layout).

In 1964 I had three stripes on my sleeve and two young girls who required a lot of time and attention.  In 1967 I began assembling my HO-Scale empire by building kits and by the time I retired from the Air Force (as a Testicle Sergeant) in 1978 I had assembled (and super-detailed) eleven or twelve locomotive kits from Hobbytown of Boston, Bowser, and Cary/Mantua and close to fifty freight cars.  I had three other locomotives under construction which I completed in the following three years.  One of my girls had gone off to college but the younger had decided to make substantial contributions to my quantity of gray hairs.  My plans for the "Great HO-Scale Empire" evaporated as I went to work, got a college degree, began the Great American Novel - which is still being written, by the way - remodeled a house - which, I have subsequently decided, was unremodelable.  The house should have been sold instead of the money spent on remodeling.  I soon discovered that I was not going to have the space for model railroading that I wanted to have so beginning in 1980 I transitioned to N-Scale and used the swap meet value of the sale of all my HO equipment to finance the changeover.  Do I wish I had been able to stay with HO?  You betchum, Red Ryder!!!.  Have I ever looked back from the decision?  Not really!!!

The point I am attempting to make is that you are never going to have as much space as you would like, nor as much money as you would like, nor as much time as you would like.  But BUDGET is the name of the game here; BUDGET your space. BUDGET your money, and BUDGET your time.  And you will be amazed at what you can get done!!!

[jcitron]

Hey MononGuy - Don't give up. This is the greatest hobby in the world! It's safe, clean, family-oriented, and personally rewarding when you can enjoy it.  :-)

This is my first post here, and I understand what you're saying. I no longer have a real layout anymore. I've sadly packed my N-scale trains and track into plastic boxes, and everything is in my closet right now.

After nearly 15 years, I decided I was going to build a model railroad. I had stuff packed away from a previous layout, and although a lot of the track was old, there was a lot of good pieces there. Besides, my trains were still operational. I was excited to start again, so with the help of my brother we built the benchwork. With some time on my hands, the benchwork got done in one weekend, and then after that the clock stopped and the spiders moved in. I then got the time and laid some track, and then had technical difficulties due to a poor decision on my benchwork base. The layout then sat for weeks until I got the energy to start again.

For three years I struggled building this layout.  I started again, and everything was fine. I made great strides and my trackwork was better than ever. Then I got sick. I ended up with pneumonia, and I couldn't do anything for weeks. The strength wasn't there to move a finger. I also had started night classes and distance learning so I can finish my BS IT degree. The layout went to the back burner along with many other enjoyable things in my life. So instead of building the layout, I concentrated on structures when I had the time. I kit-bashed a bunch of factories together, I spent my time assembing kits I purchased years ago, and made some great strides. This was a great diversion from the benchwork frustration, and it gave me the chance to re-evaluate what I had built, and work the buildings into the landscape.

The free time would come and go, and during the more free time I had, I would work on the layout. I finally got the track wired, and everything worked perfectly the first time around! I was pleased with it, and started landscaping. My sister brought some evil felines to the house, and they discovered the layout. I found trains in the kitchen, and blamed my 5 year-old nephew for touching them. I found buildings in the livingroom on the floor. The darn evil cats were stealing the pieces, and leaving them around the house! Arrrgghh!!!

Then it finally happened. First of all the cats ate some of my wires, causing all kind of problems that I had to rewire all over again. I got over this, but other physical problems hit me. I was always exhausted and could not get out of my way. I also had a tremor in my right hand when I tried to do things like fix a coupler spring or re-rail a train. I spent more time looking for small parts than running the trains! After awhile it became so discouraging to work on the layout, I gave up. Besides, I couldn't afford to do anything that I wanted to do because I ended up with a 15% cut  in pay. The layout then became a spider's haven, and eventually the Enfield and Eastern filed for bankruptcy and lifted the tracks. After a great start, my little shortline ended up in the dust bin.

Right now as it stands, I could not afford to start over again if I tried, so sadly my layout is in boxes and will most likely be auctioned off on E-Bay at some point.

So what am I getting at here? There are so many aspects of the hobby that are worth exploring. Don't pack up your layout. Once you do that, it's like putting the nails into the coffin. It's hard to get the motivation to start again.

John

[reklein]

I beleive the motto is." DREAM,....... PLAN.... BUILD. I've learned that anticipation is half the fun of getting something, wether its time a peice of equipment or whatever. Someof us work for years and never have a completed layout and when it is done what do we do? We tear it down and start a new one. Sometimes my layout  and my creativity lay dormant for months at a time while other things are going on. Then, boom I work like the devil on the layout or on decoders or the turntables. so many projects so little time.

[inch53]

Mononguy63,,

Hang in there feller, I go through the same thing here. I've been trying to build a new layout for over a year now, but haven't seemed to get very far at it. Seems there's always something else that needs doing more or the grandkids are here, or the wife decides I need to go do this or that. All just part of life.

Started buying track and turnouts 6 months before taking my old layout down, only to find I needed something different or didn't have the right one, and always a few dollor short to get it right then, so on to other things.

Get a rainy, nasty day, no grandkids under foot and say train room here I come. Then head for the kitchen for another cup of coffee and see something that really needs doing more. Think it won't take long to do that.  Next thing I know the day is done and it's bout time for bed.

inch

 

[claycts]

I F YOU just want to play trains, buy a Trainset. They'll be a lot of them avalable in the next 2 months (Xmas).

ALL Hobby's involve spending money and free time.  All work and no play can make Jack a dull boy. If it's no fun, don't do it. As for cost...

There is always Golf, Boating, Needlepoint, or the Stock Market.

No foul language on this forum, that is a dirty word. The reason they call it GOLF is all the other 4 letter words where taken. I must wait till I am 100 to shoot my age!!

[Don Gibson]

I F YOU just want to play trains, buy a Trainset. They'll be a lot of them avalable in the next 2 months (Xmas).

ALL Hobby's involve spending money and free time.  All work and no play can make Jack a dull boy. If it's no fun, don't do it. As for cost...

There is always Golf, Boating, Needlepoint, or the Stock Market.

[claycts]

As the old boy stated yeaqrs ago: Real trouble is:

When you Wife, Girl friend and Mortgage are all 30 days late!!!

[rrebell]

Well, it's Sunday evening and another weekend, and for that matter another entire week, has come and gone and I've not done a single thing related to model railroading. I started building my new layout in early May, and it took just two free afternoons to complete the basic benchwork - those afternoons came three months apart. Now I'm waiting for an opportunity to do my cookie-cutter work with the jigsaw. With the demands of a needy wife and family of four young kids, my only free time is late at night after the young ones are in bed - not exactly the best time to be rattling away with power tools. At any rate, even if the benchwork were finished, I'm still needing a couple hundred bucks worth of track and turnouts, and that's over a couple hundred bucks more than I have. So I've reached the point where I have to ask myself why I even try. Is it worse to simply abandon the hobby I enjoy so much or to spend evening after evening in frustration that I can't even briefly leave the pressures and responsibilities of my real life for the simple pleasure of directing my focus on something that really doesn't matter, like building a model railroad?

How does everybody else cope? How do you find the time that it takes to work on your railroad? And how do you afford it? As far as I'm concerned, I can't answer any of those questions. Right now I'm tempted to just box everything back up and use the benchwork to store the other junk that seems to incessantly accumulate.

Sounds like a bit of depresion there, take it from someone who's depressed alot but now for the helpfull advice ( oh and been there done that ), do the foam module thing, you can get 2'x4' foam at your local HD or other, pick your track work ( if money  is real tight lay your own track as you can pick up the materials for next to northing. But really first learn to network with other's in the hobby as we buy things over the years that we may just give away ( just gave away most of my mdc stuff to a buddy as I had moved on to better detailing ), and do you know how many people were going to handlay and desided not too so the materials are just on the shelf sitting, I know because I pick it up all the time sometimes as low as 25cents for a bag of ties, I use them for embankments ect. Now back to the preasure of family, mine are just about grown but you never get away from the worry or comittment and as for money (unless your rich) you will never have enough. Just as your ship comes in you will find the price of everything will go up or the ( and this is my world ) dishwasher dies, the fridge dies and takes the food with it, kid needs computer for college, college cost, plumber on new bathroom costs double, now city wants sewer line replaced, electrion cost is double as old circuit panels are bad, roof repair becomes new roof, health insurance cost went up, insurance on house went up, mortgage refie ( didn't need that $500.00 anyway ),need a few items for new house, daughter gets in car wreak and wife tells daughter she can have dog she always wanted and I said no too, vet bills (hey this feels good, mybe we should all layout our troubles here as I know reading of others problems helps me, lets me know i'm not alone) ect. ect. OH and good luck and hang in there.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I've been working on my current layout for 11 years now. As I'm sure has been said before, it's a hobby, not a marathon. I do a little bit here and a little bit there.

[jondrd]

You don't have to build an empire to begin with. Break your original scheme into smaller segments and do it segment at a time. By doing so you may even get in some operating time. You can even define this approach as building your RR division by division. Upside is it also accommodates the learning curve; you'll probably find that mistakes made in one division won't get repeated in the next division. As far as the dollars go, small segments of the total require less resources. Assuming you haven't gotten all of your locomotives and rolling stock yet, the small segment approach will rein in the tendency to have more locos and rolling stock (control of this tendency obviously reduces expenditures) than even your final plan can accommodate. Besides as the old cliche goes "Rome wasn't built in a day." Neither were the NYC, Pennsy, B&O, UP, ATSF, etc. You said,"...the hobby I enjoy so much...can't even briefly leave the pressures and responsibilities of my real life for the simple pleasure of directing my focus on something that really doesn't matter...." It matters if it siphons off some of the pressures(think it falls under mental health umbrella). It also matters if your involvement yields the simple pleasure you cite. Hmm, I put in skill, creativity, a tad of know how from several disciplines and pleasure is my reward. Seems like a good return on investment. Review your schedule, you may find that more efficient use of your time will yield some train time without negatively impacting family obligations. Hope forum members advice results in light at the end of the tunnel-in this case the light being a train is good news! Forgive this reply's format but when MRR changed the format my computer went a little wacko and posting has become a hit and miss proposition.

Jon

[rghammill]

Great responses of course. Here's my $0.02.

I'm building a new layout now, and for now the number one priority is to get a train running. Partially for me, and partially to keep my daughter interested. It's much easier once you can have a train running in the background while you work on other things.

#1 Get the basic benchwork done as quickly as possible.

Take some time to really plan what must be completed for the benchwork. Then try to set aside a weekend for yourself (with help if possible) to get that done. Basically you want to complete the 'power tool stuff.' Of course, you can also use good old hand tools when necessary for that late night 'Oops I forgot about that.'

The key is think about operational benchwork, not necessarily finished product. Your aim is to get to where you can get a train running.

#2 Plan a workable section of the layout to get running.

It's great if you can get something up that will have continuous running. That way you can have trains running while you work on the other stuff.

My current plan is basically a dogbone. It's a double track mainline that loops back on itself. The train goes out on the right side of the mainline, and comes back on the other.

#3 Add complexity as time and money allows. I'm using the CVT turnout kits. Basically, they are like flex-track without the rail attached. They are flexible, so you can make curved turnouts that fit your space exactly. Because you assemble them yourself they are pretty inexpensive ($12/kit), especially compared to assembled curved turnouts. I ordered two, a right and a left. I will be marking the locations for the turnouts, and laying my track so a joint is right at one end of the turnout. When I can afford to pick up more I'll cut out the other section of track and add the turnout. You could do this with other commercial turnouts, as long as the majority of your turnouts are the same.

#4 Focus your purchases on your priorities.

This seems obvious, but if your priority is getting the layout up and running, then you sometimes have to make the tough choice and pass up on that 'once in a lifetime great buy.' In reality, with eBay and train shows, etc. even the limited edition releases turn up pretty frequently, and if you wait long enough you can usually get a good price. But picking up that extra locomotive instead of getting your track only to find that you do decide to quit a month later because you still don't have a train running doesn't help anyway. As hard as it is to pass up on some of these things, in the long run I think you'll find that you'll be happier with less stuff and a more complete layout.

The end result will be that I can get a train up and running, hopefully by next week. That will mean that it will have taken about a month for me to go from nothing to an around the room layout with a running train.

Once you have the basic benchwork up, with a running train, you won't mind taking your time on the other stuff. To get mine up and running has included one major modeling effort (still in progress) and that's to build two bridges (one quite long, and one short). I could try to cut these in later, but I think it will work better to do it now. The long one is across a lower section of the benchwork and it would have required creating temporary supports anyway.

Another thing that went into the design of my layout was my desire to 'include' the family. Now my daughter likes the trains and will enjoy watching them (she's 3), but my wife isn't as interested. She likes what I'm doing and is supportive, but doesn't have any interest in modeling or running trains. I, on the other hand, generally do not enjoy watching TV as she does. My design maintains a portion of the basement to retain as a family room/playroom. So while I'm working on trains and half paying attention to the TV, my wife is right there and our daughter is busy playing with her toys or watching the trains. We get to spend our evenings together, and I still get in plenty of modeling time. Of course, once our daughter goes to bed I can work on the more involved projects as well.

So some creativity beyond the basic layout can also be a big help in keeping you on track. But I really believe that the feeling of getting something accomplished is initially served by at least getting some trains running. Another advantage I'm finding to adding the turnouts later is that is is allowing me to really get a sense as to what will work in my space. As much as I try to plan it out on paper accurately, I always find I'm making changes as I go.

Spending a little (not too much) time at a club layout or a friend's has also helped in a lot of ways. But don't give up too much time on your layout - even better see if you can recruit some help.

Randy

[fwright]

A lot of very interesting responses.  When I was starting my military career, and before kids, I was on a very tight budget.  I read an MR editiorial about minimizing cost per hobby hour, and realized it fit my situation very well.  So I turned to handlaid track and building locos, cars, and structures from kits.  Sure slowed my progress down, but I only had a 4x8 layout anyway, and that shrunk during a move to 4x6.  At the same time the slow pace kept my expenses within my budget.

As time went on, kids arrived and the budget situation improved a little.  I bought some used Lionel (MPC era) for my young kids, and started building some small 3 rail O layouts.  Had a blast, especially tinkering with operating cars and animated accessories (just about all purchased used).  Just stored my HO stuff during those years.

Now only have 2 of 5 kids left at home, and they are 10 and 12.  Got seriously interested in starting back up in HO and HOn3 about 18 months ago, but moves have gotten in the way of actually starting a layout.  Did make some inexpensive purchases during my work travel and from eBay.

Last weekend, we settled on our first choice of locations for my next career - Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho.  Most houses actually have basements there!  But I had given up on the idea of a basement layout because of separation from family.  Wife even encouraged me to work towards a display quality shelf layout to go in living room/dining room/master bedroom.  Wife wants kids and her to get involved with model railroading, and wants a combined family/model railroad room in basement.  Now, I'm really getting active in getting this hopefully last move going.

Have learned that I do enjoy building kits (even if I'm below average skill-wise) as much as operating trains solo.  This helps me keep my budget small, because of limited time.  Because of the limited time and $$, I have realized I do not want a never-to-be-finished basement empire.  I'd rather keep the scope quite small - a couple of 4x8-type peninsulas with a couple of shelf sections linking them is all I will likely ever get around to operating or finishing.

Last thought is that focusing on a relatively unpopular region/era/prototype helps me discipline myself in my mr acquisitions.  I still have way too many models that don't fit, but am pretty much in a 1 for 1 replacement mode now.  As soon as I build a new model that better fits, a model that doesn't fit goes on eBay. 

just my experiences

Fred W

[pbjwilson]

Several years ago I had to take down a layout to make room for the kids stuff in the basement. Now that the kids are getting bigger I may get the room back. Until then we do this -

 

[ARTHILL]

I build 4 layouts under those curcumstances. Non were all that I dreamed of, but the dream was what kept me going some days. It was good to have a dream to escape to some midnight hours.

Now I am retired, and this is better, but if I hadn't have done the others, this would not be as sweet.

[nucat78]

All good posts with good points made.  One thing that's worked for me is building foam modules.  They're light enough that I can take them into whatever room I want to work in - family room if there's a good football game on, etc.  - no being "trapped" in the basement or wherever all the time.  Also, I can work from tracklaying through scenery without being "stuck" on one phase forever.  And it's a lot easier to redesign or rework one module than a whole layout.

Since you have your woodworking done, you'll want to continue in that mode, but maybe try little projects at a time.  You'll get a sense of accomplishment and probably it'll reinforce your desire to continue - sort of like that great golf shot (which I manage about once every 2,487 strokes...)

 

 

 

[steveblackledge]

Just remember your never on your own out there, i have 3 young kids a wife that works the opposite hours to me including weekends, i just got a huge house extension done somehow and i'm skint, to fund my railroad i have sold some old stuff on Ebay and bought bit's and pieces as required, i am still loads of track and turnouts short, but i'll get them somehow, only one at once though. Life feel's tough at times but you have to remember there's always somebody worse off than yourself, don't throw it all in, take a break for a month or so then try again

[Anonymous]

Well I am kind of in the same boat I have evenings to work on the layout and not a lot of $$$ but I have come to the decision that I will finish my layout when time allows. This is my first layout and it is in N-scale. I do get discouraged because I dont have any running trains yet or finished scenery. Also I found that I am trying to do to much in 1 small layout (30"x48") But I am re working my track plan and will be much more happy by this time next year. If I get my trains running by january I will be extatic but if not then they will run soon enough. Some times you just need to take a step back box it up for a couple months then come back to it. Keep at it I think you will be fine once you get some me time.

Curt 

[Texas Zepher]

it took just two free afternoons to complete the basic benchwork

Just two afternoons for benchwork isn't very long at all.  It took me three full days just to get the benchwork for my 2x18 modular layout done.

Is it worse to simply abandon the hobby I enjoy so much or to spend evening after evening in frustration that I can't even briefly leave the pressures and responsibilities of my real life for the simple pleasure of directing my focus on something that really doesn't matter, like building a model railroad?

  For some reason I picture Shakespeare's Hamlet there holding and talking to an HO Mikado Locomotive rather than a skull.    Personally I've found when I don't have time for something I look back and realize that somehow I have been wasting time, so I put myself on a time budget.  Occasionally I've put my children on time bugets as well, as their inefficiency is wasting the other people in the families time. Other times when people ask me how I get so much done, I look at them and ask what they do between 12:00 and 2:00 a.m every morning.  No I don't really do this anymore, but it makes my point.  I've often discovered people are going to bed at 10:30 pm and sleeping until 7:30 or later in the morning - yikes. 

Or instead of building your own layout have you considered joining a club.  Club meets at x day at Y time for Z hours and it goes right in on your schedule.  Then other things get scheduled around that time block instead of trains just being the last thing to be included.

How do you find the time that it takes to work on your railroad? And how do you afford it?

Sounds like perhaps you have undertaken a project that is too large for both time and monitary budgets.  Is there anyway to scale it back into chunks that can be done in smaller amounts of time and with bits of track?  Ask for those turnouts as birthday, fathers day, or Christmas gifts.   Engage the children in the project as part of their activities that would normally take away from this work.  Children love to help daddy out by holding boards while your cutting on them, and other stuff like that.  They learn something too. 

to store the other junk that seems to incessantly accumulate.

Now there is one I wish I could figure out.  My family (7 children) has accumlated so much junk the trains are currently relegated to a storage bin. Last weekend I started on the mess by cleaning under the deck, keeping only one "vehicle" for each child.  Despite much weeping and gnashing of teeth, we threw away 8 bicycles, 2 tricycles, and numerous other misc conveyances (most of which were in need of repair and/or hadn't been ridden for years).  Which ever one was being considered for tossing was suddenly someone's "favorite".

[jbloch]

Ditto all of the above.  My job usually requires 10-12 hour days, plus I have a family and other obligations, too.  Patience isn't just a virtue, it's a necessity in this hobby.  I understand your concern about the finances; I'm in a little better financial status than a lot of people, and the costs that I have to look forward to are staggering.  By the way, I started on this forum and subscribing to MRR in March, and haven't even started my benchwork yet(wife has to clean out basement, then need to have it mitigated for Radon)--so you're ahead of me!! Hang in there!

Jim

[claycts]

So maybe next Monday I'll be posting some photos of my version of the Plywood Central instead of griping.

By Jove I think you got it!! The wife that sees the problem and works with you, I got one of those!!! AS I was told many years ago it takes more work to frown than to smile!!!

[mononguy63]

Thanks all for the kind words of advice and encouragement. This is my third layout and at 9'x17' is not particularly large by most standards, I just haven't had anything on which to power up a locomotive since our move to the new house (nearly four years now). That's long enough. Building and then re-storing storing kits and basically nibbling around the edges of the hobby like I've been doing just doesn't cut it any more.

Interestingly, my wife & I had lunch together today and she said she planned on taking the kids to her parents' house this Saturday so that I could have the day to clean the garage, put up some shelves to organize the garage stuff that's left, and oh yeah, maybe spend some time in the basement working on the layout. I believe she sensed my desire to "get away" (perhaps this runs a little deeper than model trains?). What can I say - I married an angel.

So maybe next Monday I'll be posting some photos of my version of the Plywood Central instead of griping.