Goofy question maybe'But do any of you guys ever get burnout or run out of ideas after working on your layout after a while.I started my new layout last early spring and had great progress'But around july with the summer months just ran out of steam.Sometimes I treid to force myself to work but mostly just ran my trains which really was needed to work on bad spots.I had a few places that I was stump on about scenery and such.Then about a week ago the light bulb in my head lit up and started to get some great ideas and felt great about working on the track again.Now that the weather is getting colder I see more getting done.But I guess what I am trying to say is that if you do not have that urge to work then don't force it;the light bulb will light up again.I think I do my best work when I do not force it' but realy want to.Will post some pic later.Thanks Bob
It isn't a bad Idea to take breaks from the layout.
AS you said one can get stale on ideas, energy to work on it, or get tired of tedious work like balasting.
So there is nothing wrong with you. Just take the odd breaks and go back to it. I may leave mine alone for a few months, then I get a hankering.....LOL usually to buy a new piece of equipment.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Bob,
there is nothing to worry about. I guess that all of us went through a time, when we lost the drive to work on our layouts. Just sit back, take a break, run your trains wait for the inspiration to come. It´ll come, I am sure, when the time is right.
After all, model railroading is fun, not a chore!
When I feel burnout coming on, I take a break from anything deep. I picked up a Koch Gras-master and I can spend about 20-30 minutes adding some grass. Cleanup is at a minimum, and it's nice to see immediate results.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
As long as there is no learning, second thoughts, or regrets about where you now find yourself and your developing layout, then losing interest is probably only temporary. That's probably...but maybe not. You may have shot the bolt and no longer have any interest. What you should not struggle with, hopefully, is with your perfectly natural and honest feelings at the moment. They are what they are. Give it a few weeks more, say until Christmas. If you find yourself in the same place after the New Year, I would be wondering seriously if the layout has outlived its purpose for you.
Crandell
I HAVE NO 2ND THOUGHTS'I really injoy going to the train room in my house.Just wanted to know if others have peaks and valleys as the layout progresses.I just spent most of the day working on my layout.I find the colder months I get alot more done.And sunday morning is my favorite time to work in my room before football starts.I have quite a few bobbies like Astrophotography'Sports'Guitar' ect.I can of go though periods of each of them.But love them all.Thanks BOB
Here is a link to my album.It has some pics of my layout.It is a shelf type that go's around a 13by 22ft. room.
http://tinyurl.com/24vvak3
I have ups and downs too, and I have been a model railroader for 40 plus years.
I am also a list person. I look at an area and make a list of things that need to be done to complete it. Then I put them in order like numbered steps. I usually have three or four list going at any one time.
So when I am down, I try to do at least one item on any list per day. Usually something very simple. Sometimes when I am working the list item, I will get more involved in the particular area. Then I find that my enthusiasm for working on the layout has returned.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Hi!
I've been building my current layout since early 2009. I've got sidings to install and a loco terminal to set up and wire, and then put in structures, scenery, etc.
Being retired I may seem to have an advantage over some, but I am not sure that is true. I'm only "good" for a couple hours at a time, and less when it comes to tracklaying & wiring. This is because my "good enough" level is somewhat high, and at age 66 its not easy to be contorted under or over the layout for long periods of time. The good news is I can hit the layout a couple/three times a day.
Regarding "taking breaks", well my enthusiasm has always been pretty high on layouts built in the past, and when I lived up north there were "summer breaks", but rarely very long and only when I had reached a goal beforehand.
Of course I'm describing what I have done and is about "me". Others may feel and/or approach the layout building differently - which is OK, if that's what they want.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Relax their's no hurry. I havent done a major push on my layout in months. I have done little pick up things here and there, reworked a building or two, but I still have scenery to finish, and track to ballast, I just havent been able to dedicate any significant period of time to do either lately. Been too busy with other things, I really should just go ahead and finish it up as it wouldnt take too long, but I just dont feel any push to get it done quickly, there's no hurry, we're just getting into winter, so I figure I'll get it done probably after Xmas .
Have fun with your trains
Its not a JOB. It's a hobby. There are no time limits. You in fact are the CEO, Maybe even the CFO. You are in charge.( when the wife lets you. ) I take breaks and even dabble into another hobby such as military model building. Neither hobby crosses into each other. I keep them separate for burnout reasons.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Well I consider my railroad a winter hobby, I have been working on a 4x8 layout about 10 years and its just about done. But I think I have gotten frustrated at times because a 4x8 doesnt allow enough room to do all the things you would like to do and so it helps to do it only in the winter and spreads it out over more time. I just finished a new building in the backyard that is 16 x 20 and it has a full loft with 8' ceiling so now the 4x8 will move out there and now the real railroad begins. Im only 45 and have a very busy life so I am looking forward to the winter to continue my hobby and maybe by the time I get retired maybe I will have my 16x20 railroad done and can enjoy it whenever I want to and if its not completed then I will have plenty of time to work on it then. So I allways look forward to the cold and snow so I can spend my weekends working on the railroad.
After all it for fun!!
Dugan
As mentioned many times before, my Santa Fe current layout was started in 1983-84 period, is "done" as far as any visitor can see, but I still have projects here and there. But mainly, the layout is "operated" now. However, in the summer, the Santa Fe slows down in the basement and the Garden and Santa Fe Railway in the backyard comes to life. That is the main focus during warm weather, and when the leaves start to fall, the Garden & Santa Fe returns to the storage sheds, and the HO Santa Fe comes back to life. Have done it for many years and the change does give me new projects and a revitialized spirit.
I have seldom encountered times when I was "bored" with the basement layout, but I have changed things here and there every so often and the layout stays pretty "fresh" to me. But still there are times.....
Bob
I think what some fail to remember is that this is for most of us a hobby which translates into enjoyment and if your not in the hood for it or your just not feeling creative for what ever reason then of course by all means take a break as long as you need and walk away from the train set. It will make coming back to it all that much more enjoyable. For the fortunate one's who are or have been lucky enough to make a living at model railroading in one form or another then they have the responsibility that come with any job,deadlines, contracts, promises etc. No different then any other job. For me as neat as it might be making a living at model railroading I fear that the day would come when it's not fun any more but rather work and that would totally ruin it for me. So take your time off, recharge your creative batteries and just don't stray too far form the hobby.
In Linn Westcott's book about John Allen he documents that John Allen lost interest at one point and spent some weeks away from his layout. If it can happen to John Allen is surely can happen to any of us. I think breaks are good for most of us, it sort of re-freshens the hobby.
Sometimes I get the sense that some model railroaders approach the hobby like it is a job - goals, deadlines, evaluations, etc. I get enough of that at work, so I am intentionally a model railroading free spirit - I do what I want to do when I want to do it - it works for me; my hobby time is always fun.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Without quoting everything Mobileman44 posted, I can say I resemble that!
I have a very clear idea of my GENERAL concept, but sometimes get hung up on details. Then, too, the local climate and my personal health issues sometimes gang up on me, to the detriment of progress on the layout. As a result, progress is sort of like the movement of a fault line - either slow and only moderately bumpy, or hung up motionless for a while, followed by a sudden burst of frenetic activity.
I'm just now coming out of a, "Hung up motionless," period - a combination of sauna-like conditions in the layout space, a design problem that took some serious (subconscious) consideration and some other issues. Well, the temperatures have dropped to liveable, the home repairs are done and my major design hangup just solved itself. All I have to do is move the interchange with the narrow gauge logging line downgrade to the next town...
Tomorrow morning, I'll go out to the layout room, all set to attack with great gusto. I wonder how long this will last...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Of course I go through lulls where I don't head for the basement. I think this is not so much a decision not to work on the HO layout, but I LOVE the summer, the outdoors, the weather....so its off to he patio and the yard.
In years past, that meant little railroad action from April to Snow. Last summer (09) begat the G scale railroad. Simple, not elaborate, my fun. Now as its getting colder, I am heading back in the house more, more back to the basement time. I won't probably run many outdoor trains (except I am DYING to use that new snowplow) til the crocus appear.
Now I have an indoor railroad, and an outdoor railroad....a load of work to do on both, and a budget that fails to meet TWO railroads needs...hehehe...
wow,
you want to talk about a break? i started my layout in 2006. got the mainline in, and also the yard. ive been running the trains to make sure its all okay, but really havnt done much since. there is no scenery yet. last year i did add some track for some business. also got my waybill and car card system going in 2008. and actually today i added a diesel house and the tracks to get to it. so i guess taking breaks is okay. but actually a buddy of mine in 2007 showed my an r/c rockcrawler and ive been going crazy with them ever since. so a hobby for a hobby. so thats not to bad.
later
glenn
FB page of my layout *new*
https://www.facebook.com/ghglines
.
thread to my layout
http://www.warcrc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=10505
pics
http://s237.photobucket.com/user/rockcrawling/library/#/user/rockcrawling/library/ho%20scale%20trains?sort=3&page=1&_suid=1388183416990004180295067414064
Lots of good comments so far. Just to add my :
1) This is your hobby. It's supposed to be fun. Don't feel any obligation to do it if you're not into it.
2) I coach soccer (over today, thank Heaven), am the Cubmaster for my local Cub Scout pack, hold a full time job, and have 3 boys with a million different activities. I count myself lucky if, at the end of the day, or on a weekend, I have the time or energy to do something on my layout.
3) I have broken the "to-do" list down into tasks of about 30 minutes duration (ballasting a short section of track, putting a coat of paint on a structure, laying grass on a small section of layout), so it's just a question -- when I have the time -- of choosing which one I want to do.
4) Concentrate on keeping your layout operational, so you can choose to either build or run, as the mood takes you.
5) Create temporary structures and landscapes (out of paper, perhaps) that flesh out your layout while awaiting the more permanent solution. Sometimes, these serve as sources of inspiration or take you in new directions as you experiment.
6) Take your time, and do it right. You have no deadline, and St. Peter won't turn you away because your layout is unfinished.
7) Invite some friends to see or operate your layout, sometimes, these artificial deadlines serve to get the energy going.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Good looking layout Bob.
As far as ideas, try bringing in another person for ideas. Kids are probably the best. I've been taking forever on my re-do of a portion of my layout. I unleashed my Son on it and he's adding some good stuff. Pics later
Springfield PA
Its hard to imagine John Allen taking abreak. haha. Sometimes taking a break is also benificial, kind of reboot the brain. like any art projrect I guess.