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Well, I have another suggestion. First, you should stay in the test mode the rest of your modeling life as change is coming faster into the hobby than in the past, and you don't want to miss out because you have "settled." Secondly, I have invented a phrase for what I believe you are caught in and it is "hobby intimidation." Our hobby is a demanding one, calling on skills most of us don't have - electrical, carpentry, computer usage (DCC), modeling (including scrachbuilding and kit bashing), artistic demands of backdrops, scenery, and track layout arrangements. I was frozen in time and remained that way for a number of years - I told myself I was working on the "best" layout for the room I had. But in my gut, I knew I was procrastinating. Our hobby can be very intimidating. So what did I do? Well, I decided action was better than no action, that even though I was intimidated some how I had faith in myself that no matter how large the problem (and there are lots of them) I would be able to get a solution and move on. Even now I still have procrastinating lapses as another problem eats away at me and I don't work on the layout. I just over came another problem this week that had been blocking progress for me. I find the psychological implications of the problem to be worse than working on the solution and carrying it to fruition. But I still get blocked from time to time. So I have begun to recognize my blocks and I work through them. Something on your layout is intimidating you. In the usuall order I find problems that intimidate are 1) track plans 2) wiring 3) weathering rails and ballasting 4) deciding and re-deciding on scenery 5) worry about skills in building what you have decided on 6) biting off more than you can chew - eg: a prototypical scene but you fear you can't duplicate it. So work on the next logical step of what has to be done on your layout and give yourself a 6 week time frame (or 8 weeks) then work towards it. I am a moderator at www.trainboard.com in the Layout Design forum. Twice a year I host a "layout party"...lol. I invite people from various forums to join in and commit to a project for 6 or 8 weeks and report on your progress - or lack there of (and I request honesty - if you didn't work on it, report it). I have found comments like: "I got more accomplished in 8 weeks than I have in the past 6 months!" not to be uncommon. If you go there, look at the "Lonely Hearts Club Band" thread, and the one that is just finishing up "High balling your layout." You will understand what I am talking about. So assign yourself a task, be your own boss and work on it. Be honest with yourself when you have run into a problem that is blocking you, and post it to the various forums. Lots of people will help you with it, such as this very thread you initiated. Good luck Rick Nicholson aka: nicholson1318 rsn48
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