i hate being a armchair modeler

[Anonymous]

I need help getting off my bum to continue building my second layout. I seem to have fallen down> can anyone help me get off my bum???

[Anonymous]

For the most severe cases, a flame about 2 foot high will generally get the posterior travelling in an upward motion. Otherwise, go visit some other layouts, or join a club. Kicking back and reading magazines just adds to the slump. Go to the hobby shop and get a kit or two, that'll get the old spirit back!
Todd C.

[GerFust]

Sounds like an open house at your place next summer or fall, eh? Would that help with the motivation?

[Anonymous]

Gerald's suggestion of having an open house is one of the better motivators to getting things going.

The D&J Railroad was slow going in development for a long time and was mostly plywood world until I committed it to an open house for the NMRA, James River Division layout tour. I ended up rebuilding about 120 square feet of the layout to correct some track difficulties and applied scenery, backdrop and skirting to the layout as well.

For the amount of work though, only a handfull of visitors stopped by to view it, but that effort along with the encouragment of another modeler led me on to expand it to the full basement empire it is now.

Ken, D&J Railroad, Stafford, VA

[Anonymous]

You need to write a TTD "things to do" list. See if anything new transpires, then go with it! Just don't do any early steam era intermodal time travel layouts on us!

[Anonymous]

Go to a good train shop on a Saturday. There will usually be a bunch hanging around talking model railroads.

Join a modular club. You will get to operate even if only occasionally. I don't have space for a home layout but can build a module switch district that can be used at home and become part of a larger layout. The talk will also inspire you. I'm showing off a new four unit diesel and a new steam engine this weekend that I don't have the space to run at home. It's inspiring to be able to run what you aquired at the last swap meet.

Get out of the house and start looking at the real thing or what others have done.


Doug