Marriage and Modelling

[fiatfan]

Try getting her her own room!

Then you could have a contest to see who does a better job. Invite an equal number of relatives from each....

Well, maybe not.

Tom

[newhavenguy]

My girlfriend/wife to be is not only supportive, she's an NMRA member. We railfan, operate and build models together. She can't wait until I get my new layout up and running so we can do the scenery and run trains.

[Anonymous]

Marriage and model railroading can exist peacefully,provided you maintain a balance. Gone are the days when I set up a 4x8 in our 1st apartment one day while she was at work. [:0]Hey, our new furniture was on order, but not due for over 30 days. I was just trying to fill up the space! [:D]
Sweetie relented until the new stuff arrived, then back into storage it went. After the kids arrived I had lots of time,mostly evenings where I could go down the basement after night-night time, and spend working on something. One must remember though that Little League baseball, family get togethers and regular household chores cannot be supplanted by the trains. Otherwise your going to get derailed BIG TIME![:0]
Share your hobby with her too. And not just the Ladies Auxilliary of the Local train club! True, Sweetie has met many of the "better halfs" of the club, and has struck up friendships with them. Let her see the rest of the hobby, not just the trains. Let her see the Art, the History, and the Lore of trains. While my wife has other interests, she appreciates my hobby deeply. Sharing the hobby with Sweetie has paid great dividends for me. The more she learns, the better she lets Santa treat me![;)]

[CBQ_Guy]

I'm not gonna go through my sad story again!
(Got cash, got a basement...pretty much all I need.)[sigh]

[Anonymous]

My EXWIFE hated trains. She threw out about $2500.00 of O gauge equipment on me while I was at work. It was my son's favorite train. She was extremely jealous of those trains. Since I couldn't kill her (laws you know) we divorced. I still model railroad. I have my son. Whenever I meet a woman I show her my hobby, if she reacts negatively I through her *** out the door!

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davidvd59

My EXWIFE hated trains. She threw out about $2500.00 of O gauge equipment on me while I was at work. It was my son's favorite train. She was extremely jealous of those trains. Since I couldn't kill her (laws you know) we divorced. I still model railroad. I have my son. Whenever I meet a woman I show her my hobby, if she reacts negatively I through her *** out the door!

I give...your experience was MUCH worse than my minor matrimonial irritations!

[Anonymous]

Realy it's your choice.
[bow]BNSF[bow]

[Anonymous]

No man NEEDS a woman to be happy, but he may need his trains! But every man was made to suffer and find out for himself! As my co-workers tell me, I should be as miserable as they are!

[Anonymous]

"OUCH"

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davidvd59
Whenever I meet a woman I show her my hobby, if she reacts negatively I through her *** out the door!

Right on, blood!

[Anonymous]

My marriage actually helped rekindle my love for trains.
My wife has show great interest in helping me model (actually she likes watching the trains). But she has gone out of her way to get me many items for my layout, a Veranda, many misc. rolling stock and such. Infact I've kinda cursed myself. My father in law has gotten into modeling and has spent hundreds of dollas on a DCC system, engines and rolling stock. Not bad you say? Well the curse is, now when we visit, we have to sleep in the living room b/c he converted my wife's old bedroom into a layout. But at least he and I and my wife have fun.

[NHRRJET]

My wife is very supportive of my avocation AND vocation. . . .model railroading and working for the real railroad. The best of both worlds. She lovingly refers to the New Haven RR as my "mistress." The key to having a spouse understand and respect this hobby as I found it is to control the hobby, not let it control you, and know when to "shut it off."

[Anonymous]

I have to admit I was a bit concerned about how my wife would take to the idea of me doing MRR but to my surprise when she seen the magazines I was bring home she was soon hooked herself. She is now in charge of town design while I consentrate on laying track and designing my maintenace yard.[:)]

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by easyaces

My better-half has been very supportive over the years that I've been in the hobby, but she almost goes off the deep end when I mention buying a new loco or two, or some cars when its not in the budget.[xx(]

Ouch! That sounds very real. My wife has been VERY supportive of the RR for the
17+ years we've been married,She's actually done some work on the layout.
Yes when you mention putting something like that in the budget,look out!

[michealfarley]

I took the link to this thread and e-mailed it to my fiance. She got a good kick out of it. Very impressed with the variety of people and involvement.

I think I have her agreed to try some scenery work once I get that far on my own layout!

Thanks again to everyone!

[billpe]

Our hobbies have brought us closer together. I hear of people that their spuoses do not aprove or get up set. we both came from broken marriages because of Hobbies. Didn't know it at the time that we where both train nuts...( yes NUTS )...to the point that we both grew up on the same track watching the same trains....Just two different towns....Trains can't bring people together or rip them apart. But the attitude of it can.
If he/she is not interested, tough luck but if you really love him/her... be there...not in the train room.. when he/she is talking to you. If she is interested Yahoo. My better half is interest activly in both hobbies. Stunt Kites and trains.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by michealfarley

I'm curious for those out there who are married:

Does your wife/husband also take an interest in your hobby?
To what extend is that interest? Kit-building, painting scenery, etc.?
Does your wife/husband support the time/money it takes?
How have you been able to get your wife/husband involved with you?

From time to time my nickname has been "The Beast in the Basement". I take that as a hint and ease up when that comes up.

My wife has no interest in the hobby, although having been to Trainfest a few times, I think she appreciates the amount of work that goes into it. I think she's neutral on the historical aspect and the scenery, but when I show up with a kitbashed-this or scratchbuilt-that, she remarks "I don't know how you can stand working with those small parts!"

As far as the money goes, the employment situation hasn't been good the last 2 years, so I've had NO money to spend (not to say I haven't spent some - average < $5 per month). Now I'm working two jobs so I have NO time for anything. Which is sad, because I have a few for-profit projects sitting on the workbench just waiting for the time when I'll fini***hem. Fortunately my client knows my situation and he is most patient with me. My feeling is that she'd like me to make a profit at this hobby. That's fine, but I'd like to keep it fun and not make it something I have to do.

I might be able to get her involved when it comes to scenery, but anything else, I can forget it.