Ulrich,
Sorry to hear about your financial situation that is preventing you from having your own layout. I was in that situation about a year ago when I got laid off from my job. Now I have a new job, a new hobby, and money to spend on trains. You will get back there, don't worry, things will turn around. You have helped me tramendously numerous times, I really appreiciate that.
I don't think any flame wars will become of this thread. Just asking what people's interests are....
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
I'm a runner. My layout is far from finished but I can operate!!
But I'm a builder too. I like scratch building turnouts and more. Now I've build a H0n3 module. And here comes a runner too. I like to go to FREMO meetings and operate the layout. Next week I go to the anniversary for the FREMO Netherlands. There's a hall with 6.000 square meters (about 64.000 square feet) for the layouts, mainly the big European FREMOs.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
I'm a builder. I like to make my layout run well, but my priority is on the creative aspects of the hobby. The only thing I buy RTR is track, everything else is either from a craftsman kit, or from scratch. My locomotives all came into my life as distressed brass models - requiring repair/restoration before operation. For me, my workbench is my favorite place and building is what I love, and what I do best.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Operations. I love the challenge of serving fictional customers and being paid fictional money.
Sean
HO Scale CSX Modeler
I understand where Ulrich may be coming from as far as a flame war about which facet of the hobby is "better", but I didn't take the OP's question/comment that way at all. Too me they are all necessary to some degree. I guess I am in more of the aquiring portion of the hobby. Mostly rolling stock as of late. I have been working on the locomotives, though. I was starting to build a layout but circumstances caused that to be abandoned - for the time being.
Chris
Michael,
one of the nice things of our hobby is that it has so many different aspects to it and people with different interest can participate in it. Each "category" has its own justification and right and there is no need to look down on someone who enjoys the hobby in a different way.
Questions like yours do have a lot of potential to start a flame war on who is the better modeler, which we should, in any case, avoid.
I used to be a builder/operator, with an emphasize on operation. Since my childhood days, I always wanted to be an engineer, and model railroading was my way of living this dream.
Due to the global economical crisis, I now don´t have the means to build and operate my own layout anymore, condemning me to armchairing. I have thus converted into a planner, developing elaborate plans for a future layout, when times improve. Over the last year, I have developed a number of layout ideas that I could fill a book on small layouts. Although this is also fun, it is not as rewarding to me as operating a layout. But it is all I can do...
I think it depends on where someone is in the hobby. For example, some people start out in this hobby with a train set and begin collecting more rolling stock and locos in order to build up their fleet.
I am a rolling stock and locomotive collector. I have 130 cars and 14 loco.
I plan to be a builder someday.
Will
OK let's hear it. What kind of modeler are you?
There are many different facets to this hobby, and all kinds of different modelers.
So I'm wondering, which one are you?
Are you a builder? You are working on the layout more than you run the trains. You like to work on scenery, structures, etc.
Are you runner? You like to run trains. You would rather just kick back and run the trains, even if your layout doesn't have scenery.
Are you an operator? You run your layout with prototypical operations like a mini transportation system.
Are you a railfanner? You have a nicely detailed layout, but like watching the trains run through the scenery instead of operating.
Are you a tinkerer? You're not satisfied with anything, and always thinking what to change next. Pull out this structure here, move these tracks here.
Are you a locomotive guy? You like locomotives, lots and lots of locomotives. You're layout mainly consists of engine facilities.
Are you a rolling stocker? You like lots of rolling stock, building kits, weathering. Your layout mainly consists of yard operations.
Are you a collector? You may not even have a layout but have a nice collection for display.
Are you an accumulator? You keep everything, you have old stuff in boxes, you buy more than can fit on your layout. You are buying things for a future layout.
Are you show modeler? You take your module layout to shows and display them.
Let's see, for me right now, I'm in build mode. So I'm a builder. I work on the layout more than I run trains. Even though my trackwork is completed. I'm also a tinkerer. Even though my layout is new, I know I'll be always changing something.
I like engines more than rolling stock. I'm trying to start a nice collection. Starting from completely nothing just 9 months ago, I know have 12 engines.