Golf and bowling are my other two hobbies. It would be hard to say which of the three is the most frustrating. All three are in the conversation. Golf and bowling are seasonal hobbies. Golf in the warm weather months. Bowling in the cold with just a little overlap between the two. Generally I golf until the end of October and this is about the time I pick it up again. Just got my clubs regripped yesterday and am now waiting for a good day to play. Probably sometime next week. I bowl Tuesdays and Thursday mornings and our bowling center eliminates morning hours at the end of April which ends our informal bowling sessions. They resume morning hours in September although usually I don't join our group until it becomes too cold to play golf or my golf course closes for the year. Golf takes up far more of my time then bowling and as a result model railroading has become relegated to being a cold weather hobby as well. Every year I promise myself I am going to make time to do some MR activity during the summer and every year I break that promise. But this year is going to be different. I promise.
For me, it's videogames, music (violin and guitar), as well as fursuit building (Furry fandom)/cosplay.
-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Chuck:
Congratulations on the 55+ years!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Since I learned to control my Lionel trains before I learned to read I can say that model railroading is my longest-running continuous hobby - 78 years' seniority.
I am a voracious reader, mainly history and science fiction. That led into writing - science fiction in the Confederation Universe, 2082-3626 and beyond. Since I make liberal use of (other people's) real names and copyrighted material, I have never tried to publish my several novels and multiple short stories.
Health problems have put the brakes on railfanning and long-distance hiking, but I enjoyed both when I was younger. I also enjoyed watching gymnastics - until they went to the current scoring system, which is too much for my simple mind.
I can't claim international travel. All of that was at the behest of the US Air Force. I did take full advantage of the opportunities to learn about the places I've been.
And then there's my most expensive hobby - the young lady who's been my wife for 55+ years...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I must admit that model railroading, combined with railfanning and studying railroad history obsorbs most of my hobby time. But I also enjoy reading a lot, mostly history, historical fiction and biographies with a bit of astronomy. I also enjoy target shooting (but not hunting), 1940'/50's film noir, gangster, period and horror movies. Horse racing is good too and even contributes to my my modeling operations.
come to think of it, with still working a bit, I guess I do keep pretty busy after all. Still, nothing like my first love of trains.
When the weather's nice, I like Volksmarching (non-competitive fitness walks). http://www.ava.org
USAF (Retired)
My hobbies tend to rotate pretty evenly between model railroading, hunting, and competitive shooting, both smallbore and blackpowder. Have two English setters and love to bird hunt. Also love history so I read a lot. Secondary pastimes include messing around with a '48 Ford F-1, and we've also done quite a bit of birdwatching and wildlife watching over the years. Until my kids got old enough to drive, I also was their primary taxi driver. Best two days of my life were when each of them got their license.
Jim
Model Railroading is where I spend most of my 'hobby time' but my wife and I are also into bird watching. We are by no means experts but we really enjoy it. In the winter we spend our weekend afternoons driving country roads searching for snowy owls and hawks. Every May we spend a few days at Point Pelee on Lake Erie which is one of the primary spring migration spots in the world. We also go through a small fortune in bird seed which we buy 100 lbs at a time. That's good for about three months, less in the winter. In fact, some of our best bird watching happens right in our back yard.
I used to be into MGs but back then (late 80s) the cost of restoration was greater than the potential selling price. Plus, I couldn't justify a two seat sports car with two young kids in the family. I sure do miss them though!
Building duck hunting boats, decoys, training hunting retrievers, (Chesapeake Bay)black powder shooting, fishing, duckhunting, panning gold, (Swift River) fly tieing (most look like small road-kill- but seem to work) reading, and other sundry things as time permits.
herrinchoker
I collect 1/24 1/25, model car kits. Diecast NASCAR cars in 1/24 and 164. Sports autographs, racing autographs, WW2 Veteran and Medal of Honor Autographs, beer cans and bottle caps. Things that go bang, bang. War Between the States Bullets and canon frags. And Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge Figures, hard plastic and stuffed and Waly Disney, Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck and GI Combat comic books. I think I missed a few thing to. Oh, and all the bands from when I have been in the hospital, got about 30 of those now.....
Cudaken, nice.....yea, I love it. So in my retirement years, I take it out on old lawn tractors.
I had a few friends who competed, back in the late 60's, a county highway just out of town had a perfect 1/4 stretch, nice and flat. We even used to stop regular traffic (a very rare occurance) so a race could finish. At that time, one township squad, with one cop, covering a township.
Mike
My You Tube
Before I retired in 2014 it was model railroading, slot cars, weed wacker boats and computers. Now its still the model rr and slot cars but like Paul I have a grandkids 4 and 2 and we also take care of them 2 days a week. Neither into trains but love my slot cars 1/32 scale and digital.
TomO
Model Railroading and reading are my main hobbies, but I also do some woodworking, video gaming, and board gaming. I'd like to get a little more into photography but don't seem to have the time. My wife and I also have our grandchildren - boy and girl, 4 and 2 - over 2 or 3 days a week. I have got him into trains. Her in another year or so.
Enjoy
Paul
I got my first public library card in second grade, haven't stopped reading since. Grow a few tomatoes, and some flowers in the summer. My dog figures a day without a walk is wasted. I know the names of more dogs in this neighbourhood than I do people.
I also play games like Civilization on the computor.
Railfanning, oil paintings (which are for sale), photography, ghost hunting.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
I like to go to the driving range.
Honestly, I grew up out in the country and was pretty lower middle class. So were my friends. We couldn't afford to do much more than sit around and watch TV. Not much interests me, for some reason. Its a pretty boring life.
Now I'm still largely the same because my rent is murderous.
Muscle cars.........a 1970 camaro ss 396 comes to mind!!
Model railroading, playing an ovation 10 string (12 string, but two octave strings broke- long story), rail photography and some computer gaming.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Model railroading is my main hobby at the moment. I have been known to occasionally build a sci-fi plastic model or two though, and I used to do internet streaming radio.
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the
end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming
your way. -Metallica, No Leaf Clover
Currently I sing in one group, play in two town bands, garden (some vegetable and some flower) as well as my model railroading. I'd like to set up my dad's power tools to have a wood shop, which would be handy when ready to build the new layout.
Thought retired as a dairy farmer, couldn't give it all up, so summers are spent haying for my small herd of beef cattle. Drive school bus to support the farming habit.
Whatever you are doing - Have fun,
Richard
Model Railroading is my main hobby.
Space and airplanes are my secondary hobbies, but haven't bought anything for them. I do watch space shows like the History Channel's The Universe.
I play some video games depending what my brother has. I really don't play much it doesn't really fascinates me.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I also do woodworking and astrophotography. You think MRR is a money pit, try doing some astrophotography! On a side note, our friends here at Kalmbach also publish Astronomy Magazine.
Scott
I'm 70 and retired so only MRR is it for me, year round. It has been my only hobby since I was young.
In my situation (kids in college) it's the only hobby I can currently afford, otherwise I'd also take up golf and fishing.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
Nope
I hate Rust
Golf season began in the Chicago area this past Friday. That pretty much brings model railroading to an end for me until mid-November.
Rich
Alton Junction
Yes Model Railroading is my only hobby.
Russell
Outside of my railroad operations, I enjoy computers, collecting model cars, airplanes, boats, constructing stuff with legos and judo.
Before I moved to Virginia in 2009, (2000-2009) I did play old fashioned D&D with some friends but it was kind of a game night I did while I was single and had some good friends to hang out mainly. I wasn't super into the game itself but more the fun of playing with a particular set of friends. Since I moved away from there, I no longer play it. One of my friends who knew the game super well did all my character setting up anyway; it's too much bother for me.
I used to scuba dive, backpack, snow ski, photography etc, and travel and lots of other things but for the past 15-20 years with child support and now a daughter in college, one hobby is all I can can afford right now. Believe me, with the prices of the newer trains, I can't afford another hobby. If you can, be thankful!
Before I met my 2nd wife, I used to play a lot of video games too since I didn't have space for a layout; in fact thats how I met her - but now that she is over here and we've been married and both working full-time, thats fallen by the wayside. After we were married, we did still play that game together for a couple years, but it's gone down hill since and sadly gone to crap so we are no longer happy with it.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983