What were your hobies before trains?

[easyaces]

I was into CB radios and huge beam antennas, and high power amplifiers before i got into trains. When my son was born, my Dad hauled me down to a hobby shop and bought about 200 bucks worth of HO stuff and told me to get busy and build his grandson a layout.

[Anonymous]

My hobbies prior to trains had to be going out to the clubs with my boys and trying to raise my numbers of woman I slept with from 60 to about 100+ I think I never made it to 100. Aww well I was such a playa and a pig at that point. I mean I did have fun and it was great but I was like 18-22 now at 26 years old 4 years has made the difference of night and day. I do not do that shtuff at all and will never subject my life to that kind of pigness. I have a family and love them much and that is #1 for me. Hobby #1 is my family and #2 is definitely Trains! I could very easily have a different #2 rather than trains if I were richer. I already have a hobby planned when that times comes. LAMBORGHINI DIABLOS!! I hate to sound corny but I am saving for my first one right now that is actually going to be a relica one that I will pay $42,000 for. It is going to be a 1997 Diablo Roadster replica made to the tee!! I cant wait!!!

[twhite]

Trains, ever since I can remember. But for a long time I was into building model sailing ships like Galleons, Frigates, Caravels--anything with a lot of sail and some cannon on board. I call it my Pirate Phase. Cross-country skiing until my knee gave out five years ago. Oh, yah, chasing Sopranos. Especially if they're red-heads. That's still a pretty current hobby.
Tom

[challenger3802]

There have always been trains, just that Scouting, Drama and being in a choir have got in the way over the years!

Ian

[bpickering]

I still do board-gaming when/if I get a chance, but am pretty-well shut down by wife & family. Likewise role-playing games.

Both of those, to some extent, required more of a time/space commitment and less of a monetary commitment than railroading. Now that we've bought a house, I'm building model railroad stuff more of my spare time (in between doing the added home maintenance that mostly was taken care of by the apartment/condo maintenance people in the past...).

I also spent a lot of time stargazing, esp. when I was still teaching physics & astronomy. I hope to re-start that when/if my son (3.5 years old) moves beyond the "It's the moon" level of interest in the sky. (The fact that he's even THAT interested, of course, gives me hope, but I won't be certain until his attention span exceeds 15 minutes... [:P])

Finally, until I started actually doing computers for a living, I spent a fair amount of time hacking hardware and software (in the traditional usage of "learning about how to do neat tricks", not the new usage of "how to pi$$ people off"...).

Brian Pickering

[fec153]

Fishing-bowling-target shooting. Had to give them all up. Whiplash did me in. Wasn't
even driving, my dad was. Happened in 1951, diagnosed 1980. More damage in 1995
when broadsided by a broad on a cell 'phone.
Flip

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf6733

What were your hobies before trains? Mine was airplanes, airplanes, and more airplanes.

Learning to walk, talk, and pooping in my diapers.

I got my first Lionel train around the Christmas tree at the age of three! in 1956.

[Anonymous]

Guns, Guns, Guns, hunting, trapshooting, girls, antique tractors, new tractors, antique and classic cars, peterbilt 379's, Big Chevy's, girls, woodworking, any shopwork, girls.

I'm still into these, along with trains

Greg

[bogp40]

Was always facinated by machines, can't remember when I started taking everything apart to see what makes it tick. This is why I would drag old lawnmowers and bikes home. Eventually I actually could make them work, even from mismatched junk parts. Slot cars and plastic models consumed much of my preteen years. As a teen my age of the auto arrived. Look out, engines, car parts, and the like everywhere. My Dad even put up a stockade fence for our own private junk yard.(kept the neighbors happy too). At 15 my 1st project car was a VW dune buggy to accompany the Baja bug. My abilities improved, so moved to the muscle cars. Ah, those were some pieces of machinery, 65 Chevelle 327 SS, 68 SS396 375hp, 71 SS454 LS6, tired of Chevies moved to Mopar: 69 340 GTS, 71 Demon 340X, My work truck also was powered by a 340 from the 69 GTS (detuned slighty). All the while my other hobby, woodworking, continued. My lust for tools all types, continued also. I loved to pull a good motor apart and rebuild it to run better than Detroit could have imagined. Drag racing and street machines were a fun part of my life. Somewhere along the way I was given a train set, had fun with it . Not until my son got a train set for his 5th Christmas, did I give model trains a second thought. Since then they have been my main hobby, the woodworking hobby became my profession. I have been a carpenter/ builder now for the last 28 years. The funny thing is, my son likes the cars and could care less about trains. some day he may come around as I did. Bob K.

[PennsyHoosier]

Always trains--since I got my first one at age 2.

But I also restore old pickup trucks and do a lot of woodworking.

[Anonymous]

You mean there are other ways to spend my time that when I am not working, doing something other than entertaining my girlfriend and working on model trains?

James.

[G60syncro]

Trains were my first hobby... They got sidetracked when I was in college.... Other interests devlopped, but all of them seemed to have a link with trains!!! I started playing music as a drummer. Drums are a very mechanical instrument, so you got to be pretty handy with nuts and bolts to take care of them. My bandmate's guitars and amps have tons of wiring in them.... So all that modelling experience, building stuff and electronic gadgets payed off onstage!!

I'm also heavily involved in modifying cars, mostly VW and Audi... I'm a member of the VWvortex forums and again, mechanical skills gained from trains got me started in cars.

My current work involves CAD design and a whole lot of hardware... I work for a company that manufactures buckets and attachements for heavy machinery. Recently we made an attachement to fit a coupler on a wheel loader... Obviously, model trains helped me a lot in this situation!!!

Looking back a few years later, I see trains with all the new stuff I learned from other hobbies. Now I can work more efficiently and more accurately with what I know now than in high school.

[espeefoamer]

Doing nasty things in my diaper and drinking milk from a bottle.When I was born, the doctor slapped me,and I said "choo choo".[:)]

[Anonymous]

Been interested in trains of all sizes since I was 2. Since then have enjoyed, at various ages, model cars, airplanes and ships, music (both as listener and performer on voice, clarinet and keyboards), photography, baseball, travel.

[cwclark]

before trains?..i didn't know there was life before trains?...i guess beer drinking and chasing women..but that was more of a necessity than a hobby....chuck[:D]

[jockellis]

I was heavy into crawling around the house and walking around a square table as I learned to walk. After learning to walk, I would go into the basement and crawl up on the coal in the bin, push open the window and escape, heading toward the Georgia Railroad tracks which I never reached because neighbors would see me and take me home Then when I was two or so, I saw my one and only working steam locomotive and that was it. Porsches were big for a while but now it is back to trains.
Jock Ellis
Jock Ellis

[Anonymous]

Trains, for as long as I can remember, but since I didn't have a permanent place to build a layout (military brat so we always moved) I took to building and collecting model military aircraft. Favorite size is 1/72 but I would dabble in other sizes as well. Wait a moment! I think there is a similarity here! Trains are THE favorite now and forever.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bnsf6733

What were your hobies before trains? Mine was airplanes, airplanes, and more airplanes.

Well, for me it was trains, trains, trains...and now I fly airplanes for a living, both for a corporate flight department and the military.

I have always had a fascination with anything transportation related...trucks, trains, cars, motorcycles, and especially aircraft. Right now, trains are an arm-chair hobby - girls, college, airline, marriage, military, kid - all seemed to displace trains as my primary undertakings. Lately, however, the train bug has bit hard, especially since my three year-old son really likes them. It also helps that we have a huge, empty, soon-to-be-finished basement that is inviting a nice-sized HO layout or a huge N-scale layout.

For me, this is also the time of year for the hobby - spring, summer, and the early part of the fall are great times to enjoy the outdoors here in Pennsylvania. However, it's very convenient that our family loves hiking and that my wife comes from central PA very near Altoona - and the horseshoe curve! Great place to burn some new trails through the woods and get a unique perspective on the curve - all from public land, of course.

It's interesting to me how a seemingly unrelated activity like hiking or my wife's love for photography can be tied nicely into a hobby like railfanning and model railroading.

[eastcoast]

I don't believe I actually know.
I started out with LEGOS. I perfected in creating TRANSFORMING
things WAY before they hit market. I still do this today, but because
Hasbro beat me to the patent I am S O L on money. I also collect
trading cards for NFL and am about to trade and sell the P. MANNING
collection I have.( ANY BODY INTERESTED ) So now, I have my trains
and also dip into "Southern Anatomy" once in a while, and do find time
to enjoy my kids and the hobbies and interests they have and need.

[Anonymous]

I have no life!

[willy6]

Collecting empty beer cans........hic-up!

[Hawks05]

well i tried to play guitar. i'm actually thinking about starting to try and play again. also we have a rather nice drum set and i'd sometimes play that. might do that a little today, i have a lot of anger built up from this past weekend.

i guess thats the only real hobby. do video games count? i still play those quite a bit yet.

kind of a lame kid here. music and sports have always been my life.

[lupo]

started of with LEGO, for my 7 th birtday got my ffirst HO set, at 17 after selling of my first HO inventory, I started tinkering with PA systems and theatrical lighting sets, pyrotechnics, organising music festivals, audio enginering, production, playing electronic dance music, designing, grafity [:O]
when my real job got to busy sold the PA system, concentrated on work, "married with child" that brought me back to model railroading

[Ibflattop]

Oh my where do my Hobbies start and stop. When I was eather 2 or 3 my grandparents started to get me the old grey wheeled Matchboxes. ( Still got all my Matchboxes from the start!) Then for my 4th Christmas they got me a O-27 trainset.( Still have it) Then for my 7th Birthday the G.I. Joes started in my Hobby File along with still collecting Matchboxes and HotWheels. The H.O. trains started here also! The O -27 got put away for H.O. because you could cram more in for your buck! Then Grampa and I started to build model cars and Planes and trains!!!!!!
This all was happening up until I started to reconize the other sex. The Hobbies where put on the backshelf or stored away in the closet. After Graduating H.S; the 6 year Stint in the Army; getting married and getting a house of our own the model building started back up again. Then the H.O. trains came back out again along with the Hot Wheels and Matchboxes! Along came our Son in 1990, with still collecting H.O. trains and Matchboxes and Hot Wheels. That Hobby has been a strong Force here in our Family for the last 10 years until the cool stuff started to hit in the 1/6th Action Figure Isle. Then the old Joes where called back from retirerment to be greeted by the new Dragon and 21st Century Figures!
The Railroad hobby has stuck with me, along with collecting Hot Wheels, Matchboxes,1/6th scale Military, 1/35th military, 1/24-1/25th Cars and Truck building; Playing games on the P.C. with my son; painting 40K Warhammer with him.
I see with my son that all of these hobbies have tied in somewhere with one another which is cool. But where does the " Maddness" as my wife says ends!!!!!!!!!!
She keeps telling us, " You guys have soo much stuff; You should start your own Hobbyshop! No wait, if ya did that, You guys would only buy for yourselfs, and not sell to the public!!!!!!" My son and I just get a big grim on our face and say, " Ohhhhhhhh YEahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!""""""" Sorry for the long rant!!!!! Kevin

[Anonymous]

I played middle eastern percussion for a while for belly dancers at ren faires. Then I did a haunted house for 10 or so years. got sick of both of those and decided to convince my wife my extreme need for the space in the garage.

[Anonymous]

I always had ever sense I was probably 5 years old as I got older began collecting 1/64th scale semi's and 1/18th model cars. I also play around with R/C planes and do alot of drawings. When I find time I do alot WW2 dioramas...


Clinchfield all the way!!!!!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jsoderq

fast cars, loose women and beer for my horse. Now I'm too old for all of that.

Amen. I do still like the fast cars,and the thrill of the chase{NOT] wife has a chrome plated 45 S&W.And coffee has replaced the beer.Model railroading and winter walleye fishing.Life seems so much safer now.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jamison1

collecting Hotwheels, Matchbox and Johnny Lightning








[:)]

[#ditto] same here

[jlcjrbal]

Baseball cards for about 15 years. I hope my son likes baseball when he is a bit older, I have some really nice cards.. Joseph