So here we are the best part of a year laying low to avoid the scourge that has enveloped the planet. When my sons University in Ottawa shut down on a Thursday afternoon, he was on a plane home Saturday morning. It was a little bit scary to be suddenly hauled out of his acadamic routine to be on a airplane bound for home and he freely admited a tear rolled down his face when Vancouver came into view out the window of the plane. My Daughters University shut down in Victoria and I was on the ferry the next day to get her home from residence.
With that being said, through all this I have not really noticed much of an inconvenience in my daily routine. I get up, drink two cups of coffee, then workout, then play my guitar(s) for a couple of hours and then hit the trainroom at my leisure. Lockdown for me was pretty much like any other day.
I have friends and family that are not doing well through the pandemic as they have hobbies and interest that involve leaving the home and having lots of interaction with other people. My sister is a dog show judge that constantly flys all over the world judging. She is not doing well at all being grounded, her mental health is suffering.
There have been periods of time over the years when the trains did not get as much attention as I would have liked to have given them but I always had a warm fuzzy feeling knowing they were there waiting for me when I was ready to get back at it.
As usual, the Filosophy Phriday question isn't much about Filosophy but rather a starting point for disccusion.
How has having a hobby/interest that allows you to carry on uninterupted through the pandemic make you feel? I know I have been able to gloat to some of my friends and family about my choice of hobbies as most of them have been shut down, suffering cabin fever as a result. Being a model railroader the pandemic just means a whole lot more time on the layout for me.
I am suffering a little bit from train show withdrawl but find myself ordering a few more items than usual from retailers to get my fix. Trainshows are my only interaction with fellow model railroaders other than social media.
Are any of you ordering more from retailers to fill the train show gap?
Operating sessions must be affected to some extent.
If your employment has been affected, have trains helped to ease that stress?
I could go on and on with questions as they relate to covid-19, but why not just tell us how model railroading has fit into your pandemic weathering life.
Winter is approaching and I feel like I somehow missed summer along the way, oh well, to the trainroom!
What say you?
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Hi Brent,
The pandemic has certainly put a stop to socializing. We were supposed to be having a party this weekend with some long time friends but we decided it wasn't worth the risk. I used to go for coffee every week with an old work buddy but I haven't seen him since February, and we have decided that we won't be going for coffee until well into next year.
As far as model railroading, I haven't been affected by Covid-19 at all. I'm still working on the layout at the usual slow pace that my back allows. I have had to go out a couple of times to buy model train related supplies like lumber, but the only real difference was that I had to wear a mask. Amazon has allowed me to avoid having to go into stores for small items like screws, glue and tools so I have had to visit very few stores.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I hope this thread does not wander into forbidden territory and get shut down. Remember... No actual discussion of the pandemic.
I took early retirement before the pandemic with the full intention of spending 12 months working on my house non-stop. Thus it has not effected me very much at all, except for the fact that permitting and inspections are very delayed and slowing things way down.
I have not been "model railroading" in a long time, but that was planned.
This is what has changed for me... and I DO NOT like it at all:
Before the pandemic shut down everything, I was out in the world all the time. I travelled all over the United States, saw people everywhere, and had a very positive oppinion of my fellow human beings.
Now, I do not get to go out at all. I have not been to a sit-down restaurant in 7 months. I have not been to a Wargame Convention, Cosplay Convention, or Train Show. I miss my Friday Night Wargaming group.
All I know about the outside world comes from weekly trips to Home Depot and Publix, and people are on tension in these places.
All my information comes from the news, and it is always bad news. Shootings, Home Invasions, Road Rage, Robberies, and so on.
My oppinion of my fellow human beings is changing, and I know it is because I do not get out and interact with them any longer. All I know about other people is what I see on the bad news. People, face to face, are wonderful. There is an empty space that needs to be filled.
I am hating this. I need people. I need to talk to someone face to face and see their smile. This is really beginning to wear on my soul.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190I hope this thread does not wander into forbidden territory and get shut down. Remember... No actual discussion of the pandemic.
Yes, if we can keep the discussion as it pertains to the hobby we should be fine.
My college has been doing mandatory twice weekly testing(UIUC), and I gotta say, its been effective.
Downside is, now Ive been away from my layout for longer than I expected.
And for some reason, all the good deals on ebay always appear when Im not home!!
So I'll admit I've been buying more locomotives on ebay, some impulsive, some not. I've got a pretty good system going, where if the engine is listed as junk, I ship it to my home. If it claims to be new, or working, I ship it to my out of state college apartment, and test it on site.
Because of the extreme testing, and the fact that my college is located in the middle of nowhere, my college model railroad club has been allowed to host meetings, and layout workshops so thats been great! Its nice to socialize again.
Also, yes, trains has been a great way to fill up free time otherwise spent partying and traveling.
I hope that was on topic enough...
Charles
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440
Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440
Trainman440I hope that was on topic enough... Charles
Perfect! Thanks Charles.
The weather has more of an effect on my layout activities than the "social climate". The better the weather, the less time or interest in the indoor hobbies, and more activity on the outdoor stuff.
Building an 18x40 shop for welding and vehicle repair and maint is the big project this year. It uses a 40 foot container for one side. Rearanging and even moving some of my many sheds is related to that overall project.
I'll turn back to the train room when the outdoor elements drive me indoors, ever so happy i have it to get me through the winter. Since I'm a loner in the hobby, it's been business as usual. I continue mainly to reach out here anyway, as far as RR related discussion goes. Dan
As a retired person, now 16 years into it, there has been no change. Well...maybe one or two. I wrote a letter to the local paper about dogs off leash. My wife and I encounter some entitled person daily, it seems, and its worse with young dogs who are not being trained to respect personal space. What makes it particularly bad is the owners who get huffy and insist that my dog should be leashed if it's that unruly, while their princess is just fine. The town's bylaw is clear, if they'd bothered to read it: dogs off leash in public spaces are deemed to be 'at large'. There are no off-leash spaces within the legal boundaries of the Town of Comox. I don't imagine they care. This has only been a problem with personal space and the COVID-19. The Town's bylaw officer has left a message on the machine, and will return his call tomorrow.
Other than that unpleasantness, my routine is the same. I fast from 1800 hrs to 1200 the next day, and get in a run/walk session of 15-20 km late in the fast to get depleted from liver glucose and muscle glycogen. I eat, hit the computer, watch some TV with the missus, or we go out and garden, or shop, or go for a bike ride. I volunteer as a shopper for shut-ins in the Valley, and I am on the board of Crimestoppers. I also sing in the bass section of a local choral society....not much of that happening. I sometimes model, but have done nothing substantial since end-June of this year because there's so much else to do during the summer.
I am getting ready to head out and complete the yard. A few more days of putting the garden to bed for the winter, and then I have modeling.
SeeYou190 I hope this thread does not wander into forbidden territory and get shut down. Remember... No actual discussion of the pandemic. I took early retirement before the pandemic with the full intention of spending 12 months working on my house non-stop. Thus it has not effected me very much at all, except for the fact that permitting and inspections are very delayed and slowing things way down. I have not been "model railroading" in a long time, but that was planned. This is what has changed for me... and I DO NOT like it at all: Before the pandemic shut down everything, I was out in the world all the time. I travelled all over the United States, saw people everywhere, and had a very positive oppinion of my fellow human beings. Now, I do not get to go out at all. I have not been to a sit-down restaurant in 7 months. I have not been to a Wargame Convention, Cosplay Convention, or Train Show. I miss my Friday Night Wargaming group. All I know about the outside world comes from weekly trips to Home Depot and Publix, and people are on tension in these places. All my information comes from the news, and it is always bad news. Shootings, Home Invasions, Road Rage, Robberies, and so on. My oppinion of my fellow human beings is changing, and I know it is because I do not get out and interact with them any longer. All I know about other people is what I see on the bad news. People, face to face, are wonderful. There is an empty space that needs to be filled. I am hating this. I need people. I need to talk to someone face to face and see their smile. This is really beginning to wear on my soul. -Kevin
Kevin- For the reasons you stated above, I rarely watch the news anymore. This is my self preservation manuever, and I would counsel anyone who is starting to feel like you do, to do the same. But I can say that the vast majority of the country is still just us regular folks making do. You can still get in the car and travel to other parts of the country with less restrictions and open restaurants, and the ability to interact with others. This is one of the many reasons I just relocated from WA state to SD. Hang in there brother.
Being an OTR driver that pulls a reefer (food), my workload has actually increased with less home time (it's currently going on 5 weeks since I've seen the house). We are exempt from the HOS Regs now until Dec 31st- people want to eat. On the positive side, my income has risen. What limited hobby time I had has dwindled to being almost non-existent. I still managed to find a few items to purchase, but I worry, (or maybe wondering) if I'm going to become one of those individuals that has a bunch of models with nary a layout. I found this has had the recent effect of actually dulling my interest- what a predicament huh?
Y'all take care and stay safe
Kevin
These whimsical topics with misspelled titles, typical of MR forums, do have a way of veering out. Sure keeps the moderators on their toes! So here we go, in before the lock!
Yeah, I'd say the present times are hardest on extroverts. Those who are introverts, less so. Or those who aren't independantly wealthy and can afford to do all of these things out and away are probably affected less as well. I agree, the news is particulaly disturbing and seems to have a darkening affect. Reminds me of the lyics from Don McLean's American Pie song. "bad news on the door step, I couldn't take one more step", although it was about something else.
I worry, (or maybe wondering) if I'm going to become one of those individuals that has a bunch of models with nary a layout.
Welcome to the club. I went through many years of life due to circumstances moving often, living in small apartments, etc. where I was a "collector", that evil word, and circumstances where a layout was not happening. Keep the faith.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I was in my winter routine in March, which consisted of model railroading, golf and leading the local volunteer income tax group. The tax program came to a halt, which meant more time for the other two. Unfortunately, our travel plans had to be cancelled.
I accelerated my work on the layout (started 2012) and completed the scenery, added some more details such as street lights, more people (patiently painted). I then built some more car kits from my inventory of prior purchases. Painted all the freight car wheels & trucks. Reset the sound levels on all my locos to comparable levels.
I don't run the trains all that much, as I prefer to be working on something. I'm contemplating building a F-100 model (I used to fly them) that I have had in a box for several decades. I need some new ideas on the railroad front. I could add crossing lights and automated gates but am somewhat hesitant to take on the crossing gates. Maybe just the right project, now that I think of it.
Now that fall is here, it is time to be preparing again for the volunteer tax program. Training our volunteers will be virtual, so I have found it an interesting project to master Google Meet (comparable to Zoom) as the presenting "host". Ultimately, the virus situation in early 2021 will dictate whether we can offer our services, after all the preparation. Our evening TV options have been expanded, as there are few if any new shows. We watch lots of Amazon Prime TV series, plus some from Brit Box and Acorn. Mostly murder mysteries.
I don't complain, as our situation is fortunate compared to many. The biggest disappointment is seeing the kids and grandkids rather little since March.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I am getting more done on the layout.
With several risk factors for my wife and me, we're staying home except for doctor's visits.
I do miss going to the train shows with my middle son who is into Lionel trains in a big way. And I miss the family dinners with all 3 of my sons, daughter-in-law, and 2 grandchildren. And I miss breakfast once a week with a couple of friends.
But I look at it as trading 1-2 years staying at home for 10-20 years more of life. And truth be told it's a nice house on 2 acres with woods in the back. So I don't find this too onerous.
peahrensNow that fall is here, it is time to be preparing again for the volunteer tax program.
I wish I had the option of voluntary tax.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage peahrens Now that fall is here, it is time to be preparing again for the volunteer tax program. I wish I had the option of voluntary tax.
peahrens Now that fall is here, it is time to be preparing again for the volunteer tax program.
Time for a father Ted meme:
I will try to be brief.
Personally it has not effected me much, it has actually had pluses and minuses.
Real Estate here is booming, so it helped us do well selling two properties, and maybe a third soon. Part of our retirement plan, sell the big house and the rental properties.
It has required us to help a little more with grandchildren, that is a plus and minus all in one.......
My work is booming, so layout progress remains slow. I need complete several home improvement projects at my own home to allow layout construction to start. I am working on those projects now.
My wife is a retired mental health professional, with more than her share of physical health issues. The pandemic has had only minor impact on our life style.
But we both predicted the mental health toll on the population in general right from the start.
While I am still working right now (I like my work), I do plan to scale back to semi retirement soon, and possibly dabble in some other small business ideas.
I don't miss train shows one bit, I do miss some of the new old stock bargains from train shows, but I'm not much for the crowds and the strollers........
I have not been buying much, until layout construction gets underway, there is little I need or want that I do not already have. I did pick up another trolley bus set on ebay this week.
Happy to be in our quiet little neighborhood, in our quiet little town, and staying away from most people.
Sheldon
I tend to be a social hermit so any lockdown went pretty much unnoticed by me. Traffic was a bit lighter in the early weeks, so it made my weekly/daily errand runs more enjoyable....bring on more lockdown!
Personally, a job change to Georgia 4 years ago impacted my life more than any pandemic. Like Kevin, I used to travel frequently to on site jobs and work with a team of collegues. A move to GA turned me into a basement dwelling teleworking analyst with social interaction consisting of emails and phone calls. The pandemic has made that worse, but I was about 75% there already.
But, working in the basement office puts me three steps from the train room.
Coffee breaks are more frequent and last longer than the boss knows...shhhh.
I miss train shows, but the shows in ATL were never as frequent or fruitful as the shows in Indiana, so its not a big loss.
I've been clearing out stuff that I will not run on the layout to fund purchases of better stuff, so buying has been rather heavy during 2020, which would have happened regardless of the pandemic.
My wife is a nurse (used to work with mental health patients, Sheldon, I can relate to some of the challenges) and we are concerned about precautions at work, but it does not seem to have impacted her life or frequency with which she wants us to visit her (our?) friends over in Lake Martin Alabama.
Hobby life has been pretty much the same for me though.
- Douglas
I'm not a total introvert, but enough to go through this challenge without too many scars. My biggest problem is that I have been kept very busy at work - busier than usual for some odd reason. But because most services were closed in the spring, I did have the opportunity to spend a bit more time in the MRR rooom in the basement. Made progress on some structures and my lumber mill scene. On the other hand, our MRR club was pretty much closed for three months. A few guys go every week since July, but I have gone only a few times to limit my exposure. So it's the MRR club social life that hurts the most.
Simon
Not much impact on myself, my wife still does the shopping, we very rarely went out before and slightly less now for me it's Doctor time. We are sorta loaners and we have never been ones to party much, only with family. Here the problem is old age, at 83 if it doesn’t hurt then it died and fell off.We both retired December 2007 and shortly after that I stopped watching or listening to the news. No news is much better than the bad news on TV. We have a great collection of DVDs, no commercials no news. Lots of mysteries (Murdoch, Ellery Queen & Nero Wolfe) and railroad type DVDs.I quit watching sports when they did their refusal of the National Anthem, didn’t watch sports much before that because of their strike. When my Arthritis permits I work on my layout when it doesn’t I work in our hobby room at my workbench. Lots of old projects to work on. I really like tweaking my model railroad stuff, really got into the tiny SMT LED and Arduino thing.
Other than that just enjoying being here and not pushing up grass.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Thanks for starting this thread, Brent.
Like some of you, I'm retired, so I find very little difference from before the virus.
Probably the thing that changed the most was church and my men's Bible study. Those are both getting back to normal now.
The other issue is that we don't get to see the children and grandchildren as much, although we still do see them. A planned vacation with all of them this past July was changed to a different place -- it was a good vacation, but not what I had been looking forward to.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has cut the news-watching to zero. I feel, at my age, that I only have a few years left, and I don't want to spend them getting upset at the TV and the bad vibes of the news.
People are much nicer and better than what we see on the news.
York1 John
riogrande5761 I went through many years of life due to circumstances moving often, living in small apartments, etc. where I was a "collector", that evil word...
I went through many years of life due to circumstances moving often, living in small apartments, etc. where I was a "collector", that evil word...
I dont think "collector" should have any negative connotations to it. "hoarder" is where I draw the line
Trainman440 riogrande5761 I went through many years of life due to circumstances moving often, living in small apartments, etc. where I was a "collector", that evil word... I dont think "collector" should have any negative connotations to it. "hoarder" is where I draw the line
It's not hoarding, it's being well supplied.
And I am very well supplied - in 3 scales yet.
Wow! I miss these discussions. Anyway, I probably order a bit more to help pass the time. That is not from retailers but from the HO swap site. Part of that also stems from focusing on working on freight cars now that the trackwork and scenery's done. Of course that doesn't include ballast.
I too feel that summer zoomed by and seeking on having fall do likewise. It seems that shorter days, the fall encourages more time indoors. Am I wrong?
Some things have changed and some have not.
I hate train shows, I see no reason to pay to get in to buy something. I order most online, but have only purchased new items from Scaletrains, Rapido and Athearn.
Our club was shut down for 5 months as it is in the Strongsville Historical Society grounds and they shut down and are still shut down for the forseable future. We were allowed to meet but only 4 people at the layout at a time. We are all on a schedule as to what day and time we attend. This means we cannot have an operating session as we need 8-10 people to fully operate these sessions.
I am an avid bowler, leauges have started up this fall but we have only 75% of the bowlers back who bowled last year and we are practicing social distancing.
I have been going out to restaurants at least once a week now, I did a lot of take out orders to support the restaurants when they could not seat anybody but most were from my niece's restaurant in Ohio City.
Did cut down on traveling and my daughter insisted that we not fly out to California to see our new grandson.
My youngest son is getting married next month, but the guests will be low as many are afraid of traveling and the covid.
Thats it for me.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
I'm retired for the past 9 years but did work PT jobs off and on. But since the pandemic started in around February I have not Worked or dined out since march.
Being im the last of my family and only 73, the rest have past away so if not for my Trains this pandemic would have been much worse.
I do miss talking to people at shows and people in general. I have gone for weeks without seeing or talking to another person. But i do hang out on the train forums which is a big help.
Stay safe and stay healthy everyone,
My garden railway provides some diversion but in some ways I wish it was a little earlier in it's development. Not watching the news is a good idea but I liken it to passing a car wreck and not looking over. I always like Father Ted references. One of the best comedies to come from that side of the pond. Beware if you have strong religious tendancies.
F A D G!
kasskaboose Wow! I miss these discussions.
Wow! I miss these discussions.
Me, too, although it's more like that "Whatever happened to YBobby? He hasn't posted in about six months." Suddenly, there it is....what's missing. He and all the others who have drifted, left, or Really Left.
kasskaboose ... I too feel that summer zoomed by and seeking on having fall do likewise. It seems that shorter days, the fall encourages more time indoors. Am I wrong?
...
Not in my books...you're quite right. We were all cooped up, we got to know our confines really well, we spent a lot of time in deep thought and self-absorption, and when the summer came by, it was pretty much same-same....with one notable exception: a bunch of us were finally called back to work, and that's when time began to fly. Truly, the past eight months have whizzed by for me, but I'm retired and my days all blend into one big Think.
York1People are much nicer and better than what we see on the news.
Thank God for that. The news (MSN, CNN etc.) is very "corrosive" these days (and social media can be too). My desire to know what is going on in the world is usually met with, "I wish I didn't know that" and the world is so full of bad people or deluded people or " *sigh* Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future where humans overcome their differences and get along in harmony is so dead wrong. But I still enjoy throwing my brain out the window and watching Star Trek to forget about the ills of society. And of course, trains.
As for trainshows, it's a love/hate kind of thing. I think most of us hate crowds and strollers, but sometimes I go to Timonium and it's not too bad and I can enjoy myself perusing the tables and watching some trains run on those big modular layouts. I had the date wrong and missed the Feb Timonium show and was all ready to go in April and of course everything shut down - funs over. I just got an email for their contact address change. The Oct show was canceled a few months ago and we'll have to see about Feb 2021.
I still need to get my layout back together.
I had thought of joining a local train club, but they're all shut down for the duration.
I'm probably suffering from analysis paralysis getting the layout back up again. It will need significant restructuring and rearrangement, and I've already realized I will need to sacrifice stuff I like to put it up again. Oh, well, building is more fun to me than running, anyway.
At least we can go to restaurants, sit down and take off masks, so we can see others smiling.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
So what this has done is improve my income as I don't shop near as much and since resterants don't allow indoor seating, that expence has gone. Also I invested some money when there was blood in the streets, those who know investing will get that, shuld have invested more though. Most relatives are teachers or other essential workers so they were not affected much, I'm retired. Wish I could comment more. See, I din't even mention the "V" word.
Hello,
The "social distancing" mandate hasn't affected our lives very much. Mrs. Pullman and I are both retired and enjoy our solitude living at the quiet end of a cul-de-sac in a semi-rural area.
We both have small circles of friends but visits are not very frequent. I have several "train-friends" that I still see on occasion and sometimes visit the layout for operating and we try to observe safe distancing practices and masks.
Hand washing was never a problem for me as I was somewhat of a fastidious hand washer before the virus came along. I observe people and their hygene habits and shake my head in dismay.
Both my wife and I have our respective hobbies/activities. Some we enjoy together and others are individual. I manage to spend at least four hours a day on model RR activities, considerably more on days of inclement weather.
So the "lockdown" hasn't made much difference in our activities. We both enjoy cooking delicious meals, some might say better than any restaurant fare. Train shows were becoming tiresome for me but I used to attend them because it was a time to get together with a few friends. I have years-worth of modeling supplies/projects but whatever need arises is easily met with on-line sources. The UPS, USPS and Amazon trucks parade to my house on nearly a daily basis.
Model railroading is just about the ideal hobby for us "basement dwellers" and I enjoy all the aspects of the hobby, the creativity, electronics and kit building and the historical research that helps to guide me toward more accurate modeling.
I hope everyone out there isn't impacted too seriously. I have heard of the passing of several modelers and rail historians on other forums and I do appreciate the seriousness of the pandemic that is among us.
Regards, Ed