Over the years the amount of time that I could devote to model railroading has fluctuated due to other commitments. There were some stretches lasting several years where nothing got done.
That changed when I retired a few years ago, although little gets done during the summer months. This winter I have been able to spend about 5 hours a day on the layout. While I can see dramatic progress I still have so much to do!
When I look at some of the pictures that are posted here I can only wonder if I am just working at a snails pace or if some of you never leave the layout room.
Rick
How much time on the hobby?
Three hours a week (at best).
Leeds Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock layout
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
hbgatsfWhen I look at some of the pictures that are posted here I can only wonder if I am just working at a snails pace or if some of you never leave the layout room.
I've had the same reaction.
I retired five years ago. I started the layout a little less than four years ago. The work is off and on, but I would guess I average ten hours per week.
I look at others' layouts and wonder how they do it. I obviously am a slow worker.
One thing that slowed me down was when I decided to integrate some Arduinos in the layout. For several months, my hobby time was spent watching Youtube videos and experimenting with circuits, etc. I enjoyed it.
York1 John
If I am lucky, a couple of hours a week. Most of the time I am sorting and organizing my stuff from my move. I have been very limited in what I can do in terms of lifting as I recover from eye surgery last month, so I can't pickup boxes and tubs to speed the process. So I haven't done any real model railroading projects since we moved into the house last July.
There are lots of different factors at play guys. Some have had their layouts up for decades. Some "live" in their layout rooms. Some work faster than others. Some work hard on finishing a particular scene and share pics, inadvertantly giving the impression the whole layout is in a similar state. I know I've personally run into a few ruts where nothing happens in terms of layout progress for various reasons. When I got all the tracks down and started to look hard at starting scenery I felt really discouraged by the size of the layout and how much work there would be. I finally decided to work on one small area I was most excited and least intimidated by. That progress spurred more work, and so on. Right now, I'm in the middle of another rut. I started my next interesting to do area, but it's also going to be the most challenging for me, so I'm going slow partly to make sure I do what I really want and don't have to re-do it. Partly because there are a couple challenges to it I've not quite figured out how I want to tackle. It will get there when it gets there, and that's okay.
Mike
My time in the layout room varies a lot. I'm retired, so I have about as much time as I want most days. Some days I'm in there five or six hours, and others for half an hour or sometimes even less. Just depends on what I feel like doing.
For me time spent model railroading isn't very seasonal. Summer or winter is all the same in the train room.
On average I'd guess I spend two to three hours a day on the hobby on average. If you count the time making update videos and working on hobby-related stuff on the computer, it probably adds another half hour to an hour to that total.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Over the years I probability spent an average of about 10 hours a week at some sort of model railroading until retirement December 2007. Starting the summer of 2008 I was a model railroader at least 60 hours a week until the dreaded Arthritis finally got the best of me by 2019. I started tapering off about 2016.Now I’m almost stuck in my recliner 24/7 but still tinkering around several hours a day with my trains. I haven’t been able to do much on my layout for three years but I still get some time in at my hobby room workbench and with a swing around table at my recliner its amazing what I can to from my recliner.My wonderful wife helps me 24/7 to keep me going, she has been my source for goodies for years. I haven’t been to a store for years, she hits my LHS when I need hobby goodies.She fetches stuff daily as I need it and I still get things done from my recliner. Mel
My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Varies on what I am doing. Learned a lot on doing the layout before the one I have now and have it down to a system where I can build a room sized layout in 6 months to first level of scenery. Working on 5th level of scenery now, super detailing which will take longer than building the layout. Of note most of my buldings were taken from last layout but some had to be modified a lot. Now with the stage i'm on it is very time consuming but most of that is thinking time, set a scene, live with it a bit come back and adjust and when I am happy with it I glue it down except for buildings which have locator items like glued down thick stripwood that I set the building over or my sandhouse which had a solid wood bottom, I made some cement pads to glue down in front of the doors. I did removable buildings mainly for cleaning reasons but it also limits any damage if it is hit and also will allow for lighting if I deside to do so.
I work from home half my days now. it seems this will be permanent on a hybrid schedule post COVID. This means that without time spent commuting and on my lunch break, I can spend more time downstairs.
For example, during lunch I can paint a building. Then I can go back to the shop after my shift and it's ready to glue together. So my productivity in the hobby is doubled having these intermittent breaks instead of only evenings.
There are times when I'm curious about this myself. However, maybe it's best I don't dwell on the answer too much.
On the layout itself and/or related tasks such as reworking locos, installing decoders, building kits etc I probably average 42 or more hours a week. Generally midnight to 6 am, seven days a week.
Then, as I'm doing now, there are "train related" chores such as tweaking and filing photos, playing on the various forums, checking on availability of modeling tools, materials or "goodies" for the layout then simply reading (old fashioned books, that is) for inspiration and further education which eventually leads to striving for more realism on the layout itself.
I chalk up all this time spent as well-earned therapy for the years of toiling away at chasing the proverbial persuit of happiness.
So far, I think it's working I love this hobby and enjoy just about every aspect of it.
Thanks, Ed
I go to the HO layout in spurts. Weeks, even months, can go by and then I am up there for hours. The Arduinos did kept me busy several years ago. In the warmer months I am more likely to be found in the backyard with the garden railway. But hey, that's a layout too!
Historically I am busiest during design, framing, roadbed construction, laying track, and wiring it to operability. Then..................things................slow.
During construction, three to five hours a day; I am retired. With scenery, after several months of playing with the tracks, I will go hard again over three months or so...three hours a day, maybe more.
Once the scenery is established, I'll play for a few minutes each day. Months might go by before I'll tackle the last project, the yard. This time, fourth layout, I was a lot more intermittent with that project. It has taken me two years, and is just now getting operable.
Like most of us, it's seasonal because April through to October is outdoorsy, gardening, hiking, visiting...that kind of thing.
well i would say around one to two hours a week. this week however I spent the three past days working on my layout. I worked for around 3 to 5 hours on each day. I made 46 trees in one sitting on sunday and I made my layout wider by about 1 foot.
As much as I want, all day, every day.
A lot more time spent in the layout room the past two years for obvious reasons, but my traditional pattern is spending a lot of model railroad time in winter, November until about March, then I taper off and pursue other hobbies with more vigor, but will run the occasional train or build the occasional kit during the warm months. These days, maybe 2-3 hours a day, 20 or so hours a week. Lately I'm split between converting the layout and locomotives to DCC and minor housekeeping/cleanup tasks, not a lot of actual kit building or layout construction. But once spring hits, I'll probably drift back down to 4 or 5 hours a week of layout time as I usually do when things get warm and there are more things to do outside.
For me, it depends on the time of year. (I run the opposite of most people as my layout is in an unheated garage. I plan to heat it eventually. Of course, I don't know when eventually will be.)
During the winter months, it might be only an hour or two on days off from work or I might sneak 15 minutes to do some decals or paint an engine after work. (I have finished 9 freight cars this winter, repaired two flats with new ACI labels and four more cars are in the work pile. An engine finally got headlights and number boards replaced with some Microscale Kristal Klear. Another is in the paint shop getting a bicentennial scheme. Another project will involve getting 70 some odd pieces of rolling stock in boxes.)
During nicer weather, it can be three or four hours on days off depending on what needs doing and dodging house projects. (This year so far I need to install new street lights, finish up a wood chip facility and get areas turfed that need it. Doubtless there are others that will crop up.
Being retired, I usually work in my train room about 1/2 of each week day. I also make time for other interests, such as mountain biking and motorcycling. The weekends are normally reserved for yard work and other household chores.
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
During the building stages of my 4 x 8 East Penn and my subsequent larger North Penn and New England, train time was seasonal and sporadic, mostly during the winter months. COVID work at home schedule provided lots of time for layout work I was able to make a big push and finally complete the North Penn and New England. So for now I spend about a half hour a day riding my exercise bike and watching the trains go through the scenes. When I feel like it I may do some landscaping refinements or add additional structures and details.
It depends on who you ask.
Me. Not nearly enough time.
Wife. Way too much time.
Grandkids. Only if they can help. Then nothing gets done.
Since my heater decided to go a different way, I haven't put much time in the little shop. This morning it's a brisk 42 degrees down there.
Pete.
With endless home improvement projects, no nearly enough.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I've been trying to get most of my track operational and most of the bugs worked out of some of the motive power, so about 2 hours a day, more when the wife turns on the Hallmark Channel. I'm now going to have to push my self on the scenery instead of railfanning the new layout. I might have to pull the plug on the controllers so I'm not tempted to run trains instead of building mountains.
......Paul
RR_Mel Over the years I probability spent an average of about 10 hours a week at some sort of model railroading until retirement December 2007. Starting the summer of 2008 I was a model railroader at least 60 hours a week until the dreaded Arthritis finally got the best of me by 2019. I started tapering off about 2016.Now I’m almost stuck in my recliner 24/7 but still tinkering around several hours a day with my trains. I haven’t been able to do much on my layout for three years but I still get some time in at my hobby room workbench and with a swing around table at my recliner its amazing what I can to from my recliner.My wonderful wife helps me 24/7 to keep me going, she has been my source for goodies for years. I haven’t been to a store for years, she hits my LHS when I need hobby goodies.She fetches stuff daily as I need it and I still get things done from my recliner. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Mel, your story is inspirational. At 69 I sometimes wonder if I should back off some of my plans due to age. Hopefully I can put in many more years.
Thank you for sharing.
Lastspikemike Lastspikemike Too much... Nope, changed my mind. Not enough.
Lastspikemike Too much...
Too much...
Nope, changed my mind.
Not enough.
Yes, I am in this camp too. Too Much - I used to be a lot more active in everything - NMRA, clubs, museum, events, historical societies, Youth in Model Railroading, and especially on this forum. Then I roughly tallied the time I had spent posting here and was shocked. I got away from spending so much time on-line (calculated 1500 hours on this forum only, and that has to be a low estimate) and went to focus on the physical aspects of the hobby, you know actual modeling.
That worked pretty good for a while, then life got in the way. Example, I spent all last year and will probably spend most of this just shuffling/moving to a new house. So back to the "not enough" category. Probably less than 2 hours a week.
After a 15 year hiatus, I would say not enough time. I'm sure that will change as I have WAY too many hobbies. Model Railroading has always been my first love but between off-roading, playing drums in bands, woodworking, and metal fabrication, I can't find enough time for anything. Good thing I travel for work to balance things out. LOL.
Started laying track just after Xmas on a new layout. Built benchwork 2 years ago but then got really really busy with other hobby, music. Since Xmas I have almost finished all the track on a 28' x 12' double tracked layout. It is a folded figure 8, with a large yard almost 24' long on one side. I'm retired so have been spending about 3-4 hours a day on the layout. I haven't picked up a guitar or played my keys since Xmas though. That will have to change soon as we have gigs for our band starting in May, so will start practicing in April. Time then to slow the model railroading down for the summer anyways.
Luckly I work in sales and from home most of the time, especially since covid arrived. On light business days I get an hour or two in during the week, 3-4 hours on weekends in the colder months. I spend a lots time scratch buiding & kit bashing, sometimes up to 3 months on a single building. I also like to build white metal and plastic vehicle kits to place on the layout. In summer i usually choose to work on one project or layout detaling. The rest of the time i'm either planning layout expansion , reading magazine articles, or searching new products and viewing videos on the web. Ironically the least amount of time i spend on the layout is actually running trains? Bayway Terminal NJ