Do you have an understanding Wife ?

[dragonriversteel]

hello all,

I was wondering if some of you guys are as lucky as I. Ten years ago,I moved down south,only the meet the women of my dreams,a redhead no less{yeah}. Early in the relationship,I told her about my addiction...trains and model trains.
Her reply was oh thats nice...ten years and four thousand dollars later,my addiction has grown.Sometimes we argue over money,bills ,yada yada ect,ect.She throws up the model train addiction thing in my face. {I'll give her that ,shes right about me spending to much money on my hobby} my swift reply is........quote. It could be drugs ,gambling,T&A bars,classic cars,airplanes ,guns,salmon fishing {oh how I miss, salmon fishing} ect.

I can safely say I have a very understanding wife.

P.S
If I could ,just get her to help with my hobby,life would be perfect.

Patrick

[Anonymous]

As I've said before, and will happily say as often as possible: Yes I do. She's very understanding and supports me fully, though she doesn't get into it herself. That's fair, I'm not into scrapbooking which is her big thing. And yes, the classic line holds true: She realizes it's better than me being out boozing and carousing.

As to the issue that most often leads to lack of understanding between model railroaders and their spouses, it's luckily not a problem for us. She doesn't ask what I spend on trains, and I don't ask what she spends on... well, anything. Neither of us has ever felt the need to monitor the other's spending, frankly.

[DigitalGriffin]

My Mrs. actually likes to sit and paint buildings, furniture and people with me. So I can't complain. :-D

[selector]

I don't really understand the apparent sentiment expressed by kchronister, but I will say that my wife is a saint. She indulges me reasonably, and keeps me focused. She does keep track of what I spend because I make sure she knows how much that is...we share the responsibilities for our finances. We comprise a team. Team members cooperate.

[vsmith]

Well lately..Yes (it kinda waxes and wanes)

She's tolerant, so to say, even will let me stop at the LHS (she wont go it though)

She drags me to all her shops and I dont have a fit when she buys cloths, shoes, etc that i KNOW she doesnt need, it keeps her happy, as she knows my trains keep me happy. Balance I guess they call it.

That plus my hobby before was hard-core mountain biking, I think I would worry her alot, because invariably I came back from a ride all beat up, scrapped, bleeding, and dam near in need of a hospital on two occasions, Hehehe guess this hobby is far easier on her nerves!

[steveblackledge]

Mine is very happy with me and my hobby, when you look at society today not many people my age spend so much time at home with the family, my work mates live in the pubs and bars which puts a strain on things relationship wise.

[prompter]

My wife is not just understanding, she's a partner in crime when it comes to all things railroading, not just models.

She encourges me to buy the latest greatest crafsman structure kits, so she can build them, My(?) first brass purchase was the complete 1939 COSF with A-B-B all powered, at her request, for her collection. She's currently building structuires for our new On30 module.

When we go to a Gats or other show, she's more likely to buy something than I am.

Riding the real thing is her favorite part of the hobby. We've done most of the Amtrack routes, most of the name trains in Australia, the Alaska RR, and trains in England, France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain.

But the best of all was when she suprised me with a "Rent-a-train" (also know as a footplate experience) in Wales. All day with a locomotive and 10 ore cars in with a switching puzzle to solve. And she took turns as engineer and brakeman!

Now that's an understanding wife!!!!

[Anonymous]

Supportive - within reason of course![;)] I simply need to be 'up front' with her about my big-ticket train items (>$50.00). I also try not to spend more than 3 days/2 nights away at various "meets", even when they have activities that fill up almost a week.

[Anonymous]

Mine may not be quite as involved as prompter's, but she is very supportive.

As long as I keep the money to a dull roar she is happy. My five year old daughter Brenda, (six in two weeks) is a keen modeller as well. Brenda (daughter) works on scenery, lays track and operates. Mum does scenery, paints models and such. Me? I lay track, design things, operate. and have a fun time trying to think of where I can incorporate electronics into trains.

My daughter and I have a weekly ritual of going to at least one hobby shop, my wife sometimes comes with us. I suppose often enough that the folks at Georges Trains know her by name! Of course Brenda and I indulge mummy in her bridge playing addiction, so we all end up happy!

John

[Javern]

gave up on marriage, just shack up now. I spend what i want and she spends what she wants after all the bills are paid

[jxtrrx]

Both my birthday and our wedding anniversary fall in November. For my birthday she got me an Paasche VL airbrush. For our anniversary she got me a BLI UP MT-73 4-8-2 engine! She said, "I just want to be sure you know how much I support your hobby."

I got me a good one. [:D] One lucky boy here!

[Anonymous]

Yes my wife was very understanding, she understood those stupid trains must go, so one day she threw out a $2,000.00 Lionel set in o scale while I was at work. I had bought it and put it together for my son. That is where my understanding came into play. I had to make a choice between trains or her, so I choose the trains. Now she is my ex-wife and she understands that trains are more important than her! P.s. I still have the kid!

[orsonroy]

My wife, while not a modeler herself, loves my train addiction. She never complains about the time I spend with the hobby, and I make sure that the time doesn't get obsessive (I do most of my kit building upstairs with the rest of the family, for example, and have switched to 'non stinky' products). She actively enjoys railfanning with me (steam only, of course!), and has been bugging me for a couple of years to take her on a weekend long steam fantrip.

And since she's a realtor and loves old houses, my presents for the past three years have been every one of the Branchline laser cut structure kits they've released!

[selector]

Remember the "hurricane"? I still can't get over that, but David's is just as bad. I wonder if both are a case of not getting mad...just getting even. I would like to think that modelers are above reproach...except that I am a modeler, and cannot claim to be above reproach. [:I]

P.S. - Dave, good choice! [(-D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davidvd59

Yes my wife was very understanding, she understood those stupid trains must go, so one day she threw out a $2,000.00 Lionel set in o scale while I was at work. I had bought it and put it together for my son. That is where my understanding came into play. I had to make a choice between trains or her, so I choose the trains. Now she is my ex-wife and she understands that trains are more important than her! P.s. I still have the kid!

Wow! That's a helluva tale. Makes me appreciate my wife even more by contrast.

[ICRR1964]

I'm one of the lucky ones to! Years ago when we bought our home which is 130 years old and has five bedrooms, first thing we did was redo the whole upstairs just her and I. 4 tons of old plaster and truck loads of old lath hauled away, she was right beside me getting into the dirt, she helped me insulate, wire, drywall, hang lites and paint! After the smoke cleared and the bank book was drained, she told me I should build a small layout in one of the bedrooms upstairs! My wife helped me do the benchwork, and lay track. I feel she is happy because I am! I put a 24 by 24 addition on my 3 car garage several years ago, she has helped me build my present set up and helps me when she can. The money part of modeling? I keep her up to date and ask if it is ok! I always get a thumbs up!

[jdolan]

My wife is very understanding about the trains and is my partner in construction of Our layouts and is the main scenery builder. She goes to the LHS with me and we both control the money we spend on the hobbies. She likes to go to The railroad museums too. Her standards are higher than mine I will say good enough and she will say do it over til it's right.

Jack

[nbrodar]

Yes, my wife is very understanding. While not into modeling herself, she's always excited to see what progress I've made or what I've brought home from the LHS.

Nick

[rexhea]

Oh yes! She is very understanding or I would be on the street. Since I have been retired a couple of years, she understands the need for me to have something to occupy my time and she knows my love of trains from a previous run I had in MR. She does help me some on the layout, but is more excited by my enthusiasm with the hobby. I took her with me to a district train show in October. We went in and I started talking to some of the fellows I knew, but when I turned around to introduce her, she was clear across the Center going from one layout to the other. I finally lost her and had to get a missing child announcement. [:D]
Everyone loves Trains!
REX

REX

[CP5415]

Somedays I do Patrick.

For a while it was touch & go but I think she's starting to break. [;)]

Gordon

[cnw4001]

Well let's see, we go to a train show. Look at the stuff for sale and we leave with stuff. She's carrying the trains she bought and I'm walking along side empty handed.

Guess she's understanding.


Dale

[slotracer]

When I was really into trains years and years ago she was not understanding, lets say she ignored it all and unless I got too involved and over the top she stayed out of the way. She did like steam locomotives though and if I was out taking photos of steam she would pick up a spare camera and shott some photos from different angles than I was. In 95 during it's final months we shot Tenesssee Pass and she loved the scenery so she picked up a camera and shot a few from different angles. Beyond that it was too much.

Now that I have been away from the hobby she is not afraid to voice likes for aspects of it for fear of being "recruited" and having to hear even more about trains. She enjoys a ride on the narrow gauge or ski train. She has expressed an interest in nice model scenery and nicely built and weathered buildings and might try her hand at it sometme knowing I only have a passing interest now and she won't get overwhelmed.

[ttrigg]

Well I guess I'm one of the more lucky ones. My wife buys her own trains, her own buildings, buys me track and says "I want you to make the track go this way (diagram provided)". That was true in HO and N scales, now that we have moved out to the garden it is hard to determine just who "owns" the GRR. All structures have been B-day/Xmas/Fathers day/any excuse presents from her. I will admit that since she is a gardener (by occupation) I have willingly conceded the live plants for the GRR to her. My next project is to comply with her wishes, a 145 foot run (one way) out and back thorough her apple/plum/orange trees.

She actively searches out train stores for me to go to.

She Prepays for tickets to train shows. While at the shows, she pays for food and trains.

So I guess that I'm a little more lucky than most.

P.S. She's been doing this for over 30 years, so I guess "she's a keeper."

[IRONROOSTER]

My wife tolerates my hobby and even goes to some of the train shows with me as well as some railfannning. Of course it's all her fault - she bought me my first train that started me in this hobby, not that she knew where it was going to lead.
Enjoy
Paul

[davekelly]

Let's see. On our last trip to Dallas she mentioned that there was a train show in Fort Worth and wanted to know if I wanted to go. While there she saw me looking at a structure kit that I've wanted for a while and said "why don't you get it?" The previous trip I wanted to stop by Discount Trains in Addison. I wandered the aisles for about an hour just looking at all kinds of stuff. She wanted to know why I wasn't getting anything. A half hour later walked out with some real neat stuff.

I think I'm a pretty lucky guy!

[Anonymous]

Understanding is not the right word because it implies that she "understands" why some men go crazy over trains. She doesn't "get" it, but I don't understand why women need so many pairs of shoes. But insofar as the hobby goes, she likes the fact that I have something like that. She has her sewing hobby so I guess she understands the need for a hobby.

[joeyegarner]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dragonriversteel

hello all,

my swift reply is........quote. It could be drugs ,gambling,T&A bars,classic cars,airplanes ,guns,salmon fishing {oh how I miss, salmon fishing} ect.

I can safely say I have a very understanding wife.

P.S
If I could ,just get her to help with my hobby,life would be perfect.

Patrick

I know the feeling, my wife is also very supportive, and I have said the same things when needed. Her most recent gesture is to let me build a layout in the spare bedroom (roughly 10X12) and sure I'm taking her up on it!!

[Adelie]

Despite my grousing, I have a very understanding wife. She can probably tell which is the locomotive and which is the caboose, but operationally that is about all. She doesn't understand my interest in trains, but then again, she doesn't understand my interest in football, hockey, the Three Stooges, tools or much of anything else we men tend to be interested in. But she supports it, and even keeps it as a priority when we do stupid things like look at houses or house plans!

I do bounce ideas for buildings, scenery and non-railroad operations stuff off of her. I suspect she will help with the scenery, when and if I ever get that far.

[accord1959]

My wife caught me on the computer yesterday and asked, " are you bidding on more model RR stuff, I said " of coarse not, "this is a forum and they tell you how to model without spending too much money." Thanks guys!!!

[ezielinski]

My soon-to-be wife (getting married March 17th of 2006) is O.K. with my addiction to model railroading. She said she loves to come down to the basement and see me in my "element".