Trying to regain perspective for this hobby

Wow!  Cool.  You like skyscrapers and big cities, don't you?  Impressive.

Its hard to tell I like skyscrapers, huh? I always wanted to accomplish this on my last layout, and never did, so it became priority #1 on this one. But now, if I am able, I'll be going back to the previous layout's theme, Christmas fantasy, such that the trains will travel from the big city to a winter wonderland. It won't be easy, though, I first have to finish the rest of the basement and may have to tunnel through the wall.

Very nice layout, Paul!  I especially like the way you made your buildings.  Sorry to hear about the events you experienced as of late, but the best part of this wonderful hobby is that you can lose yourself in that moment when you flip that switch and your layout comes to life.  It tends to be a great stress reliever that brings a smile to your face everytime you quill that train whistle. i am sure the PE expansion will be great based on your past efforts!

 

-Pete

Paul,

I'm glad you're still with us. For awhile there I thought you were going to be a jumper. We're here for you, my friend. Please try not to forget.

Paul you have a terrific looking layout that would be the envy of most hobbyists. It obviously took somebody who was very motivated to design and build it. But I can see how you might get lost in the weeds and need to step back to regain perspective. Life events tend to do that to people. I have two teenagers who required a lot more attention from Dad when they were younger and that is what I spent my time paying attention to. But now that they are becoming much more independent I have begun to ask myself what I will do for fun when they're out of the house and that's how I find myself back into trains. Trains serves as entertainment and a distraction that takes mind mind off of work, at least until I can retire or have grandchildren to pay attention. My priorities are 1. God 2. Family 3. Everything else and that has always helped me to remain focused on what is important. I hope this glimpse into my perspective will help you regain focus on yours. Happy railroading! BTW, I'd love to see your layout! It looks cool!

Paul,

Sorry for your loss. Really nice layout. I love the skyscrapers but if fantasy is what you want, by all means go for it. One of the great things about this hobby is that there are many facets that appeal to different people. A hobby is an escape, a means to relax and forget the stresses of the real world. "Model Railroading is Fun" so enjoy it - your way. Good luck and keep us apprised of your progress.

Thanks for the words of wisdom, guys. Anyone is welcome to see the layout in person if you're in the area of Chester County, PA. It's not very exciting, not like my last layout, but it works!

 

Gary is exactly right in my view, trains are a distraction, a digression, and keeping them in their proper perspective is important. Its true when you spend thousands of dollars on these things and they have problems you feel tremendous aggravation getting things resolved, but when my nephew died it all became meaningless.

 

 

Paul I know what's missing if your trying to "try to capture and create those magical and blissful times of youth." You need a place to rest your head at the end of a straight away so you can see the trains coming at you in a childhood perspective. Maybe you could try to incorporate that into the new "Christmas Division"

That's what's great about this hobby. Life may force you away from it periodically, but invariably you will be back to it eventually. There may be aggravations and challenges associated with building a layout, but these will seem small compared with the "real life" problems the hobby is helping you deal with.

 

Jim

 

Paul, you need to take a side trip to Maine and spend some time with us. We will get your spirits up. Like you, we are working on a new North Pole/PE layout that can't help but keep your enthusiasm up.

Matt, I still do that on the layout - and am nearly deaf from the Railsounds.

 

Jim, you're right, keeping this hobby in perspective is necessary for healthy enjoyment of its benefits. I think many are obsessed with it, and as Gary wisely said it should be a pleasant distraction, not a frustrating one. Admittingly, having spent so much last season on trains and to experience one problem after another I was ready to sell it all.

 

Brian, that would be a great trip. I was last in Maine about 15 years ago, and I loved the fjords and scenery. I've been meaning to ride my motorcycle up through New England for some years now.

Hi Paul,  thanks for sharing your story,  life's events do put things in perspective. There is not a day that goes by that I don't look back and regret some things in my life. Hobbies like trains can be a good way to reduce some of the stress that life naturally brings us. 

Really nice layout.  Kind of looks  like downtown Tacoma.

Paul,

Always liked that picture of your old layout, the houses on the hill that climbed up toward the ceiling, with the Erie Berkshire in the foreground.

 

Dave

WOW!  I love those skyscrapers!  VERY COOL!  

 

As for keeping this in perspective... I couldn't agree more.  Sometimes things just don't seem to go your way no matter what you do.  Trains won't run.... lights won't wire up correctly.... things fall apart.   Life doesn't seem fair in other ways too, but just remember that we all go through these trials and tribulations and you are far from alone!  

 

Sometimes its best to take a step back.  Count your blessings.  Take a few deep breaths and relax.  And if you need to bounce some ideas or brag a little then come here.    

Thanks, guys.

 

When my nephew passed away I was, and still am, devastated. It really put life in perspective.  

Paul,

 

you did the same things years ago with you're other layout, it was great but you always seemed it could be better. I loved it when I saw it. 

 

Things change in life as they have for me. I lost my brother in 2013 and in 2014 11 close relatives died. My pension has been cut, by a good bit. During the crash of 2008 I had to sell my single home that I loved and wanted to retire at. Didn't happen. 

 

I'm now living in a smaller place with a much smaller space for my trains. 

 

I'm still happy, playing with my trains And talking to my friends. 

What I am trying to say Paul is change happens and if you want to change your layout, do what makes you happy. 

 

The people that have passed on are now in the care of the holy father, he now wants you to be happy. 

 

 

Dave,

I am sorry to hear about your losses. I didn't know about your brother. Man, that's rough.

 

You remember well from the old days. I was like an addict back then, buying all those trains trying to get "a fix." I guess I fell off the wagon this past season, because I had been doing well. Although I have a job I really couldn't afford those purchases, and most of them were broken, again, kind of like the old days.

 

 

Such is life.....

Good advice given here by many.No need to re type it.Good luck.Nick

In life we constantly face adversity, bad news, loss and tragedy but life goes on and we have to stay positive. If we don't we allow misery to take over.

It sounds like you have put the difficult times behind and started working on the layout again. It is coming along nicely and will provide hours of activity and good times for you and your family.

Paul,

   Nice layout for sure, hope this year will be better for you with the family.

PCRR/Dave

One of the greatest things about this hobby is out of 100 people in the hobby.....there are 100 different ways it is enjoyed.  Model trains and the world I am building is a GREAT escape from the daily dealings with the real world we all have to face at sometime.

Any hobby is for the sheer enjoyment of it. If you are using thoughts like 'have to' and 'no fun' then you are adding to the stresses of life not relieving them.

I just got done reading George Brown's article in Run 271, "They were actually toys." George is encountering the same frustration with the electronic-laden crap I have.

 

Not to belabor the point, but it bears repeating in simple terms: one does not need a lot of trains or the latest new technology to enjoy this hobby. I think there's something to be said about those who keep things simple. I enjoy the command-control trains with awesome sound systems, but I don't need a lot of them. I've made some good progress in downsizing in recent years, and actually enjoy the fewer trains I have.

My only layout is during Christmas and 99% of my trains are the Christmas-themed trains and the Polar Express.  There are several reasons for this.

 

1) It's really the only time of the year when I am truly into them.  I come to the forum throughout the year, but my pulse around trains doesn't start quickening until after Labor Day as the holiday season approaches.

 

2) It limits me.  If I was into the hobby like most are on for the prototypical aspects, I would be broke and my house would be full of trains.  The collection one can amass in trains is truly staggering.  And there is always new stuff coming out every year.  By only focusing on Christmas trains, I don't have to agonize over which trains to order.  I also don't have to worry about buying everything else that goes into a prototypical layout.  I buy the Dept 56/Lemax buildings and figurines and that's it.

 

3) It keeps the hobby fresh for me.  Since I am only into it a few months out of the year, it doesn't get old.  I get so excited come November when I pull out the trains from the boxes they've been hiding in the rest of the year.  It's a great contrast to my outdoor summer hobbies.

 

4) Christmas trains and layouts make it fun and easy.  I don't have to obsess over my lack of scenery skills or making the layout look realistic.  I also don't have to have this massive layout up all year round that I would start to resent.  Christmas layouts are easy, all fantasy, and a great escape.  They also allow for a different kind of creativity.  Instead of modelling real life, you can choose to create the perfect North Pole or model a Christmas movie or story.  Similar to the freedom those who model with the alien/Area 51/Nuclear themed trains.  It's just fun and you have total artistic license to create the world you want to.  And no electronics, no wiring, no obsessing over details.  Just sit back and relax and enjoy it with the lights off.

 

5) I love Christmas.  Love Polar Express.  Love is not a strong enough word.  It's total escapism to me and when I'm at my happiest.

 

My experience mirrors yours.

When I got back into the hobby in 1995 I started like you, with a Christmas season only layout with Christmas oriented theme. It slowly became a year-round experience, and like you forecasted, the train purchases increased throughout the year, with desire for the "scale" this train and that building, etc., and so did the credit card debt. Soon, the desire to big a bigger and better layout took over, and layout additions eventually took over the basement. By 2009 I had a fantastic layout looking and operating layout, but I was fast losing interest in the hobby.

 

After taking a 2-yr. hiatus I am back where I started, active during cold weather centering on Christmas trains & Polar Express. I still love the scale trains and accessories, but moderation is key as is balancing the hobby with other things in life. Maybe if I was retired it'd be more year round. I do like keeping things fresh as you described, though; makes the experience more novel and exciting when its seasonal.

Yeah... now THAT'S a city!!!!   Very cool!

 

Perspective is important for anything.   Life has a way of happening all around you and the bad stuff consumes the best of us from time to time.   That's normal;  it's hard to enjoy frivolous, fun things when the important stuff isn't in balance.  I used to take down all my trains after Christmas, but found that I missed them throughout the year.   I run a large carpet central, so what I do now is remove about half of it, reclaim most of the room, but still leave enough up that when I get the itch, I can scratch it without much effort.   My realism suffers some because by nature, my scenery items need to be portable, but I still get a good effect if I put my mind to it.  It is amazing how creative you can get with wiring and stuff on the floor while trying to keep things looking good - that's a challenge!  I do so much more in the summer that trains naturally take a back seat, but by keeping them around and in sight, I don't lapse out of the hobby completely.   Plus, I still get the thrill of engineering and putting up the Christmas section every year.  

 

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I would tire of a permanent layout.  I enjoy changing things and adding new things constantly.  If I ever got to the point that they layout was pretty much "done", I fear I'd lose interest.   I also shift my focus;  sometimes its the trackwork, sometimes, its the buildings and lighting, sometimes its the figures, and sometimes its the vehicles.   I went a little nut with the vehicles this year - at one point it was like I was using the trains to augment my 1:43 die cast collection and not the other way around   So... perspective changes within the hobby itself in a way.  

 

Keep fighting the good fight!

Paul....you have done a beautiful job on the layout....and of course, as you know, I like skyscrapers too!  I have posted a lot of pictures of my city area under my regular "leavingtracks" avatar so I naturally love what you have done in your city area!

 

Alan

Hi Paul • Thank-you for your service and sharing your story. I enjoyed seeing your photos and watching both videos. Big cities are a very complex modeling activity and you did an excellent job.

     Look forward to seeing more of your train room & layout.