Willpower, not Will Power, although you could build just about anything you want for the price of his ride:
AFAIAC, it's a matter of the will to act. Simple as that!
Waiting until conditions are perfect for that humungous, dream layout? You'll never get there!
Biggest obstacle to me was getting over the bewilderment of DCS vs Legacy. Thanks to Eric Siegel's videos, I got past that although I am far from a master at either system.
Build a table and get going!
wild mary posted:My biggest obstacle is ME. We moved into our house 5 yrs ago and I had great plans for my railroad. WE own the house with no mortgage payment. We have no credit card debt, no car payments, just sold my boat and slip at the marina and am retired with nothing but time on my hands. I have all the trains I'll ever need and have a nice finished 12' X 17' room in the basement that's heated in the winter and a/c in the summer. To top it off my wife has been on my back to get started on the layout. I can't use the excuse of not enough money, nor can I say I don't have the time or space so YES, my biggest obstacle is ME. How do I get past ME?
Maybe enlist the aid of a friend who might enjoy spending time with you building the railroad? It could be a process interrupted by an occasional burger burn or cold drink break.
not enough "train" hours per day !
I like LEAPINLARRY's comment; "when we are working on our trains, we are at Home....When I am in the basement, I am under her feet, so to speak......". LOL I have to try that one! I think most wives don't really understand our form of "hobby" and get a little jealous of the time and money we spend on it when they feel it would be better spent with them, on the house, or raising the kids.
Maybe if we understood or reminded ourselves about why this hobby is so important to us, we can better help our wives to understand. So, let's examine all of these obstacles to see what is keeping each one of us from enjoying our hobby and overcome it!
If it's cost, consider that we cannot afford to NOT have this hobby. It brings peace to our minds and helps keep our sanity. I love thinking about it at work, driving, or wherever. Someone also told me once that each purchase goes a long way. It will last a long time with a little care and you can spread out the accumulation as your layout or collection grows. Having a particular road name or theme with a time frame such as 1955-1957 narrows down the selection and cost and builds patience as you search for each piece or wait for the manufacturers to produce that particular piece.
If it's time, chip away at it little by little and start anywhere. Just spending an hour and solving that derailing switch problem will give you a great sense of accomplishment where 3 hours of watching the TV can't do. It probably didn't make a dent in the layout construction, but, it's about enjoying your hobby and that purpose was fulfilled.
If it's space, buy a new house (just kidding), integrate trains into the living space like a point-to-point switching yard on a shelf in the living room, library, or wherever as long as it decorates and compliments the room. The wife may even count that as home renovation if it looks as nice as a piece of furniture (with a painted, trimmed edge on the shelf for example).
Life is short. We can't afford procrastination, but, don't let that keep you from being patient as you plan and hope for that next residence, acquire enough pieces, or your child is more independent and frees up more time. Maybe we should stop reading this OGR forum (sorry OGR) and get to work on something. However, this OGR forum is also a part of my hobby and brings a lot of enjoyment, ideas, and enthusiasm to me.
I've come here late and have not read every response. But for me, at the moment, is not having space to build a layout. Hopefully that will change in a year or so.
This is an ongoing saga of how much YOUR hobby costs! Priced a jetski, a snowmobile, or a dirt bike, etc lately? How about restoring an old car or even better yet restoring an airplane! It's a hobby, get over it! I know how much enjoyment I get out of 'messin' with my trains, that's the bottomline. If you need a push to even start your hobby then you are in real trouble and this hobby won't help that! 
Russ
Space.
1. Space
2. $$$$$$$
Miggy posted:Being really new to this group, and looking in Wide eye Amazement at the collection of layouts that true "Hobbyists" skillfully craft, I have a question. If you belong to a club that has a layout that you contribute time to, does that enable club members to collect Engines and rolling stock, all the while running it at the Club? (and not crafting a layout at home?)
Absolutely.
I'm very close to joining the NJ Hirailers for just that reason 
(I just need a reliable method of getting over there)
---PCJ
Lack of effort on my part. I got back into the hobby 3 years ago, and spent all of my time refurbishing a PW set I acquired and then just kept adding pieces to it, and finding I enjoyed repairing and tinkering with the trains and cars. I was always telling myself "this will be great WHEN I put up a real layout". Fast forward to this week, when during the big snowstorm, I finally built a 4 by 8 train table. Now I just hope it isn't another 3 years before I set up a layout on it, lol!
Space - the final frontier. That's what caused me to tear down my O scale layout - not enough Space.
I've got the answer to all our space problems! Build the layout on all that empty ceiling space of your house and use super strong magnetic rails! Then, to see it right-side-up, wear low powered telescope glasses that flip the image (but first sit down somewhere near the ceiling). Just imagine, your family can be watching TV/conversing in the same room where you are running trains and the nighttime layout lighting can dimly light the room. The only adjustment is getting used to seeing your family upside-down.
As for the space issue, take a look at some of the youtube videos of O gauge in England. They just build them around the fence in the backyard!
I built a separate building on our property 1800 sq ft,900 for trains and 900 for boat and shop so cost started before one piece of framing started,plumbing,electrical,heating and cooling etc.
Mikey
#RAILRIDE I can give you a ride, everytime I attend, Sir, (From Minnesota) doh! 
The biggest impediment for me getting into this hobby was my almost total lack of knowledge. Years ago when I had a train set for the boys it was fairly simple and straight forward; set up a figure eight and buy some smoke pills. Now information is widely available on the internet but so are a vast array of conflicting opinions. Information overload. If you really are determined to get into this just pick a system (tubular, Gargraves, Atlas, etc, DCC or DCS or conventional, HO O gauge or even G scale) and go for it. I think this is one area where (like marriage) it's better to just trust your instincts.
Like several folks have said, one of the biggest obstacles is just overcoming inertia. You have to just start. And every time you come to an obstacle, something you don't know how or what to do, just tighten up and start. Usually you will find a way and get it done. For me, anyway, I have found I just have to push it and start.
#WP great point John. (i see that you are of the "Just Do it" generation) we, younguns, realy do stand on the shoulder of giants. Thanks for the wisdom sir John, and the encouragement to press on.......Inertia, Velocity.... take the step. you halped make my day
wild mary posted:My biggest obstacle is ME.
and am retired with nothing but time on my hands. I have all the trains I'll ever need and have a nice finished 12' X 17' room in the basement that's heated in the winter and a/c in the summer. How do I get past ME?
OMG! isnt there a club or friend nearby to help you get going? Man, your successful, retired. WT* If
you want, I'll come down and give ya kick in the ________. Just kidding.
No more excuses, I want to hear how it's going now with pictures.....!
Having a 27 inch by 56 inch layout is quite the squeeze, hopping to get a second fold up table in the future to double the width. (Hence why I do my best to get only O-27 compatible).
I built a 12' x 16' C shaped Fastrack Legacy equipped two level layout for a guy in six days. Two loops, the second level was a reversing loop. Basic scenery with Woodland Scenics green paper on plywood and homasote. Landscaped on the rise to the second level, buildings installed and lighted, twelve switches, a bridge, etc. Installed a Millhouse turntable and an Atlas roundhouse a week later. I had a thread on here. It was in 2011. Six days fully operational with basic scenery. I built the benchwork at home for two days then broke it down and loaded it in my pickup. It was fun, but a tad stressful. I got paid $16,000. It's called work. Gee, what a concept. Or sit on your duff and stare at your boxes of unused expensive trains.
Michael Hokkanen posted:wild mary posted:My biggest obstacle is ME. We moved into our house 5 yrs ago and I had great plans for my railroad. WE own the house with no mortgage payment. We have no credit card debt, no car payments, just sold my boat and slip at the marina and am retired with nothing but time on my hands. I have all the trains I'll ever need and have a nice finished 12' X 17' room in the basement that's heated in the winter and a/c in the summer. To top it off my wife has been on my back to get started on the layout. I can't use the excuse of not enough money, nor can I say I don't have the time or space so YES, my biggest obstacle is ME. How do I get past ME?
Maybe enlist the aid of a friend who might enjoy spending time with you building the railroad? It could be a process interrupted by an occasional burger burn or cold drink break.
Looks like that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Burn a burger or two, crack open a few cold ones and maybe even get some work done - yep sounds good to me.
Kinda harsh, there, William. After all, it's just a hobby. Maybe deep down the poster doesn't really want to get this going. A few things I've procrastinated on now I'm glad I didn't follow through.
Too many control systems
The THIRD Rail!
Good morning, I think for me is the fact where do I store all the items that I have on my existing layout ???
From engines to rolling stock to buildings and track.
I am looking track plans for next layout which will not be a table top like I have now. I want my next layout to be no wider than 6 or 7' so I can reach things in the middle. if the area is wider than this I want o be able to have access on both sides.
For me although the track plan is important for running trains and train operations, the scenery on the layout is what gives it the wow factor.
Wanting to start a two rail O layout more? 
For me it was all the HO stuff I still have. Boxes and boxes of good HO engines, cars, and passenger sets. But HO got too small for my eyes and hands to work with. All it took was a Lionel Polar Express set in O for Christmas and I was in! Now I have filled every spot on a 12x6 layout. Nowhere to park the engines and rolling stock I have. Onto building shelves??? : )
Jim
Cleaning out the BASEMENT, i.e. "Ambition" !!!
Knowing what I wanted. My kids laugh every time I decide to change things up. It's been 12 years since I got my childhood trains back from my brother and 8 layouts. I've pretty much figured out that I enjoy buying selling and building more than running.
Spouse/Space/$auce
For many of the folks reading this Thread, you might think that $$$$$ is the biggest Obstacle Keeping Men, Women, Boys, and Girls from jumping into this really Multifaceted Hobby....And, You might also think Space is Another Obstacle keeping the same folks from getting in the Hobby....ITS NOT, it's In Our Mind, A Dream of something wanted, but, Our Mind just Thinks, It does not do the Actual Work.... WELL, THE ANSWER IS, My Suggestion, Make a few friends in Your Local Area, possibly in the same Town/County that You live in, check out their Train Layout or Display, or Possibly a Club Layout, or Display, also, Attend a Local Train Meet, TCA, LCCA Meet, and Get EXCITED!!! In our area, Nashville, Tn., Clarksville, Tn, Madisonville, Ky., Evansville, in., Owensboro, Ky., We have 25 to 40 folks interested in O Guage, HO Guage, N Guage, with different aspects of the Hobby...Some just like running trains, some carpentry, some like electrical, some painting and kit bashing.....It's Multifaceted....If you do not have space, a dedicated room, You can build around the Walls, Yes, above your Doors....Also, fastrack works on the Floor. So, if you want to get into this Great Hobby, Get Started....Once you make friends with other folks in this hobby, you will really find a satisfaction that is very rewarding....Enjoy...
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Space, and more space...
#Leapinlarry great post and you are right, it's more fun sharing salute ����
Money - lots of it will solve most problems.
After many years as a scale fanatic in HO and On30, I got burned out. Then one day I stopped looking down my nose at 3 rail O-gauge when I realized I just wanted to run trains.
For me, the biggest obstacle to 3 rail O-gauge was being a slave away at doing things the "right" way. LOL
Now with O-27, in 39" × 80" I can run 2 trains at once. Wouldn't even had considered an HO scale layout that small.
Not starting.
I would guess that most of us started with an easy oval around the tree or on a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 plywood. You will learn a lot with an easy start. No need to try to duplicate the fabulous pics seen here and in the mag. That will be later or maybe never.
