I have two completed layouts in my basement - the older one is 12'-by-8', the newer one is 10'-by-5'. Each layout took five years to complete. My approach is to work steadily on a model railroad until it is 100% completed - including structures (I built all of them myself) and scenery. And, once I've completed a layout, I leave it as is and don't make any revisions because I was careful about what I built in the first place. During the construction phase, most of my time was spent on building, and I did not spend much time running trains. After the layouts were completed, I had no further modeling work to do and shifted mostly to running and maintaining the trains. Yes, I miss the modeling work and construction. But now, with completed layouts, I spend more time posting photos and videos of them on the OGR Forum and have written several articles about them that have appeared in O Gauge Railroading magazine and elsewhere. So, once a layout has been completed, the activities tend to change but they can still keep you busy. Buying new locomotives and rolling stock also helps to renew your interest in running trains. I also buy books about railroads and railroading. Reading about the subject and your favorite railroads makes running your model trains more interesting. As a youngster, my father used to take me trackside and we would just watch the trains come and go. These days, I'm content to do that with my model trains.
MELGAR
