Running trains before going to bed

Better then counting sheep. More therapeutic too................Paul

My layout is in my dining room and I run my trains almost every night before lights out. Relaxing.

I agree to doing SOMETHING on the layout before bed, so you aren't going to bed with all the days thoughts and stress preventing you from sleeping...

Every morning I start the day with train laps with my morning coffee. Almost every night a lap or two or a few maneuvers before bed. This is where the hobby really gives back for the time I've invested.

DennyM,

   Yep most nights before going up to bed I run the trains a little, I was bitten by that bug long ago, its long term disease, no doubt about it.

PCRR/Dave

I try to run them even for 30 minutes before I head up for bed. I love to sit on the train room couch, have a beer & turn off the lights to watch them run. Smell the smoke & the ozone. It just relaxes me & the all the stress of the day seems to fade away

My wife wakes up well before I do so she goes to bed a couple of hours before I do.

My layout is in the back bedroom on the opposite end of the house so every few nights, I'll fire up a ten-wheeler and take some cars from one end of the layout to the other, just because I can.

p51 posted:

My wife wakes up well before I do so she goes to bed a couple of hours before I do.

My layout is in the back bedroom on the opposite end of the house so every few nights, I'll fire up a ten-wheeler and take some cars from one end of the layout to the other, just because I can.

Your wife must be a sound sleeper. How did you manage to fit a ten Wheeler in your house?  ☺

Mostly at night before bed. Especially when I can't sleep.

I'm sure most will agree. I feel running the trains or working on the layout is a great way to relax and relieve stress. Especially after a hectic day.

I just did that last night. 40 minutes went by in a flash, and all/most of my worries slipped away.

RoyBoy posted:

I just did that last night. 40 minutes went by in a flash, and all/most of my worries slipped away.

Yeah, sometimes I'll do a tour of the layout with a short train of coach/caboose hop and/or switch some cars for prep for an op session, then look at the clock and realize it's way later than I thought and that I wasn't going to get much sleep before work the next morning. That's not a good thing.

Denny, I run my trains every night.  Keep running and enjoy.

I can't go near the layout before bed.  Invariably, I would spot something to fix or get a new idea and stay up working on it into the wee hours of the morning.  As an early riser, partly out of necessity and partly due to circadian rhythm, it became unsustainable behavior.  Not even on weekends.

What, me worry?

Great comments, me too - sometimes I run 'em early in the morn while the house is asleep.   Usually a few minutes in the evening.   Its great!

I remember when I was a little boy and the trains were set up in the living room.  I would always prep myself before bed (washed up and teeth brushed) early just to run into the living room to run my 027 trains for 15 minutes.  

When running was over and my parents said that I needed to go to bed, I would choose a car or locomotive to take to bed with me.  I would set the car/loco on a piece of track on my dresser and stare at it before finally falling asleep.  When I awoke the next morning, it was still there waiting for me and another day of railroading fun.  

I really miss those days.

I usually run mine at night when I get home from work around 1:00am.  If I start working on a project I may not hit the rack before 4:00am.

I run my trains morning,noon or night and ran one this evening while i ate my dinner. Of course, being alone helps quite a bit. Funny how parents would restrict their kids from running trains but now they can text all night, if thy want.

Sounds like the perfect way to end the day.

-Greg