How often do you run your trains?

I run my Std & O-Gauge at least two hours everyday. A day does not go by that I do not run my trains. I'm retired and have time everyday in my trainroom.

Daily in fall and winter.  Spring and summer, a couple of times a week.  I'm retired, too, and I'm one of those guys who wonders where I ever found the time to work.

I was running mine 1-2 hrs/day until my wife passed away in May, since then probably haven't run them 1 hour total.  I'm slowly getting back into it (having bought a Williams/Samhongsa Pacific recently) but the motivation hasn't been the same.

Usually no more than 1 hour per month at home. Sometimes more depending on club show schedule. 

Hello everyone,

In the summer months I run my trains or work on my layout very little.

Just to many jobs to get down around the house.

 

The only project I did get started that is layout related I am painting the basement walls which were a baby blue (don't ask why) to a lite gray.

I figured the lite gray would help with taking pictures of the layout.

 

My job keeps me busy this time of year  doing service work and traveling with 12 to 14 hours days.

 

On top of all that my wife and I work for a company that puts on Truck and Tractor Pulling so this takes time away also.

 

One good thing about the truck and tractor pulling job in the summer months it provides me with mad money to purchase more items for my layout for the winter months.

 

Mark Strittmatter 

TCA Member # 14-69917

 

 

Not as often as winter. I'm also retired and spend a lot of time on yard work in the summer (my second hobby). I do continually work on my Clever buildings. I was all set up in my shop to do this, but it's not as much fun being alone, so my wife told me to set up my model building on the dining room table. Much more fun being with her in the living room. Besides, she watches over my shoulder a lot to see how I'm doing. The actual layout is in the process of designing backdrops. I'm working with a friend of mine who runs a printing company. Then there's my grandson. When he comes to visit (he lives 1/2 block away, just celebrated his 4th b-day) and the world stops then. We send passengers, barrels and crates back and forth in gondola cars. He's learning the DCS system and can start the engines, set their speed, blow the whistle and ring the bell. Lots and lots of fun.

 

George (G3)

about 2-3 hours per week at Home, currently nothing at club as layout build is in progress

Run almost every day, well except for yesterday when we had no electricity for about 12 hours. But being retired I can do what I want and that is running trains. 

As often as I can. I love running my trains. 

Several times a week.

As per administration orders Choo Choo Treats must make at least two runs every day morning and evening, 365 days a year.

 

 

 

I too, am retired and into other things. My trains are run about 2 hours a week during the fall and winter months, and maybe a half-hour a week during the summer months when we're home. 

 

I guess I'm into other things, so not quite as "dedicated" to running trains as most of you are. But still enjoy them though.

Since I dress and sleep in the basement, every day some.

My layout is in the mid-phase of construction (main lines running, but not sidings or accessories. No scenery.). So, most of my train time is spent on construction and my train running is mostly test operation of locomotives that I am fixing up to run or sell. I mostly run trains at toy train museum open houses, which let me run much longer trains than on my small home layout. I expect that when I finish my control panel, wiring, and accessory installation, that will change and I will spend more time running trains for fun. 

I live in Florida so with the weather as good as it gets in

the Winter months, at least four hours per week.  During

the Summer months it goes down to about two hours per

week.  

 

The reason for the drop off in the Summer is pool time at

my daughters house or the Condo where I live.  However,

after dinner I will spend over an hour with a Ice Tea or

Coffee just looking at the trains and thinking about furture

changes to the layout.

 

To say I love to spend time with my trains is an understatement.

There is something very peaceful about this great hobby of ours.

 

Many thanks,

 

Billy C 

Bob Delbridge; so sorry for your loss.

I haven't been down in the basement for almost 2 months. Lost all interest temporarily. I still spend probably 2-3 hrs. a day on the forum.

About 5 or 10 minutes at a time, because it's out in the garage and not immediately at hand.  Try to do it once a day.

 

Bob, I missed the news if you had mentioned it earlier on the Forum.  Very sorry for your loss.

 

- Mike

I too am in that temporarily lost interest phase.  I hope to get going again soon as the summer is one of the best times.  I can work in the driveway and keep the mess out of the garage, which I like.  When it is really hot in the summer, it is so inviting in the cool basement running trains. 

 

Art

Bob Delbridge and George (G3) indirectly make a good point: running trains or working on the railroad can be a lot of fun to do with a friend.

 

Bob has suffered a great loss, and my sympathy is with him; the loss is irreplaceable, but I know that time and friends do help us so much.  I would bet that joining a local O Gauge club would help get the fun--and the trains--rolling again.

 

George seems to have an observer as he engages in idiot's delight cutting out separate shingles or siding or whatever challenges a given Clever Bros. kit offers.  Having an observer can encourage a sense of humor.  Building, say, the Clever Bros. Milwaukee Road gate tower in the company of a train pal can create wild fits of laughter alternating with high-pressure steam releases.

5 days a week, for about 1 hour, winter or summer. 

They run whenever I am in the train room or workshop for more than a few minutes, even if I am working on the layout.  That is usually every day of the week, for probably three hours a day.  

Also being retired, I run them about 6-10 hours a week on average.

 

Joe B.

Every day for at least a half hour unless I'm away from home.   That may be changing soon as I'm coming to the realization that it's time to tear down the layout and rebuild.

-Greg

Haven't run them since last December. The layout with trains on tracks is just sitting there. When I did - it was about an hour or two per week.

I avg about one time a week. I may work on train projects and watch videos and not run trains about 4 times a week.

Thanks guys for the kind thoughts

 

I'm coming to the realization that it's time to tear down the layout and rebuild.

 

I'm kinda like Greg too, I was going to finish layout ground cover but have been thinking about tearing the layout down and starting over with wider curves (090 vice 072) and maybe less track work (sidings).

 

My drop-down bridge looks like it belongs in a disaster movie, even though it performs just fine.

 

Then my girl cat Lily comes upstairs every time I run trains and lays on a vacant lot on the layout, I think she likes the sounds , but she leaves fur where ever she stops (the ground cover must act as a grooming brush).  My boy cat Max could care less about the trains, except when he gets a chance to chase Lily when she's not looking.

Very sorry Bob. That's the thing about very painful losses. The void they leave totally disrupts the rhythm of our lives. Take your time healing and stay connected to the forum. You have at lot of friends here even if they don't know you in person.

I run about an hour a day mid Fall to Mid Spring,one hour every third day in the Summer.

4 or 5 times a week - want to run 'em more and work less!

As much as I want, and not a minute more…

K.C.

When ever I can when im am not working no the layout.

In the summer, not enough!

Ray

I don't have a layout at home. I usually run them every Wednesday night at my train club. That is except when the layout is down for repairs or upgrades like it is now. It's been about 3 months since I ran trains and I need my choo choo fix. 

In the summer almost 0

Summer time maybe once a week just to keep the wheels turning. Winter time more like 3 or 4 times a week.

 

Rich in NH

Running about 30 min a night right now but, not every engine.  Usually one conventional and one LC +

It goes in cycles for me, it might be a couple hours a week total and the not go down there at all for a month.  It really all depends on how busy we are as a family and or how my interests have shifted for the short term.  Aside from family, I derail to other things such as building/flying control line airplanes (got to improve my stunt pattern), working on the auto's, and working on the house.  Lately Ive been working on finishing a couple of restored sets of Prewar pullmans and a 249E but I seem to have crap spread all over the garage...

I run my train twice a month and run it 3 to 4 hours when i do.