What is your Objective in this Hobby? Why?

@Rod M. posted:

I read where chicks dig cars, train cars

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, 317 cu in, 447 kW, 260 km/h top speed, 3.4 sec acc..........Yes!

Lionel 2343 AA F3.......Well, NO! 

Ride in Venice Simplon Orient Express Luxury Train.....Most Definitely!

@Rod M. posted:

To meet chicks. I read where chicks dig cars, train cars

What’s wrong with me? Renting a bouncy house? Chicks don’t like bouncy houses, they like clowns!

Hal Stewart, Megamind, Dreamworks Studios, 2010

What’s my Objective in this Hobby? To meet chicks. I read where chicks dig cars, train cars.

Rod M., O Gauge Forum, 2024

Can't say that I have a conscious objective.  It's all subconscious .

My objective is to make the most I can out of life with my newly re-energized childhood hobby. It's a lot easier than my former hobby.

Oliver Industrial tractor with wheel weights, filled tires, snow plow and wing: 8400#

O scale GP38: about 5#.

No longer have to take tracks and final drives off 60-75 year old bulldozers and the like when I can put a couple 5 pound locos and a cadre of rail cars on, grab my iPad, lay in bed, fill the room with sound and smoke, and just take it all in!!

I suspect I am trying to find a creative outlet...God knows my jobs over the years have not afforded me the opportunity, obviously I chose the wrong field, but the various jobs have paid the bills and enables me to afford the hobby plus my other hobby of riding my Harley

From a man nicknamed  Catdaddy, it really is all about the chicks…….Lol

My objective is very simple at the end of it all.  I have been in this hobby in at least 4 scales since I was age 7 and continuously since age 12 which is now over 40 years of my life.  This hobby is my creative outlet when I need it, a retreat from the stress of the real world, and a way to put a diverse set of skills into practice that I use in my personal and professional world.  It doesn't matter where it leads me, I don't have a destination in mind, and my interests change every now and then.  None of that matters as long as it remains enjoyable.  How I've enjoyed the hobby has varied over the years, but it is based on a fundamental interest in prototype railroading and what I can learn from that and decide to adopt or not adopt in my hobby.

@Mooner posted:

My shrink says what I originally thought to be a spiritual exercise was in fact a buying compulsion, ignited by the likes of MTH, leading to isolation and the false notion you can control the world the more you own of the world. In my first few visits the trains were only mentioned in passing as one hobby among many (plug for bird watching). It wasn't until I told her that I have hundreds of little people on the layout and we name them all that she became concerned. Most disturbing was when I showed her an iPhone snapshot of a Preiser figure I painted and named after her.

Wow. Thank you so much, Mooner.

THIS is THE path to true enlightenment.  Yeah, sure, Zen Buddhism might be an alternative.  But with this method you get more toys.  First, you buy too much O Gauge stuff.  Then, you figure out why you do it at a subconscious level.  In finding this answer, you truly know yourself.  Might be expensive, but I’ve heard therapy is expensive too.

To the members of the Forum who choose NOT to spend their money on buying too much O Gauge stuff, well sorry. You’ll be trapped in a life of good judgement and self-discipline. The path to true enlightenment will not be yours.

My objective is to keep Lionel solvent by aimlessly buying stuff I have absolutely no use for.  So far, so good

Tom

Recreating happy memories of railfanning, train rides, and nostalgia.  This can vary from the trains from various times of my life from youth, to a recent visit to watch current trains.   

My objective is to buy everything ever made in O lettered for Erie, Lackawanna and Erie Lackawanna  Oh wait I might have done that already   Soooo my new objective is to buy all this stuff Erie never had and letter it for Erie

I was told  that a married man having a hobby keeps him off the street chasing loose women.  If you spend your excess money on things like trains, motorcycles, guns, and ham radio, you don't have any left over to get in trouble with.  47 years since I chased any loose women, but have a lot of trains, radios and guns, but only one motorcycle and wife.

Well, first, my grandson loves the hobby and running trains with his grandpa.  Second, other than drugs, it's proved to be a great way to manage my blood pressure, usually.   Oh, and, three, it's a great way to meet my RMD from the 401(k) which funds Lionel and MTH. 

The objective in any hobby is to de-stress from daily life.  This hobby is no different for me, and I suspect it is the same for many people.

Outsiders looking in may wonder how we can enjoy watching trains go in a circle, but I relate it to a campfire or trickling water in the garden.  It allows us to enjoy, relax and meditate and that's a huge part of my objective.  I've told my wife that my layout is "My meditation loop" which keeps me sane and young.

Enjoyment. To relax and create a time gone buy that I would have loved to lived in.

My grandson loves it.  He started at age 2 (now he's 8).  That got me to dig out my old Lionel trains from the attic after years of N Gauge Christmas layout.  Built him a portable layout for his trains.

A few years later we both love it.  Recently joined NJ Hi-Railers and brought my grandson.  Needless to say he is beside himself with delight.

John

Like Wilson (Home Improvement Sitcom) said, men build to create.   Also to have fun with the Grandkids and my wife loves it.  As long as she isn't talking on the phone nearby when the trains run.

@Weener Dog posted:

I've told my wife that my layout is "My meditation loop" which keeps me sane and young.

O.K., who's going to be first to create a train sounds file with just a chant of "Ommmmmmmm . . ." on it. Hmm, my Marx "Sound 'O Power" tender might be a bit hard to retrofit . . .

To die with the most trains.

To die with no trains. I would consider that a real achievement and a kindness to my executor/personal representative.

I started dabbling in HO about 40 years ago due to Christmas nostalgia from my youth.  HO looks hideous under a Christmas tree, so the transition to O gauge/scale occurred.  I was always thinking I would be getting a larger home to build a layout, but after 25 years I've realized that it is not going to happen.   The gosh darn neighbors are too fun to leave.   Eric Siegel's videos sure made me hit the "Add to Cart" button, but after watching his videos for years I've actually become bored by his layout that I could not have been clever enough to have built!  I've always been more interested in fishing, so my $ is now going to once in a lifetime fishing trips at least once every year, and in my boat when the regional lakes are not hard.   

@B Smith posted:

To die with no trains. I would consider that a real achievement and a kindness to my executor/personal representative.

Does one stop model railroading because they died, or does one die because they stopped model railroading?

@Norman R posted:

Does one stop model railroading because they died, or does one die because they stopped model railroading?

Yes.

Keeping my inner child alive and happy. Every time I go downstairs and turn on my layout I am suddenly 8 years old and it is Christmas morning times a 100.  Because now I can afford and run every train I have ever dreamed of owning.  Growing old is inevitable. Growing up is optional.  

@B Smith posted:

To die with no trains. I would consider that a real achievement and a kindness to my executor/personal representative.

Have you been talking to my daughters??? LOL. I'm giving then fits about that, but then even at 50% of the value, they could buy something nice for themselves.

"Have you been talking to my daughters??? LOL. I'm giving then fits about that, but then even at 50% of the value, they could buy something nice for themselves."

That's true in theory, but selling trains (at least 2-rail O scale) is very time consuming and involves a lot of careful packing and expensive shipping, even if you send it all off for consignment at 25%-30% to a reputable broker. I say keep the trains to a very small part of their inheritance and give them the rest in top-quality stocks, which they can inherit at a stepped-up basis. That's what I'm doing now at age 77 so no one else has to deal with the trains. I have just a few on my layout that I operate from time to time for fun. The layout itself isn't worth anything, despite the effort I put into building it, so it can be broken up and junked one day without regret. Just my opinion ...

@Norman R posted:

Does one stop model railroading because they died, or does one die because they stopped model railroading?

Hmmm?......Deep    Let me get back to you.

@B Smith posted:

"Have you been talking to my daughters??? LOL. I'm giving then fits about that, but then even at 50% of the value, they could buy something nice for themselves."

That's true in theory, but selling trains (at least 2-rail O scale) is very time consuming and involves a lot of careful packing and expensive shipping, even if you send it all off for consignment at 25%-30% to a reputable broker. I say keep the trains to a very small part of their inheritance and give them the rest in top-quality stocks, which they can inherit at a stepped-up basis. That's what I'm doing now at age 77 so no one else has to deal with the trains. I have just a few on my layout that I operate from time to time for fun. The layout itself isn't worth anything, despite the effort I put into building it, so it can be broken up and junked one day without regret. Just my opinion ...

You're right about the time consuming, resale value, etc etc. I'm 70 and and have a physical next week. Barring any doom and gloom, I'll persist for another couple years with my layout and then start to wind it down.  I had to clean out from my parents a couple years ago and found their first electric bill from 1960. I really don't want that legacy!!

If I croak soon, they get my portfolio any way!

Geez, that is putting way too much thought into a hobby, at least it is to me.

I got into trains because I thought they were cool. That is about as deep as I can get on my day off.

Simply put..To have fun!

@endless tracks posted:

.I had to clean out from my parents a couple years ago and found their first electric bill from 1960. I really don't want that legacy!!

I have family and friends who have had parents pass away and had to clear out the homes that their parents lived in for decades. Man, its a real job. The idea of leaving children a legacy of good times spent with you instead of the burden of cleaning up after you is a good one. There are many ways to arrange things so that you can be having earthly fun all the way up until God taps you on the shoulder. God might ask: “I saw that you were not able to completely enjoy your railroad hobby while you were on earth. How the #$%! can I be sure you will enjoy it in heaven?”.

@Scrambler81 posted:

Geez, that is putting way too much thought into a hobby, at least it is to me.

I got into trains because I thought they were cool. That is about as deep as I can get on my day off.

I love this hobby. Its your railroad, and your opinion is RIGHT. Both folks below are.

Model railroader number 1: “I love model railroading because it’s a gateway into the subconscious.”

Model railroader number 2: “Stop your babbling. I’m having too much fun running my trains!”

I model, therefore I am.

In other words, it gives me stuff to do now that I’m retired. 🤣

Since, I no longer own any trains, right now my objective is to read this forum. I look at it everyday. Its fun, reading what everyone is doing. I still love toy trains.

WOW!  These responses are really deep!

And every one of them is correct.

As the responses have shown there is no wrong way to enjoy or participate in this great hobby.

For myself, O gauge trains were in our family before I was. They were always set up in the basement every Christmas season, so since I always loved Christmas the trains went hand in hand with the holidays. Christmas wasn’t just fun because of the presents, it was also because of visiting our relatives and partying from mid December to after New Years Day. Seeing my cousin’s and neighborhood friends layouts during the season.

So the subconscious objective was to keep the fun and happiness going all year long with the trains as the catalyst. From the preformed foam N scale set up in my first three room apartment to my previous 32’X54’ O gauge basement layout to the layout I’m working on now and the layouts I’ll build in the future, trains have been a constant source of fun, relaxation and sharing.

I believe because of this I’ve had very very limited stress in my life. I’ve learned that the only thing or person that puts stress on us is ourselves. I give no one or thing the power to give me stress.  I’ve never had a bad day in my life. I’ve had a few bad moments but never a bad day. I always have something to look forward to every day. The trains are a large part of that along with lots of other activities I enjoy.

Besides, what good does it do to have a bad day?

I just slip back in time and re-visit trains of my past.

I can remember about the age of 3-4, our family lived in a small town outside of Port Orchard, WA.  My mom had pulled up to a rail crossing where a short train, no more than five cars long ran by.  This was the 70's.  I remember there was a diesel engine, a gondola, a box car, a flat car, and a redish brown caboose. My uncle gave me a book as a boy that was his back in the 50's "The Big book of real trains".  I would stare at the pictures of the different cars- I think I learned to count, counting the individual cars and types at the bottom of each page.  The first book I memorized was the little Red caboose.    Growing up in UT, I saw Rio Grande, Utah Railway, and UP equipment hauling coal. My step dad was a coal miner and took me inside the mines, he showed me the donkey carts, and gave me dated rail spikes that came out of the coal mines.  At 15 I was shoveling coal dust in a briquet plant to be sold to US Steel in Provo to reduce emissions and make harder steel.

Trains, and all that they instill, are in my blood.  I hope I can pass on just a little bit of that to the next generation.

My father loved to travel by train and I spent quite lot of time on long-distance trains as a little boy, traveling from Tucson to Bangor, ME (and back) each summer in the 1950s via SP/RI/NYC (The New England States) and Boston and Maine (Flying Yankee) with my parents. Diner in the diner and waking up in a sleeping car bedroom and all the smells and sounds of trains just got into my blood. I still live in Tucson where the UP's double main provides a lot of freight trains to watch, a particularly good vantage point being the summit (Mescal) between Tucson and Benson, where the old El Paso and Southwestern used to cross over the SP to go south to Douglas and El Paso. Now the EP&SW line to Mescal serves as part of UP's double main between there and Tucson.