I've been trying to get an N scale layout going for several years. I've got a couple of track plans I've developed and finally settled on the best plan for may space. I'm happy with what I've come up with and don't need help on that front. My problem is like everyone else, I'm buisy. REALLY buisy. I can't find time between the four kids, piano lessons, skating lessons, karate lessons, scouting, etc., etc., to get my layout started. And although I genuinely love trains, it conflicts with my other hobby of bicycle racing on the local velodrome. They're pretty much polar opposites--you're not going to do a maximum heart rate effort while building your layout, so my fitness suffers when I try to concentrate on trains. I'm not trying to build an empire--my space is about 10x6 and it's an "L" shaped layout. Starting and stopping for several months isn't an option since it's in the game room and my significant other would grow tired quickly of half finished benchwork. So how do you guys find time between all of your other responsibilities to pursue your hobby? Do you try and schedule "work time" so you get things done or just do it when you can? I'm really tired of looking at several thousands of dollars of N scale equipment in boxes.
When you're retired you can model anytime you want. When I was young and raising a family, I still found time to build a layout.
For a while I had the same issue. I used to model for about 15 or 20 minutes every morning before I left for work. Only time I could carve out, and at night I was simply too exhausted. I would try to plan my activities the night before, and assemble the necessary tools and items so I could plunge right into it. It doesn't sound like much, but over time with concentration, you do actually make some good progress.
You are not alone in this predicament. If you are 42 with four kids and all the stuff that brings along, you may well have to put your layout dream on hold. On the other hand maybe some of your older kids are of the age that maybe they can lend a hand. This way you are sharing with the kid/kids and accomplishing things on the layout. Of course this is 'another' activity for the kids and may not be practical. Do you have the one or two children that aren't active? This could be something they could do with you. This would get them and you out of the loop for awhile and allow working on the layout. Can't think of anything better than a kid on a footstool helping dad. Is this layout "your" dream? Maybe it shouldn't be at this time of your life. Once the kids get to be teenagers they're going to be too busy with their lives and you will have more time then. Hope this helps. Many, most of us, who have gone through this scenario are enjoying this hobby more after the kids are gone and not before. Cheers, Jim CCRR
It's only really been this year that I can just disappear downstairs for a while, so I know what you are saying. Before, my kids were really little. Now, they are six years old, and really pretty good kids, so if they are playing nicely I can go to the basement. I can still hear if something bad happens, and they are big enough that they can easily negotiate the stairs to get me if they need me. I have been doing a few things to try and get more time: 1) Delegate some of the household chores, which I typically do more than other family members, to others. This means getting people used to clearing their own dinner plates and picking up their own laundry. 2) Don't just sit and watch TV. If there's a show on I really want to see, I turn it on in the hobby room. Most shows move slowly enough that I can mentally follow them and still fiddle with modeling projects. 3) Logout of the computer. This is probably the hardest one for me to shake, but it is true that I am not getting much done on the physical models when I am jawing. Having said all that, I think it is a part of modeling to discuss things with others, comment on plans, share tips and ideas, share prototype information, and so on, so I don't consider all time spent in #3 to be time lost to the hobby at all.
Hi, Most of my modeling is done in the winter. During the summer there is just too much going on. Most weeks I get one night a week when I'm the only one home so if there are not other things requiring my time I go to the railroad. As said before I too sometimes work on something before going to work. Other then things that are required to be done directly with the layout, most of the work is done in the living room with the family. Admittedly the family is now my wife and our two dogs and a cat. When the kids were home I tried to do the same thing. That way I could get buildings put together and still spend time with them. Gary
Time? What Time?? In a nutshell -> I don't have the time. I am like you; 3 kids, sports, scouts and things I like to do outside of modeling keep me away from it. I collect cars, buildings, and the things I "want to have" on my layout when it gets built, but I know it won't happen anytime soon. Beside no time -> no $$ as it all goes to kids activities right now. I just take solice in knowing that I wil have the $$ and time later on along with great memories of the things I did with the boys!
Here's the other thing I do. I don't treat hobby time and time with my kids as necessarily separate things. The kids "help me out" with the train stuff sometimes. They also like to engage in another of my hobbies - photography. Sunday afternoon's big entertainment was going shooting at a park at the confluence of two rivers.
With everyday being Saturday there is lots of time for the layout and models. The computer is the greatest challenge. Youtube and all the RR vids can really eat up the hours
If you really want to model you'll find time. Serious modelers don't watch much TV or sports, don't spend much time on the computer, they usually have low maintenance landscaping, etc. Most of us are not always serious modelers continuously so we just use the down time talk about the hobby, collect equipment, and hope to someday build a new layout. Instead of trying to build bench work now that will be in the way I'd suggest finding a nice long out of the way space and install a shelf about chest high then add a long switching yard and room for some industries along the wall. this will give you a place to play for a few minutes at a time, testing locos, switching cars, learning scenery techniques, photographing your trains, etc. If you make it nice enough to keep you can save it to install as an element of a future layout.......dave
I try and knock out 15 minutes here and there. With two kids age 4 and 2, I find myself doing much of my work after the kids have gone to bed. Lets say that I don't watch alot of TV. I've been working on my door layout for 3 years now and It is still far from finished. I must say, the kids don't mind much when they get to see the trains go around.
If *I* can find time, you can. My wife has a health issue that prevents her from driving, so I'm the family chauffeur. Two teenagers to ferry around, wife and I both work full-time. I'm a computer programmer, and my employer has a flexible work-at-home policy. My day starts at 5:30am, I work from home until 7:30, take kids to school, wife to work, in the office around 8:30. I'm there until 3:00, then I pick kids up, run errands, pick wife up. I rarely watch TV, don't spend a ton of time on the computer at night. I seem to always find 15 minutes or so in the evening to do SOMETHING on the layout. I'm in the process of running my power bus right now - tonight I mounted the DCC power supply and one of the 2-dozen terminal blocks. Not much, but it's progress. The major construction (it's a new layout) took place over three cold, rainy Minnesota weekends. Couldn't do anything outside, so I hid in the basement for most of the weekend. The rest will happen when it happens, as time permits.
If something is important you make the time. If that means giving up something else then you have to weight the importance of the other things you're doing. Shaving time off other activities can really stack up.
As some have said you must MAKE time or it will never happen. I run my own business, just finished my PhD, am raising two kids and still have time because I carve it out. Is it consistent? No way! Sometimes I might get several hours every day, other times I might get 15 minutes in a month. The important thing is that I do have SOME time all the time. Ever watch TV? How about building trees or a kit during commercials? Are you an early bird? How about an hour early on a Saturday or Sunday? Night owl...even better...You get the picture
I think your biggest 'problems' are here. I have similar space but in HO, so relatively probably much less to do. But with nowhere near the other activities you listed I have been chugging along at it for 5 or 6 years. I'm just lazy and do other stuff that others have listed above when I can't be bothered to model (I'm doing one now ), so I tend to have spurts. I do quite a bit for a week or two, then nothing for a month for whatever reasons. My other half does make the odd remark, but I can handle that. It's MY hobby, and I do as much as makes ME happy. I've given up being pressured (that's not to say many of the people on here don't make me sick with envy ). But back to your problem. I suggest you modify that plan. Start with a small switching layout, say 3ft x 1ft, but make it so it can be incorporated into your 'future' 10x6 L. Repeat, repeat, join together. That way you can get some of the equipment out of its boxes fairly soon, and should be able to get to the big system in modular steps and without tripping SWMBO's patience limit alarms.
I, like several others here, tend to find modeling time for 15-20 minutes in the mornings before work. Not every morning, but 2-3 days a week. It really is amazing how much you can get done a few minutes at a time. Working this way lead to accomplishing my goals during the last TB layout party. I only had 3 two hour blocks of evening/weekend time during the entire 8 week party I used to do the major things like benchwork (hollow core doors are great!) and installing a foam scenery base. It is amazing how much progress you can make 15 minutes at a time...
You don't find time to model, you make time to model. I tell people I have spent most of my time and money on trains, the rest I have just wasted. Enjoy.
Awhile back my wife suggested we disconnect the TV (dish at the time). I was a bit hesitant of course because I would miss Bronco games, favorite shows, and the news. What I found out was that on Saturday and Sunday mornings, I was bored until about noon. That was normally the time I would just sit and veg infront of the box. I eventually got out of that and started to do more productive things (usually was the hunny-do list and not trains though) But you get the idea. Now I check my email, a couple of forums, the news websites, and maybe something fun such as geekologie (and the job boards now). I'm done online within 15 minutes to half hour. Leaves alot of time to do other things. I guess my point is, do you really need TV at all. I bet you could unplug the TV and get more done. Its tough at first but better in the long run. I don't miss it at all anymore. As for the original poster, seems like you have alot on your plate. I like the idea that was suggested of building a small module for your layout. It would be manageable for your given amount of time. And it would be unobtrusive for your wife. I think one thing model railroaders do is make the mistake of not considering the time requirements of building a certain layout. I know we all want the dream layout as some point, but I know I don't have the time (or money) to build it right now. Enough rambling for now, Eric
Due to 2 little girls, I've had to put the hobby on hold. Will re-enter in HO scale once the oldest shows interest -
