Slowing down--how to get revved back up?

Over the past 2 1/2 years, I've been building at a furious pace, with Jeanne's help the past 1 1/2 years. But this fall has been our busiest ever at our work, and we've traveled to Florida twice because of the hurricanes, and others places for family celebrations. So we've been running trains lately, which is fine--that's what a railroad is for. But we just can't seem to get motivated to "finish" that last 10 percent of what I call first level work--basic scenery, and attention to little nits in trackwork off the mainline.

My work basically shuts down between Christmas and New Year's, as Sandia closes (Jeanne's doesn't). This year, I think, we're staying home. In the past I've done massive amounts of modeling, when we stayed home. I won't say burn-out, but I'm feeling untypically low on energy. Some of the remaining tasks are uninteresting for me, which is probably why they have been put off--installing decoders in non-friendly engines, getting the turntable to work properly, smoothing out vertical transitions that work but look bad (my "fix it until its broke" syndrome). Most of these tasks mean dragging out all the tools that Jeanne so neatly stored (model railroading sure requires a lot of tools and materials).

How do you folks get re-invigorated for these sort of tasks?

 

Pete, a lot of folks will be off for the holidays.... either a day here and there, or perhaps for a week (those lucky educators!).

Maybe what we need is a "peer challenge" where we commit to posting a photo on a daily basis of our progress?

I have a couple of days off, but I'm committing to finishing the crew's lounge (the Mrs. calls it a Rec Room, but what does she know!). I'll be done with that by New Year's, complete with moving furniture in.

But I also sneak in time to install flex track, usually a minimum of two lengths at a time. I'm even doing this every morning before breakfast... Amazing how much I am actually getting done that way!

My work sessions have been every other week, but with the crew's lounge out of the way, I'll be going weekly as of 2005.

 

I work on my truck till that bores me. this morning i put in new wiring harneses for upgraded HID lights. Its 40 out, raining heavilly and windy. After soldering for an hour with numb fingers and gathering at least half a dozen bruises, i'm ready to play with trains.

 

Try getting out and doing a little railfanning if you're not into the layout projects at the moment. Always works for me to drive down to the CSX main with scanner in hand and watch some real trains for a few hours to get the juices flowing again. Works everytime. As a bonus take a camera with you and you'll also get some great pictures. Doesn't matter what era you're doing, seeing the real thing is the best motivator in my opinion.

 

Pete:

You 've been working on your layout at a furious pace.

I did the same thing with the much smaller JJJ&E and find it difficult to finished the reamaining scenery.

When I started on the turntable module it has given the impetus to finish the scenery which BTW is on the turntable module side of the layout.

I guess I knew I was going to add the turntable and put off working on scenery in that part of the layout.

The break from working on scenery was rather refreshing.

Stay cool and run steam..

 

Pete, What would you tell one of us if we asked the same question? I am serious. What would you tell me?

aka "Doctor, heal thy self"

 

Yeah, GG, I've probably answered this a dozen times for others.

1. Figure out what's holding you back, and why.
2. Make a list of tasks to overcome the problems.
3. Set aside time.
4. Tackle task 1.

OK, I now need to go out to the train room! Thanks . . .

 

I would certainly be willing to post pictures.

 

Since my layout is in my bedroom, I work on it before i go to bed. Sometimes I find myself changing couplers at 12:15am or paving driveways at 1:45.

 

I think my biggest motivator is having friends come over to play trains. It's always a nervous feeling to let other people work on your layout, but maybe you can have track fixing parties and buy pizza and soda and invite some guys over. Or tree making party. etc.

I was just reading GMR and they had a thing about a guy who had been a crew person on a friends layout for years, and then when his friend passed away his layout became the party layout everyone worked on. It had some really nice work on it too.

I personally would love to get a chance to help out with another persons layout and maybe even learn something while doing it.

Pete, I think the 8 hour+ drive to your house will keep me from coming over. Then again, didn't Hemi come down to visit you? I guess I could ride down in his car trunk next time. LOL

 

Geeky,

That would be his pickup bed, I think, unless you are graced enough to ride in the cab. Not so comfortable in the bed this time of year.

I plan on cleaning track this Sunday for the big Christmas party. And why, or why, did my Atlas FM 16-44s fail to respond this morning?

 

Come on Pete,
You know more than anybody,this obession,err,hobby, is fun.With the size.comes more fun .When it becomes a job,it's time to relax.Just like with the real job,it's time for a vacation,of sorts.Step back,throttle up your favorite consists, & sit in your engineers chair & enjoy all your hard work .Don't forget the cold one & a cigar.It'll just add to the comfort level

 

A few days of 12 hours of sleep at night tends to help me get going again. I like caffeine too, it really peps me up.

Want to know what REALLY makes me WANT to finish my layout? Being too poor to keep buying stuff, so I sit and look at the stuff I already have and REALIZE that it's more than enough to have a great time with, if I just had a layout to run it on.

But your layout is ready to go so that option might not be a motivational factor for you.

 

Yes! The only thing I can afford to do is scenery and scratchbuilding!

I've also discovered how relaxing most scenery tasks are, especially after heavy midterms, finals, studying or whatever. Tedious things like hand painting rail or twisting wire to make little fruit trees make for a good mindless activity but they enhance the railroad greatly.

I often run into lags of interest, but I realized its often procrastination. Even if it's something small, getting your feet wet in anything seems to help get the juices flowing especially when you haven't been at it for a while.