woman or trains. not an easy decision. maybe it just needs a bit of out-of-the-box thinking. there must be a reason why no inflatable trains exist............ ;-)
I'm actually a Maxwell House man myself... working on the layout with a hot mug of coffee on a Sunday morning (with the wife happily keeping busy in her sewing room knowing where I am and what I'm doing in the basement). Life is good...
Now that we are on the topic of wives and model railroading, if you guys had to pick one or two sentences uttered most often by your better half that best sums up their impression/opinion of your hobby, what would it be? I can readily think of four right off the bat: 1)"How come it never runs?" 2)"You never finish it." 3)"What, MORE wood??" 4)"When are going to start decorating it?" (Her way of asking when will there be some scenery lol) I know there are plenty of others I've heard over the years, but those stand out because I hear them regularly...
Dexter, it was actually my wife who got me into trains. Said it would relax me. Then she started to resent it. There was no real rationale to it though. She also resented the fact that I wore plaid flannel. But, it wasn't the trains that broke us up. It was because she wanted to be a teenager again, and wanted that more than a 22 year marriage. But I have to say, I AM much more relaxed now. lol.
Man, do I see a lot of stories similar to mine! lol Dexter, 1) "How come it never runs?" That goes for more than model trains! I heard that question a lot from my exwife when I was restoring a 72 Camaro RS that I used to own. When my ex and I were dating, she liked the fact that I had a couple hobbies that kept me home. When we got married, wow, did things change! I joined a local Camaro club, thinking that we could do things together with other club members and their families. Newp. Then, she focused her attention on the model trains. Her and her family (which we lived with) constantly told me that, "grown men don't play with trains." I stood up for myself and she decided that she wanted a divorce. I realize now that my ex is a control freak and very insecure and needed all the attention in a relationship. Will I ever get married again? No. I've realized, too that I like my money and my stuff more that I need to be in a relationship. If I meet the right lady, maybe, but no marriage! And, she lives in her own place! lol
Things GF says most about the trains: 1. When is the next train show? 2. Can we run one of my trains? 3. What did you drop? (When she hears foul language coming from the train room) 4. What train stuff do you want me to get you for______________________(fill in occasion)? 5. Is this next show a [large east coast show that is held in multiple locations that also has toys]? I want to look for Tweetys.
Been married for 21+ years. She has been to trains shows, railfanning, and other places. Spends time looking through books and other items at the shows. Can spot junk a mile away. Picks on my railroad buddies about not weathering equipment. Gave me a beautiful daughter 20 years ago that know as much as her about my hobbies (besides trains there's antique woodworking tools and gardening). Yep, I'm keeping her.
I will say that my 2nd wife, (as most women do), 'Loved me for my mind'. They loved the out of the box solutions, creativity, poem writer, blind photographer, etc. They loved the man who could solve for the unknown, build bridges before they knew there was a chasm, and make them laugh spontaneously. They just could not deal with the ADD aspects of behavior that went along with it. They could not deal with the lack of attention span, forgetfulness, screwups, and addictions. There is more but I'm guessing in many cases the mind they loved is the one they came to love but could not deal with.
Details? Name of the shop? location? Sounds like a place to meet N scale buddies when I'm in Alameda. (AHS class of '65)
DITTO !!! My ex-wife (some 40 years ago) got pregnant by someone else, so got the first mistake out of the way early. Mike
My wife of 18 years understands that trains are a part of my life. She doesn't like the fact I spend a lot on trains but I work hard and make a very good living for our family. So she allows me to enjoy my hobby...and I spend time with the kids, church, scouting and trains. That is my life and it is pretty good - on my third room sized layout so far. john
Thnxs Jeff... I'll be sure to pass along what ya said. She enjoys the trains as much as me. But...she cant visual what I have planned so she does ask what she can help with. Mostly scenery...and she enjoys that. AND...running her excursion train
I found a video of my Wife's train. She wanted a N&W 4-8-0 like her dad used to ride behind in rural Virgina. [video=youtube;gScENj39LCw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gScENj39LCw[/video]
This has certainly been one of the most interesting threads I've read in 14 years of TB. BTW, this is my anniversary but I am still trying to get a layout going. Charlie
Charlie it took about 15 years for me to start my layout. Now I almost half way done laying track. My wife has her own Lionel train now. So the support has grown especially now that she sees what work I have done on it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
