How much time do you spend a week ?

I would like to know how much time others spend on their modeling in average per week.

The reason is that I have now been working on my layout for about 9 month, and with very little progress. I have finished some track work, and are for the moment doing some scenery, but I am still not at a point where I can just sit down and run trains. I think one mistake I did was to concentrate on 1 module, instead of do what I can see almost everybody else does, finishing the mainline so you can run trains, and THEN do the scenery. But also another reason for the slow progress is my available time. If I spend 4-5 hours a week, then it’s absolutely max, it’s more likely 2-3 hours a week. So I have decided that from now on I will concentrate on the track work so I can start running some trains, and then the scenery will have to wait.

So now of course I’m curious. How much time do other spend on their hobby a week.

Thanks
Jesper

 

It depends on my mood. Whn I first got the stuff I needed, I started out gung-ho and spent every available moment getting things going. That slowly slowed down to where if I spent an hour a week, I was lucky. Now, I'm going gung-ho again and spending at least an hour or so a night working on the layout.

 

I may spend anywhere from 0 hours to 20/30 hours a week on modeling.It all depends on my mood and wether or not I've got other things that need to be done.

 

My wife is a very early riser so she goes to bed the same time that my son does (around 9pm). From 9pm until around midnite I am either modeling or on this computer, or both. Just about every night of the week.

 

Ok Now don't anyone fall over at this.....
I'm not working right now So, while kicking back drawing Unemployment, I would guess "never thought about it before now" I probably spend anywere from....3-5 Hours minumum a day up to around 10 hours+ a day working on Loco's, cars, buildings depending on how good the day is ans dropping stuff on the floor, LOL,
Which will be going to bench work here again. Don't really know were the trains are going, have the idea's of what I want, just on the stuff so when the time come the bench work is done, it's not going to take long to get things going.
My 12x13 train room if Full of trains, so much I can't even do bench work unless I take the boxes out and stack someplace else.
It's going to be around 10x13, maybe multipal level.

 

I'm in one of the "motivated" modes right now, and I'm popping together a bunch of P2K car kits, which I'm grabbing off the shelf one by one. I guess I'm spending about four-five hours a week on my modeling. I'm might be doing more, but a couple engine detailing projects got derailed while I wait for more parts. Everything I model is ending up in my train closet for the time being...

Pat

 

During the winter months I'll put in a couple of hours a week on the HO basement layout ( it's been in full operation now for over 14 yrs) doing some maintainence work or scenery if I'm in the mood. From Spring until late Fall I've been averaging about 10 hours a week on the outside largescale garden railroad that my 12 yr old son has taken an active interest in. Sometimes more time, sometimes a little less depending on whether or not "funds" are available for the project on hand!

 

I tend to spend 4/5 hours per day, thats the beauty of being retired from that dreaded name WORK.



[ 14 November 2001: Message edited by: Paul Templar ]</p>

 

I'm in that category of having plenty of free time while i wait for the contract we're on to finish up so we can get paid. I spend 4 or 5 hours a day on building model RR stuff, but i have several "side" projects besides actually working on my layout-kitbashing and tuning a whole herd of C-Liners, making tons of foam greenery for future, etc. I'm laying cork on the final end of my dogbone, then will start on track later this week. It's easy to get distracted on computer stuff-i'll read TrainBoard, my favorite site, then look at somebodies web page, then off to a site with great locomotive pictures, etc., and two or three hours are gone there. Fun stuff, but could be RRing, so not sure it's a good use of so much time. My dogbone is a two tracker, so that means the meandering straightish streach between the loops that is about 24' long is 4 tracks wide-lots of track to lay, even if i just do the outer loop first so i can start running trains. Still having a ball meantime! Curt

 

It may not be time spent as much as planning and organization.

I can start with plywood and framing and have trains running in 4 or 5 hours, but spend two weeks building and rebuilding the a simple layout...(I am into O gauge.)

I build a new layout every two or three years, sometimes scrapping the existing one, sometimes not. I use what ever available space I have at that time...(I am divorced with a two bed room apt.)
I have a large lay out in my dining room/kithchen and a small one in my largest bed room, where I also store and display old fishing tackle and hunting collectibles.

I use the stainless steel sink for stripping and cleaning pre war cars and parts and the top of the stove as a drying rack. The oven makes a great place to bake enamel.

I would sleep on the couch if I wanted and build a set in every room but my son and my lady friend wouldn't set on the floor when they came to visit, ha ha .

I have some that never see a conclusion. When building, I may spend 8 hours a day for a week or two. Then kick back and play.

Other times I work an hour or two on displaying trains with shelves or storage construction. Always something to do but nothing to do if you don't feel like doing it. That is why it is a hobby and not work

And I may go months on end and not so much as dust then off also if it gets in the way of fishing or other pursuits.

I spend most of my socail life at my girl friends so the apt. is more of a work shop and play house than a home.A little of me goes a long way so she is glad to see me come and not too dissapaointed to see me leave.

Point is, you can piddle as well as do it systematically, just have a good idea what you want to do or you will need to sand the rails other wise.

Gil Finn.

[ 15 November 2001: Message edited by: Gil Finn ]

[ 15 November 2001: Message edited by: Gil Finn ]</p>

 

I think I'm gonna set a record for me and modeling THIS week.Been feeling rather poorly all week ,so I took a weeks vacation. Not getting a darn thing done on the layout (bout 5 hours all week),but I've got about 40 hours into modeling building already.

 

I think I spend a average amount of time on my own stuff durring a shop intermission... I would guess the actual weekly rate to be about 10 hours maybe 12 hours a week on my own stuff.. 40 to 50 hours in the shop a week.. Still model railroading!

 

With the rebuilding of the M.A.T. I find myself spending about 5 hours a day 7 days a week. Now once all the track is laid and scenery done then time will drop some. Like Paul Templar says it is great to be retired and choose when to do what. I would spend more time on the layout but some family member or friend always seems to find some woodworking project for me to spend my time on. The last few summers too, I have taken extensive trips across the country so there are huge lapses of layout effort for about 3 months each year. The lousy level of the Canadian dollar also effect what and when I buy any railroad stuff. Very little is made in Canada unfortunately. I need to win the lottery and then would think of setting up a factory to make track and switches and whatever else comes to mind.

 

I guess I don't really know how much time I spend on the layout. I don't want to know, and I'm not going to start counting hours now. The layout is my relax time, and I don't get enough as it is!! This is why I am a model railroder, I can do as I please, when I please, and I don't have to account to anybody for my time spent on the layout. (and yes, I have my wife's permission to say this! LOL) Besides I'm running a 6 to 1 scale clock down there and we have a timetable to observe during operations.
To sum it up: Watch your train, check your time, and observe the timetable, we have a Railroad to run. We don't have time to count hours we spend on the layout 'cause we are having FUN!

 

Up until last Christmas, I was spending an average of 3 hours a day (night) on my modeling.
Since then, due to some severe family problems, it has dropped to about 3 hours a week.
With any luck, I will have all of it behind me in about 6 months and will be back into the old routine.
At present, I am working on the scenery on my 12 x 2 1/2 ft NTrak module, as well as the scenery on 2 oNeTrak modules owned by one of the club members.
I also have 11 paint jobs ahead of me as well as more kits, scratchbuild and kitbash projects than I really care to think about at the moment.

Terry

 

1-60-24-7-365.


You figure it out....


Yes, while asleep and even at work (they just haven't figured it out yet...) I'm Model Railroading. I always have my hobby and trains on my mind.