Time spent actively N Scale Railroading?

[Coxy]

When I read the weekend update post, I'm often left wondering how much time folks are able to spend doing actual N scale railroading. To be clear, I'm referring to the time spent building, modifying, scratch-building, testing, running, operating, not time spent online or making purchases or reading railroad publications or railfanning.

For me the number of hours each week have been disappointingly low so I'm curious to learn what you've found effective for making consistent progress on your layout and rolling stock. For example, designating specific times to do stuff in your railroad space, or limiting time spent on the non-modeling activities, or other methods to ensure projects don't stall out due to the million and one non-railroading distractions that can derail progress.

What works for you?

Cheers,
Coxy

[Kisatchie]

I usually get about 2 hours a day working on my freight cars - installing trucks/couplers, building kits (I have LOTS of N scale kits), designing a layout, looking for building plans, etc.


Hmm... between eating
bananas and finding termites,
I get about 2 minutes a day
working on my layout...

[CBQ Fan]

Never enough, not even close!

[VonRyan]

I probably should ditch my computer and actually do some more modelling... I certainly have enough started, but not much finished...

-Cody F.

[GP38-2freak]

I try to get some modeling done in the evening, sometimes only 20 minutes but I think it is better to use even the smallest time available than sitting around and dream about what someone could do...

[Bsklarski]

Does going to the basement and looking at it, and going back upstairs count?

[bc6]

I picked 1-5 hours, usually after coming home from work Im in no mood to work on my my trains like most I guess. During holidays and weekends are the times Im normally working on my trains. Sometimes all it takes is for me to log into TRW and that'll get me started or getting a package to get me working on my trains. Dont you know model railroads are never completed.

[Philip H]

If you add in all the 10 and 15 minutes chuckns I get in here an there, it adds to between 2 and 5 hours a week.  But not always long enough to do major stuff.

[CBQ Fan]

I forgot to ask, does shopping for trains on the internet count??

[Bremner]

my problem is no layout, all of my locos are detailed....

[PAL_Houston]

It varies, considerably.  Over the holidays last Christmas I spent several days full-time building benchwork and laying track.  This Spring I doubt I spent 2 hours per week because of other stuff going on with work, travel and kids getting married.  Normally I hope to average about 8 or 10 hours a week.

[Coxy]

Thanks to all who have responded so far. Interesting to see the distribution of responses.

I forgot to ask, does shopping for trains on the internet count??

Not for this poll. I want to focus on actual modeling/building/running trains.
 

...I'm referring to the time spent building, modifying, scratch-building, testing, running, operating, not time spent online or making purchases or reading railroad publications or railfanning.

[Flatrat]

It varies due to other responsibilites and hobbies like most folks i guess. bought a new house in december and immersed myself full time in re-habbing the interior and grounds so for the last 7 months...0 hours devoted to model railroading. Now that I've checked off most all of the big home improvement jobs i'm building a new layout in the basement so spending about 5 hours a week on trains along with the few remaining home projects. I'm ADD so before long I suspect i'll go fiddle more with the motorcycle or kayaks or bicycles or..... then winter will be here again and the hours will go back up on model trains. When I am retired or win the lottery i suspect the hours modeling will go up drastically including the garden train project.

[VonRyan]

Does going to the basement and looking at it, and going back upstairs count?

sure, since it is much more than i do.

-Cody F.

[mmagliaro]

I was stunned by my own answer to this question, since I have a wife, two young step children, and a home to take care of.
I answered "11-20".   I am not in the "20" category, but I know I'm over 11.  (I thought it would be far less)

Some days, I get no more than a 15 minute snip of time to lay a piece of track, or add a bit of wiring.
Some evenings after the kids are in bed, I get in a good 2-3 hours.  On weekends, I can usually find a few hours over
the Sat/Sun period.  I should keep a log.

What's the secret?  (and no, the answer isn't "ignore your wife and kids"  !!!)

1. It's my only active hobby, so I'm not going out somewhere to some other activity
2. No TV.  We do not have one in the house.   We do not watch TV.
3. I make sure I do a little, even if it's only a 15 minute smidge of time, every day.

I think TV is the big one.  If folks added up how many hours they sit in front of the tube every week, they'd be horrified.
I know that I can spend a lot more time on everything in my life since I moved to Oregon and went on my "no tv" diet.
I credit my wife with that one.  I would never have done it on my own.  I would have set up the ol' TV and kept right
on wasting my time with it.