Time spent actively N Scale Railroading?

[VonRyan]

That explains why my HCD layout has so far turned out the way it has... it's cause there is a cable T.V. in my basement and it has a remote.... course my selling my MRC Prodigy Express system to buy a 1990s Kato PRR F3 A-B-A set doesn't help my case, but i did buy a full circle set of atlas code 55 20" radius curves... At least i now have a reason to update my layout and sell the 8 code 80 remote switches...

-Cody F.

[SP-Wolf]

Been spending way to much time on the darn computer. Trying to get myself off of the darn thing. I got way more done in the days before computors!!!

[Hiroe]

Do they have to be N scale?

[VonRyan]

For you Drew, yes... That is until i see some of those NE corridor modules at a show or two... 

-Cody F.

[Hiroe]

Cody,

Getting wirework done at the club is low-impact on the hobby budget, aside the bridge toll.

[Smike]

Time of year makes a huge difference on time spent doing Nscale stuff. Summer is too many days of fly fishing, rock climbing, family trips, and round the house work, winter too many days ice climbing. The inbetween seasons, or really hot winters in the NE (called mud season) allow for a ton of N scale work to get done. Someone mentioned TV. With so little time TV never made the cut! We don't even have one in the house. 

I was suprised at the average reponse thou.

[rswinnerton]

My layout is kinda in a dormant state right now. I never have time in the summer and it's just too darn hot up there anyway.  When fall comes, I expect to get the rest of the benchwork up though and I'll need some help with scenery as I've never gotten to that stage before, so I kinda don't know where to start. Perhaps I can enlist some asshats help with the offer of free beer and charred meat?

Russ

[Cory Rothlisberger]

40 hours a week...

[Blazeman]

10-20 mins a day results in progress....glueing a couple sections of a structure, putting down some track and or roadbed, dropping leads, or planting trees or grass.  Wiring and more detailed scenery can't be done in that little bite of time. One needs to schedule those tasks to a time when interruptions are minimal.

There's a TV in the room that competes for my attention as well as the computer when family and house duties aren't pressing for my time.

[PAL_Houston]

40 hours a week...

I guess most of us would've thought earning a living by doing your hobby would be a good thing.
So what do you do for relaxation, Cory?

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Hi Folks,

Considering what I do I find that I am lucky to spend between 1-5 hours per week. I set a goal to do something on a Saturday afternoon and in the end spend it helping others or just talking. I do have a few N Scale projects coming up that I want to spend time with so I am going to kick all my mates out and do something for myself.
 
I want to build a number of Pennsy Passenger Trains and the only way I will get to achieve that is by scratch building the coaches I want and that is a time thing. I think I will take a leaf out of your book Max and kick that square tube into touch.

Regards

Al

[VonRyan]

Cody,

Getting wirework done at the club is low-impact on the hobby budget, aside the bridge toll.

At least you've discovered something low impact on a budget, plus your wirework looks better than hand-spun silk...
everything i foolishly get myself into ends up turning my budget into a swarm of moths who don't pay rent on my wallet space...

My layout is kinda in a dormant state right now. I never have time in the summer and it's just too darn hot up there anyway.  When fall comes, I expect to get the rest of the benchwork up though and I'll need some help with scenery as I've never gotten to that stage before, so I kinda don't know where to start. Perhaps I can enlist some asshats help with the offer of free beer and charred meat?

Russ

hmm, charred meat you say? i'll hold up the layout singlehandedly (literally with one hand) if it means a nice bacon-cheeseburger.


-Cody F.

[Flatrat]

Reading this post has been enlightening. For one thing I thought i was the only weirdo in North America without a cable TV in each room of the house. Only have one of my TVs hooked up in the new house, and for now, it receives the one station available via antenna [nice HD picture though and FREE...chuckle] I mostly get my news from internet sources. It frees up more time for reading books and train magazines and home and hobby projects and from my opinion of most current TV programming...time better spent.

I learned from biting off more than I could chew on previous model train projects that this time I would try a very simple 4x8 layout, two basic loops with only the inner track having turnouts and sidings and easy rolling rural countryside not requiring extensive scenery or structure modeling and focusing more on attempting well laid, smooth running trackwork.  The goal is to have two trains running with the inner loop providing basic swtiching operations. With other home projects and money spread thin it seemed like "less could be more" and maybe for once i can finally have a layout that is finished or at least mostly finished so i can actually enjoy running trains.

[Catt]

Can I pick them all? They really do all apply to me.It just depends on which week we are reffering to.

[mark dance]

Interesting poll.

I try to get up about 05:00 each day and spend the first hour doing work email.  I can then squeeze in 1.5 hours before the kids get up so that is 10 hours right there.  In addition my flexible work schedule (I am basically a consultant) often allows me to squeeze in 1-2 blocks of 4 hours each per week.  So I push 20+ hours most weeks and, properly organized and focused, that can be a huge amount of time.

What I have found however is that since beginning operating sessions I lose about 1/4 of available time prepping for sessions but as I am more interested in operations than modelling the time is well spent.

md