I have gotten to the point that when I go down to the basement to turn off the lights and layout, I run what ever is on the track for two or three minutes. Sometimes I do that before I leave the house too. Talk about being bitten by the 'bug', I think I was swarmed.
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Better then counting sheep. More therapeutic too................Paul
My layout is in my dining room and I run my trains almost every night before lights out. Relaxing.
I agree to doing SOMETHING on the layout before bed, so you aren't going to bed with all the days thoughts and stress preventing you from sleeping...
Every morning I start the day with train laps with my morning coffee. Almost every night a lap or two or a few maneuvers before bed. This is where the hobby really gives back for the time I've invested.
DennyM,
Yep most nights before going up to bed I run the trains a little, I was bitten by that bug long ago, its long term disease, no doubt about it.
PCRR/Dave
I try to run them even for 30 minutes before I head up for bed. I love to sit on the train room couch, have a beer & turn off the lights to watch them run. Smell the smoke & the ozone. It just relaxes me & the all the stress of the day seems to fade away
My wife wakes up well before I do so she goes to bed a couple of hours before I do.
My layout is in the back bedroom on the opposite end of the house so every few nights, I'll fire up a ten-wheeler and take some cars from one end of the layout to the other, just because I can.
p51 posted:My wife wakes up well before I do so she goes to bed a couple of hours before I do.
My layout is in the back bedroom on the opposite end of the house so every few nights, I'll fire up a ten-wheeler and take some cars from one end of the layout to the other, just because I can.
Your wife must be a sound sleeper. How did you manage to fit a ten Wheeler in your house? ☺
Mostly at night before bed. Especially when I can't sleep.
I'm sure most will agree. I feel running the trains or working on the layout is a great way to relax and relieve stress. Especially after a hectic day.
I just did that last night. 40 minutes went by in a flash, and all/most of my worries slipped away.
RoyBoy posted:I just did that last night. 40 minutes went by in a flash, and all/most of my worries slipped away.
Yeah, sometimes I'll do a tour of the layout with a short train of coach/caboose hop and/or switch some cars for prep for an op session, then look at the clock and realize it's way later than I thought and that I wasn't going to get much sleep before work the next morning. That's not a good thing.
Denny, I run my trains every night. Keep running and enjoy.
I can't go near the layout before bed. Invariably, I would spot something to fix or get a new idea and stay up working on it into the wee hours of the morning. As an early riser, partly out of necessity and partly due to circadian rhythm, it became unsustainable behavior. Not even on weekends.
What, me worry?
Great comments, me too - sometimes I run 'em early in the morn while the house is asleep. Usually a few minutes in the evening. Its great!
I remember when I was a little boy and the trains were set up in the living room. I would always prep myself before bed (washed up and teeth brushed) early just to run into the living room to run my 027 trains for 15 minutes.
When running was over and my parents said that I needed to go to bed, I would choose a car or locomotive to take to bed with me. I would set the car/loco on a piece of track on my dresser and stare at it before finally falling asleep. When I awoke the next morning, it was still there waiting for me and another day of railroading fun.
I really miss those days.
I usually run mine at night when I get home from work around 1:00am. If I start working on a project I may not hit the rack before 4:00am.
I run my trains morning,noon or night and ran one this evening while i ate my dinner. Of course, being alone helps quite a bit. Funny how parents would restrict their kids from running trains but now they can text all night, if thy want.
Sounds like the perfect way to end the day.
-Greg
I miss the old finished room in the basement. Half the room was trains the other half furniture. I would watch TV and have all the lights glowing on the layout many times not even running trains.
Then I added a family room to the house. The trains took over the rest of the basement. I do not see the trains as much as I would like.
The trains that get run are in the basement in the cave. Since my quarters are down there, I always run a few laps while dressing in he morning. Nights are extra. My most productive projects happen after 4 AM and before 6. If I go to bed too early then I get up way too early so I work on a project to keep my mind occupied and worry free.
Phoebe Snow Route posted:I remember when I was a little boy and the trains were set up in living room. I would always prep myself before bed (washed up and teeth brushed) early just to run into the living room to run my 027 trains for 15 minutes.
When running was over and my parents said that I needed to do to bed, I would choose a car or locomotive to take to bed with me. I would set the car/loco on a piece of track on my dresser and stare at it before finally falling asleep. When I awoke the next morning, it was still there waiting for me and another day of railroading fun.
I really miss those days.
This is a fantastic thread loaded with great posts. The above from Brian being a real show-stealer.
Thanks All.
Mike
I like to run mine at night , open the garage doors and run them all at the same time. Lots of noise
Brent
graz posted:Phoebe Snow Route posted:I remember when I was a little boy and the trains were set up in living room. I would always prep myself before bed (washed up and teeth brushed) early just to run into the living room to run my 027 trains for 15 minutes.
When running was over and my parents said that I needed to do to bed, I would choose a car or locomotive to take to bed with me. I would set the car/loco on a piece of track on my dresser and stare at it before finally falling asleep. When I awoke the next morning, it was still there waiting for me and another day of railroading fun.
I really miss those days.
This is a fantastic thread loaded with great posts. The above from Brian being a real show-stealer.
Thanks All.
Mike
Thanks, Graz. I really appreciate your reply. I still do the same thing today with the difference being that the cars and locos got a little more expensive than an 027 starter set, but the magic and mystic have never gone away.
Rather than "Running trains before going to bed," you should try running them from the bed. Crank up the remote from the sack and get one going. Sure, they're in another room, and you can't see them, but you can hear them. Blow the whistle on that steamer as you're falling asleep and pretend the night mail is coming through town like you heard it though your bedroom window on a dark night when you were young. If you didn't, you can just pretend. Use a junker engine so if you do fall asleep and it runs for hours or crashes it won't matter. Best to have a fire extinguisher handy, too, in case of an electrical fire in the middle of the night.
You'll only be able to do this once, probably, because if you try to do it a second time your wife will either send you to a motel for the night, or else start proceedings to have you institutionalized. Also, it's probably best if you don't tell anyone that you do this.
Disclaimers sound almost as daunting as a pharmaceutical commercial, breezinup.
What, me worry?
breezinup posted:Rather than "Running trains before going to bed," you should try running them from the bed. Crank up the remote from the sack and get one going. Sure, they're in another room, and you can't see them, but you can hear them. Blow the whistle on that steamer as you're falling asleep and pretend the night mail is coming through town like you heard it though your bedroom window on a dark night when you were young. If you didn't, you can just pretend. Use a junker engine so if you do fall asleep and it runs for hours or crashes it won't matter. Best to have a fire extinguisher handy, too, in case of an electrical fire in the middle of the night.
You'll only be able to do this once, probably, because if you try to do it a second time your wife will either send you to a motel for the night, or else start proceedings to have you institutionalized. Also, it's probably best that you don't tell anyone that you do this.
You sound like my brother-in-law. That made me laugh.
I get up for work between 4 and 4:30AM. When I get home, I'll normally change and get my two miles in then shower, throw on some shorts or sweats depending on the season and head to the basement to run trains for about 20 minutes before supper. If I waited till after supper they'd never get run as I'm typically asleep in "my chair" by 8:30.
Curt