Conversation with wife...

SHE IS A KEEPER

I took my girlfriend to the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show two years ago and jokingly said want to come along. She ended up pulling me along to look at all the layouts. She was very patient while I looked for a few things even pointed out a few things I missed. After the show her response was "can we go next year"

Gentlemen,

    I agree with Marty, I hate seeing wimpy mens posts about hiding train purchases from the wife.   Now you should only purchase what you can afford that is only common sense, however my wife understands how much I like my train hobby and wants to see me happy. The blood pressure as noted in one of the other posts does go down when I run my Trains or build my layouts.  As I indicated once before, those choosing the wrong mate have a very rough road in life, choose well.  My wonderful wife and I just road the Tioga Central Railroad Lunch Train on Monday, great food and great ride, we both enjoyed our selves on the Train totally.  We will be doing it again soon!

PCRR/Dave  

Afraid "women's lib" has severely constricted the availability of wonderful wives!!

This is a great post and re-reading is refreshing, I have enjoyed it twice.

Brent

OMG... you better let her go, she sounds like she is going to be really high maintenance!

My wife is very supportive of my train hobby.   She'll join me on occasion when I go train watching. She works near the railroad and has the heritage tracker on her phone.   She likes to watch them pass through town.   I get pictures sent to me at work all of the time.  She actually sent me a picture yesterday of NS employee train.  She has never given me any problems on a toy train purchase.   Well, as long as it is a reasonable purchase.    I support her interests in return.

"Afraid "women's lib" has severely constricted the availability of wonderful wives!!"

 It's expanded the availability of wonderful lawyers, senators, surgeons and plumbers.  Who also make terrific partners from what I've seen, including my own.

Doesn't hurt that she's cute as a button, too...

I actually got proof that my wife can smile around trains last month on our Alaska trip.

That makes sense. There's nothing in the house that'd indicate trains were there until you get into the hallway to the toy room.

And most people miss that and their jaws drop when they walk into that back bedroom (which I call 'the Toy Room') which houses the layout and my military collection. It's a surprise otherwise. It'll really be a surprise to people once the scenery is done, I think.

There's also nothing to indicate I'm into military stuff either around the rest of the house.

I was married once, a long time ago (been divorced 21 years). We got divorced, but my interests - and hers - had nothing to do with it. We didn't give each other orders (both of us would have found that hilarious).

I am sure that I would not have had as large a "collection" had we stayed together - but only because I would have had to share the house with her (I couldn't take ALL the room!)

Back in 1990 or so, I could not decide between a Weaver GM&O brass 0-6-0 or brass Dreyfuss Century Hudson. She asked me about the catalogue, I told her of my "dilemma",

and she said "why don't you get them both?". And I did.

These locos were not "bargains" in those days, either.

Now, why exactly did we get divorced...?

Bossman,as they say up here in Maine, "You've got a keepah!"

I do too, by the way. It's pretty simple: just be open with your wife about what you're doing with your hobby. If she starts to suspect that you're "sneaking" trains into the house behind her back, you'll probably lose her trust about other things besides the trains.  

Yeah, I was sneaking stuff in at first for my military collection (when I could afford it, as I was an Army LT when we met and married so I wasn't rolling in loot, and we bought a new house 2 later and REALLY weren't rolling in loot for a long time after that) and then claiming it was there all along. That worked for the most part.

Now, it's better for me to be open and tell her ahead of time what I wanna do. If she's with me, she'll often give the go-ahead. It's when she never knew ahead of time that she gets mad. And after all these years, I understand why.

I've been up front with her on any train purchase of consequence. While she didn't see some of them as needed in any way, I can't recall her fighting me on anything bought for the layout.

In fact, when we were in Alaska in May, I warned her that it was likely I'd buy a haul of stuff from the White Pass RR gift shop in Skagway. As I walked up to the counter, she realized I wasn't buying nearly as much as I told her I would, and I'm pretty sure she said, "Is that all you're getting?" The nice young lady at the cash register showed some surprise at that remark, I bet she doesn't hear that very often!

15 years and a day after we were married. God knows every one of those days wasn't perfect, but I wouldn't trade my life with her for anything.

I am also a lucky man. My first wife (I don't call her my ex I call her my why) barely tolerated my hobby - no wonder we didn't last two years.

My new bride is the best! MJ has enjoyed every train related trip we have taken including the NJ Hi Railers, Three Dinner Trains, A few local meets, some friends layouts, and most recently the TCA Convention hosted by METCA.

I was thinking of selling some items and she said "please don't - you may regret it later".

I find I enjoy my hobby even more with her by my side participating.

Paul

My WIFE said that when I die she will sell all boxcars for $10 each and all engines for $150 each.  She said that's what I told her that I paid for them.  Then she is going to take a nice trip to the Caribbean.

We have enjoyed 47 years together. My wife enjoys vintage std. gauge as much as I. We view Stout's Auction listings together. I enjoy looking even more when she says,"That's pretty, buy it!".

My wife has been my caregiver for the past 11 years. Yes, there's bad days of course. The good days out number the bad. The good days are centered around tinplate trains. I couldn't ask for more.

My wife and I, ... I once told her that we were like oil & water, separate in many ways but together we make a good salad dressing.  I took her with me to Trainland when I got rejuvenated back into the hobby, when the terminology and different types were all new and somethings are almost the same, however she went with me to Trainland and I was scoping out future purchases.  She asked me what particular train was I looking at, and I pointed out 1 and she asked me if I saw anything else and I pointed out another and she said to Joe at the store "He wants both of those, so can you get those for him Please", and she paid for them.  My wife has one huge hobby and I have at least 4-5 with trains taking on a precedence now in my life.  She goes with me on a lot of my shopping sprees and she tends to spend more on my trains than I do and if she isn't there, she asks me why I came back with so much cash.  She went with me to Eric Siegel and Bill Dischinger's houses at last years Piedmont Pilgrimage in Atlanta, Ga. and we're from New York City.  She's been upstate NY and NJ to other train stores..TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE in every way.  THAT'S MY GIRL.  Don't get me wrong, she's no perfect angel and neither am I but God's not thru with us yet.  Besides my trains, she's been my lifeline and what else can I say, SHE's MINE.  I'm truly blessed. - MARSHELANGELO

It's like my dad used to say, "I don't drink, don't smoke, don't hang out with fast women ... a man's got to have a hobby. OK, maybe ONE fast woman".

All these sad stories about imperfect wives makes me sick. . . .

What a surprise she will have when the Supreme Court allows me to marry my trains.

I told my wife that I once read, "My worst nightmare is that when I die, my wife sells my trains for what she THINKS I paid for them."  She laughed.

Reminds me of a joke I heard recently...

What's the difference between wives and husbands?

Only the husbands know their spouse is married to an imperfect person.

Hahahahahha.... LMAO....

Alan,

If the Supremes rule you can marry your trains,  just imagine all the dependents you'll be able to claim.  Heck, the IRS will end up shelling out big $$ to you every year.  Brilliant !

Ed

I have one of those wives too, it's great to have someone who enjoys you having a hobby.

My wife called me yesterday and said the Lehigh Valley is coming through town and she was going to take pictures of it.   That's my girl!