Model Railroading & Soothing Stress

After reading this I find it interesting that you have actually figured out that retirement might not be the way to go. Our hobby does give us the opportunity to leave the stress of the day to day life behind but we all need to keep active in other places. I have known to many that retire and sit in front of the TV and watch Judge Judy all day and then wind up leaving all to soon. For me I retired at 66 from a 42 year career as a Tractor Trailer Driver working 15 hours a day. At 70 I decided to back and work 2 days a week 8 hours a day. It’s just enough. Extra cash, yes we can all use it, especially in today’s world. I have this great hobby for relaxation and work keeps me in touch with the real world and that’s perfect for me. I hope what you have decided to do works out for you. Keep those trains running!

I have found the building/construction/creating aspect is a therapy for me, and that's what I've been concentrating on the past year or so. A half-hour one night, 45 minutes another, a little bit at a time. For example, I am finishing a kit-bashed tall building that has been 7 months in the making. I also have to admit that the complexity of my modern trains can be very stressful however, when things don't work, command systems don't function, etc.

The short answer is I agree with you

I'm 66, a Automatic Transmission Rebuilder that now works at a place very part time that does mostly custom work

When I was young I had street cars, but after removing and installing transmissions on a daily basis for 15 years, that beat the car thing right out of me.

There is so much more to this hobby than what outsiders think that we sit and run trains around in circles.

And I know you know this from reading your other threads

Me personally, I do a fair share of scratch building, and scenery related stuff.

Back in January,we left a show and on the way to the car, my wife said she wanted a N scale layout.

Having no knowledge at the time I started on my latest endeavor,which has really been exciting.

I have sooo much scenery related stuff to do, and also on my O layout,which fills in my spare time when I can.

My free time is delegated to things to do with the house and car,In N E PA you have 3 months in the winter to cold to do anything outside, and usually June July and half of August it's to hot outside, and inside house projects on rainy days.

So with what's left I do N and O mostly scenery related projects,streets, houses and yards,farm yards stuff.

It is like you say very enjoyable,and my wife is also involved also,she does most of the dictating  of what she wants as base scenery . I build it and she adds all the details.

I was all over the place on this one,but I really understand what you are thinking, and also another decent thread Arnold

For the most part, my model railroading is an escape, however, I will say that certain aspects of model railroading can be stress inducers.

I'm currently involved installing back drop boards for the back drops, and have a lot more sawdust/paint/mess things to get accomplished before the layout and layout room gets cleaned up and the equipment unboxed and placed on the rails again. I suspect this messy phase I'm currently involved in will last the rest of the summer.

I would like to say that such work is a stress reducer, but it really isn't to me. There's a bit of stress trying to get your cuts right (made a $12 mistake yesterday that really messed with me), trying to hold boards in place and get the fastener started, etc, etc. At times my frustration level rises.

No, what I'm doing now is an evil necessity in order to get back to the thing I love the most: Operating the trains.

SO... for me, there IS some stress in certain aspects of model railroading. However, IF one wants to accomplish the larger goal, then you have to tackle them and get them done. The end goal is greater than the inconvenience of the means necessary to arrive there.

Andre

Interesting topic Arnold.

Thinking about the hobby relative to being a stress reducer is something that I never thought of before.  Now that I'm thinking on it, I believe having a Christmas time layout only works to my advantage.  I get to do things every year that I really enjoy about the hobby.

I start building it early November and start taking it down (and cleaning everything) mid-Jan,  Then I take a mental break for a couple of months and completely don't usually even think about it.  Then maybe April or May an idea for a design for the upcoming layout hits me and I start drawing.  This eats up at least a month as one thought leads to another and another.  New designs completely, minuses with the designs that I already thought of that allow for me to improve on things.  BTw: I do my drawings with paper and pencil and special made-to-scale devices to get angles and diameters correct.  It always is almost dead on when I build it.  I like working with my hands to do more than using software and it's very relaxing to me.

This is the part of the hobby that I enjoy the most and get to do it every year since I change the design every year. 

I also have "mini-scenes" to think about and sometimes planning which of my several mini-scenes that I want to use for the year even affects track design.

So I sit at my table and draw and think and erase and draw and have a beer and I would say that is why I agree with you: it's a great relaxing time for me.

Building the layout differently each year has many advantages while, yes, there are several negatives too since nothing is permanent.  But that doesn't bother me since I so much enjoy what each new year allows for me to do ,

Sorry about being so long

Walt

I've been building layouts since 1968. I've been retired for 7 years, and for me, retirement is like summer vacation all year round. I work on my trains a couple of hours a week, I help with the grandchildren two days a week, I garden, and I meet with a book club once a month. I go to NYC whenever time permits to visit museums. I always have something to do, even nap.

But above all, my "happy place" is my attic where I work on my trains. 😊

Arnoldo,

Good post. Here's my story. I decided last fall to begin building a 2-rail layout. Through the planning process I also decided to hand-lay the track. Now, at the start I wasn't sure hand-laying would be my thing. But, it turns out that I find the details of gluing ties, spiking, ballasting and weathering track to be very peaceful. I typically find myself thinking about friends and family. Don't know why...I just do. I may lay track for 30 minutes or several hours. Definitely a stress reliever for me as it takes my mind off of most things.

I'm guessing that if someone has a hobby that is a net adder of stress to ones life, time to find another hobby.

Arnoldo, I retired 2-1/2 years ago.  While I don’t have stress from work, my wife gets more stress from her mum across the road than we had at work, that invariably stresses me. 😆  The layout and this forum provide quite a respite!  If a Pirates game is on the radio, I listen while working on the layout.  After so many years of disappointment, I am numbed to the losing so it doesn’t bother me. 😄

I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every post on this thread.

Here's some friendly and free advice that many of you probably already know, but in my opinion it is worth repeating if any of you don't already know it.

Concerning retirement, if your work at your job or business  has become intolerable for you, then if you can afford to retire, I think retirement is probably a good choice for you.

If your work is not intolerable, then why not keep doing your work, keep making money and build your estate for your immediate needs (ie. more trains, etc.) and to leave a legacy for your spouse and children.

Concerning your various activities and interests, both before and after retirement, Voltaire in Candide had an expression, both literally and metaphorically, which is a great way to have a happy and productive life: cultivate your garden.

Literally, to cultivate your garden is a good and worthwhile thing to do if you like gardening.

I have a gangrene thumb, as does my wife, so we don't do any gardening. LOL.

Metaphorically, to cultivate your  garden is, IMO, a great way to live.

What do I mean by metaphorically cultivating your garden?

I can answer that by explaining how it applies to me.

My metaphorical garden includes my law and mediation practice, my family, my trains and model railroad, an occasional golf game with my son, songwriting, singing and performing my original songs on guitar including doing so at Open Mics, watching baseball on television, talking to my friends (mostly fellow model railroaders), reading books, and reading and posting on this Forum. In essence, my garden is all of my interests.

To cultivate my garden means to continue doing my various interests and to endeavor to get better at doing them.

I can thank my parents, who passed away long ago, for paying for my Ivy League education at Columbia College. If I never got that education, I never would have read a book like Candide by Voltaire, and never heard of cultivating my garden.

To cultivate my garden has had a profoundly positive impact on my life, and I wish the same for every one of you.

Arnaldo

What I have found about this hobby is that it is multi-disciplined you design the layout, build the benchwork, install the track (straight sections, form curved sections, uncouplers, wye, switches, etc.,), install the switch motors and do scenery work. The next section is wiring the switch motors, soldering track connections to the tin plate track, wiring the common buss wire, wiring the block sections to a control panel(s), building of car kits(Intermountain and Red Caboose), painting and decaling unpainted cars, personal choice of engines and railroads to model, building building kits or scratch building structures, detailing plastic scale people and a project that I wanted to due for years design and install directional lighting in Williams engines using diodes, resistors, wire and styrene  tubes cut to mount the led's. So this hobby can be all inclusive or not, you can be an operator, modeler or both based on personal choice. Overall I find this hobby challenging, not boring, an indoor project you can do year round and take personal satisfaction in the tasks you accomplish. Many years ago in the early 1970's I considered RC aircraft as a hobby this also is a multi-disciplined hobby one buys the kit, builds the plane, buys the servos, engine and fuel tank and finally a multi-channel transmitter. This is a summer hobby most RC people I know build the planes in the winter, I was told you start with an overhead wing aircraft and 3 channel transmitter to learn how to fly an RC aircraft. You need a cut field for takeoff and landing and weekend hours to fly the plane. I was early in my career as a mechanical engineer and could not dedicate the time to this hobby. I returned to model railroading in 1990. Retired after a 40 year career and enjoy my free time with my wife, house projects and maintenance, vacations and the model train hobby which keeps you mentally stimulated.

My train room is definitely my "happy place."  I love what I do for a living (health insurance agent) and feel fortunate that I can say that. However, having my trains as an escape from it is priceless. During a typical workday, people discuss their health issues with me, and I have to admit that discussing things like that, while a necessary part of the job, can be a "downer" and stress inducer. I have found that the perfect way to forget the worries of the day is to go down to my train room, turn on some Jimmy Buffett music, and work on my layout or one of my trains. Not only does it lower my stress level, but it clears my mind, which enables me to be more productive at work.

As usual, great topic, Arnold, and I have enjoyed reading everyone's replies.

John

John, you and I, and I suspect many other Forum friends of ours, know the truth of one of my best lyrics: "In my little world, I leave this troubled world behind."

If you would like to hear the song, which I believe you will enjoy, go to YouTube, insert in the YouTube search box my name: Arnold Cribari, and click on the video/song: Who Am I (Rollin' By).

Arnold

@Mark Boyce posted:

Arnoldo, I retired 2-1/2 years ago.  While I don’t have stress from work, my wife gets more stress from her mum across the road than we had at work, that invariably stresses me. 😆  The layout and this forum provide quite a respite!  If a Pirates game is on the radio, I listen while working on the layout.  After so many years of disappointment, I am numbed to the losing so it doesn’t bother me. 😄

Mark, although you and I are not Brooklyn Dodger fans, one reason for that being that they no longer exist, in order to sooth you regarding the Pirate's losing season, I encourage you to read the charming book: Wait Till Next Year, written by the Presidential historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin.

This book is beautifully written, and among a handful of the most enjoyable books I have ever read.

After reading it, if I was born 10 years earlier (1941 instead of 1951) and know what I know now, I would have been a Brookkyn Dodger fan instead of a Yankee fan.

And, of course, you will always have the 1960 World Series and that glorious moment: Bill Mazeroski's home run.

Arnaldo

"If you would like to hear the song, which I believe you will enjoy, go to YouTube, insert in the YouTube search box my name: Arnold Cribari, and click on the video/song: Who Am I (Rollin' By)."

I've watched the video several times,Arnold, and I think it's fantastic!!

Awesome Arnold

Stress,  I remember that word from a long time ago.  It was so strong at the time I vowed to never willingly set myself up for it again.

Now at this stage of life we purchased this nice sized ranch home where my wife is queen of the main floor and I am king of the best floor.

Although my RR is a bit oversized it never the less is a great way to imagineer the continuing construction process.   It is pure fun getting lost in the development of it's many aspects.

It will never be done, possibly never look like it will ever even approach being done...but that is OK.

In my quest for low stress, no negative folks will ever knowingly enter my world.

My RR, my rules.

Tom, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard any one refer to their layout as “a bit oversized”.  Like Tom , I have left the world of stress behind.  It always amazes me how, when I’m in my train room, the world dissolves and time passes so swiftly. Another thought provoking stream; thank you Arnold.

Jay

Jay,  actually more than a bit oversized,  my RR is too big.  Too much for one person.   One can have too much of a good thing.

It would have been different if I had started this layout decades earlier.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Mark, although you and I are not Brooklyn Dodger fans, one reason for that being that they no longer exist, in order to sooth you regarding the Pirate's losing season, I encourage you to read the charming book: Wait Till Next Year, written by the Presidential historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin.

This book is beautifully written, and among a handful of the most enjoyable books I have ever read.

After reading it, if I was born 10 years earlier (1941 instead of 1951) and know what I know now, I would have been a Brookkyn Dodger fan instead of a Yankee fan.

And, of course, you will always have the 1960 World Series and that glorious moment: Bill Mazeroski's home run.

Arnaldo

😊  I have a picture of Maz rounding the bases that day 62 years ago on top of the file cabinet.

We have to remember in the mid ‘90s the Pirates could have met the same fate as the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Wait Until Next Year sounds good.

Back to the layout.  When I was a teenager, I worked on my layout in out basement that was lit by two 60 watt bulbs.  At that time I was able to get a Pittsburgh AM Top 40s station on the radio.  It was a refuge for a shy high school kid.  I don’t listen to music much now.  However, that was when I learned how therapeutic a model railroad is.

Arnold,

Personally, I am a retirement kind of guy. People ask, "How do you like being retired?" My answer is that I haven't found anything NOT to like about retirement. My biggest problem is paring down my interests so that I can give each of them proper attention.

But whether we retire or continue to follow a career, it makes little difference in the larger scheme of things. As long as what we do brings us joy and inner peace, that is what matters. There is an endless supply of fear, stress, anger and all of those things. Keeping them away from our metaphoric doors should be our primary mission.

Now, to the real meat of this reply. One interest I developed after retirement is my train layout.  Every time I walk past it, it brings a smile to my face--not just some of the time or part of the time, but EVERY time. Now, that is priceless.

Terry

Hello Arnold, I read every one of your posts and this one has struck me like a hammer.

I have a 24 ft. by 8ft. layout and I had added Cab1/L for ease of use. However, when the pandemic hit us all, I tended to run the layout less and now I am unable to demonstrate it to others because I cannot get the trains to run. I disconnected the Cab1/L to no avail and although the ambient sounds seem to work, I cannot get the trains to run conventually. My power supply is a Lionel ZW-C and I am considering removing the control unit and the 4 power blocks and lugging them to my nearest model train store to have them checked out because I know of no model railroad technician, who lives close enough to me in Haverhill, MA  to trouble shoot my layout. That is my current stress!

Now 47 years at age 66 in funeral service and dealing with people in a vulnerable time in their lives makes for interesting and awkward moments for all parties. My profession is not a job but a way of life. So the Bellevue and Schenectady RR  is therapy for me for sure. My wife says I should be on my third book telling all the stories about what I have seen heard.👍

@Art Howes posted:

Hello Arnold, I read every one of your posts and this one has struck me like a hammer.

I have a 24 ft. by 8ft. layout and I had added Cab1/L for ease of use. However, when the pandemic hit us all, I tended to run the layout less and now I am unable to demonstrate it to others because I cannot get the trains to run. I disconnected the Cab1/L to no avail and although the ambient sounds seem to work, I cannot get the trains to run conventually. My power supply is a Lionel ZW-C and I am considering removing the control unit and the 4 power blocks and lugging them to my nearest model train store to have them checked out because I know of no model railroad technician, who lives close enough to me in Haverhill, MA  to trouble shoot my layout. That is my current stress!

Try reaching out to the Boston Metro Hi-Railers Model Railroad Club...they are based in Wilmington and maybe someone would be willing to help!

Regards

Arnold you need to stay working if you were retired full time no telling what kind of intriguing questions or topics you would post on this Forum. At 69 with 25 yers of Federal Service and not thinking about retirement(wife sewing hobby and my trains would not let me). As TomTee posted she is Queen of the first floor and I am King of the best floor in the house. I spend most all my indoor time in the basement, sometimes working on the layout(still running wires), servicing locomotives, buying them of that auction site ( TrainZ mostly) hanging out on this forum or just sitting and taking in the entire room and it does relieve my stress level immensely while listening to my collection of music and it runs the gambit from Big Band, Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock County Frank Sinatra(a lot of it).  Sometimes I am reading a lot of train books/magizines and history WWII mostly. I would love to steal your Forum sign off :

In my little world, I leave this troubled world behind" as that is what I do. Also send Western Maryland RR photos to Mark  anonymously (by mistake not realizing when sent from my phone it is not signed as an email is).

Arnold keep up the intriguing thought provoking topics and if working still is satisfying then keep doing as I am. Besides we need to do something to pay for this VERY EXPENSIVE Addiction we all have and I have several framed signs that talk to just that "Addiction" and she signed a prenuptial that she can be replaced but the trains can't be! That was almost 40 years ago and we both still laugh about that. Just remember "He who dies with the most toys wins". As the T Shirt I picked up at anArron Tippen Concert several years back with he photo and a Stearman Airplane stating "The only difference between men and boys are the size of their toys" or in our case price of those toys.

PS: Love the video and song have listened to it several times.

I'm 75. Today is my last day as the CFO of a private non-profit school. I can't tell you how stressful the last two plus years have been. Fortunately, I have the KnobKnee - Bordem - and French Town railroad as my big stress reliever. As another poster stated, it is oversized and will never be finished but now I can spend more stress-free time Imagineering. Oh, and I'm not fully retired. I'll stay on in a consulting role but have no responsibilities for decision making or the day-to-day grind! Yee Haw!

Rick, You never know what this computer stuff is going to do.  I knew it was from someone who knew me, but then forgot to reply and ask. 

@Mark Boyce posted:

Rick, You never know what this computer stuff is going to do.  I knew it was from someone who knew me, but then forgot to reply and ask. 

Mark and did not think about ad I very rarely use email from my phone. Hope you enjoyed the photos.  

@Mark Boyce talked about listening to music when younger. Juggled my memory

I should have added a comment about that in my post above.  When I start my layout in November I drag out all of the CDs and cassettes (yes I still play them even tho' old) and get in the Christmas spirit listing to Christmas tunes.  Don't know if this sounds weird but many times I will burn incense of varying flavors to add to the Christmas "feel".

sooooooooooooooooo  relaxing.  building the layout and enjoying the environment while doing so.  Now to me, THAT'S stress relief

- Walt

-

Walt,

You must be reading my mind. I was just thinking about playing music and trains, too. They go so well together. I am a music lover of all genres, but I too am a huge fan of holiday music. I have two Christmas playlists on my laptop and cell phone that I play from Thanksgiving through January. As a matter of fact, you're making me miss them right now. (However, abstinence throughout most of the year only makes the holiday tunes sound better when the time is right.)

I like your incense idea, too.

Terry

These are very healthy ways to sooth one's stress.

What a fun question! Like others have more eloquently stated, I sure enjoy creating my own little world - the creating for me is the most fun part though I certainly enjoy running the layout. Every now and then over the years, I've changed the layout theme - then focus on tinkering - making things (to my eye) better. As I've grown older, having made the decision decades ago to move from N gauge to O (because it wasn't as finicky), I find myself also making the layout simpler to oversee and operate. Moving working accessories to the edge, unloading engines or rolling stock I don't love, removing turnouts that are out of reach - I've always been a conventional (and clockwork) runner too.

@laming posted:

For the most part, my model railroading is an escape, however, I will say that certain aspects of model railroading can be stress inducers.

Too true; people in any hobby always seem to want to tell others that anything which is easy for them, must therefore be equally simple for any others. That just isn't the case. For example, some of you have responded to my scratch building or weathering with posts that they cannot do it. Others who know my talent with a pen or brush have wished they could do the same. To me, that stuff is easy, but I get that it doesn't come as easy for others as it does for me (but in each case, that's only after many years of effort).

I am clueless about electronics and am tired of reading posts from those who have talent in that subject, thinking all other humans have the same talents and abilities.

I found that while going through the progress up to the point where it looked like 'a layout' to me, I didn't enjoy it much. Yeah, I liked taking a freight car, structure or something and weathering it during the layout build, but walking into the room of the half-completed layout didn't calm me down. All I saw was what I wanted to get done.

Surprisingly, I found I liked doing scenery. Maybe that's why I completed it so fast; I didn't wanna stop!

But once it looked like a layout and I was then just adding new elements, changing some stuff or doing new structures and the like, that's when I started calming me down. I don't understand those who love the build. if that's your thing, you're welcome to it. I wanted a complete layout, one i could fiddle with and improve one element at a time but still look like a finished project.

Now, I walk into the room often and just stand there. I especially love turning it on and trying new photographs of the layout (and playing with them to look like 1940s shots of real life). I also like running trains. THEN, it relieves stress and fills me with joy.

We all know that many in the hobby just want a layout, and they'll figure out the theme later. I don't understand that, as this is what I've always wanted, for as long as I remember. I always envisioned a fictional branch line of the narrow gauge East Tennessee & Western North Carolina running into the valley where my parents grew up. As a kid, a built up a fictional history of the line. Why; I can't say as I never thought I'd model it. But it was always in my imagination. Bachmann made it possible with the ten-wheelers the ET&WNC had in On30 and for that, I'll always be eternally grateful.

Just a moment ago, I walked into the room, looked around yet again, smiled, and walked back out. No matter what the future holds, I got it done and nobody can take that from me.

HI all,  I recently bought a Weaver Hiawatha set from a forum member (G-1230-L). I noticed there was a screw loose on the underside of the observation car. Knowing loose screws end up on the rails and cause havoc, I decided to take it apart to see what's up.  Now for the STRESS part - after searching all over for a disassembly guide - no avail - I decided I needed to forge ahead CAREFULLY so I would not damage anything on this gorgeous 20 inch observation car.  I knew I would have to take it apart eventually to convert over to LEDs - so in I dove.

In a perfect world, you remove 2 pairs of body screws from either end of the body and slide the base out along the aluminum guide rails. No need to remove the trucks - done.  As it was, the very ends of the guide rails were pinched making easy removal impossible.  Using a wooden "stick" nearly the width of the base I was able to extract the base with a series of taps and bangs and several &^%&^%$. Then once out, a couple of taps with a jeweler's screwdriver in the channel opened the pinch point. Everything slides back together as intended. Making sure I did not damage the paint was my biggest concern.

So,  does model railroading soothe stress?  mostly yes, unless there is a delicate repair to make - then all bets are off. I will be very relaxed when I see the set running around the Twin Pines Rail Road.

Not much to this. The extruded shell, end tail, stamped thin metal base and two truck assemblies. 6 screws.  Not counting the 2 screws holding the wire cover to the underside of the base. The assembly slides toward the end of the car. You can see the flat at the left side of the base. I could get it to slide out until the raised portion of the base hit the pinch point. There was no way for me to open up the pinch point so it was tap the base completely out. The metal is thin and easily bent - so light taps were warranted. Now the decision will be whether to detail the interior - or leave it as is.

@Arnold D. Cribari   Arnold a great question post as usual. You have quite an knack for asking the great questions.  I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts. So everyone - inhale and let out the breath in a long aaaahhhh.

@ScoutingDad posted:

@Arnold D. Cribari   Arnold a great question post as usual. You have quite an knack for asking the great questions.  I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts. So everyone - inhale and let out the breath in a long aaaahhhh.

aaaahhhh!

@laming posted:

For the most part, my model railroading is an escape, however, I will say that certain aspects of model railroading can be stress inducers.

Andre

I also agree with your above statement, Andre, with a qualification that I will explain below.

Most of us have experienced having a stressful day, typically at work, and getting our minds off our troubles by going home and running our trains or tinkering with them or our layouts. I regard this as light hearted entertainment, which is soothing and relaxing. Since I am a type A high enery person, this light hearted entertainment is very therapeutic for me.

I have also done very challenging model railroad projects. Such a project for me was re-wiring my layout, which I did about 1 year ago.

During this 3 to 4 week re-wiring project, I found it be an enormous stress inducer at times (I cursed many times crawling like a snake for hours under my layout), or highly stimulating and satisfying at other times, depending on my attitude, the particular circumstances at the moment and how well I was accomplishing my goals during the project.

I imagine that many of us can relate to this.

Yes, wiring can be both stress inducing and satisfying too.

On my Christmas Layout I plan and work diligently to hide as many wires as possible given that it's a floor layout (1/2" blueboard first with Homasote on top of that).  I have had numerous occasions where testing was successful while the wiring was still easily reachable, such as when hooking up turnouts, only to have it derail at some later point after they are hidden and sorta buried.  Now that is stress inducing for sure.

Obviously the worst situation is when there's an electrical issue and finding it takes hours and hours.

But when I finish wiring and everything works as it should that is extremely satisfying.

so it's both to me depending on results

- walt

I agree with Arnold and Walt.  Even though I worked in electronics for 43 years, I never really liked it.  However, there was satisfaction at work with a job well done.  It is the same with the layout, but with one plus.  On the layout, I can quit working on wiring or troubleshooting whenever I feel like it, and go back to it another day.  That wasn't the case at work.

Arnold, if you are Type A, I think I am Type Z. 

@walt rapp posted:

@Mark Boyce talked about listening to music when younger. Juggled my memory

I should have added a comment about that in my post above.  When I start my layout in November I drag out all of the CDs and cassettes (yes I still play them even tho' old) and get in the Christmas spirit listing to Christmas tunes.  Don't know if this sounds weird but many times I will burn incense of varying flavors to add to the Christmas "feel".

sooooooooooooooooo  relaxing.  building the layout and enjoying the environment while doing so.  Now to me, THAT'S stress relief

- Walt

-

One of the first additions I made after I got permission from SWMBO to set up a 'permanent' (non-seasonal) layout in the basement was to mount an LED projector from the overhead joists, project the picture onto the white vinyl waterproofing on the wall (since upgraded to a drop-down screen), and run the audio out to a 100 watt Fender Rumble bass amplifier with 15 inch speaker under the layout. Running a "Sound of Steam" video cribbed from YouTube with the sound cranked up tended to rattle the rolling stock off the tracks, though, so now I mostly just show family videos: