My Wife and trains...

Mike,

 In the past, I have boasted about how my wife would outspend me on our visits to York. My hobby got her interested in Tinplate and she would not hesitate making good deals and bring her stash home for me to put up and display. That's no longer the case as we have pretty much what we want. She still outspends me when we go to York but now it's done with her visits to the outlet malls.

I would like to think that your wife is fending off a would be thief and is defending your layout stash.  Am I correct? 

My wonderful wife tolerates my indulgence.  Her only comment, when I make a new purchase (and she is in earshot), or when an new train arrives at the door, is "I thought you told me you were done buying trains."   If she only knew that the concept of being "done" does not exist in the world of model trains.  

A dear friend at our LHS tells this story which concludes, "He's not at the bar with the guys, he not out chasing women, he's in the basement playing with trains".

Put in that perspective, my wife has no problem with our hobby.

Ron

Tolerant would be the best description for my wife as well. When she was young, 5 or 6, she had an Uncle with a HO layout. Uncle Rocky lived in a Cape Cod style home and the upstairs was his. My bride remembers sitting in the bathroom and Uncle Rocky sending one of his trains through the tunnels he had poked through the walls. She loved it!!

Today she's tolerant... Hmmm, maybe I need a few tunnels! 

All hail the basement layout!  A place of sheer solitude and serenity.  

I'm so lucky my wife is into the train as much as me.

anyone who has visited us on a Tuesday can attest to that!

Wow your wife uses boxing gloves. My wife prefers brass knuckles.

Scott Smith

My wife is a saint, no questions asked.

all the best,

Miketg

Kay, my spouse of 43 years, has been VERY supportive of my hobby and has been my railfan buddy during our steam excursion years (1974-1994). She has ridden in the cab of 611 J at speed, and has also had a cab ride in the 4501!

I'm very  fortunate. My girlfriend gave up all rights to our basement in order for me to have a large layout. She also helped me build all of the bench work.

I am one of those lucky guys....my wife never makes mention of the expense of my hobby, is very supportive and even helps on the layout.  In return, I don't worry about her shoe collection, jewelery, or clothes that she loves to buy.  Yep...I am very fortunate!!

Alan

My wife and trains:

Never understood them.  Wondered about me. Couldn't understand the interest.

Now that I've been full time railroading for more years than I want to remember, she now concludes that railroading is unpredictable, has interruptive hours, typically long hours, is dangerous, and can be upsetting to the family schedule... BUT... she notes with joy how the RR understands all of the above and thus they apologize generously for the inconvenience every Friday.

Of course, THAT must be it!!!

You guys with the tolerant, understanding wives should truly be thankful. My wife, rather, ex-wife was not. (and no, the divorce was not my idea.)

My loving wife supports and enjoys the hobby as much as I do. In fact we went out to the local hardware store that had a $100 off coupon of $200 or larger purchases. She helped choose some rolling stock and accessories that she liked and easily discussed why she did not like certain scale stuff. The scale stuff was really nice looking but she stated it would be too big looking on my small layout. How great is that?

I kept the trains and the animals...  LOL. 

Got real lucky in the wife Dept, she fully supports the hobby, club time and York trips

i am not even sure my wife knows i have a layout.....lol

Wow! Does she have a fishing boat too? 

Rod

As I've said many times before; in this home a persons hobbies is their personal business so they are no problem.   My wife is a sweet girl and would never try to put a stop to or comment negatively on my train hobby. If you conduct yourself in a moral, ethical, legal and responsible matter, there should be no problems living life on your own terms.

Back in 1969, I divorced my first wife and kept the pre-war Hiawatha!  Easy choice.

I knew I was marrying the right girl when we spent the Christmas of 1970 painting figures and putting together a small HO layout in her parents sunroom.  Fast forward to 2005 when I got into O gauge and spent $2500 on an engine, rolling stock, and Tmcc.  I really thought the divorce was inevitable.  It never happened and today she's with me stripping track off old modules, handing me tools during construction, and is about to start making wire trees she saw at York last Spring.  Perhaps the best thing is she is the push that keeps the layout moving along, and me focused on building rather than buying, (she has approved the new Berk that is arriving this week).  

speaking of wives and girl friends. Have a friend that used to go out with this girl,

(notice I said used to), anyway, she had a daughter that had run up her credit card.

she wanted my friend to sell his trains to pay off her daughters credit card.

relationship OVER. He now lives alone!!(with his trains).

I have a small problem with my wife, if that's what you want to call it. when we go shopping and/or go to train shows, if I pick something up, she always asks. do you want that? I tell her no, I was just chcking it out. she says its OK buy it. So I have to be careful what I pick up, sometimes she would buy something I don't necessarily want, but was chcking it out and comparing to something I already have or something Im trying to fix and/or repair.