A HOBBY SHOULDN'T BE STRESSFUL

Well said Sir!  I am ashamed to admit it, but every now and then I get carried away...  I think that I can't have this or that or I shouldn't do that because I know it isn't "real."  Then I have to remind myself, no matter how perfect my model is, it is a toy.  Have fun and stop counting the darn rivets!  LOL

I do really appreciate highly skilled prototypical modeling, and I also love watching my Christmas train under the train having the engine chasing its caboose!

This thread has the potential to get derailed so if the thread starts to become a dumping ground for negativity (you know what I mean) we will either close or delete it.

It's a great hobby until you get that derailment in the back corner of your layout you can't reach easily. Then stress sets in.

Enjoy it the way YOU want it.

@OGR posted:

This thread has the potential to get derailed so if the thread starts to become a dumping ground for negativity (you know what I mean) we will either close or delete it.

Certainly do understand. The intention of this post was to reenforce the fact that it is ok to do things the way you want to do.

@Freight Train Jim posted:

It's a great hobby until you get that derailment in the back corner of your layout you can't reach easily. Then stress sets in.

Enjoy it the way YOU want it.

I use a reacher pole for that.  Happy New Year

.....but waiting for those pre-orders to show up....🤔😉

@MONON_JIM posted:

... If you are a rivet counter, great. If you have to have a museum quality layout, great, if you want to use carpet for grass, that is fine too, do you mix scale and traditional, that is fine also. ...

But, still ... with very, very few exceptions ... we all get along, and appreciate what each other is doing. It really is a camaraderie of really nice people

@Lionelski posted:

Exactly why I run reliable PostWar Lionels

Boy, they are reliable! I brought out my PW 2046 to run for Christmas ... an enthusiastic Granddaughter send it flying off of the train table at great speed ... crashing down to the floor. I just picked it up, put it back on the track, it ran as if it were new.   The resultant bent-over cab roof just adds character. lol

I only have a 11'x'14' floor Christmas layout running 5 trains, usually.

EVERY year, not just some year, but EVERY year after the layout is built and up and running after proving that every was perfect, something will mysteriously fail at some point.  I held a family "train party" every year (26 people)for 24 years and EVERY year something major goes terribly wrong with the layout during the party.  So much so that it became a yearly family laughing point!

People would show up, check out the layout and jokingly ask "what's going to go wrong this year?".

This year, no party but once again after testing everything and running perfectly fine for over 2 weeks, I go to turn on street lights and only 1/2 turn on.  I turn on the lights that I put houses and NONE light!

You get the idea - my stress comes from one thing or another failing for no known reason.  Now that creates stress for me

walt

As a Cub Scout, I built my first crystal radio.  That got me started in a 62 year journey in electronics.  If I have learned anything, the number one thing about anything electrical is that there is absolutely no guarantee that when you turn something off, it will EVER come back on again.

CALNCC

Spot on and totally accurate when speaking to spinning server hard drives...... ask me how I know. Happy New Year

I think about the title of this thread every so often, and I should make a sign of it and post in my basement steps as a reminder. Where a person can channel creativity to build and/or repair something AND enjoy doing it, that IMO is a good hobby for that person. For me, it's in building, painting, and detailing structures, or even track ballasting. I can handle the challenges that arise, and there's enjoyment in finding solutions, ostensibly because there are solutions

What is stressful is when engines and/or command systems don't function correctly or need to be re-programmed or packed up and taken for repairs, the latter of which has become a sore subject in O-gauge due to the ongoing (never-ending) QC challenges and limited number of repair shops and repair people. In other words, there is no solution that the hobbyist can implement; it has stopped becoming a hobby and has become yet another chore and expense.

If a person is retired and/or has lots of time on their hands, troubleshooting, and dealing with packing and shipping may not be stressful; although if I ever make it to retirement, I reckon there's other things I'd rather be doing with my time

I am 72, a retired firefighter of 27 years, still working my pest control business and my internet radio station miscellanyradio.com, there is always stress in life. I find that it does me no good to complain about the manufacturing process and how things do or do not work, I have no control and just have to find a solution.  There are always going to be issues with shipping and manufacturing these day, just a part of the modern world.

What mitigates the issues that come up for me  is finding the appropriate solution. The satisfaction that I get from it more than makes up for the issue itself. We all, from time to time, have to remind ourselves to take a deep breath and relax. If this hobby ever gets to a stressful level, I would be able to keep the Buy & Sell forum busy for months.

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

@juniata guy posted:

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

AMEN!!!  Seems it always happens when you least expect it.  😳😱

@juniata guy posted:

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

The question is: did you find it?

@Rider Sandman posted:

The question is: did you find it?

I did! 👍😁

Curt

For most of my friends and myself, the hobby of model railroading began when we were children and seeing the electric or wind-up train under the Christmas tree, in the late 1940’s/1950’s. Oh what a wonderful gift. Yes, some received Lionel, others received Marx, others American Flyer, some Marklin, all kinds of different kinds of trains and we had fun, lots of fun. Conventional, lots of fun. Just like there are lots of choices in automobiles, it’s the same with our hobby. @Lionelski, John loves the postwar conventional era, and there are lots of folks that join him, and I believe they like modern era also, it’s only a matter of choice. Then, 1996, the new Era of TMCC command control, where running our trains changed, two could play together running trains separately on the very same track, Amazing, and fun.
So we are talking about stress, and how to get through frustration caused by so many little things. One thing for certain, the world is very stressful, the news, just folks in general with nothing to do but complain, Nuff Sayd there. But We have our man caves, our train rooms where we are in another world, a place we can simply unwind, work on our trains and layouts, have fellowship with others with the same or similar interest and soak up free mental therapy. To me stress, (and this is Confidential) telling the wife I want one of the new $2500 VisionLine Steamers, Wow, this has to be handled with kids gloves, kindness beyond measure, or simply winning the train at a show, so to speak. A wife can buy jewelry, shoes, dresses, without exception, but telling her we want a new train, unheard of. To solve this kind of stress, I sell, trade, swap, whatever it takes, she’s happy, I’m happy…  
Now, for those folks that get frustrated with TMCC/Legacy engines that don’t work, that comes with the territory, we have friends in the hobby that can give answers, here on the OGR Forum, good hobby shops that can repair our trains, it just takes planning, being somewhat organized and having friends in the hobby. I read all of the owners manuals, listen to folks here on the forum, watch the how to videos, and make frequent trips to our local hobby shops. Lionel is great on new warranty work.
So, get ready for the new Lionel catalog coming our way in January and don’t complain about the prices, it’s either affordable or it’s not, it’s wonderful to have choices. Usually there’s something for everyone, and early order is the best way to secure that product you want or need. I’m retired and the budget requires selling off the old for  the new, or trading or swapping, saving some money for newer things. But, it’s not Frustrating because if I can’t afford the train, I can see it at a friends house. If we have our health, that’s the most important product we have. So, eat right, exercise right, pray a lot, and Happy New Year to All. Happy Railroading Everyone…

No, the hobby shouldn't be stressful.  That's what wives and kids are for !

Well said, Leaping Larry. You have a positive outlook, and I will try to adopt more of your philosophy as I approach the big 60.

I find that most of my stress is financial related, whether it is house repairs, paying bills, etc., and for sure train stuff. Herein lies the rub: I work hard for my money as I am sure many of you do, and I find as I get older everything takes longer to accomplish, whether at work or home. Therein lies the conundrum: I need to keep busy with my vocation and frankly I don't foresee ever retiring, yet time itself is becoming more precious, and there's so little of it for the things I really enjoy doing - which includes the hobby. I don't know if I explained that right; essentially, I need the structure of my job yet there's other things I'd rather be doing. I think that is what they call a Catch 22, or simply a conundrum

When I merely walk in my train room, I can feel the stress lift from my shoulders and that smile grow on my face. I don’t even have to run the trains - Just looking at everything is enough. It’s like being teleported to my little heaven on earth. Never fails.

@Strap Hanger posted:

When I merely walk in my train room, I can feel the stress lift from my shoulders and that smile grow on my face. I don’t even have to run the trains - Just looking at everything is enough. It’s like being teleported to my little heaven on earth. Never fails.

Amen!  Works every time!

Happy railroading,

Don

@juniata guy posted:

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

It's a great hobby when it provides exercise along with all the other benefits. And if you crawl on the floor with a beer in your hand it'll give a nice added coordination workout.

My wife is a paramedic. I spent some years on a police force. No matter what happens in my little train world I know that no one will die. Besides, I'm a goaltender on my local hockey team and I still think that is fun. It is all a state of mind. Happy New Year everyone!

@juniata guy posted:

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

Be happy you can.  When I was 25,  working in North FLA and South GA, I  stopped at an IGA in St.George, GA, to get a drink and observed a man cutting a one acre field with a high wheel push mower.  I went over and talked to him a bit, he was close to 70, retired, cutting a field his daughters used to use with their horses, and I asked him why the high wheel mower and not a rider?  The answer has stuck with me for 45 years, "Because I can."  I strive to do everything I can, including working on my house and cutting my 1 acre of yard with a push mower because I can.

Happy New Year everyone.

I’m not sure who this post is directed at, but I do my fair share of complaining on this forum and then some.

Here’s the thing about posts like this. You are just complaining too. But you’re complaining about how other people enjoy the hobby.

I post my opinions here so that others can take all the advice they find and maybe it helps them decide what to buy.  Imagine if no one ever posted about which older models had zinc rot, then someone, who maybe isn’t as fortunate as some of us, buys a JLC GG1 for their son or daughter, only to find the side frames rotted out. (Or a set of MTH AmFleet cars… the manufacturer is besides the point.)

People sharing their experiences is how we learn how to be smart shoppers.

If complaints are that stressful, and your train room relaxes you, maybe you should spend more time there, and less time here.

Just a thought.

@rplst8 posted:

Happy New Year everyone.

I’m not sure who this post is directed at, but I do my fair share of complaining on this forum and then some.

Here’s the thing about posts like this. You are just complaining too. But you’re complaining about how other people enjoy the hobby.

I post my opinions here so that others can take all the advice they find and maybe it helps them decide what to buy.  Imagine if no one ever posted about which older models had zinc rot, then someone, who maybe isn’t as fortunate as some of us, buys a JLC GG1 for their son or daughter, only to find the side frames rotted out. (Or a set of MTH AmFleet cars… the manufacturer is besides the point.)

People sharing their experiences is how we learn how to be smart shoppers.

If complaints are that stressful, and your train room relaxes you, maybe you should spend more time there, and less time here.

Just a thought.

If a simple post makes you feel guilty, maybe you should just scroll on by, if my post makes you feel like it is directed at you, spend some time relaxing in your train room. It is people like you that get a simple post flagged and taken off. Obviously you have a reading comprehension problem.

Sometimes I sit back with a glass in my hand, prop my feet up and just watch (or listen) to the sound of wheels on the rails,..    Sometimes I don't bother to even switch on the power,

Truth be known, I’m 78, and I’ve met some of the nicest people throughout the United States including Hawaii because of this hobby. From the fellows at Paterson New Jersey, “ the New Jersey Hi Railers” layout, everyone so kind, helpful, TrainWorld, the late Peter Bianco, who always took care of my train issues, to LegacyStation in the Atlanta area, meeting Eric Segal of Eric’s trains, Brian and his staff, great folks, lots of fun folks, and the folks at Just Trains in Dover Delaware, and of course Bill Bramlage, “Tower City” , in Cincinnati, oh what a bunch of kind folks, and Rich Melvin, Alan “The AdMan” Arnold and the late Bill Barrett, and all of the OGR Staff at York, and I could go on and on about the great folks on this OGR Forum, then there’s Pittsburgh, a train capital of the world, the  Carnegie Science Center, a big fun to run layout, and friends like Mark Boyce who shared his time to show me Hobby Express in Cranberry Pa., Oh, there’s so many friendly folks in this amazing hobby. I will be back in Pittsburg next April for more train fun, a possible trip to Cornerfield Hobby Museum in Middlefield Ohio. I’m sure we will put this trip together, with proper planning.   The fun just keeps on happening….
So, what’s this got to do with Stress???  There just isn’t time for stress, when I go to my train room, working on the layout, reading this Forum, the different threads, topics, and Yes, it’s fine to tell of issues with different products, the quality problems are not only in model railroading, but in many hi end products we buy for our homes, it’s simply normal. Here, there’s a listening ear, maybe there will be answers, maybe not, but when one gets things off ones chest, it’s a stress reliever, because we Care. This is a good thread, we learn some things we can incorporate on our layouts and we also see things we can avoid. It’s a learning experience. Good evening and Happy New Year to all. Happy Railroading Everyone

@rplst8 posted:

Happy New Year everyone.

I’m not sure who this post is directed at, but I do my fair share of complaining on this forum and then some.

Here’s the thing about posts like this. You are just complaining too. But you’re complaining about how other people enjoy the hobby.

I post my opinions here so that others can take all the advice they find and maybe it helps them decide what to buy.  Imagine if no one ever posted about which older models had zinc rot, then someone, who maybe isn’t as fortunate as some of us, buys a JLC GG1 for their son or daughter, only to find the side frames rotted out. (Or a set of MTH AmFleet cars… the manufacturer is besides the point.)

People sharing their experiences is how we learn how to be smart shoppers.

If complaints are that stressful, and your train room relaxes you, maybe you should spend more time there, and less time here.

Just a thought.

I’m not sure who this post is directed at, but I do my fair share of complaining on this forum and then some.

you can sure say that again!!….if there’s negativity to be had, you’re there…..why not try to see the bright side of the hobby,…….for once ….I say this about a few of you guys, …..post up something interesting, do something, anything, but the constant whining gets old, ……..if the stuff is that bad to you, stop buying it,….

Pat

I started displaying trains on the wall of our living room in 1990.  It took me 30 years to convince my wife to allow me to build a layout.  With help from my daughter, she said yes and I began construction.  I had already designed the track plan on the computer as a pipe-dream a few years before.  I wanted to display and operate Lionel accessories for the enjoyment of myself and guests.  Over the decades I had collected a bunch of Modern Lionel - most of everything I needed, and the stuff was in storage for decades.  When setting up numerous new items that sat unused for years, I found that most had to be disassembled and cleaned or serviced.  In many cases, items seemed to be designed as "non-serviceable" or parts were no longer available.  Was I stressed?  No, since I had nothing to lose.  If I was able to fix the item and make it work, I would feel a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  If not, I would be on the lookout for a replacement.  The entire process was fun and I learned a lot thanks to this Forum, Lionel service books I had acquired over the years and online resources.  Like others, I feel a sense of awe and wonder whenever I step into the room and flip the switch to power up the layout.

@juniata guy posted:

I just spent 15 minutes crawling on the basement floor with a flashlight trying to find an engine part that flew off my workbench. No stress you say??? 😉

Curt

LOL!!!  Just after Thanksgiving I got the notion of wearing a watch again (remember those???).  Over the years I've acquired several watches, from my dad's 2 old corroded Timex watches to an Omega Seamaster Soccer Timer Chronograph that I paid $150 for back in 1971 and now I see listed for upwards of $5,000!!!  She's a beauty but now I'm afraid to wear it .  I haven't worn a watch in years, everything I have has a clock built into it plus I have a clock in every room.

So I start pulling out the watches, the windups had long since stopped and so had all the battery-powered types.  Some have pop-off backs while some are screw-on.  I started looking for watch tools and found you can get a decent set of watch tools for little money.  Long story short I've gotten myself into my own "watch repair business"!

If you think finding a piece to an O-scale train is hard after it goes ballistic, finding a screw from inside a watch is total insanity

They need to make plastic bags big enough to climb into to while we work on these things keep all the parts within reach.

Bob; I like the “big plastic bag” idea!!! 👍🤣

Curt

@harmonyards posted:

I’m not sure who this post is directed at, but I do my fair share of complaining on this forum and then some.

you can sure say that again!!….if there’s negativity to be had, you’re there…..why not try to see the bright side of the hobby,…….for once ….I say this about a few of you guys, …..post up something interesting, do something, anything, but the constant whining gets old, ……..if the stuff is that bad to you, stop buying it,….

I guess calling out a perceived paint defect on other people’s brand new Class A doesn’t count as negativity.

@Bob Paris posted:

I started displaying trains on the wall of our living room in 1990.  It took me 30 years to convince my wife to allow me to build a layout.  With help from my daughter, she said yes and I began construction.  I had already designed the track plan on the computer as a pipe-dream a few years before.  I wanted to display and operate Lionel accessories for the enjoyment of myself and guests.  Over the decades I had collected a bunch of Modern Lionel - most of everything I needed, and the stuff was in storage for decades.  When setting up numerous new items that sat unused for years, I found that most had to be disassembled and cleaned or serviced.  In many cases, items seemed to be designed as "non-serviceable" or parts were no longer available.  Was I stressed?  No, since I had nothing to lose.  If I was able to fix the item and make it work, I would feel a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  If not, I would be on the lookout for a replacement.  The entire process was fun and I learned a lot thanks to this Forum, Lionel service books I had acquired over the years and online resources.  Like others, I feel a sense of awe and wonder whenever I step into the room and flip the switch to power up the layout.

Sorry to go off topic, but that is a fantastic layout and train room!  Love the display cabinet lighting. Outstanding job!

@rplst8 posted:

I guess calling out a perceived paint defect on other people’s brand new Class A doesn’t count as negativity.

Ryan, you never have anything positive to say, …..ever,….even now, you’re looking to make two wrongs equal a right……yes, there is need to point out defects, but brother, you’re taking it to a whole new level,…….the thread is about not being stressed out in this hobby,……go enjoy it!………post something positive …..just for a change of pace!!……have fun!….my posts/replies  FARRRRRRR outweigh the negatives……can we say the same about you???……just think about it buddy,…..Happy New Year to you and your family Ryan, …..let’s have a good time on hear this year!!….😉

Pat

@Bob Paris posted:

@Strap Hanger posted:

Sorry to go off topic, but that is a fantastic layout and train room!  Love the display cabinet lighting. Outstanding job!

Indeed, an amazing display. Very classy.

@harmonyards posted:

Bob, you never have anything positive to say, …..ever,….even now, you’re looking to make two wrongs equal a right……yes, there is need to point out defects, but brother, you’re taking it to a whole new level,…….the thread is about not being stressed out in this hobby,……go enjoy it!………post something positive …..just for a change of pace!!……have fun!….my posts/replies  FARRRRRRR outweigh the negatives……can we say the same about you???……just think about it buddy,…..Happy New Year to you and your family Bob,…..let’s have a good time on hear this year!!….😉

Pat

My name is Ryan. And I guess you miss the posts where I reply to newcomers to help them with operating issues or debug their problems.

@rplst8 posted:

My name is Ryan. And I guess you miss the posts where I reply to newcomers to help them with operating issues or debug their problems.

Oops …my bad….I’ll fix that….and that’s very cool that you help folks, ….

Pat

A hobby according to the dictionary is: a pursuit out of one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation. With that being said, I, personally do not understand all the added stress of counting rivets, noise and a myriad of is this correct, did they run these together and on and on.

Agreed!

Besides trains, I enjoy playing golf. Am I good??????? Not really (around a 20+ handicap). Can I make it around 9 or 18 holes in one piece and have fun and some laughs with my buddies???? ABSOLUTELY!!!! I've played with many guys over the years who beat themselves up on every missed shot, lost ball, etc. And for what? Hobbies are supposed to be our escape from the daily pressures of life, so approach them with that in mind.

Brings me back to the OP's statement, hobbies should be fun, not stressful. Do we put stress on ourselves when something in our little empires doesn't work? Sure.

Do we often use this forum to vent our frustrations? Sure.

Do we also use this forum to share our accomplishments and successes? YEP!

I'm a life-long model train nut. Sometimes just sitting looking at my layout with a select adult beverage in hand, is all it takes to relieve any stresses the day may have put on me (OK maybe my beverage choice has something to do with it...... If I find myself getting wound up over a problem, I put it aside, walk away and revisit it another day.

Keep Calm and Railroad On!

Happy New Year.

Bob