Trains Are A Winter Sport

Geezus, life gets regimented enough as it is.  I'm certainly not going to need to look at a calendar to decide when I participate in any of my hobbies.

 

I participate in hobbies when in the mood to do any of them, not by time of year or temperature outside.

yup, for me trains are a winter sport/hobby. come september/october the carpet central get built...usually in time for the guests to enjoy by the time Thanksgiving rolls into view.

  this years' layout will feature an additional TMCC controller so someone will be given control of the TMCC Crane Car, so that off loading and on loading can occur while trains run amok!

 yeehaaaaaaaaawwwwwww

 

It's an all year long hobby for me, no off seasons.

All year long for me as well.

I live in southern CA. We didn't even have a winter this year.

I like being down here as much as possible any time of the year, this past winter in Ohio being so bad I pretty much lived in the basement.  Now that it is finally drying up outside I have pages of notes telling me what I have to do outside and I'm afraid I will be out more than in for the next few months.  I used to hunt, fish, golf, and had boats but those days are gone.  I might give that cycling thing a try, just a simple coaster bike to loosen up the joints then back to the basement.

 

Bum

Like Scott T, I'm a Sunbelt resident - but I do live in the Southeast, not the

Southwest - so it's a WET heat in the summer (thick; you can wear it sometimes), and

that air conditioned train building calls to me more in the Summer than Winter - it can

get cold out there (we have something of a Winter, too), and my space heater can take a while to warm things up. Basements? Heard of them, but maybe it's just an urban legend.

 

Of course, the season is mostly irrelevant, as, in actuality the weather here seldom keeps us cooped up for long. Hurricanes can be inconvenient. Yup.

 

Fun Fact: Mobile (where I am), on the Gulf Coast, gets 65" of rain per year - typically, and actually, the wettest urban area in the US. Seattle, of gray skies fame, gets a little under 40" per year, as I recall.

 

But ours tends to come down in a 30-minute "gully washer" - then the sun comes back out.

It's year round for me.  Honestly, I get more done on the layout and run more trains from May until October.

Pretty much of a year round hobby for me although my time spent working and playing with my trains may vary from season to season depending on shifting priorities.

I think many of the winter-only people aren't even reading this thread.  The regulars on this forum as going to be year-round for the most part since they are obviously devoted to the hobby. 

 

For me, I really enjoy having separate hobbies throughout the year.  During spring and summer, my attention turns toward fishing and boating.  Really after the holidays are over, I literally stop coming to this forum and start regularly browsing my fishing and boating forums.  Then come fall, this forum dominates my attention.

 

As much as I love boating and fishing, I know that if I lived in a place where I could do it year-round like FL, I think my excitement would start to wear off.  Just like trains.  I get just as excited to get the boat ready in the spring as I do pulling out the Christmas trains come fall.  It's brand new and exciting every time.

Not just for winter, rainy days, days when I am bored.   Nice thing about my layout, it's always there when I want to work on it......When the mood strikes me.....it isn't a job, it's hobby, for me.     

Gary, you are a real wonderful American. My father worked two job and my mother worked. He worked two jobs so my sister and I would do well. I remember when my parents would take us to a party in the early 50s to their "rich" friends. They had a $30.000 house with a pool. God bless you Gary. There aren't many of you wonderful guys around. Thanks, Don

Trains are definitely a year round "Sport" here. Climbing up and down the stairs from the garage to work on the display upstairs is how I get my exercise and stay in shape. Currently I'm working on adding a lower tier to my 6 tier display. Want to try and work in a O72 loop to accommodate the real Christmas Story train; The Hiawatha.

Thanks Don & Scott for the kind words.  Not looking for anything for myself just wanted to remind everyone to remember what this coming holiday Memorial Day is about. To me It's to remember all the Americans who have fought for over 200 years so we can have freedom. Freedom is PRICELESS! I had an uncle who passed 2 years ago who was my hero, he was a WWII Veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I have a wife who is disabled so I work 2 jobs to get us through.  I'm just trying to go one day at a time and try to work on my layout whenever I can as it is a great stress release. Starter sets and O-36 curves are fine for me for now. I enjoy the hobby and am amazed at the layouts and knowledge here. Thanks Gary

NOT for me - it is an EVERYDAY pursuit!

Gary, look for my first article on the new layout in the Aug. issue of OGR. Don

Don, I can't wait to be amazed by what you must have done with your new layout. I am sure others and I will be blown away by whatever you have done. Your old layout in California was amazing and I know you hated to dismantle it but I'm sure this one somehow is even better and glad to see that OGR is showing it to the world. Thanks.

Model railroading is a year round hobby to me, currently in the construction mode, wiring, ballasting and scenery next. From May through October, typical outdoor yard work and house maintenance, when time is available back to the train layout in basement. The only constraint that I see is air brushing enamel paints like Floquil the paints have to be sprayed in a paintbooth( basement application) or in the garage during the summer whereas acrylic paints can be sprayed in the basement all year long.

I'm with John Ochab.
I actually do not mind when it rains on the weekend.
Just got a new airbrush and a copy of the Floquil " Painting Miniatures" guide from the 60's.

Just setting up a spray both using an old stove exhaust hood.
No more spraying in the garage on "nice" days.

Just be careful about overspray with the range hood. The motor is located in the hood fan, and, is not explosion proof.  Also, the paint carry over will most likely clog the filters pretty quickly.  But, the main concern is the motor and VOC's from spraying.  Use with extreme caution.   This type of hood is not designed with painting in mind.

 

 

No worries.
Using an OSHA approved paint pre filter from my shop.
Exhaust fan is just to suck the fumes outside.
Motor is not in the exhaust steam.
But thank you for posting your concerns.
I would feel bad if a less knowledgable forum member tried to duplicate my setup without knowing the safety issues.