"Trains is a Winter Sport" - Not!

@Lionelski posted:

"Trains is a Winter Sport" - Not!

Great article and very true - particularly for us Florida model railroaders.  Thanks for sharing.

Been here before, but, where I live/grew up in the Gulf Coast of Alabama (per the "Florida" comment above - same latitude as Pensacola/Destin/Panama City/Jacksonville/etc) model RR'ing has no seasonality. I'm always taken a bit aback when the Winter nature of the sport in much of the country comes up. I forget. In fact, my separate train building/shop becomes a bit nippy in even our Winter at times - it has no real heating system; but, does it have good A/C? Oh, yeah. So I will actually go do trains a bit less in the Winter, depending.

It's the Sunbelt, after all. Not the dry Mediterranean Southwest end, but the moist Caribbean Southeast end.

Here in northern New England, I definitely do more with my trains during the fall/winter months. It's cold and gets dark early, but thanks to a heat pump mini-split,  it's always 68 and sunny in my train room. By the time spring and daylight savings time arrive, I'm ready to spend time outdoors. However, rainy days are always a welcome opportunity to get back to trains. And, when it gets real warm, the  train room is the best place in our house as it's the only room with AC.

For years my layout was down on the floor of the family room from say Dec 15 to end of Jan.  That was when we operated trains as long as me and the wife wanted to have it taking up 1/2 of the room.

I worked on train cars and fixed things that needed fixing on the top of the layout.  I made a list of things that needed fixing underneath the layout for later use.

Then I worked on the underneath train board things in Feb and maybe Mar in the work shop with the train board leaning against the wall.  If needed I worked on the layout against the wall in Nov and early Dec too.

Spring, summer and fall were used for other house projects and yard work, trains were forgotten unless a train show was available to attend.  This worked for 4 houses and from 1978 to 2010.

Now with the layout up all the time, since 2011, I work on it and run it as I want to and find the hot summer a good time as the room is air conditioned.

Charlie

In a four-season climate, I still enjoy trains all year round. Amtrak trips and excursion trains during the summer months and O scale trains during the rest of the year. 😉

Yeah here in AZ summer is a good time to stay inside and play trains. Unless your trains are in the garage, of course.

Although the general consensus here in southern New England is that "trains come out when the leaves come down"-- to the point where the local TCA chapter shuts down between June and September--I personally have practiced the hobby year-round. My basement Train Room is better during the summer than the winter due to the natural air conditioning of being below ground level. With the dehumidifier running it's quite pleasant to be down there in the balmy days of summer!

Back in my school days when I had the occasional week off, I used to borrow space in the house to set up temporary layouts. Here's a few pictures I dug up from those halcyon times.

Thanks for your responses, guys.

I didn't even think of the reverse "seasons" in the south and southwest - playing trains inside air conditioned rooms in the summer due to the heat outside.

What are your favorite train sites to visit on road trips?

The Milwaukee Lionel Model Railroad Club has club-running dates on Saturdays and Sundays from October through April. While the club is also open for running on Friday nights year-round, it’s always much busier during the winter.

Some people may enjoy the hobby equally in all seasons, but the overwhelming reality is that the hobby grew from kids playing with trains during the months when being outdoors isn’t pleasant. For many, that tradition carries on even when they are no longer playing outside anymore.

If there is a change, it’s likely tied to an aging hobby where the participants are indoors disproportionately more than those 50 and younger.

"When it snows (rains), who cares, I've a train downstairs (upstairs)."

I run trains year round.  I am not big on TV and will run trains in the evening and it seems to help keep the track clean and I enjoy watching the trains and planning new projects and repairing different items.

Great story John.

I had two different permanent HO layouts growing up so trains have always been a year round sport. Probably less in the summer months but I still enjoy an hour or so in the basement after dinner.

In summer, I'd say, "Trains are a night time sport......"

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Great story John.

I had two different permanent HO layouts growing up so trains have always been a year round sport. Probably less in the summer months but I still enjoy an hour or so in the basement after dinner.

In summer, I'd say, "Trains are a night time sport......"

Bob

Very true Bob and Tom,

Going downstairs to play is a whole lot better than sitting in front of the TV after dinner!