What has model railroading taught you?

Ron . Agree with all you mentioned about what this hobby gave you. You also my friend have in return shared so many how to's with the OGR membership over the years. Thank you . I really only got started at age 70. So I feel I missed many years that I could have enjoyed this wonderful hobby. I guess the thing that sticks with me is the time i spend in  peace and Fullfillment with building , laying track, running trains  or trying to figure out how to's with this hobby. And thank you to the staff and members of OGR for there time .

This hobby has taught me the basics of what Ron stated in his OP. But, it's also taught me that I enjoy it more if I "sprinkle" running trains in-between other activities. I seldom spend more than an hour on train-related things at a time and even that, is not every day.

Wifie and I have been on several cruises, airline trips, and many Amtrak train trips (in the western U.S.). I also play steel guitar in a group and in between practicing and gigs, it's always therapeutic and relaxing for me to have a brief train-running session.

But some places in the Mountain West really shine in mid-summer, such as Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, western Wyoming. The photo of it below was taken yesterday.

Again, it's always nice to be able to return home and run the trains again. So, model railroading has taught me to appreciate it more when I don't spend too much time with it, but enjoy it in-between other activities in retirement.

So maybe, variety is the spice of life, with model railroading included? Works for me. 😉

Great topic, will mull it over and chime in later.

I will say at the outset that what Ron said also applies to me, but first thing that comes to mind, which is vital for me, is that the hobby has taught me what good therapy it has been for me most of my adult life.

Also, that model railroaders, by an large, are very interesting people.

Model railroading has made me realize that I could have been a very wealthy man without it. But I wouldn’t have had as much fun!

Being a member of the model railroad community taught me just how intolerant and bigoted I was as a young man.  I started out with some used Lionel and my friends who ran American Flyer or anything HO were just stupid and to be ignored.  When I switched to HO, anybody still running Lionel or American Flyer was off my friend list.

After finishing college and getting married, I resumed model railroad activity by collecting brass HO engines of the Santa Fe road, and if you know anything about that, you know that the importers in the 70s and 80s were bringing in AT&SF prototypes by the barrel full.  I was "addicted," so to speak, and ended up divorced because of it.  Of course, the divorce wasn't my "fault," but all the trains had to be sold to resolve the divorce.

In the end, I recovered my original Lionel trains from my parent's house (can't believe how grateful I was that they were saved) and found the enjoyment of Christmas ovals.  I started going to train shows again just for the fun and companionship, and that pleasure increased as I talked with sellers and buyers.  I learned to listen more than speak, and what I learned (sometimes unknown to the speakers I was listening to) has greatly improved my life over the decades.

I honestly believe that this community made it possible for me to become a responsible, and good, husband, father, grandfather and retiree.  Thank you to all those (many of whom are gone now) who helped me along the way!

Chuck

What I learned about myself from being in this hobby?  Here it is:

• I am a very impatient person
• Poor scenery skills
• Poor carpentry skills
• My repair work needs repair
• Neighbors complain about my loud cussing
• Low threshold of pain (found during table building)
• Unable to understand how to solder (see low threshold of pain)
• Perseverance – I keep trying
• I enjoy the challenge, although my wife of 48 years thinks I'm nuts but still supports me.

And to think before I got into the hobby I considered myself a well rounder, stable, reasonable person.

I will say the back injury a few years ago and recent broken wrist has slowed me down.

@CAPPilot posted:

• Unable to understand how to solder (see low threshold of pain)

Not to hijack my own thread... and I'm not looking to turn this into a soldering thread.  But I used to think I could not solder either until my wife bought me the Hakko iron everyone here raves about.  My soldering got better overnight

Just food for thought.

Ron

Well having  grown up with in a family of craftsmen, and getting my first tool box of real tools at age 5 .   My first memories of model trains , was sitting up under the Christmas  tree  running my AF  300 around me and the tree,   I worked with my dad building kits a small HO layout, of hand spike rail on true scale road bed,  Have worked in most every scale , but TT. from z to live  steam 3 1/2" gauge.  Got my BA. became a Jeweler , and a new set of skills ,Casting , molding , finishing, all skills I adapted to the hobby, ( I even molded and cast in 14K gold an N gauge  Trix F7 body  , and 3 gondolas in sterling silver, that went, around a window display in a jewelry store. ( they were loaded with about $30,000.00 in Gem stones ).   So most of my life  I applied my skills to my model railroading hobby, which in tern  added to skills as jeweler .

Like previously mentioned I learned carpentry and electrical and mechanical skills, but I also learned that everyone could enjoy model railroading no matter their economic state or their occupation. I was fortunate enough to meet many TCA members as I helped organize charter bus trips to York and I'm a volunteer at the Railroad Museum of Long Island. I have made friendship with too many people to name here and there are many different backgrounds but with the one common thread, model trains, we have now become friends. This is part of the hobby that taught me the most about people.   Lenny J

Hmmm..  Through other hobbies like model sailboat racing and slot cars, I knew soldering, DC electrical, model-building (from kits).  Model railroading (starting in HO scale) I picked up airbrushing, color-matching, weathering, kit-bashing, AC electrical, electronics.  No doubt that model railroading involves many more skills than any others.

@Traindiesel posted:

Model railroading has made me realize that I could have been a very wealthy man without it. But I wouldn’t have had as much fun!

So true, but I know too many guys who are frightened of retirement because they don't know how they will fill their time.  I sometimes tell people that I have a Mercedes in my basement - they think I must have assembled one from parts - until I explain that I could have bought a fancy car with the money I've spent on trains.

Model railroading has provided the opportunity to learn a wide variety of skills and pursue many different interests - IMO, it's the most well-rounded hobby there is, and it has something for almost everyone.  It introduced me to electrical concepts, basic woodworking, budgeting, history, and on and on.

In recent years, I've spent more time getting to know other model railroaders via operating sessions and train club activities.

I learned you can make alot of friends that you wouldn't have if it werent for our hobby   On the other hand I learned there are alot of jerks out there

What has model railroading taught me ?  Patience & perseverance.

What has model railroading taught me?

Wow. Too many things to list. Skill sets learned via model railroading have been used innumerable times in household repairs/solutions/etc.

Simply put: There's so much model railroading has given me in return for my involvement with it that I can't enumerate it all. Seriously.

In addition to all the practical skills model railroading taught me, model railroading (and railroading) has given me lifelong friends.

I'm very glad that I became a model railroader. It's a great hobby, and there are some great people within it.

Andre

I started getting into the hobby when I was 8 years old.  I learned carpentry, electronics, how to read and follow instructions (how valuable is that?!) , made friends, and above all, perseverance and problem solving.  All of which carried through my college and career years.  It’s too bad most of today’s kids are growing up just noodling on their cell phones.  

It's very very good to have a space to escape the wife, kids,,,, a hectic life etc.

To collect stamps!  hahahaa

This hobby could not have been better. Great father and son times in the '50s and '60s. Learn to repair some postwar; soldering; electricity knowledge; etc. I just love collecting and running my layout. It is the greatest hobby ever!!!!

I learned that my wife and I could have a good life selling trains.

There sure is a lot of nice people in this world

As a boy (and a Cub Scout) I learned how to use basic tools (with help from my dad) while building a basement layout. I earned a merit badge from that experience. Like other responders, I learned the artsy-craftsy skills associated with the world's greatest hobby ... beginning with American Flyer trains in the late 40s and mid-50s and with Lionel trains later in life (when I turned 50 in1989).  I joined LCCA and enjoyed "collecting" hobby friends as well as O-gauge trains of the Rock Island RR.

During a 16-year span I served as the Editor of THE LION ROARS magazine of the LCCA and met many hobbyists who contributed articles to the mag. From that "job" I gathered many hobby tips from others -- a marvelous "rub off" effect. I sold most of my once-large collection of Rock Island trains after a TIA and a cardiac incident, but the friendships remained even though the trains "ascended" to the collections of others.

Along the way, my carpentry, electrical, design, and layout designing and building skills improved. I invested that knowledge in home layouts for show-and-tell holiday train open house events, local train club showings open to the public, and ultimately for my last home layout designed and built for my great grandkids to enjoy; a 15x19-feet L-shaped layout at Mottler Station. I now share my modest collection of RI and some THOMAS series trains with my extended family in the train room.  Some pix attached.

Friends, family, and festive fun with trains -- it doesn't get any better than that!

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

@Mike H Mottler posted:

Friends, family, and festive fun with trains -- it doesn't get any better than that!

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

Picture #3 speaks volumes.

The people in this hobby are interesting as ****. In addition, they share their knowledge freely, down to earth, inquisitive, innovative and always looking to learn....my kind of people

It can be a 'chick magnet'!

Welllll..., not hardly the first time around...BIG mistake on my part.

But on the first date with my now-wife, while sharing interests, hobbies, etc., blah, blah, I dared mention...model railroading/trains....

Her eyes grew BIG......and that topic occupied the majority of the rest of the dinner/evening!

Ergo, .

That was some 29 years ago...and, by the continued grace of God, still counting!

KD

Much more than I have put into it.

I am not a carpenter, but I can now appreciate good carpentry. I am not an electrical guru, but I've learned to wire. I have learned that I like model building, scenery and track work, and, by pushing myself, have acquired skills that I never thought I could have.

I have met people from all over my area and feel the accomplishment of forming and running a successful modular group. I have met people fron all over the country and from all walks of like......and look forward to seeing my friends from all over at least twice a year (in south central PA), and somtimes more than that.

It has given me the opportunity to learn from others and share what I know. I can talk to people with similar interests from all over the country just like they live around the corner.....

In addition, when I was working, it was a "happy place" where I could get rid of the stresses of the day.

Sum total, I get/got more out of it than you could imagine!

Lastly, this Forum is a big contibutor to the overall experience. Thank you!

Peter

A Fool and his money are soon parted?!

It is scary, how much money I have spent and still haven't built the layout yet!  I have always been very conservative with spending, until I got addicted to O Scale.  Although "hunting down", and then cleaning-up and repairing my "acquisitions" has given me many hours of entertainment.

Seriously though - The years I spent in HO helped develop and sharpen many of the skills previously mentioned.  Which will be utilized once I build the layout and maintain the equipment.

This also is the "perfect" retirement hobby.  It fits well with my moving into an apartment, as opposed to owning a house.  Unlike Cars and Boats, I can do it without getting kicked-out, for taking up spaces in the parking lot.

So it has taught me I can enjoy puttering around, without making a lot of noise or being covered in grease.  Hopefully it will help keep my mind sharp as I age.

I has taught me, I enjoy this forum, and talking to other people about the hobby.

Building a model railroad teaches a lot of great lessons, which have been discussed above. I have a bit of interest in electrical and mechanical engineering, and model railroading has taught me a lot about both of those things. I have also learned quite a bit about how real railroads operate.

      Model railroading has reminded me when my shortcomings are interrupting my life.  I have been on the depression/OCD hamster wheel since I was 15.  I was prescribed meds in the 90's that they don't even give to kids anymore.

     This hobby is supposed to be fun.  When I am down on it, that's my reminder that I need to take care of myself and stay in routine.  Further, OCD can really be a horrible trap in this hobby, from manic buying sprees to layout restarts.  This hobby has shown me how to take time to acquire pieces that I really like, and to accept that mistakes on a layout are opportunities to move the storyboard in directions that were previously not considered.

     This hobby has given to me.  I bought trains and accessories, and from that, over 45 years of life, I was gifted patience and perspective.

It's taught me to know when to walk away and come back later. It's not worth stressing over trains.

Good things come to those who wait.

8 yrs on my Atlas Trainman RSD 7/15, lol.

Reading the above replies reminds me of the  labor of love I experienced building a model railroad including benchwork, track work, wiring, electrical connections, scenery and even a little kit bashing, and developing many skills associated with these tasks, but now I wonder how much of these skills and knowledge I have retained?

For instance, the re-wiring and installation of DCS I did 3 years ago turned out very well,  but I wonder how much of that knowledge and skills I've retained.

For DCS, I followed Barry's DCS Bible to the letter, and my MTH PS2 and 3 locomotives run flawlessly on DCS. However, how much I retained will come to a head when I dismantle one of my train tables in the laudery room division of my layout so the fuel oil tank next to it can be accessed. Some of the DCS wiring under that table will need to be disconnected, and after the fuel oil tank is replaced with a new one in the next few months, that DCS wiring will need to be re-connected.

I hope it turns out that the DCS wiring will be like riding a bicycle: once you learn to do it, you can do it again once you get started. I labeled the various wires and still have Barry's DCS Bible to refer to. Arnold

Arnold

The hobby taught me:

How to relax after work (when I worked).

To trust my skills/imagination when working on the layout and projects - gained self confidence in my abilities

That there are still many great people in the world - fellow hobbyists.

How to create and maintain a website

And, most importantly, what I loved as a youngin, can still give this old fart much joy!

You can enjoy the hobby without going bankrupt

traditional o gauge is more fun than scale

having a huge layout isn't always necessary

i am not the only person in the world thats a train nut

My other hobbies taught me patience that helped in my career as I mediated among people of competing concerns and interests. But O Gauge trains helped me overcome anxiety about malfunctions and repairs, an invaluable lesson. Often I can fix it, and, hey, it's only money.

Model trains have brought our little family closer together. We all have great hobbies - quilting, Lego, muscle cars, and, of course, model trains (HO Marklin & O Lionel).

We thank the Lord for His many blessings!

It has taught me an appreciation of history. and the opportunity to explore the world, from standing on the pit of Otto Mears' covered turntable on his famous Silverton Railroad, through exploring various rail served ghost and mining towns, to riding the rack rail up from the fjord on the Flambann in Norway, and riding the rails to Machu Picchu in Peru.  I want history preserved: every collapsing grain elevator, such as all the red ones in the prairie in Alberta, and every closed RR station. Cass and Strasburg and the California Western and its Mack rail cars, and Carson City and its McKeen.....fantastic history of the past, without this hobby, l would be totally unaware.

This hobby, as well as the other ones I've indulged in that involved being in a club (bicycle riding, vintage cars), has shown me something that continues to surprise and intrigue me: people can share an interest (trains, old cars, bike riding), yet not be even on the same planet when it comes to world view, political perspectives or tolerance of people different from them. I guess it's a good thing that people who are so different otherwise can connect on at least ONE level, but when I walk through a car show filled with people so obviously different from me in politics and world view, or talk to train enthusiasts with whom I would never otherwise associate, I am full of mixed feelings.

I forgot one more lesson from O Gauge for which I am grateful.  Until I started building a layout, I overlooked architecture. Now I see.

I learned to not sweat trying new things.  Results are usually pretty good, and mistakes are "fixable".  But have ranged from

-terrific (kit-bashing two Plasticville Union Stations onto a Lionel Grand Central Station structure as a transit center)

-to poor - 1/48 truck plastic kit that I threw away because the XXXX thing would not go together right.  I used the wheels, tires and figures on the layout.

I’ve learned many of the same lessons that many of you mention in the posts above, but it is also interesting to study the model train market and observe the people who are involved with this great hobby.

The people (no surprise here) represent the gamut of personalities found in society—there are jerks out there, and narrow, closed-minded fools, but most people are gracious, generous and kind, and model railroading is often a lot like baseball—one of those interests that brings a wide variety of disparate people together with a common interest.

People have been building models for a long, long time, and it is not a bit surprising that our modern hobby is heavily influenced by the past. I think, like many modelers, that much of the draw of this hobby is tied to my love of history, and to my personal sentimentality and love for tradition. I’m always looking at old photographs at people frozen in history and wondering to myself “What were they like?”, and model trains are a methodology to find an answer to that question. And because we all perceive the past through our individual filter, we often reflect that in our interests, and in the layouts we build.

We also see the effect of history in the current train market—we live, for better or worse, with many of the compromises and limitations imposed by the evolution of our hobby.
Three rail, two rail, scale, hi rail, toy trains, tinplate, the relationship between scale and gauge, the relationship/uneasy partnership between realism and accuracy and whimsy, the effect of having fairly small markets like O scale, and S scale divided into hi rail and scale, three rail and two rail, standard gauge VS narrow gauge…

We have an interesting history, but the long shadow it casts is difficult to deal with at times, and to some degree, when we ask ourselves why our personal choice of scale and gauge isn’t more popular it can be instructive to ask why HO scale and N scale have achieved such popularity—some of it is related specifically to size, but part of the answer lies in the fact of those two scales being less dragged down by their history than others…

Jeff C