we all know that the support of an understanding wife/husband goes a long way. who thinks his/her wife/husband is very supportive?
Bob C.
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Support is a subjective term. My wife understands my hobby never questions my purchases or the space used in the basement but I also am up front with her about what I do with the family money. She neither participates nor offers criticism so I take that as support. Others may view that a tolerating. Of course I have other interests like cycling (stable of bikes right now is eight and the rule for enough bikes is n+1) and I keep fish. Currently 1,000 gallon fish pond plus three fifty gallon tanks. All of that is supported to a greater of lesser degree. I think what I have is a partner in life who understands we both have varied interests that make life interesting.
Not for nothing, but some of the topics here lately are really goofy...
I was never married so there was no wife to consider but surprisingly I did get encouragement from several friends who thought the idea of collecting and running trains was great.
Bob C.
I have a pretty understanding wife. She lets me buy within reason. She has even chose some of the things and I have bought her a few things that she really liked. My layout is in the attic however I asked her to let me build one in the basement and with no problems she said yes. So I think I am pretty darn lucky to have a wife like her......Paul
For me it's like NECRAILS, I let her know what's going on, and we are good. She does think I play too much sometimes, but she knows it's important to me, but not as much as her.
necrails posted:Support is a subjective term. My wife understands my hobby never questions my purchases or the space used in the basement but I also am up front with her about what I do with the family money. She neither participates nor offers criticism so I take that as support. Others may view that a tolerating.
That's fair. I also have several other interests, such as military history, art, historical re-enacting, space history and sci-fi.
Generally, though, she accepts trains more than the rest, probably because she can likely relate to that more than the others (I was an Army LT when we met). She's even admitted to having a decent time at Strasburg and the White Pass & Yukon RRs last year (though she feels nobody needs to ride such trains more than once).
It's when my interests collide with hers, that's when it gets ugly. She has a 'Sheldon Cooper'-quality that isn't endearing at all, in that she'll just decide that something should be a certain way in a certain timeframe and then it must be so AT THAT VERY MILISECOND. if my hobbies don't collide with that, then I'm good. But it doesn't matter if I have something scheduled already, she'll just declare what she wants will happen and that's that (her Dad is the same way). For example, I set aside yesterday for scenery work on the layout. Nope, I had to take her to home depot to buy 15 bags of mulch for her 1:1 scale plants. I didn't get started until 2PM. Oh, she also scheduled a cookout at 4! Thankfully, the guests backed out at the last second (which they can be kinda flaky so it was no shock). Otherwise I never would have gotten as far as I had long planned to do...
Supportive? She tolerates it. That's as good as it gets.
P51 toleration is good
Bob C.
My wife Ellen fully supports my interest in the hobby. She attends each York with me and has become a familiar face to many. She also worked on the 2015 TCA convention hosted by METCA Division doing a number of things that helped make the convention the success that it was.
My wife could care less,
Brent
My wife is very supportive and loves showing off the RR!!!
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My wife prefers knowing I'm downstairs instead of who knows where if I was playing golf or gone fishing. Plus, its a give and take - I buy her high end bikes, kayaks and ski gear and I buy high end trains. I also take her out to do those activities, and she reads (she loves to read) when I'm in the train room. Plus we are still saving more than we are spending, so no money arguments. Its worked well for nearly 40 years now.
these stories are nice to hear. I wonder if we have any women hobbyists who rely on the support of their husbands?
Bob C.
NJCJoe,
I honesty give your wife credit for allowing all of the RR related items in the yard.
My wife may tolerate one small item, but all of the items you have.
She's supportive of the trains to a degree. Then once in awhile she'll recommend I sell it all!!!!
My wife was indifferent until she saw what PassengerTrain Brian's wife Elizabeth did to help build their wonderful Christmas layouts. Now ..... she's very into it. 
Supportive better half here. She understands and appreciates my addiction. Cost and volume (so much easier in my HO days), to say nothing of the chaos of my workroom are a bother to her. She loves our club (AGHR) and considers my time there well spent.
She was appalled at the cost of the B&O Cincinattian loco and cars-until she saw them. So I escape for another year. Unfortunately Scott Mann keeps throwing temptation my way.
I wouldn't be doing this with out her, she wouldn't let me. When I brought up the subject of a full size layout she jumped in with both feet. She suggested we double the size of the planned layout and now that it is nearing completion she blew me away: suggested we triple the layout size! How could I refuse her? Although I did have to sell my 63 Split Window Corvette to make room for the new expansion. She is fully hands on with the layout doing most of the scenery and painting. She makes killer trees now. We have loved watching the layout grow together and have have come the cherish the time we spend together working on the layout. We both have hobbies other than trains but this is the one we do together.
my wife is the club secretary!!
Robert Coniglio posted:P51 toleration is good
I agree. Many hobbyists (or any kind) don't have it nearly as good as I do, I know that.
In all fairness, she walked into the layout room yesterday after I got my first section of grass down on the layout and looked it over. She actually smiled. I think now that it look like a miniature world, maybe it looks cooler than bare benchwork (it sure does for me).
And every now and then she surprises me. For example, my re-enacting group had their annual group party in December, and as I was getting my class As out, she comes home from shopping with not only a reproduction 1940s dress, but her hair done up in that style! My jaw hit the floor with a loud clang as she's never done anything like that before...
I don't consider it to be my hobby any longer, more like ours. This one is a joint effort. While Paula couldn't be at York last week, last night she watched an entire train layout video.
When I showed her what I spent with last week, she said that it was $1,000 less than expected.
It is a lot more fun doing trains together and she is pretty talented in areas that I am not good at doing.
I have seen women get into hobbies with their boyfriends before marrying, and in each case, they jump right back out around ten seconds after they say, "I do". Then suddenly the poor guy is having to sell off everything because she's decided she's done, so therefore, HE is too. I'd bet many of you have also seen this over the years.
I tell people often to be very wary on their girlfriend jumping into their hobbies quickly, because from what I've seen this is where they're heading. A few have come back later and said, "Man, I wish I'd listened..."
yes. if you are a train man great caution is required when choosing a mate
Bob C.
Good evening, my wife has supported model railroading since I got back into it.
We have been together 28 great years.
She says, she would rather hear me say I going down stairs to work on my layout rather than hearing, I going out don't wait up !!!!!!!
My wife supports my hobby 100 percent.
MarkStrittmatter posted:She says, she would rather hear me say I going down stairs to work on my layout rather than hearing, I going out don't wait up !!!!!!!
You'd think that'd be a common feeling among hobbyist wives.
You marry a hobbyist, you're likely marrying a homebody to some degree and probably, I'd think, that'd make for a better partner.
Hay NJCJOE,
I know where you keep those items!!!!!! LOL Best darn display I've seen around in quite awhile. Neatly done too!
Steam Forever
John
NJCJOE posted:This are in my yard. I think that answers the question.
I think your better half has great taste in landscaping 
As for my better half, she's very supportive. Interested? Not so much, but yes, supportive.
My wife supports our train hobby 100%, albeit with sometimes a varying degree of enthusiasm. We actually met on the AMTRAK Texas Eagle on a Christmas trip to Houston in 2003. I boarded in Chicago, she got on in St. Louis around 21:00 hrs that night. We did not speak that night, she was walking all about, I sat in one seat. After visiting my kids and sisters for Christmas, on my way back to Chicago, my future wife also boarded the same AMTRAK to return to St. Louis. We talked all night and slept very little, sitting in coach...... We traded numbers/business cards, talked on New Year's Eve..... we wed on Dec. 27, 2006. Then...... when I was managing a construction site in Terre Haute, she had a 3 car garage added on to our house, with a 1000 sq. ft. TRAIN ROOM above it ! She is very supportive, so long as she is aware of my purchases, naturally, and very glad we have a hobby to share and try to put time into... when we can. BTW... she had a Lionel set when a little girl, and I have the same set as she remembers it. yes... she is the most wonderful of all... a keeper for certain ! Oh yeah, she likes, and has, her own G gauge sets we set up around Christmas time...... along with the O gauge layout.
Jesse TCA
My Wife is trying to figure out how we are going to build an addition for a layout room for me, so I have something to do when I am not doing the honey do list!
mine does, as long as she gets what she wants lol
My wife loves it when I do my train stuff. It keeps me out of her hair. I'm running trains at the club two days a week and York in October.
Mine actually likes them. she will come in and admire them from time to time. She says she wish she could of had a set when shes was young, But back then Girls got Dolls and boys got trains and trucks/cars toys. She sometimes will ask thou what are you going to do when you run out of room I already told her I'm looking into building a 12' x 20' extension on to the house. but seriously she has hinted for me to get the 2 story storage building they sell at HD/Lowes and said you could get electric ran to it and add heat/air and it would be a perfect train room for you. Not a bad idea really if you think about it.
In the winter we work on trains and do shows. In summer we work on our garden and home landscaping. Money has never been an issue as we are conservative and think if the purchase for either winter or summer caqn be justified.
mlavender480 posted:Not for nothing, but some of the topics here lately are really goofy...
It's good to have some goofiness.
My wife supports my trains and has even bought trains for me,I got an ATSF 3751 for my birthday several years ago.
Mikey
My wife grew up with trains in the house and under the tree. My father in law built O scale trains, Walthers kits mainly, for many years.
So she likes and understands my 'hobby'.
Oh gosh yes ! Great gal ! We've been hanging out since 1967, married in 1970. I'm several times blessed with her, a great son , a wonderful daughter in law and two dynamite grand daughters. I can't believe we all still play with trains, race cars and rc planes.
I support anything my wife wants to do and she returns the favor.
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very nice inputs. thanks to all
Bob Goofy C.
