Shame on me!

[vanda32547]

Morning all,

SHAME ON ME....It's been since before Christmas that I've done any work on my layout.

Although I did help a friend with his layout last weekend...does that count? And I replaced the power supply to my Lenz LS150's and they seem to be working much better. Oh yes and yesterday I ran the trains around the layout. So I guess all is not lost ... but it seems that I tend to work in spurts...is that normal? What do you all think? How can I get re-motivated to do some significant work on the layout? I mean like ballasting the track or working on scenery, etc.

Does this happen to the rest of you too? How do you get through the slump?

Regards,

 

[brakie]

No,I enjoy operating more then just modeling or continually working on projects..
Now my N scale industrial layout is finished as far as I am going to take it.That also applied to my HO industrial switching layout up until Wednesday and I ripped some of it out so I can extend the layout around the walls.I hope to be finished by April..

 

[N Gauger]

Morning all,

SHAME ON ME....It's been since before Christmas that I've done any work on my layout.

Although I did help a friend with his layout last weekend...does that count? And I replaced the power supply to my Lenz LS150's and they seem to be working much better. Oh yes and yesterday I ran the trains around the layout. So I guess all is not lost ... but it seems that I tend to work in spurts...is that normal? What do you all think? How can I get re-motivated to do some significant work on the layout? I mean like ballasting the track or working on scenery, etc.

Does this happen to the rest of you too? How do you get through the slump?

Regards,

That's what the Gauge Layout Partys are for Just a bit of motivation.

 

[rksstl]

Bob it happens to me all the time, so I usually get half a dozen projects going at once. This leaves me with something to pick from depending on what I feel like doing. BTW at my real job I normally have DOZENS of projects going all at the same time. Keeps the mind shapre.

 

[RailRon]

Bob, it's even worse with me. I'd really like to do some work on my layout, but I simply don't find the time to do it. Since Christmas I had one single afternoon to get some work done - just enough to start my layout party project... :cry:

At our school at the moment there are a lot of special projects with the students running. Then there are some politicians trying to achieving immortality by being 'economical', trying to close down a whole section of our school and thereby ruining the chances for the most talented students. Fighting such bullish stuff is stealing one's time away in big style.

If this wasn't enough, there are health problems with my aged parents-in-law, so we have to drive 50 miles to them twice a week for doing all the shopping and other stuff around the house for them.

To top it off, I'll be away for two weeks - another fourteen days lost for model railroading. Now perhaps I find the time to do a final dash for my layout party theme towards the end of February.... (Keep your fingers crossed, willya?)

Ron

 

[Ralph]

Sure, happens to me too. I see nothing wrong with taking occasional breaks from the hobby and doing other things. I have found that after attending a model train flea market or visiting a model railroad club I suddenly get re-energized and want to take on even the less enjoyable tasks on the layout.
Ralph

 

[Freelancer]

It happens to me all of the time too, but the usual culprit is frustration. I get frustrated with one project so I move onto the next project and get frustrated with that one and just give up for a while. The thing that really upsets me is that I finally have a place to start building my layout, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to get anything planned and start building. I think that I may need some counseling.

Freelancer

 

[spitfire]

Yep, slumps happen to all of us. It's a lifelong hobby, so this is only natural. Reasons include all of the above. I find that when I stop it's usually boredom which can be traced like Freelancer says to frustration or a problem that seems like it can't be solved. When that happens I turn to smaller projects, like building a boxcar, or even smaller ones like replacing all plastic wheels with metal ones. Quite often when my mind is on things like this, a solution will magically appear.

I've tried to make it a rule of mine to "do a little every day". That can take the form of major layout building, small model building or detailing projects, or even just surfing the web for prototype info or inspiration. Since it all has to be done eventually, I can feel like I'm always making some progress.

And, as Mikey says, the Gauge Layout Party exists to allow participants to set whatever goals they want, and to share their progress with everyone else. It's a great motivator and not too late to hop in!!!!!

Val