I'll look for that publication in Hartford, Irv, thanks.

While I haven't had a lot of problem "digging in", I also think that it's important to remember that this is a hobby, first and foremost. That means the moment you feel that you have to do something, it can become something else - the dreaded responsibility, however imposed.

15 minutes a day is a nice thought, but you shouldn't be pressured by it. One thing I've learned from my recent experience is that it's not a race, the work will be there on the morrow. This has helped me discover in this hobby the abilty to walk away when things go wrong, to await a fresh start. And to ignore it entirely, when the day outside is perfect (which, around here, is a necessary thing).

This is a bit of change from my past, when I had tournaments or big events that I needed the next big project finished for, and I find this to be a dramatic improvement in my hobby time.

Cheers!

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. This is a hobby and one should not become obsessed with it.

Irv

There are a number people that call themselves model railroaders that have never ever built a railroad. They read the books, watch the videos and draw up elaborate railroads then sit in their chairs at home dreaming about the railroad they would like to build. These people are still model railroaders even if they never get started building. They just have a lighter way of looking at the hobby. It may be due to lack of money or just no place to build the railroad and or no club anywhere near where they live. Then there are those that just don't have any of the skills required to build anything more than a small loop on a piece of ply wood and run the train set in circles and make believe they are going from place to place. I wish everybody had the time and skills as well as the space to build a multi-level Massive Main line pike with many towns with hundreds of cars and a large number of engines and a great DCC system. Even if you do have the time and the room, money, skills and everything needed sometimes that first step is the hardest part of the whole hobby. Any way you look at the Hobby its all up to the person how or when he does what ever his version of Model Railroading is. It doesn't matter if the whole hobby is in your mind or in a giant warehouse it's still your hobby to do what you want with and when you do it if ever.

Dan

 I think rule 3 is important i.e. to work on the layout everyday if possible, its all to easy to put off working on the layout and before you know it a month has passed.

 I would like to add rule 11) If you find yourself struggling with some modelling process, put it aside and work on something else. Its amazing  when you pick up the job you have put aside the previous day how often everything just falls in place.

Yep. Doing something on the layout everyday you can is certainly good advice.

I like your suggestion for rule 11 because there is alkways something that needs doing on a model railroad, especially during the construction phase.

I am an accountant by training and I teach it too, One of things I tell my students is that when they get to the point of frustration trying to work out the solution of a problem that it often helps to walk away from it and do something else for a few hours. One often gets to recharge ones batteries that way and when you come back to problem, one often finds that finding the answer is easier than it was before.

I don't know about you but tedious and repetitious jobs usually get boring quite fast. Thus, doing them continuously isn't a good idea all at one sitting. I usually spread out this activity over several days and combine it what I consider to be a fun activity so I can switch between them.

Irv

Some people just like planning railroads and then running on the Club layout when that catches their fancy - planning it is fun, building it and then maintaining it is the nightmare!!!

I don't think maintaining a loayout is a nightmare if you run it. It only becomes one if you don't run it.

Irv

Benny:

Can you be more specific? What kind of nightmare issues are you seeing?

Track cleaning is the first.

Switch points are two.

Switch throws are three.

Unlevel track spots are four.

Scenery broken by people reaching for things is five.

And onwards to cars, engines, dust...

Not to mention the rent on the building, or the protperty tax incured by it,

And the paint, the roof, the floor...the electric bill?

Really, there is a lot to deal with once you build the layout.  Granted, you deal with some of these without a layout - but the total number of headaches is ultimately less on a sheet of paper.

You can buy a 100 page spiral notebook at Walmart for something like $2.82 and draw up 100 layout plans and project ideas, and even if none of them get built, that book will hold your attention for a good six months!

I have a layout that nearly fills a two-car garage, and I don't consider it a maintenance nightmare at all.  I used all nickle-silver track so I don't have to clean it that often.    My turnouts are still all manually powered so there are no electrical issues for me to worry about - at least until I get around to installing tortoises on the main line ones.  And with my family/job situation leaving me with very little free time, I don't get to operate very often.

The real 'nightmare' for me is clearing away all the mess and clutter from the layout surface whenever I do a major scenery or track project. Like right now, I need to get all my various tools, bowls and jars from my 'business district' project off the tracks, so the trains can actually run on them [and also to avoid shorting out my DCC system from a screwdriver lying across the rails]

My layout is nowhere near 'perfect', but I had to do something to get the most possible enjoyment I could from this hobby.  Reading a gazzillon Kalmbach books and drawing up track diagrams just don't cut it for me.