 Joined: 16/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 619 Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
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It's now a year later, and my trains are still in boxes and I haven't even started my layout  I simply can't find the time... |
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Modelling west Denmark era IV - possibly with some out-of-place elements!
Marklin C-track + CS3+
12m2 layout to be controlled by RocRail |
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 Joined: 10/08/2009(UTC) Posts: 3,443
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Getting your priorities right?
Only joking of course.
I do not have a layout,saves a lot of money,which i can spend on Marklin models on static display.
Especially when you have a paid job during weekdays,there is a lot of distraction in your free time,TV is part of that.
At least you still have the trains,please count your blessings......... |
Have more than you show,speak less than you know (Shakespeare). |
 1 user liked this useful post by NS1200
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,273
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Originally Posted by: morsing  It's now a year later, and my trains are still in boxes and I haven't even started my layout I simply can't find the time... Throw away clock watches and the calendar! Relax and enjoy yours trains when you have possible. Don´t feel pressure! |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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4 users liked this useful post by Goofy
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 Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 15,870 Location: Gibraltar, Europe
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I bought three signals in March to install on my layout. They're still in their boxes!
Anders has the right idea. Don't worry about finding time, just do whatever you can when you have a spare hour or so! |
Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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1 user liked this useful post by RayF
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,464 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: morsing It's now a year later, and my trains are still in boxes and I haven't even started my layout I simply can't find the time... Hmm, we moved to the UK in 1997 and the trains are still in the boxes, just the number of boxes keeps growing ... 
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2 users liked this useful post by kiwiAlan
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 Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC) Posts: 9,588 Location: Australia
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Stuff work retire! Enjoy life and get that layout going.. Wait...  When you retire there is "The List". mine is 12 pages long...  I am off with the trailer to get two more loads of garden soil this morning to have the joyous pleasure of shovelling it into the new Garden bed I made last week.. Free time - Bah Humbug..  Take control - THIS SATURDAY at 10:00 you WILL start your layout..  <- meant to hypnotise.. |
Adrian Australia flag by abFlags.com |
1 user liked this useful post by xxup
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 Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada
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How about sleep less.
Don't watch TV.
Listen to the news only once a day... at noon is best.
(better day not to start with news, better sleep without news)
And get your wife and kids involved.
....Also the deadline of presenting something at a train show helps!
Make your set by modules.
Think of it as your perfect part-time
(or full-time after full-time) job.
- Mark
ps. Or our hobby can just be collecting and looking at other people's trains on youtube and the forum! |
DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
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4 users liked this useful post by Mark5
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Joined: 31/10/2009(UTC) Posts: 609 Location: Toronto, Ontario
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Also use small time slices wisely. If you are waiting 15 minutes for the fd to put her makeup on before going out, then use the time to paint, glue or perform whatever the next project step is. 15 minutes even every other day can get a lot accomplished.
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1 user liked this useful post by jcrtrains
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Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC) Posts: 9,588 Location: Australia
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Originally Posted by: jcrtrains ... If you are waiting 15 minutes for the fd to put her makeup on before going out, .... Wow! That's fast! I can install a decoder in the time that FD takes!  |
AdrianAustralia flag by abFlags.com |
2 users liked this useful post by xxup
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 Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,589 Location: Spain
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The amount of time available is a constant in your life. You can only do more train, if you do less other things!
Only YOU know where you can begin to shave off time from you existing interests. -But usually a good place to start is the internet and TV.
Personally I have found out that when something interests me immensely, I have no problem finding -even huge amounts of- time for that activity. Again: Of course some other activities must then be put temporarly on hold, or "low-burn".
The "15 minuttes here and there" method mentioned by jctrains doesnt work for me, though... (I wish it did...) |
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Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 15,870 Location: Gibraltar, Europe
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I have to admit to taking longer to actually do some real work on the layout or my trains. Installing a signal can take an hour or two, constructing a model building can take many hours, but you can break it up into small chunks. Some tasks, such as scenic treatments, can only be done if you have a few hours at your disposal.
Running trains, however, can be done for just a few minutes at a time if the trains are on the layout and all you need to do is power it up! I often run my trains while waiting my turn for the bathroom, or if I have a spare fifteen minutes at any time of day. A full running session for me is rarely more than half an hour anyway, as the layout is small and operation limited.
To those who have their trains in boxes and have yet to build a layout, my advice is to start small and get something running quick. We all have our grandiose plans for multilevel multitrain super-layouts, but if they never get built then they have no value. Build yourself (or find) a 2m X 1m table, lay some tracks on it, wire it up, and put a couple of trains on it. You can play with this while planning and constructing your dream layout!
Such a layout can be used for exercising and testing your trains, and you can add scenery and buildings to develop your modelling skills for "the big one". |
Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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5 users liked this useful post by RayF
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 Joined: 04/06/2009(UTC) Posts: 20,289 Location: Scotland
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Hi all,
Time waits for no man...
Ian.
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3 users liked this useful post by Ian555
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Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,689 Location: United Kingdom
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It is time for a Trackplan! |
Large Marklinist 3- Rails Layout with CS2/MS2/Boosters/C-track/favorites Electric class E03/BR103, E18/E118, E94, Crocodiles/Steam BR01, BR03, BR05, BR23, BR44, BR50, Big Boy. |
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Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,316
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Time I have lots of time, too much time! But like some, time is not that important if you can't function normally!
My motto and my personal belief is, If I don't do anything, it will not get done!
So even if you have very little time anything done will show after some time!
As some of you know, I'm recovering from an ABI. About two years ago I had my good friend Miles come over to see my new layout and he was very saddened to see very little track work done. He said to me, "I know you're having difficulties concentrating and focusing and that has an effect on your motivation but if you only laid one piece of flex-track a day in a month you will have thirty done!" I listened and decided to do just that!
Two years later and phase one of my layout is complete. Not only is the flex-track installed, (I did more that one hundred and twenty pieces of flex-track) I also installed over thirty two turnouts, wired everything which is now operational through the ESU ECoS! I also almost finished ballasting the track! What A job that was!!!!!
As a footnote;
Just last week when Miles came over he said to me, Michel, "You have the Cadillac of layouts! Then I said to Myles, "It's because of you!" Remember when you said.............
Michel
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4 users liked this useful post by michelvr
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 Joined: 03/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,571
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In the winter time, I normally dedicated 1 hour in the evening in the train room (instead of watching TV or surfing the net)!
It's amazing what can be accomplished if you do that for 1 week every evening.
Brgds Lasse |
Digital 11m2 layout / C (M&K) tracks / Era IV / CS3 60226 / Train Controller Gold 9 with 4D sound. Mainly Danish and German Locomotives. |
2 users liked this useful post by Danlake
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Joined: 16/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 619 Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
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Well, some good replies here. I have something to think about :-}
- I never watch TV. Well, with very few exceptions such as The Bridge starting again this weekend.
- I do go on the Internet, but it's normally chore related
- My main problem is my enourmous list of chores, DYI, paperwork etc I need to do all the time. Garden and cars take up lots of time and there is still work that needs to be done on the house we bought two years ago. That will be broken up with cooking, cleaning etc.
- The 15 minute thing just doesn't work for me. I need hours available to be able to start on something. I'm like that wiith everything
- Have no space to build a temporary layout anywhere else. Not as long as my lazy step-son takes up the spare room because he can't be bothered to get a job and move out. So will be years...
Anyway, thanks for at least motivating me a bit :-)
Some of my current projects don't even involve a layout. I was adding controlers and lighting to my trains and just building some models, but even that has been sitting there for many months.
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Modelling west Denmark era IV - possibly with some out-of-place elements!
Marklin C-track + CS3+
12m2 layout to be controlled by RocRail |
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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Forget about your step-son and the spare room. Where there is a will, there is a way. You CAN start with a simple piece of plywood, 6 feet by 4 feet and put on a couple of simple ovals. That would take 30 minutes. You then put the trains and power packs on, that will be 15 minutes. You then play for 15 minutes. Total: 1 hour. If you do not have one hour to start your hobby, then maybe it is not your hobby. You prefer doing something else. Sorry to be a bit rough, but that is how I see it. Ask yourself this question: am I right or am I wrong? If I am right and you do not have a real interest in this hobby, get another hobby. If I am wrong and you do have a strong interest in model trains, THEN GET GOING. Stop reading this and start putting some tracks on plywood.   |
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3 users liked this useful post by baggio
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Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC) Posts: 9,588 Location: Australia
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Sell the car.. Put the layout in the garage..
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AdrianAustralia flag by abFlags.com |
1 user liked this useful post by xxup
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 Joined: 22/11/2006(UTC) Posts: 676 Location: Shoreline, WA
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Originally Posted by: baggio Forget about your step-son and the spare room. Where there is a will, there is a way.
You CAN start with a simple piece of plywood, 6 feet by 4 feet and put on a couple of simple ovals. That would take 30 minutes.
You then put the trains and power packs on, that will be 15 minutes.
You then play for 15 minutes.
Total: 1 hour. We had a great presentation at our NMRA meeting last year. The simplest layout is a point to point..you can have one industry at one end and another at the other. You could do this with a 2 foot by 8 foot piece of plywood. You could then add a passenger station in the middle...then you can add a couple of loops at either end...I have a simple end to end straight track. I can run all my old analog trains. As I get more C-track I will be running my digital loks, with my new MS2.. morsing, one of my professors in college described tv as monkey box...he never had one and hardly ever watched... PS my name is Thom K and I have too much screen time...LOL |
Thom
European Train Enthusiast - Pacific Northwest Chapter
4th Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Model Railroaders Association |
1 user liked this useful post by seatrains
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Joined: 31/10/2009(UTC) Posts: 609 Location: Toronto, Ontario
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In addition to precise time management, a clear budgeting approach is also needed. I noticed this on another forum and almost fell out of my chair laughing. 
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11 users liked this useful post by jcrtrains
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RayF, Thewolf, xxup, baggio, GLI, MalinAC, Sergi, grnwtrs, MikeK, kweekalot, NewMB
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Joined: 16/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 619 Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
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My layout is already going in the garage, as that's the only place there is room. If I fit a temporary layout there, then I won't ever get a proper one going.
It's not that I'm more interested in other things, it's that I have to do other things. I don't want to give up model trains, even my wife is getting interested :-)
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Modelling west Denmark era IV - possibly with some out-of-place elements!
Marklin C-track + CS3+
12m2 layout to be controlled by RocRail |
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Joined: 27/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 941 Location: Burney, CA
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Originally Posted by: morsing It's now a year later, and my trains are still in boxes and I haven't even started my layout I simply can't find the time... Get some C Track and play on your dining room table. C Track is very self contained: Minimal wiring is needed becausel the power and digital requirements can be included in the turnouts. I did this for years. Then I got started on an overly ambitious K-Track layout. I spent a lot of time on it without getting very far. So I tore it out and now have trains running on my new C Track layout in the save space. The layout is simple, but satisfying so far. I seriously considered having a professional do for me, but decided less is more. So far, I'm happy. Dave Pryor PS: the new semaphore signals are brutally expensive!  |
From the People's Republik of Kalifornia |
2 users liked this useful post by mrmarklin
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Joined: 14/01/2011(UTC)
Posts: 8
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Originally Posted by: morsing It's now a year later, and my trains are still in boxes and I haven't even started my layout I simply can't find the time... Ave, no time that is/was my problem too, well in 10 days i will be out of the job. Problem solved. have fun LT
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1 user liked this useful post by Luis Teixeira
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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Ave: This may be a good time to open the boxes and start the layout. It will give you a bit of relief from the stress of looking for another job. In Italy we say: "si chiude una porta e si apre un portone" (a door closes and a gate opens). Keep up the good spirits. |
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1 user liked this useful post by baggio
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,464 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: morsing
My layout is already going in the garage, as that's the only place there is room. If I fit a temporary layout there, then I won't ever get a proper one going.
It's not that I'm more interested in other things, it's that I have to do other things. I don't want to give up model trains, even my wife is getting interested :-)
Make a shelf that the bonnet of the car can drive under, to give yourself a permanent layout table. that way the garage is still a garage and you have somewhere to run trains.
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Joined: 14/01/2011(UTC)
Posts: 8
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Originally Posted by: baggio Ave: This may be a good time to open the boxes and start the layout. It will give you a bit of relief from the stress of looking for another job. In Italy we say: "si chiude una porta e si apre un portone" (a door closes and a gate opens). Keep up the good spirits. Ave Baggio, yep you are right, I started my Mobaroom at the end of the year 2013 in the hope of starting "finalmente" my long plant layout in 2015, you can see it on my blog: Luma Moba , but many things got out of hand and no time was left for it. I see it as a sign and take a long break to get back to life without spending 12 hours living for money. and surely I will the time to fill up my shelfs with my märklintrains.  have fun ... I am sure that I will. LT
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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I love what you started, Ave. Looks REALLY sharp. |
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Joined: 24/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 123
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I found time by giving up watching TV in the evening after everything is done around the house. I also try to dedicate one hour on Sunday afternoons for the hobby (especially during the winter months).
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2 users liked this useful post by PhillipL
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 Joined: 26/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 668 Location: Erftstadt
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For me, when i started my layout i was dedicating to much time on the layout building and not enough on my family. Come spring time this year, i was summoned to help with the garden. Then the weather turned nice so of course so building at all. The cars also require their time (have one which is almost 30 years old). Work and summer later took over completely. Still way to much to do work wise and haven't really been home much. But in the last few weeks, i have found time to start my last phase, lay some tracks, done some electrics, began mountain work and also built a few buildings. Still plenty to do and as winter has arrived (it snowed yesterday) i think more building time is a matter of sooner rather than later.
Cant wait to kind of finish.....as one never do on a layout!
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