We don´t play with "toys"! Building a layout involves a lot of knowledge from multiple areas: carpentry, electricity, electronics, computers, kit building, landscaping, painting and so on...It´s quite a complex and demanding task.

And, of course, I totally agree: i´ve been involved with model railroading for more than 45 years so far and everyday you learn something new.

Regards
Carlos

I am a professional model maker of architectural models since mid 1990s, physical and 3d models, a change of job, retired now. At first I thought this is great as I will do more on model trains. It actually did the reverse. After building models all day the last thing I could face was model trains in the evening.

Your hobby needs to be something utterly different to your day job.

Anyway, after a few decades of model making. I firmly believe that anyone doing a serious train layout will develop a long list of skills. The actual trains are not a toy, but a vehicle so to speak to get you to the end.

The list of skills one develops is endless. Starting with research, design, planning, administration, drawings, electrical planning and developing skills, more admin, computer operation admin, finance, budgeting and saving. The list goes on.

I once showed my nephew who loved 3d games and so called building things. I showed him how to actually build from scratch with a 3d program. Not interested as it was all too difficult. It took me 2 years to get reasonably proficient in a narrow field of 3d, and the more I learnt the more I realised just how complex 3d is. You need to specialise and even then your are still learning.

The old saying it take 10,000 hours to develop a skill. I would say it takes a lifetime as things change, one needs to keep updating. Too many people don't have the patience. If it can't be done click, plug and play on the computer, or more to the point on a mobile phone these days, they are not interested.

Model trains are not a toy, but a lifetime of many skills.

I wasn't planning ahead in 1986... bought Z gauge!

This is a great hobby which has many facets that can interest anyone. I have a large layout, all digital, which has exercised my planning, construction, electrical and computer skills. Unfortunately about 7 years ago I got interested in Amateur Radio which is another hobby that is very absorbing with may aspects to get interested in and my layout has been neglected. Only recently have I been going downstairs to run the trains and found that there are many maintenance tasks I have been neglecting, so I am slowly re-engaging with my layout and leaving my radios. I hope this trend will continue since I have always enjoyed working on the layout and sharing my experiences with this group.

PS. My train website is currently offline due to security concerns,