What is your favorite aspect of model railroading?

[ezdays]

There are some things I like to do and other things I just find difficult to tackle on my layout. Here is where you can list the things that make your modeling a pleasure to do. Feel free to post the one thing that you like best to do, or even a couple of things if you can't choose just one. There is another thread that I've started to post the things you like the least to do on your model railroad.

[faraway]

I can live my fantasies when I dream, think and finally build my layouts. There is very few other where I am so absolute in control and can make my wishes become true.

[ezdays]

It's hard for me to decide between scenery and building structures. I can really get into scratchbuilding and kitbashing though.

[nachoman]

daydreaming Seriously, I could kill hours just thinking, browsing catalogs, or looking at railroad photos on the net.

If you are asking something more specific to model railroading - I'd have to say weathering or adding groundcover. I find both of those two tasks relaxing, and the results make a HUGE difference in appearance. If you spend an hour adding ground cover to a section of your layout, you go from having a plywood mesa to something you could take photos of in a short amount of time.

[MountainMan]

Faraway said it for me - dreams come true.

[AuzzeMit]

HI..

Playing trains and meeting new people who share the same interest in trains.

AuzzeMit

[sailormatlac]

Faraway said it for me - dreams come true.

I second that one... it's a mental therapy that brings back my innocence.

Matt

[railohio]

Operations. Followed by weathering. If my layout got to be operational with Matchbox cars and cereal box structures I'd be happy so long as there were track warrants to fill out and yard tracks to sort.

[Ralph]

Watching trains go by! Also making common inexpensive household items into reasonably believable model structures.

[BR60103]

probably reading, track planing, and operating.

[ezdays]

One thing that surprises me is that the things that most people here say they like are the emotional aspects or model railroading as apposed to the physical aspects. That says a lot, just as the thread about the things one hates to do appear to be those physical things they need to do in the beginning.

[Steamtrains]

I like the building aspects...Framing, laying track, wiring....Scenery not so much..

And watch the trains go by...!!!

[MountainMan]

One thing that surprises me is that the things that most people here say they like are the emotional aspects or model railroading as apposed to the physical aspects. That says a lot, just as the thread about the things one hates to do appear to be those physical things they need to do in the beginning.

Not necessarily...the construction aspects provide the reward of creating my dream world. Can't have one without the other.

[FCIN]

Prototype operation with structure building ranking second. I get to wear the hats of customer, freight agent and train crew to realistically duplicate what takes place in the real world, but it does have its drawbacks. Once I can operate the layout, very little else tends to get done.

[RobertInOntario]

I probably like operating trains on my layouts the most & just watching them. I also enjoy adding scenery (I don't even mind ballssting too much!). And it's very satisfying to solve layout problems, especially track problems.