I was trying to remember the longest i have gone without doing much railroad modeling. I have built model trains ever since I was a kid, but have taken a few "breaks" in which I didn't do much. The longest I can remember is about 3-4 years. During that break, I don't remember building any models, going to any shows or swap meets, not visiting a hobby shop, or reading any magazines. Back then, the internet was young and groups like this one weren't as numerous, and did not include photos because digital photography was in its infancy, and we were all on dial-up. I give credit to sites like this and the ability to share as well as learn for keeping me interested.
So what about you? Since the time you first started modeling trains, what has been the longest "break" you had? I am talking about a true hiatus - armchair modeling I still consider being active. Does the "break" between a childhood train-set and adult modeling count? You tell me...
Probably the five or six years from my birth to my first train set, or does that not count?
About 25 years due to a family and apartment living. But that is not true either. I used to put together styrene models (ships,cars and stuff) and I would drool over the railroad stuff at the hobby shop where I bought the model. I would walk around the apartment with a tape measure when I got home and my wife would give me the dirtiest looks until I got over the bug again. So, I can't honestly say how long the dry spell was. :?
Loren
I would say from the time I gave up my trains as a kid until the time I started it as a hobby when I retired, but then as a kid, it wasn't a hobby, just a toy to play with. So that shouldn't count. Then I would say there was a period of about a year and a half when we moved to the house we're in now that I didn't have my layout set up or even things unpacked yet. Too busy doing other stuff, plus my first shoulder surgery shortly after moving here made it difficult to do anything for a good while.
Maybe 25 years. A military career spent largely overseas didn't lend itself well to model railroading.
My military career, spent largely on-the-seas, was also not friendly to model railroading, but there was a lot of model ship building to take its place. The plank on frame hull of "Sihaya" was done on a Mediterranean deployment '70/'71.
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Only about 3-4 years while I was away at college and living in a dorm. Seasonal hiatus typically occurs during the winter months, not sure why either since I'm stuck inside and that's when all the shows are!
- Dan
About fifteen years. Army...living with a girl that didn't like trains(Dumped her. New girl, later my ex wife, found my N scale stuff in the closet, and asked why I didn't have a layout..). Apartment living didn't stop me though.
I will tell you when my hiatus is over
About 25 years. And amazingly, when my kids begged me to get my old trains out of the box, the Trix, Atlas, and Bachmann engines still ran.
Thanks to those of you whom gave of their trains for a time to keep the hostiles (Commies & Terrorists) out of my neighborhood.
I had a hiatus for three years...7th grade until early in my sophomore year of high school. I lost interest as I became thoroughly involved with sports. I can't quite recall when sports took over...maybe even during 8th grade as my layout was popular with my friends at least midway through 7th grade.
My interest was nearly rekindled late in 8th grade by a trip to the magnificent National Railway Museum in York, England. My interest was rekindled by hearing Mr. John H. Keller (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.allencountymuseum.org/John_H._Keller.html">http://www.allencountymuseum.org/John_H._Keller.html</a><!-- m -->) speak at the Allen County Museum as part of a FWRHS (765) annual banquet. Mr. Keller had some excellent stories of how he helped save various NKP items without any paper work/railroad approval. Someone also had an improved HO Rivarossi 765. That year for Christmas, I my brother and I received a 765, an IHC 4-6-2, an MDC 0-6-0t, and a replacement B-man+ 611...I also entered into HOn3 with a DSP&P flat car kit. I've been going strong ever since.
Once for the army for about 3 years and another for a year at Bible college...even when I was a stoner loser I still did trains.