What lights your fire

[Brakie]

I have to agree with Pete, the "model" in Model Railroading is what I create, not what I can buy out of the box from Walthers, Kato, Bachmann or Atlas. That includes anything that is ready-to-run or completely assembled. To me, creating buildings and other structures and creating scenery is challenging and what modeling is all about. I guess laying track is modeling as well, but it's a task that I don't particularly enjoy doing; although a necessary one for a train layout even if you don't run train. I guess what I'm saying is that the trains are there to enhance my models, rather than the other way around.

Scratchbuilding, scenery, kitbashing and kits are what I enjoy working on, and it that order. Wiring and electronics are OK, I've done that for the past sixty years so it doesn't present any challenges. Running trains is somewhere in the middle, with laying track and operations at the very bottom of my list of things I like to do.

Don,Don't be mislead..There's still some modeling to do with RTR cars and locomotives as examples:

Atlas Trainman,Athearn RTR and Bachmann locomotives needs details added like mu hoses,bells(if needed) radio antennas.Sound and DCC needs added if required by the modeler.

The freight cars needs the wheel face painted and the Athearn and Atlas RTR cars needs new couplers.

So,with the low to mid range RTR models the modeling is still there.