Longest hiatus from the hobby

[nachoman]

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...