03-30-2009, 06:37 AM
Along the Line: By Don Day <Printed April 07>. Choices
We all make choices in life, when it comes to model railroading, some of these choices are made right up front, some are developed as we progress. Sometimes we find that we have to alter the choices we made because they weren’t the ones we thought we wanted. The driving force for what we do chose has to be pleasure. Let’s face it; this isn’t like a job where one has to do things in a prescribed manner to obtain a given result. Not many choices in doing that, and all too frequently, not much pleasure either; but work is something we do in order to survive. No, model railroading is someplace one goes to escape the realm of the workaday world and has complete control over what they do there, and yes, it may be something we also do to help us survive. Pride is another motivating factor, the ability to show what one can achieve with dedication and skill.
There are good reasons why we immerse ourselves in a hobby or a pastime, mostly though, it’s either a diversion, a way to spend free time or it’s something we just enjoy doing. There are times that it can be profitable, but the opposite is usually the case, it can become expensive if we let it; still, these are choices we have to make as we go along. Just how much time and how much money we want to put into this activity all depends on our goals. Geese, this can’t get too complicated; after all, we’re talking about a hobby, not some structured career commitment. There are physical choices that have a large bearing on where we go with this hobby. Where do we put the layout, how much room do we have to work with, what scale do we want to work with are just a few things that determine the path we take. One has to work within the constraints that are there and adapt accordingly. For example if the only space available is in the garage or attic, heat and dust are factors, in a basement and we may need to protect against moisture. How much detail we want and how much space we have can determine what scale we choose. The smaller the scale, the more compact is our layout, but the harder it is to work with. We all start somewhere; for some it may be joining a club, while other jump in with both feet.
In my opinion though, the driving force in what we do in model railroading is doing what gives us the most pleasure. In my case, I love to model; love to recreate mini-scenes of everyday life, past or present. For people like me, the trains and tracks are there to add to the realism of the scene, they are supporting elements, not the main players. To others, the trains are it and the scenery is there to enhance the railroad experience. Some have elaborate layouts and run what is called, “operating sessions.” This is where several people get together and perform all of the operations of a full-scale railroad. They have schedules for picking up and dropping off cars, there are dispatchers, conductors, and engineers, all with jobs to do. They communicate by phone or computer screen, and it all may even be accomplished in “fast time”, or by a clock that runs at scale speed. This is serious stuff done on a large railroad layout, but it’s rewarding, otherwise, no one would do it since there’s nothing else to gain.
What kind of choices one makes to this hobby is like any other hobby, it all depends on the resources available and the desires of the one making these choices. On one end of the spectrum can be the collector who may never run a train, but has some of the most expensive equipment that money can buy. Another collector may enjoy the pursuit of tracking down bargains and not have a large financial investment in the hobby. Some may choose to have their layouts built for them while getting enjoyment from simply running their trains, while others choose to spend little and make their layouts from whatever materials they can find. Some of the finest models I’ve seen have been made from cardboard and paper, constructed in such a way that it amazes and tricks the eye. There is such a wide array of what one can do and the costs involved, the choices are endless, but the results are always the same, total enjoyment of a pastime.
We all make choices in life, when it comes to model railroading, some of these choices are made right up front, some are developed as we progress. Sometimes we find that we have to alter the choices we made because they weren’t the ones we thought we wanted. The driving force for what we do chose has to be pleasure. Let’s face it; this isn’t like a job where one has to do things in a prescribed manner to obtain a given result. Not many choices in doing that, and all too frequently, not much pleasure either; but work is something we do in order to survive. No, model railroading is someplace one goes to escape the realm of the workaday world and has complete control over what they do there, and yes, it may be something we also do to help us survive. Pride is another motivating factor, the ability to show what one can achieve with dedication and skill.
There are good reasons why we immerse ourselves in a hobby or a pastime, mostly though, it’s either a diversion, a way to spend free time or it’s something we just enjoy doing. There are times that it can be profitable, but the opposite is usually the case, it can become expensive if we let it; still, these are choices we have to make as we go along. Just how much time and how much money we want to put into this activity all depends on our goals. Geese, this can’t get too complicated; after all, we’re talking about a hobby, not some structured career commitment. There are physical choices that have a large bearing on where we go with this hobby. Where do we put the layout, how much room do we have to work with, what scale do we want to work with are just a few things that determine the path we take. One has to work within the constraints that are there and adapt accordingly. For example if the only space available is in the garage or attic, heat and dust are factors, in a basement and we may need to protect against moisture. How much detail we want and how much space we have can determine what scale we choose. The smaller the scale, the more compact is our layout, but the harder it is to work with. We all start somewhere; for some it may be joining a club, while other jump in with both feet.
In my opinion though, the driving force in what we do in model railroading is doing what gives us the most pleasure. In my case, I love to model; love to recreate mini-scenes of everyday life, past or present. For people like me, the trains and tracks are there to add to the realism of the scene, they are supporting elements, not the main players. To others, the trains are it and the scenery is there to enhance the railroad experience. Some have elaborate layouts and run what is called, “operating sessions.” This is where several people get together and perform all of the operations of a full-scale railroad. They have schedules for picking up and dropping off cars, there are dispatchers, conductors, and engineers, all with jobs to do. They communicate by phone or computer screen, and it all may even be accomplished in “fast time”, or by a clock that runs at scale speed. This is serious stuff done on a large railroad layout, but it’s rewarding, otherwise, no one would do it since there’s nothing else to gain.
What kind of choices one makes to this hobby is like any other hobby, it all depends on the resources available and the desires of the one making these choices. On one end of the spectrum can be the collector who may never run a train, but has some of the most expensive equipment that money can buy. Another collector may enjoy the pursuit of tracking down bargains and not have a large financial investment in the hobby. Some may choose to have their layouts built for them while getting enjoyment from simply running their trains, while others choose to spend little and make their layouts from whatever materials they can find. Some of the finest models I’ve seen have been made from cardboard and paper, constructed in such a way that it amazes and tricks the eye. There is such a wide array of what one can do and the costs involved, the choices are endless, but the results are always the same, total enjoyment of a pastime.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD