To Many Projects!

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I remember when I first started out in this hobby, I was only a teenager, and one of my earliest experiences was at the place of a family friend who had a reasonable layout. One thing he did show me was his STOCKPILES of projects. Indeed, every drawer, box, and cabinent had multiple kits, structures, rolling stock, you name it, in various states of construction or restoration.

I said to myself "Well, i'm not gonna let all this stuff pile on me like that! One kit at a time!"

Fast forward to now, and i'm wondering what happened to the teen me! I've got SO many projects that I literally do not know what to do with all of them. Some I started ages ago (indeed, they would have been better EOY challenges if i remembered them)!

I think the worst part is that when I attempt to stick to a project, I get "Model Railroad Attention Deficit Disorder" and suddenly change gears to some other project. Its a wonder ANYTHING gets done on my layout!

I'm posting this thread for myself, as well as others, to take stock in what projects are sitting on the benches, and which ones

Right now, either on my work bench or sitting waiting to be finished

2 PRR MP54 MU car kits (nice Funaro & Camerlengo ones)
PATCO Married Pair MU cars,
SEVERAL Arrow III MU cars
a Silverliner III MU car
Amtrak E60CH # 968
2 NJ Transit ALP46 electrics (one is just a shell, the other is almost done)
Smokey Vally GP15-1s
the "EOY" GP40FH-2 now needs more work, and it doesn't look perfect to start with!
Conrail C32-8 (never finished the underbody detail or Decoderized it!)
"restore and super detail" bachmann Metroliner MU cars.
Stemman Pantographs for the Arrow IIIs and Metroliners

Several Blue-box Reefers and Hoppers,
a Front Range Chessie hopper kit
Metroliner Cab car conversion

Rebuilding my track (so that i can build my catenary)
Walthers Modern Gas Station
a HUGE Suydam Roundhouse (its a used metal round house half soldered together!)

There is plenty more, but these are the ones i could think of in 5 minutes.

What sitting on your shelf?

[nachoman]

I won't list projects I haven't started yet, but here are the ones that come to mind:

Two structures, a school and a power house,
A standard gauge 2-6-0 kitbash
A narrow gauge 2-4-2
one narrow gauge turnout (I've cut the rails and made half the frog already)
a walk-around throttle
many of my buildings need window glass and final details
one narrow gauge hopper
my standard gage passenger cars need decals and window glass

I have plenty more that are just parts or ideas on paper that I haven't taken a knife or saw to the material yet.

[e-paw]

I'm in the same boat. The thought of listing them all scares me . But, I got plenty on my plate.

[MasonJar]

One of my projects is to list all my projects...

Andrew

[RobertInOntario]

I can relate, although you seem to have a lot more projects! I guess we have to learn to prioritize them, etc.

What really annoys me is when I spend money on purchasing some part or project, but don't get around to it. I've actually observed, though, that I usually do get around to things although it can take months & years!

Here's my list:
• add railings and stanchions to my GP-7 -- I posted a thread on this -- still procrastinating b/c the instructions look confusing & tedious!!
• add decals to my Sharknose diesel, which is being converted to a Pennsy loco. Actually, I ordered these decals almost two months ago and hope to finally pick them up from my LHS tomorrow!
• isolate a section of track on one of my small layouts so that I can "switch off" one section of track (i.e. park a train) while maneuvering trains on the other. I bought the switch for this several months ago.
• finish ballasting & doing the scenery on the above layout and
• do the ballasting/scenery on my small switching layout.

There have been others in the past that I've given up on & I'm sure I've forgotten some!

A lot of this boils down to having enough time & money, & the energy/knowledge to complete some of them. Time is mainly the issue. For me, I often need a block of 2-3 hours of uninterrupted time and this rarely happens these days!

[Green_Elite_Cab]

is this something inherent in the hobby, or are we all mad? Personally, its a bit frustrating to see all these unfinished things around. so many fascinating models just half done and obscure on my self. Right now, i'm wishing i built those MP54s for that EOY challenge, they would have been "easy" and i'm sure just as interesting. Of course, if i start working on them after not fiddling with them for a year, then my Arrows sit, or my PATCO cars sit or something.

There is always something else!

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Here's my list:
• add railings and stanchions to my GP-7 -- I posted a thread on this -- still procrastinating b/c the instructions look confusing & tedious!!

Were those the smokey Valley kits? They only appear tricky, they're actually a breeze to install.

[ocalicreek]

Okay, I'll join in. Layout work doesn't count since that can be considered ongoing until the layout is finished (and yes, it can be finished!) At the top of the list is the Shifter:

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Also incomplete is my kitbash challenge from a couple years back now, I suppose, the water bottling plant. Another steam project is the Mantua 0-6-0T. There's the N&W Class J 4-8-4 to which I was adding a new front end throttle detail part, still packed away. Long before the Shifter I put a new motor in an IHC 4-6-2 and began stripping the details...still packed away. Another half-dozen vintage steamers await remotoring/detailing, but they have not been started and are in various states of repair.

I would run out of room to list the rolling stock kits but most of those are not even begun. There are, however, a few rolling stock kits begun in need of completion. There's an N&W Gon which I was upgrading with metal wheelsets, coupler lift bars, wire grabs and a few dings, dents and rust. There's also the Sierra coach, 90% complete with a matching combine still not started. Another set of passenger cars is the same, a Northeastern Combine 98% complete with a coach that's only 1% complete (barely started).

What seems to keep me from completing these kits is easy to name. But more difficult to understand is the phenomenon you describe - even though there's plenty to work on, we still manage to start something new. This, I think, is related to buying additional kits when we already have plenty stashed away.

What has helped, however, has been the division of the layout construction into phases - including not only the benchwork, trackwork, etc. but also structures and matching rolling stock complete with carcards and waybills for each. This way I can focus my efforts on only the cars that will be needed for that section and once it is complete I'll be able to operate it as it has been designed. So even though they are not yet begun I will be working on a pair of cabeese for phase one, and painting/decaling a set of steamers (the shifter and 0-6-0T most likely) to match. Hopefully while the airbrush is fired up this summer I'll be able to paint more than just these, but at least I'll have something completed according to plan.

Galen

[RobertInOntario]

Here's my list:
• add railings and stanchions to my GP-7 -- I posted a thread on this -- still procrastinating b/c the instructions look confusing & tedious!!

Were those the smokey Valley kits? They only appear tricky, they're actually a breeze to install.

Yes -- good memory! Yeah, I'll have to give it a shot soon, especially if they're easier than they look. Rob

[tetters]

I can think of four things off the top of my head that require completion before I can have some form of closure and move on to other things. All three of them involve track work of some sorts... of course.

1) Engine House build... once completed and installed it will have the final turnout on the layout.

2) Transfer Slip... some small details, that I've been mulling over. Finish the chain and 2 ton triplex pulleys and tensions cables, stain, paint and weathering.

3) Two Track Car Float.... plotted out the measurements on a 1/2 finished pine plank months ago. I need to glue on the cleats for the rail, spike the rail down, paint and weather the whole shebang.

4) "Finish" the Lake and Transfer Slip scene. Get remaining bits of backdrop up, pour water...etc.

Those are the big four I need to get done. I have other projects which I won't even look at until I finally get those three done. I have a couple engine rebuilds, a small handful of rolling stock kit builds, and other little odds and ends.

[RobertInOntario]

I was able to strike one of my projects off my list tonight!

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[Brakie]

As of now I have 2 projects-a wheel replacement from plastic to metal and a minor detailing project..

Here's my steadfast policy.

No new project(s)is started unless the current project is finish.

Here's the kicker..The metal wheels is a "at the club" project and won't interfere with any home projects.