Dear Bill I appreciate you mean well in your urging, and it is where you are in the hobby. It may even be beneficial to some who read it to change their priorities. Consider, however, that (odd as it may seem) there are those who derive entire satisfaction from the planning, even if most or even all of it is never achieved. For such the model railroad hobby is sufficient as creative thought and prospective process, just as the theoretical ideal is for an individual to master trackwork, electronics, structures, scenery, building locomotives and rolling stock (and for the past generation or two, prototype operation) all essentially equally. An ideal rarely attained. One of the dangers of focusing on that ideal--still more if one actually realizes it for oneself--is that one can become condescending to other model railroaders whose preferences and emphases lie elsewhere. I think all of us, whether skilled across the board or gifted only in a few chosen specialties, or even purely armchair-level, need the periodic reminders that each finds his own level of gratification--and that can be enough.
Am I objective in this? Probably not. My entire adult life I have had to relocate every few years, the longest single tenure was six years, and I also can mention the externals which can impede progress in getting a scale model railroad up and running--chiefly, of course, career and family life (and health concerns, happily, have not been among mine but are not unheard of for many). But I also have seen many instances where others have had stronger desires and given building a railroad higher priority and succeeded despite similar circumstances to mine. I do some of the things I particularly enjoy, mostly building cars and locomotives (they go back into protective boxes and cartons for moving more easily than structures or right of way), but even acquiring all of the paraphenalia which might eventually become a railroad. If I never actually attain that end, and my family ends up recycling all I've completed or acquired among other model railroaders when I no longer have a use for it, I shall still have enjoyed being a model railroader for most of my life. My vocation has been working with people, and I have pretty generally confirmed the old axiom that "people find time (and other resources) for the things that are really important to them." Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > This post is not coming from a particularly happy place but it will > hopefully stick with you this year and possibly inspire as well. I am not > looking to generate a lot of replies. That is not my intent. > > > > With Stan passing recently that was the 2nd S Scaler I knew that had brain > cancer. > > > > The first was someone that was not ever a member here. I had known John for > many years. I would only see him a few times a year. Every time would be a > similar story to the point that I pretty much stopped asking - how is the > layout coming? John was always planning or "about to do" something. There > was always some road black in his way. " A relative passed and all of their > furniture is in my basement. I am not allowed to throw it out. You get the > idea. In his final days the members of the Central Jersey S Scalers had the > courage I could not muster. They went to John's house and got track down to > some extent so John could see trains run in his house. > > > > I can't say I knew Stan very well. I know he was a great modeler in > reference to some of the cars he was making. Perhaps it would not be fair to > paint Stan in such a broad stroke but I heard from him that he was a > "planner" too. In my last conversation with him he wanted to "start" a small > layout. > > > > I have just the other day learned of someone else that is so far winning his > brain cancer fight. This is someone that is a quiet member here and is > someone that I like a lot. It is greatly disheartening to me. > > > > OK - getting to the point.. > > > > If you are looking at the same benchwork for 5+ years now and even your S > Scale friends can't notice your "progress" perhaps building that massive > layout is not going to happen for you. Not everyone can have the grandiose > layouts of Ed L, Dick K and a few others. Cut back, tear down, rebuild or > rethink what you are doing. While this is not a recruiting post, join us > over at S Mod http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Mod where decidedly simpler > plans are being made and modules or layouts hopefully made. > > > > Just do it. Get <<something>> started. Don't leave this world after 20 years > of PLANNING without seeing your trains run in YOUR HOUSE because of > "analysis paralysis". I have already had my "moment" when I saw what would > be my basement. I am really very fine with it all now. > > > > Let's compare every few months with some hopeful progress. > > > > 2 blasts on the whistle. Clear track ahead. > > > > Thank You, > Bill Lane > > Modeling the Mighty Pennsy & PRSL in 1957 in S Scale since 1988 > > See my finished models at: > <http://www.lanestrains.com/> http://www.lanestrains.com > Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! > > Custom Train Parts Design > <http://www.lanestrains.com/SolidWorks_Modeling.htm> > http://www.lanestrains.com/SolidWorks_Modeling.htm > > PRR Builders Photos Bought, Sold & Traded > (Trading is MUCH preferred) > <http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRphotos.xls> > http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRphotos.xls > > ***Join the PRR T&HS*** > The other members are not ALL like me! > <http://www.prrths.com/> http://www.prrths.com > <http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRTHS_Application.pdf> > http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRTHS_Application.pdf > > Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society > It's FREE to join! <http://www.prslhs.com/> http://www.prslhs.com > Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
