@Boxcab and all - um, and she is likely to agree to an extra 6"s because that is the depth that 'standard' cabinets come in.
This thread tells me I need to spend more time with my wife. I get the impression from my own marriage of 33 years... there are days that I focus too much on the hobby and will irritate the wife. She doesn't share the interest in the trains or the hobby itself. She doesn't understand why I like it... even though I've mentioned to her that it's a hobby very common to persons that grew up in the 1940's thru the 1970's. Even after the 1970's with the advent of computer games and such... the hobby is still fascinating to persons in their 20's and 30's. She understands that it's better I have a model railroad addiction instead of a drinking, drugging, gambling or other vice... but... I believe its the amount of time taken away from conversing with her or doing things she likes to do. I DON"T currently see a problem with our marriage due to the trains... but... there has to be at LEAST as much time spent with the spouses interests to keep harmony in the relationship. I'm going now to spend some time with her.
GF of twenty years is always telling me to take her to the train shows. It is funny how it started. I told her about the trains, and even showed her. We took the AmTRAP to Boston overnight and got the sleeper. She liked that. She went to one show with me and did not seem to enjoy it that much. I still went to shows, but she did not. Two years into the relationship, out of the blue, she calls me at the Office to tell me that she saw an advert for a train show that weekend. I did not know that there was a show. I went Saturday. When I got home, she asked me if I would go back Sunday and take her. I did. She saw all these nineteenth century trains and asked these people all about them and had a grand time. She asked also about AMTRAK. That is now her interest in the trains: nineteenth century and AMTRAK. She has even bought a few trains over the years. They do not always go together; mixed eras of AMTRAK behind a AMTRAK diseasel of the incorrect geographical location, pink or other colorful freight cars of various eras behind MDC 2-8-0s and similar, but she enjoys it. From time to time, she will come into the train room and ask me to put her trains onto the track. I drop what I am doing so that she can see her trains run. Funny too, the employees of [a certain brick and mortar train store that has a large internet presence] would rather see her than me.
Today is the 34th wedding anniversary for my wife and I. During the first year, I took her along on a business trip that I made to Europe. I had to make calls on businesses in Austria, Germany and France. We rode trains everywhere and had a blast. After we had been married a few years, I dragged out my old N scale stuff and started puttering around. I showed my wife a passenger train that I was working on and mentioned that I needed an observation car for the end of it to make it complete. Unknown to me, two of her co-workers were into NTRAK so she consulted with them on where to get such a car. That year for my birthday I received the very car I needed plus a registration for the upcoming NTRAK convention that would be in Houston. I was introduced to her co-workers and was immediately drafted into the NTRAK movement. Before long I was helping them with module setups and home layouts. Since then she knows where all the train stores in Houston where I shop are and goes in to get suggestions on what to get me for birthdays an such. She does not do much modeling but has her own train. She does like to ride trains though and will drop everything to take a train ride. This was on board the Texas Limited that ran between Houston and Galveston years ago.
Very interesting thread! My wife of nearly 15 years is my best friend and we respect each other's interests. She doesn't share my love of trains, but she always tolerates and sometimes joins in on the fun. She surprised me one year with a ride on a preserved line and we've gone on a handful of other excursion type rides. She patiently waits when I stop and take photos, or go to train museums. She even admitted the complete coolness of staying in a B&B CN Caboose:
My wife tolerates the trains. She knew a long time ago that I liked them. There has been a coup rocky times when my purchases got the better of me and she let me know. But she takes it in stride. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
Interesting. I freely admit I have been a bad husband, but Joy is still with me. I do not know how long she will put up with me. I would be very sad to see her go. She is a great woman.
Daniel you should do something about it while you have time. I have been married 28 years and my wife isnt into trains but has always been part of the railroad family, her father, brother and myself all long time employees. She takes interest in my modelling and uses the theory if i'm spending on trains she doesnt feel guilty spending on the house etc . She even offered the spare room to build my layout although i have settled for the garage.
My win-win is: I still have my wife (32 years) and my trains. We both have our interests and respect those interests. Too cool!! Wolf
MY win-win can be summed up with the work we've done on 'The Turquoise Room'!...a shared hobby-office room (she's a scrapbooker who loves cats-I bought her a 'Chessie'mug and 'Chessie the Railroad kitten' calendar)...we've redone 'The Turquoise Room' to accomodate both out hobbies...works very well... She wants to put together a 'Halloween' train...EGADS! ~Bruce
Still with wife #1, and will be the only one. I can't see ever getting married again if this doesn't work out. Her only complaint is that I don't seem to run the trains enough. Work interferes a tad too much, and then there is our 4 year old that also that has most of my free time activity, as it should be. But when I do get the time to work on trains or the layout, it is fine. She does want to help when it comes to the scenery so we are starting to merge a bit. Also, she has decided that an ABBA set of War Bonnets and an ATSF passenger set is her train, so I can't complain about our situation. My daughter has appropriated a B&O train as hers. Keeping my fingers crossed for many more years of train time with the family!
My first wife is the one who started me in N scale one year after we were married. As it grew, she was a little uncertain at how much stuff I was getting, how much room it took, and how messy I was. Then money from article writing came in and we paid some hospital bills with it. Then she said- Don't you have some modelling to do? Later my first wife would suggest we set up the layout in the great room/den so we could all be together. I model 12 feet away from her while she watches TV, reads or does crafts. Been married almost 30 years- Oh- she's still my first wife. Best woman in the world.
Only on my first (and ONLY) marriage. If it doesn't work out, I wont remarry. My wife isn't interested in model trains. However, she has said she wants to ride a train someday. She grew up in Alaska and shortly after we started dating I surprised her with an Atlas Alaska RR GP 40. She was so happy as it reminded her of home. Fast forward about a year and a half. I am getting ready to buy her ring and didn't want to finance it. I sold a bunch of my trains to pay for the ring, including my OMI N scale Little Joe E79 which was #18 out of 21 produced. Yes I lover her that much! Although she hasn't been to a train show with me, she does encourage me to go have fun! She has also encouraged me to start spending time volunteering at the local RR museum, which I have taken that opportunity and ran with it. I have heard horror stories of what happens to a mans beloved collection in the event of a divorce. I know a guy personally that was ordered by the judge to sell his collection as part of the divorce decree. I just thought that was wrong as she was the one that had the affair. He was working 2 jobs to keep up with her shopping addiction and in the end lost everything except the shirt on his back. I hope that day never comes for me when I have to decide between a hobby that I love or the woman that I love. Ryan
