A freind of mine at the LHS club is quick to point out that model railroading is more than just a hobby. He refers to it as an addiction. What are some of the warning signs you've recognized in yourself or other modellers that prove you're addicted to trains when...? I was listening to the sermon last Sunday and thinking..."If I move that curve a little, the new yard lead will fit nicely...." You know you're addicted when you answer the question: How many hoppers do you need? "just a few more" You know you're addicted when...
..........when you go on vacation to the Bahama's for a week.....and wonder whats happening on trainboard every day.
you know you're addicted when.... ....you buy back an engine from the same guy you sold it to last year....and paid him more than you sold it to him for
You mention it in your online singles profile: Your home page is TrainBoard You use part of your 2nd mortage to finance it You actualy know and understand how a Diesel electric locomotive works Rainy days are a good thing, the more the better You go into a freinds house and start thinking of where they could put a layout In hushed whispers you try to suck l your friend into it even offering to lend / give them some track and cars "to get the started". You make sure thier spouse is out of earshot when you make the offer and you are more than the leagel distance from a school yard. During long dull phone calls at work you wonder if yiou could get away with a 2x4 layout in your cube / office. During meetings you wonder how to build a layout in the conferance room. Need I say more? Edit: You posted your reply to this from the office. // shhh, don't tell my boss
When you go house hunting, the first and most important room you look at is the basement. After all, it's just a train room with attached living quarters!
You know you're addicted when... </font> The owner of the LHS knows you by name</font> .. and prototype modelled</font> The customers at the LHS know you by name</font> Atlas starts coming out with engines in your colour scheme</font> You count your paycheck in engines, not dollars. ("If I get this next raise, I'll be getting 3 engines this month", "Damn rent is a full 1.5 engines")</font> You slow down at clear level crossings and hope for a train</font> .. with camera to get some more prototype shots</font> The local engineers know you by name</font> .. and prototype modelled</font> Kato announces you as head of the Most Valued Customer list</font> The National Debt resembles your credit card bill</font> your first-born has a baby-carriage ("pram") shaped like a locomotive</font> .. and she's a girl</font> your prototype is compiling an official history and they ask you for reference material</font> .. and you hand them the book you've already written</font> "I only need one more engine..."</font> Alright, so maybe I'm not addicted. but I do need one more engine.
I got you all beat... -You name your first born "Casey". OK, and a few others... -Although you can easily mail a check to your credit union for deposit, you make the trek across the city to deposit it in person, because the credit union is close to your LHS. -You take the "scenic route" home so you can railfan on the way -Even if the "scenic route" is 35 miles out of the way -You get more small USPS boxes in the mail per week than junk mail.
grey, i love your comment about the phone and the conference rooms..... good to know i'm not the only one!!! doug, here here!!!! beast
- you go to work and then notice your pant legs are bright green and covered in foam - your dining room table resembles a locomotive graveyard, and you can't see the surface. - there are stacks of rr magazines in the library (loo). - you have over 50 rr bookmarks. - you need more storage, and not for clothes. - you check out the Home Depot paint discards for likely scenery colors. Tony Burzio San Diego, CA
Oh... I love that one. Too true. What's great is my little ones want me to open the box as soon as I get home!
...when your postoffice clerk says "I see you've been selling trains on eBay (or Yellow forum) again"
You go to thursday night model railroad club and don't want to go home. while your there you run trains while the rest of the members are visiting. --You buy a sd70mac for your self then hide it from the wife after your family doesn't get you one for christmaslike you ask.
Or how about when you park the Sheriff's unit by BNSF's mainline at Devore waiting for the UP Challenger to roll by and tell everyone your 10-6 (busy).
Your wife calls your internet dealer and shuts you off. You buy a Con-Cor 2-10-2 from the same dealer the next day. You buy a California Zephyr set the day after pledging not to buy another expensive item for an entire year. You run the California Zephyr, despite pledging it was bought for investment purposes and would never be opened, on your Pennsy RR that night. You weather it the next morning. You're always pleading, "But honey, I ordered that 18 months ago!" The heating/cooling bill for your train room exceeds that of the rest of your house. You expand your modeling era because there's just too much neat stuff to pass up. You show up at your dealer two hours before he opens because you really need a fix. You buy a $1000 camera body as a backup to your $2000 camera body, so you don't blow the next photo job; actually the backup is much better for model railroad photography. When you can't sleep, you count boxcars on the slow-moving freight on your model railroad, instead of sheep. When you can't sleep because your neighbor's A/C unit is making a hellacious screech, you imagine that you're on an express train to Chicago, which is still eight hours away, and the screeching is just a bad journal.
