I'm in a real funk ..... I have not done any significant modeling work in over a year or so! By my count tonight, there are about 25 projects in various states of completion on my modeling work bench. Yes ..... 25! Most of them - Frisco. My previous excuse was my vision, which was a true problem. But, I had my right eye (the bad one) successfully fixed in November. For some reason, I just have no real desire to go get 'em and finish the projects up since then. Some of them are quite neat. I have done a bit of decaling work, and some minor repairs since then, but nothing else. I dunno! Anybody have any ideas on how to get jump started again? My dedication and love for all things Frisco is undiminished, but I just can't seem to get in there and get back at it. I may be transitioning into the true armchair modeler! I spend much of my hobby time reading now. But, I've always been an avid reader. Ken
Maybe just go and finish a project or two that are close to being complete--That's what I've decided to do after reading these posts. Tom
Try to attend a good Model Railroad meet or an Op session. That aways gets my juices flowing again. I too have been in a funk lately. I am in desperate need of a trip to KC and a good old Op session. Bob Wintle
My fire got started when Keith e-mailed those Zalma depot floor plans. It was on then and the fire is still roaring. Try drinking Dr Pepper and eating rice crispy treats. That seems to inspire me.
I think Tom's advice is good because you will have a sense of accomplishment without spending a lot of time. Starting small and progressing upward is good advice for any endeavor, I think. Whenever, I have done nothing for a while and am feeling down because of it, I assemble an easy kit. The juices start flowing again, and I'm off and running. Good luck, Terry
I agree with Bob that visiting a model railroad meet, op session, or just going to see someone else's layout is a good way to get motivated. I tend to get bogged down with some projects, and sometimes I just get into the mode where my only goal is to get something done each day - no matter how small, trivial or insignificant it may seem. Even if I just go out and straighten up the workbench, it is an accomplishment that makes me feel better and the next day I can go tackle a project on a clean workspace! I figure any progress is still a move forward. Another idea is to schedule an op session on your railroad... nothing gets you motivated to work on the layout like knowing people will be showing up next month to run it! - James
I had Peter Pan PB for lunch today. mmm mmm good! But, I feel like taking a nap now rather than going over to the hobby bench. ZZZZZ Neat shots in your album. Looks like it was a good session! Ken
Well, you could do what I did, but I don't recommend it! My leg bone snapped in two last week, and had surgery to repair. Now, 6 to 8 weeks down time. I had the wife setup a portable table, spread out 3 Colorado Models kits, and now I am bashing a Frisco depot in G scale. I figure, its good therapy, [ as opposed to basket weaving!], and the " fast " time clock will be kicked in! 'Course, the wife is now busy getting my supplies! [ tee hee!] But, this also helps her attitude as well! Mmmmmmmmm peanut butter! Best, Dan
I am in the process of building my first layout. It is rather modest, a switching operation 24 ft on one wall and 13 ft on the other with rather simple yet proto based trackwork. I started larger but scaled it back. Yet I still get bogged down, so much to do. Should I work on the freighthouse, lay track, paint rail, paint locomotives, etc,etc. So there are periods I look at it walk away and get nothing accomplished. It makes me wonder if I should have even gone smaller. I much admire the work and approach of Jim James. I won't go back, but smaller scenes modeled completely looks like a good way to get motivated. Seeing an end product in a reasonable amount of time would work well for me. John|-|
Well, Ken, I haven't been in a funk necessarily, but I have been putting off a major project I have been planning for a couple of years. I bought several Walthers undec. PS 64 seat chair cars with the intention of building my own Meteor and TS cars by changing the window arrangements. I started on the first chair car two days ago, and am filling in and cutting out the proper (within an inch or two) window openings. Actually, it is slow, but so far so good. I was tempted to fill in the extra small windows and place the restroom windows as they should be and leave the main windows alone as there are seven on these Walthers cars just like on the Frisco chair cars. However, they are not placed properly for me to be satisfied as I am trying to be as accurate as possible, so the pieces of styrene and jewel files are being utilized accordingly. I made several scale and accurate drawings of Frisco passenger equiptment on onion skin about 25 years ago, and they are absolutely the answer to my accuracy requirement. I have been planning to glue tinfoil over the fluting to have a stainless steel look. Has anyone tried this technique? Thankfully I won't have to do every car as I have been able to buy the Hallmark TS set and several extra TS and Meteor cars which will cut down on a lot of work. My only concern is that since it is a large project that I don't become overwhelmed and quit before I am done. I think that by putting my plans out here it will help me stay motivated as I now know others know about my intention. Thanks, Terry
Terry, Ken, please continue or get into the swing of things. I, for one, wish I had the time available (and the support documentation) to do the wonderful things that you fine modelers do. PLEASE, take the opportunity to show us some of your techniques and your work!
Aw shucks, Keith! First thing I need to do is to straighten up my railroad work area. It looks like a train wreck! That might prime the pump - every time I look at the chaos in there I decide to go do something else. I think I'll do that and then do some decaling as a way to get started again - decal work is among the most enjoyable things I do, and about a fourth of the projects sitting on the bench are finished waiting to be decaled. Included in the pile is a Frisco GSC flat, GE 44t SLSF 8, and F3B SLSF 167 in the austerity scheme (ugh!). There is also a Stewart FTB there waiting. The FTA, EMC 103, has been done for serveral years and looks terrific. These FT's did demo on the Frisco. The F3B is kind of an experiment - I took a beat up Stewart F3B I got cheap (I wanted it for the Kato power chassis); I tried a new decaling technique on it plus I wanted to see how the austerity scheme looks with my other Frisco "effs" before I make a good one (a F9B) using my last Highliner B-unit kit. I did not bother to remove the d/b grills from the Stewart F3B since it was an experiment - I regret that now and am thinking how I can do it without messing up an otherwise fairly good looking unit, so far. Only one side is completely decaled (that's the last work I did - February). In addition to all the railroad models, there are a few others waiting - a 1:400 German KM destroyer (WW2) and a 1:400 German HSF torpedo boat (WW1), plus a Luftwaffe 1:72 Bf109B which was purchased and started way back in the Cincinnati days (1974-1978) when I was aircraft modeling - the Bf109B has been waiting to be finished ever since. That was pre-FMIG time for me! My how time flies. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions on how to get going again. Ken
Tom - Certainly! Give me prototype SLSF pic(s) or drawings(s), a steady hand, my mini scissors, my red and blue MicroScale solvent bottles, my distilled water tray, my tweezers, my soft swab brush, my probe, my scale ruler, my needle point dividers, my tissue blotters, my Walthers Solvaset, my Optivisor, my Busch Stadium equivalent lighting, and a good set of MicroScale or Oddballs decals - plus a glass of scotch - and I'm ready to go. Unless we are talking N-scale. Not sure I'll be able to see anything well enough then! I'm barely good enuf for HO. K
Aw--I guess I can do it myself. I'm just going to have to figure a way to get my whole laboratory (Like the one you describe) into the living room and keep company with the missus and watch TV. Instead of being cloistered in a dark corner of the basement... Tom
Ken .. You hit the nail on the head. Each time I get my work area almost to the point of being able to work on something - She who must be obeyed - comes up with another project and I wind up with a mess. Oh the pain! I miss a basement. At least I could go and hide in it. Just after I joined the form, I motivated myself into "almost" getting it clean. Now look at it!
