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Tony Koester's new book, The Allegheny Midland: Lessons Learned, prompted me to start a series of posts on my blog about lessons I have learned after 23 years as a model railroader. You can see them at http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.com
What lessons have you learned over your time as a model railroader?
Probably enough to write a book of my own!
Probably one of the most important is to install those little triangular rubber things to help kids grip pencils on Exacto knives. They stop them from rolling off the workbench.
No matter how fast you think you are, a falling knife is quicker than your foot!
Second only to "No matter how many cuts, solder burns, or fingers glued together, Model Railroading IS fun!
Save almost everything, if nothing else it will become a load in a gondola.
Its alot easier to pick up an exacto knife rather than to try and catch it. If you do happen to catch it, dont squeeze.
Be sure the cap is always screwed on tight to the glue bottle. If its not and it tips over, you will wind up with half the things on your workbench stuck to the table...
Alittle goes a long way.
Theres a differance between kitbashing and trashing two kits.
Spend at least as much time planning as you do building the basic layout. I didn't do that, and am faced with tearing up part of the layout to get better operations. With a forum like this, you can post trackplans and get most of the kinks worked out before you cut lumber. You'll be way happer in the long run, even if you have to wait a little longer to run trains.
The advertisers and shopowners will probably hate me for this one but here goes, Model railroading is not Pokemon. You don't "Gotta catch them all". In other words you don't have to buy everything just because it happens to be in your particular roadname or fits your era.
An electric saw cuts faster than you think. Plan carefully and leave some slack.
Cats and dogs will teach you what they can and can't get into in the train room.
1) Don't start building a layout until you know exactly how you are going to heat and cool the space it occupies. My most recent layout took 3 years longer than planned to reach completion, because I didn't anticipate the cost of adding climate control and insulation to my garage/trainroom.
2) Avoid thinking you'll always be the only one running trains on your layout. Plan in advance to accommodate guest operators who may have greater girth and less agility than yourself, this will make op sessions much more enjoyable for everybody!
3) Never, EVER leave your train(s) running unattended..!
2) Avoid thinking you'll always be the only one running trains on your layout. Plan in advance to accommodate guest operators who may have greater girth and less agility than yourself, this will make op sessions much more enjoyable for everybody!
Keep in mind that no matter how well drawn out your plan is, its just that a plan. Its not a blueprint. The world will not end and the layout won't crash to the floor. Plans change and the built version will be slightly different from what is drawn.
Talk out your plans with others. There's a wealth of knowledge out there, and many have hit some of the same roadblocks as you, and they may often have a better or simpler solution than you. You'll come to the right answer soon enough, but talking it out could save you some time, money, and effort.
I guess it goes to a bigger mindset issue...be willing to listen to others and take advice. The people that know what they're talking about are more than willing to share what they have if you yourself are willing to hear the message.
