Who Needs a MRR Anymore, When:

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PowrCab

Active Member
Hi.
I haven't posted anything in a long long time, but felt compelled to say something that's been in my craw more recently..I'm sorry if I sound defeatist or being a naysayer..
Though I haven't, due to a living situation, had a layout since I had to tear down my open-grid, mostly un-scenic-ed L shape, 35' long x 5', slimming to 2', then 90 Deg. to a 2'x8' interchange area, standard gauge switchback, bridge route, HO layout in my apartment (!) in Los Angeles, 10 years ago, arm-chairing it on YouTube ever since..
So,...Here's my problem, or, my hangup:
I have seen so so So SO SO many Many MANY MRRs some 10 years now on YTube that it has worn out 'their' welcome ..What I mean is, I've begun to watch MRRs/trains less and less due to the myriad of fantastic, so so, and even awful layouts, including a lot of British and French Rwys, HO and 1:1 scale, that I seem to have had about enough !!
And along with it has caused a phenomenon as well:
Since the idea OF having a MRR IS to WATCH trains, it's as if ALL of the trains I see online have nearly taken the place of having to watch what would be MY OWN..
The obvious difference is that I/we see and own our own trains in real life versus seeing 2 dimension moving pictures of them that,THAT has become the ONLY difference (to me)..I have gotten to see so So SO MUCH railroading that it almost, I say, ALMOST has become the same, thanks to the thousands of HD videos on YouTube, with sound to boot, in turn causing me then to think "Who needs a MRR to pay for, build, and look at anymore when I can and have seen it all, real and small any time, time after time, the only exception being that its in 2D instead of 3D ?"
Look, I know it's my dilemma..But perhaps some of you are feeling the same; that "well, I can look at (and hear) any and all kinds of trains, model and real, anytime I want ! So maybe I'll just skip owning them."..
Dat's all..No naysaying..Yes, I still want my own MRR.. DCC/Sound..I do own an NCE PowerCab, with several locos and lots of cars stored away at a friend's home..
I miss it greatly..But then I think.."Hey..Why bother ?! I'll watch another RR video and become satiated with it that way." Ya know, sorta, what I mean; the amount of video we wind up watching again and again and again and...again; how it adds up to being nearly the same as being right there....
M
..
 
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PowrCab said:
Hi.
I haven't posted anything in a long long time, but felt compelled to say something that's been in my craw more recently..I'm sorry if I sound defeatist or being a naysayer..
Though I haven't, due to a living situation, had a layout since I had to tear down my open-grid, mostly un-scenic-ed L shape, 35' long x 5', slimming to 2', then 90 Deg. to a 2'x8' interchange area, standard gauge switchback, bridge route, HO layout in my apartment (!) in Los Angeles, 10 years ago, arm-chairing it on YouTube ever since..
So,...Here's my problem, or, my hangup:
I have seen so so So SO SO many Many MANY MRRs some 10 years now on YTube that it has worn out 'their' welcome ..What I mean is, I've begun to watch MRRs/trains less and less due to the myriad of fantastic, so so, and even awful layouts, including a lot of British and French Rwys, HO and 1:1 scale, that I seem to have had about enough !!
And along with it has caused a phenomenon as well:
Since the idea OF having a MRR IS to WATCH trains, it's as if ALL of the trains I see online have nearly taken the place of having to watch what would be MY OWN..
The obvious difference is that I/we see and own our own trains in real life versus seeing 2 dimension moving pictures of them that,THAT has become the ONLY difference (to me)..I have gotten to see so So SO MUCH railroading that it almost, I say, ALMOST has become the same, thanks to the thousands of HD videos on YouTube, with sound to boot, in turn causing me then to think "Who needs a MRR to pay for, build, and look at anymore when I can and have seen it all, real and small any time, time after time, the only exception being that its in 2D instead of 3D ?"
Look, I know it's my dilemma..But perhaps some of you are feeling the same; that "well, I can look at (and hear) any and all kinds of trains, model and real, anytime I want ! So maybe I'll just skip owning them."..
Dat's all..No naysaying..Yes, I still want my own MRR.. DCC/Sound..I do own an NCE PowerCab, with several locos and lots of cars stored away at a friend's home..
I miss it greatly..But then I think.."Hey..Why bother ?! I'll watch another RR video and become satiated with it that way." Ya know, sorta, what I mean; the amount of video we wind up watching again and again and again and...again; how it adds up to being nearly the same as being right there....
M
..
Click to expand...
That is a unique perspective, at least it is not one that I have heard before.

I understand your point, I don't completely agree with it, but I respect it.

You should post more often, I found it to be an interesting read, thank you!
 


Hello Power Cab.
I am responding to this not to make a argument, but to give some words of encouragement.
Some of what you are saying makes sense (And I admit, I watch Trains all the time on tv. I own several DVDs. I use it to get inspiration.).
But Model Railroading is so much more then that! Besides the fact that having the actual model in your hands, is very deferent from watching it on tv, you learn a lot when YOU are then one doing the modeling. YOU are in control of the engine. YOU are the one that gets to make the layout. YOU are the one that gets to meet other great people in the hobby. You also get to do a lot more then just running trains. There is wiring and soldering. Depending what you do, you get to paint and build. Make something that is yours!

This would be like telling a artist, "Why learn to draw? You can just watch others do that." Or "Why get a that Car you always wanted, if you can just see it on Tv".

Like wise, watching videos on the v is not a bad thing either. You can learn knowledge, and as I mentioned, get inspiration.
You might watch a fellow railroaders layout and think, "I like how he did that hill. Let me do something like that on my layout."
Just like anything in this world, you don't want to watch too much, that's all.

Again, just some words of encouragement, to Any model railroader.
God bless, and have a great day.
 
I believe I understand what you are saying. In a way, forums are a substitute for the real thing. Some of us have both, and like both, some of us have and like only one of them. To each his/her own. I have constructed four layouts since retiring in 2004, and enjoyed every one of them. Some were more finished than others, with only the first two essentially 'finished'. They can all stand improvement, even modifications, but some of them were just fine and I had stopped developing them. The last two are unfinished. The third involved selling our property, so it was maybe half-done when I had to dismantle it. The one in place now is about 90% done, and I haven't worked on it in maybe 18 months. Meanwhile, I re-entered the amateur astronomy hobby and joined a sizeable forum where I now spend much of my time....when I'm not fiddling with telescopes and mounts or binoculars.

The point is that what you are experiencing is the fog and 'bellyful' that we all encounter after a few intense months or years and we realize we have had enough for now. It's as natural as pushing yourself away from the supper table; you are the best judge of when you're full. If doesn't follow that you won't be at the same table inside of 23 hours.
 
I used to belong to the Stary Nights forum. Haven't been there since I sold my 6" refractor years ago.
 
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The difference is it's YOURS vs THEIRS. I love to see others layouts and what ever they are doing. But it don't give me the satisfaction of doing it myself. Even if I don't do it anywhere near as well. Growing up, my dad offered to let me buy a completed layout that a lady he worked with son had built. He had passed away and the lady wanted it gone. I thought great but then pops said I had to replace mine with it. That is when I said no thanks, I rather keep my own. It's what you build not what you buy. You'll work it out, one way or another.
 
Thanks for kind responses thus far..
I was fearing my post being taken for a complaint.. It's a condition we're in now; overweight with a "bellyful" as "Selector" above likened (or, lichen-ed it !) to..
Yes ! I'm so stuffed to the gills with so much video of EVERYBODY'S model and 1:1 scale RR and Rwy's this, that, and the other thing, that lately I'm finding myself thinking "It's all here to see and hear..Maybe I don't need a MRR anymore !!" It's a condition I, we are in / have arrived at..



btw: I am in no way suggesting vacating online forums..It's in fact quite the opposite, since, it is here where 2D rail-life exists. 🏠🏨🏬☀️🛤️🏜️
 
I’m a builder, not a watcher. I usually get more satisfaction out of making things than using them. so my hobbies are safe as they are.

If your hobby is watching/observing, then sure. Internet videos can probably satisfy that itch just fine and at a much lower cash outlay.

different strokes for different folks….:)
 
"much lower cash outlay." <Good one ! 🙃 <( and for my fellow musicians out there, that's not an upside down smile. It's 2 beamed 8th notes 😁)
 


the great thing about your own layout is, you create and build it. you can do what ever you want and thats the great thing.
i just love to build a world, my own world. but i have to say, i have to run some trains soon, too long not runing a train on my layouts haha.
but building is fun, and chills me down after a stressfull day or week at work.

that cant be done with just watching a video.
but ey, you could watch MY videos i did ;)

www.youtube.com/@trainscale

just so you know ;)
 
I watch videos for entertainment and research. I like to see how the railroads do things, how cars weather and how loads are transported. I don't watch to many layout videos because they always focus on the train and show little of the layout. One thing I do is I do very little train stuff between April to October. I enjoy summer and nice weather. By the time October comes so does the wet and cold weather. This break has helped me from getting too much or burn out. I still look at new stuff and buy things but they sit till fall.
 
You should see some of the Miniatur Wunderland videos. Seems they concentrate more on the scenery than they do the trains. When they do show trains, it's usually a wide shot so you can see how the scenery is integrated into the layout.
 
RhB Michael said:
You should see some of the Miniatur Wunderland videos. Seems they concentrate more on the scenery than they do the trains. When they do show trains, it's usually a wide shot so you can see how the scenery is integrated into the layout.
Click to expand...
I've seen them before, would love to see it in person.
 
To me, watching trains live inspires my modeling interests.
While at home, sometimes I'll just put a couple trains in motion on the layout then sit at the desk and work on projects and pause occasionally to watch a train go by. I know, just letting the trains run laps infuriates European modelers but they'll just have to get over it.
 
Some of you are missing my point (or, 'points' 😉)
I'm not saying anyone who hasn't yet begun experiencing the condition I'm citing is necessarily (or, Ness's Sara Lee 🤓) going to experience it.
It's likely that you simply haven't or even will never arrive at it.. And that is fine, if not enviable..
I'm citing a condition I and a number of others are experiencing; the feeling of being stuffed, full bellied and balloted due to all of the thousands of RR videos we have seen and heard, to a point where we're so satiated now that even owning our own trains is almost unnecessary; that, since the watching/viewing of trains is say, 86% of the ritual (if you will) of craving all things railroading (what it comes down to), why not just, well......watch videos and skip the cost-part of owning them anymore..!
Yes, of course having your own trains and MRR IS the point of it all; the presiding over and the running of them...But it's the high quality YouTube videos we watch now for hours and hours, day by day, due to our insatiable appetite for all things trains, something which didn't exist before the internet that has added a huge sea change to the hobby, instantaneous gratification just 1D removed from the real thing causing this 'condition' of balloted-ness with it all..
Time spent in the hobby of course has a lot to do with it..You may never experience this condition..But, I and some do, or will..
Yet, I too know it may be reversible through, well, uh.... (burp).... dieting !...... But, you know how diets usually go !
🏡🛤️🏜️
 
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D&J RailRoad said:
To me, watching trains live inspires my modeling interests.
While at home, sometimes I'll just put a couple trains in motion on the layout then sit at the desk and work on projects and pause occasionally to watch a train go by. I know, just letting the trains run laps infuriates European modelers but they'll just have to get over it.
Click to expand...

Many European layouts are roundy-rounds. Most don't have the space for a point to point layout of any distance.
 


PowrCab said:
I'm citing a condition I and a number of others are experiencing; the feeling of being stuffed, full bellied and balloted due to all of the thousands of RR videos we have seen and heard, to a point where we're so satiated now that even owning our own trains is almost unnecessary; that, since the watching/viewing of trains is say, 86% of the ritual (if you will) of craving all things railroading (what it comes down to), why not just, well......watch videos and skip the cost-part of owning them anymore..!
Click to expand...
Quit watching the videos!
 
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