rf*geep
Trainmaster
EWMM lake turn in the snow
Posts: 114
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Post by rf*geep on Mar 17, 2015 20:00:57 GMT -5
I am curious on what you guys think about how railroad employment effects how you enjoy railroading as a hobby, modeling or otherwise. I've heard a quote once that "People who work at McDonalds don't come home after a long day of work, sit down in the lazy boy and pop in their CD of people ordering food." But some of the best railroad authors and modelers worked for the railroad.
What do you guys think?
Sam. (job pending) |
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Post by antlorch on Mar 17, 2015 20:48:50 GMT -5
Well I have been modeling for or 25 years and I have worked for the RR for almost 14 years and I would rather model to be honest. My job takes away lots of modeling time but it does have perks, I get to see the real thing close up and in detail. But I have never thought about quieting modeling because of my job.
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Post by canadaandsouthern on Mar 17, 2015 21:01:43 GMT -5
I'm 22 and I've been in the hobby for about 18 years and have been a conductor for a Bay Coast railroad for 6 months. I still enjoy the hobby but I don't spend as much time with it
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Post by tjmfishing on Mar 17, 2015 21:14:08 GMT -5
Interesting point here. Although I'm not a 1:1 railroader, I have a lenghty family history of employment with CN. I have an uncle who is nearing employment. Everytime I see him he always gets lots of stabs in at the foamers. I can't say I blame him, as depending on the foamer they can be a huge pain. He likely sees a few of them, as his run with GO is on the Lakeshore West route. He isn't a modeler and never will be.
My grandfather was a CN man for 39 years. He was always tinkering with stuff which is where I think I get it from. Woodworking, electrical, fly fishing and tying, tree grafting, gardening and model railroading were but a few of his hobbies and the list goes on. He was really only in the hobby for a couple of years. My uncle (his son) was interested in model railroading through high school and the two of them built a layout back in the 1970's on a couple 4x8 sheets of plywood in the basement. Neither were detailers by any means, and toyed around with a number of Triang Hornby 00 sets, as well as some HO stuff from the 70's. My grandfather didn't seem to mind tinkering around with it and actually scratchbuilt a number of wooden trestles and cardboard houses. He always said he wasn't a huge fan of his job. To the guys he worked with on the other hand, it was clear he loved it and most of them I've talked to said he was the best engineman on the line for his time.
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Post by iomalley on Mar 17, 2015 21:55:48 GMT -5
My father worked for CN in the 70s and 80s and was a model RRer like my grandfather (who was a Military officer and machine shop owner) I always thought that when I got my RR job it would give me a leg up on 'seeing' paint schemes, cool locos, freight cars etc. But in order to stay safe, it became 'seeing' copius amounts of wheels, couplers, ladders, stirrups, hosebags, etc etc. I kept my head on a swivel, and thus never got to 'see' anything, at least not as a railfan would. I do tend to sway to model units I worked with, like 4760 (the first GP38-2w) and 4728, one that we used on the "Racecourse" Yard quite a bit. I don't work for the RR anymore, but it did give me an appreciation of operating the model rr more like the real thing, with proper entry/exit from the mainline, and some of the rules that apply. So when I see hokey "non RR" movements on other people's layouts I kinda cringe... It never really changed my appreciation for RR things in scale, because my era is early 80's, and my railfanning is hemmed into the internet and books. I don't go trackside much anymore, mostly cuz I don't want anybody I worked with to know that I am a foamer....  I actually modeled more when I worked for the RR, mostly because of the hours, typically working nights, that left me with a couple hours in the afternoon, waiting for the kids to come home from school, and the wife from work. |
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milw199
Superintendent
Beaded crossbucks FTW
Posts: 180
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Post by milw199 on Mar 28, 2015 1:42:06 GMT -5
Working 12 hours a day cuts into modeling time...
One does get to see how things are actually done, maybe some access to take pictures to help with questions and so forth. In years past having a camera in easy access wasn't too big of a deal, but recent events have primed management to keep a closer watch on things.
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spike
Chairman
They say I can't be Spike anymore, so Mr. Burns it is!
Posts: 561
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Post by spike on Mar 28, 2015 19:54:16 GMT -5
I will have 18 years in next month. It puts a damper on modeling sometimes. There have been times when I have brought a kit with me. Once I was working with a guy who is Al's a modeler, and we sat down in the hotel to do some work.
There is one thing that has come to my attention from work. I'm never going to be in the same league as some of you, like Brian Banna. The work is fantastic. I have a RPP GP35, with a high hood kit. It is on an Athearn chassis, and has AAR trucks, just like Southern. I did it soon after the RPP kit came out, about 20 years ago. It is what you call a 3 footer. It looks good from about 3' away. In reality, most real engines look like that. They have all had minor accidents. The paint is scratched....
My plan is to someday have a layout. I just put on the more obvious details. If it derails on the layout, or something gets damaged through handling, who cares! A few areas with patched paint will really make it look more real.
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dale
Superintendent
Posts: 157
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Post by dale on Mar 28, 2015 22:16:50 GMT -5
Working for a shortline and also modeling a shortline I can get some neat ideas and sometimes I really want to model after work but sometimes especially after track work you're just too tired and dirty. Dale
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Post by WatchYourStep on Apr 5, 2015 21:40:03 GMT -5
Working for the RR influences different aspects of the hobby in my experience. I've worked for the BNSF for over four years now and I go through phases like normal. My interest in modeling has went up, whereas my interest in photography and railfanning has went down. Although the latter is more due to the fact that I dislike widecabs from every standpoint.
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Post by jp68 on Apr 29, 2015 10:28:38 GMT -5
I've got 12 years in on the railroad myself. I get burned out on trains, railroading, building, weathering, and all of that from time to time. I have to take a step back until I feel inspired again. I get to see things that most folks do not. There is so much inspiration for modeling around me at work, I just dont have time anymore to model like I want to. Overall, I enjoy my job. It pays really well.
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Post by jwhite07 on May 9, 2015 8:02:05 GMT -5
As others have said, being a railroader certainly cuts into my modeling time (and I still haven't built a layout). One thing that is certainly a "rule" for me is I do not model the railroad I work for. I have coworkers who do that, but I can't understand the appeal of playing with the big trains for long hours and then going home and playing with the same exact ones in miniature. Modeling a different railroad than the one I work for not only gives me reassurance that when I'm home I'm not still at work, and it reinforces the hobby/not hobby boundary - when I am at work, I'm there to do a job and do it safely, not look for what neat-o thing I can take a picture of for my next modeling project.
22 years on the railroad, lots of ups and downs, but I still can't think of anything else I would rather do for a living.
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