N Scale past 60 Need Not Be Grumpy Work

I often wonder if I am punishing myself for creating past modeling blunders by continuing to stay in the N Scale venue one year short of my 70th birthday.

The problems I am continuing to need workarounds for include less than adequate vision for the tasks at hand, fingers to large for the tiny parts I often need to work with, unsteady hands, brief instructions lacking in detail and yes, at times, a lack of motivation.

Things like lack of funds, changing ideas and even money-making projects seem to get in the way but then there are times you just get burned out from it, wondering to yourself if the layout will ever come together, or if it will come out the way you have envisioned it. And with that in mind, I have found out, quite by accident, that there are some motivational techniques that have helped me go on to continue building this layout, its buildings and scenery. Maybe they might help you out as well, if you find the right motivational technique.

Motivational Help

1. Develop your own plan in outline form so you go through the same steps with each model you begin. Do it on your computer or PDA so changes and updates are easily executed.

2. Don’t model in silence. Provide your modeling area with music, a good source is the Cable TV music channel.

3. Movies, Photographs, drawings What the eye takes in can be a stimulus to your motivation to pick up the knife, the brush or the tweezers. In addition they bring to life the detail you are trying to emulate. Do not get bogged down in research but knowing the history of your subject helps in its recreation. Google Images and model railroading forums are valuable resources I couldn’t be without.

4. Talk to get motivated. I know once I tell my wife about a phase of the layout I am going to build, I feel a sense of commitment to carry it out.

5. Seeing the finished project stimulates my desire. I imagine it finished. Here again, pictures of layouts I am emulating provide an inducement to get to work. Also, of the project will bring in money, it will take precedence.

6. How do you eat an elephant—One bite at a time. You will get more done more quickly by breaking your modeling project into modules. Then take any small step; you’ll want another.

7. Find your niche. You will be much more motivated if what you are modeling is something in which you have a sincere interest.

Be an active participant in Internet forums which focus on your modeling subject. I currently have a dozen of them bookmarked in my favorites and check in with each weekly. They are valuable for a couple of reasons I find worthwhile:

• Relationships - good forums can be incredible communities with a lot of good personal interaction between members. Some of the people that I have worked with more closely over the years are people I have met in forums.

• Learning/Post Ideas - one of the best parts about participating in a forum is that as you use them you’ll find yourself with a lot of new knowledge and potential post ideas. Forums are full of threads from beginners in topics asking questions. Grab these questions and answer them on your blog. You can also get scoops on stories from forums if you monitor them well.

There are plenty of forums out there on most topics. Go on a forum hunt today and when you find one that has a similar topic to your modeling niche sign up and become an active member. To find them simply search Google for ‘your topic forum’ (try a few of your main keywords).