Want to get more done on your railway? Want to finish it sooner?
Let’s face it, our passion for building model railways needs time. A lot of it. And faced with pressures of work, family life and other distractions it’s our miniature layouts that often get neglected and most railways often take much, much, much longer to complete than expected. If you’re like me, I rarely have the opportunity to spend a good afternoon working on my models.
So what’s to be done? It was while pondering this quandary recently I came across a post by from model train guru Nigel Burkin, author of numerous books on the modelling, and it’s a goodie.
Nigel’s advice is to spend 30 minutes a day on modelling.
Simples, huh? Pretty much everyone can find just 30 minutes and the difference it will make is significant:
Whilst I have devoted many hours in longer modelling sessions, to build baseboards and lay track, it’s the 30 minute spells after dinner before relaxing with a glass of wine and a DVD which seem to add up to significant progress. In 30 minutes you can do an awful lot and make progress that gives you hope that one day, it will be finished.
You may asking what can be done in just 30 minutes. I did. I mean, really, 30 just minutes? But Nigel’s inspiring post is full of things he’s managed to do in this time.
And it doesn’t even have to cost money if that’s a concern, as he says “there is always something that can be done that does not involve cost.”
Read the his original post here.
So what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking already. Go and spend the next 30 minutes with your layout and report back on your progress.
Picture: see-search
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.