Hello everyone!

On April 17th I bought my last LEGO set on eBay. Since then I have lost two bids on LEGO sets on that auction website and I haven't bought any other LEGO stuff. Not a single brick! The problem is that I'm running out of space. There's a room in the basement which is filled with LEGO. There's also a pile of LEGO sets that hasn't reached the ceiling yet. There's still enough space left for a few more LEGO sets, but the ceiling is getting closer and closer.

Since my brother hasn't played with his magnificent H0 model train layout for a long while, I decided to pack it away. Unnecessary to say that I also thought about creating new storage space for my beloved LEGO boxes and MISB sets that way. Quite a sinister plan, huh?

When I had packed away half of it, my brother's heart nearly broke. Even though he hadn't touched the layout for a longer period of time, he liked it a lot. He feared that I was recklessly disassembling the whole layout, and he had no good argument to stop me from doing it. I could always have said, "Well, when was the last time you played with it? You can't even remember, can you?!" However, this most disturbing nightmare of his did not become true.

After being the layout's nemesis for at least 50% of it, it gathered all its remaining forces and stroke back in a very sneaky way. While disassembling it, I was fascinated by the many different rails: curves with different radii, double slip switches, 15 and 10 degree switches. Fascination had got me!! A LEGO train hobbyist could only dream of so many different tracks! Of course, I always knew about them, but things became a lot more interesting to me when I had a closer look at them. So I decided to drop my plans of packing away the whole stuff and left half of it. It was quite hard to create a decent layout with just half of the space left, but I made the best of it.

However, things didn't end that way. The fascination I've mentioned before has still not released its steely grip. Just this week I went to a model train shop and bought some metallic rail connectors - some of the old ones were crooked - special couplings and two passenger waggons. That was not my only purchase! At that time I had already bought some H0 tracks on eBay. I'm into model trains right at the moment!

So, this is the sin I've committed. If you've also neglected your LEGO hobby in favour of another one, let me know! I'm curious to hear some of your stories.

Edited June 22, 201113 yr by legotrainfan

well... I have been for a long while into N scale trains and I also built with my dad (that time I was still young) a small layout, something in the range of 1 meter-something by 1.5 meter-something.

yes, I know it's a small size, but in N scale we have been able to make a double loop with a small switching yard with a train shed and a hidden resting track on this mountain layout. as with lego, I had (and still have) more trains than the one the layout can accept!

I have always been into trains, lego and not, but in those years, space was not that much (not that now is much more though) to allow a big stable lego layout.

maybe before the end of this year we'll have chance to move house, and my 7x6 meters lego room will be now big enough for my big layout! but I'll bring with me, the N scale too, it's still part of my childhood and a good memory!

have a nice lego/HO/N train day

mrBlue

So, this is the sin I've committed. If you've also neglected your LEGO hobby in favor of another one, let me know! I'm curious to hear some of your stories.

Hi legotrainfan,

sin? Hey, come on. You are having fun, you are excited about what your are doing. Sin? Sorry. Having fun simply cannot be a sin.

Lego's are bulky, limited, and hey, never come really that close to the original; as H0 scale models do (or whatever scale you name). They do, it is fascinating what they have in the shelves. Sin? No. Definitely not. It is fabulous. I myself admire the detailing on these models, the things they have accomplished.

But: LEGO is not about piling the stuff up, it is about creating things. I really admire when people create models that are breath taking close to the original. But is this the purpose? Yes and No. Yes, if you feel a thrill when the LEGO model you are looking at is just saying: Hey, I am a BR01. And the audience says: True enough, you are a BR01. No, if you feel some sort of limitation when the radius of a LEGO track is - well - ridiculously tight. Which is entirely true. And it needs space.

Well, I can only conclude: Do what you are doing right now, it is RIGHT, because you LIKE it.

I really appreciate that you are sharing your thoughts here in this forum. Thank you very much!

All the best,

Thorsten

You're no longer a member of this family!

Get out!

And take those metal contraptions with you!

Well, I'm kidding. I'm an old man now but when I was young my brother did N-scale and it sometimes calls to me. I can totally understand getting caught up in HO stuff as well.

Hey my distractions from LEGO include work, home renovations and repairing the car with my limited talent as a mecanic. HO trains sounds like a lot of fun in comparision. So I'm not the one that will hold it against you. I might be a bit envious though...

Dan-147

Edited June 23, 201113 yr by Dan-147

Interesting topic and this can apply to other themes as well. I think we all need some diversity from time-to-time. Change is good. I recently took down my entire Train Town, track and all to return to a nautical theme I had going in my office/computer room years ago. In doing so, I couldn't believe how many LEGO boxes I had collected and stacked in the room. In fact, I'm still trying to make room in closets and the garage for the collection. I did leave my City Modulars high atop a bookshelf. I can now appreciate a collection of lighthouses that had been burried in the garage.

I also left my train shelves so that I can continue to appreciate my favorite LEGO Locomotives/Engines, but the track has been put away.

Every few years, I seem to drift away to explore other collections including Playmobil, of which I love the Western theme. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting away from LEGO or other hobby sometime; and later, I think it makes you appreciate it more. I had planned to start another topic relating to "Decluttering Your LEGO Room" in the General Forum.

In regard to HO scale trains, while I only have a few, I really love looking at the realism of layouts, and they certainly take a lot less space. I'm also a big fan of G Scale trains, but my back yard wouldn't be the right climate for a Garden Railroad. What is nice is that they are the same scale as Playmobil.

I look forward to reading some of the other comments. Have fun with your trains and/or other collections. It's all about doing the things you enjoy!

I wouldn't say I'm neglecting my hobby with Lego over another but, just recently I packed 95% of my Lego room because I needed to repurpose the room, as well as, bringing all the unopened set down from the attic. I am still collecting city and train sets but, they go straight into storage containers or left in their sealed boxes. They will come back out once I move into a bigger house. It was just time to get them ready or I never would have gotten around to it. I've noticed that since then, I haven't frequented EB or eBay as much.

It's quite possible I'm being disloyal to HO scale trains by playing with Lego ones!

I suppose "trains" in general have been my main hobby since I was three, but as of late my scratch-building of narrow gauge HO scale equipment just isn't compatible with the highly mobile lifestyle of someone who just graduated into unemployment in architecture! Not to mention I've got more important things to be doing with my spare afternoons right about now!

So, Lego trains are a perfect portable low-maintenance train hobby that I don't have to think about too hard. Plus there's just something fun about running tracks with big trains all around the room every now and then.

It's quite possible I'm being disloyal to HO scale trains by playing with Lego ones!

I suppose "trains" in general have been my main hobby since I was three, but as of late my scratch-building of narrow gauge HO scale equipment just isn't compatible with the highly mobile lifestyle of someone who just graduated into unemployment in architecture! Not to mention I've got more important things to be doing with my spare afternoons right about now!

So, Lego trains are a perfect portable low-maintenance train hobby that I don't have to think about too hard. Plus there's just something fun about running tracks with big trains all around the room every now and then.

Same happened here, my H0 Trains are collecting dust, ok, most of the H0 stuff is old stock from the 70s my dad bought.

But my most time consuming hobby besides LEGO Trains is Video Games, I don't play that often, but collecting and trying out those old and vintage Systems has a certain charm.

sin? Hey, come on. You are having fun, you are excited about what your are doing. Sin? Sorry. Having fun simply cannot be a sin.

But: LEGO is not about piling the stuff up, it is about creating things.

I was being ironic when I called my interest in H0 trains a sin.

Since you don't think that LEGO is meant to be stacked, I can only repeat one thing: I don't have enough space to put the assembled sets somewhere. So for the time being, it's best to leave everything in the boxes.

Well i started in Ho scale, i went to N scale to try and save space and finally ended up so i could afford lego trains. i still love my N scale it is put away until i have room for a display. lego gets played with and then put away. so much easier to bring in and out.

No sin committed. i am sure most of us are fans of trains, lego or not

Yeah when I was younger it was cheaper for my family to buy used HO sets than go and buy new Lego train sets.

Me and my family built large layouts of these used sets from yard sales and such.

I didn't get my first lego trains till I started college and I agree that they are very portable.

..

But my most time consuming hobby besides LEGO Trains is Video Games, I don't play that often, but collecting and trying out those old and vintage Systems has a certain charm.

Yeah I agree. Video gaming is my other big hobby.

Whether it be the current systems or the old ones I grew up on.

When I go to second hand stores I'm equally looking for buckets of lego as compoents for my older gaming systems.

It is a bit the other way with me. When I was young my father and I had a big N scale layout in our attic. After I got married and moved out my father kept it going as it was his hobby to. Now he is gone I have not had the heart to go and take it down even though my mother keeps on to me to do so. I still think I would like to use it again. Every time I go there I remember the good old days. I am currently building my LEGO town at the moment and really want a train, but am not sure I have the space for it. I always read these posts in the train section with envy.

I am actually an n-scale modeler and am going through the same situation reversed. I am cheating on my n scale trains with Lego. I recently broke out my old legos from my parents home and have been buying sets left and right from EBay to Toys R Us. I am planning on building a large lego train layout complete with an entire downtown area.

Like many of the others said, it's ok to have several hobbies to go back and forth on. It requires some extra cash at times but staying with one hobby for years and years can become tiresome. I plan on re- focusing my attention on the n scale trains this winter but I'm having some fun with legos in the meantime. Some hobbies can be become stagnant and need a rest from time to time and if you're like me, an adult with ADD, it's difficult to stick with one thing all of the time.

I say congrats to your new found hobby! Model railroading is extremely rewarding and fun just like legos. Enjoy!