I will never hide the fact that I outsource some tasks when it comes to model railroading. Many people in this hobby are hardcore model builders first and foremost. I respect the heck out of them, but that’s not me, at least in this stage of my model railroading journey. I’m a train enthusiast first, modeling is a vector to take me a to a sense of place and time. The construction that I do enjoy is scenery and details, not structures or painting rolling stock. I think I could never build another structure again and be happy, which I’m sure is heresy to many.
I’ve long used the services of Rob Arsenault of WeatherMyTrains to weather locomotives and high-end rolling stock. Rob is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. Models like these Intermountain GP10s are hard to come by and not cheap. I figured I would either wait years to build the skills to weather them myself, or invest a little more up front to have them looking superb on the layout.
This beautiful addition to the fleet Grainbelt #628, was done by Arthur Bradley of BradleyDCC. In this case, I was lucky that Atlas made the right road number of Iowa Interstate locomotive to model this engine after it journeyed south to Oklahoma. But it still needed decals, patching, LED lights, details, weathering, and DCC & Sound. After sitting on my shelf for a while as a someday project, I sent it to Arthur to have the necessary work done and I couldn’t be happier with it.
I’ve faced some needling or comments from other hobbyists for outsourcing some of these things, but I view it as an investment to allow me focus my limited time on the things I enjoy in the hobby. Some also deride the price. I’ll be the first to say that quality custom work isn’t cheap, and I’m blessed to be able to slowly acquire these pieces, but it also helps keep the fleet intentional and modest in size.
For the new layout, I went a step further: custom benchwork by The Model Railroad Benchwork Store.
My previous benchwork attempts were crude and not as portable as I intended. With this move to California being very temporary, I wanted to make sure the layout would travel well. So I commissioned two 18″x5′ modules with custom valances. The benchwork went up in about an hour and is very light and sturdy. It helped jump start construction considerably, and I can’t recommend James’ work enough.
So, here’s the layout as it stands today. The current office/hobby room is poorly lit and storage space is limited, but I think its going to look great when its moved to my study back in our home in North Carolina in a few months:
Its nothing fancy, but its durable, built to move, and fun to operate. This layout was about enjoying the hobby even when life is at its most hectic. Maybe someday I’ll build world class benchwork, weather all my own stuff, and be a pro at installing decoders and LEDs. But for now, relying on professionals for SOME things has given me time to enjoy OTHER things like weathering track and applying static grass. And that’s ok… I think…
Red Dirt and Rails 
I fully understand and agree with what you are doing, an excellent approach to the hobby.
Paul Sturtz
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s more than okay to farm out projects to others. You have a busy life including work and family commitments so you can’t do it all. The most important thing is to enjoy the hobby the way you want to and be happy with your decisions on what you choose to do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Tom!
LikeLike
Even those of us who may consider themselves to be doing it all aren’t doing it all, and I probably fall in that group. I’m kind of a lone wolf throughout construction simply because A) I’m a cheapskate, and B) I enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and putting my own fingerprint on layout construction, since I consider it kind of a 3D painting. The quality of my work will never measure up to the pros, but I’m okay with that. It’s fun for me.
But “doing it all”? I hope you’ll remind your detractors that if we buy lumber instead of cutting down trees and milling our own, we’re subbing out work. Do we bend our own lift rings and grab irons? Manufacture our own wheelsets? Scratchbuild all our own locomotives and rolling stock? To me, choosing to buy those items is no different than the path you’re on.
There’s a point in every hobby-related endeavor at which we make a decision to buy vs. build based on our enjoyment, tools, expertise, time, budget, etc., and that point differs with everyone. If you’re enjoying the hobby, then you’re doing it right.
LikeLike
It’s nice to see you posting again Alex. I’ve also had to contend with multiple moves (although not nearly as many as you) and struggle to carve modeling time out of my hectic family life, so it’s reassuring to hear from other modelers who make it happen. I recently decided to engage Rob to weather some freight cars and can’t wait to see what he sends back!
LikeLike