Our hobbies other than bikes

Well another trip to my hobby store today just ran out of track corking underlay to finish all the track work before I tack it all down, wonder what else I will come home with lol.
When I don't have any bills to pay each fortnight, I spend any left-over money from my pension on the layout but still need to get more rolling stock, by the time I get the wiring done and the trains moving I should have built up enough rolling stock for all the trains.
The prices for new engines have gone up quite a bit in the last few months and harder to find them on special, but for the size of my layout 4 new trains and 2 old trains will be enough to amuse me, but when I get my compensation pay out who knows what might happen down the road, when I watch some of the layouts on Ytube the amount of money model railroaders spend on engines and rolling stock and warehouse layouts, lucky there are a few model train clubs around not to far away from me, one club also is run by a Mens Shed and once you are a full paid up member after 6 months can have access to the layouts 24/7.

Ashley

Watches
Just love vintage Omegas but have many others.

Clearly… some of you guys jus’ don’t have enough motorcycles…

ashman said:

Nothing wrong with gardening, my herbs attract the bees to my garden, they seem to like my sweet basil, but a lot of my herbs have died off from being in hospital and no one looking after them for 2 1/2 months, I have an indoor plant in my bathroom I had there for over 35 years it loved the steam from the shower and I very rarely watered it but I used to talk to it every day when sitting on the toilet but when I got back home it had died, with the house all locked up, no showers, no watering and no small talk from me it died, bloody Rab4s.

Johnm your garden looks great and we seem to have many same herbs, but my favorite garden shop/yard has closed down, the landlord decided to put the rent up and the garden owners said no we well retire you greedy bastard, well that was just over 2 years now the shop and yard is still vacant and the landlord is no longer making money off rent, what a loser, a lot of nurseries are closing down as Bunnings are driving them to the wall, as they did to the small hardware shops, putting all out of business, then they put their prices up, big business stomping on the small man, sorry about the rambling on.

Thought there be more into other hobbies other than bikes.

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'Thought there be more into other hobbies other than bikes.'

I cycle the sea wall and tow paths most mornings, all weathers, for health and social benefits. Pushbike needs chains/sprockets/tyres and even pedals regularly. No expensive 'performance' upgrades, though ..
Music still a 'biggie' too, buy CDs old and new most weeks, and have a 'home' studio to make my own as well (17 guitars to choose from.. Doh!!)
Seven display cabinets with 'O' and 'OO' locos and rolling stock on the walls, along with a few railway related die cast vehicles too..
One 200 (ish) litre tank of tropical fish, and I'd love to throw more time and money at the garden, but both are in limited supply after the above are taken care of...
And books and more books on all the above, as well as other subjects...
Still on the lookout for a 'classic' (40+ year old) car or pick up for the garage...

And in case I forgot, two old Nortons knocking around out there too... !!

Every dentist's waiting room needs:

Fast Eddie said:

Clearly… some of you guys jus’ don’t have enough motorcycles…

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That's what I was thinking. At only 25 bikes in the collection, it does seem like that sometimes.

Then again, when I had 55, that was maybe one too many...

Out today, in between showers, preparing a section of rail track (4’ 8 1/2” gauge) for my 03 diesel shunter.

It's good having a motorcycle collection, but riding them all, I was happy with just my Norton and Triumph as well my dirt bike for playing in the dirt, one old bike and one new bike was enough and they both got ridden all the time, a big collection of bikes and most just sat around not being ridden for a very long time, now with the Norton and dirt bike but don't think I be riding the dirt bike anymore, so might have to sell it or give it to my daughter.
My space is limited in what I can have and even more so now I am building the train layout, any of my hobbies I take on is not just for looks they have to be involved with being used as well as able to change things around, model train layout there are always changes and something new added as I go, making more improvement to it all.

I am cutting back on my gardens as well just growing things now that are maintenance free with less work, I have already dug up and removed 3 garden beds, it's hard work with a peg leg, just making things easier on me, all my mates are into hotrods but they are expensive to keep, run and fuel cost are getting way too high and now finding we are driving less just to keep in budget each fortnight, things might change with the compensation payout but who knows as that is the unknown factor at the moment and might be sometime yet before we get something out of our bad time as well age is dealing its cards, Debra is having troubles as she gets older and with her injuries as well.

Ashley

ashman said:

It's good having a motorcycle collection, but riding them all, I was happy with just my Norton and Triumph as well my dirt bike for playing in the dirt, one old bike and one new bike was enough and they both got ridden all the time, a big collection of bikes and most just sat around not being ridden for a very long time, now with the Norton and dirt bike but don't think I be riding the dirt bike anymore, so might have to sell it or give it to my daughter.
My space is limited in what I can have and even more so now I am building the train layout, any of my hobbies I take on is not just for looks they have to be involved with being used as well as able to change things around, model train layout there are always changes and something new added as I go, making more improvement to it all.

I am cutting back on my gardens as well just growing things now that are maintenance free with less work, I have already dug up and removed 3 garden beds, it's hard work with a peg leg, just making things easier on me, all my mates are into hotrods but they are expensive to keep, run and fuel cost are getting way too high and now finding we are driving less just to keep in budget each fortnight, things might change with the compensation payout but who knows as that is the unknown factor at the moment and might be sometime yet before we get something out of our bad time as well age is dealing its cards, Debra is having troubles as she gets older and with her injuries as well.

Ashley

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Hi mate.

Sounds like your at a bit of a wall in your progress. Definitely true that all the creaks and groans make things a bit challenging at times.

Your leg will be an ongoing challenge I guess but I really do send positive wishes from this side of the Tasman. Need to have you Ozzies in good shape so we Kiwis can wind you up.

All the best from the East Islands..

Johnm it works both ways across the dich, we love to put sh it on each other but in reality we are all good friends down our way, I never come across a bad Kiwi yet and I have a few good mates who come from your way, as well worked with a lot, but I still can't come across with the BRO thing seem the ones I don't know they say "bro" after every second word, but we all have our faults.

I have adapted to my lost leg from day one and one of the reasons I healed quickly, learned to walk again through 2 good people at the amputee rehab, so quick they couldn't teach me no more and set me free after 6 months, most amputees take well over a year to 2 years before they get to do what I been doing, also helped the CTP insurer from the other party came on board so quickly when they read the police report and their client was at fault, but accident happen and I hold no grudges to her mistake, wish it never happened but it did.

It's been 2 weeks now I been set free from rehab but I got back into my hobby a few weeks before I was set free but working around rehab days and time, now I can cruise full time on the trains and all my other stuff I need to do, I have my lift table out and ready for the Norton to go up on it, but I might fix the cheap Chinese lift jack as it's losing pressure, cheap crappy pump or I might just top it up with oil and put up with it as I do use the locking rod when the table is up.

I didn't think I be ready after 9 months on from the accident was planning to start fresh in the new year as last new years eve was when they did the big chop, it hasn't been a easy road but I hit it head on, I wasn't going to let it win, to me it's just a flesh wound and the quicker I get back on with my life the better, my trainers at rehab kept telling me what I can do and not to do, but I went a head and did it anyway and it was spinning them out in what I was doing so soon, but they knew I wanted to get on with life no matter what, can't keep a good person down for long.

Somethings I have troubles with, but I get around it, I never give up, if there is a way I just do it and so far it hasn't stopped me yet and the trains have kept me sane instead of just sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I just wish Debra was the same as she not trying real hard but she is getting there slowly, I am trying to get her more involved with the trains but not yet, once they are all running she will enjoy it.

Ashley

Apart from my 4 bikes (yes, only 4) I try to go away in the motorhome whenever I can. We spent 3 weeks in Belgium and France late June but it was far too hot so we turned tail and came back home again to where it was still too hot.

To try to make up for it we set off again at the beginning of September determined to explore some more of Norway, especially the waterfalls out West. We were doing that when my wife’s life limiting illness flared up and so we are making our way slowly back home again. Last night we were in Sweden, right now we are in Denmark and from here, it will be Germany, Belgium for several days, France and back through the Chunnel then home once more until who knows when?

Some of the sights so far

Flatspot said:

Apart from my 4 bikes (yes, only 4) I try to go away in the motorhome whenever I can. We spent 3 weeks in Belgium and France late June but it was far too hot so we turned tail and came back home again to where it was still too hot.

To try to make up for it we set off again at the beginning of September determined to explore some more of Norway, especially the waterfalls out West. We were doing that when my wife’s life limiting illness flared up and so we are making our way slowly back home again. Last night we were in Sweden, right now we are in Denmark and from here, it will be Germany, Belgium for several days, France and back through the Chunnel then home once more until who knows when?

Some of the sights so far View attachment 131044View attachment 131045View attachment 131046View attachment 131047

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One of my mates did Norway from here by bike with his brother last month, reckoned it was something special

EstuaryBoy said:

One of my mates did Norway from here by bike with his brother last month, reckoned it was something special

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I promise you it is very special. We visited twice in 2023 and again in 2024. I would’ve loved to do it on a bike, but with blanket 50mph limits it would not suit my riding style