Over the last 18 months I have developed a compulsive disorder,  the name of which I am not quite sure – so I have christened it NGMANIA.

It seems I am becoming obsessed with my N gauge model railway, and cannot stop thinking about it, and more seriously, spending money on it, and I even dream about it at night.

Is there a therapist that I should see who can help me lead a normal life again?

From 1987 to 2004, when I lived in North Wales, I built a "00" railway around the back garden of our house, and a 2nd layout on top of a Pool table in our games room for when the weather wasn't good enough to "play" trains outside.

After emigrating to Tenerife in June 2004, I lost all interest in model railways until September 2013, when I decided to start afresh and build an N gauge DC layout (I wasn't aware what DCC was at the time) in a small 7th story store room that I had put my name down to rent.

Since then I can't stop re-designing and re-building my layout over and over again, and buying things from Hattons nearly every other week. I now have over 30 engines + rolling stock yet the size of my layout is only 80" by a maximium 47", but averages a width of just 30".   

Do I need help? - should I see someone about my obsession – or should I just enjoy my hobby and not worry about the cost – after all it is only money, and the exchange rate is beneficial at the moment.

I do worry though that with the amount of time I am currently spending in my storeroom, I am neglecting my wife Maureen somewhat – so to make amends have just booked a Cruise (around the Canary Isles, Madeira, and Morroco) for this coming October as Maureen likes cruising (as do I), and after 5 years as President of our Community she needs a break from the day to day hassle she has to endure.

Saving up and paying for the cruise though will certainly curtail my model railway spending for a while – perhaps that is a good thing!?. 

Does anyone else out there suffer from the same symptoms as I do – and what have they done about it?



PS. I have just thought of something that might help.

About 3 or 4 years ago I took up writing and self published my autobiography.
It could now really do with updating and improving, so I am going to re-write it and produce it as I did last time in Kindle format, as I quite enjoy writing and want to leave something for the kids & grandkids to read when I am gone, and which might open their eyes as to what I got up to when I was a young man. 

Just finished the book's new cover, which appears below.

Quote from: Tdm on March 19, 2015, 11:31:52 PM
a compulsive disorder,  the name of which I am not quite sure – so I have christened it NGMANIA.

Oh no ! This could be serious. Oh dear, you poor thing.

Quote
It seems I am becoming obsessed with my N gauge model railway,

Ah ! Oh that is ok, nothing to worry about ol chap, that is quite Standard.
Phew ! I thought at first that you had come down with a serious Narrow Gauge Mania disorder !

I've been suffering from this for less than a year... 25 years after giving up on childhood OO, I thought it would be neat to have a bit of track and a cheap Japanese train running on an old desk... Well, I still have to work on the "layout" part, I think I might have enough stock now... (though those new 31s do look nice...)

I am SO much happier now!

I thought I was the only one with this affliction!

Peter.

Perhaps you should start attending NG Anonymous meetings.

The only problem with these is when you say "I am addicted to N Gauge" everyone agrees with you and starts discussing their latest purchase.

Next meeting Ally Pally 28/29th March so you have time to make arrangements

Ray

My addiction got the better of me the other day and I made a parcel up of 3 "faulty" locos of mine that I decided to trust to the Tenerife postal service and send to B.R. Rails in the U.K. for repair.

On the form I had to fill in the lady at the Post Office wanted to know what "model railway locomotives" were that I had written down in the item description part. There are no trains or model railway shops on Tenerife so I had to explain what they were and she eventually understood (well I think she did). She did want me to assure her though that there were no batteries in them as sending batteries by post is now apparently illegal.

Whether they will arrive at their destination and I will get them back fully operational again is another matter! I am now missing one Deltic D1, one EWS Class 37, and one "old model" Class 31 in Network Rail colours.

Must stop taking engines apart and then not being able to put them back together again properly. I can take the 3 Litre V8 engine in my car to pieces and correctly re-assemble it again, but small things I have trouble with.

Long ago my NGMania turned into full blown kleptomaNia, the only cure for which I believe is a one way ticket to Switzerland

Quote from: REGP on March 20, 2015, 09:58:44 AM
The only problem with these is when you say "I am addicted to N Gauge" everyone agrees with you and starts discussing their latest purchase.

 

N gauge is not an addiction or an affliction - it is a way of life, welcome to the ranks of the enlightened!

Regards,

Alex

Finally a name for my illness! I feel so relived that I can now get the support that I need.



Alistair

Ps you're not alone in this one!

I'm glad it's not only me. I fond myself prayng for rain every day so that I won't have to go out in the garden and can stay in and make my model railway.

Ron

I thought it was only me - and am so relieved that so many of you suffer from the same affliction.

I will be able to sleep better tonight knowing that I am not alone in suffering from the same symtons.

I feel much happier now, especially having made some changes to my layout that seem to work.

Perhaps one day soon I can just sit down and enjoy running various train combinations on my small layout - oh if only I had had more space to work with!