British Trainz

I guess most of us are here for the same reason - we all have, or have had, an interest in railways and/or train sims.

I just wondered what other hobbies / interests you all have?

Despite enjoying Trainz, my interest in the railways fizzled out around the late 90's - I have no knowledge or interest whatsoever of modern locos or units from 1998 onwards.

My hobbies these days are:

DJ'ing (Trance & Techno - semi-pro nightclub DJ for 15 years. Now in semi-retirement from clubs due to hearing problems - but still dabble at home).
Gemstone collecting (expensive but very interesting)
Modifying my 15 year old Vauxhall Astra Mk4 (expensive and highly frustrating, but fun and rewarding when complete, which will hopefully be this summer)
Computers - love getting my teeth into problems or building computers - which is handy because not only is it an interest, it's also my job as a self-employed IT technician.

I used to enjoy karting too - I've got a number of winners trophies, but sadly, because of a irreversible injury at my old job, I've got permanent hand and arm problems - so I can no longer kart. Gutted. Really miss karting

My main hobby these days would be 4wdriving and camping followed by hiking and photography trainz is more of a nighttime or bad weather hobby now.

My new-ish main hobby I'm getting into now is Airsoft, I started last year as a birthday do with a mate and we had so much fun that we kept going, we played enough to get ourselves the UKARA licence to buy our own RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearm) I've got 2 now, my main rife: A M4 style machine gun with a few attachments: Bipod, Grip and HOLO sight. My second gun is a sort-of collectors for myself, it's a M9 hand gun modded to the same as Barry Burton's hand gun in the Resident Evil games - One of my all time favourite game(s), the gun itself is called "M92 B.Burton Mod"

I'm looking to buy another hand gun as my main sidearm a replica Glock 17 so that I can have my B.Burton model as a showcase.

My other hobby would be computers, pretty much the same as you Briggsy. Love to solve issues with computers and build them. I've got my home network running by my server, which acts as my domain controller, file server, print server and I've got it running Remote Desktop Services which host applications like Office and a workstation virtual machine that I let my brothers use to do their school work on. Of course all this wouldn't be possible if I didn't have MSDN access.

Trainz is a hobby where I just like to build routes, I wouldn't say I use it for the simulation but mainly for route building and the odd run around on others routes.

R

I'm big into railtours and going to diesel gala's. Was due to go to the Mid Norfolk railway today for haulage behind Colas Rail 47727 and GBRf 66759. Along with 31271, 31601, 47367, 47596 & 73210 but it all fell apart at the last minute yesterday with the Colas 47 not turning up and replaced by DRS 37419 and the 66 not being fully confirmed so i've decided to have a day off from my rail enthusiast hobby.

I also like to collect trading cards mainly sci-fi stuff like Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and X-Files. I've got quite a big collection which i'm sure must be worth a quite a few quid by now. One is an autograph card signed by Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader) who was in the last 3 prequel movies which alone is worth a pretty penny.

Other Interests?

Licensed Class A Amateur Radio operator since 1983, Building and fixing Computers, am familiar with most operating systems, Unix, Linux, OSX and Windows etc plus a few oddball ones, run a home network, wired none of this Wireless junk here ;o) Have i the past created levels and content for first Platform and then FPS games, written a few basic programs mostly game utilities and have a half finished FPS game somewhere, Trainz sort of took over!
Also until a few years ago, part time musician / singer played with various pub bands and duos ranging from Country Rock, Bluegrass, Folk Rock and some Rock, Play 5 string Banjo, Mandolin, Bass and Guitars, not active at the moment due to carpal Tunnel issues with left hand.
plus Member of Ffestiniog Railway Society and camping.

Other interests? Haven't had much time recently for them due to coursework, but I like to sketch, the image below is an example of what I do, I do accept commissions. Tell me what photograph you would like drawn and I'll do it for you. (minimum charge of £5, well I did say commission )



I love music, but my general rule is if the song doesn't have an electric guitar in it, I'm not interested. I attempt to play bass guitar as well.

My main hobbies other than Trainz are computers - I definitely own far too many in various states of disassembly! I just love working (read; tinkering until something breaks) with computers, especially the hardware side of things.

I also enjoy drawing, but my efforts are not nearly as accomplished as Klambert's above! I did start a comic series a little while ago but nothing ever really came of it.

Oooh, other interests...

My main one is Modelling, I have two model rail layouts, a winter layout now used to entertain kids at exhibitions and an 'anorak' style diesel depot layout, set in the 70's/80's. I also have a garden railway, but that is going up towards model engineering, with live steam loco's: I have two, a Roundhouse Bertie Saddle Tank and a Roundhouse Stanley Steam Tram. I also volunteer at the local railway, the Dean Forest Railway (just finished a day on Lydney Town Crossing incidentally).

Non-railway related? 3D Modelling is one, thats what got me into Trainz content creating, another being listening to music (Biffy Clyro, My Chemical Romance, Bastille, etc). Kayaking too but that is starting to take a back seat now! Trains are taking over my life!

Good idea this Briggsy.

A much wider range of answers than I was expecting. Nice to see so many different interests.

Superb drawing that Klambert! Looks like that would have taken forever.

I can't even draw the curtains without struggling

Well, let me see...........Quality TV & movies, Cryptic crosswords, Trivia quizzes, Reggae & Smooth Jazz music, Travel, last month returned from a visit to the USA in which we made our own way to Philadelphia from New York City by train making use of both NJ Transit & Septa. It was great to see a few US locomotives in the flesh. Loved the NY subway too.

Gam

Am I the only one who enjoys the outdoors or is it just that it's always summer over hear :p

For me, aside from Trainz, I volunteer on a miniature railway in Kent (the Swanley New Barn Railway), working as signalman and shunter mainly. I would count this as an outdoor activity.
On a slightly different note I do enjoy a bit of acting, and am part of a local musical theater group who do productions approximately once a year.

One of my photos

10979318_335620883311623_2036803686_n by macneil89, on Flickr

Aside from Trainz I like graphic design in general, designing posters, websites and any other aspect of graphic design. One of my main hobbies is art, I've been drawing as long as I can remember. I also love travelling, I like to know everything that's out there

Rock music 1950 to 1980. Military history, reading about and watching tv documentaries.

Railway history, but predominantly the GWR and BR-WR.

Mike.