I got my first dirty look from the wife on a Model Train purchase.

[Cajonpassfan]

Pete. 23 years with the GF? Marry that girl already!
 Joe D

Well, you don’t want to rush into things ..
To each his own...and I respect that.
Otto K.

[eja]

I heard a description of marriage a while ago that caught my attention:

Marriage is a long time experience during which you (the husband) will eventually learn the type of man your wife would liked to have married !

Ed (married 50 years last July) and still, happily, learning !

[peteski]

Pete. 23 years with the GF? Marry that girl already!
 Joe D

No way!  That would instantly ruin things!   
We are both perfectly happy with the current arrangement. 

[ednadolski]

No way!  That would instantly ruin things!   
We are both perfectly happy with the current arrangement. 

[SP-Wolf]

We just celebrated our 38th anniversary - been model railroading from the start (Actually - way before). She fully supports this and any other hobby I have. I fully support her hobbies.

Wolf

[Brian M]

When we were just starting to date, the first time my wife came over to my house, I was a little hesitant to show her my train room.  But as soon as she saw the room, she said, "Cool, my step-father had trains when I was a kid".  She would play with her barn animal toys while he was working on his layout.  So, obviously, she is a very big supporter of my hobby.  And just like some of you, I support and encourage her various hobbies.

-Brian.

[haasmarc]

My wife is getting to the point where she says, "Don't you have enough?"  Of course, the answer is no.  She didn't used to have a hobby and I would wish she would find something.  Well, she found it.  She started doing half marathons then full marathons and then half Iron-mans and has now been doing full Iron-mans for several years.  You want to talk about an expensive hobby.  I said she could only do one a year where she has to fly to it.  Each one of those is about 3-4Gs.  Not to mention the cost of the bikes, yes I said bikeS.  She walks into the train room and says how much I've spent.  I keep reminding her that it was built up over 20 years.  In 20 years of doing Iron-mans, she will way out spend me.  Then I try to explain sunk costs to her.  We've supported each other for over 30 years so I don't expect it to stop any time soon.
 

[Maletrain]

I'm a lucky guy.  My wife likes to play with trains, too, especially ops sessions.  And, her other hobby is cooking!  Which meshes perfectly with my other hobby, which is eating really good food.  Now we're stuck in this house together. 

[Lenny53]

You told the missus you spent $56 for a box?   

[learmoia]

You told the missus you spent $56 for a box?   

...... There was stuff in the box... Styrofoam and a steam locomotive......

~Ian

[peteski]

While that is true, it is not how things work in my relationship.

While maybe not a complete "cow" (and my GF would laugh at that, since she is a sharp-witted lady), I get a lot more than just "milk".  And by the same token, she gets quite bit more than just the "Polish sausage".   What we have works has worked well for us for over 2 decades.

[amato1969]

Love the "air quotes" @peteski , that made me laugh.

[Rossford Yard]

Should probably amend the OP to say "that I have seen", no?

Also wonder, do eye rolls count as dirty looks?

Wife 2.0 is very understanding.  We are negotiating for space right now, and although she puts up a fight, she is resigned to the layout expanding at some point after I retire.  On my last layout, we (Soo-Milw-CNW) does the benchwork) waited until she was going out of town.  She had agreed, but was somehow surprised when it turned out to be a 6 track staging yard representing Hammond, IN.  Not sure why, it was a foot deep, exactly the same width as the book case below it.  I guess she felt it diminished the fung shui of the guest bedroom.....go figure!

She was a little put off by me buying $600 of Atlas C55 turnouts now, just in case they are not in production or available a year from now when I need them.  So, I am taking a chance that C55 flex will be available.  Also, whenever I show plans, she encourages me to make it as simple and small as possible, looking forward to ease of maintenance in my super senior years, which seems reasonable.

[peteski]

Love the "air quotes" @peteski , that made me laugh.

Perfect!  I suppose I could have used bold font, but I thought the "air quotes" would be better. 

[Roger Holmes]

Peteski--There's an old Country Western song about the perfect relationship, "Live close by.....visit often."