My Railroad on Borrowed Time?

[GP-9_Man11786]

I've just recently graduated college and gotten a new job here on Long Island. Currently I'm still living with my folks. However they are planning on moving down south in the near future and my railroad is in their back yard. I have no interest in keeping the brass track as I plan to use stainless steel. So I have been discussing whether or not to dismantle the railroad or leave it in place when the time comes. I'm thinking let potential buyers see it in place with the assurance that it will be removed, free of charge upon request. What are your thoughts on this subject?

[Anonymous]

From what i have heard in about 5 different countries, this will not add to your houses value. Sometimes it may help you sell the house but this doubtful and many times it will turn people away.

If you do not want to keep the rails pull them up and sell them on ebay.

Rgds ian

[Snoq. Pass RR]

I would pick the track up and sell them on Evil-bay.  Most home buyer's do not like garden trains and will more than likly be turned down by the deal.  Now you may find someone who likes trains and would love a pre-built GR, but I would just sell the track on Evil-bay.

[two tone]

 Why are you going forS/S track brass is better   S/S will corode brass will not in 5 years you may be forking out a lot of money to replace S/S.  S/S has not been out long enough for any one to say its better than brass.   As you will make up your own mind as what you want we can only recomend things to people on the forum

[cabbage]

ermmmm.... Sorry, Speaking as a person who designs things is brass and stainless steel at high temperature and pressure -what makes you think that stainless steel will corrode? S/S is very inert as it is technically speaking not an alloy of Iron and Chromium as everyone ( who doesn't use it ) seems to believe. Brass will corrode in water (by a leaching action on the Zinc). By the way the computer that this terminal is connected to is one that I designed myself. It has been running at 120C @ 3 bar pressure -the coolant is Sulphur Hexafluoride. It went on stream November of last year. It has stainless steel pressure cases and brass pipe fittings. Some of my first designs are due to be retired -they are over five years old. regards ralph

[Capt Bob Johnson]

 Why are you going forS/S track brass is better   S/S will corode brass will not in 5 years you may be forking out a lot of money to replace S/S.  S/S has not been out long enough for any one to say its better than brass.   As you will make up your own mind as what you want we can only recomend things to people on the forum

I'm sorry, I cannot fathom why you would make such a flat out statement such as that.   I am a user and advocate of ss track for those using track power; but I can also recognize the financial advantages of aluminum and brass for those who will be exclusively battery powered.

My ss track has been out in a salty atmosphere in an area where we get acid rain for something in excess of 4 years, and it performs far better that nearby layouts that were done in brass.     So much so that several nearby folk have torn up the brass and switched over to stainless.

There are too many factors from type of power, to climate, and usage to enable any concrete statement of the superiority of one product over another.

The seemingly endless brass vs. stainless debate has started to run it's course as it now appears less frequently; so, I would suggest you go back and avail yourself of the volumes of information currently available on the subject.

[vsmith]

I would pull up the track, and rework the garden area into a more traditional planting area. At the least you need to pull up track, wiring, and bridges and other structures.

As said above, a garden RR is for most people a turn off, one more thing to redo on the house. Better to get it up, box it and ebay it and use the cash for new SS track when your settled again.

[GP-9_Man11786]

Thankfully most of the railroad runs through areas that already can exist as a garden in their own right. While brass may be a good conductor, it does oxidize terribly, that's why SS seems like the better choice. SS is also a much harder metal and will better withstand a tree limb falling on it or being stepped on.

[Train 284]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. Send me a price list on that track! Maybe we could work out a deal.     

[cacole]

This problem has been discussed several times over the past couple of years, and the opinion, even from realtors who have chimed in, is that a garden or indoor train layout makes a house harder to sell because it's very unlikely that they can find someone who also has an interest in trains, and even if they do that potential buyer will probably not like what you have done and will be thinking to themselves how much they are going to have to spend to tear it all out and haul it to the dump.

[railroadinmedic]

As someone who has just purchased a home, my thoughts would be, clean up the garden and make it nice, but leave any electrical outlets in place (If you have any), so that the potential buyers may use them....this IS a feature they will like.

[Tom The Brat]

And congradulations on graduating and the new job!

[DennisB]

The last two homes I sold both had extensive yardwork done. The first home had no grass in the back yard and had raised English style gardens with crushed red tile walkway. The second home had 250 feet of track and to a hobbyist looked good.

Both homes had to have everything removed and sod put in its' place to return it to a more conventional llook. It is unfortunate, but most people have no imagination. Anything that looks even a little different is construed as hard work and turns people away. Good luck

[Anonymous]

I would pull up the track, and rework the garden area into a more traditional planting area. At the least you need to pull up track, wiring, and bridges and other structures.

As said above, a garden RR is for most people a turn off, one more thing to redo on the house. Better to get it up, box it and ebay it and use the cash for new SS track when your settled again.

[GP-9_Man11786]

Thank you all for your advice. But a lot has changed since I posted this. We left the tracks in place but made clear that the railroad was not included in the sale of the house and would be fully removed. We have since accepted an offer and will hopefully be off to the Palmetto State soon. So my railroad is indeed on borrowed time and I'm scrambling to get some last photos.