Started 3 years ago at 65 with atlas 4by 8 dcc layout. Bonded with my grandson and loved doing it. Am now making my first freelance 4 by 16 layout. Great during Covid days!
This is so encouraging to read all th eposts from Senior Model Railroader ethusiasts. I am almost 74 and still trying to do some progress work on my model HO layout. Started a year ago and made soem goals by last Christmas and had a bit of llull during long winter and this C virus time. Slow going work on layout awith some lower back painn and aches but I keep chuggin along doing this and plannign for some gardening work outside too. Yes, by all means keep your dreams alive and work toward them. Better that we all keep busy ain this great hobby. Our local model railroad club has been closed since Mid March nwo but the guys are keeping in touch. thankfully my dear wife is supportive of the hobby and helps me out with ideas too. The grandkids are always asking about the progress and are big motivators to keep me going. thanks guys and gals.
I'm 73 and last August tore down a layout and moved to a senior apt. Even though I have allot less space I decided to build another one. It is smaller, only 5x12 but I have track down and starting the scenery. It will have a 6 track yard and a few businesses for the trains to service.
So my advice is heck yea build another, it keeps you busy in many ways no matter the size.
Dave
John BusbyJust remember when you reach the age of Ninety Nine you have to grow up and give up the toys
Nooo!
That is like being punished for growing old!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Hi subman
You may not be familier with it but Hornby's earlier ad campaign's said Hornby Trains for boys from 9 to 99.
So if you feel fit and healthy enough why not do what you enjoy.
Just remember when you reach the age of Ninety Nine you have to grow up and give up the toys
regards John
I hope the OP decided to go for it!
I'm 73 and last year started a 13'x36'. I'm keeping it simple with things like all tabletop with minimal scenery. I hope to have all the track down this year and then start some structures followed by a little more scenery.
Paul
Love Rich's comment about the pyramid in back yard!!!
Age is just a number.....This is an enjoyable hobby AND if you continue to ENJOY it, then plunge ahead and do it!!! Perhaps, a little slower than before but you have the luxury of TIME (younger people do not have that)....Full speed ahead but slow it down just a bit !!!! ENJOY!!
I am 75 and am self isolating due to the virus. It doesn't feel too much different from last month except SWMBO doesn't keep making me go out for shopping!
I have two hobbies - making scale plastic models and building US outline model railroads. I made my first 1/72nd aircraft at 13 yo and built my first model railroad at 11yo!
I have NO intention of stopping either hobby until they put me under.
Check out http://www.gmrblog.co.uk and http://www.gsmblog.co.uk.
Long Haired DavidA.K.A. David Penningtonmain man on the Sunset and North Eastern R.R.http://www.gmrblog.co.ukfrom the UK
I think its not a question of "build or not", if you would enjoy building a layout, and have the reasonable ability to do so - then go for it! And if your health suffers a derailment or you get called th the great roundhouse in the sky, in the great scheme of things - your time was well spent doing things you like.
I think its more of a question of "what to build." Ease of access, reach-ability, and no duckunders, would be priority items.
Jim
richhotrain I am building a pyramid in my backyard so that they can bury my layout with me. Rich
I am building a pyramid in my backyard so that they can bury my layout with me.
Rich
I'm 80. I started my home layout in 1983 and kept expanding until it has filled the available space. Recently had an accident there and had to repaint some of he scenery. It's a bear but I'm doing it.
That was at home. At the History Center, Myself and another gentleman cleaned and painted and then converted 2 large rooms and 1 smaller one in the basement into 7 layouts and storage. Then last year I put a train around the ceiling of the small room.
Bottom line, as long as you can do it, then have at it.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
Alton Junction
I'm 62 and we just downsized from a 3,800 sq ft house, to a 2,300 sq ft house.
But the train room went from 1,000 sq ft (above a 6 car detached garage), to a 1500 sq ft wide open basement.
I win.......
The 1901 house had an unfinished 1350 sq ft basement, but it was not suitable for a layout, headroom being a major issue, not to mention two oil tanks, boiler, A/C unit, well pump and tank, water treatment system, extra washer and dryer, chimney and lots of posts.
The new basement only has a small modern boiler, water heater, small well tank, and a newer much smaller water treatment system, all located in the same corner.
I would never let age dictate a choice like this as long as I could still "do the work".
With any luck, I live long enough to build and enjoy this next layout, and maybe one day they just find me down there with the trains.........
Sheldon
subman Southern (Florida) basements are for the birds. Garages. That in some cases you have to share with the wifes`car.
That is why I am remodeling my house from a 4 BR 2 BA to a 2 BR 1 1/2 BA since all the girls have moved away.
My wife gets her massive master bedroom/bathroom, and I get a train room. That is all we need now, plus a SMALL/UNCOMFORTABLE guest bedroom.
Neal Oh what I wouldn`t give for a Northern basement right now without having to live up there.I lived in Randolph N.J. for 15 years, Southern (Florida) basements are for the birds. Garages. That in some cases you have to share with the wifes`car. Put a basement in and you may as well build it on a barge with the watertable down here. You would have a real waterfront scene.
All thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.
Bob D
Bob D As long as you surface as many times as you dive you`ll be alive to read these posts.
I'm 65 and about to start a new layout. If I spend ten years on it I'll be 75.
how old will I be in ten years if I don't build a layout?
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
subman First off next month I will be 81 and am in fair health and still fully mobile and just recently tore down my 15x17 garage layout due to my deciding to move into a villa after 55 years of home ownership (I wanted to give the children their inheritance while I am still alive and was fed up with home maintenance problems). I am now a renter and limited to what I can do and not do to the garage for a new layout. All this leads to the question would you start a new layout at my age. I was thinking of just making a few modules one being of the Highland Terminal and the other the Tenderfood layout. Both of these are switching shelf layouts and that is what I prefer rather than continuous running. The other layouts I operate on are all continuous running and very heavy on switching so I still have access to larger layouts. So in a nutshell have any of you started a new layout at 80 and what size did you build if you did or at 80 would you start a new one? Bob D
First off next month I will be 81 and am in fair health and still fully mobile and just recently tore down my 15x17 garage layout due to my deciding to move into a villa after 55 years of home ownership (I wanted to give the children their inheritance while I am still alive and was fed up with home maintenance problems). I am now a renter and limited to what I can do and not do to the garage for a new layout.
All this leads to the question would you start a new layout at my age. I was thinking of just making a few modules one being of the Highland Terminal and the other the Tenderfood layout. Both of these are switching shelf layouts and that is what I prefer rather than continuous running. The other layouts I operate on are all continuous running and very heavy on switching so I still have access to larger layouts. So in a nutshell have any of you started a new layout at 80 and what size did you build if you did or at 80 would you start a new one?
SeeYou190 kasskaboose Someone told me that the only two rules for a layout: 1. It's my layout 2. Have fun True. You should always build what you want, and what makes you happy, and you should always have fun along the journey.
kasskaboose Someone told me that the only two rules for a layout: 1. It's my layout 2. Have fun
True. You should always build what you want, and what makes you happy, and you should always have fun along the journey.
I have a friend who is 80. He never had a layout and has an emprty basement. Doesn't own trains, yet is inspired to have one. He's done scenery and ballast work on a couple layouts including mine.
As the saying goes 'Pay it forward', I've designed his layout space and we've figured out the cost. As soon as we get past this current situation, my friend and I will build the benchwork for a free standing 20' x 20' layout since he can't (and wife won't let him) attach it to the basement walls. He will have plenty of aisle space and he can't believe the the help that's being offered. Another friend is bringing over his compound mitre saw, I have a portable table saw and power drills will abound.
Like the ads always say.... 'JUST DO IT!'
kasskabooseSomeone told me that the only two rules for a layout: 1. It's my layout 2. Have fun
Too bad we can't eliminate the occassional frustration.
While younger than many here, there's never a "wrong" or "right" age to start a layout.
Someone told me that the only two rules for a layout:
1. It's may layout
2. Have fun
rrebelljust make the asles a bit wider in case you have issues in the future.
I always suggest to people to make the aisles a little wider and the layout a little lower just in case you have mobility issues in the future.
Good advice.
You just never know. I have had a few close calls in my life and I have never been one to go for broke. I am 67 now and can still run full out and walk 20 miles if needed (5 plus is a normal jaunt for me). Had a few setbacks with injeries but nothing that lasted that long. I could still do an 8hr day of construction (did a few projects in the last 2 years or so but I don't push it. My mom will be 99 this year and drove until she was like 93 but has since let herself go, good warning for me, never let yourself go, keep pushing it. So go for it, why worry about time, just make the asles a bit wider in case you have issues in the future.
Because of so much free time, I have read a lot of threads these last days on the MR site and on other forum too.
A very interesting stuff for the most.
But I have found many people are speaking about age, and this age is a way to limit future train project construction like other project.
This is just my opinion:
I'm now 60 and just next from my 61 birthday date….
Woauw guy's believe me I have projects for the next coming 200 years as a minimum !
I feel, have a project in any age is a motor to go further in a sort of never ending story somewhere, projects keep me in a vigorous way of life.
Even when I'm seak, I try to go further and not let this seak alter me.
In my case, at 60 I have taken the decision to left Europe for Canada and believe me it's not a quiet river deal in any case.
Yes this has been helped by job opportunities for me and my lovely half, but remember I was able to retire in the next 4 years in Belgium, without any trouble; now I'm sure to work again around 10 years.
But this new project has acted on me like a power booster, like many other projects I have had during my life which really was not a quiet river life for sure.
I have a lot of projects in mind, some which will need years to be completed.
Of course one of them is the extension of my layout; this is a huge project expansion for my N scale layout, in an emphasis of a 550 feet of mainline; this is for sure a 15 years minimum project.
I have also an another hobby with big projects in mind, specially doable because I'm living in Canada now.
So I have some misunderstand feelings when I see people who say, "mmmmh I'm older I will not go in a big project now because….."
I can't understand why a age must give us limit.
Mother which is now 89, just three years ago has made a big travel in 4x4 in the Sahara during 5 weeks with just a local driver and the need to camp in the desert; she had say to me, Marc I have always dream to do such travel; and I have give her all my support to do this travel; I know now this project has had a enormous power impact on her; today, she would come in Canada in next winter to see the white country under ice…..and she has some really health difficulties.
The thread question is just a reflection, is the level of age is a rule against the fact to embark in huge project ?
For me a project is essential to found energy to go further, even if I'm realist, may be some, like my 15 years layout project will never ended because of health troubles or, yes course, because I will died before the end of construction, this is possible, but this don't matter for me.
Yes no matter, it seems to me this is most important to go in my project and not to be enclosed in barrier defined by age.
Why to limit my project because I'm sixty one.
Why so much will stop to do project because of age, it's like closing the way of life somewhere; really I can't understand this, and again this is just my personal feeling; I would in any case hit anybody because they don't understand this need.
On an other aspect, I'm sure the fact to have ongoing project, no matter is the age, even with some health issue, is the best ever medication we can found.
Just my opinion.
Sorry I let you now, because I have a short time to finish my huge layout project....
I started mine, about 15 x25 feet, at age 81. I'm 84 now and it occupies a great deal of my available time. Evenings and every weekend, both Saturday and Sunday.
Why just evenings and weekends? Because I still run a company I own.
When you're in your 80's, you have no idea whether your remaining time on this earth is one more day, one more year or 15 more years. Do what brings you enjoyment with each day. Don't stop having fun with life.