Medfield WillI have a large HO train set (10’ x4’ table with mountain, and large collection) that I’d like to donate to an interested party. Any recommendations for how I may find an interested party?
to the forum. Not the usual first post, but no matter. Your first posts need to be approved.
I suspect a layout is tough to give away. There is social media: Nextdoor.com and Facebook marketplace. When I lived near the Severna Park MR Club, they told me they are occassionally given layouts which they part out to , I dunno members or ebay?
Some retirement homes advertise that they have model railroads. In the scheme of things, 10x4 wouldn't be that big for such a place.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
As Henry mentions, there are Face Book sale sites for just about every community you can think of, plus more.
Also check out Groups.io. HO swap.
https://groups.io/g/HOswap/to
There are also more sites at Groups.io
It's pretty much unlimited out there, with all the different social media groups.
Mike.
My You Tube
You should check with the local cub scouts or police departments as they may know groups that would like the layout. Some schools may want it for a class project. I saw on another forum a teacher was building a layout with the students to teach them various skills.
nealknowsI saw on another forum a teacher was building a layout with the students to teach them various skills.
I was sorta following him, haven't been over there in a while.
Senior citizen center?
When I was a young man, i used to build 4x8 layouts for the Veterans Administration. Check there, thats a possibility. Other suggestions =
Youth organizations
Make - a - Wish Foundation
Childrens Hospitals
Senior Citizen homes
Local museums
Local Model Railroad clubs
Craigslist
And ofcourse, you could always pull a 'Suprise Santa' and pick a young deserving child you might know of, and just drop it on their doorstep under a big red bow.
Best of Luck!
PMR
Hi Medfield Will,
Welcome to the forums!
Without wishing to rain on your parade, I would ask whether or not the layout runs properly? If it runs fine then giving it to a senior's or youth organization would be a nice thought. However, if it doesn't run reliably then you won't be doing the recipient any favours, that is unless they have someone who has the knowledge and the time to get it working. Otherwise, it could be an exercise in frustration.
Just my
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
mbinsewi As Henry mentions, there are Face Book sale sites for just about every community you can think of, plus more. Also check out Groups.io. HO swap. https://groups.io/g/HOswap/to There are also more sites at Groups.io It's pretty much unlimited out there, with all the different social media groups. Mike.
That's great site for getting reasonable and fast responses. I've got only good things to say about that site. It's worth going and often easier/cheaper than the online auction sites.
A lot of information is missing from the OP question.
Is this "train set" free standing or is it fastened to the room? If it is part of the room, removing it will be a desructive job, so it will not be a good candidate for a donation.
Do you need the room it is in for another reason? If so, removing the layout will be more urgent and you might not want to work around the schedule of people who can pick it up.
For years, I removed layouts from widow's homes after the layout owner passed away. I did not charge for this, but I got to keep everything off of the layout, that was the deal. When I left, the room was ready for paint and flooring.
Maybe there is someone up there that can do something similar.
Down here in God's waiting room, this used to be a frequent event. As our resident population has grown younger, it is not so common anymore.
Anyway... if the layout is difficult to remove, and does not have much worth salvaging, you might just want to rent a dumpster and take it down yourself.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Welcome to the forums.
If you have a local hobby shop, post some pictures.
The school is another good idea. I worked with a student on his project. I took over for another fellow who had gotten him started. Even if they take over a used layout, updating and making some changes could be part of the project.
Good luck,
Richard