Obviously no one knows when they are going to pass away and everyone expects to live to a ripe old age. But it may be prudent to start thinning down your collection and passing on some of your more valuable pieces when your health begins to fade and you sense that it's not going to get any better. Enjoy your trains until the very end. Jim
My neighbor Al had been a lone-wolf modeler for many years. He did join the NMRA and agreed to host an Open House. His modeling was very good. He would be too busy talking to his guests to run trains himself so I volunteered to do it for him. The day of the Open House, he was amazed and delighted in the questions and compliments. I had a good time myself, just watching his enjoyment.
Unexpectedly, he died a few months later while still in his 50s.
A year later his wife asked if I could help her find a home for the trains. She wanted the trains to go to others who would enjoy them just as much. That was more important than money.
I had train friends with sons in Boy Scouts. I suggested we sell the trains for her at Timonium and she could give the Scouts what she thought was a fair commission. We would set reasonable prices to make sure the trains were rolling again all over the mid-Atlantic area.
She quickly agreed.
Fathers and sons spend a day at her house taking down the railroad and packing up the equipment. At Timonium, we sold it all in a day.
I took her a few thousand dollars.. She asked me to tell her about selling the equipment. Who bought it? What did they say? Were some things especially popular? She enjoyed the stories. Finally, she said Al fondly remembered his boyhood experiences as a Boy Scout so she wanted the troop to keep the money.
And so, that was the end of Al’s trains. The trains went to other train lovers. The money went to the Boy Scouts. There was a nice symmetry that completed everything, or so I thought.
A few weeks later, the Troop Leader called saying Al’s wife had sent him a thank-you note. With the note was a check for several hundred dollars. She said Al had been saving for train shopping so she was sure Al would want the Scouts to have the money now.
shayfan84325Looking at the challenges facing my mother, related to my deceased father's R/C planes, shop, tools, etc., I agree with you competely. When she and I discuss it, she seems to regard it as a major dilema. She wants to be respectful to my father, she wants to get fair value for it all, but it is also a huge undertaking.
Looking at the challenges facing my mother, related to my deceased father's R/C planes, shop, tools, etc., I agree with you competely. When she and I discuss it, she seems to regard it as a major dilema. She wants to be respectful to my father, she wants to get fair value for it all, but it is also a huge undertaking.
One thing that you (or your loved ones could do) would be to find someone, perhaps someone young or just getting started, and make it a gift (with assistance getting it boxed and moved of course, that would only be fair)-- and then let those precious items that meant so much to your loved one, help someone else get started in the hobby. Or several someones. Its understandable if the value of the items is seriously needed (and in this economy it might well be). But if not, why not considering helping others get a leg up on the hobby?
Fred: Very well said. Jim
fwright Given that there is a bulge of model railroaders in the baby boomer years, disposal of layouts and trains is going to become even more difficult in the future. Some of the lessons I have learned from my own experiences and watching model railroad widows: Disposing of model railroad collections is a huge time sink for those left behind. And these folks have a lot of other things to do, and are under a lot of stress already. The more you can do to lighten the load in advance, the better it will be for them. If you truly care for those you leave behind, you will do the advance planning for them. Unless there is someone knowledgeable enough, and has the time, expecting your collection to be sold off for reasonable value is wishful thinking. Writing up eBay descriptions that will bring out the bids takes time and knowledge. And the only way to get near what your trains are worth is a piece or 2 at a time on eBay or someplace similar. Try to sell the whole lot at once, and nothing near the true value will be achieved. But if your loved ones have been given unrealistic expectations, frustration will set in and the whole thing will end up in the dumpster. I predict the market for used trains will continue to slowly decline as the boomers die off or leave the hobby. Production over the last 2 decades has been sized to the boomer market, which will disappear over the next few decades. And the fact that most of the stuff from the '60s through the '80s is still around in usable condition only adds to the surplus. So what you could get in the '90s for collectible pieces can't even be gotten today. Again, please don't saddle your loved ones with unrealistic expectations. Unless somebody has already expressed a serious interest in taking the complete layout, assume it will go into the dumpster. And get the agreement to take the layout in advance! In either case, some instructions on how to get the layout apart enough in a reasonably amount of time and effort to get it out the door and into the dumpster or truck is a very considerate gesture. True love is doing what is in the other person's long term best interest, no matter what the cost.
Given that there is a bulge of model railroaders in the baby boomer years, disposal of layouts and trains is going to become even more difficult in the future. Some of the lessons I have learned from my own experiences and watching model railroad widows:
True love is doing what is in the other person's long term best interest, no matter what the cost.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Chartiers I'm not trying to be morbid here, but just wondering how many have thought about, or planned for, what's going to happen to their trains if they die? The question obviously become more relevant the older you get or if you are in bad health. The answer could be as simple as not caring what they do with your trains and layout as your going to be dead. But since we tend to put a lot of time, effort and money into our great hobby, I think most of us would like some good to come from our trains when we are gone. I think what prompted this question was that I seen a neighbor recently die unexpectedly. Relatives picked over the "good" stuff that they wanted, but I think the vast majority of his hobby and collectable items ended up in the trash which seems a shame. Jim
My father left the hobby when he sold his house and went to an assisted living apartment. He has 2 sons that were/are interested in model railroading. We each cherry-picked what we thought we would use. But the truth is that each person's vision of model railroading is intensely personal, even within families. It turned out that very little of what my father had fit my vision for my layout, and the same was true for my brother. And with only room for a small layout, and limited storage space, even putting his prized locomotives and rolling stock (some of them were gifts from me) on display is really out of the question. In the end, a local club agreed to dispose of my father's layout in return for being able to keep any salvageable material for free. And this agreement only happened when they realized he had less common items like a Shinohara double slip and a working, documented diode matrix panel with CD power supply to make the effort worth their while. What the club and my brothers didn't take was shipped to me to sell on eBay. That was quite a time-consuming experience, taking all my limited hobby time for 6 months, and I still have more to liquidate.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Wow this is an interesting topic,
I'm going to assume that most of my trains will outlive me even though I hope I have a long way to go (as it's been said many times before, you never do know). I've actually thought about this before simply because I know I eventually won't be around to take care of my collection. First of all I beleve that trains where ment to run, so I would want them to go somewhere that they could operate regularly. I don't even really like seeing trains stuck in display cases, so I don't know if I could rest in peace if my trains where stored in boxes in an attic. I would also love for my collection to stay together, but after 15 years alone I've acquired over 25 locomotives and 100 pieces of rolling stock so that might not be possible after another 60 years. There's still alot of ?'s in my future so I can't get to specific yet. Then again maybe I'll bring them along and my Kato's and Spectrums will join Tom's articulateds on the Layout Upstairs. Tom, since your a high school teacher and I'm a high school student you'll probably beat me there, so if you could do me a favor: Save Me a Throttle (And if I get there first I'll save you one).
Cape Vincent Southern Railroad
HO scale Horseshoe Curve in 5’x10’
My YouTube
ChartiersI'm not trying to be morbid here, but just wondering how many have thought about, or planned for, what's going to happen to their trains if they die? Jim
After giving the matter some serious consideration, I've decided to offer myself as a "surrogate son' for the purpose of inheritance, gifting, etc-- if this would help an older Model Railroader who is struggling with issue of what to do with their trains, layout or associated paraphernalia when they board the last train out. I know these issues weigh heavily on the mind and I would just like to offer some relief.
So anybody needing someone to leave their trains, etc. to, please send me a private message so we can work out all the arrangements.
:)
Personally, I'll be leaving mine to either my kids (don't have any yet) or nieces/nephews (if they're even interested in trains at that point) when I shuffle off this mortal coil.
On the other side of the coin, one of my good friends in the local clubs passed away this past year. His family is still trying to figure out what to do with the trains, though one of them (son-in-law) seems adamant that every piece should be sold for MSRP or higher "collector's value". For the moment, his trains are all sitting in boxes in a garage.
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the
end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming
your way. -Metallica, No Leaf Clover
I´ve made an inventory since the first day of my hobby, now in an Excel page, with all dates specially with updates estimated prices, so my survivors can sell the model to others, no loosing to much. Only one loco will remain with me, in the coffin...!!!
I decided a while back to split the layouts and equipment between the two boys. I'm sure they will want to keep it in the family.
Bob Berger, C.O.O. N-ovation & Northwestern R.R. My patio layout....SEE IT HERE
There's no place like ~/ ;)
I will probably celebrate their long service life, think back on all the great times we had together, all those special trains that really looked good rolling around the layout. Maybe about the time I got it going a little too fast and shaved off the pilot steps on the right hand side. Or about the time it got stuck inside the tunnel under the mountain and I had to crawl up under the layout, through the wiring, over the precarious stack of vintage model railroaders, so I could reach up through the benchwork and around the guards to rescue it.
Yup, we had some good times together, that old engine and me. I'm gonna miss it.
MILW-RODRI did already answer to this post but after thinking a little bit about it I came up with a much cooler idea. This could go down either one of two ways. The first way is the most sensible, the easiest, probably the cheapest, but by far not the coolest. Idea 1: have a custome headstone made with compartements for all the engines. Basically two headstones are bought, each half as thick as a normal headstone. On the front piece, the one with all the dates and names, small compartments would get cut out. The track would get set in with a little morter and about a 1 inch piece of plexi glass would be used so it can't just be broke and the trains robbed. Then the two halves are mortered together. Idea 2: very much more eleborate, costly, and way cooler. Basically what happens here is the coffin is made with a flat top, a complete train layout is made ontop of the coffin with trains, scenery, buildings, everything, and some solar panels built into the layout probably hidden in structures, like make small solar panels for building roofs. This powers the whole thing, something simple and easy like a figure 8. Basically track is something real light that would have the least likely chance of a train redailing or tipping over. then a big 5 sided plexiglass piece like the one used in idea 1 for instance would cover it all, it would be attached somehow from inside the coffin. It would all be made slightly smaller than the coffin so the cemetary can burry some dirt around it. Then when ever someone comes to see your grave, they get to watch you're favorite engines ride round for eternity. Or at least untill all the motors fry themselves from running constant during daylight hours. As for cooling in summer and heating in winter, well to some extent the ground will provide a small geo-thermal reaction. Maybe a hidden master switch somewheres where it can be turned off in cold months. Like I said, very elaborate. I'm only going to be 26 so unless something freak happens I can expect to live to around mid 70's before genetics takes over and decides to wack me, but I'm still thinking of maybe having something train like engraved into the actual headstone. Like a nice GP30 or something. But, then again, I negate back to my original answer. I will be dead, I won't have any say in what happens, if something happens that I don't like I will just haunt those people who made it happen. Maybe I will shape shift or something so they will be trying to go to sleep and hear a train horn blowing in the hall then as they look out the open bedroom door they will see a scaled down ghost train trundling past their bedroom door. I will think of something, I can be pretty creative.
I did already answer to this post but after thinking a little bit about it I came up with a much cooler idea. This could go down either one of two ways. The first way is the most sensible, the easiest, probably the cheapest, but by far not the coolest. Idea 1: have a custome headstone made with compartements for all the engines. Basically two headstones are bought, each half as thick as a normal headstone. On the front piece, the one with all the dates and names, small compartments would get cut out. The track would get set in with a little morter and about a 1 inch piece of plexi glass would be used so it can't just be broke and the trains robbed. Then the two halves are mortered together. Idea 2: very much more eleborate, costly, and way cooler. Basically what happens here is the coffin is made with a flat top, a complete train layout is made ontop of the coffin with trains, scenery, buildings, everything, and some solar panels built into the layout probably hidden in structures, like make small solar panels for building roofs. This powers the whole thing, something simple and easy like a figure 8. Basically track is something real light that would have the least likely chance of a train redailing or tipping over. then a big 5 sided plexiglass piece like the one used in idea 1 for instance would cover it all, it would be attached somehow from inside the coffin. It would all be made slightly smaller than the coffin so the cemetary can burry some dirt around it. Then when ever someone comes to see your grave, they get to watch you're favorite engines ride round for eternity. Or at least untill all the motors fry themselves from running constant during daylight hours. As for cooling in summer and heating in winter, well to some extent the ground will provide a small geo-thermal reaction. Maybe a hidden master switch somewheres where it can be turned off in cold months. Like I said, very elaborate. I'm only going to be 26 so unless something freak happens I can expect to live to around mid 70's before genetics takes over and decides to wack me, but I'm still thinking of maybe having something train like engraved into the actual headstone. Like a nice GP30 or something. But, then again, I negate back to my original answer. I will be dead, I won't have any say in what happens, if something happens that I don't like I will just haunt those people who made it happen. Maybe I will shape shift or something so they will be trying to go to sleep and hear a train horn blowing in the hall then as they look out the open bedroom door they will see a scaled down ghost train trundling past their bedroom door. I will think of something, I can be pretty creative.
Sounds like a lot of work for a family in grieving. Why don't you build it for yourself now and put it aside for when the time comes and that way you can at least make sure you have bullet proof trackwork.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Packers#1Well, I'm younger than Vincent, so ask me in 55-65 years (I'm 14)Probably give them to my kids if they want them, or tell my family "take what you want to remeber me by and sell the rest to someone that'll treat them right"
Well, I'm younger than Vincent, so ask me in 55-65 years (I'm 14)
Probably give them to my kids if they want them, or tell my family "take what you want to remeber me by and sell the rest to someone that'll treat them right"
Anybody here younger?
~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
If I were just a Joe the Model Railroader, I would ask to be buried with my favorite Locomotive in my hand.
If I were a famous Model Railroader, like John Allen, I would have my family keep one Locomotive in memory of me, and auction off the remaining Locomotives, all kitbashed kits, all scratchbuilt buildings, and all rolling stock.
I have an interesting idea. If there is anything that might encourage someone into getting into the hobby who might otherwise have issues---have your survivor family members donate the trainstuff, if they're not into it, to places like Goodwill. That'll help them and it'll help you too
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
shayfan84325My mother is wrestling with a similar issue as we ponder this. My father was a dedicated R/C airplane builder and a good enough pilot that most of his planes survived his passing. He died last summer. He left about a dozen hand made R/C planes with all the associated hardware. His work is exceptionally high quality and he included features like working cockpit doors, upholstery, pedals, gauges with needles, coiled cables for the radio mics, etc. It's hard to know what to do with the models; they are big, delicate, and each one contains a thousand or more dollars in motors and electronics. I can't imagine the money that went into the DC-3 he built with retractable gear. The local R/C club said they would help my mom get appropriate value for it all, and I think they are planning an auction. Still, I doubt that the people who buy the planes will really never appreciate all that went into them. I remind myself that they brought a lot of pleasure to my father and that was always their entire purpose, so what happens now is really not all that important. Still, it is hard to think of his shop being empty and other pilots flying his models. It will be hard to see that part of my parents' home change. I do have space for one plane, so I'll be keeping it simply as a tribute to the near-perfect model building skills my father possessed. Regarding my own trains, I'm leaving my entire estate to the University of Wyoming. Most universities (like UW) have a department that specializes in disposing of property (estates), converting it to cash. If it were not for that university, my life would have been much less than it was, they deserve to have back anything I don't use. How soon this will happen is anyone's guess. Until 3 weeks ago I believed I was in perfect health. Good weight, low cholesterol, blood pressure right on the mean, got plenty of exercise, good mental health, and a PSA of less than 1. For my 50th birthday my doctor put a video camera in a place I never expected to see; even that test went by without a hitch. Then three weeks ago I had a mild heart attack. Doc says I'm OK, but my blood pressure isn't. So, here I am, 51, new girlfriend, every reason to live, and I'm thinking about how many years I really have left. My father didn't have heart trouble until age 75, but his brother died of a heart attack at age 60. Two weeks ago I made out my will and started blood pressure medicine, and I 'm beginning to ponder mortality. It's a category of thoughts that always seemed to be best left for tomorrow. My father died two weeks after my birthday. I called him on my birthday to thank him for the ultrasonic cleaner he sent me (model builders give each other the best gifts). He told me that he just can't get over this chest cold; I urged him to see a doctor. That conversation ended like this: "I love you, Dad." "I love you, Phil. Bye." Those were our last words - the doctors did all they could, but pneumonia was too much for my dad. I miss him dearly, but believe me it helps to have said goodbye that way. You never know which goodbye will be your last, so be sure to tell the people you love how you feel - it's a better gift, even, than an ultrasonic cleaner.
My mother is wrestling with a similar issue as we ponder this. My father was a dedicated R/C airplane builder and a good enough pilot that most of his planes survived his passing. He died last summer.
He left about a dozen hand made R/C planes with all the associated hardware. His work is exceptionally high quality and he included features like working cockpit doors, upholstery, pedals, gauges with needles, coiled cables for the radio mics, etc. It's hard to know what to do with the models; they are big, delicate, and each one contains a thousand or more dollars in motors and electronics. I can't imagine the money that went into the DC-3 he built with retractable gear.
The local R/C club said they would help my mom get appropriate value for it all, and I think they are planning an auction. Still, I doubt that the people who buy the planes will really never appreciate all that went into them.
I remind myself that they brought a lot of pleasure to my father and that was always their entire purpose, so what happens now is really not all that important. Still, it is hard to think of his shop being empty and other pilots flying his models. It will be hard to see that part of my parents' home change. I do have space for one plane, so I'll be keeping it simply as a tribute to the near-perfect model building skills my father possessed.
Regarding my own trains, I'm leaving my entire estate to the University of Wyoming. Most universities (like UW) have a department that specializes in disposing of property (estates), converting it to cash. If it were not for that university, my life would have been much less than it was, they deserve to have back anything I don't use.
How soon this will happen is anyone's guess. Until 3 weeks ago I believed I was in perfect health. Good weight, low cholesterol, blood pressure right on the mean, got plenty of exercise, good mental health, and a PSA of less than 1. For my 50th birthday my doctor put a video camera in a place I never expected to see; even that test went by without a hitch. Then three weeks ago I had a mild heart attack. Doc says I'm OK, but my blood pressure isn't.
So, here I am, 51, new girlfriend, every reason to live, and I'm thinking about how many years I really have left. My father didn't have heart trouble until age 75, but his brother died of a heart attack at age 60. Two weeks ago I made out my will and started blood pressure medicine, and I 'm beginning to ponder mortality. It's a category of thoughts that always seemed to be best left for tomorrow.
My father died two weeks after my birthday. I called him on my birthday to thank him for the ultrasonic cleaner he sent me (model builders give each other the best gifts). He told me that he just can't get over this chest cold; I urged him to see a doctor. That conversation ended like this: "I love you, Dad." "I love you, Phil. Bye." Those were our last words - the doctors did all they could, but pneumonia was too much for my dad. I miss him dearly, but believe me it helps to have said goodbye that way. You never know which goodbye will be your last, so be sure to tell the people you love how you feel - it's a better gift, even, than an ultrasonic cleaner.
Phil,
Here's something you might consider.You might want to contact the Academy of Model Aeronautics5161 E. Memorial Drive, Municie, Indiana 47302
800-435-9262
Ask them if they would be interested in having one of your fathers models for their museum.Be prepared to send pictures.Are there any aviation museums in your area who might like to have one or two to display?My other hobby is RC airplanes and my dad and I shared in that hobby.I do know how you feelI think you should keep at least one for yourself to hang or display in a shop, a room or somewhere.
Best wishes,
Ed
One would think that after a model railroader passes away, their trains would go to Montoursville Pennsylvania www.toytrainheaven.com
Good one Phil….
Always say what you mean and mean what you say!
As for the MRR?? Holy-Moly! I’m going out on the limb here, guessing it will somebody else’ problem, cause even if you give direction / instruction….Who really knows what will come about!!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!!
What if???????
Your trains die before you do???? TheK4Kid
citylimits I have just though about the equation of supply Vs demand. Most of the modelers who are concerned about this topic are from the post war baby boomer era - there are lots of us and we have spend much of our lives accumulating stuff including models. If there are many of us shooting the gap around the same time this may result in vast quantities of "toys" to be disposed of, then this will, or, could have the effect of lowering prices on the second hand market. It may, although this is only a guess, that large amounts of used model railroad equipment coming on to to market could have an effect on prices and availability of new products - I dunno, just a thought.
I have just though about the equation of supply Vs demand. Most of the modelers who are concerned about this topic are from the post war baby boomer era - there are lots of us and we have spend much of our lives accumulating stuff including models. If there are many of us shooting the gap around the same time this may result in vast quantities of "toys" to be disposed of, then this will, or, could have the effect of lowering prices on the second hand market. It may, although this is only a guess, that large amounts of used model railroad equipment coming on to to market could have an effect on prices and availability of new products - I dunno, just a thought.
Bruce, that is an interesting thought. I personaly did not think about so many of us "leaving" at the same time having that effect because for me, used stuff has never been of much interest. Very, very little of my stuff was purchased used, and what little was, was mostly "new in the box" sort of stuff. But I know many modelers are very in tune to the used/ebay/yardsale/train show/swap meet thing. So you may really be on to something there.
I know I have a reasonable "supply" of yet to be started projects on the shelf, as I'm sure many of us do. That would in my opinion be the most valuable part of many "collections" out there.
Sheldon
One things for sure, I won't be taking it with me. As my pastor says "You never see a herst pulling a U-Haul".
I do have an inventory with the MSRP and price paid. I figure my survivors can successfully figure out what to do with them. I agree a living will and or trust is a very good idea and I will do it soon.
Peter
Some very interesting responses that I have enjoyed reading. I did not think much about such things until I had a surprise heart attack.
Thanks, from the OP. Jim
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Lots of humor and lots of good advice here, but for me the humor is more likely the good advice. My railroad is freelanced, so no one is really going to be interested in most of my locomotives, or a large precentage of my rolling stock, all painted and lettered "ATLANTIC CENTRAL". I am a realist (sometimes called a pessimist by those who don't know the difference) and really don't care what happens when I'm gone. None of my children or step children are seriously interested in the hobby. I do not consider a model train anything more than a toy to play with, not an investment, not a family heirloom. My wife and I decided years ago that the will was going to read "Being of sound mind and body we spent it all", so I guess the children will have to have a big estate sale if they expect anything more than a house full of "stuff", model trains included. In an age when the government undermines all values of family, tradition and legacy with high taxes, schools that underminded my abilty to instill my values in my children, usurps peoples fundimental rights of life and property and inflicts the double taxation of the inheritance tax, what happens to my model trains when I'm gone is of no importantance to me or my children. They should be focused on regaining their rights and securing their future, but dispite my best efforts they are not. So when I go to the hobby shop and buy a train, and anyone comments on the cost of this hobby, I simply say "well, I'm not leaving my money to the government or my evil children, both will have to get their own money". Sheldon
Lots of humor and lots of good advice here, but for me the humor is more likely the good advice.
My railroad is freelanced, so no one is really going to be interested in most of my locomotives, or a large precentage of my rolling stock, all painted and lettered "ATLANTIC CENTRAL".
I am a realist (sometimes called a pessimist by those who don't know the difference) and really don't care what happens when I'm gone. None of my children or step children are seriously interested in the hobby. I do not consider a model train anything more than a toy to play with, not an investment, not a family heirloom.
My wife and I decided years ago that the will was going to read "Being of sound mind and body we spent it all", so I guess the children will have to have a big estate sale if they expect anything more than a house full of "stuff", model trains included.
In an age when the government undermines all values of family, tradition and legacy with high taxes, schools that underminded my abilty to instill my values in my children, usurps peoples fundimental rights of life and property and inflicts the double taxation of the inheritance tax, what happens to my model trains when I'm gone is of no importantance to me or my children. They should be focused on regaining their rights and securing their future, but dispite my best efforts they are not.
So when I go to the hobby shop and buy a train, and anyone comments on the cost of this hobby, I simply say "well, I'm not leaving my money to the government or my evil children, both will have to get their own money".
I'm kind of torn between this pragmatic approach and one where I like to think that my models will find value in the collection of some other modeler. How the models make that journey is probably more what is behind the conserns expressed in this post. I suppose that my models will find a home somewhere after I pass - I hope they do, but whatever happens they will not realise anything like the amount of money I have layed out for their purchase - an indisputable fact, I'm afraid. Fortunately, I live in a part of the planet where inheritence taxes were abolished over twenty years ago - so the Government has no share in my estate - such as it is - although the Lawyers will.
Ultimately, I supose, it doesn't really matter after your gone, but right now while I am still drawing breath and still legaly sane, I do wonder if any actions I take now will impact negitively on my family who will have to then dispose of what I see as my treasures and endure the stress of doing so..
Anyway, it all boiles down to the fact that in simple terms it is up to the individual modeler and his family to discuss, but I must admit that this subject as been on my mind for a while now and I am grateful that the OP introduced this topic.
Bruce
With all good intentions and directions as to the disposal of your trains, I'm afraid a vast amount of train stuff will end up in the town dump(including a lot of brass stuff) I have seen 2 disposals where the widow is innundated with all kinds of other matters and just wants things cleaned up and off this goes to the dump, remember now, a lot of you guys told her you were hardly spending any money on this hobby, so she thinks it's worth nothing. I have been told by my friends of this happening to them, people dumped the stuff and would have given it to someone who may have been interested( no one was) So, don't get too excited that your "stuff' will go to the right place. Remember, with the gigantic amounts of "stuff" MR's collect, what would someone do with piles and piles of stuff when they are not the slightest bit interested in "trains'' ?