I'm 71, and my health isn't the best it could be. It takes exactly no brains at all, to realize I have a lot more days behind me than before me. Every time I look at my layout and the tons of stuff (!!!) I've acquired over the decades, I wonder what'll happen to it when I'm gone. Although I know some people who bristle at the subject, I strongly believe end-of-life subjects, and the decisions that may be involved, are not wisely ignored.
I have averse feelings about denying my surviving family the prerogative of dividing up my possessions either when I'm gone, or if I have to eventually relocate to quarters far smaller than I now own, especially if I'm no longer competent to have a say in such decisions. The fact that 100% of them live hundreds of miles away, and that none of them have expressed real interest in model railroading suggests to me a general lack of interest, except that there may be some financial legacy related to divestment of my collection. We have no children of our own. The fact that I was away from my family for the many years I was in the Navy worked against my being a regular or frequent participant or motivator in the growth and development of my peers or younger family members. Many got train sets as gifts when younger, but Uncle Gene wasn't often there to exemplify how much playing with them and imagining their expansion could mean.
The modeling community is familiar with stories about how difficult and financially unrewarding it can be, to dispose of a collection, not to mention the difficulties involved in disassembling and salvaging layout parts for reuse elsewhere. Now and then we hear stories of a layout, perhaps well known in the hobby, ending up with a happy forever home in a museum. I love those stories, because I understand that the best way to ensure the future continuance and growth of the hobby is dependent on its accessibility and visibility. My love of the community is much reflective of how I love how eager so many of us are, to share things we've learned. This is a hugely generous bunch of people.
I won't even go into why I support the future growth of the hobby, because I know I'd be preaching to the choir. The forum threads are loaded with honest and well reasoned justifications for its value far beyond the simple (and awesome) fun factor, or instilling a sense of beneficial use of time. It is an education in many aspects of history, of electronic and electrical skills, mechanical skills, artistic expression, and huge leaps of ingenuity and creativity, for starters. I say that anything challenging to a person's imagination is a lifelong plus.
I will mention the age-old implied tension between wanting kids, in particular, not to touch my stuff too much, and embracing the clear and broad value of doing what I can to get them to touch something as rewarding and engaging as model railroading is and always has been. Some of the most disappointing 'educational' experiences I can recall involve perfectly well meaning people exposing kids to subjects everyone understands will immediately fascinate the kids, but the kids are confronted with glass walls and frightening signs telling them, in essence, that the objects in view are not their territory.
My lifelong absorbtion in railroading, model and prototype, is directly a consequence of two things: growing up alongside the Long Island Rail Road, and the annual holiday thrill of a Lionel layout appearing in the lobby of my elementary school principal's office. The fact that my beloved grandparents arrived at least two weekends a month at our suburban NY home, from a trip that began at the LIRR's Jamaica Station, no doubt had had an effect too. I have always associated railroads with good things and happy occasions, even though I've also had the experience of meeting a coffin at a freight house door. The bottom line for me was always that anything capable of delivering matched sets of live grandparents was just plain good, no further discussion required.
We have a wonderful rural museum in our community. It's loaded with fun and educational things for people of all ages. Could I find a happy home for my collection if I helped raise funds for a new or rehabbed building there? I'm mindful that embracing such a task, and whatever responsibilities that come with initiating such a project, could have positive and long term benefits, both to the museum and to the surrounding community. I've done enough community fund raising, organizing and grant writing through my careers in historic preservation and civic activism, to know the undeniable benefits of thinking outside the box, and thinking bigger than some others may dare to try. If a little good is laudable, a lot of good is better.
I've already had one short conversation with the principal of a local high school, about the school possibly being the recipient of what I now own. She was immediately on board after I spent less than five minutes discussing what I saw as the potential benefit of a model railroad club (that arrived on the doorstep with $30K of good-to-excellent equipment) at that school. As in: there are no drawbacks - challenges to be sure, but no real drawbacks - and there's no end of advantages. She implied an expectation that I might be wanted as a regular source of supervision, guidance and sharing skills, if the idea was to come to best fruition. There would, in such cases, be the commitment of volunteer time to consider.
It wouldn't bother me a bit, to consider how a legacy I might bestow might help my community. My family, however distant they may be, are also part of my personal community, so everyone is served and everyopne benefits if they want to.
One has to be prepared for at least two personal consequences that may take some thought and understanding.
If I give my collection away, obviously it won't be mine any longer. Although gifts and donations can be given with conditions, if such conditions become onerous to the recipient(s), the gift or donation can end up feeling more like a curse than a blessing. I've seen this happen; when it does, loss, later rejection or abandonment of the entire gift is a possible outcome. The whole point of the gift can be irretrievably lost, along with the gift itself.
If I give my collection away, I will no longer have much say, if any at all, in what's done with it, even a potential breakup and disbursement of it when the home one imagined for it is no longer welcoming, or no longer able to house and use it in a manner worth the doing.
In short, if I give it away I really have to be prepared to lose any say in what happens to it. A worst possible outcome, if the situation isn't handled well in the present and future, is to have an old guy standing around muttering about how those kids don't know what they're doing. That loss of a say includes, as I'm sure it would with other modelers, loss of significance to others about the possible sentimental and other value of individual pieces of the collection. There's the 70-year-old locomotive I was given after I salvaged it from the ruins of the Gold Coast Railroad Museum after Hurricane Andrew. I supervised the federal program that allowed the museum to recover, after its members and leaders thought they had to write it off as a total loss. There's the parlor car "Asheville,: named for my late brother's place of birth, and the observation car "Coney Island," named for my mother's birthplace.
I will no longer be able to carefully guard the collection from damage or loss. I will no longer be able to say that the mirrors on the dozens of hand-built circus wagons have to be polished before anyone dare set them on the layout. I may not even know if my freelance railroad, the Great Lakes & Hudson's River Railroad, named to remember the birthplaces of myself and my spouse, will survive in the near or long term. I will no longer be able to whisper to myself that careless or willfully ignorant fools and idiots need not apply for the right to hold a throttle.
Obviously, if you've read this far, I'm writing as much to being working myself through the emotional stages of giving up my part in the hobby, a deeply personal investment that has nothing to do with dollars. I already know I'm not the only member of our community having to deal with this, and I've heard my share of stories abut this going well or very badly for others.
The real reason I write is in the hope of engaging others in conversations on this general subject. There's more than enough wisdom and experience here, for me to know I will benefit from the thoughts and experiences of all of you. The only fare for coming aboard is the cost of loving what we do. You've all already paid that, amply and long ego.
Best wishes - Gene
Gene,
This has been discussed on here (and likely every forum in this hobby) many times before.
Personally, I have never seen model trains, or any of my worldly possessions other than real estate, as investments.
I buy model trains with what I call "restaurant money", money you know you will not get back the minute you spend it.
I have, partly by plan and partly by accident, created a life style that has never spent any great amont of money on fancy or frequent travel or vacations, overly expensive cars, boats, or other expensive toys - except model trains.
I do have a grandson who will likely enjoy the trains, and a granddaughter who will enjoy the vinyl record collection.
But if things change and that does not work out - so what? I won't be here.
I have never lived my life trying to control outcomes related to the choices or behaviors of others. I have no such expectations after I am gone.
But I have no plans to stop living, give up my toys, or try to plan past the simple assignment of things in my will.
Others will feel differently.
I have friends who made choices to take down layouts, move into retirement communities, give away or sell their stuff. I'm sure they made the right choice for them.
I'm about to be 67 and starting a new layout, a big layout. Hopefully I can enjoy the hobby to its fullest for the next 10, or how many ever years. Not really in my control.
I am blessed to be in pretty good health, so we will see. I'm still working, self employed, starting to wind that down. Not sure when or if I might stop completely. But last week I worked two days and spent three days on home projects and layout construction.
People always leave something for others to take care of or dispose of. It is part of life. After everything I have done for them, the least my children can do is fill the dumpster or have a yard sale if it comes to that.
Sheldon
I feel bad for you, mainly because you seem to be so conflicted. You will likely get many replies, mostly thoughtful and respectful, but no one can really tell you the best thing to do. My advice would be to prioritize all of the options that you discussed in your post. Then do what you consider best.
Rich
Alton Junction
Gene, what a thoughtfully considered and beautifully written essay. I loved it. It did make me sad, but only because you're singing my song. I think very often about the piles of stuff I own, even though we give things away by the car load. It keeps coming up, out of our closets and drawers, like bolders in a farmer's field.
Like Sheldon, I don't think of my model railroad stuff as investments, not monetary ones anyway. As I get older, I might leave a list of items that are worth a coin or two in case my family wants to recoup something, but I know my wife -- she'll give the stuff away on our local Buy Nothing group to some eager kid -- and mainly I've amassed my collection at swap meets and on eBay for ridiculous deals.
Really I saw your musings as reflections about letting go, which is possibly the most significant emotional journey any of us will ever embark on. For me, this has been brought into stark relief lately by the necessity of moving my mother out of her house an hour away to an apartment close to us. It was terribly difficult for her to part with furniture and books and knick-knacks she'd owned and treasured, and none of her family wants to own these things. They've become burdens to my wife and me as we try to find homes for things. The whole exhausting process has made me realize that I don't want to leave all this behind me for my own family to dispense with.
But selling stuff is a pain. Takes time, and time is the ONE thing I cannot get more of (and a certain kind of young person's muscle, I guess). So I've begun giving things away, and I've found it a sad, painful, rewarding and even joyous process. The vinyl record collection I carried from house to house for 45 years went to a little record shop nearby; the guys were overjoyed to receive it. I've been thinning my library of nice hardback first editions, when a nephew or niece or a friend expresses interest in a book I own -- "here, allow me to make you a gift of this". It's been crazy fun. And we haul clothes and old lamps to Goodwill, or if something is really cool, we give it away on Buy Nothing.
I am also the central repository for my large clan's family photos and letters and memoirs and genealogies -- they arrive on my doorstep unbidden. Not sure how that even happened. This is a nightmare. Too important (someday, to someone) to throw away, but taking up space. This is the stuff I worry about. No one is currently interested in all the history I know about our family, but they might be someday, and I don't want to have to shrug and say -- "I pitched all that info".
I only got back into model railroading just before the pandemic, so I'm not worrying about getting rid of all of that real soon. My wife knows that when I'm gone, she's free to give what she can away and haul the rest of it to the dump. However, I do have too much rolling stock and too many locomotives already for my tiny layout, and I'm setting aside some of the things I bought early on that I don't really want anymore, because a couple of very young kids I know have expressed interest. I'm waiting for one of them to say, "I wish I had a layout". If they never do, I'll give it away somewhere else.
I hope you come to some peace about your layout, Gene. Thanks for the topic.
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
Hi Gene.
I think we all have thoughts about what happens to our prized possessions once we have moved on. I am on the same page as Sheldon on this one, it is just stuff. If the retail value of my train stuff is $30,000.00 what can be the expected return on the aftermarket upon my demise?
Both my kids are highly paid professionals and it would be a waste of their time trying to sell this stuff. I have told them to get hold of one of the established clubs in the region and let them have it all. They can keep what they want and sell the rest at train shows to raise money for the club. A well-established club will have people in it who know the value of what they have.
I have been an Executor more times than I wished I had said yes to. Early on it was clear to me that other people's stuff can mean very little to others. I have sold houses of the deceased with the entire contents included because no one wanted the stuff inside and the most economical way to dispose of the contents was to include them in the house sale.
I am 67 and at some point in my life, I learned that the value of material possessions is limited. It is not anything I spend time thinking about at this point in my life.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Gene-
I am most concerned about my heir (wife) having to deal with my models after I depart, if that should happen in that order. We have no close family and it will be all in her hands.
I sense the monetary struggle that some go through, thinking it is worth x dollars and actually not easy to get that, or even realistic. Heirs may feel a responsibility to monetize or otherwise dismantle the layout in a certain way.
After witnessing others struggling with expectations, I decided to keep my stuff to a minimum by selling off a majority of stuff (just went through this a couple months ago) while I am able. At age 66 i feel there are still many good years ahead of me (I still work full time), but don't want there to be a burden for her. To me, the best approach is to not leave a basement full of stuff for her to deal with.
I listed my things on ebay with a .99 price. Everything in good running order. Unbelievably, some of the freight cars were not bid on in the first round. Everything finally sold but some did only bring .99 plus shipping. On the up side, some things brought more than I expected so it kind of balanced out. Any further sales, I will be picking a higher starting price and doing free shipping. I am not out to make a bunch of money but want to be a good steward at the same time.
I feel good about thinning out my posessions, but admit some things are a bit hard to let go of.
Dave Banta
Modelling the Northern Pacific
ATLANTIC CENTRALinvestments.
Russell
csxns ATLANTIC CENTRAL investments. To me my Trains is a Investment they keep me going they keep me alive and they make me happy if it were not for my Trains I will be lost.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL investments.
To me my Trains is a Investment they keep me going they keep me alive and they make me happy if it were not for my Trains I will be lost.
That is a different kind of investment. And that is what my trains are to me, an investment other types of people make going on expensive vacations, etc.
I agree, they are an investment in my well-being. My guitars and music are top of the list but trains are a very close second. My daughter says she will absolutely keep my guitars when I croak, even though she doesn't play guitar. She plays clarinet, cello, and piano and I bet she will learn to play guitar at some point.
The trains? To a club or first come first serve if they don't all go in one fell swoop bulk sale.
I have no illusions about the value of my layout. To me, it's very important and worth a lot.
To everyone after I die, outside of a few locomotives that one could probably get cents on the dollar by selling, the rest of the entire layout will be worth a trip to the landfill.
When my father died, I had to go through the family belongings to prepare for the sale of the house. My biggest take away was that there were a lot of things that were important enough to my father for him to keep for many years, yet to me and the rest of the family, those things meant nothing. Most of it ended up in the landfill.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Haven't read all the above, but have a similar situation.
I got forced to downsize when a son moved home. His son now occupies the space.
After years of having only enough time to buy and not get to buioding, I had much to much stuff.
Suddenly 80 is sneaking rapidly on me and no place to run trains and a lot of stuff to get rid of. A few years ago, before COVID,I started going to shows as a seller, not a buyer. Early shows I sold a good amount, mostly rolling stock and locos. This year I selected more buildings and did OK. Plenty of scenery stuff still available to add. Car size limits how much I can take.
I have a designated area for a new layout so am not "selling out", just selling down. There are two clubs within reasonable distance that have returned to having shows, a third club, hopefully, will get back to it soon.
What is left when I no longer can play trains, I am suggesting to be divided up and donated to those clubs, if there is no family in0terest.
I wasted all of COVID time and now am struggling to get a shelf started for a layout. Will I ever get it started?
If there is a local brick and morter hobby shop, they might sell for you. There is also ebay, if you or a family member or other willing person that is good with computers. (I'm not.)
Good luck,
Richard
I think every model railroader should be required to spend two years building and flying RC planes before spending a penny on model railroad equipment.
The first time you see your "investment" nose-dive into the ground should set your hobby expectations properly.
AEP528 I think every model railroader should be required to spend two years building and flying RC planes before spending a penny on model railroad equipment. The first time you see your "investment" nose-dive into the ground should set your hobby expectations properly.
I managed the train department in a hobby shop where the owner was a very accomplished R/C modeler and flyer. He is still a life long friend. I know more than a little about R/C planes and did gas powered R/C cars before battery R/C cars came out.
But I don't get you point or what it has to do with this topic?
I think every person with a drivers license should have drive a car with a stick shift and no power steering or brakes before we let them loose on the highway. And an hour behind the wheel of a 28' box truck would be useful too.
But again, what does crashing a model airplane have to do with this?
Investment? None of these hobbies are for people without the necessary means.
ATLANTIC CENTRALBut again, what does crashing a model airplane have to do with this? Investment? None of these hobbies are for people without the necessary means.
I flew line control planes for years as a kid and used to enter combat competitions where your opponent would try and chew the ribbon off that your plane was towing behind. I had the tail of my plane chewed off a couple of times. I had started building R/C planes at 15 and as soon as I had my driver's license I was off to the airfield with them. I flew for years and never lost one in a crash. If I had I would have put it down to the cost of doing business. I used to spend more on gas driving to and from the R/C airfield than I do on trains.
Our crawl space is lit and has a concrete floor and for years I had all my planes lined up down there as if they were sitting on the ramp at an airport. In 2017 the city storm sewer backed up and that was the end of them. I got a settlement for them and all the other stuff down there, but as they say "all good things".
I agree with Sheldon, hobbies and other extras in life come after the important things in life are covered. Trains and model airplanes are just stuff.
As a pastor as well as helping with dealing with a couple of estates with our club this is a tough subject to deal with. Every family and individual and situation is different. I know one fellow that as a teenager would have loved his uncles Lionel collection. Unfortunately when he died suddenly his widow sold it for not much. He has spent some years recreating what his uncle had. On the other hand we have dealt with a couple of collections at the club (one was hoarding) that none of the family (no direct family in either case) had any interest in. We did not get a whole lot for them but what the members bought means something to them. Sadly I have also seen some families fight over stuff (or more often money.) In some ways I think what you are doing in preserving your layout by donation might be the best thing. I am aware of a well known modeler that had no family that cared and his friends handled the collection. His layout was thankfully preserved. I have a couple of small things that those friends sent to me and they mean a lot. Perhaps you might save some handcrafted things for the family if there might be some interest. They may not be model railroaders but "my Uncle built this" can sometimes mean a lot. I know another family that was like that.
Selling stuff honestly from what our club has seen is generally a pain for the family. Unless there is someone in the family that is interested it is often a burden. (That goes for any collection not just trains.) Unless you sell on ebay any collection will fetch just a fraction of its price (unless it is brass or sometimes certain Lionel)
I hope perhaps this helps
Jim
Neighbor's husband passed on a couple years ago. She is planning to move and desired to clean out his stuff from the basement. Wondered what to do with it. She contemplated hiring one of those "call 800-junk" outfits for everything that was bolted down, and Goodwill for the loose items. I volunteered to gather up the loose items and some of the bolted down items. Bolted down items included some code 83 track, turnouts (not ballasted), and some electronic gizmos that I couldn't completely identify.
Took that stuff to a train show where I had a couple tables. After deducting an amount for the table and tax I had to charge, I gave her over $2000. Took some more to a local RPM meet and gave her $400 more. I wasn't trying to make a killing and items were priced to move.
Enough funds for her to get some painting done and other minor repairs. And a lot more than she would have received giving it away or trashing it.
ATLANTIC CENTRALBut again, what does crashing a model airplane have to do with this?
I believe that the point he was trying to make was that one can spend X dollars on a model train and have it for an infinite amount of time, or a model plane that costs the same amount of dollars and crashes/burns the first time it is flown.
Not an "investment" in financial terms, but possibly a better use of one's hobby money.
I am expecting to downsize and retire in about 5 years give or take, so I am trying to take a look at my collection and work bit by bit on being realistic on what I will actually use. So I've been reviewing my collection and working on selling off items. I also have purchased some N scale train since downsizing probably means a smaller layout.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
My layout still has primarily Milwaukee Road equipment, with the bulk of the locomotives a lot of the rolling stock equipped for that road. I live in Delaware, but I hope someone might want it. I doubt that my daughter in Maine will.
I hope I can give the whole set to a local club here. The trains are in good shape and the structures would fit well in most Transition Era layouts. They're illuminated, many have interiors and would be attractive as a display. I'm 77 now, not planning on hitting the RIP track anytime soon, but you never know.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
riogrande5761 I am expecting to downsize and retire in about 5 years give or take, so I am trying to take a look at my collection and work bit by bit on being realistic on what I will actually use. So I've been reviewing my collection and working on selling off items. I also have purchased some N scale train since downsizing probably means a smaller layout.
My downsizing for retirement (semi retirement so for) decressed my house size by 40%, increased my yard by 130%, and increased my layout space by 150%.
Retirement is looking great.
I don't have to thin out the trains, I NEVER bought stuff that did not fit the theme and planned size of the layout.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL riogrande5761 I am expecting to downsize and retire in about 5 years give or take, so I am trying to take a look at my collection and work bit by bit on being realistic on what I will actually use. So I've been reviewing my collection and working on selling off items. I also have purchased some N scale train since downsizing probably means a smaller layout. My downsizing for retirement (semi retirement so for) decressed my house size by 40%, increased my yard by 130%, and increased my layout space by 150%. Retirement is looking great. I don't have to thin out the trains, I NEVER bought stuff that did not fit the theme and planned size of the layout. Sheldon
Sheldon, honest question:
When you downsized to 60% of your old house, what did you do with 40% of the furniture that wouldn't fit in the new house?
I assume sold it, gave it away, or threw it out?
- Douglas
The museum would likely be the better route although the school could also work. The museum would allow more control, continuity and a more flexible funding stream. The school would have direct access to youngsters and be more likely to engage them. The drawback with schools is personnel change, sometimes frequently, and with that comes different priorities and ideas. It can also be more difficult to raise funds for projects at schools as well.
In either case, I have seen some amazing work of the type you describe at both community museums and schools. If that is the route you decide to take, the sooner you start mentoring and teaching others the more likely it is that your legacy will take root and be passed on to future generations.
navyman636 We have a wonderful rural museum in our community. It's loaded with fun and educational things for people of all ages. Could I find a happy home for my collection if I helped raise funds for a new or rehabbed building there? I'm mindful that embracing such a task, and whatever responsibilities that come with initiating such a project, could have positive and long term benefits, both to the museum and to the surrounding community. I've done enough community fund raising, organizing and grant writing through my careers in historic preservation and civic activism, to know the undeniable benefits of thinking outside the box, and thinking bigger than some others may dare to try. If a little good is laudable, a lot of good is better. I've already had one short conversation with the principal of a local high school, about the school possibly being the recipient of what I now own. She was immediately on board after I spent less than five minutes discussing what I saw as the potential benefit of a model railroad club (that arrived on the doorstep with $30K of good-to-excellent equipment) at that school. As in: there are no drawbacks - challenges to be sure, but no real drawbacks - and there's no end of advantages. She implied an expectation that I might be wanted as a regular source of supervision, guidance and sharing skills, if the idea was to come to best fruition. There would, in such cases, be the commitment of volunteer time to consider. It wouldn't bother me a bit, to consider how a legacy I might bestow might help my community. My family, however distant they may be, are also part of my personal community, so everyone is served and everyopne benefits if they want to.
Doughless ATLANTIC CENTRAL riogrande5761 I am expecting to downsize and retire in about 5 years give or take, so I am trying to take a look at my collection and work bit by bit on being realistic on what I will actually use. So I've been reviewing my collection and working on selling off items. I also have purchased some N scale train since downsizing probably means a smaller layout. My downsizing for retirement (semi retirement so for) decressed my house size by 40%, increased my yard by 130%, and increased my layout space by 150%. Retirement is looking great. I don't have to thin out the trains, I NEVER bought stuff that did not fit the theme and planned size of the layout. Sheldon Sheldon, honest question: When you downsized to 60% of your old house, what did you do with 40% of the furniture that wouldn't fit in the new house? I assume sold it, gave it away, or threw it out?
This move was a long range well planned change. For about 5 years before we moved, we worked on down sizing all of our possessions that would not make sense in a smaller house. As the grown children moved out, we sent extra bedroom furniture with them.
By the time we moved, the two bedrooms and sitting room on the third floor were empty.
Several specific antiques were sold well in advance, a restored 1901 "barrel chair", a 1927 Victrola, a custom reproduction "fainting sofa", and a 1930' era reproduction of an 1890's writing desk were all sold via Ebay or local advertising.
In the end we sold most of a reproduction Victorian Parlor furniture set that we had originally had custom made for the Queen Anne style house. I sold it to one of my old house clients, I still do work for them and see the furniture regularly.
We had an upright piano, we sold it with the house, the new owner was happy to get it.
The rest of our furniture we were able to adapt to the new house except for a few odd pieces. They went to Goodwill.
I also sold some excess tools both before and since the move, and I left a large stash of finish lumber and trim in the garage, much of which was left over from restoring that house or clients homes.
I did not sell any trains, because don't buy trains outside the scope of the layout plan.
The old layout was in a 1000 sq ft room above the 6 car detached garage.
The new layout will fill virtually all of the 1500 sq ft basement at the new house.
The old property was only an acre, but had very elaborate landscaping.
The new property is 2.3 acres but has very simple landscaping.
Douglas, one more thought, when bought the big Queen Anne house and began restoring it in 1995, we knew we would be decorating it to the 1901 period of its construction. We brought very little furniture with us that was of any value and knew we would be replacing most of what we did bring to that house as the restoration progressed.
We also understood that if we ever moved again it was unlikely that much of the new furniture would be appropriate in a different style of house.
I was actually amazed at how well we did at furnishing the retirement house with items from the Queen Anne.
As I am now getting started on my layout, we are now having another purge of unwanted and un-needed items of all sorts as I empty the basement of things that fell into the "undecided" category when we moved.
https://www.photobucket.com/u/carrollhome/a/bfdbd701-abf4-4d5f-bb20-786bbc5599c9
For us MRR-ers that can see the end of the line coming up, it would be wise to check around for a MRR Club or RR Museum that might be interested in a collection.
In the Nashville area, we are fortunate to have the Tennessee Central RR Museum, which includes a Model RR Hobby Store - offering items from the Walthers catalog at a discount to Museum members - with no shipping charges.
They also accept MRR item donations, which are for sale at train-show prices. If none of my surviving kin-folk are interested in my collection (highly likely), then the Museum will be the beneficiary.
Rich - thank you for your response and the kind advice.
I don't really feel conflicted; instead I have a decision to make and I want to prepare as best I can for making that decision. If the way I wrote originally conveyed a sense of conflict that might seem unfortunate, its bad writing on my part. Rather, I thought I'd post about it knowing that within the community here I would find much interesting and thought provoking discussion, which seems to have been the case. I have benefitted immensely from the experience of others here, and have no doubt the same will apply here.
Thanks again, and best wishes!
Please post updates and let us know how it turns out. it Would be helpful for others to learn from.
navyman636 Rich - thank you for your response and the kind advice. I don't really feel conflicted; instead I have a decision to make and I want to prepare as best I can for making that decision. If the way I wrote originally conveyed a sense of conflict that might seem unfortunate, its bad writing on my part. Rather, I thought I'd post about it knowing that within the community here I would find much interesting and thought provoking discussion, which seems to have been the case. I have benefitted immensely from the experience of others here, and have no doubt the same will apply here. Thanks again, and best wishes!
ATLANTIC CENTRALI did not sell any trains, because don't buy trains outside the scope of the layout plan.
Sheldon, keeping the quote short and the focus narrow, it seems through these lifes decisions and plans for downsizing in retirement, you made it a priority to not downsize the layout. And, your layout plans have stayed consistent for a long time.
I think the topic of overbuying for the scope of the plan is a topic to discuss, but I think some of the comments in the thread are actually about choosing to downsize the layout plan when life's plan is to retire.
That's a topic that I'm reading about more often because some are preferring to not build the large layout as a matter of preference or priorities of space, effort, and time (and location, no basements in FL or TX) as they age.
Really a more complex topic than just over buying. JMO.
Doughless ATLANTIC CENTRAL I did not sell any trains, because don't buy trains outside the scope of the layout plan. Sheldon, keeping the quote short and the focus narrow, it seems through these lifes decisions and plans for downsizing in retirement, you made it a priority to not downsize the layout. And, your layout plans have stayed consistent for a long time. I think the topic of overbuying for the scope of the plan is a topic to discuss, but I think some of the comments in the thread are actually about choosing to downsize the layout plan when life's plan is to retire. That's a topic that I'm reading about more often because some are preferring to not build the large layout as a matter of preference or priorities of space, effort, and time (and location, no basements in FL or TX) as they age. Really a more complex topic than just over buying. JMO.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I did not sell any trains, because don't buy trains outside the scope of the layout plan.
Completely agreed.
Over buying, and the decision to scale back are not necessarily related.
It is a complex topic with a unique story for each individual.
But so is the choice to completly leave the hobby as you age, which I have seen people do.
And in previous "end of the road" descussions on this forum, I have seen people actually shaming those who said they had no intention of changing their hobby plans or possessions in preperation for that day.
I am of the view that if you stop living, you will "stop living" that much sooner.....
Everyone should do what works for them.
And you are correct, it was a very conscious decision, discuused with and agreed to by my wife, not to down size the layout plans, goals or size.
I'm doing what is right for me, I have not followed the crowd for 67 years, no chance I will start now.
I have no issue with those who choose otherwise. Their choices are their own and not likely to effect mine.
PS - To be a little more clear, the requirements for the retirement house included:
One floor living for my wife's health issues.
Just enough main floor living for our needs, no extra. It is about 2400 sq ft.
The finished living space of the Queen Anne was 4000 sq ft, 750 sq ft of covered porch, 450 sq ft of rear deck, and both floors of the garage/pool house was 2400 sq ft.
More land on a quiet street, the old house was on a rural state highway in a busy little village.
We like having more land to buffer us from the activities of others and allow our granchildren to engage in outdoor activities without bothering others.
And the layout space - the new house has a 1500 sq ft basement.
The 1300 sq ft basement of the 1901 Queen Anne was not suitable for a layout, hence the 1000 sq ft space above the garage.
So yes, we very purposely gave up specific features, but required the same or better features in other regards.
The one unresolved thing is garage space. I some point I do plan to build a detached two car garage to supplement the small attached 2 car garage we have now.
Sheldon.