Ja Bear, those are some great examples of a common problem and one that has occurred within my own family.
My brother-in-law passed away six years ago, and his layout still sits undisturbed in his basement. Initially, a local historical society was going to dismantle and move the entire layout, but it never happened. His widow (my wife's sister) has told my wife that I can have anything on the layout that I want but I really don't need anything. My wife has told me that her sister would like to see the layout gone, but that is a daunting task. She lives two hours away, not that far, but this could not be done in one trip. And, if the layout is dismantled and removed, what do you do with all of the electronics, locomotives, and rolling stock. It is a real problem.
Rich
Alton Junction
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Have fun with your trains
I cannot say that I do not care, partly because I know there is at least some genuine value in the stuff and also because I hate to add any burdens on my wife.
A good buddy died before his time. His widow told us at the funeral that the layout would stay in place as long as we wanted to operate it. We had a few sessions - very melancholy to see his empty dispatcher's chair, and the guy who ran the switch lists said it was spooky to find his laptop still plugged in and running (it had the car forwarding system on it). Finally she did say it was time for the layout to go. When it came time his closest friends helped disassemble the layout, which was huge, and surprisingly, most of it was sold. They held a big garage sale to sell off the rolling stock, structures, figures, trees, magazines, tools, etc. -- pennies on the dollar of course but his widow understood. This guy had a large supply of kits that he had intended to get to.
Contrast with an estate sale I went to -- the guy died after a long illness that prevented him from working on the railroad or, obviously, from taking any steps to disassemble it. Then his wife died a few years after. Even the newest stuff was 20 years old, and the oldest stuff was from the 1940s. The two daughters took it on themselves to try to sell the stuff. They had no idea about trains and as a consequence were asking way too much for some stuff, way too little for others (such as the guy's prized brass locomotives). The magazines and books alas all reeked of "damp basement." The layout itself was really unsalable and unsalvagable and I tried to explain to the daughters why this was so. It was evident they had never talked to their dad about what to do with his trains. I bought some stuff at what I thought was a fair price. The guy had been a real craftsman in his prime and I am happy to own some examples of his skills.
I hope that when I start to fade I have the strength to dismantle my own layout rather than put any burden on my dear wife. She does understand that for the most part nobody really wants another guy's layout no matter how pretty it is. She also understands that for the equipment, what she'd get is pennies on the dollar, even stuff still factory sealed in the box with the original price tag. I have told her however that my railroad books are another matter and in many cases the list price of the book is a fraction of what it could sell for now, assuming good condition. But if all of them went to Goodwill or Purple Heart or even the dumpster, I understand. Same with my slides and digital images. I got my money's worth out of all of it.
What I worry about more is my four file cabinets and two bedroom dressers full of valuable railroadiana, some of it from the 1850s. For some of those items I feel more that I have been entrusted with pieces of railroad history than that I own them and can do with them what I please. There is perhaps no basis for that feeling but there it is. Probably what I should do is start the process myself of finding new homes.
Dave Nelson
My neighbors father was a pack rat. Back in the day when you actually could buy mail order guns, instead of buying a 1903 Springfield rifle for $50, he bought a parts gun, made of cheaper parts. You get the idea.
He died, leaving a row of steamer trunks along both sides of the garage from floor to ceiling. As they were throwing another box of useless magazine away, a gold coin fell out. He mixed gold and silver coins and ingots with old magazines. They have no idea how much gold they threw away before they made that discovery.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
The Abbot told me "It all gets trashed when I die".
Well, I will make a bill of goods specifying what has value and what does not. This way they will know what to save for sale on eBay, what can be salvaged to the shops, and what goes to the burn pile.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
hon30critter Many times I have said to myself that I need to get off my butt and do an inventory and valuation of my train stuff so my family can get the best prices for it. Then I remind myself of what we went through with my parent's possessions. My brother insisted that we get the maximum dollar for every single one of the multitude of possessions that they had so we spent weeks sorting through the stuff. We took 17 trailers full of junk to the dump, and the trailer was not small! We had three garage sales as well as several viewings by antique dealers. We also commuted 115 kms each way to get to the house many, many times. The antique dealers only bought a very few items. The garage sales generated less money than it cost us to drive back and forth. We wasted literally hundreds of hours in the whole useless process. We should have called in someone to clean the place out and let them make what they could on it. We lost money. The point of this rant is that I will never ever subject any member of my family to the same exhausting and useless process. I will tell them to call in a model railway liquidator and take what they offer. I will make my family aware of the documentation that I already have re my rolling stock so they can show it to the buyer. Besides, my wife would kill me again if she really knew what I have spent on the hobby! Dave
Many times I have said to myself that I need to get off my butt and do an inventory and valuation of my train stuff so my family can get the best prices for it. Then I remind myself of what we went through with my parent's possessions. My brother insisted that we get the maximum dollar for every single one of the multitude of possessions that they had so we spent weeks sorting through the stuff. We took 17 trailers full of junk to the dump, and the trailer was not small! We had three garage sales as well as several viewings by antique dealers. We also commuted 115 kms each way to get to the house many, many times.
The antique dealers only bought a very few items. The garage sales generated less money than it cost us to drive back and forth. We wasted literally hundreds of hours in the whole useless process. We should have called in someone to clean the place out and let them make what they could on it. We lost money.
The point of this rant is that I will never ever subject any member of my family to the same exhausting and useless process. I will tell them to call in a model railway liquidator and take what they offer. I will make my family aware of the documentation that I already have re my rolling stock so they can show it to the buyer.
Besides, my wife would kill me again if she really knew what I have spent on the hobby!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Bear!
I subscribe to the 'bounce the last cheque' philosophy too. So did my dad but fortunately for us kids be managed to screw that up.
(Canadian spelling of 'check' eh!)
Well, hopefuly I will have made a list of the more valuable items before I die as a guide. Otherwise it's up to my wife or children to keep/dispose of the stuff as they see fit. I have 1 son with some interest in trains as well as one grandson - so they'll probably get most of it.
Paul
Always play with your wife more than you play with yourself. Play with your trains when she is at work or when she is tired of your affection.
Anyway, I saw on TV someone cleaning out a house which had a large model railroad. Everything went straight into the dumpster because the workers considered the trains to be toys and thought they had no value.
j...........
P.S. My girlfriend (soon to be wife) gets everything when I go. She will sell it on ebay. She never throws anything away that she could sell.
CharlieYou are a better, more tolerant man than I Mr. B. I think my wife would end up in the dumpster first.
kasskabooseI keep reminding her that unlike golf, or being at a bar, you know where I am with model trains. We should start a support group for people in our situation.
I know a couple of nice local bars with live music, no cover and draft beer. If you want to meet me there sometime, look for the guy who's not wearing a wedding ring that night and smells better than he usually does....
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley I've bought a couple of items on eBay that were listed as "estate sale." I've tried to give these a good home on my layout. I'd like to think that my engines and rolling stock would find a good place as well. Alas, my wife resents the time I spend with my trains, and would more likely consign them to a dumpster out of spite.
I've bought a couple of items on eBay that were listed as "estate sale." I've tried to give these a good home on my layout. I'd like to think that my engines and rolling stock would find a good place as well.
Alas, my wife resents the time I spend with my trains, and would more likely consign them to a dumpster out of spite.
You are a better, more tolerant man than I Mr. B. I think my wife would end up in the dumpster first.
Charlie
A friend of mine described the perfect retirement, when you are on your death bed you cut the final check to the undertaker and it bounces the next day.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Big Daddy I don't want spend a lot of dough on infrastructure that will get trashed.
I won't be around to care and don't care what happens to my stuff when I croak. I plan to do a lot of frivolous spending before then. Not buying things to enjoy because of what will happen to them when you die!? Think about what you just said, you're dead, you won't be around to care, enjoy yourself.
I am the excecutor to more peoples estates than any sane man should be. I make it clear to all when they ask me to do the job that I will not go through their stuff other than to see that certain people get certain items that have been spelled out in the will. The rest will go to the auction house that will pick it all up. To a person they all could care less.
The last person that died whose estate I had to look after, left all her stuff including a house to a niece and nephew. It was full of high end antique furniture. The kids didn't want any of it and it sold for pennies on the dollar at the auction house. So it all boils down to how much effort the beneficiaries want to put in as far as selling things themselves or just taking the easy route and letting the auction house deal with it.
I know that my wife would give my RR stuff away to a club or a Dad with a young family a little short on funds, but if it ends up in the dumpster I won't be around to care.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
MisterBeasley Alas, my wife resents the time I spend with my trains, and would more likely consign them to a dumpster out of spite.
I discussed this with my wife has once. Her cousin Adam is a 16 year old train guy but into Lionel. So I left instructions that he could have whatever he wants from my HO layout. The rest will go out with trash I suspect.
Joe Staten Island West
Since it represents a very small portion of my net worth, who cares!
My executor might have a problem.
Unless a family member wants to move into it, the house will go on the market. That means the layout will be dismantled. Most of it will recycle (steel, not forest products) but not in its present configuration.
Every piece of assembled and operable rolling stock has a car card, with the item's complete pedigree on the back. Selling on E-bay or at auction, that data will be useful to the seller - and might come as a shock when the buyer gets it. (Brass 2-8-2, original price under $20 American....)
With the exception of some unmodified MRC and similar power packs, the layout electricals would only be of interest to a recycler of such items - at about 2 percent of cost.
Scenic details - dumpster filler.
In any event, I won't be around to be concerned.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
This whole thing reminds me of Queequeg in Moby Dick.
I have spoken to my wife, both kids and the SIL. They know to sell it for whatever a buyer wants to give them. Anything not sold can go either to a pawn shop or the local NMRA membership. There are a few brass locomotives that they know to send to one of the big brass companies.
Its like a will, if you don't have one it makes it tougher on your heirs to dispose of your assets. Why burden them, make a general list of things and what they should expect.
I have several items on my layout that belong to various members of my operating crew. I want these returned. I don't consider any of my buildings of museum quality, and the layout itself cannot be moved.
When I am done, my son will most likely sell rolling stock etc on Ebay, as he hasn't done MRing in 25+ yeasrs.
It matters not to me.
What a morbid topic. You can easily replace train for most other prized possession after you pass away. I prefer not to worry about the stuff and focus on the enjoyment. The satisfaction factor is really, really pricelss.
I went to a train auction this past weekend.. Lots of blue boxes, about 15 brass engines, unbuilt and built buildings, trucks, track, wheelsets, etc, etc, oh and every model railroader ever. Every thing went for a fair price. There were about 30 guys there and three resellers showed up who bought most of the stuff. After about 3 hours everything was sold.
Steve
Who Cares, my layout was built for Me, my enjoyment. It has served it's purpose.Once I 'm gone, ''who ever'' can take it, along with all my other stuff and do whatever.
Not my problem.
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
My sweet wife, and my two kids know what stuff cost, as they have bought me many things, like top of the line locos, and RTR cars. My kids know all about eBay, Amazon, etc., for anything they want to sell.
Most of the other stuff, like "custom cars or structures" are only worth what someone would pay, regarless of what they are worth in your mind.
If making list, and cataloging everything makes sense to you, then by all means do what gives you peace of mind.
Mike.
My You Tube
Someone else is going to have to deal with it. I'm not worried.