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What do you do for a living or is mrrding your living?

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  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: "Steel, Steam and Thunder"Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • 1,177 posts
Posted by TheK4Kid on Sunday, October 7, 2007 11:15 AM
 Dave Vollmer wrote:

I'm a Major in the United States Air Force.  I'm a weather officer.

Right now I'm assigned to NC State University.  I'm in my third (and final) year of my PhD in atmospheric science (specifically dynamic meteorology).

Next year I'll be reassigned to Headquarters Air Force Weather Agency, Offutt AFB, NE.

Here's me at work (before I pinned on Major) over Baghdad in 2003:

Thanks for your service to our country Dave!

Ed  aka TheK4Kid 

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Gopher Ridge, Florida
  • 76 posts
Posted by Printer on Sunday, October 7, 2007 2:59 PM
A 'Forced" into retirement Master Printer. 27 years of owning and operating my own shops in Michigan and Florida. Now I make due with my meager Social Security and wonder what to do with the rest of my life. I still own my equipment and although the family wants me to liquidate it, I'm hard pressed to sell my press and all. (hahaha-hard pressed to sell my press)

I'm stonewalling everyone and still servicing 2 dealerships, Ford and Honda, out of a closed door shop. But if my doctor finds out, well he won't be happy. I don't care really, Printing wasn't a job, it wasn't a carreer, It Was a Way Of Life for me. I LOVE it and still sit in the shop and run personal stuff like Car-Cards and Waybills for when I pull all of my paper cases full of trains out of storage.

I just finished a battery of tests, workups, scans, xrays and all other manner of invasive scrutiney for my Mid October checkup. It's been 6 months since my Heart Attack and Emphysema (COPD) diagnosis. This one should tell me which way I'm headed, Up Hill or Down the Drain. The doctors and everyone has me classified as Total/Permanent Disabled. But I NEED to do something. I'll stop here before I run on about how I seem to have no purpose........

Scoot
Head Robber Baron of the Cache & Carrie Railroad *everything I own fell off a train*
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Culpeper, Va
  • 8,204 posts
Posted by IRONROOSTER on Sunday, October 7, 2007 4:28 PM

I am a software engineer.  I plan to retire in about 2 years and then start a larger layout.

Enjoy

Paul 

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Greenwood, DE - USA
  • 170 posts
Posted by swknox on Sunday, October 7, 2007 4:36 PM

Truck Driver / Delivery Driver for a local milk company based in Pennsy and I work out of one of their plants here in Delaware. Aww the heck with it you can call me the milk man lol. It's not a bad job and I really like it for the most part but if something better were to come along I might jump on it. Would love to open a nice size hobby shop if I could but have to many other things to worry about right now. I love to drive trucks in general and if u do ur job the boss dosent have one thing to say to u except hi or bye which i like... lol but would love to try other things. Things i have done in the past... Safety inspector, Quality Control inspector at a concrete plant, have dabbled in H/vac, electrical, and plumbing with a general contractor, worked parts counter for a local RV dealership, and Batch plant Operator for another concrete plant.

Cool site to visit http://www.trainweb.org/peninsularailfan/index.html - local site, very cool http://crcyc.railfan.net/ - Conrail site, also cool http://www.thedieselshop.us/MPR.html
  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: ohio
  • 1,371 posts
Posted by rs2mike on Monday, October 8, 2007 7:52 AM
Wow I guess we are as divirse as the trains we run.  For those of you in the service THANK YOU for everything you do.  Great post everyone, nice to see we CAN all get along. 

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Reynoldsburg. Ohio
  • 316 posts
Posted by Wisconsin Railfan on Monday, October 8, 2007 9:26 AM

I am an IT Geek for a large bank here in Columbus, Ohio.  Hobbies include, Railfan, model railrading in HO, learning how to build from scratch, HAM Radio, Classic arcade gamming (MAME), Electronics, and trying to make stuff I see in MAKE Magazine http://www.makezine.com/

Question: What does medically retired mean? 

The train came by and I got on, that’s when it all began
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Little Rock
  • 487 posts
Posted by One Track Mind on Monday, October 8, 2007 10:27 AM
owner/operator of a LHS for ten years. So model railroading is how I make my living, but unfortunately it's true what they say...it's hardly my hobby anymore.
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Baltimore, MD
  • 1,726 posts
Posted by CSX_road_slug on Monday, October 8, 2007 10:29 AM

I work at a university-affiliated research lab.  My official job title is "Database Administrator", but I'm actually a business software developer - at least that is what I do to keep myself busy, while making sure our systems stay online.  I hope to retire from here in 15 years.  The pay is pretty decent, but I'm in a high-cost-of-living region (central Maryland) and also paying for all my kids' educations.  That pretty much devours most of my would-be model railroading budget.

I'm afraid if I depended on mrr-related work as a source of income, I'd quickly lose interest in doing it as a hobby.

 

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: New Brunswick,Canada
  • 335 posts
Posted by sledgehammer on Monday, October 8, 2007 10:36 AM

im a carpenter by trade now,  I use to do bodywork for a living and to leave for medical reason.

  Here is my projects I just finished.

My train of thought gets interupted by the whistle http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/sledgehammer33/ Derrick Jones
  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Henderson, Nevada, USA
  • 17 posts
Posted by ChrisKSDF on Monday, October 8, 2007 11:55 AM

Web designer and site owner since 1998. I now operated 6 sites which, cumulatively, are viewed by about 450,000 folks and serve over 10 million webpages per day. I'm sure some here are familiar with at least one of them. :)

  • Member since
    December 2002
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Posted by pastorbob on Monday, October 8, 2007 1:23 PM

Currently semi retired, but serving as pastor of a rural church at Pomona KS.  Live in KC, so drive 45 minutes each way.

After graduating from seminary and college, I took a small church in Topeka KS area, couldn't live on it, went to work then at Santa Fe GOB in Topeka in 1960, got in on the ground floor of the computer revolution, spend the next years after  going to about every IBM school in America working in programming, system design while pastoring small churches.  In 1970 went to the Federal Reserve Bank of KC in computers, pastored small churches in KC area, retired from FED on early buyout in 1996, remain pastoring.

I grew up in a Santa Fe family, have always loved trains, always had trains from age 6 months.

Bob

Bob Miller http://www.atsfmodelrailroads.com/
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 8, 2007 1:24 PM
 pastorbob wrote:

Currently semi retired, but serving as pastor of a rural church at Pomona KS.  Live in KC, so drive 45 minutes each way.

After graduating from seminary and college, I took a small church in Topeka KS area, couldn't live on it, went to work then at Santa Fe GOB in Topeka in 1960, got in on the ground floor of the computer revolution, spend the next years after  going to about every IBM school in America working in programming, system design while pastoring small churches.  In 1970 went to the Federal Reserve Bank of KC in computers, pastored small churches in KC area, retired from FED on early buyout in 1996, remain pastoring.

I grew up in a Santa Fe family, have always loved trains, always had trains from age 6 months.

Bob

 

I guessed you were a pastor for some reason

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 8, 2007 1:24 PM
 pastorbob wrote:

Currently semi retired, but serving as pastor of a rural church at Pomona KS.  Live in KC, so drive 45 minutes each way.

After graduating from seminary and college, I took a small church in Topeka KS area, couldn't live on it, went to work then at Santa Fe GOB in Topeka in 1960, got in on the ground floor of the computer revolution, spend the next years after  going to about every IBM school in America working in programming, system design while pastoring small churches.  In 1970 went to the Federal Reserve Bank of KC in computers, pastored small churches in KC area, retired from FED on early buyout in 1996, remain pastoring.

I grew up in a Santa Fe family, have always loved trains, always had trains from age 6 months.

Bob

 

I guessed you were a pastor for some reason

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Crosby, Texas
  • 3,660 posts
Posted by cwclark on Monday, October 8, 2007 2:28 PM
I operate a utility industrial water plant for the petrochemical industry. I made the mistake of telling the navy recruiter that i liked trains and they stuck me on an ocean going gray tub for 4 years in the boiler room. I learned about all the different water systems, got a license, and have dealt with all kinds of different forms of water since then...still wish i could have worked for the railroad but with 6 years left to retirement, i think i'll stay put....chuck

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 8, 2007 2:34 PM

I just got back into MRR and I'm 28 years old.  I stopped when I was about 15.  I took my trains out for my nephew a few months ago and I decided after much enjoyment that I would make a real layout now that I have the patience.

I am a Biologist and Environmental Scientist by training (Bachelor of Science).  Right now I work for a Pharma Co in PA.  I was in Environmental Consulting for 4 years previously.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Lewiston ID
  • 1,710 posts
Posted by reklein on Monday, October 8, 2007 7:35 PM
Retired Grounds Super for a city in AK,in '98'.Since hen heve worked a couple years in an art gallery,a couple years at HD, 8mo. in a hobby shop,its not as fun as it sounds. Full time retired now. spend my time building models of different subjects,and sometimes help my daughter with her bookstore. I stay as busy as I wanna be.
In Lewiston Idaho,where they filmed Breakheart pass.
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: indiana
  • 792 posts
Posted by joseph2 on Monday, October 8, 2007 8:25 PM
Have been employed at a grain elevator since 1970.Yes,it has a railyard and on a good day I work as an engineer or as a switchman. In 1970 we handled pre-War boxcars,now just covered hoppers and tank cars.  Joe
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Weymouth, Ma.
  • 5,199 posts
Posted by bogp40 on Monday, October 8, 2007 9:28 PM

I'm a general contractor/ finish carpenter. Now I specialize in kitchen and bath remodel. Over the course of my 30+ years in the trade I picked the brains of all the old timers from all the affiliated trades to diclose some of their tricks and know how. When younger, I enjoyed residential framing especially rafters, gables and hips.  It seems that now I spend most of my time tearing into customers homes to right all the wrongs over the years of poor quality workmanship and materials. This is the only course  to take to have straight, square and level walls and floors to build upon. I don't bother with building the cabinets these days. The overhead in shop/ equipment and time involved is not worth it now. I'll let others build the cabs or use quality out the box units.

I still do the occasional stair/ ballastrade, architectral moldings and most favorite -restorations on some of the old homes around Boston.

Custom ceramic tile and stone work is another favorite of mine.

I love my work and as long as I'm physically able will continue to satisfy my customers with quality work

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Methuen, Taxachusetts
  • 189 posts
Posted by ArtOfRuin on Monday, October 8, 2007 9:52 PM

Retail, sadly Dead [xx(]. I sell shoes at a major department store chain. I have A+ computer repair certification and an associate's degree, but no one's hiring for full-time and all the contract jobs I'm offered are filled internally the day before I'm scheduled to show up. I just got bumped off commission by my company and am facing a huge dock in pay, so I'm currently job hunting. I want an IT job, but it looks like I'll have to settle for another retail job Dead [xx(].

-Jonathan Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, Is just a freight train coming your way - "No Leaf Clover," Metallica
  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Oklahoma
  • 93 posts
Posted by OKrlroads on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 12:47 AM

 

Been around over the road, oilfield, and farm trucks all my life. My dad drove and worked on them. I started out in my teens at a International Harvester truck dealership working the parts counter. After the oil boom went bust, started working in a small shop with my dad for several years, then opened my own shop. Been doing that for the last 16 years.

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Mobile Alabama
  • 694 posts
Posted by carknocker1 on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 4:37 AM
I am a carman supervisor and a model railroader .
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: IN/USA
  • 2,495 posts
Posted by wetidlerjr on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 4:41 AM

 NevinW wrote:
What do you do for a living ?...

 

Norfolk Southern Construction Gang Signalman (soon to be retired !) Big Smile [:D]

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 29 posts
Posted by samike on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 6:10 AM

Civil engineer, design and project management of construction of wastewater treatment works, looking forward to retirement  in two years time to sent more time on construction of a larger layout in a 21X16 area of my garage once I sell off part of a prevoius hobby of restoring a 1967 Lotus Elan FHC sports car.

Mike.

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