Being a model railroader at heart for going on 30 years, what I see here on this board are people who are able to assign a room or space for a remarkable model RR with many bells and whistles and equipment and spare time.
Since I am not in that comfortable position I want to know if there are Model Railroaders here who have limited "Time" and "Space" and don't have the luxury of being able to relax with a beer and kick back to enjoy their fascinating model RR creation along with pondering and mentally imagining the variable pleasures and facets of model railroading?
We have modelers of all situations here. Personally, I'm not not retired, most would say I'm comfortable but I don't trust the government or the economy and I'm somewhat afraid to pull the plug.
C'mon over to Elliot's Trackside Diner. That's where we get a little more off-topic. Politics and religion are still off-limits, but it's a place where we discuss all the limitations of the hobby, from wives to meds.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I am definitely not retired. I have a full time job (~50 hrs per week), spend about 8hrs a week commuting, school activites (although Mom handles most of those), have house and yard work to do, also enjoy golf in the warmer months, and am an Assistant Scoutmaster with the local boy scout troop. On a lot of days, the 15-30 minutes I spend on these boards are the closest I get to model railroading.
My job pays a very good salary, but I am paying college tuition for one boy and trying to save for two more plus my own retirement, and unfortunately am saddled with a lot of debt from my wife's prolonged period of unemployment and medical bills. Both our cars are over 150k miles, and a new one isn't in the budget. And I live in Connecticut, which has one of the highest costs of living in the country. Still, I manage to put aside $50 out of every paycheck for my hobby spending.
Someday, I'm sure that will improve. But not just yet.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
I'm only 22 and working in a grocery store. Any extra money goes to trains so yeah, I am neither retired nor have a comfortable amount money.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
I know you asked about non retirees but,I wanted to show some of us are common and not filthy rich.
I'm retired,don't have a large hobby budget and here's my layout.
Its a whopping 1 foot by 10 foot and I'm completely satisfied.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Yes, there are some of us who are neither retired nor financially comfortable. I have neither the time nor space to build a layout, at least that's the excuse I give. Rather late In life I "discovered" my current profession and I have absolutely no intention of ever retiring. I just love what I do so it's not work.
Mister Beasley, I took a look at Elliot's trackside diner and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Do you have to go back to the OP to post a reply? And if the thread is that diverse, why isn't it a forum to replace the MR boxcar one. And is Flo a reference to the waitress character from a sitcom (the name of which totally escapes me for the moment). Linda Lavin was the female lead. No religion or politics?! That's no fun!! :):):). Please explain About the diner and the process.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
I'm 32 and every dollar is accounted for in my firmly middle class income (which is actually way above the average middle class income, but I live in an absurdly expensive place. Rent's $1465/month. Layout's 2x16 or $246 worth of square footage).
If I have a date in a pay period, that means no train money for that pay period and vice versa.
Up831,
You can post a reply in the Diner any time day or nite. Say Hi, have a cup of coffee, beer, what ever your heart desire's. Sit at the counter and check things out. You have something to say, question to ask...keep it in the guidelines, of no religion, politics and personal abuse and You can talk about your wife ,your dog, cat, how's your health doing and so forth. A lot of great people there and here. You will even find me there, from time to time.
Stop In! Browse awhile.
Take Care!
Frank
BTW: I'm from the over the hill gang 72 and retired past 14yrs.
Not retired or wealthy. Technically not "working" although I am working on my dissertation right now, which is a second career after going back to school after the union-busting deal in '99 saw my job get axed, too. Very flexible hours, but virtually no days off. Needs down time to think and just get away from the glass tube, so that's how I get lots done on the RR. Bought a house over a train room and started the layout several decades ago when I had a real job and invested pretty heavily in brass when I was able, mostly sold off for Blackstone now. Fortunate to be married to a wonderful wife who is supportive of my hobby.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
BBF,
I suspect that most working model railroaders are financially strained due to house payments/kids - The usual stuff. Those that are not financially strained have a great income or have the house mortaged to the roof to pay for all of their toys. I retired at age 62 with a nice pension & retirement savings. Most of my friends at work are still there because they cannot afford to retire.
When I was working, I was a single parant - Not a lot of time for my model railroading. You do what you have to do. BTW, my one & only 30 year old son is getting married this Saturday!
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Well, still about 6 to 9 years to retirement, but just finished putting our second through engineering school so were broke x 2! I even had to disassemble my ho layout so one of my kids could use the downstairs as a temporary apartment until finding a house ( still it was a good trade ). So moving to a small bedroom, it was change to N or a small, small HO layout. I chose N and really am glad I did. I just save what ever is left over from my weekly allowance and use that as my train budget. All in all this has really woked out quite well. Ralph
I'm retired on disability from a bad train derailment that happened 10 years ago. I'm doing ok, railroad retirement disability is better than SSI, but I limit my spending on only certain small items. I've already assembled a great fleet of steam and diesel, and my rolling stock is where I want it to be, so I focus on things like autos and figures. Our layout is 26'x26' and that's as big as I can go. For years, money was tight, especially in the years of being on the extra board and not getting a whole lot of hours. The good thing about this hobby is that it fits just about everybody's financial situation. I must admit there's times when I wish I could buy the new locomotive from BLI, but common sense keeps me in check.
-Stan
Well I am retired and quite comfortably and found out that anyone can do it but it takes alot of self sacrafice and dedication to saving. In fact I retired the first time at 29, guess those 20 hour days and 80 hour weeks plus my own jobs when things got slow paid off (yes I was really that crazy or I was young and didn't know any better).
I retired in 2009. But 10 years before that we sold the old house and purchased the new one which now houses my fairly large layout.
Knowing that Retirement was on the horizon and the last son was now out of college - there was no reason to not begin the layout!
I knew that now was the time to purchase the expensive parts of the layout mainly the track & turnouts!
I also had a totally empty basement that needed drywall and lights!
Being friends with a lot of people it was time to call in all of those favors from years back!
So I put out the notice that I needed drop ceiling materials - flouescent lights of any type - etc.
With most of the friends being in the construction business the stuff just began rolling in
I just had to purchase 50 sheets of drywall, associated furrring strips and I was set.
And working for a Modular Home plant - we would get laid off for weeks at a time during the winter and what was I doing - hanging drywall and lights - instead of runing around sking and other non productive stuff.
I figured that when I had the layout up and running I could then take a few days off and go to the beach or out west etc.
Building a layout takes 10 times more time than one thinks and if you don't have 40 hours a week to spend on building it then - better take up basket weaving!
Since I retired I spend 40 hours a week working on the layout - and it isn't work as I really look forward to going to the basement every morning!
Obsessed is too mild of a word! This is how you Build a 2500 sq ft layout mostly by yourself. It can be done!
Bob H - Clarion, PA
Modeling B&O in the early 50's.
Just retired at 68 years of age. Waiting for my first check from Railroad Retirement, and not sure what my actual monthly income & expenses will be when it all shakes out. I won't be rich, but I should get by. The house isn't paid for yet, and that should be my biggest single expense fior the foreseeable future. I've spent the past many years collecting equipment for the layout that I hope to begin building later this year. Construction has been delayed because of a busy travel schedule, but I have the plan roughly set.
Retired, but certainly not wealthy. My layout was built when I was still working, but I've always had to watch the hobby dollars. Much of what I have was bought "used", and much of my enjoyment has come from making it "mine". I have way more "sweat equity" in my layout than I do money, and that's not likely to change. I have always been happy with what I had, however little or much.
Wayne
Fortunately for most of us, model railroading is not a competitive sport. No prize for having the most toys at the end. I too have been building and rebuilding a layout since the late 1950's, Still working and contributing funds into the Social Security System. Still have miles to go before retirement, and living in a world where resources and responsibilities are too close a balance for comfort. Where other people are somewhat offhanded in discussing the number of square feet per moth that they model, I dwell in the group that might spend several months working on a few square inches.
I have a great deal of gratitude and respect for those who can count their time as fully invested in their layouts. Truly those who count their motive fleet by the dozens, their rolling stock by the hundreds, etc. do the rest of us a big favor by fueling the corporate side of the hobby. Me, it is more often pocket change and wallet lint that falls out while I probe through the discount and close out boxes for items that I can transform into moe realism on my small layout.
What it really comes down to, regardless of size or scope of your time in the hobby, is just this: find aspects that you can do with enjoyment and satisfaction. Some days it is enough to just watch a train run steadily, other days it is fussing with some new details or starting a tear out task that will lead to the next improvement. Occaisionally,it is hauling out a pad of paper and doodling up ideas, that if the world looks kindly on my working endeavors-well everyone else must have fantasies as to what that next extension, division, interchange,etc. might look like-if only...
Don H.
glutrainWhat it really comes down to, regardless of size or scope of your time in the hobby, is just this: find aspects that you can do with enjoyment and satisfaction. Some days it is enough to just watch a train run steadily, other days it is fussing with some new details or starting a tear out task that will lead to the next improvement.
Excellent points, Don. This hobby will bring you some sort of satisfaction every time you go into the layout room or sit at your workbench. Switch to a different task if one project just isn't working is one of my tips in that direction. No point in getting the bloody forehead of frustration. Besides, a number of times when I've done this, I get an idea of a solution by simply being patient, working on something else, and letting it come to me in its own time.
I'm balancing college and hobbies and a part-time job, yep not retired but neither financially comfortable.
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
jrbernier BBF, I suspect that most working model railroaders are financially strained due to house payments/kids - The usual stuff. Those that are not financially strained have a great income or have the house mortaged to the roof to pay for all of their toys. I retired at age 62 with a nice pension & retirement savings. Most of my friends at work are still there because they cannot afford to retire. When I was working, I was a single parant - Not a lot of time for my model railroading. You do what you have to do. BTW, my one & only 30 year old son is getting married this Saturday! Jim
Edited: Because I can.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
Big Boy ForeverSince I am not in that comfortable position I want to know if there are Model Railroaders here who have limited "Time" and "Space" and don't have the luxury of being able to relax with a beer and kick back to enjoy their fascinating model RR creation along with pondering and mentally imagining the variable pleasures and facets of model railroading?
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
What an unusal thread! Ok, I'll play................
Yes, I am retired and am doing OK. I also have a room in my house for a layout.
But it hasn't always been that way...........
Like most all the newbies out there, I struggled to afford anything MR wise since I was 12. While I had layouts as a kid (dark dingy basements), I went for a long spell without. It wasn't until the last of my 4 kids left that I had a room suitable for a layout. That was in 1988, and I'm on my third.
My point is, while I may be "comfortable" with time/money to build a layout, I spent 43 years (40 in the oil business) working ungodly hours to get to this point. It seems like everything came first (before a layout), and frankly that is the way it should be.
I have absolutely no sympathy for those "young folks" crying over the high price of the hobby or their lack of room for a layout. If you want something, you have to work for it. And, you don't need the very best or the item "right now".
I spent many years doodling out layout plans and getting $2-3 Athearn car kits to satisfy my craving - not to mention the many decades of subscriptions to MR and RMC. That is all I could afford back then.
So work hard (and smart), take care of your obligations, and do some planning..................
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
LION is monk. Him Lives in Monastery. No income whatsoever, but then no expenses either. The only time a monk retires is when he is too infirm to continue working.
But LION is lucky, him got permission from the Abbot 25 years ago to "set up a train in the basement". Perhaps the Abbot pictured a ping pong table with a loop of track on it. Actually, since the school here closed we had a surfit of ping pong tables, so I took two of them and was off to the races.
That basement room was taken from me and renovated into a very nice meeting room, so I found a disused classroom above the library and settled in there. My layout is now quite huge, but all of the lumber came from the barn where we had stored it after tering down various buildings. Most of the wiring was surplus, that is why I do not worry about gauge or color of wires.
Over the past 25 years I have put some money into it, obviously so since there is more than 900 feet of track and more that 50 tortoise switch machines, not to say anthing of 52 subway cars. Where does all that money come from? Darned if I know. But things do accumulate. I have to ask the Prior or the Abbot from money from time to time, but they others can ask their wives to spend money so it does not grow on trees.
Anyway, I am most content to be a monk, I maybe get to spend about 3 or 4 hours a week in the train room. Just about the time the soldering iron heats up, I am called back down to do something else, but that is no different from anybody else here.
It is one of the reasons why I never PLAN a layout, over the years my ideas morph and I re do things, add things, pull things down. I am just finishing up my third total re wiring of the layout. Maybe someday I will finish it, perhaps not. But I am always doing something up there, and that is what a hobby is all about.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
mobilman44I spent many years doodling out layout plans and getting $2-3 Athearn car kits to satisfy my craving - not to mention the many decades of subscriptions to MR and RMC. That is all I could afford back then.
I never was that "poor" I couldn't afford to build a small switching layout and that beats doodling out plans for years-even a 4x8 footer beats nothing or just doodling the years away planing a some day layout.Even while working on the railroad I found time to build a N Scale 36" x 72" door layout.
Of course my wife and I had our "me time" so we could relax enjoy our hobbies.I think that was one of the reasons why our marriage worked without the normal arguing caused by every day stress-we released that stress buildup by enjoying our "me times".
glutrain claimed: No prize for having the most toys at the end.
No prize for having the most toys at the end.
There isn't? Well, I'm glad I'm building my layout in a modular fashion so I can take it with me, then, either to the Big Roundhouse in the Sky or that very warm basement.
up831 asked: Do you have to go back to the OP to post a reply?
Do you have to go back to the OP to post a reply?
Well, you shouldn't have to, but sometimes the "Reply" button or some of the others don't show up. It's a browser thing. I find that Firefox works better than IE, but no browser seems perfect on this site.
MisterBeasleyup831 asked: Do you have to go back to the OP to post a reply? Well, you shouldn't have to, but sometimes the "Reply" button or some of the others don't show up. It's a browser thing. I find that Firefox works better than IE, but no browser seems perfect on this site.
Mr.B,
He was asking You about...How to reply in the ''Diner'' can he just say something or must he go through the OP.
I'm most definitely NOT retired. As for comfortable? Think of a movie scene in which a battered airplane is in a dive, and the pilots are pulling at the yoke with every ounce of strength they have trying to recover. The plane starts to level out a bit but they might be too close to the ground to save the aircraft. Well right now I have two kids in college, soon to be three, and the view out of my cockpit window is the sight of tree branches smacking the glass.....
The flip side is I find enjoyment in discovering no-cost to low-cost ways to model.
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
Retired, no
Comfortable, Heck no
Working a restaraunt job isn't comfortable. And this is florida, where rent for a studio apartment would be over 700 a month. So I live at home and am going to school for IT. I already went for mechanical drafiting/ CAD design, but no one here is hiring..
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.