We are planning a move but don't know where we are going yet. Been getting rid of a lot of stuff over the years but now is the time to be even more aggresive. Layout is modular but only some parts will go.
That is very loaded question. For me, I might unload anything that isn't in the current theme/scheme of things. I tend to buy stuff that I have no need for(horrible impulse buyer here!). SO those are the first to go when I do a "purge" of excess train stuff. Obvoiusly, you need to look at the space in the new home and what your plans are layout wise going foward. This should help determine what stays and what gets trashed, sold or given away. Mike
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
I know folks here talk about Ebay and tables at swap meets -- not always practical if you are moving soon -- but just a reminder that places like Goodwill or Purple Heart or St Vincent de Paul exist. I have from time to time seen HO and other scale trains for sale there. Seems like a better choice than the dumpster for all but the layout sections themselves.
Dave Nelson
Not really enough information to give good advice.
Some questions to consider:
- Who is paying for the move? Doesn't sound like it should be the most important factor, but it turns out it normally is. When we ended our Uncle Sam special paid-for moves, and had to pay for the moves ourselves, our priorities of what we thought was worth keeping changed dramatically. And after the last 2 moves - our own labor as well as money - we're pretty much in the "2 boxes each and the clothes on your back" camp. Which leads into the next question:
- Are you just moving across town, or to another state? Realize everything changes when you move more than across town - the types of homes, the culture, the railroad prototypes. Moving from Alaska to San Francisco area to Colorado Springs has changed both what I want to model, and what creeps into my modeling significantly. My prototype is a free-lance narrow gauge common carrier logging line in Coastal Oregon. The standard gauge is a free-lance short line that started with transcontinental ambitions (think Oregon Pacific). The narrow gauge in some ways resembles the North Pacific Coast and logging lines near the Pt Arena and Ft Bragg areas. But the abundance and availability of Colorado information, photos, and models makes it easy for Colorado influences to creep in. At the same time, the quirkiness of railroading in Alaska has a lot of appeal, too.
- You mention a modular layout but only taking some parts of it. Do you wish to continue with the same theme, era, scale, etc.? Changing any of those could pretty much allow you to dump everything.
- Are you intending to downsize (smaller home, smaller layout, fewer modules)? This is probably the hardest decision point because you have to choose that which is most important out of what you already have.
In downsizing my model railroad stuff during my various moves, layouts and track were the first things to go. I was ready to move on to doing the next layout different and better than I did before. And the space available was always so different that it just wasn't worth the hassle of moving layouts - even in sections.
Tools - get rid of duplicates of essential stuff (that third set of pliers you ran out and bought because you couldn't find the ones from before). Also, if the tool was bought for a specific purpose, and you have completed the task, or are never going to get to the task. Any tool you haven't used in the past 3 years should probably be gotten rid of.
Rolling stock - get rid of everything that doesn't absolutely fit your theme. The "stand-ins" (those cars you have until you get around to building/acquiring the real thing) - get rid of them. Even if you are down to 6 cars at the end of your move.
Locomotives - Again, anything that doesn't totally fit your theme - get rid of. Anything that doesn't run well enough to use, get rid of. Being down to 1 engine and 6 cars at the end of your move is not necessarily a bad thing. It's enough to get you started in your new home.
Built structures don't move well or easily. They are also very time consuming to pack. Unless a particular structure has great personal value to you, get rid of it. Unbuilt structure kits should meet the same test as rolling stock - unless you actually plan to use it on the new layout in the new location, get rid of it.
These are my thoughts based on my priorities and experiences. Yours should differ. Replacing stuff that you shouldn't have gotten rid of is actually easier than it used to be. Being blunt, model railroaders are dying off, and their stuff comes to market much more than it used to. E-bay is a national clearing house for train stuff.
Fred W
The only thing I really ditched when I moved here was my paper collection of MR, since I have the 75 years DVD as well as now the online archive, I have no need of the old paper copies. I did bring my whole layout, but it's going to get tossed anyway. I should have just salvaged the usable components and tossed it then.
I had already whittled my collection down to only the stuff I was going to use (and a couple of sentimental pieces I can't part with). I no longer have era-inappropriate stuff. I sold off what I didn't want. If you can decide on what you want to model (and when and where), selling off the stuff that doesn't fit that plan is a good way to thin the collection and get some cash for new items you actually can use.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Yes, it is a loaded ? Since I don't know where we will end up, there is no planning for the next space. Hope to be moving local but you never know and moving is all on us. Household stuff is easy to decide on what to do, but railroading stuff is just too personal and close to the vest to look at like I should. All the easy to get rid of stuff has been done, years ago, though I always find more. For example I have some high quality 50' boxcars that fit time and place and even road name, but they kinda look out of place with mostly 40' boxcars and some smaller.
rrinker The only thing I really ditched when I moved here was my paper collection of MR, since I have the 75 years DVD as well as now the online archive, I have no need of the old paper copies. I did bring my whole layout, but it's going to get tossed anyway. I should have just salvaged the usable components and tossed it then. I had already whittled my collection down to only the stuff I was going to use (and a couple of sentimental pieces I can't part with). I no longer have era-inappropriate stuff. I sold off what I didn't want. If you can decide on what you want to model (and when and where), selling off the stuff that doesn't fit that plan is a good way to thin the collection and get some cash for new items you actually can use. --Randy
rrebell Already got rid of most train magazines, just tossed last years in fact.
Already got rid of most train magazines, just tossed last years in fact.
Contact the nearest USO, VFW, church or American Legion. A few years ago, our church was collecting books and magazines to donate to our service men and women. I was more than happy to donate about a year's worth of Model Railroader magazines.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Medina1128 rrebell Already got rid of most train magazines, just tossed last years in fact. Contact the nearest USO, VFW, church or American Legion. A few years ago, our church was collecting books and magazines to donate to our service men and women. I was more than happy to donate about a year's worth of Model Railroader magazines.
There are other places to consider for selling/donating train stuff. You might want to consider the yahoo HO train swap forums. You can easily and quickly sell stuff. Another area is see if a local hobby shop has a place where people can post things to buy/sell. You also might consider a community center or library. I figure the more places you try, the greater the chances of success.
If you know what the theme and era of your next layout will be, it will make the decision process a lot easier. I'm somewhat in the same situation because I have accumulated way more equipment than I really need. Some of the decisions are quite easy because the equipment is either too old or too modern for my current layout. I've switched from a western to eastern theme so it's not likely any of those UP hopper cars would be showing up on my railroad. Other decisions are a little tougher because it can be questionable if certain equipment fits. You might need to do a little research to figure it out.
I am lucky in that my LHS buys used equipment and structures. I already sold one batch and got what I thought was a fair price. If you go that route, keep in mind the retailer has overhead to cover and wants to make a reasonable profit on the resell. If you've watched Pawn Stars you know that generally they will offer about 1/3 of what they think they can resell it for. That means if they think an item will sell for $30, they will offer you $10. That's $10 for you, $10 for their overhead, and $10 for their profit.
Hello all,
I do not envy you and your position.
Definitely a tough decision.
I can only speak to what I would do facing your situation.
Decide on a give space; I'm thinking here of a trunk, packing case or number of boxes for the move/storage.
Tools- -any and all! If you are running DCC I would include any and all decoders, LEDs, wire, shrink wrap, et al.
Next, I would salvage the control system; DC or DCC.
Then I would save the locomotives you currently run.
As has been posted, "Your favorite auxiliary equipment".
"If" that hasn't filled up the space I would next consider "projects". This can range from the secondary locomotives to rolling stock and structures.
The things I would definitely not take would be; track- -and all the accompanying roadbed, ballasting, senicing items and (Gulp!) wiring. (Keep any control decoders, PCBs etc.! I would consider this part of the control system.)
Sentimental items- -Anything that got you into this great hobby, things you treasure/inherited and things you just can't live without!
Good luck!!!
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
rrebell We are planning a move but don't know where we are going yet. Been getting rid of a lot of stuff over the years but now is the time to be even more aggresive. Layout is modular but only some parts will go.
I am planning on moving too. I am planning on carefully pulling up my track and boxing it up for re-use. I will destroy what surface portions are sceniced and save the basic benchwork frames and legs to incorporate into a new layout where possible. My rolling stock is being boxed up and saved; any rolling stock I am not going to need I am selling but that is an ongoing thing so I don't have a great deal of models to sell, only a small amount.
I do have some magazines I will be getting rid of.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Depends on how far you're moving and how big the next place is.
I'm moving 6 miles in August. It all goes, the house is about the same size and I am under no pressure/no deadline to complete the move. Movers for the big stuff, I'll move the little stuff including all the trains.
Paul
IRONROOSTER Depends on how far you're moving and how big the next place is. I'm moving 6 miles in August. It all goes, the house is about the same size and I am under no pressure/no deadline to complete the move. Movers for the big stuff, I'll move the little stuff including all the trains. Paul
Guys,When I move zero(other then mags) gets toss simply because it costs to replace the items tossed because I usually found that once used small pair of vise grips will be surely needed again.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
rrebellJust curious, why the move for such a short distance?
For health/safety reasons, we're moving from 2 story to 1 story. My wife fell down the stairs in November and is still not fully recovered.
rrebell Just curious, why the move for such a short distance?
Just curious, why the move for such a short distance?
I am moving a fairly short distance too, although maybe 10-15 miles away. My reason is simple. In the Northern Virginia (DC metro) area, the cost of living is quite high. The closer in you live to DC, the higher the home prices, even a small crappy old house close in will be very expensive - for the same 3 reasons, especially true in bigger cities: 1) location, 2) location, 3) location. For me to afford a stand alone house with a basement, I have to move further away from DC, with a longer commute. That is why the not so far away move. I don't know where yet because it depends on what is on the market at the time I sell and things move pretty fast around here.
Now back to me. I have someone to sell anything that has value. I have gotten rid of cars that I just don't like, even though appropiate for my era etc. One problem is I have dozens of tank cars (no duplicates, all era correct, down to dates, but I probably have too many, this can be said for other items too.
It's always best to sell things when you are not under pressure to, so you can get the fairest price. HOSwap or HOExchange can work fine if you are patient. If you are in a hurry, you'll generally get less money for what you sell. As for your other rolling stock - it's simply a matter of what you think you'll need for your modeling purposes. If in doubt, save it and box it up and take it with you; you'll likely lose money if you sells thing you may need later and have to replace it. It seems like a fairly straight forward decision process. Get rid of what you don't want or need and sell for the most fair price you can and anything you like and fits your modeling needs, box it up and take it with you when you move. Categorize and decide.
I hear you all, just hard to make decisions, for me, of this type. I am moving because last child will soon be leaving and we spend alot of time elsewhere now. An area that was important when you have childern is not as important now and the area is changing, rent for a 1 bedroom is around $3000 a month here (we own), so the people are changing.
Are you being forced to sell hobby stuff for financial reasons? If not, then simply keep the things you see your self using again, and sell or get rid of the things you don't.
Sure, I understand people locate to certain area's for children like for schools and other things, but if you don't need to be there, especially if the cost of living (COL) is high, then you should be able to re-locate to an area where the COL is more reasonable. Cripes, $3000/mo for a 1 bedroom is insane. That sounds like NYC or San Francisco insane. The DC area is expensive but you can rent 3 bedroom townhouse in outlying suburbs for under 2k/mo. You can get a mortgage on a nice 3 or 4 bedroom house for under 2k as well, if you are willing to live a good distance out. If you are retired and don't have to worry about a long commute to a job, then you can re-locate to an area where you can buy a house, maybe outright, that is good for you and have space for a layout etc.
In a way, I'm moving for a similar reason. My daughter is finished with college and has landed a job as a gov contractor. I had a considerable monthly financial outlay while she in college but now that is done, I'll be able to afford a mortage on a stand-alone house but it will be further out with a longer commute. That's basically a fact of life in many large metropolitan areas.
I've gone through upwards of a half-dozen moves in my lifetime.
One word of advice in moving: If you hire a mover, DO NOT let them handle your trains, or at least those train or train-related items that you value. I had a hired mover steal my Lionel trains that my parents purchased for me when I was a kid. I moved in July that year. The trains were always set up under the Christmas tree. I didn't miss the trains until I went up to the space over the garage in December to get them. That was the LAST time I let a mover get their hands on my trains.
Money is not a problem but space may be. Been retired, like forever, I am one of those people who worked 70 hr weeks at times and 20 hr days at times to get to a point I didn't have to work. I also have been able to get deals on most stuff, so my cost of living is 1/2 of joe average. Most train stuff I bought at deep discount like Proto 0-6-0's for $50 and top of the line rolling stock in the $12 range (did pay through the nose for a few peices though like my Tangent tank cars at $30 plus each but this was offset by Proto tank cars at around $10 average. Didn't have to move, own our own house, but times change and want to be closer to family so if all works out it will only be a 15 to 20 mile move but it takes an hour to drive there and back now and it is only getting worse and you get to pay bridge tolls to boot.
I am also moving... again. I am moving my entire layout. I have to much stuff to get rid of any, my collection has been growing for 30 years now and I still use the first athearn engine I bought. The value of my collection is high enough that getting rid of items would be throwing away money. Not to mention many of my models are irreplaceable. I don't glue down my roadbed or track so that I can pull it all up and reuse it. After years the cork road bed gets a little hard, but I'm still using it. With this next move I'll be building my fifth layout.
My last in this lifetime move thirteen years ago relocated me 1700 road miles and a couple of time zones away from the starting point.
All of my rolling stock was packed in four large plastic hanging file boxes, set up with dividers and 'padding' of extruded foam (fan-fold underlayment leftovers from a re-siding job.) I stripped everything usable from the layout and packed the one module in a padded box arranged to fit. L-girders, unused steel and even salvaged joists went into the 24 foot rental truck when final moving day arrived. Very little went to the Cheatham County landfill - mostly roadbed and risers.
I didn't dispose of a single locomotive or car. Since I was working to a plan that was formed when my daughter was a toddler (her daughter has since made me a great-grandfather) the roster was already very location and era specific.
Other model railroad specific cargo included a WWII footlocker full of salvaged communication cable and other electrical parts, a multi-drawer small parts bin full of spare parts, scratchbuilding stuff and odd ends, several containers for rail (including salvaged and unused flex track,) small wood and useful metal products. (The legendary model railroad junk box was rather more than one box!)
Since the move I've been glad that I didn't simply dumpsterize fillintheblank, when I discovered a need and could go to the right place to get it from storage in the layout space. There are a lot of other, different items I haven't found a need for - yet. There's also lots of space under the benchwork in a double garage.
Granted that moving everything was a lot of work and took up cubic in the truck. Having it got layout building off to a flying start in the new venue.
If I ever have to move again I'll probably do just about the same thing.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Funny, been about 30 years for me at this location. Already got rid of sentimental stuff long ago (except for a few brass peices). The house is ready to go for the most part, most decisions have been made about what to keep or go. The garage is the issue, not only the trains but all the other stuff. Also new for me is this is the first move where I will not be a landlord (unless something goes wrong). I have been getting some help from this discussion, even though it seems like I have not. Put some duplicates in the sell box, some stuff that I will never use also went there. Decided to get rid of most cars that are much over 40', even though my currant layout is very large, I went with 18" radius which in my opinon the 50' cars look fine but when I put evenything in a yard, the 50' stuff just stood out, even though it is prototypical in small amounts in my era. Got rid of a bunch of cars that even though the car was right, the paint job was way too modern and I know I will not repaint which with this logic my spell the doom of a case of Ertl boxcars, the gondolas I need (not many 40' gondolas with separate grabs out there RTR) and the flat cars have all for the most part been redone.
Don't sell, or get rid of, anything that will be hard to replace.
.
Sure, sell all those miscellaneous track pieces and Tortoise switch machines. They are easy to get. Your Bowser 16" turntable might be a bit harder to replace. If you are ever going to need it, don't toss it. I have sold off too many things that I wish I kept and I cannot find now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
It is all available on e-bay. Got a Walther's RTR turntable myself, paid $50 on e-bay and then bought a replacement bridge for $20. All switch machines are by hand Caboose.
SeeYou190Sure, sell all those miscellaneous track pieces and Tortoise switch machines. They are easy to get.
Kevin, Figure how much replacing those Tortoise switch machines would be.. As a example 10 would be around $160.00 @ $15.99 ea. Track is not getting any cheaper either.
Keep those switch machines and all salvageable track and toss dust covered junk pile projects that's been 10 years on the "to do" list.
BRAKIEKevin, Figure how much replacing those Tortoise switch machines would be..
When I moved to my current (final) house about 20 or so years ago, I sold all my Tortoise switch machines on eBay. When I started the "spare bedroom" layout 10 years later, I bought Tortoise switch machines on eBay for about exactly what I sold them for. Track and Tortoise switch machines are easy to replace. Heck, even Magnuson Models kits are easy to get.
I stand by my answer. If it is easy to replace, don't worry about selling it. That original set of "Virginian and Ohio" decals you got in an auction in Miami... better hold on to those.
BRAKIE SeeYou190 Sure, sell all those miscellaneous track pieces and Tortoise switch machines. They are easy to get. Kevin, Figure how much replacing those Tortoise switch machines would be.. As a example 10 would be around $160.00 @ $15.99 ea. Track is not getting any cheaper either. Keep those switch machines and all salvageable track and toss dust covered junk pile projects that's been 10 years on the "to do" list.
SeeYou190 Sure, sell all those miscellaneous track pieces and Tortoise switch machines. They are easy to get.