NP2626 “Layout Pertinence” topic got me to thinking.
As we grow older and as our health,eyes and manual dexterity starts fading perhaps we should start thinking about retiring from the hobby and selling our models? Of course this would end the problems getting rid of our models for our family after our demise…
Guys,What think you?
For me I’m not to sure if I could retire.Maybe I could simiretire by downsizing my collection to a single train I could run at the club but,100% retirement leaves a unanswered question.
LION has layout on third floor of library building (No Elevator). Steps will be the ruling factor, as long as I can go up, I can keep the layout running.
Not this old Indian. I got rid of my N Scale stuff due to dexterity issues and a lack of space and funds kept me from going to O Scale. HO is what I have and it’s what I’ll keep and stay active in until I cant get up anymore. As for the relatives getting rid of the stuff, they need something to do.
good question, but, for me i have more time for the hobby now than i ever did before and i am enjoying it more. all my adult life, i have wished i had more time for fun and now i do.
as for health, how healthy does one need to be once the “bull” work of room prep and benchwork is out of the way? i no longer need to crawl under the layout much since the wiring is pretty much finished.
manual dexterity is not much of an issue for me since i have learned to brace my arms and hands to keep them from shaking when assembling fine detailed parts.
as for vision, i got my cataracts fixed and only need a pair of cheaters for close up work since i was too cheap to pay the extra money for the wide range implants. i see better now than i have for decades.
if anyone ever came back from the dead, i doubt their main regret would be not getting rid of all their stuff before they died. you are not going to know about it anyway. i don’t recall ever being honked off at anyone who died because they left something behind.
i took care of my family pretty well and saw that the kids and grand kids got educated and learned how to make a living so my part is done. if there are trains in the basement when i am gone, they can deal with it.
i did have a couple of close calls and have decided that i am going to enjoy myself every day as much as i can. if i don’t blow my extra $$$ on model railroad stuff then i will blow it playing blackjack.
I find it hard to believe that you might be contemplating even feeling less than 100%…
Maybe you’ll know it’s time to go when you have your first derailment?[;)]
But seriously, worrying about making accommodations for when you get old is not exactly the strong suit of the young. I really wished I left aisles wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, then there’s the whole matter of suitable access to the basement. Not that I worry too much about it, but I have a spinal issue that, worst case, could eventually result in paralysis below the site of the injury. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one, so far, it could be worse so I hope things don’t fall apart like that…
More generally, I planned the layout with the thought of getting the stuff that required the strength and flexibility of youth done, while leaving access that I hope I can still use when I’m older. Again, wish I’d done a better job, but I did do some and it was well worth getting what I could in terms of access tied into the plan.
I will say that Blackstone kept my bacon from falling into the fire by having those folks in China build some stuff for me. Otherwise, I’d just be to the part where I’d be building as much rolling stock as I could before the hands and eyes go more than they’ve already gone.
To sum up…
Start young, but think old.
Plan to get the rough stuff done when still young.
I’ve talked to one or two individuals who “retired” and frankly they seemed downright depressed about having to give up the hobby. For them it seemed like another nail in the coffin. As for myself I’ve wondered about the direction I’ve decided to go. Though I’m in my early 50’s I’ve bitten the bullet and decided to grow (substantially) Yes I asked myself where I’ll be in 10 -15 years as far as will I still be in my home or another home or whether I’ll be healthy enough etc etc. Guess what. After thinking about it. I said to heck with it. I’ll enjoy what I have as long as I have it. I’ll retire either when I’m ready or Kicking and screaming. As long as i can model I’m alive and enjoying what I do!
I am currently building a new large layout. I am 63, retired and in pretty good health. That said, I have thought about future, and the possible need to down-size everything. I have been building kits that I have ‘stock piled’ over the years, and I will sell off the excess at some point.
I am in sort of an unusual situation:
Retired
Single
Own own home(paid for)
Having had a large layout for over 20 years, and building another as a ‘retirement’ project is rare. I have a friend who will turn 70 later this year. He has built 3 large basement size layouts over the past 25 years or so - All completely scenic-ed and running. He also is retired, and has been single all of his life(he did not take the marriage/kids route like me). He is in even better physical shape than me and volunteers at Habitat 2-3 days/week. Myself, I have lost 25 lbs since retirement and my doctor cut my blood pressure medication in half. Amazing what ‘stress’ reduction will do to one!
I have thought about selling the house and getting a townhouse, but I have not seen anything that has at least a 16’ by 16’ room for a small layout/work place(there are ones available, but they cost as much as my present 2300 sq ft home).
The top drawer of my filing cabinet is full of wills of people I am executor for. Fortunately all the kids that were to come to me in case of the early demise of the parents are mostly all adults now so I am off that hook.
I have had to step in and offer guidance to some elderly friends of my now deceased parents that had ask me to be their executor. Even though some of them have their own children they ask me to do the job. As these elderly people got closer to the end of their lives it became evident to me why their own children were not made executors of their own parents estate’s.
In the case of three of these elderly people they would phone me and tell me they were getting rid of a lot their belongings so their children would not have to bother with all their “stuff” when they died. They just wanted me to know.
One lady in a seniors facility had sold off her art work and antique furniture worth thousands of dollars at fire sale prices because her children didn’t want to be burdened with it all when she died. This sickened me as this lady spent the last three years of her life without any of her cherished possessions surrounding her.
I will be hanging on to my trains to the end even if all I can do is look at them. I also know my kids will do everything in their power to make sure I can.
The rumors of my retirement from this hobby have been greatly exagerated! I’ve only been retired for 2 months and finally have the time I wanted to devote to my hobbies!
I’ve long since passed the point where health issues started putting a serious hitch in my giddiyup. (At the moment my back is telling me all about 45 minutes of not-very-arduous yard maintenance.)
Progress on the layout, never particularly fast, has slowed to something less than a crawl. Still, when the spirit moves me it’s there, available for whatever construction or operation I feel up to.
As far as ‘retiring’ from model railroading, fuhgeddaboudit.
Chuck (Native Noo Yawker modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
The one big mistake people make is to “retire” from their hobby unless it’s climbing ice falls in the Rockies, retire—do you mean sitting in your window every day watching cars go by?? do yourself a favor and hit a couple of nursing homes and talk to the fellows gawking out the window for the last 7 years, ask them what interests they have (probably none) then ask them if there is something physically wrong that they cannot enjoy a hobby, I’m sure the answer will be " just not interested" Now put yourself in the same position, you will soon decide any attempt at MR is a good deal, forget the micro-miniature stuff, run a train just to see it run, maybe downsize a little (that will keep you busy), but do not stop, it will be the one big pleasure in your life, and will keep you sane, always some goofy little thing you can do on a layout, just remember those guys staring out the window, who needs that?
I retired over two years ago. just after turning 64. Since retiring I work on my large basement shelf layout every day during the fall and winter months. I’ve made more progress in two years than I did in the previous 8 years. Scenery is coming along, and I plan on posting photos soon.
No way am I retiring from the hobby. When my time is up my wife and grown children with help from my friends can dispose of it when I gone.
hmmmm… well with being retired so far off( probably impossible for my generation due to failures by or political leaders) I will hold onto my trains until I kick the bucket, being only 18 I don’t have to worry about it but I do anyways.
i am just starting my first large scale layout. i have built about 7 modular layouts in my life so far but this is my first large basement one. right now i got a 10 year plan. 1 year for the bench work and track and a anoughter 9 years for all the detail work.
I retired 5 years ago from my stressful job and never looked back. I will turn 72 in May and started my ‘dream layout’ 6 years ago. My layout is built to withstand a hurricane and I don’t plan to dismantle it ever! My wife asked me what to do with my trains if I go first? I showed her my 11 page Excel spreadsheet with all the Ho stuff I bought since 1990 and it just tops $7000. I didn’t know that until this week when I ran a total on it? I told her to contact someone at the local MRR club and ask them if they want to but any of it or put it on Ebay. She said she would close the door to my train room (24’ x 26’) and leave it for our kids when she goes!. So, I guess I won’t worry about it unless I can’t duck under the two ‘duck unders’ any longer. I can’t imagine life without trains! If I ever wind up in a nursing home I will take as many Model Railroader mags as they will let me have and continue my subscription until I can see the pictures any more. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
This ia a rather timely subject as a few weeks ago I fell and tore my achilles tendson. Since then my leg from the toes to the knee has been in a cast and I’m on crutches. The layout is downsatairs so getting to it is out of the question. Add to this that I’m 83 and you can understand why I’m thinking about the future of the layout.
Sure, I could dispose of it so as to remove the burden from my son, but I know he wouldn’t want me to do that just for him so long as I get any pleasure from it. And I it will give me pleasure even if it’s just walking by and looking at it.
There are plenty of other things I can clean up and clear out that will help my heirs after I’m gone.
I had a friend whose invalid Mother and Father were living their last years. Meanwhile their car sat in the driveway with four flat tires. I asked him why he didn’t get rid of it and he said that if they looked out the window and didn’t see the car all of their hope would be gone. That car was indeed giving them pleasure.
In the mean time my sole railroad activity is this forum.
