I was forced into retirement at the age of 43 because of medical reasons and have to get along on a fixed income of $603 + $37 in food stamps a month. That has to pay the electric bill, car insurance, groceries, loan payment (which will be paid off within the week), cable bill (for my high-speed internet), gas for the car and still have a little left for trains. Only by keeping my needs to an absolute minimum can I accomplish this feat. So, when you think you don’t have it so good, look around, somebody else is having a harder time.
Good post. I built three layouts early in my career on similar, but not quite as drastic, a situation. I appreciate your posts and your skills. I also look forward to the day I can pass you on the active post list. Mean while, the trestle sits unfinished.
I have a lot of spare time on my hands as I have been unemployed for several months. The job search is very slow and has not been productive to this date. I have a lot of train stuff (kits & supplies) accumulated over the years. Because of my large accumulation of MR resources, I thought that I could spend a lot of time working on the layout, but found that many of these projects require extra expenditures for paint, glue, couplers…so those projects are on hold.
I currently have a 12’ x 20’ modular plywood pacific which was brought from my prior living arrangement, so I can at least run trains.
I have been spending time maintaining my locomotive fleet and have about a dozen PK2 units waiting for replacement gear sets from Walther’s.
My layout will include a Kansas City switching district so I have been printing DPM/Walther’s modular templates on cardstock and building mock ups of future buildings. I also scanned parts from a Wlather’s industrail building which I plan to kit bash into a building flat. Actually the color mock-ups look better than expected.
My plywood pacific has some spurs and two passing sidings, so as the building mock-up go in place I will be developing my car cards/waybills as these will be the industries on the final layout.
We recently built an new basement (home) for model railroading and we plan to keep the house as we are about 10-12 ys from retirement, but my employment will take me out of town…back to apartment living. When that happens I guess I can build those buildings.
I enjoy model railroading and do the best with what I have.
At 43, I have been on disability for 5 yrs, similar to above. I have a partner (also low income) so my living expenses are shared. I do work a wee bit for a friend sometimes. I/we are getting back into the hobby, and I hunt for cheap stuff to add to my old stuff. I don’t have a particular RR or era that I’m trying to model, so I don’t care what the equipment is. DCC is out for me due to cost. Train shows often help, and when I see what I really want, I just scrimp and save to get it. There isn’t much else I can do, so I enjoy what I’ve got/can do.My friend is known to make things appear on my doorstep for me that I have expressed intrest in, or can use, including this computer! Be cause it is older, and problematic now, he remarked that perhaps it should just be replaced. I wouldnt doubt that I’ll find a new one on my doorstep after the first! And yes, no matter how little you make and complain, there is always someone who is making do on less!
No, I sure as heck can’t, Jeffrey. My hat is off to you. But I do know where you are coming from. Whatever we set our minds to is sure to happen for the majority of us. It is just that some of us, well…many of us…forget about the ball and where it should be at any one time.
I retired at 52 in '04. Not especially well set up due to my own priorities, but much better than most people if truth were known. Still, I must exist on a military pension, and it won’t be indexed for another couple of years. Thank goodness inflation is so low! I think of the folks in the former Soviet Union whose pensions were reduced to the equivalent of a few dollars a month as the Empire came to its knees over 15 years or so.
No, I think I am lucky, and I acknowledge the contributions of others in getting me to where I am. I can enjoy an expensive hobby, but I would probably not be able to repair and keep old Corvettes, for example. I don’t have snowmobiles, boats, several cars, I don’t buy lottery tickets…ever…, nor do I gamble. I have recently bottled a batch each of red and white wine from kits, and I harvested green and blush grapes and have those batches ready to bottle. I have a fresh batch of beer in bottles. Also, I grow most of our vegetables.
I just keep out of my Frau’s way by playing in the basement d
What happened to me didnt effect the MR enjoyment of my life I wasnt that far into it and My dad pays for most of it. I lost my job 10 yrs ago lost my right to own a car 6 yr ago and no bus hence why I am a decal maker. Helps with some funding for the layout.
My father lost his job back in 2002 couldnt work cause my mother was so ba But in 2004 he was luckily able to find a job delivering car parts. It also helped that he had early retirement from the city but it wasnt much hen you figure the house payment is most of the paycheck.
Its been better since dad has the job. I know am at home still no car no bus no body to take me to work so I stay home help mom out, and do the decals. But I know a lot or people that are on a budget and they are making it with living and being in trains. But there is a couple tat isnt doing to well, his wife needs surgery for Cancer so he is selling some of his train cars…
I have also given someone that a family friend knows who is on a budget. I gave him my old 90’ walthers turntable, some used but usable track… So I help as much as possible. I said if he wanted to pay I didnt want much and I told him to tell his friend I didnt want anything. If I can help someone in the hobby I will.
Jeffrey,
You know it is the people like you that shows some true meaning of love for some thing. The true love as one might say. I to have been modeling on a small budget. Being 21 and fresh out of college (for about a year) left me with out a job for 4 mounths. Even then it was stocking shelves at a food store and barraly enough to pay bills. Now that I am in a some what better job I can aford to do this wonderful hobby. I have about $10-$40 per mounth to spend on this hobby now.
So my answer is YES you can make do with limited funds. It might take you a while to get that new $100 loco or what ever you want. But once you have it, it will make it all worth while!
I only get $415 on disability, plus about $150 working a few hours PT, and $41 in FS…I play with large scale, and find I’d rather save up for a good piece than buy what I can afford right now…Of course, since some cretin stole my old junky van on Friday night, there won’t be any money for choo-choo purchases for a LOOOONG while, now. I’ll probably even have to sell some off. (Brother can you spare a dime?)
I am an Unemployed high schooler. I’ve been in search of a job for a little while now, but no sucess. the only money I have is given to me buy my parents or anything I make on the side. Me and a friend of mine are going to scratchbuild a Basic Oxygen Furnace and a Rolling mill, becuase I can’t afford to buy the Walthers kit for a blast furance and the rolling mill.
Al I can say is let others around you know how things are and there are are those out there that will help. I remember times when I didn’t have enough for food (great diet), slept in an old sleeping bag covered with plaster dust and was lucky to get a shower once a month. Life is so much better now as my ship came in, but just as it did my ship sprung a leak!!!College for the kid, old debt (feds changed the rules so you have to pay off 4% a month, building inspectors on new bath a problem meaning more $$$, construction costsdoubled for roof, plumbing, electrical, ect., but at least the future looks brite. Also note that sometimes those you think are well off are sometimes not (knew a guy who lived in a nice neaghborhood, drove a nice car, had nice suits, had no money to save for retierment, all the former was dictated buy were he worked, had to throw parties at his expence too). Sorry for all the bad luck out there and I wish you all well!!!
Hi Jeffrey, I too was forced in to early retirement I was medicaly discharged from the Air Force, My pension is ok but I have to wait until I reach 55 for the full pension (currently 37). I am fortunate that the state welfare system pays for somethings which does leave me with some spending money. I did model Swiss N scale but gave up due to cost a typical secondhand loco (non DCC) costs around $140/150 so I gave it up and switched back to US model railroading, my £200 monthly allowance gives me aprrox $370 if spent in the US which goes alot further, ok my postal charges are slightly higher (plus 4-6 week wait for surface mail) and sometimes I have to pay import tax but its still cheaper than buying over here So I have got in to the habit of doing it slowly and to a much better standard.
Now THAT brings back memories. I was in the same situation (yes, more than a few years ago) and most of my train stuff was the few things my father had set up on a 4 by 7-1/2 foot table he had. No, I don’t know what happened to the other 6 inches of it. This is where I learned to fix things because many of my friends had some trains but weren’t interested in them. This was the era that slot cars were catching on. I picked up several diesel locomotives for a buck or two that didn’t run, and found out most needed a good cleaning and proper lubrication. Several of these I still have and they still run (old Tyco). Limited funds and a desire for trains can bring out the innovations.
To answer Jeffery’s original question, no, I don’t think I can do as well any more.
Jeffrey, you do some impressive economizing for sure.
One thing I learned long ago is not to judge the challenges others face (not even if you have walked in their shoes). In my life I’ve been all over the map financially. Dirt poor to significant wealth and everywhere in between… more than once. What stage am I at now? Irrelevant, because over the years my prime constraint has shifted. Sometimes it has been money. Sometimes it has been space. Sometimes it has been time. Probably it has more often been time than anything else - largely due to the stage of life I’m at (fulltime work, young kids at home).
In fact I find time and money constraints are somewhat inversely related. Repeatedly in this discussion there’s been mention of “taking time” to do things a certain way due to lack of money. But the fact is it works the other way too… Often there are much cheaper ways to do something but they take a lot more time which some folks just don’t have.
But at the end of the day, it’s probably all too rare that somone has the time, and the money, and the skills, and the good health, and the space, and yada yada everything else they could ever want to pursue this hobby in a perfect world.
I think we simply have to recognize that we all face challenges, and every one of us finds a way to spend the time we have, or finds a way to use the space we have, or finds a way to work with the money we have, etc.
So I not only applaud Jeffrey and everyone else doing it on a fixed income, but everyone who “finds a way” without giving up, giving in, or complaining.
And if you’re the rare animal who ‘has it all,’ realize just how rare and blessed your situation is, and consider finding ways to share ‘it.’
I’ve been lucky with what equipment I’ve been able to get. Since buying a house at the end of August, my modeling budget has nearly disappeared. But, before I did that, I built up a large stash of kits and other things to work on.
I simply can’t justify paying some of the prices lately. I mean, suppose an engine is $100. Within a few years, I can land it on Ebay, or at one of the online shops for much less than that. I’d rather wait and pay less. I’m not one of the “must-have-now” folks. I think the most I’ve spent on a locomotive was about $60 (including shipping) for an NYC P2K GP7 on Ebay. Keep in mind that a new one from the LHS is priced around $85 or $90…too high for me.
I’m also not above buying used (or scrap) equipment and repairing it. After it’s been repainted, weathered, fitted with Kadees and metal wheelsets, it’s difficult to tell it from new! However, if I can’t fix it, it gets parked near the enginehouse.
Jeff you go to show that old saying where there’s a will there is a way…I was disabled at 43 and I will be 59 this month…My wife and I live on my SS…She is disabled with Kidney failure but can’t draw anything…I am in a wheel chair but I am building a small N scale railroad…I don’t buy anything new so that means DDC sound and all that stuff is out of the question…but what the heck I pickup basket cases from others some I can put back in shape the rest I keep for parts…I dumpster dive for “pink” foam and any thing else I can use…I enjoy the hobby it helps to pass many hours for me…I think there are probaly many more out there doing the same thing…Our railroads may never end up in Great Model Railroads 2007…but as I watch a 3rd handed LL f unit circle the loop with 3 hoppers and a real"crummy" caboose in my mind we are dragging black diamonds out of the coal feilds of southern Illinois…Cox 47
A very interesting topic, Jeffrey, and I’m surprised at how many of us out there are struggling with similar issues and setbacks. I too am 43 (is that the magic age?) and quit my job in May due to a very bad work environment and stress-related illness (never realized what stress can do to you). Initially I thought I’d simply find other employment, but soon discovered I was in no condition to work. I have been on Disability since then, a position I never thought I would confront. I have saved my money well, but still I have to budget my spending since the future is uncertain.
I have plenty of projects to keep me busy, to the point that I sometimes seem to suffer from MRR ADD jumping between them. But it does help to keep me sane and involved in something outside of myself. Fortunately, I’ve had some recent improvements, so perhaps I’ll be able to rejoin the daily grind soon. I’m thinking of applying to a certain major model train manufacturer, since they’re reasonably close to me. Then I’d be able to put all of the skills I’ve been practicing to real use. [:D]
It does help to know that there are others out there with similar problems, and unfortunately, with much worse ones. I admire the dedication of those of you who are succeeding in this hobby against tremendous odds.
Well said everyone. I consider myself fortunate to have a good job and wonderful family. I did up and quit a very stressful job 12 yrs ago hac worked there for 25 yrs. things worked out great and i dont regret it at all. I applaud all of you for all you are able to accomplish and for what you have contributed to this forum. I couldnt have come as far as i am with my layout without your inputs thanks again Dave
Well Said everyone! I to am fortunite enough to have a decent job but we still scrape by every month ( gota love cost of living in colorado ). With rent at $565, student loans around $200, carpayment and insurances combined at $650, and missalanous other bills around $300+. Money is tight for MRR but I manage a little at a time, And as they say “Nesesity is the mother of invention” You can come up with some intresting fun stuff out of card board. New construction sites can be great places to find building materials just be careful of the athorities though, even though it is considered garbage, if you get a cop with a bad day they can write you up with tresspassing and stealing.
I to find that saving for what you want and working for it is much more fulfilling once you get it, rather then just getting it right then and there. I also find learning new skills is much more fulfilling in the long run then buying it pre built.
Yes we all want to have that dream layout in MRR Great layouts, but just remember we all start some where. Just my 2 cents,