How will your participation in model railroading change as you get older?

Balshis posted:

I'm 70, and keep myself in good shape.  The only difference in my hobbying now versus when I was 30 is that since I retired, I have a lot more time to work on it.

I have a few years on you (on the plus side), but still going strong and apparently doing a fairly decent job of staying healthy. Still working, of course, but also finding time to build a new layout now that I'm working out of a home office. The train room and an adjacent lounge is just downstairs and starting to take shape.

Alfred E Neuman posted:

I was thinking a Z-scale coffee table layout under glass, but those on the vanguard suggest it may be too small for old eyes. 

I'll soon be 75 and have also been active in Z scale since that scale was introduced. Have a couple of Z scale layouts in my downstairs lounge area that I will be working on soon. I have worn glasses since about the third grade in school and I'm still quite able to see and work on Z (or any other scale).

Gosh, all you septuagenarians make this sexagenarian feel like a kid.  Did not realize I was a junior forum member.  Plan to give up trains altogether when I get old.  What age is that?

74 in March and just starting an around the room (12x17) layout while being tethered to an oxygen concentrator.  It keeps me active and gives purpose to these old bones.  Just hoping that modern medicine keeps me going another 20 yrs.

Time spent on trains has taken a hit because well, because I get tired more easily. Am set to retire in 16 months and I expect an upturn in time spent on my awesome trains.

I am 71 and have had a layout since I was in my 30's. Had a nice house with a big basement but sold it in my 60's due to financial reasons. Now I live in a one bedroom apartment but still have 4x16 layout using superO track, dcs, and tmcc. Yea it's not my dream layout but I'm still having fun playing with trains. 

It can't get any better then playing with trains. 

Dave

I started buying and building layouts in 1983 and am now 74 and trains have become kind of stagnant to me. I have pretty well quit buying and need to sell a bunch.

Unpopular to say here but slot cars are new and exciting to me and I'm enthusiastically building a track. Sort of similar to a layout, no scenery.

After that I'll continue with my layout, we need a hobby and to keep busy.

I am 71 also.   So I guess I am "older".   What I have experienced as I have gotten older is that I have a more focused interest.    I like more prototypical models and over the years moved to model one RR.    I also learned about operation and that really invigorated my interest.    I built a couple of layouts early-on and found when I was done building, I tended to loose interest or start planning the next one.     After I got into operating meaning switching cars to some kind of direction or running trains to a schedule, that made a change to the style of the layout I wanted and made the layout much more interesting.    My current layout is approaching 30 years (scarey thought) and it has evolved here and there from the original.   It also took a good 10 years or more to get all the track in place and probably another 5 for scenery so the entire layout is not that old.   But I still like the track plan a lot and I enjoy operating it.   It takes a crew of 8 operators and the others seem to enjoy it also.    Yes there are things I might change and things I would like to do differently by most of them require more basement.    I did rebuild the enter engine terminal about a year and a half ago and still have to build a roundhouse and add some details.  

I find I can go to train shows, and look at things for sale, and then not buy them even when they are very neat or cool or well done, or a good price, if they don't fit into my era and scheme - I think I have matured in the hobby that way.

Will be 74 in June and am 'in transit' at present house-sitting for some clients/friends who will be here in May!

I'm trying to get a house with an open basement and although basements are common here, very few are 'open' space because basements can provide inexpensive additional sq footage for extended family or rental possibilities.

Ever the optimist - I am stockpiling track and refining my 'collection' to suit my new direction towards 3 rail scale with the desire to build a realistic layout in the future. I walk several miles a couple of days a week and plan to join a modest gym soon to keep old age from nipping at my heels!

Stay healthy my friends....

rrman posted:

Interesting most of us are in the 70s range including me. Wonder if interest was due to being post war babies, full employment, parents able to afford a train set for "baby", sparking (mostly) lifelong  model trains and the 1:1 scale interests?

My dad kept his pre-war O trains (in their Lionel boxes!) and would set them up at Christmas.  He would run them and film (Keystone camera 8mm attached to a four bright hot spots light bar) me as a rug rat watching, later operating them.

Memories!

Our interest in trains is the result of all of the reasons you mentioned.  Trains were the toy of choice when we were growing up in the fifties.  And has been pointed out more times than not, most of us could not afford to buy alot of trains then, nor could our parents.  We were lucky to have a single set of trains.  So like myself when I was about thirty, most of us were in a position to start in the hobby again and pursue it as an adult.  

Wow... What a lot of great responses. One thing is sure - none of you have lost your writing skills. Thank you very much. 

I turn 65 in June and am fortunate to be bless with good health. My interest in train has never been higher and I look forward at the time when I will truly retire (probably sometime in 2021). 

I guess I will keep rolling along as long as I can. I cannot believe the time as passed. When I signed up and started participating in this Forum, I was in my 40s!  Where did the time go?

I believe that all of us, no matter what your age, keep each other young by the sharing of our stories and knowledge.

Peter

ogaugenut posted:

I am almost 73.  I spent the first part of my retirement sailing.  I have now backed off full-time sailing and living aboard.  I plan to buy a house again as soon as I figure out where I want to live when I grow up, with the biggest train room that I can afford and build a grand layout.  I don't get the downsizing craze of many of my peers, though I can't technically downsize since I don't own a house now.     I have lots of trains, track and switches in storage against the future.  Still actively acquiring trains.  I plan to do as much as I can for as long as I can.

"Do not go gentle into that good night"

Bill

 

Hey Bill- MODEL yachting!!  I do both- o-gauge and racing model sailboats, 10 months a year between my Ohio and Naples, FL clubs.  It is a hidden gem- 3000+ people in 200 clubs around the USA.  The boats have all that full-scale boats do, and NO: trailers, haul-outs, wet pants, wet suits, and NO crew troubles!!  AND- sails- full suit: $ 85.  Go here:

http://www.theamya.org/

I wouldn't switch scales- you lose too much value in what you have already done- financial and otherwise.  Alternatives:

- there are retirement communities with train clubs- The Villages, Shell Point (FL) and others.

- you could make a small (4 X 8, 5 X 9) layout hinged to a wall

- you could hire somebody to build a "Murphy-bed" approach - queen sized, folds into an opening in the wall, THEN when it is necessary to move- put in a real Murphy bed.

-  just build a "walk in" layout in the third bedroom of even a condo.

- buy a condo with a basement (and add a chair lift?)

- to heck with the cars- take over the garage (A/C in the south)

- change over to be a collector- no layout at all, just a work shop and wall displayed trains.

I will turn 76 in a few weeks. I have 2 small layouts, O and S, that are "finished". Also 2 that I put up at Christmas. Since most of our grandkids are grown, the trains don't get run very much. I go to York to walk and look. I've always had other interests: reading at least 2 library books per week, the "shooting sports" (handgun, shotgun, air gun, archery), and worldwide travel with my wife. I also collect stuff, like 35mm slides that people took of everyday family life during the 1950s (in 3-D, no less!). My total weekly TV watching is less than 8 hours (mainly "Pickers" and "Life Below Zero"). I'm quite good at retirement, since I've been doing it for 22 years.

Joe Hohmann posted:

I will turn 76 in a few weeks....I'm quite good at retirement, since I've been doing it for 22 years.

And you didn't have any experience at being retired, beforehand, Joe, so you must have been a quick-learner.   FrankM

Moonson posted:

Joe Hohmann posted:

I will turn 76 in a few weeks....I'm quite good at retirement, since I've been doing it for 22 years.

And you didn't have any experience at being retired, beforehand, Joe, so you must have been a quick-learner.   FrankM

Part of my "success" is due to the fact that I had all these hobbies and interests BEFORE I retired. The folks that seem to have the hardest time with retirement are those whose whole life revolved around their "work". Although I loved my job (Manager of Graphics and Design for Scott Paper Company), I used to kid that work was a interruption of my day. I went to work to do a good job and earn a living...not for a social life or a indication that I was somehow "important". When Scott was bought out by another company, I was given a early retirement "package", which turned out to be a wonderful gift.

With reasonable health, it will continue unabated, as always.  Failing health and, or death, and it will stop.  A life long love of toy trains is just that.

Joe Hohmann posted:

Moonson posted:

Joe Hohmann posted:

I will turn 76 in a few weeks....I'm quite good at retirement, since I've been doing it for 22 years.

And you didn't have any experience at being retired, beforehand, Joe, so you must have been a quick-learner.   FrankM

Part of my "success" is due to the fact that I had all these hobbies and interests BEFORE I retired. The folks that seem to have the hardest time with retirement are those whose whole life revolved around their "work". Although I loved my job (Manager of Graphics and Design for Scott Paper Company), I used to kid that work was a interruption of my day. I went to work to do a good job and earn a living...not for a social life or a indication that I was somehow "important". When Scott was bought out by another company, I was given a early retirement "package", which turned out to be a wonderful gift.

Having met you at my booth at the TCA Meet @York a couple times, I can say, heartfelt, that I am glad for your success and continued prosperity, Joe.

Frank

Yes, the Countdown is on, 36 days, March 31st, 5PM,  and I am going to say,I am Retired, age 73, good health, Praise the Lord, and now, its time to work on the layout and with friends, and travel, and enjoy The Trains. I am totally excited, and have made great provisions along the way for my wife and I to enjoy the Autumn of Our Lives.  Many of you out there members of this great Forum, have really cool layouts, and Yes, I plan to visit many of you.  I plan to attend many shows, sell and trade trains, and sincerely simply have Fun.  Great thread, and what a Great Hobby

 At 83 it already has. I think my enthusiasm is about the same as it has been for many years however at my age and with a bad lower back including two ruptured, herniated disc‘s it’s almost impossible for me to now get under the layout to add electrical circuits or upgrade existing circuits.  Fortunately, I have family members who are very willing to do those things for me, however they’re all employed full-time, have families and their time working with me is somewhat limited. 

However I will carry-on until it is time to go to that great layout in the sky!

Jim Lawson

I'm still relatively young here, 57. I moved from Ohio to Arizona, so I too live in a land of no basements, I miss it though.  A small apartment requires me to have a small set up which can store underneath a bed, the trains in another closet. I really don't mind.  I have a collection of some real railroad stuff that's stored outside in a outside storage closet.

I'm basically limit myself to the higher end postwar, no longer into the h-tech stuff. Give me simple, which makes me happy. No longer do I aspire to own a large collection. Remember, you can't take it with you when you go.

When I retire in the next few years, I will be spending much more time on my layout and running trains. Hard to do with a full time job with extensive travel. I will also probably sell some of the trains in my collection. I may also consider joining a local train club. The future is bright!

Although, I am a bit younger than most of my fellow forum members that have posted their ages I regularly think about my mortality and what limitations, in general, I may have as I get older. Along with those "time to time" thoughts I think about my trains, as they are definitely a part of who I am. 

I too, think of how just yesterday I was in my early twenties and how the time has passed so quickly. 

I guess to answer the thread question, I will deal with that when that time comes. I will continue operating, building, and enjoying my trains until something happens where I can no longer do so. For many of us, this is a passion, and those without passion are already dead, IMO. This hobby, besides my loved ones, are what I look forward to seeing daily (almost) and without them a part of me would be gone.

For me, it's truly a "til death do us part" situation.

Dave

I will be 70 in January and I intend to increase my love of the hobby from 100% to 102%

c.sam posted:

I walk several miles a couple of days a week and plan to join a modest gym soon to keep old age from nipping at my heels!

Ohh ... the gym is where old age lays in wait for us.

What, me worry?

Scrapiron Scher posted:

I will be 70 in January and I intend to increase my love of the hobby from 100% to 102%

You look 60 to me. It must be your calm, fun-loving, dignified nature that keeps you looking so well.

I'm glad we got to know each other.

FrankM

What a surprise. I thought most of the answers to this post wouldn't be about scaling down one's involvement with the hobby due to physical limitations, but the opposite. Frankly, I'm with Scrapiron. Model railroading seems like the perfect hobby to accompany you into your "old" age (whatever that is for you). Maybe building a large layout may be beyond your physical means at some point but, you can always sit in your shop and build, run trains, design some dioramas, make trees, add small details here and there and have friends and family over to enjoy your efforts. 

Jerrman

  A Lionel was waiting for me to be born. They occupied me in childhood and I expected to graduate from carpet to layout "someday", just not as soon as I did. An injury has aged me early and though at first I needed it to remain on the floor, I had to get it off the carpet by necessity for the exercise of standing again.

I'm now practicing my downsizing with micro layouts in preparation of inevitably downsizing my living arrangements. 

I plan on going out with the same toy I came in with. I pity the nurse or doctor than tries to take it away. I'm gonna make Post War Pappy look like a pussy cat 

I just turned 70 in January. My Wife (of 50 years this coming December)  were fortunate after and before retirement to be able to RV with our Harley's covering quite a few states from East to West and North to South. But were done.

I still have one Harley and like some of my trains I'll die with it.lol

I'm in fairly good health and try to stay busy.

SO as to the  OP question.......I have really got into G (MTH One Gauge) and playing in the yard with it. It has resulted in me trying to sell off my older O less expensive rolling stock mostly  and keep my O TMCC Legacy PS2 stuff and the more scale rolling stock. 

Grant you just like a lot  of you I'll die with some of my sentimental trains that are basically junk.

As I get older I will adjust to always have some kind of toy train to run just for the relaxation and tranquility it offers me.

As health, space and numerous life changes occur hell,  I may have to work my way down to N gauge. Hopefully NOT.

Still Having Fun

Larry

Having fun,...can'tcha tell?

C.Sam, I was born in June of 44 also. Interested in a lot of things. Photography, trains, diving our narrow gauge train, you name it I'm interested. My friends call me the worlds oldest diver. Here I am with my dive buddy and his Nieces, on their first dive ever. They did great. Don