Retirees, Those Soon To Be and the Hobby

Been retired since Jan3, 2007 and get in all the train time I want.  I also play golf and work at 2 local golf courses so that cuts into my RR time, sometimes.  Might have to give the golf up!

Well Tom,

My list was long. It covered two complete prewar layouts, one Std Gauge and one O-Gauge.

It took me twenty-five years after retirement. I'm grateful and very blessed to have retired early. Now I'm a shut-in with advanced Parkinsons. I cannot do much anymore. Both layouts were sold complete with accessories. At least I have a few trains left on my shelves to admire.

My advice to anyone who will listen. Start as soon as you can as you never know what's waiting down the road.

"Pappy"

Pappy,

  I hope to follow your advice and I hope you can stay as healthy as possible. Would love to know what you kept to admire!

Bob,

  I learned about 25 years ago that golf was not for me. One day, my co-worker bought a golf club (anybody remember Herman's?) when we went to lunch. We came back to our empty college campus (it was deserted during the Summer). She said take a swing. On the second try, the ball took off and went pretty far...out of literally nowhere came a woman from around a corner...after several bounces it hit her on the hip (luckily not hurt!). My golf career ended before it started which is probably good for mankind.

Tom

Tom,

Interesting you say you have 7.5 years before you retire.  If all goes well, I will retire in 7.5 years too.

Pappy,

I am sorry to learn of your health condition.  Thank you for your advice.

This my friend in Model Trains is a very Good Question? Before You Retire, and remember this, IF You are Married, Do Your BIG Spending While You are Working Full Time. If You say to the Wife, I Really want a $1500-$2500 Lionel Engine, once Retired, on a Retired income, She will Lay Down The Law.....7 Years from now, Who knows what will be in demand. So, my advice, enjoy your work, purchase what you want for your Model Railroad while you can afford the trains, etc. After you retire, you can enjoy the hobby with others and spend the rest of the time with Grand Kids, Your Kids, and most Important, Your Wife.

You Measure Your Wealth, By Your Health....(Unless You Inherit A Fortune, or Win The a Lottery), Good Question, Happy Railroading!  Enjoy the Moment...

Marriage has nothing to do with it. She owns 2 horses that cost us about 1000.00 a month for board, room, tack, vet bills, yadda yadda. There goes my trains. 42 years of marriage.

Dick

Today 8 of us retirees from my model railroad club went to the Walt Disney Family Museum in the San Francisco Presidio to see a special exhibit called "Walt Disney's Trains".  It was a super exhibit and a wonderful day.  

Retirement is good.   Joe

Health is the most important thing so hopefully we can all stay healthy to enjoy our retirement! I will retire sometime between tomorrow and three years from tomorrow. I am slightly past normal retirement age but have been asked to stay on. So each morning I ask myself if I still want to go to work, so far the answer continues to be yes since I enjoy what I do. 

As far as planning I continue to add carefully to my collection. We spent 2014 in temporary housing while remodeling our home for retirement. We created a 17x20 space for a layout plus a separate area for A 6x12 early 50's style layout. I am planning to have a detailed high rail layout custom built and installed in the train room because it will never get done if I try to do it myself. I hope to have it under contract within 30 days and installed by December. Good thing I am still working, the price of these layouts is unbelievable!

I am really fortunate since my wife likes the trains and is completely supportive, however when I told her the estimate for the custom layout she thought I had lost my mind! Her vision is to travel more when I retire, my objective is to never travel again after 150,000 miles per year for the last 40 years. I have about 5mm airline miles to use to do some travelling. I also golf, but am not a fanatic. We collect wine and some whisky so we travel some with that hobby. Running trains with a good glass of wine in hand is most enjoyable.The trains are S gauge and mostly Flyer and "Flyonel" so the space demands  are manageable with that scale.  

I turn 62 in June.......I've been at the same job for 32 years......I average every 4th weekend and every 10th night Monday through Thursday........it tough running with the 30 and 40 year olds and I'm starting to wear down.........I have given notice:

December 2016, I give up weekend call.

December 2018, I give up weeknight call.

December 2020, I give up hospital work and go part time in the office. I'll be 67 at that time.....and part time in the office a few days a week will be fun.

I have been working hard to stay healthy....but you never know.......I hope that I will be able to play....

Peter

www.rneph.com

2 MORE YEARS!

Pappy, very sorry to hear about your health.  I can relate partly as I was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer a year and a half ago.  I say partly because this past week I was informed it was in remission.  I will pray for you and every time the whistle blows on my "Yellowstone" it will be for you sir.  

Building the remaining segment of the layout, installed Tortouse motors to switches(LH & RH) and wyes  on the section built, installed some wiring for toggle switches  for block system, soldered 12 inch 18 gauge solid wire track leads every 8 to 9 feet, and keeping myself mentally stimulated also enjoy reading train magazines, historical magazines and historical books and spending time on this Forum, retired two years ago.

Retired about six years ago and there's plenty of time for this hobby and my trick is now to not overdo it...you can get burned out,believe it or not. Too much of a good thing...have developed other interests as well.

I am 66 years old and "semi-retired." I was a co-founder of the company I am with.  I work only two days a week, and want to go to less, but . . . the company is like a child: it's yours forever.

I spend what time I can on trains and model building, but it is not enough for me, and often very frustrating that I can't spend more.  

The problem really is not the small amount of time I spend at work.  Twenty years ago I saw my doctor maybe once ever two or three years.  Now I  see him maybe eight times a year.  And my wife is the same.  And we go to the pharmacy at least once or twice a week.  And errands seem to take so much longer to get done.  

I am not complaining.  This is reality - the way it is.  Older equipment works slower and requires more maintenance.  All the extra time required comes out of what is left over for hobbies.  It is what it is: the alternative is less preferable by far.

I am too old to lay on a concrete floor under a seven liter supercharged engine and tighten main bearing caps to the correct torque, but I do wish I had more time for the trains.  Still, I make the best of what I have.

Will retire in June. Then I must vacate my father's house as my sibling gets half of it, and move my and my father's trains to a big dry basement with a house on top to keep the weather out. This may take a year or so. We both agreed there is no rush.

Then I will build a couple layouts. In S and O.

Theres no doubt from reading Lee's posts that he works a lot more on his layout than I do.I've gotten used to spending about a quarter of the day reading 2 newspapers but I love it.

I've been retired for 6 years now but I still work 2 days a week. It's all what you make it. I spend a lot of time working around the house, cooking, music, and trains. After a wile you kind of get tired watching your trains go around and around. You need some friends to enjoy the hobby with. Going to train shows and running your trains with your friends on their layouts is a lot of fun. Looking forward to and going to York with my train buddies is always a good time. Once you retire you will find a whole bunch of non-trains things to do and that will keep you away from the hobby, but after the break it is great to run your trains again.

I retired (went on disability) about 7 years ago due to medical reasons.  The part I like is I can go to the weekday train shows (like York on Thursday and Friday) , when I'm up to it, without having to make my boss mad cause I ask for a day off.  Can work on train stuff  any time I like.

Our house is paid for and the kid is grown and married (no grand kids yet).  No dependents other than a few pets.  My wife still works and has her own money so any train purchases I make come out of my pocket not hers or ours.

Sometimes, I think it would be nice to work 1 or 2 days a week but then I come back to reality.  These days WORK is a 4 letter word in my book.   LOL

Rick

I too am retired. Some advice:

1. Plan on diminishing physical ability. Make all improvements with future disabilities in mind. Think about being in a wheel chair for some time. (even two weeks can be a challenge). Have one entrance to your house with no steps and at least one bedroom on the ground floor. 

2. Have more than trains as a hobby, one hobby whatever it is will not work forever, diversify. Have indoor hobbies and outdoor hobbies. Two of my friends were big fishermen, two years into retirement they did not even own a pole. Health issues eliminate golf for many people.

3. Develop your interest in hobbies before retirement.

4. Buy expensive items while you are still working if you want to but retirement often brings surprises, hence a big boat in a nearly dry area. Trains tend to evolve to the more detailed as people get more into the hobby, make your purchases accordingly. 

5. Grand kids are nice but don't be a free babysitting service unless you want to be. Two hours drive from each house can help this.

6. However much income you have going in to retirement you will spend more than you mean to. Plan accordingly. Government COLA (cost of living allowance) does not cover all the price increases.

6. Make sure you are within easy range of a major hospital. Hospitalization is inevitable and you don't want to be a days drive from your hospital.

7. Don't think of the one with the most toys wins, think the one who enjoys them the most wins.

7. Enjoy yourself and don't take things to seriously. You should be finished with acquiring wealth.

Douglas