Retirement, where to go as a Model Railroader

Lancaster is a great place but I would not consider living there because it is in a sinkhole region. Check out the map below. You can zoom around and check out specific areas. The green dots are actual sinkholes. The orange areas depict surface depressions that could lead to sinkholes. You want to stay out of those limestone valley areas.

http://www.gis.dcnr.state.pa.u...ex.html?geology=true

There are an amazing number of retired model railroaders (like over 100) in the Hendersonville, NC area.  There are at least a couple of dozen in Williamsburg, VA as well.  If you don't need to avoid Winter entirely, we have a ton of model RR activity here in the Cincinnati area.  We're hosting a regional NMRA convention next Spring and there will be over 80 home layouts open for tours.

Thanks to the internet, you can live almost anywhere and still "work" and shop.

But if you have and like mild weather and have family and friends you like to be near, I would stay put.

Sure taxes are too high, traffic is bad, house is too small or too large to maintain, and still not big enough for your dream layout.

Moving is a pain and many friends who moved to "cheaper" areas had moved back due to family or health problems, and had to rent.

10 years ago I brought a motorhome to travel and see the USA, but my lady friend got sick and passed, and the motorhome just sits in my driveway.

Life is too short to waste on worry and doubts.

If taxes and utility expenses mean anything to you Tennessee is a good consideration.  Bring your own basement.

That's a good question, middle Tennessee is a nice climate to live in, however it does get humidly hot, and humidly cold and the cost of living is comfortable. I am referring to the Nashville area.  Now, there are not many Hobby shops but there are a few, and many folks with layouts....Nashville is 4-1/2 hours from Atlanta, Ga., and 3-1/2 hours from Louisville, Ky. 5 hours from the Great Smoky Mountains. As you know, it really depends on your finances and most of all health...Enjoy your retirement when it comes....

The Lancaster area is a high tax area. I live in the State College area and love it a little winter but that is ok and just about 2 hours from York and lots of great train shops with in about a 2 hour drive.

For about 5 years before I retired I subscribed to "Where To Retire" magazine.

http://www.wheretoretire.com/

The magazine will not provide information specific to desirable areas for model railroading.

However, it provides a large amount of date on cost of living, taxes, housing/real estate, climate, crime rates, etc.  This type of information should also be explored if considering a retirement move.  I believe issues are also sold in retailers like Barnes & Noble.

Frank

The challenge here on the island is no hobby shops and I can't ship any paints or other liquid here. About the only thing we have for the hobby is crazy glue and rattle cans. I did bring a good supple of RR paints with us on our move but I'm running low on those. It's a challenge but for us, we can't imagine living anywhere else. Don

Out here on the east end of Long Island there are a few train clubs and there is the Railroad Museum of Long Island. The Museum has the Lionel Visitors Layout and we work on it every Tuesday and during the summer months we're open on the weekends to the public. If you decide on the Isle of Long look into joining us.   Lenny J

The Masonic Village in Elizabethtown PA is a retirement community fairly close to York and has a  large O gauge model RR building and club.  I am sure other places have something similar.

The Smoky Mountains offer possibly the best climate year round of anywhere east of the Mississippi due to the higher elevation if you stay above 2500'. We're still enough 'in the south' to have mild winters but escape the brutal heat elsewhere. Humidity is generally lower most of the time too. I grew up in New Orleans and the heat & humidity were a constant force that we had to deal with. No more.

They will bury me up here...

As Bob mentioned, nearby Hendersonville has an HO club of 100 members who are mostly retired and active in the hobby. A few O gauge folks in the region and we have a new club layout west of Asheville that will be very nice in a few months. Dues are only $10 mo and the room is 30' x 50' with a couple of real cabooses outside for you and friends to stay in!

Give real consideration to friends and family, my folks retired and moved to their dream location, not near myself or my siblings, nor most of their long time friends. They also didn't look a meaningful quality of medical care, not is their a hospital, but is their a good to great one and specialist within easy reach. 

Point is, they love where they live, but hate not having their friends close, that the grandkids are 1,500 miles away, and every time they need a specialist they have a 150 mile drive. 

An older friend and co-worker picked five possible retirement locations and then lived in each one for six months before settling into the one which best met their needs. They rented a smaller furnished apartment in each area, and became "locals," this idea seemed nuts to me at the time, but worked out great for them. 

Good luck!

NJCJOE posted:

Lancaster is a great place but I would not consider living there because it is in a sinkhole region. ... You want to stay out of those limestone valley areas.

http://www.gis.dcnr.state.pa.u...ex.html?geology=true

Then again think about the size of that basement layout!  Possibilities are virtually endless!    

My wife and I stayed in a hotel that was in the Pennsylvania suburbs to the south of York. It seemed like a nice area. She is into gardening, and the weather there is a bit more temperate than it is where we live. So we were considering that area for relocation.
But as I stated in the other thread, we decided to stay put.

There is a lot more to think about besides trains.
 

I live NW of Phila about 25 miles, less than two hours to York, a number of train stores, and PA has a rich railroading history.  With global warming, the winters are getting warmer.

Phoenix, some good clubs, McCormack Railroad Park, hot and dry.

Miketg, since nobody from Arizona has responded, let me do so.  You are correct about active train clubs here.  In addition to a very active TCA division  (we're hosting the 2019 National convention in Albuquerque), there are other non affiliated clubs as well as the group with the great layout at Scottsdale Railroad Park.  

Yes, Phoenix is hot - that is why we invented air conditioning!!.  But now think of the winters.  However, in Arizona you can almost choose your climate by where you wish to live - anything from the hot desert to an alpine climate in Flagstaff.  I live two hours from Phoenix in a four season climate - 90 degree days in the summer and a few snows in the winter.  And still low humidity.

Since you have some time to make a decision, if it were me, I'd plan to visit the areas you are most interested in to get a better feel for the area.

San Diego's weather can't be beat !

A top notch RR museum with great clubs operating their layouts. However the property values have gone crazy, taxes are going out of sight and the state politics are terrible. But when your friends and family are here it makes it all worth while ! 

"Florida, too hot"

Meh, only in the summer ( but everyone needs a break from trains for a little while anyway), that leaves nine months of great weather. Besides, 20 million people disagree. 

Surprise....l didn't know Lancaster had Karst topography like the Mammoth Cave area.  Hadn't heard of any buggies or covered bridges falling into a sinkhole.  Any caves?  In retirement you want good health care close. And spend four seasons there! I thought once Durango would be a great place to live for a train nut...winter's are for snowmobiles, and avid skiers!

Doug W. posted:

San Diego's weather can't be beat !

A top notch RR museum with great clubs operating their layouts. However the property values have gone crazy, taxes are going out of sight and the state politics are terrible. But when your friends and family are here it makes it all worth while ! 

This is true of almost any place in CA.  San Diego is especially wonderful.  I live in the SF Bay Area but I prefer San Diego.  Another downside to CA is the possibility of earthquakes.

The upside to CA is friendly people, fabulous weather most of the year (neither too hot or cold), lots of recreation, many museums, opera, special events and activities, good transportation, great medical centers, etc.  The reason property values are going out of site is that so many people want to live and work in CA.  This is the center of innovation and the high tech world.  

As for model railroaders, all the major cities have large clubs, a few hobby shops, and there are more model railroad activities every weekend than anyone can possibly do.  I could participate in some model railroad club, NMRA, garden railroad, museum, actual train ride, live steam gathering, etc., nearly every day of the week.  The SF Bay Area TCA and NMRA divisions and the Bay Area garden railroad group are very active with lots of events.

The CA State Railroad Museum in Sacramento is probably the best railroad museum in the country.  It has an annex at Jamestown, CA that restores and runs old steam engines and excursion trains.  The shop tour is awesome.  Jamestown is an authentic old west town in the gold country and is fun to visit.

For people who are into chasing real trains, CA has Donner Pass, Cajon Pass, the Feather River Canyon, and the Tehachapi Loop just to name a few places.  This is real mountain railroading with spectacular views and frequent heavy trains.  The nearby old west and gold towns are also fun to visit.  Most towns have local museums that outline their history.  

NH Joe

scale rail posted:

The challenge here on the island is no hobby shops and I can't ship any paints or other liquid here. About the only thing we have for the hobby is crazy glue and rattle cans. I did bring a good supple of RR paints with us on our move but I'm running low on those. It's a challenge but for us, we can't imagine living anywhere else. Don

Just like living in Portland Oregon, Don! 

Everything is too toxic or dangerous to trust normal humans to use.  Except pot.  That's the leading agricultural crop in Oregon now ... marijuana by the ton.

Illegal by Federal law?

Oregon don't recognize no stinkin' Federal laws .... just keep huffin that spray can boys!!

scale rail posted:

The challenge here on the island is no hobby shops and I can't ship any paints or other liquid here. About the only thing we have for the hobby is crazy glue and rattle cans. I did bring a good supple of RR paints with us on our move but I'm running low on those. It's a challenge but for us, we can't imagine living anywhere else. Don

Can someone from the mainland send paints to you? Or is that the same thing?

Sean

Well folks, time for me to close the loop on this thread. My wife and I bought a basement northwest of Philadelphia. We are both thrilled. The suggestions you all made were very helpful. I plan to retire around Thanksgiving to begin really enjoying time with my wife and trains.

All the best,

Miketg

@Miketg posted:

My wife and I bought a basement northwest of Philadelphia. We are both thrilled.

How do you buy a basement?  Did a house come with it?   Welcome to the area, I'll extend an invite to visit since you're in the neighborhood.

Hi John,

Above ground is for the Mrs., below ground is for me. It would be great to meet you in person! Miketg

@Miketg posted:

Hi John,

Above ground is for the Mrs., below ground is for me. It would be great to meet you in person! Miketg

I kinda' figured that was the case, but the way you stated it I couldn't just let it go.   Exactly where are you, I'm on RT73 in Worcester Tw'pt, Montgomery County.

Hi John,

We bought up in Berks County, the Northwest corner of Reading/Wyomissing. The mountains, forest and farms up there are real nice.

Miketg

I envy you all with a basement.  Not an option in Houston, or Texas as far as I know.  Does anyone have a home with a basement in an area where there's hardly any snow?  This selection is further complicate by having to be east of the Mississippi River so we can be closer to the grandkids.

@texgeekboy posted:

I envy you all with a basement.  Not an option in Houston, or Texas as far as I know.  Does anyone have a home with a basement in an area where there's hardly any snow?  This selection is further complicate by having to be east of the Mississippi River so we can be closer to the grandkids.

My 2 cents...  Pick the location that will work out best for having access to family and friends.  IMO, the ideal location for family is about an hour away - "close, but not too close" - but that's just me.  When you find a place that is a good fit for being around the people you want to spend time with, trains and the rest will take care of itself.

For me the place is Northwest Michigan, near Traverse City. Good cost of living, great summer weather, and four seasons. I’m fairly close to Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, and very close to Grand Rapids. Winter can be snowy, but I live very close to Lake Michigan, so winters here in my little town don’t get super cold like they can in the interior of my state.

Lots of rail history here, including a historic car ferry about an hour away. Lots of boating, beaches, hiking and biking trails.

Im single (widowed), so my railroad is probably going to be built in my living room.

The only problem is that I’ll never be more than semi-retired, but I make part of my living playing and teaching music, so that’s all right by me.

Jeff C

Southern California is a great place.....lots of trains, fantastic climate, progressive state.  Some good train stores.  Love it.

I got about 10 years before I can think about this.. But as of now, I like where I'm at in SE Michigan..

Hello Mike. Well…since you now live in my neighborhood…drop me a line when you move in. Not sure if you follow me or not, I write for the magazine and have a nice “basement” layout. Also post a lot of YouTube videos and generally just practice being a cranky retired old man.

I live right over the hill from Wyomissing. The Mohnton exit on 222 heading south.

Donald

Mike and Donald, Mohnton is a gorgeous area. I’m on the Lancaster/Lebanon border and we have friends in your area. Have either of you gentlemen gone on the excursions from the Reading outter station to Jim Thorpe?

Jay

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

Mike and Donald, Mohnton is a gorgeous area. I’m on the Lancaster/Lebanon border and we have friends in your area. Have either of you gentlemen gone on the excursions from the Reading outter station to Jim Thorpe?

Jay

Hello Jay. Unfortunately, I have not taken any excursions on the BM&R. My brother has ridden many of the trains and always comments they are a good time.

Honestly, as much as I am an OGAUGE junkie, I really do not have a lot of interest in riding the excursion trains. I love to watch, photograph and video them. I am just one of those guys who do not like crowds waiting in line to get on a packed passenger car.
Donald