My wife is a tax accountant, so I figured I would have some time to work on the layout these last few months, but something must have happened, since I did not. Spring break not an effect, spring lawn work is....... Basically, business as usual.
Spring break never was anything for me. Not a big deal if you go to school in California; you go to the beach whenever. My dorm was 10 miles from the beach. Taxes normally don't affect my train habit either. This year was an exception. I plan to do them this weekend. Usually done by now, but I was sick with the "crud", according to my doctor, for 6 weeks. So I cancelled out of an op session to do taxes. I haven't done anything for 6 months or so. I retire in 9 months and we have decided to divest ourselves of most of our belongins and the house. We'll store what we are really, really attached to, buy an RV and full time for a few years. We don't have anyplace we really want to live. Kids are scattered in 4 states. I've got a small (2' 8" by 48") layout designed to work on and operate on in the RV. So if you wake up some morning and look out the window, I might be parked in your driveway. We're going to stop in at your brick and morter, Mike, sometime or another.
Roger, I am on a similar path, except I'm not retiring. (or even close) I am full-time RV'ing although most of the time it stays in a park near work. I had been apartment hopping for several years and kept missing the boat on buying a home that I liked so I decided to do a 180. I love to camp and tailgate and wanted an RV, and this takes care of the proverbial two birds with one stone. I found that my significant other (now ex) preferred her place to my apartment(s) anyway, so no need to have some space that doesn't really have any use beyond what my RV does. Anyway, it was a great decision...I really am enjoying RV life and it suits me and my lifestyle well. Typing this from a lakeside park in Oklahoma as we speak! I am working on an N layout that fits in the RV, and also I'm dabbling with Z and may go that route at some point. Not expecting to full-time forever most likely but having a place to run trains is important...its therapy for me. lol
N scale that fits in an RV...hmmmm..interesting. Wonder if its ever been done before ? :closedmouth: But seriously... I would think a small HCD layout would work great. Easy to move around....fit on a bed or table...even on a hideabed. Would even be able to store it in the 'basement' most newer RVs have.
I've been thinking about that. We'll see. Maybe a column for one of the magazines "Adventures of N around the US". Visits to layouts, interviews with N folks, hobby shops and whatever else I think up. Sort of a roving reporter. I was going to ping Kirk and Walt to guage the interest.
Hey George, you stole Unitrack from me, so I'm stealing your RV idea! Touche'!!! Seriously though, to fairly compare...you aren't *living* in the RV so your layout doesn't have to share with you. Mine does. Mine is HCD-sh....it's on foam and fits on the dining table with a little overhang. Indeed, it might! You can see a little of the layout progress on the Winter Layout topic. But I guess the full history and application with respect to the RV might be fun to explain. I will try to gather my notes and create one when I get a chance.
I've negotiated with the CFO. No HCD. It has to go roundy roundy and no more than 4'. I tried for 5' but no go. I've got two 28" by 48" chunks from a previous layout. That gives me either a 2' 8" by 4' or a 1' 4" by 8' layout. So using the MR Beer Line layout as inspiration, I'll have the 2' 8" by 4' to satisfy the roundy roundy and the 1' 4" by 8' for switching. Actually with stub coming off each end it gives me 16 combinations for setting up the layout. The stored size should be about 2' 8" by 4' by 12". I want to store it inside the RV, not in the basement. I don't want to be marooned inside in a torrential rain and wishing the layout was inside. Druther keep it handy. As we look at RVs we are considering "hobby storage space" as one of our must haves.
Interesting reading. I'm 55 and "OK" financially - can pay the bills, but not go crazy. I'm younger than some members and older than others. My kids are 21 and (next month) 23. Next month completes a year at a new job - multiple career changes along the way. My taxes are mostly done, we'll get a too-large refund and multiple job changes/etc. have made it hard to get the taxes properly tweaked. Maybe this year! Spring break just means huge crowds in town for the Masters golf tournament next week. We just did a bunch of work to the first floor of our house. Part of the electrical upgrade included running power to my shed, with enough capacity for lights, DCC, and an airconditioner on three separate circuits. I'm thinking of amending my layout plans slightly to be able to use the new Kam Konnect modules - they look pretty neat. I feel like I'm pretty solidly in the middle of the pack here when it comes to everything in life except model railroading. In that arena I still have a lot to learn! Thanks to all who shared a bit of personal insight. Terry
Wow , lots of angles here and love reading all of the things that folks plan and do. Thanks Guys , Mike
My train building got a new metal roof which my tax return will partially pay for. That is a lot of locomotives not bought. Al
BUT.... you have a dedicated space to enjoy the trains that you do have... and now the roof is secure too. That 'home for a layout' is a great thing to have... more trains can be acquired later. I wish I would have done what you did instead of acquiring so much rolling stock, locos and structures first (I definitely put the cart before the horse!)
The building is 12' x 24' with three 8' x 12' rooms -originally I had one room for trains(built #86 from 101 Track Plans), one room for electronics and one for storage. Decided I wanted a longer main line so the trains take up almost two rooms with a logging extension in the second( visible at the one minute mark in the video). BTW the original asphalt roof lasted 28 years. [video=youtube;cg8DcpTlvho]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg8DcpTlvho[/video] Al
