# Considering getting out of the hobby.



## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

Hey guys, it hasn't been awhile

As some of you know I am in a new house without a layout. I have build some materials for the layout, but I have. It started anything mainly because of time. All of the stuff is all over the basement, I didn't think I had as much as I do. 

Lately I have been looking at layout plans and trying to figure out how to use the space in the most effictive way possible. Looks at what track to use and electronics and blah blah blah. 

I have been debating about even getting track and new buildings and even building the benchwork for the layout. I have zero time now while I'm in college and when I'm out of college, am I going to want to still be in the hobby? So the question is should I buy all this stuff (100s of dollars) and just end up getting rid of it down the road?? 

I am coming here for you guys to talk me into pursuing the layout and stop complaining. 

If I were to stop the hobby, I would be selling all of my stuff and putting toward paying for college most likely. 

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2017)

I would suggest storing what you have and saving it for when you have the time and energy to get back into the hobby. Many of us have had periods in life when the hobby has been in hibernation. You can always stay involved by reading, surfing the web and participating here.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I've always kept my stuff, even through the years that I'm not interested in railroading.
When I went to school I just kept a small oval with a siding to tinker with. Small enough to stash easily but still run some stuff. I did the same thing for a few years just before building my current layouts, a small oval on plywood we could set up just to run stuff for a while until better times came.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

So, when I was 10 (shortly after the debut of the steam locomotive  ), my father bought me an HO starter set. We had a blast with it, and I built a passable (for the 1970's ) layout on top of an old ping pong table. Then I got into soccer, and boy scouts, and learned to drive, and discovered that girls didn't have cooties. So about the age of 16, I lost interest in the hobby. I told my parents that they could sell my stuff, or give it away.

Well, they did give it away... to my cousin, who loved it, and expanded the track and rolling stock and used it for many years, until the same thing happened to him as had happened to me.

So I went to college, and business school, and served in the Navy, and started a family, got out of the Navy and established a career.... You know: life happened. One day, in 2002, I got an e-mail from my aunt, telling me to expect several large boxes from UPS. I opened them, and there was all my old train stuff, plus all the extra stuff they had acquired over the years. I was thrilled -- I jumped back in, and have loved it ever since. The moral of the story: were it not for the foresight of my parents in making sure my old stuff was preserved, I wouldn't be enjoying this great hobby.

Life intervenes. Take a break if you're overwhelmed. But don't burn your bridges -- because if you loved it once, you will again. Not everything of mine was necessarily worth saving -- my first loco is a shelf queen, kept for sentimental reasons, and YOU now have a lot of my old brass track.

I don't think it would be a mistake for you to decide that you don't have time right now and need to take a break. But I think it would be a huge mistake to completely throw in the towel and get rid of everything.


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

Store it if you don't want to continue now. Later in life if you decide to get active in the hobby again you'll be glad you saved the trains.


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

Some times all it takes is someone you respect to really change your mind. Thanks guys 

I think (once I have time, winter break maybe) I will go through everything I have and maybe thin out the stuff that is junk (to me at least). Buying used stuff is a good things, but not if it should have been tossed, I ended up with a lot of junk. I'll go through and toss some stuff, and maybe get the ambition to build the layout. 

Thing thing is that I don't like half-assing stuff, I like doing things how I want them to be. That being said, this next layout wasn't going to just be a sheet of plywood with some track, I wanted to go all out. And maybe buying stuff now and "investing" in what I have will be helpful down the road. 

Thanks for your input guys. Maybe buy some storage bins instead track and a shelving unit for the bins out of the bench work wood...


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Hey, I'll look after it all for you.......just send it on up....


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

Old_Hobo said:


> Hey, I'll look after it all for you.......just send it on up....


I'm going to need your address


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

Don't throw out the junk! Somebody here will do something with it.

CTV- girls DO have cooties.:laugh:


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## BNSF Fan (Feb 27, 2010)

I was out of model railroading and not around here for about 6-7 years, I'll have to but all new track, but I did keep all my rolling stock, transformers, and some bags of scenery stuff, and I'm glad I did.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Aminnich said:


> I'm going to need your address


Just put "in care of Canada".....they know me here....:laugh:


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

If you're going to store it, get a hard plastic stackable container at WalMart so the contents don't get crushed. They aren't expensive. Store it away and years later it will be a treasure to go through.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I agree with D&J Railroad. My stuff is in those plastic totes.
And in a heated and cooled storage unit. Paying 60 some a
month. That's not good but I know I do not want to get rid of it.
I have 34 totes full of mostly new and good stuff. We had some remodeling here and needed to get the stuff out. Storage unit
was suppose to be 6 months. Here it is 3 years later. 34 totes
take up some room. I numbered the totes and have a sheet of paper for each tote and listed what is in the tote. Glad I did.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

For the containers I use, I just write the type of contents on a sheet of paper and tape it inside on the end so it is visible through the semi transparent plastic.
I would post a couple pictures but Photobucket destroyed all my photos that I had there because I wouldn't pay the ransom.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

time warp said:


> Don't throw out the junk! Somebody here will do something with it.
> 
> CTV- girls DO have cooties.:laugh:


You keep thinkin' like that brother. Leaves more for me!


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

Alright alright, everything will be staying in the moving boxes they are in now. Once the last fall semester final is done, time to do some unboxing and going through. Maybe I can work on building the benchwork and trying to design a track plan over the weekends. Of course taking my time and focusing more on the calculus is unfortunately more important for now


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

All of us go through phases, often when we take up a new passion, where prior interests are shelved or abandoned altogether. Happened to me. I used to be an astronomy nut, complete with rather expensive telescope. That lasted about 12 years. I retired early from the military (with full pension...I was 52, but had served enough time to get a full 30 year pension). Then I wandered into a hobby trains store and got hooked. I built three layouts in the next 12 years, and then fizzled. 

We moved, my wife had a train room put up for me in the garage, and I began to create another layout. I got to the sub-roadbed stage, where I erected cookie-cutter on risers, and then stalled for about 12 months. I was patient, and just in the past three weeks have begun to lay track and to power it. The bug came back. What kept me interested was 'walking by the store window' several times each month, imagining the completed effort and enjoying running my trains. Finally, I couldn't stand the dreaming and felt the urge coming back.

It's an emotional enterprise in our hobby. We get stretched a bit in several ways...if we're lucky...and learn stuff. We get to create and craft a scale train empire where we can lose ourselves in the image before us. When the emotion changes, or something more powerful takes its place, it's probably best not to fight it. Let it be for a while, even if a while ends up being a decade. In time, you'll have the time, energy, and enthusiasm all over again. Meanwhile, what you can't reasonably replace, store away sealed from too much moisture and heat. You can always unload it in ten years if you really must, and who knows...it may actually have gone up in value for many prospective buyers.


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

First, thank you for your service to this country. And that goes to the rest of ya too!! 

Second, walking by the hobby store window is a real draw you inside, isnt it?!? Its like they want you to buy something :laugh: 

For me, it is just going into the basement and seeing all my stuff all other the place. I keep telling myself,

build the benchwork then shelves underneath and all this sh!t wont be all over the place. But then I think, well I do not have a track plan and I want to have an idea of that before the benchwork is built. 

So I need to get to work on a track plan so I can build the benchwork so I can build the shelves so I can clean up my mess.


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## thomp237 (Sep 30, 2017)

Aminnich said:


> For me, it is just going into the basement and seeing all my stuff all other the place. I keep telling myself,
> 
> build the benchwork then shelves underneath and all this sh!t wont be all over the place. But then I think, well I do not have a track plan and I want to have an idea of that before the benchwork is built.
> 
> So I need to get to work on a track plan so I can build the benchwork so I can build the shelves so I can clean up my mess.


So I would really suggest you get some plastic totes and not leave the stuff in carboard moving boxes. When your basement floods you will be glad you had all your stuff in plastic totes. Dont ask me how I know this.

BTW, dont EVER sell the stuff. If you have kids some day they will use it or you can just buy all of it all over again.

I always tell the story of when I went back to college after 10 years of life. As a part time job I worked in a high end stereo store. I had a VERY nice stereo system that I sold to pay for college. I always figured I would replace it after I got a real job. Well 14 years on and I still have never replaced it and I would have been better off keeping the stereo and having an extra $5k in student loans  

Jim


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I put aside model trains during college, and for a number of years while I was building a career afterwards, and never regretted it. I never lost the interest, and always owned a few - usually in a box under the bed that I would set up on the floor once a year, etc., but I think it was the right thing to do. 

The hobby was right there, ready for me to pick it up again, when I as older and read to do so again.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Hey guys

It's a hobby. It's something you do when the
important things have been done. Or when you
want to get away from the world.

With that in mind, wouldn't it make sense to
hang on to what you have. Do a little work on
it when you can even if there are months
between. No need to rush, you have the
rest of your life to get it finished, as if a model
layout is ever finished.

If your collection is like that of most of us, selling it would
not help much toward your education.

So, let it sit awhile. When the bug bites again you
have what you need.

Don


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

20 years ago I got out of the hobby. I now kick myself in the rear for what I gave up.
Dan


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*Not giving up yet*

I haven't posted for a while . . . the pinched nerve (maybe carpal tunnel) in my right hand has made everything difficult, including typing. But I'm not giving up yet. My trains and scenery pieces are in clear storage boxes. I'm thinking of building a shelf I can display them on.


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

Just put it in storage! don't get rid of it!

You'll be glad you did some rainy day ten years from now.


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

I love how forums work, they store your old conversations forever, even after a website face lift. 

I came back to this thread in particular because I was thinking to sell all of my stuff again. I am graduating college in 2 weeks and will be starting my new career 2 days after that. I am very excited about what is to come. With the pandemic going on and being stuck inside, I decided to clean up my hobby room downstairs. I found a model train collection under quite the thick layer of dust!

After some thinking, I do not think the model train hobby is for me. I am the type that loves building and designing things. So the beginning stages of building a layout is right up my alley. The issue is what do I do with a completed layout? I do not see myself running trains around the town for fun. I have talked to some others and they suggested joining a club, I could help with building the layout and not have all my stuff take up an entire room in the house. The issue is that the model train club near me has a completed layout and only does public tours occasionally. Someone else recommended building a layout and selling it, but I do not thinking something like that selling for what it is worth. I have seen some layouts for sale on CraigsList and they sit there forever and no one wants them. 

From reading the this thread, back in 2017 I did not have benchwork made. Since then I have the benchwork all made and basically ready to go with a track plan to go with it. I have a bunch of the stuff needed to continue the layout, but I have been dragging my feet on buying all the track and other materials required. 

I do not really know what I am looking to get out of this post, I think it is just me rambling about what is going on in my head. One day my thought is to sell it all so I don't have to move it when I move out in the next few weeks. The next day my thought is to place the order for all the materials and get to work on laying track. I guess we'll see if I end up making a post on my old layout thread. 

Thanks for reading, I hope everyone is doing good!


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Aminnich said:


> I love how forums work, they store your old conversations forever, even after a website face lift.
> 
> I came back to this thread in particular because I was thinking to sell all of my stuff again. I am graduating college in 2 weeks and will be starting my new career 2 days after that. I am very excited about what is to come. With the pandemic going on and being stuck inside, I decided to clean up my hobby room downstairs. I found a model train collection under quite the thick layer of dust!
> 
> ...


I have been "into" model railroading since the early 70s. I've started 3 or 4 layouts, but never got much beyond laying a bunch of track. I have locos and rolling stock and scenery supplies...but not enough desire to build. I have recently realized that I love to talk and look at model trains, but not build or operate them. 

I say all that to explain that I am still here reading and posting. I can answer some questions and offer some advice to others sometimes due to what I've learned from others on this forum. I enjoy the videos, laughs, photos, and member viewpoints.

I suggest you do like I have...stick around the hobby and this forum and see what your interest develops into. You may find a spark growing or dying out. You obviously still have some interest or you wouldn't be waffling about it. 

Good luck with your new career!!


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

You might check around, there could be multiple train clubs in your area. My club puts on one of the area expos each year, and along with that they do a raffle to give away a small layout. They also work with the local library and others to set up model displays that are kid-friendly, and many members help other members getting personal layouts built. So there are a lot of opportunities to actually build things. Just because a club already has a layout built doesn't mean there aren't other opportunities within the club to work on the parts that you enjoy.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Question....why would you start laying track now if you're moving out next week? 

Unless I'm missing something....


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I was like you. Late in high school, I got into soccer and girls and let my model railroading stuff gather dust jn the basement. Then there was college, the Navy, and starting a family, and there was never the time for trains. Meanwhile, my parents had boxed up the stuff (with my blessing), and shipped it to my cousin, who is 12 years younger than me. When the same "loss of interest" happened to him, my aunt sbipped it all back to me. By that time, I was established in a career and a "forever" home, and was ready to resume active participation.

Bottom line: selling it all is a pretty drastic step that you may regret later. This is a great time of your life, and you have lots to plan and do. But it won't always be that way.


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

Fire21 - This is a good forum to stick around with and just hang out, you are right. These guys are great to talk to. I don't think I have ever had a bad experience 

Shdwdrgn - I sent an email to the club near my house to see what their future plans are and if they are continuing to build onto their layout. Hopefully they are and I can just join them. 

Old Hobo - No telling when I will be moving out. I am not moving out this next or the next, but in a month or 2... who knows. The new job is an hour away and my truck does not get the greatest gas mileage haha. So I am going to be looking into getting something closer to work sooner than later. 

CTV - That is almost a copy paste to your initial comment to this thread 3 years ago 😂 

I am actually downstairs right now looking over everything and going to start coming up with a plan. Before I buy track, I am going to construct some more buildings and modify the buildings I bought pre-built in a lot. We'll see how it goes.


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## bigdodgetrain (Jun 12, 2015)

*Aminnich just because a club says the layout is done don't believe that, there is always something that can be done. you could make suggestions about changing things. see if they will admit you as a guest to check things out. just because the club you checked is not open all the time does not mean it is closed to member all the time.*


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

🌈 Hi ! I don't think its been mentioned: Are you going to live in the same place during and after college ! If so, why not build the benchwork after deciding on the general shape ( L, T, rectangle, shelf ) and build that (I'd use open grid, not a flat board). Then add some track, enough to run some stuff a bit.. If you find yourself more immersed in the project, do more..You still will need a control/throttle and to decide if you're going to go old analog DC, or modern, DCC. (NCE PowerCab about $150). But if you still find no desire to you can simply take it all down and sell what you like..If you aren't going to live in the same place during and after schooling, then I'd say, don't do much, if anything until you're in your new dwelling....🚦M


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## Aminnich (Nov 17, 2014)

bigdodgetrain - While I agree with you, I feel like a newbie coming into a group is going to have very little to say about changing someone else's work. We'll see if they reply to my email. 

teeltale - A little bit about me. I live about 15 mins from campus, so I lived at home while in school. The layout is currently in my parent's basement. If I move into an apartment, there will be no room for a layout, so hopefully my parents are cool with the layout in the basement for awhile until I get my own place. 🤞


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

Well, there ya go !!


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

I got my first Lionel when I when I was 12 and got into HO when I was 14. I had layouts with both. When I went to college in 1952 I packed everything and stored it for future use.
My grandmother, with whom I lived gave ir all away because "he won't play with this stuff anymore". I know that us an old story. I never lost my interest in trains of all types.
Now about 2005 I had a place and time to build another layout and I have. BUT. Some real things to consider. I visited hobby/train stores. WOW! What a difference from the 1950s.
I could build a rather large N scale layout but because of some developing eye and finger problems N seemed to not be a good choice at all for me. So what about HO? Bought some
car kits and a loco kit that was supposed to be easy to do and found the same problems. My best friend gave me a Lionel starter set. And that was it. I could see it. I could put it on
the track and play with it.
The point is if there may be a while before you get back to trains there may be many changes in your own situation and in the trains that you may want to change everything.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It wasn't until after college I started buying and learning about the hobby. I mostly collected used and fixed them up. Only set up the occasional loop. It took me 25 years to nail the first track on a table. All it takes is a couple of minutes to log in and visit.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Aminnich said:


> CTV - That is almost a copy paste to your initial comment to this thread 3 years ago 😂
> 
> I am actually downstairs right now looking over everything and going to start coming up with a plan. Before I buy track, I am going to construct some more buildings and modify the buildings I bought pre-built in a lot. We'll see how it goes.


Well, the wisdom doesn't change with the passing of a few years. 

Discuss the space with your parents. While they may have some project just waiting for you and your train stuff to disappear, it's more likely you can work something out. They'll probably be glad to have the trains pulling you back for an occasional visit!


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