Contemplating my Life as it stands with model trains.

Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck with your new job and college. Putting some toward your education is also a very good idea. College is becoming a necessity if you want to make it these days. Nothing like it was when I was that age, high school was about all you needed to earn a good living back then.

I have several items pre-ordered from my LHS, from both Lionel and MTH. Just hoping they don't all show up at once.

Well Tim if that is what you want a railking diesel and a test car then you are talking about 400.00 if you have a good dealer like I have Legacy Station, You should buy what makes you feel comfortable.
I see you belong to the fine RR club SD 3railers. I personal would buy a PRR diesel just to drive John Korling a little nuts.

If you want to see him jump up in the air and turn blue tell him I told you to by a Penncy GG1 and you agreed.

"The rest of my earnings will go towards my Community College Education this fall."

That should be your priority and I am pleased that you recognize this. Getting a good college education will allow you to purchase more trains in the future.

When you go to school, you need to focus on that.

When I went back to complete my BA (I had my AA already) in my late 20s after goofing off for long enough, I packed away all the stuff I enjoy and put all my hobbies on hold for the next two years (actually longer than that for what came next).

I had a full class load, a full-time job and Army ROTC on top of that. I was in my late 20s, so I didn't qualify for an Army scholarship even though I had better grades than my classmates in ROTC. They cut off scholarships to anyone more than 25 years old when they completed the program. To this day, I have no clue why that was as I had to do the same things as everyone else. I'm still quite bitter about that.

I can recall the girls I dated (how I had time for that, I'm still not sure) and a lot of the Army training I did as I knew I'd need those skills soon enough on active duty (which I did). As for the rest, it's all a giant blur. I truly remember almost nothing of the classes I took except for a couple of really jerky professors...

I didn't pick back up with any hobbies for the most part until a while after I'd gotten to my first duty station, about a year after I got my diploma when I picked things back up.

My point is, school is your focus and you need to resign yourself to that inescapable fact. We all did it, and it's your turn now.

Your hobbies will still be waiting when you come out the other side.

You are a young man and you have your whole life ahead of you to focus on your hobbies.  Focus on your education and getting the best grades that you can, because this will open other doors for you, at first educationally but then professionally.  Plus it is always better to have more options as you then have a far greater chance of choosing a profession that will be interesting and rewarding.  That will also yield a much better chance of earning a good living.  And to turn back to trains (or any hobby for that matter), it is easier to have a hobby if you have disposable income. 

Sorry if that comes across as a lecture.  You seem like a nice young guy, and you're a scout so you probably have your head screwed on right.  Just keep that up and you will have a much more interesting and fulfilling professional / work life.  Long way of saying right now, focus on school. 

I can't offer good advice at what to buy, but congratulations on your first job.  I didn't enjoy every part of job I had between ages 15 and 21, but I learned a ton and grew alot.  

As others have said, well done keeping a view to your eduction things, but when you're putting aside $ for college and trains, don't forget to put some cash aside for getting out and enjoying being a young person. Most guys I know (including myself) put many of their hobbies on a backburner through late high-school and college and while many of us returned later, none of us who took a break regretted it.  Not saying this will necessarily be you, but be open to what life has for you!

As others have posted... You are young.

My advice is to not ask advice from the "old guys" on this forum.

Make your own choices. Live and learn.

SAY WHAT!!!   

I was about to say I'm not old, but then I realized that I'm probably just over twice Tim's age.  

Ouch!

I agree with what Passenger Train Collector said.

If you really got an itch for trains, buy something used.

School is fun, why stop?

Just leave some play time on the table.

 It only gets harder to go back again.

I sold all of my HO stuff (minus the custom painted engines) before going to college. Everything was built better in either Genesis, Proto 2000 or Ready to Roll when I got out of school, so I really missed out on nothing.

All of the stuff you mentioned will be available and improved when you finish school.

I was going to offer some input, but I'm an "old guy", so I'll pass.

They probably just need to euthanize us "old guys" (and gals) and that way we're no longer an inconvenience.

Best of luck with your decisions!

There is a tremendous wealth of experience and information, in old heads,  that needs to be transferred to young heads.  Don't sell yourself short.   Mike CT   

"Do as I say, not as I did". P51 above nailed it, (including the "blur") and appears to have accomplished a lot.  Someone above mentions just buy used items to get a small, practice layout. College cost6 today is such an unexplained, overpriced rip-off, that you need to save most if not all of your money for your education.  Way too many kids are getting out of school with big debts from college expenses.  You want all that behind you.  Do that and you really can get on with your life, vs. paying off tuition debts, after you throw the board in the air.  Double down on the school work, make the grades, and you will get that time back as free time, and the job with the money to buy what you want.  The more education, and better one you have, the higher your first salary and faster start you will get.  Listen to the "old guys".  They have been there, done that, and would likely do things differently if they could go around again.

May I suggest taking $100 and starting your retirement plan? Easiest way to 1/2 million dollars or more is to take a piece of EVERY paycheck you EVER receive and put 10-20% towards your retirement.

I did this with my first check after college and every check thereafter. Please believe me when I say it will make a difference in your life.

Enjoy your trains and good luck with the rest of school.

Paul

Must be a good job if you are going to make enough money for school, and trains.

I suggest you talk over how to manage the money with your family, as opposed to seeking advice here. Same goes for how to manage your time.

As someone who recently finished the whole school thing, save all your money for school.  Community college is great, as a cheap way to get a start on a good degree.  Don't know what degree you are looking at, but experience show that for most decent paying jobs a CC degree isn't worth much.  Instead I would pick the university you want to go to, then pick the 4 year degree you want and contact them and find out which classes from the CC will directly transfer to the U for your degree of choice, and then take only those classes at the CC.  You can do this while still working a part time job and thus be saving money.  Once you are done at the CC taking only those classes at will transfer for your chosen degree, transfer to the U and finish up.  It'll take longer, yes, but you will have a better degree at can net you a better job, and if you pull it off right, you can come out debt free like I did.  Took me total 8 years, 3 at the CC and 5 at the U, but I was working part time and a single father for most of that.  When I finished, my bank account was about zero, but I was debt free and able to get a job quick and replace my junk car within 3 months after finishing school.  Was it worth it, yes!  Did I hate it while going to school, YES!  There were so many times I wanted to give up and quit school and settle for some basic job that'd get me by, but I'm glad I didn't.  Other than wanting to provide the best for my son, the other thing that got me through school was I promised myself that I'd buy a Big Boy as my personal grad gift.  It's my favorite locomotive and I wanted an O gauge one bad.  About 6 months after I finished school, I found one on eBay and bought it.  And since then the VL BB came out, and because I got a 4 year degree from a U, I have a good enough job I was able to buy it, and now I have 2 BBs.

So the quick of it is don't cheat yourself.  You can wait for the trains, they will always be there to buy later, even if it is used.  Spend that money on your yourself, get an good education first!!!!

I agree with the other posters that the best investment you can make at your age is your education.  No one can take that away from you and it will open many doors in the future.  

There is another reason not to buy too many trains at this time in your life.  Maybe you can live at home while you are going to community college.  Eventually you are going to have to move out and get your first real home (apartment?).  It will most likely be very small.  You don't want to be dragging a lot of possessions around with you as you find your first post education job.  You will need the flexibility to move wherever the job may take you.  (I was in the Navy and I moved about every two years.)

Even a VL Big Boy or a couple of diesels can become a burden in a small apartment or if you have to move them multiple times.

One way to enjoy trains at your age is to join a club and operate on the club's layout.  Some club's have storage space for member's trains.

Good luck on your voyage.   May you enjoy fair winds and following seas.

NH Joe (USN Ret.)