Couldn't resist

I like !!!          Stephen    (cTr...Choose the Right)

I love those Rio Grande articulates.  An L-105 and L-131 and I would be very happy.

Very nice engines!  How about a little more of that L=105?

Clearly no budgetary issues on your home front,

Both are really sweet Erik! ncng

Kind of doubt that actually...  I'm in close to a zero sum budget that will see me liquidating a number of cars and engines very shortly.

Then again, I'll just build more.....

My wife never questions what I spend from my personal checking account, which is entirely seperate from hers. We never even see each others' balances!

This is as it should be between a man and his wife, when there are seperate incomes.

Those 'joint' checking accounts are for people who play with wind-up trains!

She has her own income from her own business, and I have a comfortable retirement income, which allows a hobby budget of about $3000 annually.

I planned it that way when entering the Aerospace business after my military discharge, putting the maximum possible percentage of my wages into weekly savings and even adding more, never taking anything out for frivolous expenses, like buying a new car every few years, which is what keeps most dummies broke.

When I retired after 36 years, I had a pile in retirement savings that required a dump truck to take home!

RIP TRACK

Rip Track,  WOW!!!!  I wouldn't brag too loudly about that dump truck load of cash.

Oh by the way...Dump truck for rent...inquire right here.

Rick

Rip, you give this forum something we never had before.

Hmmm... not sure what to do now... get rid of the wind-up trains, or go down to the bank and sign up for a joint checking account?  Guess I'm off to the bank, 'cause the clockworks are here to stay! 

Just a little friendly ribbin', RIP... I had to smile when I read that.  You are to be congratulated on coming up with a good financial plan and sticking with it!  Glad you can enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Researchers at several Nat'l labs are now diligently working to define just what that "something" actually might be......

Marker,

I am not sure if it is posted on the Sunset / Golden Gate websites yet, but I had a placard at the Strasburg PA show 2 weeks ago announcing the D&RGW L-131, Budd Slumbercoach, and NYC R-2 motors (also South Shore version) as new projects for 2015.

GENTLEMEN,

I'm not bragging about my accomplishment, because anyone can do it!

There's no secret formula. You don't have to go to financial planning seminars or have conferences with your financial consultant...just save as much money as you can from your paycheck, and discipline yourself never to withdraw anything until its time for that BIG withdrawal...when you retire! 

Take advantage of that magic Compounding Interest increasing your savings account balance while you sleep!

While saving a large percentage of my pay, I never had to live "on the cheap", because I had a good paying technical position while working for McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing, and I planned this by taking technical courses at a free community college and getting my certificate before entering the Service, and this also gave me a good position in the 8th Army Communications Center in Seoul, Korea. 

After my discharge, the first thing I did was buy a new car, a 1963 Chevrolet Impala V8 Hardtop.  I didn't need a new car...I did this just to establish credit, but I got tired of that long 24-month payoff contract, so I paid it off in 18 months.

Nothing magic about what I did, guys...it has been your choice all along!

Cheers,

RIP TRACK  (Here's that Chevrolet I bought after my Army discharge...I hate the nickname "Chevy", and never use it...I had the red Naugahyde interior, and I installed a pair of mellow-sounding pipes, too.)

 I've been the only income for the past 30+ years. My wife takes what little spending I do on Trains as an assault on whatever nest egg we may have. I tell her she and all the eggs she wants after I'm gone. God willing I don't leave too soon I want sometime to play with my trains when I retire. LOL

OK Erik,

Tell us about the Jag, please.

ChipR

Nice Classics, Erik!

My dad owned a Model T once, and he said if you really wanted to stop in an emergency, you would jam your foot down on all 3 pedals at once!

This would put you in Low gear, in Reverse, and apply the Brakes all at once!

(Torture for that planetary transmission, however)

Is that an XK-120?   It looks like the Lab is enjoying the ride in the T-Bone!  The other car looks like a Packard Roadster.

RIP TRACK  (Did you get all these from one of Jay Leno's surplus sales?)

I guess my ChevROLET (named for Swiss racecar driver Louis Chevrolet) kicked this whole thing off!

Rip Track

Not everybody can do it. My mom and dad scraped along their entire lives never buying a house, never owning a car, never taking a vacation. He was too proud to take any govt. help.

But my brothers and myself had a great childhood. We were loved and the few things we did have was much appreciated. 

Spent almost 4 years in the military and even then I sent money home to help out. 

i myself never had a high paying job and after my father died at 57 I had to take care of my mother of which I was proud to do. She lived with me for almost 40 years.

Did not save allot of money because I just  didn't make enough or other expenses came up to save. 

Now that I am retired I have a small pension and SS. I live very well, have my trains, and friends. That's all I need. 

Be thankful if you have allot of income or savings because there are many people who do not.

Thank you, David.

Oh, I'm thankful alright! 

The savings advice came from my Dad, who was lucky enough to find work throughout the Great Depression!

Rip Track

HEY ERIK,

My Mistake!  From that shot in the back seat of the Model T, I assumed she was a Labrador Retriever.  (We had one; her name was Daisy).

Rip Track

Thanks again, Erik!

We got Daisy from a Breeder.  Her AKC Registered Name was Sunflower Buttercup Daisy.

It was a sad day when we had to put her down at 14 years and 7 months.

People will say "Wow...how old is that in human years?"

I will quietly say: "14 years and 7 months."

We have a beautiful Golden in our neighborhood .  Her name is Lucy. Friendly as can be, but she's quite old now.

Lets see...Locomotives, Budgets, Cars, Dogs, what will be next?

Rip Track

HEY ERIC,

We don't own a St. Bernard.

Rip Track  (We have 3 Dogs, 3 Cats, 3 Desert Tortoises and a Cockatiel)

YO ERIK,

We rescued NOVA from a possible confrontation with a pack of Coyotes about 11 years ago at a desert wilderness astronomical Star Party, which is why we named him Nova! 

He was apparently dumped.

He was dehydrated and starving, but we gave him water and took him home, and then took him to the Vet for proper treatment.  He was about a year old when we rescued him.

He's an Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix.

Here's another shot of Nova:  (Click to enlarge)

RIP TRACK

Sell the children for medical experimentation and buy trains.