Never thought I'd have to do it but I broke down and bought a set of knee pads this morning. Working under the new layout was getting harder and harder. Getting old sucks. Anyone else have a tail to tell? Don
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im only 20 and i have cebral paulsy and it hurts to move sometimes cant imagine when i get old thats gonna be a nightmare
Welcome to the club scale.
Getting old is much preferred to the alternative...
scale rail posted:Never thought I'd have to do it but I broke down and bought a set of knee pads this morning. Working under the new layout was getting harder and harder. Getting old sucks. Anyone else have a tail to tell? Don
No worries there.
Buy the highest quality knee-pads you can find; you won't regret it, and they actually make you feel younger. (Especially the lack of pain when you're back upright again)
I just turned 53 this past Friday but I have been using a pad to kneel on. I also worked as a locksmith for almost 20 years and I didn't use a pad to kneel on working on locks. I'm paying the price now.
Paigetrains, one of our best friends has cebral paulsy and in his mid 50's is running a restaurant. Who knows what kind of new meds will be available for you down the road. Keep a good attitude and keep working on those trains. Don
I built my layout so that the top was 45" off the floor. That height, coupled with one of these has made working under the layout much less a chore:
I'm 33 now, so hopefully planning ahead will help me out later on....HOPEFULLY!
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hey don aka scale rail did you see my post lionel questions and apwr paint scheme
Some years ago a friend gave me a Red Caboose kit for an HO freight car. It had many very small plastic detail parts such as ladder rungs. I had to use a magnifying glass to do much of the assembly work and eventually realized it was useful to wear reading glasses ... which I did more often after that for other things as well.
I'm not complaining. I accept it as part of aging. I've seen various friends and relatives die at younger ages than where I am now.
I had to take an early retirement due to failing knees then I discovered Pro_knees. They extended my contracting career 15 years! I now have a pair in my vehicle and a pair in the shop. They are absolutely remedial.
Orthopedic care givers frequently provide prescriptions for them. Much like goal tenders pads but much better.
Very popular in the floor covering industry.
Some of us were in our late fifties when we joined the forum, we're now in our 70s. Time flies when having a good time.
I just answered your post. Don
thanks but i still dont have a paint scheme idea
i was hoping swafford would make me some samples for the APWR
Sorry, I'm only a Milwaukee guy. Don't know much about the APWR. Keep us posted. Don
I'm 44 and starting to feel it. Work on concrete floors all day working on airplanes, try to wiggle around a 1966 Mustang on the weekend, and play trains in my free time.
its a fictional railroad i named for my best friend
its not real don its pure imagination
don here is the story of my prodject
A typical day for me is 15-20K steps....about 5-6 years ago I switched to New Balance sneakers....it has kept me going.......
Work under the layout is slower because I take longer breaks between chores 
.
Peter
I bought a pair of knee pads years ago for canoeing. Wasn't related to age at all. Paddling is way more effective kneeling than sitting and way more comfortable with the pads.
You know just last week I mentioned to a friend that crawling around on my carpet layout has made me much more limber since reaching the big 6-0. This weekend, when I imagined creating a permanent table-based layout in my basement, it occurred to me that it would be much harder to maintain and work on because it would require lots of reaching over or crawling under the table and working with my arms held overhead. The floor layout, which gets picked up once a month for vacuuming is a pain, but for an entirely non-physical reason. But otherwise, it's easy to step through the layout and fiddle with what ever needs fiddling. I'm gonna keep it as is for as long as possible. My overall balance seems to have improved, too, since I've returned to playing on the floor like a happy six-year old. :-)
You're never too old to play with trains.
Tomlinson Run Railroad
yankspride4 posted:I built my layout so that the top was 45" off the floor. That height, coupled with one of these has made working under the layout much less a chore:
I'm 33 now, so hopefully planning ahead will help me out later on....HOPEFULLY!
We use very similar if not the same chairs in the inspection pits of the roundhouse I work in, so I guess you could say it's prototypical
Getting old is a good thing. Some folks don't, you know.
Hi Don,
I can relate to you , even though I exercise on a daily basis. My back and knees let me know they are in pain. Anytime I'm under the layout, I use a small pillow for my knees.
Alex
I must be getting old. I've been working on building my own layout while helping my old club tear down and move theirs. I'm becoming very friendly with a bottle of Tylenol, and I hate pills.
Then there's the eyes. Most construction tasks are OK, but anything small or very close up, I need help. I have three pairs of cheaters in the train room, just to get by.
yankspride4 posted:I built my layout so that the top was 45" off the floor. That height, coupled with one of these has made working under the layout much less a chore:
I'm 33 now, so hopefully planning ahead will help me out later on....HOPEFULLY!
Please post specs on this chair (height, etc.) and complete ordering info regarding manufacturer, item number, approx. cost, and where it can be purchased. Thanks.
Just stop and think about it. It's a good thing.
As the Grey Panther leader used to say ( yes, a real group) "Grow old or die!" .
For me, getting down on all fours to work is easy. It is the getting back up that is hard.
I and HAVE to conclude with a favorite verse, "To live is Christ; to die is gain".
Anyway, good topic. It is good to know that many of us are similarly afflicted and some, bless their hearts, face more challenge.
I too can relate to sore knees and my back also eye glasses and tight spaces to view wiring is a real endeavor!
scale rail, will you ever post photos of your new layout?
I have an old 6" thick seat cushion out in the garage. I don't even remember where it came from, but I use it almost every time I have to kneel; when pulling weeds, when putting air in the truck tires, getting under the Christmas layout, etc. Heck, I even needed it when I removed some wall plates before and after painting. I get dizzy at times when working on my back, so I have to be extra careful when changing oil and I'm not sure what's going to happen when I start building my permanent layout next month. Plumbing work is almost completely out of the question, so we pay through the nose when we need something repaired. Sometimes just rolling over to get out of bed starts the room spinning. But, like someone else said, this is better than the alternative. 
I Jog, walk, bike and lift weights on a daily basis, and still feel it when down on my knees. Knees are mostly my weak spots, old piece of wrestling mat usually is my solution for this.
Stay young my friends,
In the foreground of the picture below is the mechanics creeper that I use under the layout. The other 2 vehicles are the beginnings of my under layout storage carts as shown partially completed in picture #2. It's amazing how much storage space there is under the layout. I got the idea from Alex Muller's, Hidden Pass Junction RR. I use furniture dollies for the carts and even used one to improve the movement of the mechanic creeper.
I'm considering raising the layout from 36" to 48". It's 26' long so this may end up being a job for the riggers.
PS The pillows on the carts were a joke as to where I could move if I continued to expand the empire.
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scale rail posted:Anyone else have a tail to tell?
I'm pretty sure that I don't want to know anything about anybody else's tail.
I've seen some fantastic layouts on this forum that I am envious of, but they usually include lots of track in far to reach spaces. I don't know how those guys work on those areas, very least of which is cleaning track. With few exceptions, my plan keeps all track within arms reach.
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Oh boy, has age taught me a few hard lessons about layout planning and execution! 
You know those small 1' x 2' access hatches? Bad idea.
Got less than straightforward access to remote areas of the layout? Not so good, either. 
"Hey, let's put a second level yard below the main layout level!" "Let's not and say we did." 
I've got lots of lessons learned for the next version of the Panhandle. Now if the Lord will permit me to get to the point of building and enjoying it.
George
ogaugeguy posted:yankspride4 posted:I built my layout so that the top was 45" off the floor. That height, coupled with one of these has made working under the layout much less a chore:
I'm 33 now, so hopefully planning ahead will help me out later on....HOPEFULLY!
Please post specs on this chair (height, etc.) and complete ordering info regarding manufacturer, item number, approx. cost, and where it can be purchased. Thanks.
It's a Craftsman. The seat sits about 18" off the ground. There is a magnetic strip on the shelf below the seat. Very light and free wheeling.
I bought for about $30 when Sears Hardware stores were closing on Long Island in 2012. Browsing the Sears site however, it doesn't look like this model is still available. There are others though.
This one looks like the one I need!
Here's my solution, the Pro-Lift 2-in-1 Creeper:
It works like a charm and flattens out to form a traditional "creeper". I'm contemplating the addition of a bolt-on extension or bolting a second in its "flattened" mode in order to kneel and get elbow support. It is purportedly made in the USA and, though I can't remember where I got mine, I see that Menard's carries them -
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I turned 74 today. Getting down on my knees is not a problem...just getting back up. Although I wear reading glasses, am on heart pills, and got a recent hip replacement, the last time I was sick in bed was 1974.
It's 3:22 in the morning and I'm thinking of all the progress I made today on the six foot high canyon that never seems to end. Have to get up at 6 am, take off is 7. Filming whales from the air. Love flying but can't stop thinking of the layout. Can't stop my mind this morning. I am getting old.
ut.
