lost the appeal of the hobby.

I wouldn't feel bad about storing it away in the attic or basement for a few decades.  You may be glad to have them and your interest may re-kindle when you are in your 50's or later.

But don't sell them or give them away.  I think you'll be very sorry later if you do!

It sounds like Your dad is more important than the trains right now. Thats the way it should be. Find other things to do with him. You can still talk trains, have coffee, eat lunch together.  Chances are that years later you will come back to them as a fond memory of your father. My folks passed many many years ago and I think of them almost everyday and chuckle at the things we used to do. 

I think that it is fairly common to lose interest around your age.  I was about the same age when I lost interest, and I didn't get the bug again until I was in my 30's and in my own house.

I would recommend that if you think that you will be out of the hobby for a while that you pack up everything that can be saved from your layout and store it someplace safe from moisture.

Andy

Is there a way to help your father gain access to the basement again somehow?

Bob

There is always Christmas and put down a floor layout for next winter.

Yes, you should definitely look into joining a local club if one is conveniently located for you.

As for the trains you have, consider keeping close at hand the things you may enjoy running at the club (if you go that route), and then go ahead and carefully box-up and store the other items you and your dad have.  You are at the age where there are invariably going to be a lot of other things that intrude on your time and your enjoyment of the hobby.  That is perfectly normal, and it happened to most of us during that same period in our lives.

I am 64 and in good health. Maybe some day I won't be. So, in anticipation of that possibility, precaution is needed (called "Vorsorge" a key element in EEU law, which is slowly working its way into our legal system and I am a lawyer),  which, as  a result I have made videos of all my trains over the last several years and uploaded them into my hard-drive, organized in several different files for cross-reference, so that, if need be, I can press a button and watch my trains on my computer, if that's all I can do in this possible situation. . Its not as good as seeing them in person, but it is better than nothing, should I ever be in this situation. PS Its also good for insurance purposes.

Put them away, pull a few out around the holidays maybe. Family is far more inportant now. Trains are just a hobby no more no less, family is first!!!

I put mine away when I was 14 or so when photography (not enough room for a layout and darkroom) and girls. They were pulled out again for a few months while I went through PT for an injury. I was 21 At that time I joined S.W.A.R.M in Mobile. AL After a few months and I was able to pass APFT the trains went back up until I was 34 (2001), since then I have been collecting and running on our clubs modules. Now I have a 7 year old and 11 year old (they have a small plain layout) and we will start building the 'big layout' in the next few months..

The short of it is take care of them and soon you will be playing / running again.

As far as your pops maybe you could build a portable layout for him to run and work on upstairs.

There are quite a few possibilities.  How about taking your dad along to the club layout?  Maybe you could enjoy that together.  Can you move the layout to a room upstairs?  One thing is for sure, you can always play with trains in the future, but you only have a limited amount of quality time to spend with your dad.  You can buy new trains or keep the existing ones, but you can't replace a dad.

Art

Or alternatively, a way to get at least some of the layout (or perhaps a new one) upstairs?

The Massillon O Gauge Club is a pretty sweet club. I live out of state but am originally from Canton, I went to check out their open house the year before last, and they were super friendly and have a nice layout. I was so busy on our visit this year I didn't get a chance to stop in. FiremanChris here on the forum made my Dad I feel quite welcome on our visits to the club.

Trains are my Dad and I's thing too. Unfortunately I live 800 miles away, and though he's retired is arguably busier than I am looking after grandkids and aging parents. Mass O Gauge club is an option for him if time ever allows. We still talk trains a plenty on the phone - so finding a way to connect even if it isn't over the layout is an awesome idea. 

Those trains you and your dad enjoy are more than just toys.  They are creating memories (actually already have created some, I'm sure).  Hold on to as many of them as you can.  I still have a few that my dad bought for me--mom, too--and I'm sure glad I kept them.

At 17 18 I certainly understand your feelings. IMHO I would keep the things that have the most fond moments you had with your dad. I'm just telling you that because I sure wish I had that opportunity with mine. And, years down the road I wouldn't care if they worked or not. Just me. We all have some shelf queens that are memories. It's gets personal sometimes.

when my fathers health started to fail where he could not do the steps, I brought the trains to him.  we (I) would set up temp track on the living room floor so he could play

I am a 'carbon copy' of Andy.  

My dad gave me his Post War Lionel, they are my most prized pieces in my collection.  Not because of value or any other reason but because they were my dad's trains. Wish you could have saw the look on his face when I got his old 2037 running that hadn't moved under its own power in 50 years!  Priceless!

Keep the trains handy and be ready to pull them out with a loop of track if the mood strikes your Dad.You also have Christmas layouts to plan with Dad along with videos and magazines...plenty of ways to still share the hobby with your father.

In the meantime I bet your Dad would also understand if you start to develop other interests ..girls...cars...etc.. after all he was your age once!

You are only 17, don't be in a hurry to sell the trains....you have a lot more decisions that will be more important coming up and there will be plenty of time to come back into the hobby.  Perhaps at that time, you will be glad you have the trains and memories that go along with them.....

Alan

Electronics Lifespan  see below:

SO You think these highly electrical trains will last 25 years. . . you're dreaming.

Small appliances
Mobile phones, MP3-players, irons, kettles, hair dryers etc. 2 – 3 years

Medium Size Appliances
Cleaners, refrigerators and freezers, spin and tumble dryers, microwave ovens 3 – 6 years

Larger Appliances
Electric Cookers, 5 – 10 years
Fridge/Freezer, 3-6 years
Dishwashers, washing machines, 3 – 6 years
Low priced portable CTVs 2 – 5 years
Higher priced non-portable CTVs 4 – 8 years
Low priced DVD player/recorder 2 – 5 years
Higher priced DVD player/recorder 5 – 8 years

IT Hardware
Desktops 3-4 years
Laptops 2-3 years
Tablets 2-3 years

I gave my trains away back in '69 when I got drafted.

Life intervened, military, college, marriage, children, work...

Many times over the decades I wished I'd kept them,

it took me 35+ years to have trains again.

Don't part with them, you will regret it! 

Dave

Alan,

I think that you have listed very pessimistic 'lifetimes' above.

If you buy good quality items and look after them properly, they last a whole lot longer. All of my electrical equipment that appears on your list is considerably older, and still working perfectly. For example, my washing machine is 13 years old, one of my freezers is 25 years old, 2 fridges that are 13 and 11 years old respectively. My microwave is 12 years young and still going strong, and my oven was built in 1971. I could continue, but I think that you get the drift. 

I can see no reason as to why my trains should not enjoy equally lengthy lives. 

You are seventeen and have most of your life ahead of you. It is not unusual at your age to have other interests that are more of a priority.

I would suggest that you carefully pack away your trains. The last thing you should do is to get rid of them. Someday those train boxes will appeal to you again and you will be glad you have them. I know it may be hard for you to think ahead in terms of someday having a family of your own, but the train memories you and your Dad have shared you may want to repeat with your future kids.

Good luck to you.

For the short term, the club route is definitely the way to go for you at your age.  When I was 17, all I had at home (in HO) was a test track.  I belonged to a club up until I was 23. 

Started my first home layout when I was 29.  There are still things that you can do at home to enjoy the hobby, building kits, detailing motive power and equipment and buildings, and a whole host more.   I didn't do much modeling from age 23 thru 29, but still had the trains displayed, and did a lot of layout design.  Spent most of my time working and going to grad school. 

My point is, don't be so ready to give up on the hobby.  It is about a lot more than just running trains. 

But now on to the quote above.  It would be interesting to see a photo or layout plan of what you have today.  The reason I ask, is upstairs rooms have these things called walls, and trains traverse around them quite well. 

Start a thread on the layout design forum, and I bet you would get a lot of ideas. 

Regards, 

GNNPNUT

B&LE,

Give your dad the following every day and his knees will heal up.

Vitamin C  4000 mg

Copper  2 mg

Glucosamine 1500 mg

Alfalfa  3000 to 5000 mg

Knox plain gelatin  1/2 oz

I have been using this formula to heal osteoarthritis for 35 years, and it always works.

The only thing that was on my mind at 17-18 was GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS.  LOL  My dad had already past on just after I turned 16.  But, sounds like you and your dad had a pretty good relationship with the trains.  I bet he would like to hear that you still enjoyed running the trains.  Even if he can't get down to the basement I bet he would feel pretty good knowing that you still have fun running trains.  So, if you still have the desire for trains, go run em!!!  Talk to your dad about the operating session.  I'm sure he would appreciate hearing about it.  After all it's something you have in common with him.

Rick

Do what you think is best.  Lucky for me my Dad stored my original Lionel trains away when I joined the Navy in 1965.  Soon after getting out of the military I got the bug again, starting with a Lionel Catalog in a Sears store in Honolulu. 

You can always come back.  Good luck with your life, you have a long one ahead of you.

Steve, Lady and Tex

I've never known what it's like to not be interested in trains.  But there have been many times where they take a back seat to other things like school and family.  Get FasTrack and set it up on the floor.  That's what I do at home, and my two boys love it.  Keep them around and someday you'll be able to pull them out and remember the good times with your dad.

As for life of electronics, I have many, many things that I still use that are double or more the life from that list up there.  I have a 29 year old computer that still works fine as well as an 8-track player that's as old if not older.  A DVD player and VCR that are over a decade old, a tape deck near 2 decades old.  My 1st iPod which I got in 2003 is still used daily without any issues, so I think your trains will last for years to come.  In fact most of mine are MTH PS-1 locomotives, so those are all 15+ years old and they still all work just fine.

I taught 17-18 year olds for 33 years and you are living through a very exciting and challenging time in your life. So many things are happening that I'm sure that the trains just don't seem that important.

You've gotten some great advice in this thread. Keep the trains! Enjoy the time you can share with your dad in whatever way works for both of you. Years down the road you will come back to the trains and as you take each one out it will evoke a ton of pleasant memories.

I lost interest in my late teens and my trains sat in boxes. When I moved out of the house my mom made sure the trains went with me. It wasn't until I was married and in my own home that I pulled some out for a small Christmas loop.

When my sons were born I built a small layout in the older boy's room. He inherited my love of trains; my younger son didn't. We shared many happy hours pursuing our interest in trains. Today my son is married and now building his own layout.

My ONLY regret is that as a kid I didn't take as good care of my trains as I should have and that I gave away the American Flyer set my dad brought home in 1952. I still have my well worn Lionel trains from the 50's and early 60's and cherish them and the memories that they evoke every time I run them.

I still vividly recall the American Flyer set running on a figure 8 beneath the Christmas tree when I was 4 years old. My dad and I would run them in the evenings and everything was right with my little world.

I feel the same way when I put my old trains on the track today. I believe you will, too. So I add my vote to keep the trains. If years from now you don't experience the good feelings and memories so many of us do, you can always sell them then.

I think you're buying the wrong appliances/home electronics. 

My cell phone is around 8 years old, my desktop is going on 7 years, I've got a 35+ year old fridge in the basement, the one in the kitchen is at least 20 years old and the only reason I finally got rid of my 35 year old microwave oven was because it didn't have a built-in turntable (plus it weighed a ton...) and I got tired of using a wind-up aftermarket turntable.

Rusty

I am kinda at the same stage in my life (I am 23). Between work, other hobbies, social life, etc. I have very little time for trains. Thankfully, my train layout is in a room with very little use or dirt, so my layout can sit for months at a time without incident.

Actually, I don't think my layout has run in about a month, and probably won't run again until York.

The point is, no matter how often I drift away because of my other commitments, I always come back. Leave something set up to come back to. If it gets too dirty, cover it with painter's drop cloths.

If your coming up to Berea to rail fan, there is a nice club layout not much more than 10 minutes east of there, it's in an old RR Station right on the track just east of there. Im not sure of their hours. No steps.

For goodness sake..hold on to your trains. You will find out that they will become a tool to access the memories of your father. All of my trains I inherited from my grandpa. When I spend time with them it's as if I'm spending time with my grandpa again. I just turned seventy-one and have these feelings. Hold on to your memories, they last a lifetime.