What eventually becomes of your layout ?

My layout is residing in the attic. It is assembled with screws, bolts, and nuts. If they're so inclined, the boys can disassembled it if they want. I'm not going to sweat it.

 

Gilly

This question is something I'm beginning to wrestle with; not because of the layout per se  (which is a nice one) but because I am the current owner/caretaker of Frank Ellison's Delta Lines town of Raymondale, a number of his scenic backgrounds and several buildings from Donaldson. These historically valuable things should be preserved and kept for the future. But who, where and how? I can always send them to an auction (which is where I purchased them twenty years ago when Dr. Sam Sachs passed away) but in that case they will be disbursed over a wide range of bidders. Tentative reaching our to the NMRA and TCA didn't bring much hope that the collection would be preserved AND displayed. I can't afford to "give it all" away as a number of people have rather bluntly suggested, but I haven't found an acceptable answer or place yet. Any ideas, ladies and gentlemen? You can always contact me via my website www.fredmdole.com.

Best

 

Fred Dole

The thought of my collection being sold off & scattered to the wind sends a chill up my spine. I sure hope my son is able to use it all & pass it on. When my dad grew ill, I remember him asking with a certain sense of urgency, that we would make sure to keep his trains & enjoy them & over the years other people have given or sold me their old possesions with the knowledge that we specifically told them that, unless catastrophy struck, that we would keep their collections & use them amongst ourselves. That was very important to them & I think of those guys when we have their stuff out. I smile & think of all the good times of the past that they represent in their memory.

After reading this post it has reinforced what I have known for quite a while- "Nothing in life is forever" . If you own rare trains they are only rare for the aging model railroad community that is on the decline. Maybe a select few in the future will appreciate them as fossils from a bygone era.

I am currently helping some friends dispose of their father's G gauge trains. None of the four children have any interest in them so they will either be sold to a dealer or sold at a train meet. It's sad that they were never set up and enjoyed but the father became too ill to build his layout and everything is still in the original boxes.

The father was my friend and we talked trains on several occasions. He valued his collection at $10k. I don't have the room to run G gauge so I have no interest in them either...except to help the family find them a new home.

Perhaps someone will help my two sons find a home for my trains someday. 

 

I've left money in an updated will to have a contractor remove the layout and restore the trainroom into a normal room.  The trains I have advised my sons to pick through for any they want, then call someone who will buy the lot lot of them.  

 

As for the workshop, my youngest son's house is three miles from me, the other two live 1,100 miles away.  I figure he'll get all the tools.

I would have to say that remodeling the exterior of a house is a lot more extreme than having a train layout. I'm not surprised that no one wanted to buy it, that's a tough sell. Guess it's just for you as long as you live there but you better not plan to move & in the end it puts an even bigger added burden on whoever gets the house when your're gone.

it will turn to dust like all of us....in the mean time enjoy the time youve got ! CRJ

Anyone remember seeing the home of a fella who had the cab of an F unit in his basement?  It was Kansas City Southern if I remember correctly and the layout was HO.

Believe he built the house atop the basement after the cab was placed.

 

My wife will try to sell it, but that effort will be futile around here.  The kids will convince her to give it away or junk it.  If it was up to our children, they wouldn't think twice about just junking it rather than take the time to even give it away.  Anybody for dumpster diving???

Vultures or a mad grab at memories? Hard to tell them apart sometimes, but personality is often an indication. Our family train inheritance arguments were about memories associated with each person, the train, and the owner. No one whined about the showcase of mint trains, 700e's, Joy gems, etc. It was not about monetary value of trains. Talk to the significant people in your life, get in their heads and try to figure out what they might want to hold onto as memories. If Grandpa had just written down the selected trains for each ahead of time, I think everyone would have been immediately satisfied, and selling them all wouldn't have had to happened.

 

for any more curious about our story....

Yes, even the few non-train people wanted at least one to remember him. And everybody got one, even some neighbors. When gathered we were told we would select a train from "Grandmas Christmas shelves" containing steamers. Many "General" sets, Daylighter, etc., Grandma selected the order we would choose. Trains promised to each by Grandfather would wait till Grandma OK-ed the list, so there would be no choosing that. Each following time we would gather and repeat with a revolving choice order. 

OK off to the basement...A trade in the "pecking order" is made at Grandmas wall. #1, Bob, gives up first choice to #2, Al. Al gets 1st now, next time Bob gets first choice. Bob then trades #2 spot to Jim(last) for Jims #2 next time. Bob now gets the first two picks of the next day, and is last today. Nobody objects. Everyone picks but Bob, who leaves the area. Time passes, all most all people leave. Bob returns to the basement and now complains about what is left on "Grandmas wall" (all MPC) and asks for permission to select a from another set of shelves and choose his next 2 choices tonight, he is leaving town for a while. Permission granted, no objections, Bob still doesn't choose, all but one person leaves. Bob now quickly walks to a bay window display and begins removing "his 3 choices". The remaining person objects to the choice- and here are the arguing points.. Trains are on the list of promised engines and are not part of the groups to be chosen from... They are not a train "set".... They are not single engines...not steam engines... they are not on the shelves agreed upon, they were on special display between shelves, not on them......But they were all on the same wall...A trade is a trade...

Possible Bob just doesn't remember, or didn't know about promised trains. But Bob has been known manipulate situations using complex strategies (doesn't need a chess board to play chess). Bob liked those and ran those locos more than anyone. Bob could have chosen pricier trains.

  In the end Grandma said he got to choose one of the them for a settlement of the issue without re-involving everyone. He chose a three unit loco, all powered. His choice was curious also, he could have picked a four unit all powered in his favorite road name. But instead chose the one we know Gramps chose for him(even if he really didn't know). Settled at last. NOPE! Another senior family member close to Bob stops in and stirs the pot again claiming superior rights to all the trains due to Bob being oldest grandson. The oldest son, now feeling slighted enters the fray, Grandma gets ****ed, boots everyone and sells everything a few days after, telling no one. No others got their promised trains. I feel so bad that she felt she had to, understand why she did it, and am proud of her for making that unpopular decision. I cherish what I do have from them, but not getting what I expected since I was a boy, left a little hole.

Write it all down!         

 

Unfortunately Chip, I think this post will be deleted, but, know that I agree with you 100%.

Chipset, thank YOU for your service to AMERICA……….  I agree with you 100%. GOD BLESS   AMERICA.  and all the young men who keep us safe..

My trains are to go to auction. The layout goes to OGR.

Have fun guys.

 

...keep the rails polished...

Yeah, but come on, this isn't the place for any political views. This is a toy train forum! I come here to get away from the problems of the world...unless that problem has something to do with a miniature world in O scale. 

I could not have put it any better than Railroaded.