If you were born in the early 1960s, like me, then you too are among the last of the “Baby Boomers.” Frankly, I find I have less “boom” compared to when I was in my thirties and forties – diminished flexibility, eyes that get tired sooner, and occasional loss of manual dexterity. Sound familiar to you?
None of this necessarily signals our days of being active modelers are nearing an end. Just the opposite: entering our late fifties and early sixties is a time we can consider and embrace new opportunities. An old military adage says, “Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted.” If we view thinking ahead and planning now as “reconnaissance” for how we’ll best enjoy the hobby in the future, we can get ahead of the aging game.
The same health conditions that eventually forced my early retirement from the railroad also signaled to me that I needed to think more earnestly about transitioning to a larger scale. Rather than postpone the inevitable, I began taking steps for the day when N scale would no longer be a viable option for me.
Beginning part of the transition now to a larger scale, rather than waiting, can bring benefits — namely cost savings — when it comes to acquiring locomotives and other rolling stock that may not be easily available later, and leveraging better eyesight and dexterity compared to what these might be years from now.
Building a small island N scale model railroad in my early fifties has proven advantageous for two reasons. First, that layout has moved with me into two new homes just as easily as I had planned, so I wasn’t faced with the cost of building a new model railroad each time. Second, its small footprint (corresponding with less outlay for locomotives and rolling stock) meant I could also acquire during my high-earning years the handful of HO locomotives and necessary rolling stock for my next version of Southern Railway’s Slate Fork Branch. Purchasing these items before I retired means a significantly reduced hit on my monthly hobby budget later.
Rarely do brand-new models go down in price; even hunting through the secondhand markets shows prices for some products are much higher than they originally sold at retail. So, I’ve often exercised a “grab if it you see it” mentality. For example, part of my vision for the proto-freelanced Slate Fork Branch in HO includes EMD SW1s painted in Southern’s classy “tuxedo” scheme as my main motive power. I have acquired enough Walthers SW1s for operations, along with a few spares for parts, thereby hedging a bet that future runs may not occur. On the other hand, I always seem to just miss purchasing the brass Southern caboose I would like to have.
What if one’s interests and goals change after the fact? What if your current model railroading budget doesn’t permit flexibility to both address the future and maintain the present? Those are viable questions. If you’re certain your chosen scale and current model railroad will work as well for you into your seventies and eighties as it does now (and a survey of many layouts show this can be the case), then of course there’s no need to worry. If you do end up changing your mind… thank goodness for the online secondhand markets! Perhaps it’s time now to part with some of your surplus equipment to provide the seed money for the next model railroad you’d like to build and operate in retirement.
I expect I’ll be moving a little more slowly and with less agility as I enter my mid-sixties. Benchwork certainly won’t get built as quickly, and wiring will be more challenging as I attempt to bend a stiffer 6’-4” frame underneath the new layout. Getting back on my feet will be even more interesting!
Now that I have more time, but some years before I begin building the Slate Fork Branch in HO, I’m detailing, painting, and weathering locomotives and rolling stock, and installing decoders. Taking advantage now of the dexterity I retain in my hands and fingers to do fine detail work, rather than years from now when less dexterity might become a source of anxiety and frustration, just makes sense. I’ll have locomotives and cars that already look and sound the part, even if they are running on the Plywood Pacific for some time!
I will admit that perhaps I’m in a small minority of model railroaders who frequently give thought to “What’s next?” even as they are also enjoying their current model railroad. I do encourage you to give some thought to and explore now what your next model railroad venture might be, especially as you near retirement.
—Paul Schmidt
