I know Rob fairly well, over at his Fremon CA house in my early years of Z scale and Z Bend Track modules. He’s had some on-off issues yet tried to eat very healthy, no junk. When he moved Idaho, I hoped that would even better for him. But time is such a variable. I retired 5 years ago as my memory was fading (mostly people’s names which made some awkward moments in Customer and Corp mtgs) and that I had seen a front page of USA Today newspaper captioned in larger than normal: “Have you looked at your 401k Lately?” So, I did and Holy Shamoly, I had hit the big time numbers. Having married a wonderful woman with a train personality, I just figured it was my time now. With the Silicon Valley racing for grandeur numbers, the lowly non-descript 2-story Town house was now a a new 5 bedroom, single story, 3 car garage (2-car + Single, for the Trains) 90 miles away in Sacramento. Roseville UP Yard 6 miles, juncture of BNSF and UP and 12 miles to the California State Railroad museum (https://www.californiarailroad.museum/assets/downloads/pdf/CSRM-Brochure-WEB-2021.pdf) My health is ‘OK’ but I have ever increasing Arrhythmia along with increasing loss of words. Joints sometimes a bit and fingers just a bit unsteady some times. With loss of Train Shows (normal ~2 “Train Show inc”) and a local International Raifair, the Z Bend Track models hang from the 10’ cielings in the 3rd Garage. Since retirement has cut some of my muscular strength, the 2pc Y module as always beed too heavy and awkward when loading in the rental van. The 3x6 Autorack module is fairly light, until I put the cover on it, which makes it three times as heavy too. Even with the fifth bedroom designated for a Trains, there’s no way that I can re-purpose those ZBT modules in there, even within the 10‘ x 14‘. So this will be all new 4-section modular to allow me to run around instead of being just a large U-shaped shelf switching layout. So we have beed here 4 years and . . . Too many distractions, not enough drive, and a couple ER visits have side stepped me frequently. I figure if I can bend the curve this year . . . Any one traveling to Northern California (San Francisco, Napa Sonoma, inland Sacramento, Sierra Nevada’s, etc. PM me. I can help you get around.
Happy retirement to Jeff and Robert. There are very few is that still actively still running z from the 90’s. My suggestion to all of you is to retire when you can and not when you have to. All that money is not going to do you any good if you can’t eat, run, and see.
Well said………life’s to short as it is. Nobody’s ever laid on their deathbed, wishing they had worked more hours.
I just was reading this and I had been collecting over the year And just looked and saw my inventory had 66 diesels in Z scale and 20 Steam Engines!
I was down in Mississippi close to Biloxi. Never got the chance to hunt down some hobby shops. Hoping to find maybe some z at the shops when going back this fall. Does anybody know of any hobby shops in that area? Thanks Bob
While not specifically related to Z, or any scale, you probably have too many model trains if your wife gives you one of these for your birthday: It’s a music box from the 60’s that plays “How dry I am” when you pick up the bottle. What fun!
Hello! Here is were I have my Z scale sitting it on top of a bunkbed with out a mattress! I have just stack most of my Z scale for easy access! Not all I have is here I also Have the clear boxes like Shamoo737 has! Easy to see what I have! plus helps me from buying doubles! I also have a second layout under all this which I still need to make progress on I do have a 80inch by 32inch layout also in progress but not in this room!
