So Long, My Friend

[davefoxx]

Sadly, I must say "Good-bye" to my door layout, the Virginia Central, which was loosely based on the Model Railroader project layout, the Carolina Central.  This layout has been a great testbed for foam layout construction and scenery techniques, and it is the only layout that I have ever really taken beyond the Plywood Central look. 

The good news is that my girlfriend and I are planning for the future, and "step one" involves selling my townhome.  Since we'll live in her current townhome while we consider issues such as employment opportunities and where we will eventually decide to permanently reside (i.e., buy "our" home), there will be no room for a layout.  I have found a home for my layout with Brian Carhart (RockGP40), and I know he will take good care of it.  I'm hopeful that he could even turn it into something great and that I'll one day see it appear in online forums or even in print.  The best part is that I won't have to find a place to store the layout, and it won't end up in a landfill.  I have significant issues with just throwing it out after spending so much time on it.  I'm glad someone can use it.  Enjoy, Brian!

Just curious, what have you all done when forced into a modeling hiatus or required to live without an operable layout?  There's no clubs convenient to where I live, but, thankfully, fellow Railwire friends are reasonably close enough for the occasional ops sessions.

Dave Foxx

[tom mann]

live without an operable layout? 

This is 99% of people on forums!

Seriously - try weathering!

[Iain]

I concur with Tom; I spend much of my time working on individual models.

[Mark5]

Make room for the hobby. She ain't against it right? ;D

[wm3798]

Live without a layout?  I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.  Weathering is a cop-out.  You've tasted the blood of an operating layout, and I know you're hungry for more.  Small projects will keep you busy for awhile, but what good is that depot if you can't back a car into its siding?  What good is that Magor Caboose if it's not being dragged around behind a coal train?

You're a divorce lawyer so I shouldn't have to tell you this... Don't sell anything until you make an honest woman out of her.  Ask my big dumb brother about his 42-day marriage...  They were together just long enough for him to refinance his house and pay off about $20,000 in credit cards for his bride.  Then she went on a business trip to Texas, and never came back.  I would keep the house and rent it out, generate a tiny bit of positive cashflow out of it while you're shacking up at her house, then when the wedding bells get so loud you can't stand it anymore, pull the trigger and sell it.  The market sucks right now anyway.  Give it some time to recover some value.

Or better yet, do what Brian and his wife did, both of you sell your houses and then buy a really nice basement...I mean, house!  But make sure there are steps to go upstairs in case you get hungry or have to pee.  Other than that, let her worry about what's upstairs.

But yes, given the circumstances, you couldn't find a better layout-sitter than Brian!  Hopefully it will inspire him to start buying some lumber so we can help him finish the interior of his basement!

And for what it's worth, there's a million houses on the market here in Crabtown...lots of downward price pressure.  Bad for me, but could be a bonanza for you!


Lee

[up1950s]

Paint , bash , etc , and store in closets . It's STILL MODELING , just not operating .

[lock4244]

You dream of the future layout, bemoan the fact that you don't have a layout.

Eventually, you start modelling out of despiration (and the fact that there is nothing else to do in the summer).

[Roger Holmes]

My second ex-wife said, "Who's going to dust all that crap?" when she first saw my trains. 

I should have kept it to a 42 day marriage so she wouldn't have gotten twelve years worth of my judicial pension. >
 
 

[sirenwerks]

Cling to the walls, my friend. Go shelf to appease your self.

[Wlal13again]

Dave I would look for anyway to keep it. I had a friend in a similar situation actually rent an 8x8 climate controlled storage unit, and kept his switching layout in there. Just ran some extension cords to an outlet for power and light when he was there.  Mark my words, I had about 200 pieces of quality HO rolling stock and 10 Atlas locos that I sold in 1999 because I was switching to N that I really wish I had now

[John]

Dave - I believe the term is

Prenuptial Agreement
This pre-marital agreement is made on this ____ day of ______, 200__, between _DaveFoxx__________ and _The Potential Wife______________ .
Whereas the parties intend to marry under the laws of the State of __Maryland, and wish to set forth in advance of their marriage the rights and privileges that each will have in the property of the other in the event of death, divorce, or other circumstance which results in the termination of their marriage;
Whereas the male party has made to the female party a full and complete disclosure of his model railroad hobby, as set forth in Exhibits 1 and 2 to this agreement;
Whereas both parties have been represented by independent counsel of their own choosing, and whereas both parties have received a full and complete explanation of their legal rights, the consequences of entering into this pre-marital agreement, and the rights they would possess were it not for their voluntary entry into this agreement; and
Whereas both parties acknowledge that they have read and understand this agreement, have not been subjected to any form of coercion, duress, or pressure, and believe this agreement to be fair and to represent their intentions with regard to their assets and to any estate that shall result from their marriage;
The parties hereby agree as follows:
1.   Each party shall separately retain all of his or her rights in his or her separate property, especially the Nscale Railroad Models, as enumerated in Exhibits 1 and 2 to this agreement, free and clear of any claim of the other party, without regard to any time or effort invested during the course of the marriage in the maintenance, management, or improvement of that separate property.
2.   At all times, the male party shall enjoy the full right and authority with regard to their model railroad as he  would have had if not married, including but not limited to theright and authority to use, sell, enjoy, manage, gift and convey the separate property, including the right to a layout, as large as possible, in the area of the common domicile known as the basement or man cave. Both parties agree to execute any documentation necessary to permit the other to exercise these rights, provided the act of executing the documentation does not impose upon them any legal or financial responsibility for the separate property of the other.
3.   The parties agree that each shall be responsible for any tax obligations associated with their separate property.
4.   The parties agree that neither shall contest the validity or provisions of any will, account, trust agreement, or other instrument executed by the other which disposes of his or her separate property or which creates any interest therein in another. To the extent that such an action would create any right or interest in the separate property of the other, both parties hereby waive any right in the property of the other, whether created by statute or common law, including but not limited to any right to elect against the will of the other, or to take an intestate share of the other's property. The wife hereby waives any dower interest in the husband's separate property, especially the model railroad, and the husband hereby waives any curtesy interest in the wife's separate property such as scrap booking supplies, needlepoint stuff, artsy supplies (unless they are of use on the model railroad).  
5.   In the event of separation or divorce, the parties shall have no right against each other for division of property existing of this date.
6.   In the event of separation or divorce, marital property acquired after marriage shall remain subject to division, either by agreement or by judicial determination. All model railroad equipment shall pass to the male member of the household.
7.   This agreement shall be binding and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, assigns, and legal representatives.
8.   Without regard to the location of any property affected by this agreement, this agreement shall be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the state of Maryland. In the event that any portion of this agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable, it is the intent of the parties that all provisions of this agreement be regarded as separable, and that all remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. It is further the desire of the parties that all provisions of this agreement be considered as evidence of their intentions by any court, arbitrator, mediator, or other authority which seeks to divide their estate, and that their intentions be respected whatever the legal status of this agreement or any of its terms.
9.   This Agreement and the exhibits attached hereto contain the entire agreement of the parties. This Agreement may only be amended by a written document duly executed by both parties.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What are you doing man!?!

Her place can't be so small that it can't fit, even on its end while you get it all sorted out.

On the other hand, Brian's place is also a good home. Is this a lease or a sale?

I say this because what my time without a layout got me to do was figure out how to get a layout in my space...

[RockGp40]

Hello all. I would caution from my experiences against renting out the townhouse. For the little bit of equity my wife got for the two years she leased her townhouse in Reston, it was lost in perpetual repairs and the damn rental management company we used. Nobody cares for your home like you do, period! Our property manager is someone I will never, ever speak fondly of. We both despised having rented it and should have sold it when the market was red hot, but I digress [we would have walked away about $100K richer.  :'(   ]

Dave, when you get the itch, obviously you are more then welcome to run trains. I hope I can figure out how to DCC it from digitrax to MRC. We also need to figure out a date/time for pickup with my pickup.

Lee, as far as the basement goes, its coming. Not this year, hopefully next. Gotta paint the office, put together the furniture, and paint the garage. Lots to do around this place. Fortunately, the patio has been installed.

[kiwi_al]

Dave mate stop thinking like a typical American. I'll introduce you to a radical technology that is readily accepted by Kiwi males, it's called the SHED mate!! Get one then you have room to build a modest empire plus the missus knows where you are at night  ;D ;D It's win win.

[GaryHinshaw]

Dave - has Brian discussed with you his plans to chop down all those trees and plant corn?  You ok with that?