So Long, My Friend

[Caleb Austin]

Ah well, use this time to make some sweet C&O models for the future layout. Or maybe some RF&P ones no?

[davefoxx]

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

Doing what Brian and his wife did is pretty much what we have in mind, except that we hope to do it steps to allow us to first get rid of my house and its expenses, so that we can pay down other debts and save some money to apply towards the purchase of a single residential home after we sell her townhome.  I could never expect to make any significant capital gains on my townhome, considering the neighborhood, and I have NO interest in becoming a landlord.  So, I have absolutely no qualms about listing and selling it, hopefully, in the next few months.

But, you're right, Lee: not being able to just go up to the layout room and stare mindlessly at circling model trains will leave me feeling empty now and then.  But, it's not forever, and, who knows, maybe I'll find room for a small diorama or shelf layout.

Oh, about your brother's 42-day marriage, I'm sorry to hear about that.  But, as a divorce lawyer, I know how to draft one hell of a prenuptial agreement.  I have already had one of the agreements I drafted for a client in the last few years hold up in court, despite a challenge by the opposing party as to the validity.

DFF

[davefoxx]

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

Bryan,

This is actually a very good idea and may be the answer to my dilemma.  As we all know, a shelf doesn't take up much real estate and can easily be moved later, if necessary.  Also, a small layout allows for superdetailing.

Dave

[davefoxx]

live without an operable layout? 

This is 99% of people on forums!

Seriously - try weathering!

Tom,

In all honesty, I do need the practice (and your book!), because ALL of my equipment still looks fresh out of the paint shop.  Something to consider when the creative juices are flowing; however, being colorblind has always caused me to be afraid to jump in headfirst.  Do they have weathering-by-the-numbers yet?!

Dave

[davefoxx]

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

I actually have considered this option before, but, for now, I'm hoping to cut down on all expenses wherever possible, so that we can save some money for the purchase of "our" home.  I am keeping all of my rolling stock, so I will not make the mistake of selling off something that I will sorely miss down the road.  I've made that mistake before, too.

Dave

[davefoxx]

Dave - I believe the term is

Prenuptial Agreement

Absolutely correct, John!  You don't have to worry about that.  As I previously wrote, I can draft a rock-solid prenuptial agreement that will hold up to a challenge in court.  I'm already divorced once, and God knows, I don't want to go through that again.  But, since I can't predict the future, a prenup will be a requirement.  And I'll spare you the detail, but there are good reasons for her to want a prenuptial agreement, too.

Thanks,
Dave

[davefoxx]

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...

Here's the reasons why her place just won't allow a layout, at least for now: 1) She's got a 4 1/2 year-old-son, so there will be actually be three of us living there; 2) she's owned the place for approximately 12 years, so she already has a completely furnished home (and then some); and 3) we have to find a way to combine and make room for all of my furniture and other property.

When Brian and I starting discussing this a while ago, the deal was a lease, but the reality is that if I get room for a layout one day, it would be something along the lines of a shelf layout or around-the walls plan to save space and get more generous curves.  Island-style layouts do take up quite a bit of room for their size.  Therefore, as I told Brian, it's very likely that I'll never ask for the layout back, so he is free to use it as he desires.  I just hope he enjoys it, and this keeps it out of the county dump.

Dave

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Makes sense to me Dave.

And if you get the itch for some running, just drop me a line. You can come see my door...

[davefoxx]

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.

Brian,

Yeah, as I previously wrote, I do not have the drive or the desire to become a landlord.  Renters definitely couldn't care less about taking care of your property, and I really don't have the time to deal with those 3:00 a.m. emergency calls from the tenant when there's a problem with the home.

Actually, it should be easy to convert the layout to another DCC system, because, although the layout has been wired with a simple LocoNet system, there is two-wire bus wiring with screw terminals under the layout that would allow tying in another system VERY easily.  You just may not be able to plug into the Digitrax jacks in the fascia.  We'll figure it out.  As far as picking up the layout, it looks like this weekend and next are no good, but after that, we can arrange the pickup pretty much anytime.  With just a few days' notice, I can have the layout torn down and ready to go, although that really only involves disconnecting the DCC power supply and command station (four wires), cutting the lead to the yard-on-a shelf, and removing four screws to remove that shelf from the wall.  The main portion of the layout is completely portable and folds down in seconds once disconnected from the yard.

Dave

[davefoxx]

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.

In the states, we also refer to the shed as the "doghouse," where the husbands are banished to sleep when the wife is pissed off.  Of course, if there's trains in there, what's the punishment?  ;D

DFF

[davefoxx]

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

He's probably going to have to mow down the ridge, too.  I've been wondering if the Virginia Central was going to appear online sometime as the Iowa Central.  Actually, I told Brian that he is free to use the layout as he wishes, so it won't bother me.  What he doesn't know, though, is that I'm planning to lay low until just the right time when he gets around to finishing the scenery that I failed to do.   That's when I'll take the layout back.  ;D

Dave

[davefoxx]

Ah well, use this time to make some sweet C&O models for the future layout. Or maybe some RF&P ones no?

Oh yes, I plan to do just that.  Since the dream layout would be centered around Doswell, Virginia, my C&O and RF&P fleets will survive and continue to be improved.

Dave

[davefoxx]

Makes sense to me Dave.

And if you get the itch for some running, just drop me a line. You can come see my door...

Thanks, Ed, I'd definitely like to see your work in person one day.  It's my Railwire friends like you that will allow me to continue to enjoy this hobby whether I have an operable layout or not.

Dave

[Wlal13again]

Well at least it wont be fed into the back of a Waste Managment truck. You can arm chair model for a while. Lord knows I did that while I was in the Army.

[wm3798]

I thought you were getting re-married to get more generous curves... ;D

I would strip all the Digitrax components from the layout for future re-use on your layout.  Brian's got a Prodigy Advance (The Delmarva Gold Standard) so all he has to do is attach two wires.

What will be fun is the thought of Brian hanging out in that vast basement of his with a tidy little door layout in the middle of it...  Oh, the thoughts he'll be thinking! 

And weathering while color blind?  As long as you can read the labels on the paint and don't confuse "Brown" for "Orange", you should be fine.  And only use black and white photos for reference...  Well, I suppose you already do that by default... :-\

Lee