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Post by healey36 on Jan 1, 2024 14:32:32 GMT
I, for one, hate New Years resolutions, but I'm feeling like this year I need to knuckle down and get a bunch of stuff done. It will be nine years in May since I retired, and the post-retirement to-do list has barely been dented. I'm not talking bucket-list, although that needs to be looked at too, lol; I'm talking homestead type stuff. If I'm honest, I'm beginning to realize that advancing age is going to slow me down, so it's beginning to feel like it's now-or-never.
What, if anything, have you resolved to work on in 2024, hobby-related or otherwise? My list is long, but at the top is (1) get some of the accumulated pandemic era/post-pandemic era stuff out of here (I went a little crazy while cooped up in this house); (2) get the basement layout back in full operation and the repair-project pile whittled down; (3) get the Sprite back in top form; and (4) get the garden reconstructed and a new shed built. There's a bunch of others, but these are the top four.
So what, if anything, is on your list, or what are your thoughts? I ask because it might have me reprioritize mine.
Today's Day 1...I think I'll watch football.
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Post by Adam on Jan 1, 2024 14:45:54 GMT
I have some goals for the year as well.
1. Continue to play with trains. I may be forced to break down the layout because it is currently near the electrical panel and we are getting a solar system. If that happens I may rebuild in a different spot and with a renewed approach. Not a hard goal but solar may become a forcing function.
2. Learn CW (aka Morse code) for my ham radio hobby. I’m starting a class next week.
3. Practice guitar at least 4 times per week. I love the instrument but need to force myself to progress my skills.
Item 1 may impact items 2 and 3 for a period of time but we will see.
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 1, 2024 15:51:13 GMT
Come April I will have retired 10 years ago.
We have lived in this house for 2 1/4 years now and layout is still in starting phase. I don't even have a complete loop of either Standard or O. I had two loops of Standard gauge but developed shorts and basically ended up taking apart trying to find as I went thru all track and never found a short, put back together and it reappeared. ( I even swapped out transformers 3 times ( I have 4 ZW's ) I have some special length standard gauge coming in which will eliminate 20 sections of track and only be 8 pieces put in place. 
I want to enclose the carport and put a double garage door on one side and windows and a door on the other side. I will insulate it also.
There is about a 4' area between my neighbors yard and mine, previous owners left a total mess of stumps and roots where they had trees taken down, that I want to put weed block, railroad ties boarder and fill with mulch.
All of this has been my goal for over two years but other things keep getting in the way. I can do it all other than actually putting in the garage door. ( probably could do that but it is better and easier with 2-3 people. )
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Post by josef on Jan 1, 2024 16:11:52 GMT
Huge list beside working on layout and items on it.
Re-built engine on my 1998 For Ranger
Do more Jet Skiing with wife
Do more horse back riding
Run electric wire and do wiring on my out building
Sell more of my acquired items/collections from firearms, scuba gear, books, autograph collection, etc.
Basically downsize as wife has said. That is my biggest resolution I have come to accept and promised to do.
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Post by Adam on Jan 1, 2024 17:06:38 GMT
Come April I will have retired 10 years ago.
We have lived in this house for 2 1/4 years now and layout is still in starting phase. I don't even have a complete loop of either Standard or O. I had two loops of Standard gauge but developed shorts and basically ended up taking apart trying to find as I went thru all track and never found a short, put back together and it reappeared. ( I even swapped out transformers 3 times ( I have 4 ZW's ) I have some special length standard gauge coming in which will eliminate 20 sections of track and only be 8 pieces put in place.
I want to enclose the carport and put a double garage door on one side and windows and a door on the other side. I will insulate it also.
There is about a 4' area between my neighbors yard and mine, previous owners left a total mess of stumps and roots where they had trees taken down, that I want to put weed block, railroad ties boarder and fill with mulch.
All of this has been my goal for over two years but other things keep getting in the way. I can do it all other than actually putting in the garage door. ( probably could do that but it is better and easier with 2-3 people. )
My goodness. Shorts can be terribly annoying, especially if they are elusive. I had one of these situations appear out of nowhere. When I couldn't find an obvious cause I decided I would replace the older pieces one at a time. I got very lucky in that after replacing the first piece, the problem went away. Best of luck with that!
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Post by healey36 on Jan 1, 2024 17:15:52 GMT
Basically downsize as wife has said. That is my biggest resolution I have come to accept and promised to do. Yes, and that's a huge task. The "just get rid of it" mantra doesn't work for me as I know what the sunk cost is; I need to get my head around the notion of getting pennies on the dollar and having stuff go somewhere where it actually gets used (but not necessarily resold as a flip).
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Post by healey36 on Jan 1, 2024 17:22:03 GMT
There is about a 4' area between my neighbors yard and mine, previous owners left a total mess of stumps and roots where they had trees taken down, that I want to put weed block, railroad ties boarder and fill with mulch.
Yeah, I've got a bit of this to do myself, although little of the mess was left behind by a previous owner; it's just turned into a mess through my inattentiveness. I want to build three or four decent-sized raised beds and fill those with soil/mulch. I'm thinking of using six-by-sixes or four-by-sixes to build the boxes. Railroad ties might be overkill for what I'm trying to do.
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 1, 2024 19:02:36 GMT
There is about a 4' area between my neighbors yard and mine, previous owners left a total mess of stumps and roots where they had trees taken down, that I want to put weed block, railroad ties boarder and fill with mulch.
Yeah, I've got a bit of this to do myself, although little of the mess was left behind by a previous owner; it's just turned into a mess through my inattentiveness. I want to build three or four decent-sized raised beds and fill those with soil/mulch. I'm thinking of using six-by-sixes or four-by-sixes to build the boxes. Railroad ties might be overkill for what I'm trying to do. I want to make a mulch bed and probably let it work down a year or two before doing dirt. This way I will have a foundation to help prevent weeds some.
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Post by david1 on Jan 1, 2024 22:22:29 GMT
Been retired since I was 72 and now 6 years later I have moved to a 65 and over apartment. Built a smaller layout, downsized my trains though still have 12 locomotives and about a 100 freight cars and and about 50 dept 56 buildings, will buy a train every now and then but not like before.
Never liked traveling much so that's done. Besides with my back and legs its just not comfortable to do it.
Regrets I have is not ever travelling overseas except what where uncle Sam sent me.
Not saving enough.
Not getting a degree
But even with all the above I have had a great life and It will continue to be.
I have friends, family who love me and trains, what else is there?
I have planned to live to be 100 and if I do it will be by Gods Grace. I hope he gives the will to play with my trains and health to do it. I know I will still have my family and friends and when I turn 100 I will post it here.
Dave
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Post by rtraincollector on Jan 1, 2024 23:14:44 GMT
I should of said 4' wide and about 50' long
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Jan 1, 2024 23:32:16 GMT
What, if anything, have you resolved to work on in 2024, hobby-related or otherwise? . . . . Today's Day 1...I think I'll watch football. Well, my wife and I took care of Day 1's resolution yesterday -- go Ravens! -- so I'll take it from there! First, I've never been any good at big life goals or bucket list stuff, so I'll just stick to the mundane, and train-related: 1. Finish work on my erstwhile "animation showcase" layout, specifically to add ultrasonic mist 'smoke' to the burnt engine shed, troubleshoot and repair the non-functional smoke feature on the Starlite diner and the nonmoving car on the Citgo station, and finish up with some light landscaping. 2. Inventory my small stable of engines, do local servicing and evaluation, and send off any non- or under-performers to my go-to Marx engine guy, Marxmotorman, for his magic touch. 3. Spend some time straightening up and organizing both my craft workbench in a separate room, and my heavy-duty workshop near the layouts, both of which currently suffer from dsnear-terminal clutter. 4. Organize a list of pending projects, in three general 'buckets': things I need to do ASAP; things I need to do when I get some spare time; and things I really *should* do, which I'll get around to doing when I can't avoid any further delay, and/or I'm really desperate for something to do!
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Post by curtis on Jan 2, 2024 0:28:09 GMT
Whew I get a headache just thinking about it. I do not do resolutions. BUT I do want to finish or get real close to having the layout done. I definitely need to stop buying trains as I have no room anywhere. I AM doing my dream trip this year. Going across the USA via train and coming back from Vancouver to Toronto by the Canadian (Prestige class too). I also want to finish my train inventory. Almost done as I can see the end at least (if I stop buying). One of my biggest things is to get to meet fellow forum members. Since I am in NEW JERSEY 35 minutes south of the DE Memorial Twin spans on the bay side, I want to see layouts and people within a 2 to 3 hour drive one way. That will cover all NJ, all DE, and A good portion of MD and PA.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Jan 2, 2024 1:06:58 GMT
One of my biggest things is to get to meet fellow forum members. Since I am in NEW JERSEY 35 minutes south of the DE Memorial Twin spans on the bay side, I want to see layouts and people within a 2 to 3 hour drive one way. That will cover all NJ, all DE, and A good portion of MD and PA. Well, if you end up near the Baltimore-Annapolis corridor, give me a yell and we can try to meet up. Dunno yet who else is local, but Emile AKA The Big Crabcake also lives in the area, though AFAIK we've only met through the Zoom Christmas party he and his wife hosted this . . . err, *last* . . . year!
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Post by Traindiesel! on Jan 2, 2024 8:14:40 GMT
…….I have friends, family who love me and trains, what else is there?….. Dave That, you do my friend! 👍🏻 As for my resolutions….. I’ll have to lay in the recliner and think about it. 
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Post by healey36 on Jan 2, 2024 11:37:03 GMT
One of my biggest things is to get to meet fellow forum members. Since I am in NEW JERSEY 35 minutes south of the DE Memorial Twin spans on the bay side, I want to see layouts and people within a 2 to 3 hour drive one way. That will cover all NJ, all DE, and A good portion of MD and PA. Well, if you end up near the Baltimore-Annapolis corridor, give me a yell and we can try to meet up. Dunno yet who else is local, but Emile AKA The Big Crabcake also lives in the area, though AFAIK we've only met through the Zoom Christmas party he and his wife hosted this . . . err, *last* . . . year! I'm up in Westminster (central Maryland), so not too far off. Here's a photo of the current state of the basement layout:  The power has been repaired/restored...mostly just a matter of clearing away all of the accumulated stuff on, adjacent to, and underneath. After that, quite a bit of wiring for the many accessories that have been acquired but never installed. I might change up the overhead lighting as well; the track-lighting just doesn't provide enough light.
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