#176484

I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops?

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This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question.

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Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute.

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Thanks!

Phil Scandura

Flagstaff, AZ

#176485

开云体育

A legitimate question, and one worthy of discussion (here we go, down the chatlist rabbit hole), although as you suggest, I am not going to move again in this lifetime, except feet-first.? When I was serving my last church in Minnesota (accepted a call there so my late wife could be mistreated at Mayo Clinic) already passing through my sixties, I could have afforded to retire anywhere but didn't want to have to relocate more than the once, so gave the matter considerable thought.? Despite the presence of an active group of S scalers in the Twin Cities and as good a hobby shop in St Paul as one can now find in these degraded days, (and at least two pretty decent museums in the state) it was not only the miserable climate that deterred me (I am an old Yankee from New York State where awful winters are customary and have lived in interior Alaska) but the social attitude that pervaded (aka "Minnesota Nice").? I have been a curmudgeon most of my life and feel no call to jump on the Scandanavian overconcern for the welfare of the underprivileged.? In spite of that, I still think Tim Walz is a good guy and would have been a better choice than a majority of US voters did.? Similarly, it was not just the winters in New York State that I remembered too well, but the high taxes and high busybodyness generated by the toads from NYC who run the entire state that ruled that out.

I don't play golf or tennis, and the Sunbelt is too far from most other places I'd care to visit (I was stationed in San Antonio for almost two years, and that was enough); I realized I simply wasn't a Sunbelt type of person.? That pretty much meant the mid-South, particularly western North Carolina or east Tennessee, perhaps southwestern Virginia or Piedmont South Carolina (my second church was in Charleston, but the summers are pretty dreadful, and too many tourists and retirees since I was there have changed too many things since I was there a very long time ago).??

I ended up in Asheville and don't [mostly] regret that choice.? Moving here has become increasingly expensive and crowded because too many other people want to visit (tourists=parasites) or retire here, having ruined where they formerly lived, and the actual City of Asheville is run by the same sort of self-important activists who ruled out Minnesota and New York State for me.? Outside of the City proper, western North Carolina is pretty much what I expected.? There is a very active club in nearby Hendersonville (albeit HO) serving a goodly number of serious model railroaders, most of whom are retirees from elsewhere.? For S scalers, Larry Morton, long-time owner of Tomalco track lives there, as did the late Doug Miller; Scott Lister and the late Chris Elliot live over the state line in SC, and there are a few others.? NC taxes, while not insignificant, are still far better than most other places I've lived.

If I had it to do over again, I might have looked harder across at east Tennessee, where taxes are even lower, perhaps not quite so many tourists and well-off retirees and arty types as Asheville.? Like Asheville, Johnson City has a VA hospital—as a disabled veteran I choose to get almost all of my health care there, at least before the current administration began ruining it.? There is a good model railroad club there and a museum at ETSU.? Chattanooga has the TVRR museum and a nice climate, as well.? But I am not going to relocate at my age. Plus, in moving to Asheville I met my current wife, which has worked out very well.

Jace Kahn

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pscandura All Messages By This Member #176484 I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176485 开云体育 A legitimate question, and one worthy of discussion (here we go, down the chatlist rabbit hole), although as you suggest, I am not going to move again in this lifetime, except feet-first.? When I was serving my last church in Minnesota (accepted a call there so my late wife could be mistreated at Mayo Clinic) already passing through my sixties, I could have afforded to retire anywhere but didn't want to have to relocate more than the once, so gave the matter considerable thought.? Despite the presence of an active group of S scalers in the Twin Cities and as good a hobby shop in St Paul as one can now find in these degraded days, (and at least two pretty decent museums in the state) it was not only the miserable climate that deterred me (I am an old Yankee from New York State where awful winters are customary and have lived in interior Alaska) but the social attitude that pervaded (aka "Minnesota Nice").? I have been a curmudgeon most of my life and feel no call to jump on the Scandanavian overconcern for the welfare of the underprivileged.? In spite of that, I still think Tim Walz is a good guy and would have been a better choice than a majority of US voters did.? Similarly, it was not just the winters in New York State that I remembered too well, but the high taxes and high busybodyness generated by the toads from NYC who run the entire state that ruled that out. I don't play golf or tennis, and the Sunbelt is too far from most other places I'd care to visit (I was stationed in San Antonio for almost two years, and that was enough); I realized I simply wasn't a Sunbelt type of person.? That pretty much meant the mid-South, particularly western North Carolina or east Tennessee, perhaps southwestern Virginia or Piedmont South Carolina (my second church was in Charleston, but the summers are pretty dreadful, and too many tourists and retirees since I was there have changed too many things since I was there a very long time ago).?? I ended up in Asheville and don't [mostly] regret that choice.? Moving here has become increasingly expensive and crowded because too many other people want to visit (tourists=parasites) or retire here, having ruined where they formerly lived, and the actual City of Asheville is run by the same sort of self-important activists who ruled out Minnesota and New York State for me.? Outside of the City proper, western North Carolina is pretty much what I expected.? There is a very active club in nearby Hendersonville (albeit HO) serving a goodly number of serious model railroaders, most of whom are retirees from elsewhere.? For S scalers, Larry Morton, long-time owner of Tomalco track lives there, as did the late Doug Miller; Scott Lister and the late Chris Elliot live over the state line in SC, and there are a few others.? NC taxes, while not insignificant, are still far better than most other places I've lived. If I had it to do over again, I might have looked harder across at east Tennessee, where taxes are even lower, perhaps not quite so many tourists and well-off retirees and arty types as Asheville.? Like Asheville, Johnson City has a VA hospital—as a disabled veteran I choose to get almost all of my health care there, at least before the current administration began ruining it.? There is a good model railroad club there and a museum at ETSU.? Chattanooga has the TVRR museum and a nice climate, as well.? But I am not going to relocate at my age. Plus, in moving to Asheville I met my current wife, which has worked out very well. Jace Kahn ? toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of pscandura via groups.io <pascandura@...> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 9:23 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Rich Gajnak All Messages By This Member #176487 Already moved four years ago from the suburbs to the boonies.? It's required a lifestyle change, but not regretting it. ? Rich G(ajnak)
Bob Werre All Messages By This Member #176488 开云体育 Phil? You are speaking as if the world stays the way it was often just yesterday!? When I moved down here to Houston, I had been laid off right at the start of the Nixon era Arab oil embargo.? My intention after finding another position was to get additional work experience and then move on, perhaps back to the upper Midwest.? At that time I had little interest in the model RR part of life, but to get experiences in the photo world working in an enclosed studio to working off shore via helicopter in the oil business, then shooting corporate work, then real estate, then bio-medical.? So just like any si-fi movie, all you need is some stray 'virus' and it will grab hold of you! Eventually, I bought a MR, found a local hobby shop and rediscovered that S in any form was still around.? From there I found a rag-tag bunch of S heads, some good hobby shops and life was becoming pretty good.?? Despite being only a few members I stuck like super glue as we had weekly gatherings at Jack Troxell's garage/layout/workshop.? At that time, guys from around the country (Lee Johnston in particular) would plan his sales trips to blend with our Thursday evenings.? All this eventually lead to the point where a real land based home and an additional for a RR room was in the works.? That addition was largely home built, likewise my better half got a kitchen addition (big DOLLARS).? The lesson here was that it might have been better to relocate to a better/larger home earlier, however at that time interest rates for new homes were out of site so we had to shop for older loans we could assume!? However as the oil business changed +-, the price of homes changed radically by many XXX over the years! So life changes often, from other factors well beyond our control!? If I had to relocate now, I'd be looking at some of the railroads and modelers I've visited over the years--Jess Bennett, up in the wilds of Idaho was my favorite, but that has changed too.? With the loss of much of our group, the hobby shops, our museums plus advancing age. that circle of influence is taking hits, but my 'virus' seems to have engulfed most of my RR world to the point where 'living' in a newer place isn't going to happen!? My wife just buried one of our new baby cats (roaming dogs)? but there is probably some room left for me! Bob Werre PhotoTraxx toggle quoted message Show quoted text I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
William Winans All Messages By This Member #176489 Hi Phil -- As you know, I live just south and 2000 feet lower than you here in Prescott Valley, AZ.? ?Having been in every state and lived in most regions of the?US long enough to know better, THIS area is the place -- contrary to Bringham Young's statement about the Salt Lake area.? ?While the best thing we have is a Hobby Lobby???, there are shops in the Phoenix area (100 miles away) that will order anything I want that is NOT related to scale S, except Kadee S scale couplers.? ?With the demise of the local hobby shop, email order to the manufacturer/distributor has become the law of the?land,?so making that a primary reason to locate somewhere is not really a good idea.? Moderate weather and?NO salt on the roads (still four seasons!) and cost of living are more important (as my son has found out by living in the midwest, salted roads equate to a huge cost of living when you have to buy a new?car every few?years...).? ?We moved here at the perfect time, so those goals were met.? Housing costs have risen sharply where I live (good for me, bad for newcomers) and I have had several folks saying they wish they could live here, but can't buy in.? Obviously, you can't blast us out of here even with dynamite,?nuclear?war maybe. Best wishes?to everyone!? ? ?? Bill Winans ----------------------------- toggle quoted message Show quoted text I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Charles Kinzer All Messages By This Member #176490 I grew up in a suburb of Chicago (Oak Park) and when it comes to trains, real or model, I think that area has a lot of advantages. There are still some decent hobby shops there (Desplaines Hobbies being one of them - probably an extra plus for S scale fans).? But shops have been closing one by one over the years like everywhere.? Al's hobbies in Elmhurst gone.? Chicagoland Hobbies gone.? All-Nation Hobby Shop loooong gone. Plenty of prototype railroading all over the area. Good rail museums.? Especially the Illinois Railway Museum which is positively huge and has everything and the Fox River Trolley Museum for traction fans.? And various small ones like in Mendota. A good railroad hub if you want to take train rides out and back to anywhere.? Or ride the L to downtown.? Or ride any of the Metra trains (the bilevel push pull trains that radiate from Chicago.) If wanting to build a layout in a basement, a lot of basements exist (unlike in California where I live now).? And many of them have been finished and just begging to house a model railroad. If choosing the right suburb, nice polite living but still with access to a major city. One of the country's biggest train show swap meets in DuPage county. Quite a few model railroad clubs. The "Illinois Live Steamers" (if you like that sort of thing) is in Homer Glen which is not too far outside of Chicago.? They have 3/4", 1", and 1 1/2" scale tracks. There is the Pullman district and its museum. The huge and fairly new HO layout at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (formerly the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry - Ken Griffin donated 125 million and I guess that's enough to get your name on the place.? My $100 donation wasn't quite enough, I guess).? This HO layout replaces the "Museum and Santa Fe" O scale layout done by Minton Cronkite that had been there for many years and I'm sure some on this list had seen.? The density of rail fans and model railroaders is quite high if you like camaraderie.? Probably equaled only by some areas in the east. If you want to volunteer for something, the choices are endless. However, there IS this thing called "winter" that they have. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer On Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 08:43:57 AM PDT, William Winans via groups.io <3w2scalesonly@...> wrote: Hi Phil -- As you know, I live just south and 2000 feet lower than you here in Prescott Valley, AZ.? ?Having been in every state and lived in most regions of the?US long enough to know better, THIS area is the place -- contrary to Bringham Young's statement about the Salt Lake area.? ?While the best thing we have is a Hobby Lobby???, there are shops in the Phoenix area (100 miles away) that will order anything I want that is NOT related to scale S, except Kadee S scale couplers.? ?With the demise of the local hobby shop, email order to the manufacturer/distributor has become the law of the?land,?so making that a primary reason to locate somewhere is not really a good idea.? Moderate weather and?NO salt on the roads (still four seasons!) and cost of living are more important (as my son has found out by living in the midwest, salted roads equate to a huge cost of living when you have to buy a new?car every few?years...).? ?We moved here at the perfect time, so those goals were met.? Housing costs have risen sharply where I live (good for me, bad for newcomers) and I have had several folks saying they wish they could live here, but can't buy in.? Obviously, you can't blast us out of here even with dynamite,?nuclear?war maybe. Best wishes?to everyone!? ? ?? Bill Winans ----------------------------- toggle quoted message Show quoted text I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Bill Hawk All Messages By This Member #176493 Retire? toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 03/18/2025 9:23 AM EDT pscandura via groups.io <pascandura@...> wrote: ? ? I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176494 开云体育 My late wife was born and reared in Chicago and the northwestern suburbs, but apart from visiting her parents while they were still around, she never indicated any desire to live there again permanently.? As an O scaler long before I began dabbling in S scale, I had attended Mike HIll's March show over the St Patrick's Day weekend for many years, even flying back from Japan for it while stationed there.? After my in-laws were gone, then my wife, finally my best friend from divinity school (who lived on the North side), I stopped.? I always enjoyed the time—no more than a week each—I spent there, as winter was starting to release the city from its seasonal claws, especially all the ethnic restaurants.? One of those good places to visit, perhaps to have been from, perhaps not a retirement destination? Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From:[email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> Sent:?Tuesday, March 18, 2025 12:44 PM To:[email protected] <[email protected]> Subject:?Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? I grew up in a suburb of Chicago (Oak Park) and when it comes to trains, real or model, I think that area has a lot of advantages. There are still some decent hobby shops there (Desplaines Hobbies being one of them - probably an extra plus for S scale fans).? But shops have been closing one by one over the years like everywhere.? Al's hobbies in Elmhurst gone.? Chicagoland Hobbies gone.? All-Nation Hobby Shop loooong gone. Plenty of prototype railroading all over the area. Good rail museums.? Especially the Illinois Railway Museum which is positively huge and has everything and the Fox River Trolley Museum for traction fans.? And various small ones like in Mendota. A good railroad hub if you want to take train rides out and back to anywhere.? Or ride the L to downtown.? Or ride any of the Metra trains (the bilevel push pull trains that radiate from Chicago.) If wanting to build a layout in a basement, a lot of basements exist (unlike in California where I live now).? And many of them have been finished and just begging to house a model railroad. If choosing the right suburb, nice polite living but still with access to a major city. One of the country's biggest train show swap meets in DuPage county. Quite a few model railroad clubs. The "Illinois Live Steamers" (if you like that sort of thing) is in Homer Glen which is not too far outside of Chicago.? They have 3/4", 1", and 1 1/2" scale tracks. There is the Pullman district and its museum. The huge and fairly new HO layout at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (formerly the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry - Ken Griffin donated 125 million and I guess that's enough to get your name on the place.? My $100 donation wasn't quite enough, I guess).? This HO layout replaces the "Museum and Santa Fe" O scale layout done by Minton Cronkite that had been there for many years and I'm sure some on this list had seen.? The density of rail fans and model railroaders is quite high if you like camaraderie.? Probably equaled only by some areas in the east. If you want to volunteer for something, the choices are endless. However, there IS this thing called "winter" that they have. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer On Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 08:43:57 AM PDT, William Winans via groups.io <3w2scalesonly@...> wrote: Hi Phil -- As you know, I live just south and 2000 feet lower than you here in Prescott Valley, AZ.? ?Having been in every state and lived in most regions of the?US long enough to know better, THIS area is the place -- contrary to Bringham Young's statement about the Salt Lake area.? ?While the best thing we have is a Hobby Lobby???, there are shops in the Phoenix area (100 miles away) that will order anything I want that is NOT related to scale S, except Kadee S scale couplers.? ?With the demise of the local hobby shop, email order to the manufacturer/distributor has become the law of the?land,?so making that a primary reason to locate somewhere is not really a good idea.? Moderate weather and?NO salt on the roads (still four seasons!) and cost of living are more important (as my son has found out by living in the midwest, salted roads equate to a huge cost of living when you have to buy a new?car every few?years...).? ?We moved here at the perfect time, so those goals were met.? Housing costs have risen sharply where I live (good for me, bad for newcomers) and I have had several folks saying they wish they could live here, but can't buy in.? Obviously, you can't blast us out of here even with dynamite,?nuclear?war maybe. Best wishes?to everyone!? ? ?? Bill Winans ----------------------------- I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Charles Kinzer All Messages By This Member #176495 Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer On Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 11:49:26 AM PDT, Bill Hawk via groups.io <archhawk@...> wrote: Retire? toggle quoted message Show quoted text On 03/18/2025 9:23 AM EDT pscandura via groups.io <pascandura@...> wrote: ? ? I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Pieter Roos All Messages By This Member #176497 Got to be a little careful, if you live in a city they probably require sidewalks to be shoveled. Other than that… Lots of people in New England see to retire to Maine, where the winters are worse than further south. Then again, I lived in Florida and have no desire to go back. Pieter Roos toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 3:14 PM, Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> wrote: Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176498 开云体育 It does snow in Asheville, at most 2-3 times a winter; those are the mornings we look out the window and observe "It's good to be retired." Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 3:14 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer On Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 11:49:26 AM PDT, Bill Hawk via groups.io <archhawk@...> wrote: Retire? On 03/18/2025 9:23 AM EDT pscandura via groups.io <pascandura@...> wrote: ? ? I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176499 开云体育 I bought a condo—I never enjoyed cutting grass or shoveling snow; it's worth it to pay someone else to do it, and, blessedly, I can afford it. Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Pieter Roos via groups.io <pieterroos53@...> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 4:32 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? Got to be a little careful, if you live in a city they probably require sidewalks to be shoveled. Other than that… Lots of people in New England see to retire to Maine, where the winters are worse than further south. Then again, I lived in Florida and have no desire to go back. Pieter Roos On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 3:14 PM, Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> wrote: Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
hoquathob All Messages By This Member #176500 Still in NJ in the house we bought in 1979. Been retired 20 years. Wife would never let us move away from grand kids. Two are three blocks from us in her parents old house, r the other two an hours drive. If I were to do anything it would be to move locally from our two story to a one story
David Heine All Messages By This Member #176502 I retired in 2009 intending to stay where I?lived, but due to the illness and death of a loved one, I moved into a small ranch house in 2020. I live in the greater Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, where I lived most of my life. I did contemplate?moving closer to my children, which are about three hours away in Maryland, but I can still visit them as a day trip. There actually is one hobby shop left in the area. The Strasburg area is an easy day trip with the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, Strasburg Railroad, etc. Steamtown is another easy day trip. There are other tourist railroads in the area, and the Reading & Northern runs regular excursions with their steam and RDC's. The East Broad Top is about three hours away. There are?also other layouts, but none in S anymore, that can?be operated. Another important thing to me, I can still participate in the local musical stuff I do, which is my other interest.? Yes, we get snow, but not really that much lately. We went another winter without using the snowblower. Sometimes for snow, using a leaf blower is easier than using a shovel. If it snows, most of the things I do get cancelled anyway. Most of the mowing is done with the lawn tractor, so that part can actually be fun.? If you do move, make sure you have a good list of what features are important to you. Dave Heine toggle quoted message Show quoted text On Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 9:23?AM pscandura via <pascandura=[email protected]> wrote: I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? ? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. ? Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. ? Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ
Ken Vandevoort All Messages By This Member #176522 We were already retired when we decided to move one last time to a small town in SE Iowa that was less than ten miles from our previous house.? Because of inheritance, we were able to build one last house on 4 acres in the corner of town on a deadend street.? There are no sidewalks, but our driveway is half a block long when it snows.? The house has two rooms upstairs and there is nothing to indicate there are trains in the house.? Open the basement door and you know you are in a different world.? The stairwell is a museum on both sides and there is a chairlift for when I need it. ? One of the best parts is the train set outside.? We border the BNSF Chicago to Denver main and there is even a passing siding where they frequently park trains.? When they do that, I walk along the fence and take a photo of every freight car in view.? I sure miss 40' boxcars.? This is the line that the Pioneer Zephyr made its high speed run on in 1934 and its last trip in 1960.? The last operating steam loco that went by was Frisco 1522 in 1995.? Behind us to the west is a farm field, so it is like country living with city services. ? I used to be a volunteer trolley conductor on the Midwest Electric in Mount Pleasant.? That will be my closest experience to real railroading.? I don't think I could frequently go up and down the car steps anymore.? Locally, our museum has a depot brought in from another town.? The Eastern Iowa Division, NMRA, will have its quarterly meeting there in April.? Every scale is represented in the division.? Best part is that I joined the museum board and have a key. ? The closest train store was in Mount Pleasant and it closed in 1998.? I owned it.? Shipping isn't cheap for mail order, so I usually go to a train show in Washington, Iowa twice a year and also Davenport, Iowa and Galesburg, Illinois.? The best closest hobby shop is now Caboose Stop in Cedar Falls, Iowa, a two hour drive.? They are also on YouTube every Monday and Wednesday night.? The place is amazing to visit. ? Ken Vandevoort
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176524 开云体育 I know the area: my first congregation was in Burlington while I was working on a PhD in Iowa City; every week I would drive through Mt Pleasant between the two.?? Some of the members of my congregation had come from the old Congregational and Universalist churches in Mt Pleasant (before my time).? Until it closed, I'm sure Iowa Wesleyan College provided a pleasant cultural dimension to the town.? I like small towns rather better than large urban areas, as that is where my roots are.? I used to drive to Henry's Hobby Shop in Des Moines 2-3 times a year; that was where I first saw any Sn3.? All of that going on sixty years ago. But in your case you were, effectively, already there.? In my case, in a position to be able to retire anywhere and starting from southeastern MN (from which I drove through Mt Pleasant again every time I went to visit the grandchildren in St Louis), the weather was a major disincentive.?? Everyone in the midwest should rejoice that Merlyn Lauber still has a really good train shop in Cedar Falls; in fact, my second S scale locomotive—a Miller Alco with Cascade drive in marginal condition—was found there on a return trip from St Louis.? Sadly, he and his wife are no spring chickens, so it is likely only a matter of time before the Caboose Stop is also gone. While I never had a chance to meet Bob Nicholson of Ft Madison, others speak highly of his dedication to the scale. Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Ken Vandevoort via groups.io <countrydepottrains@...> Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 4:43 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? We were already retired when we decided to move one last time to a small town in SE Iowa that was less than ten miles from our previous house.? Because of inheritance, we were able to build one last house on 4 acres in the corner of town on a deadend street.? There are no sidewalks, but our driveway is half a block long when it snows.? The house has two rooms upstairs and there is nothing to indicate there are trains in the house.? Open the basement door and you know you are in a different world.? The stairwell is a museum on both sides and there is a chairlift for when I need it. ? One of the best parts is the train set outside.? We border the BNSF Chicago to Denver main and there is even a passing siding where they frequently park trains.? When they do that, I walk along the fence and take a photo of every freight car in view.? I sure miss 40' boxcars.? This is the line that the Pioneer Zephyr made its high speed run on in 1934 and its last trip in 1960.? The last operating steam loco that went by was Frisco 1522 in 1995.? Behind us to the west is a farm field, so it is like country living with city services. ? I used to be a volunteer trolley conductor on the Midwest Electric in Mount Pleasant.? That will be my closest experience to real railroading.? I don't think I could frequently go up and down the car steps anymore.? Locally, our museum has a depot brought in from another town.? The Eastern Iowa Division, NMRA, will have its quarterly meeting there in April.? Every scale is represented in the division.? Best part is that I joined the museum board and have a key. ? The closest train store was in Mount Pleasant and it closed in 1998.? I owned it.? Shipping isn't cheap for mail order, so I usually go to a train show in Washington, Iowa twice a year and also Davenport, Iowa and Galesburg, Illinois.? The best closest hobby shop is now Caboose Stop in Cedar Falls, Iowa, a two hour drive.? They are also on YouTube every Monday and Wednesday night.? The place is amazing to visit. ? Ken Vandevoort
Hans von Draminski All Messages By This Member #176527 Living near the former "toy town" Nuremberg, in Fürth, one should think it's a paradise for model railroaders. But also in Germany we meanwhile suffer the loss of many shops. In Nuremberg, there are just three left (of ten or so 20 years ago) - a bigger one and two small ones that are more or less one-room-shops. American stuff is a hard-to-get in Germany so we have to mailorder almost everything, especially for S scale, but also for US-O-gauge. Four or five years ago I bought an O-scale, 2 rail GP-35 in the bigger shop - the owner was delighted getting rid of it because no one wanted that Southern Pacific machine except me. Regarding 1:1 railroading, there is more. We have a big railroad museum; the roundhouse with many unique steam and Diesel locos sadly burnt down completely a few years ago. But we also have two private heritage lines, one in Nuremberg, one in Ebermannstadt (Upper Franconia) where you may find steam trains in running condition. In summer we shall have a bunch of events at the weekends between June and September and maybe also a few X-mas specials. German rolling stock of course, the biggest machine is a 52 from the last days of WWII (2-10-0). Not sure if German authorities would allow me to run American locos or cars on German rails... Regarding the quality of living: Americans will find anything relatively expensive, loans and everyday groceries eat up two thirds of my income. In Bavaria we are one of Germany's boom regions so we have to pay the price for that. Other German regions are less expensive but also the income is not that big there. After all: Kind invitation to one of the most beautiful parts of Germany. Old houses, many museums and a railroad system worthy to see... ? Greetings from the middle of Franconia in the spring, Hans
Richard Dombrowski All Messages By This Member #176529 开云体育 After dragging my wife to Vermont and upstate NY for work and business opportunities, we retired to the SW corner of Maine, she always vacationed there when single so when the time came it was her decision. I don't regret it, winter doesn't bother me being a native of Buffalo(Go Bills). Rich D On 3/18/2025 4:32 PM, Pieter Roos via groups.io wrote: toggle quoted message Show quoted text Got to be a little careful, if you live in a city they probably require sidewalks to be shoveled. Other than that… Lots of people in New England see to retire to Maine, where the winters are worse than further south. Then again, I lived in Florida and have no desire to go back. Pieter Roos On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 3:14 PM, Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> wrote: Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176532 开云体育 Maine has always struck me as state of mind (pun not really intended), and not only the coast, so there are those who seem to naturally connect with it, despite miserable winters and high taxes.? I am just not one; one time I was in Brunswick in June and it was still COLD, another time I camped in Acadia the week after Labor Day when it was already getting nippy, so we needed our lined sleeping bags. Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Richard Dombrowski via groups.io <heisler3x3@...> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2025 11:48 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? After dragging my wife to Vermont and upstate NY for work and business opportunities, we retired to the SW corner of Maine, she always vacationed there when single so when the time came it was her decision. I don't regret it, winter doesn't bother me being a native of Buffalo(Go Bills). Rich D On 3/18/2025 4:32 PM, Pieter Roos via groups.io wrote: Got to be a little careful, if you live in a city they probably require sidewalks to be shoveled. Other than that… Lots of people in New England see to retire to Maine, where the winters are worse than further south. Then again, I lived in Florida and have no desire to go back. Pieter Roos On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 3:14 PM, Charles Kinzer <ckinzer@...> wrote: Just remember that in a place like Chicago, when you are retired, in the winter you do NOT have to brave the cold and roads every day to go to work.? You don't have to constantly shoveling your car out of snow, or whatever.? That's when you just stay indoors and do modeling work.? And only go out occasionally. And on the Earl Scheib things, it was, originally, "I'll paint any car, any color for $29.95.? No Ups!? No Extras!"? I guess it was probably at $39.95 at some point.? But he had to drop the "any car any color" due to a "truth in advertising" problem because he charged more for some colors, like metallics. Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
JGG KahnSr All Messages By This Member #176533 开云体育 My wife and I took a Rhine cruise last spring and stayed on for a few days, mostly in Wurttemburg, so she could chase some of her German ancestors.? Enjoyed the autobahns (my stepdaughter drove) and found the German Aldis far superior to their pale US counterparts. A long time ago I could have written most of that auf Deutsch, although Hans's English is now far superior to my remaining German.? Ehemals war Ich Germanist... Jace Kahn toggle quoted message Show quoted text From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Hans von Draminski via groups.io <hvdjournal@...> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2025 10:01 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [S-Scale] Where would you retire? ? Living near the former "toy town" Nuremberg, in Fürth, one should think it's a paradise for model railroaders. But also in Germany we meanwhile suffer the loss of many shops. In Nuremberg, there are just three left (of ten or so 20 years ago) - a bigger one and two small ones that are more or less one-room-shops. American stuff is a hard-to-get in Germany so we have to mailorder almost everything, especially for S scale, but also for US-O-gauge. Four or five years ago I bought an O-scale, 2 rail GP-35 in the bigger shop - the owner was delighted getting rid of it because no one wanted that Southern Pacific machine except me. Regarding 1:1 railroading, there is more. We have a big railroad museum; the roundhouse with many unique steam and Diesel locos sadly burnt down completely a few years ago. But we also have two private heritage lines, one in Nuremberg, one in Ebermannstadt (Upper Franconia) where you may find steam trains in running condition. In summer we shall have a bunch of events at the weekends between June and September and maybe also a few X-mas specials. German rolling stock of course, the biggest machine is a 52 from the last days of WWII (2-10-0). Not sure if German authorities would allow me to run American locos or cars on German rails... Regarding the quality of living: Americans will find anything relatively expensive, loans and everyday groceries eat up two thirds of my income. In Bavaria we are one of Germany's boom regions so we have to pay the price for that. Other German regions are less expensive but also the income is not that big there. After all: Kind invitation to one of the most beautiful parts of Germany. Old houses, many museums and a railroad system worthy to see... ? Greetings from the middle of Franconia in the spring, Hans

Where would you retire?