What will happen to your rolling stock when…
I’m a member of the Grumpy Scale Modellers Group on Facebook. It’s an interesting group with some inspirational modelling regularly shown.
Just recently, however, there was a post that got me thinking.
What will happen to your models when you close your eyes and breathe your last breath?
In our case, this is what will happen to our trains.
It’s a dark and gloomy topic but an important one to dwell on.
I, and I’m sure you, have built up a treasure trove of trains over many years. Some are expensive, some less so, but all cherished.
Do those who will have to deal with the aftermath of your passing have any idea what to do with them? Do they know their approximate worth or where to go so they find a good home? Or will your collection be sold off cheap by some well-meaning but unknowing relative or worse, will your passion end up in a skip.
As it happens, I’m seeing someone about a will soon so it’s good timing. Along with my drive to get organised and record my rolling stock, I’ll leave instructions on where to find this information and what to do with specific locos.
Hopefully, Ill be very old by then and my trains will be neatly ordered, documented and sitting proudly on a mantlepiece of memories but I know that when the fateful day does come, my trains will safely depart for stations anew.
What provision have you made?
> A final, personal, note: I spend a huge amount of time testing, photographing, writing and researching techniques for these articles and pay for all the running costs of MRE out of my own pocket. If you found this article useful you can support me by making a donation on my fund-raising page. Thanks and happy modelling, Andy.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.