A note about dads trains and toys

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hooknlad

Member
Mar 28, 2005
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Woodbridge, NJ USA
Hi all:
I havent been online or on THE GAUGE as of late. My dad, my best friend, passed away three weeks ago and I have yet to come to grasp with his loss. Even the simplest things have been very difficult for me as of late. Dad lived a great unselfish, caring life and he passed away peacefully in his sleep. The way everyone should pass away.
I have inherited all of his G scale trains, many engines and passenger cars.. I want to display his memories in my home now, but find it extremely difficult to deal with this task. Way too many tears. even the posting to this forum. :cry:
My game plan is to display these trains on a 1 foot shelf around the top of my living room and my bedroom, busting holes through the sheetrock and constructing tunnels. I have already purchased 50 feet of bachmann G track and 4 switches . I need to get DCC modules for all 10 engines. I would also like to place a "yard" in my spare bedroom so that i can call out each train at a time.
Has anyone ever engineered such an undertaking? Is there enough clearance above the windows and doorways? Is there any special considerations that I should put into play?
Thanx all for hearing me vent.I also have to get many shelves to display the numerous collections of cars and trucks in all gauges Dad has collected through the years. I must have about 1500 cars and trucks in all.
I love you dad and you will be missed by all you have touched in your lifetime here on earth, especially your youngest boy - mikey :cry:
 
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Illus

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Sep 24, 2006
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Wyandotte, Michigan
I can't help you with your trackplan, but I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I'm sure your father would be thrilled that you are picking up on his hobby.
 
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shaygetz

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May 2, 2003
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I'm sorry for your loss. When my dad died three years ago, I lost all of his model work.

There should be plenty of room above a door for your trains, just take care if you plan to tunnel over a door into another room. If the wall is load bearing, there will be a a solid header that would not be advisable to go thru. If not, then there should be enough room.
 
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hooknlad

Member
Mar 28, 2005
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Woodbridge, NJ USA
I think the best thing that helps me get through my loss is, whenever i'd see my dad I gave him a kiss on his head and told him that I loved him - I also did this when I was leaving his house. Guys - Don't ever be ashamed of kissing your parents and telling them tht you love them - you will never ever regret that. The hardest kiss of all was kissing my dad's head just before they closed his casket lid.:cry:
 
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Jim Krause

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Apr 7, 2005
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I'm very sorry about your loss. Nice to know that you and your dad were close and shared hobbies. Take time to grieve. It's something that has to be done.
As for the trains, most doors are 80 inches high, plus trim. Most ceilings are 96 inches. There should be enough room.
 
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steamhead

Active Member
Apr 16, 2005
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Brownsville, TX
Hi,

I went through the same experience a little over a year ago. I too inherited his trains (the HO's I had from when we modeled together a looong time ago), and the last, his Z's. I too will set up a small layout with these. Never a day passes I don't think about him.

Sorry for your loss.
 
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Russ Bellinis

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Feb 13, 2003
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My thoughts are with you at this time. I lost my mom and dad within 4 months of each other 2 years ago. I think your desire to run your dad's trains as a memorial is great, but I would advise against cutting holes in walls. If you cut holes in the walls, even if you don't run into problems with bearing walls, you creat something that will take a lot of work to repair if you ever want to sell your house and move somewhere else. If you want to run a train track from one room to another, I would just cut out the top corner of the door opposite the hinges and run the shelf through the doorway. You don't do anything to hinder privacy that way, and in the event of a sale and move, replacing a few doors is an easy fix. If you have any fancy doors that would be hard to replace, replace them with inexpensive hollow core doors that you cut and save the good doors for a possible move. I mention this last point because friends of ours moved into an old house in Buffalo, N.Y. 30 years ago and they had some 10 foot tall solid mahogany doors between the kitchen and formal dining room that were in the house. If you had a door set like that, you wouldn't want to cut it up.
 
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RobertInOntario

Active Member
Mar 22, 2006
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. My Dad died 7 years ago and I inherited all of his trains. In 2004 I started to get them out and run them, and now I'm really into this hobby.

I like to think that I'm carrying on his work and that there's a lot of continuity here, especially with my two young sons now showing an interest in trains. I enjoy doing and repeating all of the positive things he stood for, his interests and values. This is really neat and I hope that you, over time, will be able to do this too. These days, I think of him a lot and am grateful for this "legacy" that he gave us. I hope that you will (and are) experiencing this as well -- I find it very positve and encouraging.

Rob
 
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soat204

New Member
Oct 25, 2006
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Iowa
Like everyone else here, I too am sorry to hear your loss. I lost my grandfather a year ago, and my dearest cousin Kayla when she was in an accident.

Anyways, like the guys were saying, look out for the main support in the door. Also, make sure you leave yourself enough room between the wall and were the door frame.
 
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