Blerf Blog: What retired guys do.

I've been retired for 3 years and 4 months now. I think I have the hang of being retired. I've been listening to other retired guys tell me their secrets.

I think there is only one rule. Do something every day and declare victory. Mind, you it doesn't have to be a whole project. You can declare victory after merely starting a project. You can decide washing the car or mowing the lawn or going to the dentist sufficient for victory on reflection at the end of the day.

So, that's the rule. There are also guidelines. One is to devalue delayed gratification and start to do more of those things you were delaying all these years. A lot of that is travelling - check my other blog posts to find out where and how!

But, for me, it also means getting more involved with the local model railroad scene and upping my railfanning game a bit. I have guidelines that fit underneath the "no more delayed gratification" guideline. They are:

The Steam Guideline states: "Always go see that mainline steam excursion." There may not be a next time."

The Local Guideline states: "Always bring your camera on errands near or crossing tracks. Always expect a train."

The Heritage Guideline state: "Involve your family. Honor your past. Past it on."

The Modeling Guideline states: "Build, operate, socialize."

How has that worked out? Pretty well. Here's the results starting with February 2016.

2016

May 2016. Norfolk and Western J class number 611 is running up the Christiansburg grade and over to Lynchburg. Didn't know it at the time, but this was going to be the last year for NS sponsored mainline steam (see Steam Guideline...) I spend two days watching and chasing.

Blasting upgrade through Shawsville

Coasting into Christiansburg

Montgomery tunnel

Leaving Roanoke for Lynchburg - about to duck under the Blue Ridge Pkwy

Eastbound racks near Montvale

Eastbound at Webster

Stacks on the "other" track

Charging out of Montgomery tunnel

Working hard

Empty coal and "catfish"

A couple of times a year, we head for the Pacific Northwest to visit family (and sightsee!). The Columbia River Gorge is a great place to railfan. But, the Seattle to Portland Cascade service is worth look, as well.

Waiting on an annulled Cascade, this BNSF freight trains heads north through Kelso, WA

Cool mural in Puyallup WA

Slinky Cascade with clunky F40 "cabbage" at Puyallup

2016 also had a trip to the New England Berkshire and Western model railroad at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY. It's okay if you just say NEB&W at RPI....

New train at old favorite spot. Staats Island Rd just south of Rensselaer.

The purpose of the trip was to make one final run of a friend's model railroad equipment around the NEB&W layout. Several of us gathered to commemorate his passing. Kevin was a Pennsy modeller and had quite a collection. It even included some PC and Conrail stuff. We ran a brass PRR T-1 with Athearn passenger cars and a PC powered freight with some equipment he painted and lettered himself. Weird and wonderful. Kinda like Kevin himself.