Big changes are coming soon

[johnb]

Well, I am going through a major life changing event in my life, after 16 years of marriage, my wife and I have grown apart and we are separated, and planning to file for divorce.

She is moving out soon, and after my hectic work schedule for the week of Thanksgiving, I will be making big changes in the house.

Up first is my loft, there is a pair of walls that are L shaped without any windows, one is 13'3" and the other is 12'6". These walls (and the rest of the loft) will be repainted and the Playa Desnuda Branch will be brought inside of the house,  and I plan to add a valance with lighting above it. I also have been in negotiations with my 15 year old kid, she will be painting the backdrop...the eventual plan is to run to downtown Laguna Borracho, a town with a loop for the Southern Pacific and street running for the Pacific Electric interurbans and city cars on the other wall.

But to keep me busy,  I have another layout in the beginning stage...Arroyo Tortuga!

For many years, I have wanted to build a small, classic roundy round layout, and now, I have the switches on order. I have decided to build an N Scale version of the Turtle Creek, down to the ultra tight, nine inch radius radius PECO switches, and tight turns.


The layout is going to be a Pacific Electric line, and will be a DPM kitbash dream, including a curved warehouse similar to the Davies Warehouse in the Rat Hole.

I have tracked down an old Western Railcraft Pacific Electric steeple cab that I will power with a Tomix chassis for the power unit.

[wm3798]

Sorry to hear about the change of circumstance.  Been there, done that.
I hope the road is as reasonably smooth as possible.
Lee

[davefoxx]

Sorry to hear about the divorce.  Model railroading can be therapeutic.  Hopefully, it will be a nice diversion from the day-to-day mess that life can bring.  Share photos and start a thread about your new layout.

DFF

[wazzou]

I can relate.  After 20 years of marriage, my wife and I divorced last year. 
I bought another home but unfortunately, it didn't have the 24'x28' detached shop that I had built with a railroad in mind.
I'll build something else in just a portion of a spare bedroom in the new home but it's going to be small.

[johnb]

Thanks guys, but I am actually  am happy for this divorce

[wm3798]

I was too, but don't tell anyone I said that!!

[Espeeman]

I'm glad you are happy about it. Still, my hope for you is that it is over quickly and as seamlessly as possible. Divorces can get quite messy.

[MK]

Sorry to hear that.  Life changes along the way.

Keep your focus on the trains! 

[sd45elect2000]

Three divorces here. First one sucked until I got laid by wife number two. Second one sucked but I had a good vasectomy so promiscuity was the thing. Third one was sad. Now, not married , life isn't so bad.

Randy

[C855B]

Yes, condolences or congratulations, pick one. Or both. I had been reading between the lines in your layout progress reports that there was lots of spousal interference to and intolerance of your hobby. Our hobbies are part of who we are, to deny that is not especially conducive to domestic bliss. So this news is no surprise at all, at least to me.

Happily married to a soft railfan for 31 years, "soft" meaning she loves watching and being around trains, just has no interest in the technical side. (It's been difficult to get her to distinguish between GE and EMD power, which I've diluted to "toaster" and "not-a-toaster".    She appreciates EMD bass, however.) She's my second; everyone who knows us knows we are connected at the hip - even the clerks at the grocery store.

First? Not so much. Randy mentioned "promiscuity".  [grimace]  Including one of my railfan acquaintances, an amoral @$$#0!3. He still is. Admittedly we married too young and I was not seeing the forest, etc.; it didn't help that through a friend at work she got sucked into the Hollywood drugs and sex scene rampant in the late '70s. Seriously! - I can name names, most of which came out during and after the divorce. Yeah, TMI. 

So it can certainly be a lot worse than growing apart. Good luck with your new chapter.

[conrad]

Happyily married 54 years.  Wife loves that I love trains and I love her.

Conrad

[johnb]

Yes, condolences or congratulations, pick one. Or both. I had been reading between the lines in your layout progress reports that there was lots of spousal interference to and intolerance of your hobby. Our hobbies are part of who we are, to deny that is not especially conducive to domestic bliss. So this news is no surprise at all, at least to me.

I thought that I made her disapproval of the hobby rather obvious!

[Dave V]

God I’m lucky.

[johnb]

God I’m lucky.

yes you are...

[Rossford Yard]

Well, sorry to hear of any misfortune.  Whether or not a marriage is good, or whether it should dissolve, most of us feel like a failure for a long time.  I called it "the endless tape loop running in my head."  My second marriage is a home run, in part because she is sweet, in part because I learned some lessons, too.

As to MRR, I was lucky enough that my then layout was actually built in 3 big pieces and relatively easy to move.  Only problem was, it only fit in my garage in my post divorce town house, although I did have some room to expand it.  Have partially built two more in the new marriage (one exists, the other wasn't built to move....and then, we moved!)  My next move will be to a very small residence (i.e., casket or urn) so I have plans to expand it when I retire into what was my former office.  Sounds like you have a similar opportunity.

Short version, I think all of our experiences should tell you at least model railroading life goes on, sometimes for the better.  And better is always a good thing.