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Reply to "Did your Dad get you into this hobby?"

Regarding kids and trains...

The problem is choices. When I grew up in the 50s when I was settling in on my interests, if you wanted the coolest toy in the world it was Lionel or AF trains... period. You had building sets, some great earthmovers in the likes of Deopke "Model" toys, and board games. That was it. There were no computers, a million addictive games, no quad copters, or RC cars, or RC anything. You could build rudimentary flying models when the Cox 020 engines came out. But it was a no-brainer. Trains were it. Besides, in the 50s steam and diesel were actually still on the rails. Passenger flying didn't really take off (no pun intended) until the jet age with the B-707 flying in 1957. In the late 50s plastic model building took off and believe me, I made a zillion of them (still love it). 

Kids are busier, have less free time, and what time there is competes with many enticing interests. Model trains is way down on the list. Kids don't have the exposure to trains in many parts of the country as more and more grade crossings are eliminated for safety reasons.

I grew up in Philly and remember seeing GG1s running. What can compete with that today?

That being said, both of my grandsons played an active and creative role in building my railroad. Both are now teenagers and all those things I mentioned above a stealing their 'train time'. We just need to be more persistent. The model train shows in Louisville do get nice crowds with young kids thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine.

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