Mark Boyce posted:What my trains mean to me? Wow! Another great, thought provoking question, Arnold! Like many, I have liked model trains for as long as I can remember. Unlike many, no one gave me a train as a child. I saved my money and bought a Tyco HO set when I was about 12. My intent has always been that trains are for year-round enjoyment, since I did not grow up seeing a train under any Christmas tree. I used skills I had learned from my dad to build my own layout soon after getting a train. I finally took it down when I finished 2-year college and moved away.
I spent most of my 20s away from trains, but I always knew I would have them again. I do not feel a nostalgia for any of my trains; because of switching scales to O gauge 5+ years ago, I sold every train I owned in the past. I threw away the original HO set after discovering the cheap plastic had been damaged due to heat in storage. So it isn’t the individual model itself, it is the hobby as a whole that beckons me. I do still have some scratchbuilt N-scale buildings that I will always keep.
Now as always, my trains give me relaxation and the ability to get my mind off life’s responsibilities. Now with the Internet, I also get much needed time conversing with others who have similar interests. I have the ability to meet many of you in person at shows, meets, and at homes, where in the past I had no knowledge of any of you. I guess that is very important to me especially since no one else in my family has ever been interested in trains. They have all been accepting and encouraging, but don’t join in the interest.
Thanks, Mark, for sharing your experience with trains, which is different from many of us, and which makes it interesting. I have also noticed you are an active contributor to this forum, and a very good writer. I would not be surprised if you have contributed articles to the magazine.
