Family and trains

Mechanical Engineer.   Specializing in pulverized coal combustion systems and power generation.  Currently a senior field service engineer for a major equipment manufacturer. Fyi, the Engineering Manager at the plant I am working at right now stops by to talk model trains almost every day! 

I'm a retired accounts specialist.  Had that job for over 20 years.  You do realize, bigdogjeff1, that there is a segment of the population for which facts have no meaning.

Automotive technician.

No use trying to tell your father-in-law anything.  His lack of respect for you and your hobby is very disturbing!  You don't need his approval.

Good Luck!

Take care, Joe.

Joe has an excellent point.  But for your informal survey, I will answer.

I'm a telecommunications engineer.  Normally, I don't mention this, the folks at work don't even know.  I graduated from college Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 average.  I will say that I'm not that intelligent, but I just applied myself well and gave the professors what they wanted.  Now, as I am nearing retirement, I see that I am getting slow at learning new technology.  The younger folks learn much quicker.  You don't have to tell your father-in-law that part, just tell him the Summa Cum Laude part.  

BTW one of those younger engineers is an N scale enthusiast.  He has a massive N scale layout with in incredible number of diesels and modern rolling stock.

I play with trains and I really don't care what anyone else thinks about it, but Good Luck to you.

I'm certainly no doctor, but I do have a bachelor's degree, and I've spent the last 29 years in the fleet management business. Married to the same woman for the last 24 years, and raising two very active boys. However, I do not drink, smoke, gamble, golf, fish or hang out with the guys, so there are those that would suggest I'm not a "real" man. Don't really care, as I only answer to the 3 people that live in my house, and they seem to like me and my trains. 

Joe and Casey are right.  Ignore him.  Rudeness and ignorance deserve no reasoned response.

For the record, I am a retired Senior Research Programmer, who once taught at a Major Eastern University(tm).  And I play with trains a lot.

FOUR guys in my HO train group are/were Computer software engineers !

I am a ware house worker with forklift License 20 year + &  10 + years in food service .  

Ask your father in law what his hobbies are/were  ? 

Maybe he jealous you have a hobby !

the inlaws are either PITA or really nice ! no middle ground! 

Better yet Show him this forum !  We are a great & fun group of people !

we also have our bad days as well !

Plain and simple there are just to many people that are just not qualified and are much to ignorant to understand the subject.Tell him my hobby is for accomplishers and achievers,you wouldn't understand.Nick

>>>

No use trying to tell your father-in-law anything.  His lack of respect for you and your hobby is very disturbing!  You don't need his approval.

Well you said it nicer then what I was thinking.

Personally I don't think that you should bother to prove a thing to him.

Because he has already proven that he is just another ignorant person, but probably more arrogant no doubt thinking he is more superior than you or any other that collects & "runs" model trains

BTW, Remember guys and gals. Adults  don't play with trains, we "run" them

Frank Sinatra.

Neil Young (might point out he helped develop TMCC and Legacy).

Retired SW Engineering Mgr for major aerospace mfr. Not allowed to discuss what I did.

Personally know several main line airline pilots ($200K+/yr) heavily into model trains.

Does F-I-L have the same feeling about guys who build r/c planes?  How about the guys who fly r/c jets and have several thou wrapped up in their birds?  Isn't it the same - just modeling different MODES of transportation?

>>He replied there is no way that there is educated men out there playing with trains.

Oh how people with this mentality PMO. You see, because this goes beyond his thoughts regarding people that collect & run train. Way beyond. These people out there that think that they are just so much more superior then others.  Oh I have way to much to say. But I will bite my tongue. 

I'm a Project Manager/QC Engineer in the Energy,Oil and Gas industry. I manage up to 250 million dollar projects all over the world.I too play with trains.

My ex-wife's father hated my hobby and oftentimes took similar cheap shots. It's all in the past now and I never look back. 

Retired aerospace system engineer, a train addict since long before college and all during my career. Had to deal with similar ignorati through the years.

& Mandy Patinkin, Rod Stewart, Buster Keaton, Ward Kimball, Ed Dougherty, Tom Snyder, & more.

And of course, the Renaissance man himself, Rich Melvin. The F-I-L Résumé would, I'm sure, pale in comparison to Melvin's.

I'm a software engineer and I play with trains.   One of my best friends is a doctor.  He has a really nice Lionel layout.  I know two lawyers in town that have huge layouts.   You do what you like....and I like trains!

I'm an electrical engineer with graduate degrees, and co-founded my company.  We have about 90 employees now: I work only when I want on what I want.  Most of the time what I want to do is play with my toy trains.