Model railroader or toy trains

When I was a kid I played with GI Joes and Transformers.  My time with trains now is not similar to those days, so I would say I do not "play" with trains.

 

That being said, I can't believe you think Super O track looks real.  Did you not notice the middle rail?

     Vinny26 do what makes YOU happy and don't worry what other people think. Choo Choo Kenny

Vinny, I definitely play with trains.  My wife calls it my gigantic doll house and by the way she loves it just like I do.  A hobby is a plaything.  Every hobby has its different levels of skill and involvement.  Are professional baseball players "playing"?  The only difference between me and my 8 year old self is that I have developed a lot more skills and information. Wouldn't it be nice if I got paid like a pro player!!!

The distinction I make is as follows:

If I'm in the basement running trains on my layout, I am a model railroader "operating" trains.  During the Christmas season, when I have simple loops of track around our two trees and run only Postwar pieces, I am "playing" with trains.

Seriously though, if someone outside my circle of friends, family and acquaintances asks if I play with trains; I give them a simple yes response and make no effort to clarify.

I'll be 60 in three months and frankly, don't give a crap what anyone thinks of my favorite pastime.  ��

Curt

Yep. I am guilty of both. I have verbally tripped myself up between "operating my model" and "playing with my trains". 

The interesting reaction is when you set up a locomotive and a few cars and let a non-model rail person work on a switching solution. Then the realization dawns on what a perfectly distracting hobby it is. (Especially with my old stuff that had British 3-link chain couplings and a skinny piece of 0.005" brass as a coupling tool!)

I play with my trains, Vinny, and I do it pretty much as you describe. Atlas track, ballasted, etc., Menards buildings, Plasticville Airport terminal and hangar, along with the milk car, baggage platform, rotating beacon, radar, barrel loader, ad nauseum.  I admire those who can do realistic scenery, but I cannot (or, I haven't been educated).

 

Playing with trains takes me back to the happier, carefree times in my life, before having to worry about "will she like me or not," or, I hope that noise under the hood isn't expensive, so why can't I be happy, right?   I PROUDLY state that I play with my trains.

Scale models in motion for me,  (3-rail) so really both.............

 

Mark

well I have green painted plywood, with Lionel tube track. I don't do scenery. I turn the trains on and watch them run. I guess I play with my trains 

An electric train hobbiest uses his or her skills to model a RR layout to run his toy trains on.

I'm proud to admit "it". I'm not ashamed of "it". I'm not embarrassed when I hear others say that,"I play with trains".

I am a Toy collector of various other things..... GI Joes from the 60s, Remco Toys, and Major Matt Mason...

Lots of display cases... I run my trains, and build layouts, but the kid in me will always say that I am a TOy Train Operator (not a model Railroader)

 

 

I like both toys and models or calling them whatever makes everyone happy. Doesn't matter much to me what they are called. I like the details and I also like operating accessories. I like the 3rd rail, it's what I am used to seeing on a layout, and it does not bother me at all. 

 

The important thing is that you enjoy your trains how ever you want to look at them. Do what ever you like, have fun, and enjoy it, don't worry about what anyone else thinks. This hobby has just about everything to make just about everyone happy in a ton of different scales and sizes. I really hope it continues this way and the product offerings continue to expand as they have been doing.

Call it what they will, does not matter. The enjoyment is what really counts.

Doesn't Jay Leno play with his cars?

I model railroads with some toy trains, othere three rail models, so I am a hybrid, and I also dabble in collecting some, too...so that makes me......what?

My roots in the hobby go back to seeing the Lionel showrooms in New York and toy trains at department stores.  I grew up in the city 3-4 miles from the closest railway line and really never saw trains up close.  Even downtown the trains were on a viaduct and largely out of sight.  So I would say my interest is toy trains.  I'm not worried about every vehicle, figure, building and piece being exactly to scale, a general approximation is fine enough (this is the Hi-Rail, O-27 and Traditional Three Rail forum, by the way).  Main thing is just to have fun.

I am a model railroads/operator and when my trains run it is by train order...... 

It's my hobby, I enjoy it. I don't classify it. I let others do that.

Spence hit it right on the head. Who cares. Its what I like doing.

 Time to get the Popcorn. This is going to be an interesting thread.

That stuff running on those rails are just toys, some may be more elaborate than others but they are toys just the same and no matter how you run them you are just playing with toys (me too!).

Not in my opinion!

 

Vinny, I am on your page.  Trains are made to enjoy.  I feel bad for rivet counters.  They worry about things and do not have much fun.  I deeply admire the detailed 

 

I prefer to model toy trains in 1:1 scale.

"The difference between a man and a boy is the cost of their toys."  Old proverb, unknown female sage.

 

I LOVE these discussions, they bring out the philosopher in me.

 

Why would someone question your playing with toys? Are they insecure about their own maturational development? Have they lost their sense of childlike wonder? Would they rob you of the same? Are they bullies? Do they like to belittle so they feel superior?

 

If the answers to any of these questions is yes, here is my suggestion.

 

Immediately stop what you are doing.

Turn off the track power.

Walk directly up to the individual and gently grasp their shirt collar.

Whisper the following softly in their ear:

 

" Can you show yourself out, or do you need assistance? "

 

Scrapiron Scher

Pretty simple for me...

 

I spend my time either working, or playing.

 

When I work, I make money...

When I play, I (usually) spend money...

 

When I work, I feel like I'm getting older...

When I play, I feel like I'm getting younger !

 

So I guess I play with my trains... my toy trains (on my green felt layout!)

 

Ed

When I work on detail I'm modeling (at least in theory)

When they are moving I'm playin'

YES!!!!

Martin, I appreciate toy trains (and scale) as much if not more than many others.  I run my layout every day and have a few trains.  You stating that rivet counters may feel sorry for me for not appreciating trains is a stupid comment to make second person without you having any basis of knowledge on what I like or dislike.   I stated I feel bad for rivet counters.  In all my years it is a very accurate statement as I do know many of them.  Many are good friends.  The ones I know are concerned over details and not operating or having fun with trains.  Many use the excuse not to buy some trains.  Were you the gent I had that conversation with at York?  I feel a few members can back up how much I like trains and enjoy them.  Before you take a cheap shot at me, perhaps you can tells us a bit about your trains and layout/collection and what your likes and dislikes are.

 

As far as guns, your analogy is warped.  Guns are not toys and should never be played with.  Anyone who plays with real guns has an issue that should be addressed by proper authorities.  You are very correct about the tragic outcome.  I dealt with such people many times in my 37.5 years as a Police Officer.

I play with my trains, period.

 

Everybody is different. When I've played with my N or HO trains, I feel the need to be detailed and exact to scale.  When I play with my O trains,  I don't have any such concerns.  At the end of the day, it is my miniature train running on the tracks in my own world.

 

When I fly my RC planes or launch model rockets, I'm all about scale and couldn't imagine flying something that isn't, but that's just me. There are fliers at the field of all types.  Once again, at the end of the day, it is my miniature airplane/rocket flying in the sky in my world.

 

Kevin.

Kevin, I love your style.  I have no problem pulling my CZ cars with a PRR GG-1 or my ESE cars with the GS-4.  I run them every day and share with anyone who stops by.  You sound like a man who has fun.

Thanks Marty. 

 

I forgot to mention that I especially love around the holidays when I go all out on my Christmas layout  . Invariably visitors to the house after looking at the layout always ask how much did it cost?  To which I respond in a PC fashion “items have been purchased over several years I don’t recall the total amount” or “It’s the holidays”

 

I would much rather ignore them or snap back with a quick retort about how they spend their money  (especially if I know how they do), but unfortunately it’s not in the holiday spirit. 

Building a model railroad, whether it has very detailed scenery, or just a table and some track requires some degree of planning.  I would then qualify a person as a model railroader.  Once complete, running the trains would qualify as playing with trains.  A caveat would be running trains with schedules, specific arrival and departure times and so on.  This would again make one a model railroader.  It's a matter of interpretation and how you consider yourself.  

For me, i have no pretense or ego to spare. I have a detailed 15' x 30' layout on which i have spent more time and money than i care to think about on which i play with my trains.

I'm a model railroader, but it was playing with trains that got me back into the hobby.

 

Jim

My wife uses the term 'play' when she wants to diminish whatever I'm doing, when its something not important to her. I always reply with:
1. I'm not a child
2. I'm not involved in a sporting event
So, therefore, it's not 'playing' at all.
It's sort of a sore subject with me.
I'm not pretentious with this or any other hobby, but she uses child references to anything she doesn't like as a way to downgrade abd demean whatever it is.