The Big Disappointment- Children

Doug,

I wouldn't take it so hard.  There are kids who are still wild about trains.  Not my kids, but my brother's son loves trains and is in Havre de Grace.  I'll call him and see if he is interested if you don't mind.  His son just turned 8.  Yes video games are part of his life, but he sure does love trains too. 

My daughters are now almost 26, 22 and almost 12.  My 12 year old enjoyed DCS for a little while, but it didn't last.  I'm probably going to give her trains to my brother as well.

For me, what told me this hobby is not dead is when a 4 year old started schooling me on classes of steam locomotives when I was operating at a public event about 10 years ago.  He  knew his Northerns from his Pacifics all the way through the Whythe system.  I was quite impressed. 

It is interesting as you post this today as I started moving all of the trains that fill a 10X20 storage unit to my house to force me to go through what I will keep and what will go.  I hope to find a good home for a lot of my 3 rail as well.

Best to you.

Funny. Mine prefer cash.

@GG1 4877 posted:

I hope to find a good home for a lot of my 3 rail as well.

I'll have to keep an eye on your for-sale posts.

So far, my twin 9YO grandsons love to play with the layout I'm building. Of course, I keep expanding under the guise of  "they love it", and so far so good. My daughter puts limits on iPad time, so that helps, but I do fear the day the boys just don't care. One is a high-functioning autistic lad, and trains have been good for his motor skill develpement, to wit: if it's not on the tracks correctly, it doesn;t go. He snips up and colors paper for graffiti and has done several cars and a dummy GP9. Got tape everywhere....but its part of the gig. When he puts his Lego figures on the gangways of my brand new Dash-8s, I cringe and smile while I hope for the best.

Take heart Boomer, someday when they have had carpal tunnel and eye strain from years of computers and other devices, bad knees and hip replacements, they'll remember that they had other alternatives presented to them by a Grandfather who loves them very much! They won't forget that part....

Have to start earlier. My grandson is 4 and absolutely loves trains. My wife and I bought him a Thomas set when he was two and he plays with it all the time. He is also completely blown away by my layout. When he visits our house, you literally can't get him out of the train room. Soon he will be able to operate a handheld. We plan to use a similar approach with his younger brother, who is 1. He is already showing interest in the Thomas set.

Hopefully, the love of trains will continue for both boys for the rest of their lives.

Pat   

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'll have to keep an eye on your for-sale posts.

Now that I've learned how to pack trains!  A few coming up in a few. 

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'll have to keep an eye on your for-sale posts.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Now that I've learned how to pack trains!  A few coming up in a few.

We'll get you to be an expert packer.

I have two sons.  They grew up with model trains, mine AND their own.  Once they hit the early teens, they packed that stuff away & never looked back.  They are now in their mid-40s and have no children.  When visiting, they look over my layout for several minutes and that's it.  They never had the desire for this hobby (or real trains) and never will.  Hunting, fishing, and camping for one, and the other loves everything with a motor and most of that as cars, motorcycles, boats, bicycles plus anything on the snow.
The trains stops here at my station.
Dennis

Life goes on...

Rusty

Thanks for all your thoughts.  I did try to get them started with one of those wooden sets when the youngest was about 4 and they played with it a lot.  But they didn’t have the space for anything larger.

GG1,  that will be fine.

@boomer0622 posted:

Thanks for all your thoughts.  I did try to get them started with one of those wooden sets when the youngest was about 4 and they played with it a lot.  But they had the space for anything larger.

---

GG1,  that will be fine.

Doug,

I'll let you know.  My brother has a pickup so if he is interested, I'm sure he will be able to pick it up.  He also has a basement for a layout of about that size.  In that sense he is luckier than me.  In AZ we don't have basements and I model scale O.  Two strikes on my modeling! 

Hi Doug,

I just sent you an e mail.

I chuckled hard when I read this title.  I couldn't imagine what would unfold in the thread.  But it had nothing to do with what popped into my mind when reading the title.

My 8 yr old grandson has been living with me for more than 3 years now, with no apparent end in sight.

So my disappointment is on a different level than yours.

Whether my son or grandson enjoys trains pales in comparison to them both becoming self sufficient and responsible for their actions.  So if yours are thriving, then I tip my hat to you.

As for children in general, there are a plethora of other interests available to them that weren't available to us in the 50s, 60s, 70s etc.

Some of it has to do with what their friends find interesting. For many of us, toy trains were the big thing in our youth. Mutual interest kept some of the kids going.

Two of my playmates had trains, but little interest. Two others had layouts and were more interested. Six kids on one block, all with trains kept the enthusiasm up.

It occurs to me, that my interest in model trains came at an early age. However my enjoyment and regard, only came after I had travelled many a mainline mile; on the passenger trains of the NYCRR. I believe if one took a youngster on a well orchestrated train trip ( not an excursion ) but a real overnight trip, with stories, hotels, restaurants, local attractions at a destination. A lifelong impression would be made.

I think those kind of adventures between grandparents and grandchildren will endear youth with an curiosity fueled by memories. Then they would be more excited for that first Christmas train of their own.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'll have to keep an eye on your for-sale posts.

Same here!

I have one child, a daughter who has no interest in my trains but I couldn’t be more proud of her. She spent her childhood in the system, became our foster at age eleven and we adopted her at age twelve. She excels in everything she does. Gold award in high school., service superstar award at her first job at Six Flags. She just graduated from college but we were told that she didn’t have the ability to finish high school when we adopted her. She has a full time job and works part time at a stable where she boards her horse.  She has attended many train shows with me but not because she likes trains but because she likes to hang out with me.   She has been nothing but pure joy for my wife and myself so for me to say I am disappointed in her because she doesn’t share an interest in my hobby, l don’t think so.

Patrick,  I replied to your email.