Time of Year for Visitors

Hi Art and Folks,

     Well, I used to feel good about visitors, but eventually people ask the one big question that really turns me off.  I really hate when a guest wants to know how much everything costs.  Or they comment that they can't afford trains, then drive off in a 40 thousand dollar car.  I always enjoy visits from children, or an adult that has a similar interest in trains.  Nevertheless, I feel an obligation to share the gifts and talents that God has given me, and I suffer through the insults. Sometimes parents let their children run wild, which is disappointing.

    Merry Christmas !!!!!!

Take care, Joe.

Good story, sounds like everyone had a good time. Tis the Holidays.

Most visitors to my layout are family. I don't usually get the cost question but I do get comments on the time involved. Cost occasionally does come up in one way or another

I always answer that It's better than time or money spent at a bar.

Art,

Thank you for being such a wonderful ambassador for our hobby.

Brad

Sounds like your wife's guests enjoyed themselves.

Few have seen my layouts upstairs or in the basement, but the Christmas layout, which is quite detailed, is seen by 50+. I get the feeling that only a small number really appreciate it. The most popular item is a convertible in a parking lot with a couple in the back seat "making out", while a priest and 2 nuns look on. Ive never had anyone mention cost. Maybe they worry I'll show them my gun room.

I enjoy visitors a great deal. They soak up all of the features of the layout like a sponge.

The Christmas season sure brings them out whether it be a Christmas Party or dinner guests. This is one of the parts of this season that makes it so special.

Maybe Maine people are different, but I have not had one guest ask "how much".

  I like visitors that leave me with more beer then I started out with !

     Chugman I hope you don't mind me adding my 2 cents worth. When we had the layout up in the old house in Turtle Creek we had about 100 people come and see it in the 7 years it was up. One time my cousins daughter got A pickup truck from the road and put it on the track that the Big Boy was running on for the train to hit it. I just happened to see her put it on the track and I hit the panic button. Everything came to A halt and everyone looked at me as I picked up the truck and my cousin looked at her daughter and she put her head down. I was upset but I did not yell at her but I just calmly asked them to please leave. My cousin had A talk with her and she is no longer allowed to come see the trains. The other incident A young man brought his younger brother to see the layout. The young boy was wide eyed and loving it but no sooner did I get the 6 trains running the big brother said OK you have seen it lets go. The younger brother was very upset wanting to stay longer to watch the trains run for A while. I did not even get to dim the lights in the basement and turn the lights on in the buildings to show what it looks like in the dark. The older brother starts yelling at his little brother to lets go now and grabs his hand and starts pulling him up the stairs. I thought to my self why did you even come here if you are not going to stay for more than A few moments? I felt bad for the little brother. Then there were A couple of friends that came over and asked can we crash the trains into each other (like on the Adams Family TV show). I told the jerks if they had about 3 grand cash to give me I would do it. They asked why so much money then when I told them how much it costs for the engines I think they got the message. I am no longer  friends with people like that who want to destroy the nice things we have. Choo Choo Kenny

I have a friend who always asks if he can crash the trains. I tell him if he brings his own trains, we can crash them.

Another friend took the throttle and tried to see how fast he could run the trains before they flew off the track. He was surprised that he was no longer allowed to use the throttle in subsequent visits.

What are they thinking - or not thinking?

I had a visitor last year who brought two of his children. I started the trains, he saw smoke coming out of the steam engines and abruptly left. I tried explaining it was like lamp oil and I would turn off the smoke. Nope he wasn't stopping from exiting the premise.

I've had visitors comment on the "pollution" from the steamers.

 OK I know I am the edgy one on here.But if I posted what I want to tell people when I get IGNORANT comments from lazy non- motivated non- achieving people,I would get thrown off OGR forum.I will say- I have learned to hand pick the people that I show the layout to.Nick

I'm sorry to hear that you have had such bad experiences with your train guests.  Maybe I'm just lucky, but so far I haven't experienced anything like that.

Art

My favorite photo of little visitor

He is always welcome

Clem k

I have a 4x10 in the garage.  Kids love it, especially the 3662 operating milk car and the AF oil drum loader.  Adults think I'm nuts, so what, not my problem.  Nobody's ever asked me to crash the trains.  As to questions about cost, to me those simply are normal curiosity and certainly nothing to get upset about.

Pete

Just like the real ones.

I just say "more than our two cars, two fishing boats, two sailboats, our antique inboard, & the house combined".

Haven't had that many visitors so far because I am fussy about showing the layout while it is incomplete but that's soon to change. The forth and final loop is 75% complete and the finish is getting so close.

I anticipate only good times with visitors as I will invite only the best people over-all and only those on the OGR Forum!

As for people asking what my layout and collection are worth that's no secret. I have about $30,000 worth of trains. Its definitely a sickness.

Learned that the hard way. If they don't ask to see it then don't show it to them.

I don't have many guests to see my layout, but when I do, cost often comes up. I tell them that it cost about what many people have spent on video games over the years, and this stuff doesn't go obsolete as easily. Or, it could be worse, I could have spent it on alcohol or drugs!

Then comes the question of "why?".  Those people don't get to stay long...

Hi Art • What are you experiences with visitors?

   I now like to give them more hands on time, they all enjoy this part of the tour.

Below are my 3 controllers, I let them use the LionChief Plus, up and running in seconds.

The one thing that drove me nuts during our modular set-up at shows were the number of kids who would make a face and wave their hands in front of their noses as though the smoke was going to kill them.

I hate to say it, but when some of my friends get to running too much smoke, it drives me away too.  I just can't take it any more.  And I used to be a 3 pack a day guy too, but I don't like smelling it or the way your clothes smell after being around it.

Art

The size of the room and ceiling height make a difference to an accumulation of smoke form your engines. I have an excellent exhaust system, no there is never unpleasant smoke buildup.

My visitors love the smoke effect as it really adds to the experience.

Brian, you make an excellent point.  My son Jim tried to talk me into installing an exhaust fan in the basement when we built the house, but I didn't listen.  I had already decided not to run smoke and didn't feel that I needed it. 

Art

Art,

    Last night my club the Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers in Bethlehem Pa held our annual scouts night. Any family with a scout can be come in and visit our layouts with no donations expected. We had 310 Boy & Girl Scouts plus their brother and sisters, mothers and fathers in about an hour and fifteen minutes. It was a awesome night at the BDSME. We have been doing this for over twenty years.

JohnB

An excellent choice, in my opinion. That "smoke" oil vapor comes back down all over the track & scenery, which is another reason I don't use it either.

Visitors make this hobby fun and grow. Who doesn't like trains?

What a wonderful way to spread this hobby like wild fire on the prairie.

Well...as usual, a really nice thread has to have some comments from those who seem to focus on the negative side...

Anyway....Art, a very nice thread and a good one too!  This is indeed the time of the year when it seems we have more visitors.  As a matter of fact, we are having 4 couples over tomorrow (12-12) after we all have had a nice dinner together.  We will be sharing the layout and then down to the theater room to view some nice photos of trains and layouts on the 120" screen.  It is a great time of the year!!

Alan