Skip to main content

I admit it.  I enjoy sharing my trains with young people, and would like to see them experience the same joys of model railroading through the years as I have.  But given all of the options available to them for entertainment compared to when I was growing up, is it reasonable to expect that many of them will become hobbyists?

During my early grade school years, the only remote controlled toy was a model train, and  running trains was a common activity among my peer group - as was getting in trouble with the teacher for reading the new Lionel catalog in class when it came out.  Later in grade school, slot cars, and then, home-based Aurora Racing sets became the rage.

Now, there are so many other devices, complex electronic toys, and numerous sports activities available to children.  In this regard, from what I see of our young relatives and their friends, unless their screen time is specifically limited - computer games are their first choice - almost every time they have free time.  Either that, or a video.

By contrast, model railroading is such an excellent opportunity for children to develop other life skills, including using their imaginations, being creative with their hands, and, developing design and building skills.  In a sense, model railroading is not so "one dimensional" as many of these other activities.

For these reasons, I for one plan to continue to introduce young people to the hobby.  At the minimum, we will have fun running the trains and the layout together.

Last edited by Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I gave my 12 year old grandson, who was adopted from Ukraine at age 11, an MTH Crescent Limited 4-6-2 and Lionel cars to match. Unfortunately my operating briefing was incomplete. He had a derailment and did the rerail with full power still applied - the ensuing sparks which as we know can be spectacular, scared him and worse, his mom (my daughter) so I doubt it’s been run since. Don’t make my mistake! Be sure you do a full briefing on the nature of electricity. My daughter who grew up around my trains now thinks they are a fire hazard... End of my $400 investment (track, cars, power) not counting the gift of the 4-6-2.

There appears to be an increasingly convincing amount of evidence that suggests that electronic screens are addictive, whether they are used for TV shows, games, or 'net/social media.  The brain becomes wired to crave the visual stimuli, and it is trained to respond accordingly.  The human eye has always been attracted to movement, the more movement, the more forceful the attraction.  These activities tend to support an inherent tendency toward solipsism, too, which, I think, helps to explain certain social ills growing in seriousness and number.

  I wouldn't call it a need to have young people take up a hobby (any hobby) rather I think it is a situation where an individual's pursuit of a hobby has brought them a sense of satisfaction/accomplishment/respite from the day/etc. and they make an attempt to interest young people in that hobby in the hopes that the hobby will do the same thing for them.

My dad and one grandfather was a railroader, and l lived on Depot Lane. My great aunt was postmistress, and hung the bag on the post every morning, across from station.  How many kids today have that experience or similar?  In the largest cities they are exposed to commuter trains.  I am sure they are just part of their scenery. The rest of the country...?  I rode many a mile in a grandfather's pre-WWII vehicles. There is a small core group that loves those vehicles, and trains, and model trains.  Each of those core groups will carry on. Sadly, they are all smaller.  And there are members that had no childhood exposure to any of them.  All too soon that will be all left.  Watch Antique Road Show and see oddball fragments of history that are collected.  As long as there are trains, there will be model trains.

 

gunrunnerjohn posted:
Bill T posted:

My 4 year old Grand Daughter running the S&Y RR. If she follows the other grandkids she will move on to other electronic gizmos in a few more years and leave the trains behind.

P6150017

Maybe true Bill, but you'll always have the memories and the pictures.

Couldn't have said it better myself. My girls, at the moment, are obsessed with my trains and I will take advantage of every second while I still can. Hopefully they don't grow out of it, but if they do, the trains will be there for their kids and so forth. For now I look at these photos and nothing else matters:

IMG_20190713_134428

VID_20190724_182622_MomentVID_20190724_182622_Moment1

Bill, looks like me and you are living the life with these beautiful girls! Enjoy them my friend!

Attachments

Images (3)
  • IMG_20190713_134428
  • VID_20190724_182622_Moment
  • VID_20190724_182622_Moment1

One of my earliest model train WOW moments as a kid was seeing my uncle Bud’s Lionel NYC A-B-A pulling passenger cars in his attic.  I enjoy running trains and I enjoy discussing them with other modelers, but for me the absolute most fun is seeing the excitement on kids faces when they ask “When can we see the trains?” or seeing THEIR first WOW moment when they see the trains for the first time.  There is absolutely nothing like it.  For the last few years, I have been running trains in my attic for my uncle Bud’s great grandchildren.  I’m pretty sure that at least a few of them will take up the hobby.

Last edited by Lehigh74

There are practical reasons I can think of:

  • History. By bringing young people into the hobby, we pass on historical information on real railroads they otherwise would not have full access to. Prototype railroads built this country's expansion by expediting the movement of people, goods, and information (mail service). Towns and cities developed around railroad routes. Though some events related to the railroads' history and expansion might be considered questionable by today's standards, the overall is a net positive in this country's growth.
  • Education on Prototype. Hopefully, we can convey to them rail safety, its impact on domestic and international commerce and the practical issues of how rail transportation works in general.
  • Passing on skill sets not readily learned in school today. When I was in school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), we had wood, metal, and electric shop classes. These skill sets have helped me over the years both in and out of the hobby. Modernly, schools have gotten away from "blue collar" practical skills, choosing to focus on either STEM (not necessarily a bad thing) or a "humanities" / political correctness curriculum (opinion). Additionally, the modeling skills have practical applications outside the hobby as you learn how to build stuff.
  • Passing on our trains. My efforts at cloning myself aside, it's apparent I won't be around forever. So giving the younger generation an appreciation of the hobby means the trains have somewhere to go after we're gone, and hopefully they'll be passed on before ending up in some collection or recycled into some other products. A couple of our younger members were conspiring on how to separate me from some items in my collection -- I was so proud of them!
  • Sharing our time. Kids need time with their parents and/or adult role models. OK, maybe we're questionable role models at times, but the mentorship aspect of spending time with kids -- teaching them the benefits of cooperation and interaction rather than video games is beneficial (opinion).
  • Building an empire. OK, maybe not in the Bond Villain megalomaniac sense, but the hobby allows one to use their creative talents to build a small world they have some element of control over -- an outlet/temporary escape from the real world where they have little control. Great stress relief.

I'm sure I could think of more stuff, but it's early out here and I haven't had my morning coffee.

 

When children are young (pre-teen) they crave something more that screen time - their parent's attention! My father shared his time with me and I shared my time with my children. My father has been gone  about 5 years now and when I think about him my memories go right back to the time he spent with me doing hobby things such as models, trains, etc...

Obviously kids need to be interested in hobbies but doing them WITH your kids makes all the difference!

The title drug me in.  I think it is the same impulse that drives folks to convert others to their favored religion, or political outlook.  I personally never cared to convert others to 17/64, but I recall meeting a fanatic proselytizer for Proto-48.  Just like a religious zealot.  I couldn't get away fast enough.

But sure - show the kids a few hobbies.  Just hope they can keep it under control.  Sometimes I wonder what I could have done by channeling more of my spare time into the study of physics or something.  

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×