I know of one top-notch modeler who used to open his superb layout to the public for shows until one time a kid who couldn’t see yanked on his superdetailed multispan bridge model and tore it all to shreds trying to pull himself up so he could see.
Since that time, he’ll only open the layout to adult modelers and NOT the general public.
To bad, but I’d probably do the same thing were I in his shoes.
When my kids were little, I taught them how to handle the trains properly, including running them slowly. They used to fuss at me when I wanted to run them fast! They knew not to look with their hands and to never touch someone else’s trains without express permission.
At train shows, or when our modular layout is on display, I am amazed and appalled at how ill-behaved many children and parents are regarding other’s property. Many can’t look without touching, and the parents encourage it! I have no problem with an enthusiastic child asking many questions, wanting to see up close, but still respecting my property and that of the other modelers. I have a huge problem with kids that think it is their right to do whatever they please with other people’s property, even when warned to look but don’t touch. I have removed little hands from rolling stock and structures on numerous occasions. The trains are my hobby, not my kid’s play toys. I’m not about to let someone I don’t know damage my investment.
Mark C.
I have 8 grandchildren and they are all welcome with some control. The youngest is only 20 months old…she doesn’t have her engineers license yet.
Now the real danger is the family cat!!! My son’s brand new Diesel engine was found on the floor…it weren’t the kids…CSI was sent in to investigate and the cat hairs were found in the cab…END OF STORY !!!
Of COURSE they do- otherwise I wouldn’t let myself in. >:-)
Seriously, I highly supervise them. They get to use the UT-4 to control the train, and I watch along on the DT-100, ready to kill power or stop if they’re getting into trouble.
The most popular right now is the E-7A/E-7B from BLI. The whistle and bell are especially popular!
Brian “Little Boy At Heart” Pickering
I belong to a club with a rigid and frankly rediculous policy on children. One of our members was an ex janitor form a school so kids are the devil to him. Personally I would be happy to let them run trains and even handle the cheaper ones. I see it as a great opurtunity to teach them and get them interested in learning. Unfortunately that is not the wy the rest of our club thinks.
Jesse
Although I’m only 15, I’ve learned to never let a wild kid operate any of my trains. Still
it’s better to let a responiable child or pre-teen operate. One time when I was 12 a man from the San Diego model R.R. club invited me operate his $1000 DCC HO scale SP
daylight on the club layout (Which is huge !), & I’ll never forget that experience, even
though Ive operated trains on other layouts (including my own stock).
Sorry my spelling is derailed.
I do "Hands on Trains " whether at home or on the “road”.
Yes there is the occasional oops, young or old. Life goes on.
I have a 6 year old grandson who loves my trains. My layout is about 48 inches above the floor with a hidden yard under the layouot. He loves to carefully remove the cars from the hidden yard to a table top wher he says he is fixing them. The only problem i have with that is figuring out which car goes where to stay on schedual. I recently put a shelf aroud the inside of layout about 24 inches high put track on it and got Bachman Thomas trains and he loves it he can run his trains whill I run mine. I even tied it into my hidden yard so that we can visit each other layout. He love to run thomas up to the C&O running overhead.