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I know I’m going to get in trouble here, but shows like 2-1/2 Men are the worst kind of trash on television. They portray the good people as nerds and losers while those of low moral character are glorified as winners.
Real life is generally the reverse. If you are letting or encouraging your child to watch that, you have bigger problems than getting them interested in model trains.
Sheldon[/q
Then there’s the Big Bang Theory, which oddly enough has a main character named Sheldon that is into model trains.
Hmmm.
There’s one thing we can say, Sheldon - he’s a lot more thin-skinned than you! [swg] Maybe it comes from all the pressure of having such a heavy “responsibility to the hobby”?
DON’T TAKE OFFENSE, ANYONE! I’M JUST POKING A LITTLE FUN HERE!
The amount of responsibility I feel about attempting to make sure the hobby continues beyond my lifetime, is somewhat irrelevant However, I suggest you two look no further than yourselves, when speaking of pontification on this subject.
My grandson showed some interest; so, I purchased a train set for him. That is the extent of my involvement in attempting to promote the hobby to the youth and future. However, I will tip my hat to those who do more to promote it, by supporting and developing youth programs! That seems like a far better and friendlier point of view than not caring about the hobbies future such as you two seem to be promoting!
If you truly feel the way you espouse, I really think that is a very sad position to take!
That show is funny - those characters make fun of themselves, they don’t belittle others different from them, and they don’t glorify bad behavior - but I don’t watch that on a regular basis either - that would detract from model building time.
Sheldon
I’m not going to debate the “label” of “model Railroader” or “collector” or whatever, that has been done plenty in the past to no good end.
But I will say respectfully you are not really in the same hobby as me if you have no interest or ability in building models.
This gets back to this simple idea that we all enjoy the hobby as we see fit, with whatever products suit our needs and budget that are offered by the various manufacturers - it also speaks directly of “recruiting” new people - what “aspect” or “version” of the hobby do we recruit them into?
I vote for simply letting them find and chose for themselves as opposed to campaigns to “recruit” them.
Sheldon
If you have read ALL my posts in this thread, you would know that I have already spent a portion of my life assisting and teaching those new to this hobby.
And, I do take personal responsibility for my children/grandchildren if they show interest.
But I’m not a social bug, club joiner, school teacher, scout leader, etc,etc.
And I believe this is largely an adult hobby - at least my version of it is an adult hobby - so I’m not going out and spend time getting the children of strangers to be interested in model trains, and even less so regarding adults.
I would suggest current readers of this thread go back and read the beginning of the thread.
Sheldon
Am I a true modeler?
By my definition of what modeling means, no your not a modeler. Being a modeler, modeling and having models has to do with building models from scratch; or, a kit. Having been involved in modeling and being a modeler building models since the mid 1950s, my definition stems from that era.
I know that definitions seem to be in a state of flux today and are redefined regularly. The rest of you can define what modeling is with your own definitions! For me however, I’m staying with what I believe models modeling and modelers are all about and that is “building models”.
Don’t worry, eventually these terms WILL morph into meaning simply to buy RTR stuff and you folks who have no interest in building and only want to buy your equipment, will be given the “Highly Esteemed” monikers of “Genuine Modelers”! However, all of us old “Stick in the Mud” model railroading “Codgers” will need to be dead first!
Well, let’s face it, it is an old man’s hobby.
Most of us old guys first picked up on the hobby as kids in the 1940s and 1950s with Lionel and American Flyer trains.
Most of us continued, on and off, in the hobby ever since, picking up on the HO scale side of the hobby because of added realism and the greater availability of product.
At one time, very little was available in the form of RTR, so we had to rely on kits and scratch building.
For the most part, today’s kids have no interest in model railroading. So what?
Most kids today have no interest in stamp collecting or coin collecting or marbles or toy soldiers.
Kids today have more access to organized sports, computer and video games. As kids, we didn’t.
Times change. Get with the times. Enjoy the hobby of model railroading. These are the glory days.
I would suggest that as we all die off, so will the hobby. It will take its place along side stamp collecting, coin collecting, marbles and toy soldiers.
Save your energy and quit worrying about bringing today’s younger generation into the hobby.
Ain’t gonna happen.
Rich
I hid my interest in Model Railroading and Model Airplanes for fear of ridicule when I was a kid back in the 50s and 60s, so the fear of ridicule for ones interests has always been around.
There seems to be two positions on this subject: those who say: “Stop worrying about whether kids become involved” and those who care about getting kids involved and are doing something in attempts to bring kids into the hobby. I have to wonder: If you have no interest in kids getting involved, why would you even take the time to make comment? Are you saying those who take an interest, are wrong for doing it?
I think that the logical starting point is to look at it from the kid’s point of view.
I have three children and six grandchildren.
All have seen my layout, and all have been exposed to model railroading.
None of them has shown any inclination to take up model railroading.
My efforts stop there.
For those among us who may be interested in more actively promoting the hobby among members of the younger generation, there is nothing wrong with that.
It is just my opinion that they are fighting a losing battle. Still, if you want to fight the good fight, you have every right to do so.
Rich
This has drifted a bit. My point was that popular TV shows today give a negative impression of model railroading. Besides 2 1/2 men and NUMB3RS, there was a 3rd show I saw that gave a negtive impression of model railroading. I think it was one of the NCIS shows. These are all shows that are commonly watched, and all have given a bad impression of model railroading.
The negative impression isn’t the only problem. I mentioned bullying, and somebody else said that in the 50s and 60s they had to hide their Model Aviation and Model Railroader. THE SITUATION IS SCHOOLS IS WORSE TODAY. I should know, I’ve been there. Openly dispaling an issue of MR in the hallways is just asking for trouble. (Fortunately, I wasn’t dumb enough to try it.) Even in classrooms, you will still get hassled a little about being into trains.
In addition, the classic way of getting into trains with Loinel or American Flyer or other train set is becoming less and less common. In the 50s and 60s, almost every family had a train under the tree, and the stereotype was that women did knitting or sewing, and the men had a train set. Today, many households do not have a train under the tree, and kids are not being exposed as much to trains.
I’m not saying anybody is wrong here for what they want to do. If Zugman’s (sorry if I misspelled that) idea of model railroading is assembling as much RTR as he can into his layout, that’s fine for him. That’s not Sheldon’s idea of model railroading, and that’s fine for him, too. I’m more towards Sheldon’s end of the spectrum, and (guess what), that’s fine for me.
If someone feels an obligation to promote the hobby, that’s fine. What I’m saying is that I don’t.
I’m not into PROMOTING the hobby - either someone likes trains or they don’t. If they do, I’ll help them out if they decide to try model railroading, but I’m not going to push it at anyone.
I think Rich has summed this up pretty well.
I will simply repeat/add the opinion that beyond train sets around the Christmas tree, this is, and always has been an adult hobby - in terms of the required skills, space and means.
Some of us, like myself, got a good start as teens because we gravitated to the needed skills and we had some sort of mentor or mentors who helped us.
I suspect that still goes on today on a one to one basis like it did for me. But few of my friends in the late 60’s or early 70’s when I was a teen understood or were interested in my hobby - same as today.
Had I not shown an interest, I doubt my father would have built that first layout for me at age 10. But three years later I was building locos and cars from craftsman kits - not every 13 year old has that skill set or interest in those sorts of activities - then or now.
Sheldon
Zugman,
You’re right that most of us in the hobby today had an interest when we were younger. And of course when you’re young and not working you don’t have a lot of money. In my case I went onto college, working overseas, started a few companies, got married, had kids and with all that never found the time until the last several years. My kids liked trains more when they were younger, but now that they’re older(HS/college) other things are taking up their time too–to me, this is normal. I believe they will come back to it, as I and you did. To what extent they come back, I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if my son started a mfg company making train merchandise–I’ve considered it. My son still invites people over for trains and they enjoy it. I don’t believe in pushing the hobby onto someone, but inviting/sharing, answering questions as we do here in this blog is different.
I am glad you came back as well as the many others. Not that I need or want to be a part of a hobby with a huge following, but as exhibited here–one where some are passionate.
Richard
OK, guys, enough of the bickering. Talk about trains, or don’t say anything at all. Continue attacking each other, and you will be put on moderation.
If the kids are exposed to it, they will be attracted to it.
A couple of years ago, we invited my daughters ringette team (9 yr olds) including parents over for a party.
I had about 20 kids in the train room at one time, several of the girls stayed in the train room for most of the time they were here.
Gordon
My opinion is that kids really aren’t exposed to the Model Railroading hobby anymore. Many have no idea that the hobby even exists. It’s not like it was when us 50-60 & 70 year olds where kids and almost every kid had a trainset and certainly if they didn’t, a neighbor kid did that you could fool around with.
Simple exposure to the hobby can trigger an interest and a new model railroader and I think this is an easy painless way to promote the hobby!
Whenever I complete a project on my layout, I send out pictures of them. My middle granddaughter saw them and she loves it. So, for Christmas two years ago, I bought her first train set. I’m sure as she gets older, other things with occupy her time, but if you light the spark, you just never know.
LION grew up on Long Island. Dad rode the train everyday to work. I remember going with mom to drive dad to the station. In those days the LIRR tracks in Merrick were not elevated, and while I never saw a steam engine running on this part of the railroad, they were still in service elsewhere.
The trains were all electric mu sets, running on the third rail. The third rail was right there on the ground for everybody to see. There were two tracks, there was a hairpin fence between the two tracks so that people would not walk across the tracks. The station was a wood frame building, there was an asphalt walk from the station which was on the East bound side, across the tracks to the westbound track, and is where commuters would have to gather to wait for trains to the city. There was a bit of an arcade in that big white building north of the tracks, there was a barber shop in there, and as lunch counter / newsstand on the corner of Merrick Avenue and the Railroad track.
I remember when there was a gate-man in a little house on the west side of the avenue, and he would come out and lower the crossing gates with a crank. It lowered the gates at Merrick Avenue (four quadrant gates) and the gates a block to the east as well.
I remember when the man with the crank was replaced with automatic gates. But Freeport, the next town toward the city did not get automatic gates. My father explained that these tracks were to be elevated, and so there was no point in replacing those gates now. And indeed those tracks were elevated, ours remained at street grade level.
I remember riding those trains with my father: I liked riding on