Here’s me with my two boys this summer at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Why is the relevant to the survival of the hobby?
Periodically, and at length, we have discussed the future of the hobby. Two “programs” that are often suggested (or refuted) to have a long-term positive effect on the survival and/or growth of the hobby are Thomas the Tank Engine and the manufacturer/hobby-press-run World’s Greatest Hobby campaign. The actual impact of these programs 10-20-30 years down the road is difficult to predict.
What’s not difficult to see, and what is probably more important (at least IMHO), is the impact of one-on-one mentorship. Most often this happens within the family (father-son, grandpa-grandkids, etc.), but can also extend between friends and co-workers. As my father “apprenticed” me in his love of trains, so am I “apprenticing” my young sons, through continued exposure to trains of all kinds.
Is it brainwashing? Sure! Why not? Considering some of the garbage that the TV spews out intending to brainwash our children into unwholesome things, trains are one of the most constructive things we could get our kids into. From big trains to little trains, they can learn about the value of hardwork, technology, creativity, respect for safety, and problem-solving.
So I suggest that the survival of the hobby is best ensured by those of us in it taking the time to share it with family and friends. The seed will not always take, so on the flip side, we should not force it on an unwilling child or friend. However, prolonged exposure to trains and model trains will probably be more effective than Thomas and WGH combined.
Let me caveat this by saying that I don’t suggest militant recruiting tactics… …but we should be alert to that spark of interest another might express, so th
Dave I agree 100 percent with what you had to say. I would never force anyone into anything that they didn’t like but with so much garbage being tunneled into kids minds these days MRR is one of the best things that anyone can get kids into. How many other things are there in this world that teach you the basics of electricity, building, sharing, and most important spending time with family and friends - a father and son doing something together. A long time ago there was just as much to be said about a dad and son building the first MRR to a father and son going outside and tossing the ole ball around. As for the hobby itself many ppl have always been predicting the death of MRR not just recently but as far back as the 1960’s… Well its still here, maybe not as relavent to kids today with the onset of Ipods and Video Games, but there is that basic fasination between trains (real or model) and kids. And it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. As for me trains were just cool just like any big thing is when your a kid. My dad was not into MRR or trains of any sort but when I was five or six one Christmas “Santa” brought me a Bachmann train set with Santa Fe warbonet F Diesels. Little did they know that MRR and real trains would be a big part of my life from then on. MRR also had a plus side in that it made me a very level headed teenager and kept me focused and even provided me with some basic understanding of electricity which allowed me to get my first job as an helper / laborer with a local electrician. This is the greatest hobby in the world - also one of the most exspensive as of late… but I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
Great post Dave! I got my younger grandsons into trains 10 years ago. The now 11 y o has ADD and some other issues. At 1 or so, he wouldn’t watch TV or anything for more than 5 minutes, untill I bought him issue 1 or “Kids Love Toy Trains” - he sat still for 45 min watching it!! Since then he’s been thrilled with trains & most other mechanical things. His now 8 y o brother developed his interest because he wanted to participate in playing with Grandpa’s trains, might be jealousy, but it has given him a “hobby” aside from his 36 hours a day with his X Box!! The PA train museum is a great place for kids - as is the Strasburg RR, Toy Train Museum, and a few other attractions a stones throw away. A Motel where you sleep in cabooses (cabeese?) has a UP dining car for a resturant, and loads of other stuff!! Thanks Dave![8D]
I see tons of kids at Milwaukee’s Train Fest each November. They get admitted free with an adult which helps. They aren’t all “Thomas Toddlers.” There are a fair number of teens. And the local scout troops still get a good showing for the Railroading merit badge.
So there is hope. Maybe the bigger problem is the lack of interested dads rather than interested kids.
Oh yea I forgot to mention that I too have a pic of me and my now 5 yo. cousin standing in front of that Conrail loco at the PA train Museum, Of all the train places one could go Strasburg ranks withing the top 5 on my list.
Very good post, Dave. My son, who is now 37, still likes tains and was even into N scale at one time, but no longer models. Maybe he’ll start again once he gets nearer retirement like I did. I keep sending him pictures of my layout to encourage him. Now, if there was a way to get my two teenage stepdaughters to like trains…[:)]
I have a 2 1/2 year old brother, who I am teaching to love trains. He likes to come down with me and either play with some toy cars which I have on a shelf for him, or have me pick him up and show him. He can distingush the different kinds of freight cars, and especially like cabooses.
I sometimes let him run the yard switcher, (just back and forth, I supervise closely) it’s pretty much impossible to derail as long as all the switches are set right, (although there was a near disaster when it was routed into the same staging track as train 401!
If I lived in the US I’d be a member of the NRA and encourage all kids to get involved in their training programmes… to learn safe and intelligent practices. Trains, even model ones, can be dangerous.
I guess that railwise there is “Operation Lifesaver”.
Model trains dangerous? Okay, we’re reducing the solvents and there is less wiring to go up in smoke these days… but we still want to include safety along with the fun.
NRA, huh? Not sure the National Rifle Association has a train program…[swg]!
I was a member of the NMRA for a while, but it didn’t sem to do much for me. I remember Scale Rails had a bunch of editorials about some sort of leadership problems in the organization. As a military man, I have a low threshold of tolerance for leadership problems. Things might be better now, but I had let my membership lapse.
I am a member of the Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the National Railway Historical Society as well as a World’s Greatest Hobby ambassador (I know, I know…!).
… and trains can kill. that’s why some of us keep going on about safety.
NMRA got itself bogged down in all sorts both there and here in the UK. Almost all clubs/societies seem to at some stage. My interests are in trains (among other things, including rifles) so I just leave them to argue. I’ve never known my 10 cents worth be taken much notice of in an “I’m more important than you” feud anyway.
