I say Bravo! George. My father taught me some lessons about this, too. The most memorable is from a couple years ago. There was this boy in his church he wanted to play guitar in the worst way, but his single mother couldn’t afford to buy a guitar or get him in to lessons. Dad went out and bought him a guitar and amp and some lessons on video with a book. About $400. Why? Because when dad was 10, he wanted to play guitar, but his now single mother (Grandpa died in the war) with 5 kids couldn’t afford one. A friend of the family gave him one and he’s had a lifetime of enjoyment from it. He does a lot of other things for people that many don’t even know about. Like you, he doesn’t do it for recognition (despite what the pm’er says). He does it because he knows giving something to someone who could really use it is much more satisfying than buying something for himself - especially when he has so much.
Thank you, that made my day!!
I admire you attitude and your spirit if more people thought of others in this way the world would be a much better place.
Miss Lisa I am tired of the negative approach to a fun hobby. If I was new and started reading some of the posts I would take up GOLF.
Hang in there, more ladies will be joining if they come OUT OF THE CLOSET! LOL.
Have one in the area that is AFRAID to admit she like trains!
George, I think this is the best hobby ever and This forum is nothing, some that I have tried are either full of snobs who think there way is the only way or people who only want to gripe, here at least I’ve met some very nice people who are willing to help someone who is new.
I first try to give things away to people I know.
Next I go to freecycle and try there.
If that all fails I sell it 
I rarely throw anything out and haven’t for years. 
I want to build a new layout, one that will pretty much fill up my room. I have an old “table” layout which doesn’t work with the new scheme but I cannot keep it and build the big one. I often hear of people tearing up the old layout. I am planning to dispose of it. But I am trying to finish it first. Build all those things I said I was going to put on it-- or at least most of them, the things I already have saved up kits for years and years. Tune it up to run pretty well. (See my recent “finishing up” projects on my Railimages gallery at www.trainboard.com )
I am thinking of giving the LAYOUT (keeping the rolling stock and 2 or 3 special structures) away to a model railroad friend who has collected piles of equipment, never built a layout and who has health problems that put him out of most of his work, money, etc. The layout is probably too complicated and inappropriate in design for a beginner, a youngster or a children’s hospital. I have also seen so many outgrown layouts left with a club and be neglected.
I have built small simple layouts for surprise gifts for kids etc. Does anyone have experience with giving away an entire layout?
George,
I admire your deed.
Last year, I had enough spare parts to make a nice 4 x 8 layout–several engines track, buildings, a power supply, rolling stock, etc. A man on the other side of the county told me he wanted to give his daughter a train set for Christmas but he lost his job. I sent the stuff to him–cost about $35 in postage.
Not bragging, just letting you know you aren’t alone.
From you, why does that not surprise me!
Yeah right up there with ballasting track…
In all seriousness though, great work on helping the kid out. That’s how I got started to, between a family friend giving me a train set he had no use for and my great grandfather giving me all his old HO stuff that’s how I got started. 25 years later and I’m still plugging away at it!
This what makes me keep a hobby like MODEL RAILROADING. In my NTRAK club (KSONS) we never turn anybody away. We are always on the lookout for new members and especially youngsters. Too many kids aren’t getting ANY idea about what to do with their spare time, except play video games, cruse the 'net, and watch the boob tube.
We had a new younger member join. A few of the older members didn’t care for the idea of a 11-13 year old boy joining KSONS. The statement was made that there was no adult sponsor for the boy when he joined. There was no sponsor when he really did join… I jumped up, stated that I was his sponsor and that was that! This guy is a modeller from the git-go. How many kids do you know that save their bithday, Christmas, and excess money to buy a NEW Digitrax DT 400 R throttle? And the local hobby shop made a point to give him a GREAT price on the throttle to boot.
This is exactly what we need to remember to do: GET MORE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO OUR HOBBY.
And if not Trains, get the kids into a HOBBY period!
| I think the guy was really wise in giving the kid that stuff:He is creating another model railroader and in the process teaches that kid that not all people are selfish.The guy deserves high praise for doing this! |
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