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At the Mad City Show a month ago. A gentleman in our group started singling out kids for running trains on the outside mainline. About 20 minutes later I did if for our inside loop. Show the kids how the controller works, where the whistle is, and the bell, tell the kid not to run into the train in front of him and then walk behind him as he walks around the layout. The kids eyes would light up, they would glow, thier parents would cringe and look at you like you were nuts. 1.) I don't care if they do think I am nuts. We just made those kids day, possibly week. 2.) Nothing hurts the hobby more than telling these kids that they shouldn't be anywhere near the layouts. 3.) Talking to the parents they were ASTOUNDED that an owner/operator would turn over $500+ of MR eqipment to a kid just because he was standing there. 4.) If people are constantly "afraid" of lawsuits we are going to extinguish any flame of desire on the part of these kids. In a different club that I joined and then quit, one of the few kids commented during operating session (10 years old), that he was going to have to get a train, because the last time he had his dad's out he had it rear-ended and Dad blamed the kid for the bump-and-run. The guy that bumped even said it was his fault and not the kids, Dad still wouldn't let him run. I let him run mine. I wouldn't be concerned as much, if I hadn't kept my ears open and found out this was typical in most clubs. I am sorry, those of us who did get trains or were interested in trains at an early age KNOW how important it is to have that fire, that desire, fanned. Better yet great example. Father and son join MR club, Father buys son a nice diseal set up. Some of us members contributed a train for him to haul (spare stuff...you know the drill, bring to the operating session, but don't actually unbox it for use on yours because of time or other reasons.) Dad wouldn't let his son haul the train...It wasn't his. Went so far as to pull the engines off and put them in the car. All of this inspite of the club saying that it was ok. What is it with some people?
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