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When I was 16, I was forging the model railroad that I am still at work on today, now that I am twice that age. Back then, I could only afford the cheapest, and yet my vision was big; this led to me investing a lot of time (if not money) into something that would not last, would not operate reliably, and just simply exhibited a lot of compromise. Looking back, I really wish I would have scaled back my intentions, and let the standards be high; I'm still using a Kato-made N-scale RS-3 that I acquired twenty years ago, whereas my 150-square-foot layout is junk. I wish I had known how much more satisfaction I'd get from a reliable 4-inch locomotive than from a frustrating room-sized pike. <br /> <br />I have had a thought, too, that might pique some interest. What about apprenticeships for model railroaders? I recall my high school days as a time when I had unlimited energy and drive, compared to my current sloth and distraction. Frequently I lament that my layout is not getting rebuilt at the pace I had hoped, because I only have a few evening hours each night and it is so much easier to kitbash a locomotive than it is to saw lumber. I'm wondering if there might be a younger modeler out there for whom the benchwork (and the electrical, and anything else I'm not "expert" in) is not such a chore, and who would like to have the big around-the-room layout to run his stuff on. I would foot the bill and provide the train room, and own the layout ultimately, but it would be like a very small club, and end up being a chance to pass along whatever modeling skills I have while offering a chance at "big-time" layout building to someone who cannot otherwise afford it. I know that it isn't always money that keeps a young person from modeling; our hobby also requires space, time, and skill. A master-apprentice relationship could offer all of these to someone in need.
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