does this ever happen to you ?

[GDRMCo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

GDRMCo, what the heck is a modelers lisence?

Its something you use to model fake stuff and get away with it and the modeling police won;t always be at your door when you freelance something.

[Anonymous]

Some of these stories are so funny and how true. Both my young boys are really into trains. My oldest is six, and can tell the difference between an F-unit, C-44, AC4400, SD90MAC etc. etc.
It's funny when his Grandmother comes over (my Mom) and he goes into his ramble about what he's seen or what Daddy is working on. She looks at me and gives me the strangest look and says, " He's speaking a totally foreign language." [:D]

[PennsyHoosier]

Scott, you are right. This is a great place to go to, to talk about the things that interest us. (no doubt your family has other intersts that are of little interest to you--I know that's true of my family.) On the other hand, my rambling about "trains" has pulled two of my three (there's still hope for the third) into this hobby. My wife is a sociologist. She loves to consider the impact of transportation systems on communities. (I might add, I love canals, too. But they are tough to model.) So by the end of the day, while my family might be somewhat more balanced than I am when it comes to "trains," they are all very sensitive to the social realities that "trains"--and model railroading--capture.

In other words: Life Is Good.

[TrainFreak409]

QUOTE: Originally posted by modelrailroader71

Oaklahoma Train Nut, I am always in that situation. When my family and I are driving by the tracks or railyards, I start talking about railroad lines, locomotives, etc. No one in the car has a clue what I am talking about. I still don't think they understood what an Auto-Rack is[:(] But oh well, it just means I know more than them about modelrailroading and trains.

I know what you mean. I have three brothers, and I am the only train nuts, so nobody knows what I am talking about when I go (as they call it) rambling on about trains. My mom does the same thing. She once told me that when I go off on the history of the prototype of a model (or something else) her eyes glaze over, and she is basically gone. It is hard being the only train nuts in a family. But, luckily for us, we have places like this to go on and on about what we love. And, we can always hang at the LHS or club for an hour or two. They are like second homes.

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[PennsyHoosier]

I've found that when I bring up points like yours, Okie, that people are ready and happyt to talk. Seems to me that they get the usual questions ("what kind of a train is this?") so often that when someone comes along and asks a probing question, it usually takes one more question to help them out of their routine answer. Once that's happened, though, then it can be hard to get them to stop talking!

[Anonymous]

I've been in that situation too. I was at a zoo in northern Michigan and there was a live steam RR that went around it. I was about to get on and I commented to the engineer "That's a nice 4-4-2 Atlantic". He looked up suprised and said he was astounded that I knew it was even a steamer. He then took me over to the shed where they keep the other locos. Great day for me![:)]

[Anonymous]

It especially happens at the hobby shop. You start asking questions about a DCC function, and they have to explain the difference between DCC and DC, thinking you don't understand. Where are you from in OK? I'm from Calumet, about 50 miles west of OKC.

[rrinker]

I really am glad to see that there are some younger people who actually do bother to learn something about what they are interested in. Too much that is not the cae these days.
Reminds me of an incident a few years ago, at a local festival Conrail had their Operation Lifesaver train at a nearby siding, so I took my then 4 year old son over to take a look at the displays and, amazingly, they allowed you to climb into the loco cab. No mean feat, carrying a 4 year old child. About the time we got up there, a group of 3 or 4 teenagers also went into the cab, and proceeded to hog the engineer's seat, not allowing my son a turn to sit there. Then one of them, apparantly the 'railfan' of the group, sits down and starts explainign to his buddies what each of the controls was for. Except he really didn't know the throttle from the reverser from the brake stand. I corrected him and we walked out...

[Anonymous]

Oaklahoma Train Nut, I am always in that situation. When my family and I are driving by the tracks or railyards, I start talking about railroad lines, locomotives, etc. No one in the car has a clue what I am talking about. I still don't think they understood what an Auto-Rack is[:(] But oh well, it just means I know more than them about modelrailroading and trains.

[Anonymous]

4884, I belive it is a joke on the term "modelrers license" It means that you do what you want with your models...say I gave the Choctow rocket an F7 to pull it when the real streamliner used a TA...I would be using my "modeler license"

[Anonymous]

GDRMCo, what the heck is a modelers lisence?

[GDRMCo]

Me

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

Many years ago I was at a county fair in Lancaster,at a booth selling train hats.There was one with a picture of a set of ATSF FP45s.I asked for the hat with the FP45s on it. The girl operating the booth had no idea what I was talking about.Then I said,the Santa Fe hat.She still had no clue.Then,in a very irritated voice I asked for the hat with the red and silver choo-choo.I got my hat immediately!

Been in a similar situation! Best thing to do though is take advantage of it, be kind and take 15 to 30 seconds showing the person the details. [:)][:D] I did this in one occasion explaining to someone the difference between a hood body and a streamlined carbody. Immedietly the light bulb lit up and I saw that I had just given the guy new knowledge! [:D]

[Anonymous]

twhite, The brakeman actually did offer me a cab ride, but I was with my church's youth coir and we were only riding the train one way.

[espeefoamer]

Many years ago I was at a county fair in Lancaster,at a booth selling train hats.There was one with a picture of a set of ATSF FP45s.I asked for the hat with the FP45s on it. The girl operating the booth had no idea what I was talking about.Then I said,the Santa Fe hat.She still had no clue.Then,in a very irritated voice I asked for the hat with the red and silver choo-choo.I got my hat immediately!

[ben10ben]

I get the same response when I go to a train shows and ask a parts dealer for a specific Lionel part, or go to some booths and ask for a specific pieces.

[TrainFreak409]

Something similar has happened to me.

My co-worker, Tom, took me to a live steam mini-railroad a few months back. It is run by a club, and is mainly 7.5" gauge. He wanted me to see his friend's new locomotive. So, it boiled down to me, Tom, and a few of his friends talking about trains. I was the youngest at 15, and everyone else was 45+. A Western Maryland diesel cruised by us, and Tom immediately saw it. He loves WM's circus paint. He told us to look at the Western Maryland Geep. I took one look at it and said, "Tom, that's an SD-45." We had a brief arguement, then asked the engineer, and I was right. I don't mean to brag, but I felt so good about myself, out doing my superior!

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[eastcoast]

If you ask a question to somebody who knows,
you get a knowledgable answer.
If you ask someone who is not sure, they will
get back to you on that.
If you ask me, I'd say you answered your own
question.
Keep up your curiosity and READ everything you
can get your hands on.

[Noah Hofrichter]

I get the same thing! Ask a question, get the basics that you all ready knew, and have to ask the question again a little more refined. It's really rather funny.

Noah

[twhite]

Dear Nut--for you and a lot of younger modelers and train enthusiasts--I'll bet that at least 90% of the time, after you ask those questions, the person being asked not only gives you an answer, but walks away full of admiration for someone as passionate about information as you. Keep it up! My grand-nephew is about your age, I think (15) and the last time we were down at the California State Railroad museum, he asked so many INTELLIGENT questions, it got him a ride in the cab of a locomotive. Believe me, I was one PROUD uncle! So keep up the questions, and don't stop. Ever.
Tom

[Anonymous]

I always suprise alot of older model railroaders and train enthusiasts when I come up to them and ask a question about a topic that they think a kid like me does not even know about [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D] I once asked the brakeman on a tourist train on the Great Smokey Mountain RR if the locomotive pulling the train was a GP9 or a GP10. He was suprised for a moment then answered my question ( it was a GP9 ) and commented that he was suprised that i even knew it was a Geep. Same results when I asked The owner of a hobby shop about trains on the RI's choctow route. I know alot of basices, but I love to learn kore, and details on certain subjects, so I am constantly asking questions and such, so I get such results alot. any other younger train nuts like me who have the same thing happen to them ?