Last Saturday I took these photos at the Barre, VT train show of my modeler(and non modeler) friends running trains.
Here in the north country, there are a few of us modelers. some don't have layouts, some are planning layouts, and some, like me, are building layouts. Here is a shot from my layout.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
That looks like a lot of fun. I love kids!
.
The pictures of your layout remind me of the layout I built in High School.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Nice work! I need to get some picks soon of my young kids running trains also. Always enjoyable seeing little kids get engaged beyond their electronic devices.
I belong to a modular club & there are a number of younger members, HS & college ages
We are saved! The hobby will go on.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Car float loading operations with my grandson as engineer.
Regards, Peter
Kudos to Harrison and all of the up and coming future model railroaders.
That one girl is using the 0-5-0 switcher
Nice layout.
Russell
riogrande5761We are saved!
SeeYou190I love kids
"Especially when they are properly cooked."
maxman SeeYou190 I love kids "Especially when they are properly cooked."
SeeYou190 I love kids
Deano
Nice photos. Was sorry I couldn't take more time looking at the other displays and layouts at the show, but I was busy at my booth. Was pleased at the number of younger folks looking and buying. One girl seemed very knowledgeable and her mother said she is crazy about traiins.
Looks like the hobby may keep going for awhile anyhow.
Have fun,
Richard
OT Dean "Especially when they are properly cooked." Was that W. C. Fields? Deano
Not exactly sure. He may have said "well done".
cowmanLooks like the hobby may keep going for awhile anyhow.
Absolutely it will, but I think we will see some major changes in the next 50 years.
Well... someone will see them, I won't be around that long.
Glad to see this.
I agree that the hobby will continue. There's an Venture club in a nearby suburb dedicated to youth model railroading. If my son's interest continues then I'll get him in there when he's a bit older.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
It sounds like there's sort of a 'reverse bell curve' with model railroading - a lot of kids are interested in it, then kinda drift away around high school or college age, but then interest sometimes revives when they get older and have kids of their own (and a big basement with a house over it.)
Whenever a young person visits my layout, I put a throttle in their hand as soon as possible. They always seem to have a good time, especially if I give them a train with real work to do!
One of the layout hosts I operate with held an open house a while back, but instead of the usual display of trains lapping the layout, he scheduled a full operating session at the same time. As people came in the door expecting to just look at the layout, they were handed a throttle and train orders, then pointed to their train. Few visitors turned down the opportunity. A woman brought her two young boys to look at the layout. One was around 10 years old and the other around 5. Both were handed throttles and were teamed with an experienced "conductor" to help them through the process. The 5 year old had a great time but the 10 year old was truly hooked. Even though his mother insisted they had to leave, the 10 year old refused until he had completed all work on his Second train!
As long as we make the effort to expose young people to our layouts and the hobby in general, there will always be new modelers to keep the hobby healthy.
Hornblower