or won't have any effect? I know only what I've read about this and I understand the person has not had his day in court.
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/264611.html
JaRRell
Oh no. I hope first off for the kids sake, it's not true.
You know I don't even flinch when I tell people I model railroads. I could give two toots of a steam whistle less what they think. People already have preconceived notions about us, and the media isn't helping. But so what? Does it matter as long as we are happy?
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I agree. The only small children in my train room have their parents right there with them. Centerfolds now, that's another matter.
ndbprr wrote:It won't have an affect on me because I don't let kids that age near my railroad. Now if I had some centerfolds visit there might be a problem!
Unfortunately, their is bad apples in evrything. Years ago when I was much younger, I drank a six pack of beer while building an MDC steam locomotive. I still feel ashamed about it!
I don't think so. However, these days you sadly have to keep a watchful eye and be protective of children in many venues where both adults/teens/children intermingle. I'm sure the visual bombardment from our sexually-saturated and obsessed society has nothing to do with it.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
loathar wrote:I doubt it'll affect the hobby, but I did find it odd that they went into layout and loco detail at the end of the story.
I picked up on that too. To the general public (you know the same folks who think any single engined high wing aircraft is a "Piper Cub") , that type of info would be less that meaningless.
Perhaps the author was trying to let people like us know that he is a model railroader/railfan himself.
George
"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."
The guy, according to the article, was also a part-time preacher. Did anyone ask if this was going to be "bad for Christianity?" Did the recent confession of the pizza shop guy in the Midwest bring fear and loathing to your heart when you next walked into a sub shop? They just busted an aspiring writer in Mexico for chopping up his girlfriend. I doesn't seem to have dimmed the luster on the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Every barrel has rotten apples in it. We're all used to that. The best thing each of us can do is be a good member of our community, in every respect, and let people know that the vast majority of model railroaders are also model citizens.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If there is a crime of that nature, prosecute it I say.
I do feel amused by how they go into great detail about the railroad. That must be some railroad.
And how does it violate city code? I never thought that there might be a code. Ive several acres myself and frankly if I want to run trains on it, I will.
But bad for the hobby? Nah. Not unless CNN, Fox and all the other media starts hyping about the sinster mr trainman in the basement.
Too bad for the kids cause we all know how much trains mean to children. Well if he's guilty I say we lash him to the tracks. A leg to each rail. toot toot !!
glenn
MisterBeasley wrote: The guy, according to the article, was also a part-time preacher. Did anyone ask if this was going to be "bad for Christianity?" Did the recent confession of the pizza shop guy in the Midwest bring fear and loathing to your heart when you next walked into a sub shop? They just busted an aspiring writer in Mexico for chopping up his girlfriend. I doesn't seem to have dimmed the luster on the Nobel Prize for Literature.Every barrel has rotten apples in it. We're all used to that. The best thing each of us can do is be a good member of our community, in every respect, and let people know that the vast majority of model railroaders are also model citizens.
As always, very well put Mr. B.
My read on the article is that it is large scale (amusement park type) railroad.
Found this pic of one of the bridges....
Shades of that "Desperate Housewives" episode with the pedophile neighbor who had a G scale setup and playroom designed to lure in children. It's getting to the point that you can't trust anyone or anything, and the bad apples are making us all paranoid. Those parents should not have allowed their kids to be at his house without their supervision, though. If he is guilty, (and it sounds like he confessed), then he should be put away permanently.
[Edit] I just heard the story on ABC Radio News, and he's confessed to molesting dozens of children over the years, some of whom would be adults now. The story has gone national. As for stigmatizing the hobby, this sort of thing didn't do any favors for the Catholic church.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
There is very little more deplorable on this earth than sexual preditors, except those that prey on children. I imagine there is a very special place in Hades for these people; a place that's hotter, itchier, and even more painful than the standard accomodations.
Even other inmates typically have no tolerance for peophiles in jail.
That model railroading is involved is hardly an issue. Honestly, I think people are smart enough (inspite overwhelming evidence to the contrary) not to connect the trains and the sexual misconduct.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
loathar wrote:It sounds like the guy was running a business out of his house. Kids birthday parties based around his layout. That's probably what was against city codes. Wonder if we'll see a big E-Bay auction soon? The article said the guy admitted to "wrong doings".
The "wrong doings" may have been too many rivets on one of the cars!!
If the "wrong doings" had to do with the kids - HANG HIM BY HIS !
There might be a real problem if that happened at my house! My wife would reduce my height by the distance between my hairline and my neckline!
OTOH, older Playboy readers might remember the rabid feminist who claimed that the mag promoted child porn - with Little Annie Fanny as exhibit #1!*
More on topic, I think children are wonderful - as long as I don't have anything to do with them. My own offspring are middle-aged, two of my grandchildren are high school graduates and the other (4 year old boy) lives three quarters of a continent away. I doubt that I would be mistaken for the subject of this story.
* For those unfamiliar, the title lady of that cartoon series was large, curvaceous and obviously adult!
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in 1964)
With exception of a few vocal right wingers maybe, it's doubtful society would link sexual predators to model train people.
Innocent until proven guilty and if he is found guilty then give him his just punishment. That's why children should always be supervised by parents.
As far as hurting the hobby Nah We'll always be a bunch of Nuts!
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
reklein wrote:Whats an above ground tunnel??
Yes, I was wondering that as well. Every tunnel I've ever seen, passed through or heard of was under-ground (some even go under-water). But I've never heard of an "above-ground tunnel". Can anyone tell us what an "above-ground tunnel" is ?
As for hurting the hobby... I seriously doubt it for the same reasons others have posted here. Child molesters are quite adept at finding ways to be near children or to entice children -- beit a model train, a lost puppy, or a ride home.
Shouldn't be any worse than priests are for the Catholic church, or teachers are for the teaching profession etc. A couple of people I work with have seen my work in progress and think it is cool. One guy has made fun of it, but he has also asked to bring over his kids (I won't be inviting him), and the neighbors, all with kids, are waiting for it to be up and running. On my first layout, one of my neighbors brought over his daughters and we had a great time, they were the engineers, I was the dispatcher and my neighbor was the uncoupler. Anyone who knows me may think I am weird, but not because of the trains. BTW, whenever I order something on-line it gets shipped to my office and I usually have a couple of people crowding around waiting to see the new purchase.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
chateauricher wrote: Can anyone tell us what an "above-ground tunnel" is ?
Can anyone tell us what an "above-ground tunnel" is ?
chateauricher wrote: reklein wrote:Whats an above ground tunnel?? Yes, I was wondering that as well. Every tunnel I've ever seen, passed through or heard of was under-ground (some even go under-water). But I've never heard of an "above-ground tunnel". Can anyone tell us what an "above-ground tunnel" is ?
The prototype (one of them) for an above-ground tunnel is located about a kilometer west of the main runway at Yokota AB. The JR-East (now) Hachiko-sen crosses the field beyond the runway in a shallow (shoulder-high, maybe) cut. The 100 meters or so directly in line with the runway had been domed over (kind of like a concrete Quonset hut) and then bermed - a meter or so thick over the top, spreading gently to the natural ground level. The object of the game was/is to prevent any mishap involving an aircraft from including a trainload of commuters in the statistics.
I will NOT be modeling it. My prototype area had more than enough real tunnels through the vertical, severely-wrinkled scenery.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)