Which BEST explains your attraction to model railroading?

[Anonymous]

For me, it's just DOWN RIGHT FUN.[:D]

[eastcoast]

I have enjoyed trains for most of my life. I don't do any thing other than this and
play with the kids. I like staying at home and this does it for me. I feel that having
a hobby is good and I am a positive role model for my children. It is expensive,
but I do find ways to cut costs. I am at a point where I can spend less this year
anyway and keep money in savings for home improvement, etc.

[CP5415]

1) My dad was a model railroader [:)]
2) It annoys the hell out of my wife [}:)]
3) My daughter loves choo choo's [:D]
4) It relieves stress in my life (really helpful) [V]

Gordon

[Roadtrp]

It's just down right fun.

I loved my Lionel trains when I was a kid. I loved taking REAL passenger trains when I was young. I loved riding one of the classic passenger trains, the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha, between Minneapolis and Chicago. I loved riding in a sleeper car on the way to Denver.

I've just started model railroading again at the ripe old age of 51. I will probably get in to building kits and stuff sometime. But to tell you the truth, that is not a major goal for me at this time. RTR rolling stock and pre-assembled buildings are fine with me for now. I just want to get a decent looking setup fairly quickly and have fun playing with it. Once I have that established, I will start replacing the ready-made stuff with things more realistic that I build.

I know that doesn't sound very impressive, but it is what I want and enjoy for now.

[:)]

[Anonymous]

It allows me to dream and have quiet time, something we all need!

[Anonymous]

All of the above and then some!
It allows me to relive some of my past, when I was conductor on a now defunct dinner train. I've got 9 cars scratchbuilt to recreate that train..[:D]
Plus it annoys my wife's sister, when she calls here looking for her barfly husband, and my wife says, " I don't know where he is, but MY husband is downstairs!"[}:)]

[bcammack]

It keeps me intellectually engaged. I learn new things all the time.
It gives me the opportunity to apply my knowledge and experience with electricity.
It challenges my dexterity and vision.
It justifies aquiring new tools! :)

[cp1057]

I've yearned for model trains ever since I was 4 and found out that my parents wouldn't let me have a train set until I was 11 (those were 7 long years folks, but they were true to their word)

Real trains have always fascinated me

I've always liked any kind of miniature or model, used to model airplanes as well but that has been scaled back due to lack of time, money etc.

The intro to Mr Rogers Neighborhood showed a miniature town and I always wanted to make something like that.

Now I see that my oldest daughter is interested in what I'm doing with trains so this is going to be a good way to bond, share quality time, whatever you want to call it.

Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario

[Anonymous]

I think it can be safely said that the love of trains was passed on to me from my dad when he gave me his Lionel set from when he was a kid. I just love the thrill of runnning trains and taking pictures of them.
Reed

[Anonymous]

I love trains and to me there's nothing more fun!

[Anonymous]

I enjoy scratch building structures and scenery. I enjoy "letting go" of my creative juices and like the since of accomplishment I feel when it's complete.

I find this hobby relaxing and enjoyable like no other hobby I've had!!

[Anonymous]

I'm a huge railfan and and have always wanted to own a railroad

[Hawks05]

gives me something to do. keeps me from drinking and partying. relieves stress. also i can use what little creative skills i have.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: [I've just started model railroading again at the ripe old age of 51. I will probably get in to building kits and stuff sometime. But to tell you the truth, that is not a major goal for me at this time. RTR rolling stock and pre-assembled buildings are fine with me for now. I just want to get a decent looking setup fairly quickly and have fun playing with it. Once I have that established, I will start replacing the ready-made stuff with things more realistic that I build.

I know that doesn't sound very impressive, but it is what I want and enjoy for now.[:)]

[^]You're wrong about it not sounding 'impressive.' Playing with the trains and having fun with it is what matters most. You've got the right idea! [8D]

[AggroJones]

Making a model of anything look realistic is what modelling is to me. I've always been facinated with miniatures, then I became a rail buff. I like making things look aged. Thats the kicker.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Whatever happened to good old fashioned MEGALOMANIA. I enjoy being god in a world of my own creation.[:P][;)][bow][:D]

[AntonioFP45]

Became gung ho with trains at about age 3 in New York City back in the 60s as while my dad worked and had the family car, my mom would take us with her shopping, the dentist, visiting, etc by way of the SUBWAY! I enjoyed the speed, the rocking and sounds. As I got older, got to see plenty of the "Big Trains" in action. My dad bought me Am. Flyer, Lionel, and later Marx train sets.

We were "lower middle" income, and struggling but my dad really sacrifieced for us kids. My gratitude to God for my dad (deceased) is eternal!

[Anonymous]

I've always been crazy about trains and so it would seem obvious that I would have to have model trains.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Became gung ho with trains at about age 3 in New York City back in the 60s as while my dad worked and had the family car, my mom would take us with her shopping, the dentist, visiting, etc by way of the SUBWAY! I enjoyed the speed, the rocking and sounds. As I got older, got to see plenty of the "Big Trains" in action. My dad bought me Am. Flyer, Lionel, and later Marx train sets.

We were "lower middle" income, and struggling but my dad really sacrifieced for us kids. My gratitude to God for my dad (deceased) is eternal!

[:)]Dad would be proud of your interests, I'm sure![:)]

[Anonymous]

My vote should include all of the above and other. As For me Model trains are an addicting, all consuming obsession for which I will spend days at a time that go by like minuts for whch there is no escape.

[Anonymous]

The votes and replies to this poll clearly indicate that we LOVE OUR TRAINS. This rocks! I hope each of you will share the hobby with someone who expresses even the smallest glimmer of interest. Who knows, you could be responsible for giving the next Malcolm Furlow his start! Keep sharing the good news about our hobby folks.[^]

[Hawks05]

thats how my friend got me hooked. i went over to his house to talk to his son who is 2 years younger than me. i walk in the door and he's like i have something to show you. so we go down into his train room. i looked and was in total awe at what i saw. i came home, started looking for sites, found this place and i've been hooked ever since.

[BRAKIE]

I come from a family of railroaders,my dad was a railroader and model railroader,I worked on the railroads twice..So to me its a way of life..I would have it no other way.

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

I come from a family of railroaders,my dad was a railroader and model railroader,I worked on the railroads twice..So to me its a way of life.

I wi***hat was the case with me. Some of my kindred are like anti-railroad. [V]

[on30francisco]

I got started when I had Lionel trains as a kid. I have always liked trains and railroad structures. I especially enjoy building rolling stock, structures, scenery, and enjoy watching the trains run through all the scenic items on the layout. And yes, It sometimes keeps me out of the bars (talk about expensive).

[jfugate]

I'm a modeler first and a railfan second. My fascination with miniature scenes and models that work came first. I developed more interest in the prototype details over time and also became more of a railfan.

Most of my railfanning was as a kid in the 1960s and early 70s. Then a big hiatus came to get married and raise a family ... finally in the late 80s the model railroading bug bit again and I haven't looked back since.

I started out fascinated with well done freelanced model empires like John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid. Then the freelancing went from cutesy to more prototypical with the V&O and the A&M. When I re-entered the hobby in the late 1980s, I realized the prototype that fascinated me as a kid would also fascinate me the most as an adult modeler, so I began modeling the SP Siskiyou Line near where I grew up.

[CBQ_Guy]

Number two was closest to my choice.

I got my first train set (Lionel) at the age of three for Christmas, 1956. As a kid I also had slot cars, other models, army men, mechanized toys. But for some reason I always had to try and make the setting they were in look as real as possible; for some reason it just seemed like the right thing to do and it gave me great personal satisfaction to "do it right". That feeling still endures today, almost 50 years later. I had a fair amount of exposure to the prototype of trains as a kid, and combined with having the model trains for the longest time, probably accounts for the trains winning out over the previously mentioned hobby pursuits.

[Anonymous]

There is always endless potential in this hobby. Always something else to investigate and learn about. Carpentry, tracklaying, model building, weathering, electronics, scenery, historical research and more. Atlhough sometimes these things can be frustrating at time (it took me forever to get good at soldering rail) I get a tremendous sense of personal accomplishment when I finally get it (of course scenery has been my monster in the closet for nearly 20 years now! but I'll get it down someday!).

As I get older I have also realized another great thing about model railroading, or any hobby for that matter. My personal observation is that those that have a hobby that is truly engaging of the mental and manual skills seem to look forward to retirement and when retired seem to live longer and happier lives. Has anyone else noticed this?

[vsmith]

Its really a creative outlet for me...


.....but I voted "keeps me out of a Bar"[:-,][(-D][D)][oX)][swg][:-^][%-)]

[Anonymous]

I voted it's fun;
Because name one thing better than seeing CB&Q models every day![8D]