Women model railroaders

[Anonymous]

I am an avid supporter of women in the hobby. My personals add reads:

"Wanted Girl with Train!. Send Picture of Train.

james

[moparman48]

My wife does ALL the detail work, landscaping, weathering, builds all the structures, fine details rolling stock and locomotives.
She also does the diagrams for the control boards, (one board for each section or yard).
However, she just can't figure out which way the turnout is set, straight or turning, I have a lot of fun with that.
My daughter with her busy life (teenager) tried switching a yard a couple of times, she was very quick to point out to her mother how well she did, including setting the turnouts.

[Anonymous]

My wife was instrumental in my start with this hobby. Unknowingly she purchased my first lionel set as a Christmas present. She was not prepared for the onset of my obsession, financially or time -wise. But for the most part, she tries to act interested when I get excited about a new building kit, or a sharp layout I have discovered. The rest of the family just shakes their heads a lot. One bright spot is my niece, who disappears to the basement at every family gathering to "run" the trains. Hope springs eternal.

Lee

[ClinchValleySD40]

There are some really great women model railroaders. I had the real pleasure of meeting one last weekend (Mary Miller) and we've actually had some attend our ops sessions. My wife does some model building (buildings and such) and helps with scenery.

[Anonymous]

no way

[Anonymous]

I think cwclark needs to switch to outdoor railroading. Any scale is possible, so you don't have to go to G scale either. Bob T

[lupo]

I got the june edition of the MR magazine last week, featuring
the ATSF Emporia Subdivision a layout by Stephen and Cinthia Priest,
the Deer Mountain by Dave and Maggie Methlie
and the Monida & Yellowstone RR by Claude and Cindy Leglise
they made awsome stuff!

[Fergmiester]

Watch yourself BB. Once they take a liking to something, they become the experts and what you thought you knew was little as to their need for knowledge and ability to read and understand instructions before hand is awesome.[:D]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Women model railroaders are rare "birds" indeed. I have met a few, but not many. I think the problem is certain aspects of this hobby just don't appeal to most women.

Construction and technical matters that men find fun and interesting, bore most women, or possibly perplex them. Many like trains but few will jump in and take action.

It is more likely that a wife will want to participate in certain more artistic and creative segments of the hobby, leaving the technical issues to the man. These are my observations after over 30 years in the hobby.

Please don't think that I'm being sexist. My current partner is a bit of a "tomboy". When I met her she knew nothing about trains and model railroading. She has taken a real liking to this stuff, and will follow me anywhere. She is even willing to help me with layout construction, and I am happy to teach her. She is a far cry from my ex wife. [swg]

[rambo1]

Hey Cb&Q I made a similar deal with my wife but to have a second child!

[Anonymous]

Both of my daughters LOVE model RRing, the 6yr old will run the trains, but she isn't quite into scenicking(yet...). The 10yr old just switched from HO to N, and has some ideas she'd like to use when we build her N scale layout. Now..... If only we can get [:D]Mom[:D] interested[:D]!!??!! I'm not holding my breath, because you can't win them all...........[:(]

[IRONROOSTER]

30 years ago my wife expressed a liking for the Campbell schoolhouse so I bought it for her. It's still in the box waiting to be built. When she goes to a train show with me it's to shop the old plate dealers[:)][:)].
Enjoy
Paul

[cwclark]

I can get my wife to "hold stuff" if i need an extra hand but when i'm done she's out of the room in a flash...at least she brags to her friends about my hobby...one time she tried to run the trains to impress one of her friends and ended up putting a north bound and a south bound train on the same track...Gomez Addams...eat your heart out!..it was the crash from hell!...but it impressed me that she tried....i think her thing is the gardening stuff...she's better at it ...

[Anonymous]

I have gotten my seven year olds intrest up by buying her a set for X-mas. She then recieved a gift card from a buddy of mine for the local hobby shop. Nothing like watching a seven year old spend conciderable time pondering what $ 50.00 should be spent on.

Denfinition of Kit bashing- Watching my 7 year old paint a model house the most out landish colors.[:D]

Ever see Barbie ride in a Lionel gondola?

[cbq9911a]

I've had people over to see my (large) layout, and the women are much more impressed than the men.

[trainfan1221]

I don`t know too many, except a friend of mine turned his lady friend into one of us. She has a small layout, and they do lots of train related stuff together. She just won`t admit to being a train fanatic, though. Theres room for everybody in this hobby.

[Budliner]

I like Women model railroaders




B -

[vsmith]

QUOTE: [i]

I am woman, hear me roar!

I think she ment a train whistle![:-^]

[BNSFNUT]

I have met a few women that were model railroaders. Had a couple as regular costomers when I had a hobby shop and have met some at shows.
They are rare but they out there.
CBQ_Guy , you have a death wish???[:D]

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE:

I am woman, hear me roar!

Yes, dear...

[Anonymous]

I just happen to be one of those "Women Model Railroaders" And you men out there need to realise there are more of us then you think. And just because we're at a train show with our husband's doesn't necessarily mean we're just taging along. It's amazing the comments I get at local train shows. All from stares that I'm into and quite knowledgable about MRRing to comments that I must get really tired at these things, tagging along carrying the purchases. I usually get eyes buldging out when I tell them I'm carrying my purchases, not my husband's.

I just so happen to have built (with hubby's help), sceniced, and maintain my own 4'x12' HO gauge layout, complete with a rolling stock storage drawer, 2 "drawer" control panels, and 2 display shelves. I have also helped my husband design, build, and scenic his 6'x8' O gauge layout.

I am woman, hear me roar!

[CBQ_Guy]

Off the top of my head I can think of only one I know of in the area.

My wife knew I was into trains long before we were married but she really hates to see the $$ being spent when it could be used for something more "appropriate". Heck, all the bills got paid, the kids were fed, etc. She just tolerates it all and when we found a "new" house she just had to have, I was able to "negotiate" the deal that I would go along with the purchase only if I got the ENTIRE basement for a layout. She agreed but I bet she was none too happy about that!

[Anonymous]

Really the only one comes to my mind is Mary Miller. She and her husband model Colorado Southern Narrow Gauge in O scale. Mary is a Master Model Railroader and has contributed to MR recently with a passenger car article for their CS RR.

[Anonymous]

As to your question about women in MRR back then, lets not forget Bobbye Hall, now retired, but the proprietor of Hall's Hobbies since 1948. She divorced her husband, but before that they co-ran the shop. I never asked her if she had a layout, but even well into her 80's, she travelled to asia to plan the Hallmark Brass imports, so she must have loved it.

[orsonroy]

My mom USED to be a modeler. She helped my dad with most of the scenery on his first layout after they were married, and even gave clinics at the 1976 NMRA convention in Chicago (she used me as slave labor, saying to the guys, "If my five year old can make a realistic tree in under 2 minutes, why can't you?". Having kids and running a small business took her away from the hobby, but she still appreciates what I'm up to, and give the occasional tip on realistic scenery.

[vsmith]

Heard they're out there , never meet one though.

[Anonymous]

I visited a very well known local area modeler a couple of years ago. While I was there his adult daughter and her two kids stopped by. She said as a little girl she used to sit on the laps of the CTC operators on dad's layout. I asked her little girl what SHE thought about Grampa's trains and she said Grampa had shown her how to make 'em look dirty. It's great to see that kind of thing.

Ed

[Anonymous]

I think it's great to see women enjoying the hobby, though I've not met any personally. My sister know's I enjoy model trains and though she's not likely to get involved in the hobby for herself, she always asks how my efforts are coming along and has never failed to send me (at Christmas time or my birthday) exactly what I've wanted as a gift. I think this is really cool! She's even ordered, totally on her own, the yearly Walthers catalog's so she'll have an idea of what I'm referring to when I express an interest in this or that.[:D]

[gproseus]

Women in the hobby-you bet!My wife & best friend encourages most of my interests but she especially enjoys model RRs & old cars - goes to all the shows with me and is more observant than I when I tell her I am looking for a particular item,she also points out items that pertain to the particular RRs that I model [NYC & LVRR] & buildings she thinks will go well with the layout.Listening to her prospective take and ideas has helped me build a better layout.
george
lost in altmar

[gproseus]

Women in the hobby-you bet!My wife & best friend encourages most of my interests but she especially enjoys model RRs & old cars - goes to all the shows with me and is more observant than I when I tell her I am looking for a particular item,she also points out items that pertain to the particular RRs that I model [NYC & LVRR] & buildings she thinks will go well with the layout.Listening to her prospective take and ideas has helped me build a better layout.
george
lost in altmar