[:D]Getting kids involved

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dgwinup

Several years ago, I took my grandsons, Caleb, 5 years old, and Jake, 8 years old, to our LHS. The hobby shop is small and they weren't interested in buying anything. What we came to see is the layout in the back room. Back room? More like a warehouse! Huge! At least 50' wide and 90' long! Filled with an HO layout. It was an open house day (once a month). The boys were fascinated watching the trains run through the layout. After about 15 minutes, Ken, the owner, came over to Caleb (remember, he's 5 years old) and asked Caleb if he'd like to run a train. Caleb stood speechless for a few seconds, then responded with an enthusiastic "YES!". Ken handed Caleb a wireless throttle, pointed to a looooong train in the yard, and showed Caleb the speed control, brake and emergency stop. Then he told Caleb he wasn't allowed to pass a red light. Ken walked away! My heart was in my throat. The only time Caleb had EVER run a train was on my little layout, and his main interest was seeing how fast the little engine could go. Caleb stood next to his train as he advanced the throttle. As the 3 engine lash-up began to move, Caleb started shouting to his brother Jake, "Hey, Jake. Look! I'm running this train!" I reminded him he had to pay attention to his train and Caleb set to work following the train around the layout, a trip that took nearly 25 minutes! Caleb ran the train like an old pro! He had two mishaps: the first when he ran a red light and fouled a switch. He had to slooooowly back his train to clear the switch. A few minutes later, while Caleb was running under a green light, another train BACKED through a red indicator and fouled a switch, right in front of Caleb's train. It was the only time I interferred as I reached over Caleb's shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Disaster avoided! Caleb was excited beyond words. He enjoys trains, and asks about mine from time to time, but he is not interested enough to want his own layout.

But on that one day, a brave man with ice water in his veins gave Caleb the opportunity to be an engineer on a "real" model layout, an experience Caleb will never forget!

And neither will I!

Darrell, quiet...for now

Thanks for sharing your story...............

Mike...

[dgwinup]

Several years ago, I took my grandsons, Caleb, 5 years old, and Jake, 8 years old, to our LHS. The hobby shop is small and they weren't interested in buying anything. What we came to see is the layout in the back room. Back room? More like a warehouse! Huge! At least 50' wide and 90' long! Filled with an HO layout. It was an open house day (once a month). The boys were fascinated watching the trains run through the layout. After about 15 minutes, Ken, the owner, came over to Caleb (remember, he's 5 years old) and asked Caleb if he'd like to run a train. Caleb stood speechless for a few seconds, then responded with an enthusiastic "YES!". Ken handed Caleb a wireless throttle, pointed to a looooong train in the yard, and showed Caleb the speed control, brake and emergency stop. Then he told Caleb he wasn't allowed to pass a red light. Ken walked away! My heart was in my throat. The only time Caleb had EVER run a train was on my little layout, and his main interest was seeing how fast the little engine could go. Caleb stood next to his train as he advanced the throttle. As the 3 engine lash-up began to move, Caleb started shouting to his brother Jake, "Hey, Jake. Look! I'm running this train!" I reminded him he had to pay attention to his train and Caleb set to work following the train around the layout, a trip that took nearly 25 minutes! Caleb ran the train like an old pro! He had two mishaps: the first when he ran a red light and fouled a switch. He had to slooooowly back his train to clear the switch. A few minutes later, while Caleb was running under a green light, another train BACKED through a red indicator and fouled a switch, right in front of Caleb's train. It was the only time I interferred as I reached over Caleb's shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Disaster avoided! Caleb was excited beyond words. He enjoys trains, and asks about mine from time to time, but he is not interested enough to want his own layout.

But on that one day, a brave man with ice water in his veins gave Caleb the opportunity to be an engineer on a "real" model layout, an experience Caleb will never forget!

And neither will I!

Darrell, quiet...for now

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lesterperry


Many years ago in my area an open house tour was started. It is done through the month of November.

there is somthing like that in my area too. it's called piedmont pilgramige i think.
http://www.piedmont-div.org/pilgrimage/index.html
i belive their is 32 layouts this year, and all the tours are free. It started today. i'm going to go to as many as i can. and hopefully someone will let me run their trains. plus, someone has a live steam that i'm definatly going to, that i think you get to ride on, and help them run the trains

[howmus]

lesterperry, you are soooooo right. Last summer I spent a weekend in the Adirondack Mountains up here in NYS at a Webelo Camp (4th and 5th grade Scouts) doing a World's Greatest Hobby presentation. The first part of the presentation was the usual "info about the hobby", scales, types of equipment, different forms of the hobby, etc. They seemed to like that, but...... The last 10 to 15 minutes was having each den (6 to 8 boys) work on a switching puzzle game on a small module. Every boy was assigned a "job" on the train. The boys loved it, even if they only got to throw the switches. "Man, that was cool, I got to be the SWITCHMAN!!!!!" In fact several parents were dissapointed that there wasn't time for them to have at it. Yeh, it is really not so much fun to stand there and watch an adult play with his (her) trains when you are 10. [:D]

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your post lesterperry.. This is a great example of what is needed to compete with all the other forms of entertainment good and bad, that take kids away from this great hobby......for kids its one thing to look but to controll a loco......... WOW...no wonder your popular...you sound like a great guy.....

Keep it up...

Mike....

[accord1959]

Railroads of yester year used to let people ride along with the crew as long as they signed a waiver absolving the road of responsibility. There are few left that will excite a young ones blood, if you ask, a few short lines will still do it, I know I work for one that does.

[Anonymous]

I agree with that sentiment. I agree that the best way to get people involved is to get them fully immersed. Unfortunatly, everytime I give some one the throttle they shy away. (What is with that?) But I think that the more I pursue the cause the more good that can come of it.

James

[lesterperry]

A few weeks ago someone posted a topic about kids not interestred in modelrailroading. It seems they are more interested in computers and video games. The question was what do we do about it. I have a suggestion.
Many years ago in my area an open house tour was started. It is done through the month of November. This year there are 97 participants and 2500 scheduals printed. I have participated for 7 or 8 years but this year I didn't. I have had four calls asking why and if they can stop by some time at my convenience. My answer was life got in the way this year and yes you can stop by. Why are these people calling? It is not because I have a layout that is huge. It is not because I have been in magazines. It is because I will give a 7 year old kid the controls of an H8 with 75 coal cars behind it and let him run it 125 MPH. Today a 10 or 11 year old stopped by. He brought his grandfather with him. He brought his own locomotive and wanted to run it on my layout. I said absolutley. He said he has a track at home but no tunnels or bridges or switches ect. So he had a great time running on a big layout. He also ran some of my trians. He had a lot of fun. He told me he was planning a layout for his basement. He was here for over an hour. This was not his first visit here obveously. So how do we get kids involved?
LET THEM PLAY WITH YOUR TRAINS.