How Many Women Are In Model Railroading?

[Anonymous]

Rather than do a poll, I thought I would throw out these questions. How many women are actively involved in this hobby.? I'd like to hear from any women out there who are in this hobby. What part of this hobby do you like? Do you belong to a club? Do you have your own railroad module or layout? If your husband/boyfriend is in this hobby, do both of your work on the same things or do you have different areas of interest?

I never knew much about model railroading until I met my boyfriend. It wasn't until he convinced me to try my hand at doing scenery that I really got into it. We have different areas of interest, therefore, we don't lock horns. I just do scenery and he does the rest. It gives us a common interest.

What about you guys out there? If your wife/girlfriend is into model railroading, what part of this hobby does she like to do? Or if she isn't into this hobby does she accept that you have this hobby or is at least supportive? Or would she rather it burned to the ground? (A little humor there, but you can answer honestly if you like - you can even vent, it's good for the soul sometimes)

This isn't about playing the gender card. I just would like to hear from or about other women who are in this hobby and their experiences.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Judy
Dallas, TX

[Anonymous]

Rather than do a poll, I thought I would throw out these questions. How many women are actively involved in this hobby.? I'd like to hear from any women out there who are in this hobby. What part of this hobby do you like? Do you belong to a club? Do you have your own railroad module or layout? If your husband/boyfriend is in this hobby, do both of your work on the same things or do you have different areas of interest?

I never knew much about model railroading until I met my boyfriend. It wasn't until he convinced me to try my hand at doing scenery that I really got into it. We have different areas of interest, therefore, we don't lock horns. I just do scenery and he does the rest. It gives us a common interest.

What about you guys out there? If your wife/girlfriend is into model railroading, what part of this hobby does she like to do? Or if she isn't into this hobby does she accept that you have this hobby or is at least supportive? Or would she rather it burned to the ground? (A little humor there, but you can answer honestly if you like - you can even vent, it's good for the soul sometimes)

This isn't about playing the gender card. I just would like to hear from or about other women who are in this hobby and their experiences.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Judy
Dallas, TX

[Anonymous]

My girlfriend does fantastic scenery. She used to do floral arrangements and when she saw what was needed came up with all these ideas of using dried floral materials from the 'ladies craft' stores combined with Woodland Scenics foliage and various paints to make all different kinds of trees, shrubs and bushes in both summer and fall colours. She ran dried moss through the blender and added various paints to make forest ground covers. Made sidewalks from painted styrene and roads from ashphalt mix and white glue. Even built a few plastic houses and a train station from model kits and showed me how much nicer they look when painted before assembling.

The visual effects on the layouts are stunning! I'm the engineer; she is the artist.

[Anonymous]

My girlfriend does fantastic scenery. She used to do floral arrangements and when she saw what was needed came up with all these ideas of using dried floral materials from the 'ladies craft' stores combined with Woodland Scenics foliage and various paints to make all different kinds of trees, shrubs and bushes in both summer and fall colours. She ran dried moss through the blender and added various paints to make forest ground covers. Made sidewalks from painted styrene and roads from ashphalt mix and white glue. Even built a few plastic houses and a train station from model kits and showed me how much nicer they look when painted before assembling.

The visual effects on the layouts are stunning! I'm the engineer; she is the artist.

[Anonymous]

PS. My ex not only would have liked to see it burn to the ground, she would have cheerfully poured the gasoline and struck the match! Maybe that's one of the reasons she is now my ex...[xx(]

[Anonymous]

PS. My ex not only would have liked to see it burn to the ground, she would have cheerfully poured the gasoline and struck the match! Maybe that's one of the reasons she is now my ex...[xx(]

[Anonymous]

I've tried to get my wife involved - she's just not interested.

She does want to try her hand at oil or acrylic painting, though - so perhaps I will get her to paint my backdrop.

She is supportive. She sees it as a creative outlet for me, and has no problem with me doing my own thing.

PLUS - she knows that I would welcome the help of our kids (all 5) and that if I have them in the basement helping with scenery, benchwork, painting, running, whatever - she will have some quiet-time to read or watch TV without interruption every 10 seconds. :D

Rob

[Anonymous]

I've tried to get my wife involved - she's just not interested.

She does want to try her hand at oil or acrylic painting, though - so perhaps I will get her to paint my backdrop.

She is supportive. She sees it as a creative outlet for me, and has no problem with me doing my own thing.

PLUS - she knows that I would welcome the help of our kids (all 5) and that if I have them in the basement helping with scenery, benchwork, painting, running, whatever - she will have some quiet-time to read or watch TV without interruption every 10 seconds. :D

Rob

[Anonymous]

Very very few women. In fact almost everyone responding to your thread will be men. In all the model rail road forums I'm active in, there are only about 5 active women, or maybe less. Some will come and go, but few stick around and are active in the forums, which reflects the reality of the hobby out there.

[Anonymous]

Very very few women. In fact almost everyone responding to your thread will be men. In all the model rail road forums I'm active in, there are only about 5 active women, or maybe less. Some will come and go, but few stick around and are active in the forums, which reflects the reality of the hobby out there.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gchenier

My girlfriend does fantastic scenery. She used to do floral arrangements and when she saw what was needed came up with all these ideas of using dried floral materials from the 'ladies craft' stores combined with Woodland Scenics foliage and various paints to make all different kinds of trees, shrubs and bushes in both summer and fall colours. She ran dried moss through the blender and added various paints to make forest ground covers. Made sidewalks from painted styrene and roads from ashphalt mix and white glue. Even built a few plastic houses and a train station from model kits and showed me how much nicer they look when painted before assembling.

The visual effects on the layouts are stunning! I'm the engineer; she is the artist.

what do you mean "ladies craft" store, [:(!] thats where i get most of my scenery stuff
saves me a bundle

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gchenier

My girlfriend does fantastic scenery. She used to do floral arrangements and when she saw what was needed came up with all these ideas of using dried floral materials from the 'ladies craft' stores combined with Woodland Scenics foliage and various paints to make all different kinds of trees, shrubs and bushes in both summer and fall colours. She ran dried moss through the blender and added various paints to make forest ground covers. Made sidewalks from painted styrene and roads from ashphalt mix and white glue. Even built a few plastic houses and a train station from model kits and showed me how much nicer they look when painted before assembling.

The visual effects on the layouts are stunning! I'm the engineer; she is the artist.

what do you mean "ladies craft" store, [:(!] thats where i get most of my scenery stuff
saves me a bundle

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gchenier

PS. My ex not only would have liked to see it burn to the ground, she would have cheerfully poured the gasoline and struck the match! Maybe that's one of the reasons she is now my ex...[xx(]

Amen to that brother. My wife hates the whole model railroad thing. I spend only one or two hours MAX. a week working on it or running it and my wife just about stands right next to me complaining the whole time about what I should be doing with my time.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gchenier

PS. My ex not only would have liked to see it burn to the ground, she would have cheerfully poured the gasoline and struck the match! Maybe that's one of the reasons she is now my ex...[xx(]

Amen to that brother. My wife hates the whole model railroad thing. I spend only one or two hours MAX. a week working on it or running it and my wife just about stands right next to me complaining the whole time about what I should be doing with my time.

[Trainnut484]

I'm fortunate to have a wife that is supportive of the hobby. She is the only woman I know of that would hit the power tool section of Wal-Mart or any store that has power tools. She does great with woodworking, and could build the benchwork when I'm ready to build a layout. We're apt renters now, but I plan to build a layout when we get our first house. Also, a good friend of hers is a great painter. If I ask, she would probably paint the back drops.

[Trainnut484]

I'm fortunate to have a wife that is supportive of the hobby. She is the only woman I know of that would hit the power tool section of Wal-Mart or any store that has power tools. She does great with woodworking, and could build the benchwork when I'm ready to build a layout. We're apt renters now, but I plan to build a layout when we get our first house. Also, a good friend of hers is a great painter. If I ask, she would probably paint the back drops.

[slotracer]

Mine hated teh hobby, griped about the time I was in the basement (Then again she griped when I was off cycling and when I was off racing my car at the dragstrip years ago) but in her defense, I was way into it at the time and I could not blame her for being sick of it.
Now that we do the slot cars, I spend far less time with and talking about cars, racing, and slotcars than I did model trains, and even though the hobby greatly interests and involve my boys and she has had some great days at some really good major races at beautiful tracks like Watkins glen and others, she still complains. Not only that, but she looks back wistfully at the days when we rode steam engines, and had an iterest in old architecture and history. She has expressed interest in maybe helping with scenery and structures and professes an interest in the history of the times, the companies and the machinery. I have seen this patern before though and she will likely want nothing to do with model trains if I ever do convert back once the boys are a bit older.
I think it is a no win situation.

[slotracer]

Mine hated teh hobby, griped about the time I was in the basement (Then again she griped when I was off cycling and when I was off racing my car at the dragstrip years ago) but in her defense, I was way into it at the time and I could not blame her for being sick of it.
Now that we do the slot cars, I spend far less time with and talking about cars, racing, and slotcars than I did model trains, and even though the hobby greatly interests and involve my boys and she has had some great days at some really good major races at beautiful tracks like Watkins glen and others, she still complains. Not only that, but she looks back wistfully at the days when we rode steam engines, and had an iterest in old architecture and history. She has expressed interest in maybe helping with scenery and structures and professes an interest in the history of the times, the companies and the machinery. I have seen this patern before though and she will likely want nothing to do with model trains if I ever do convert back once the boys are a bit older.
I think it is a no win situation.

[Javern]

I've met NO women into the hobby, I'm 39 and should be married by now but find women aren't interested in men who play with trains. Perhaps I should have taken up motocross

[Javern]

I've met NO women into the hobby, I'm 39 and should be married by now but find women aren't interested in men who play with trains. Perhaps I should have taken up motocross

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Javern

I've met NO women into the hobby, I'm 39 and should be married by now but find women aren't interested in men who play with trains. Perhaps I should have taken up motocross

maybe its your approach--Im sure you could coax some woman into "looking at your trains"[}:)][;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Javern

I've met NO women into the hobby, I'm 39 and should be married by now but find women aren't interested in men who play with trains. Perhaps I should have taken up motocross

maybe its your approach--Im sure you could coax some woman into "looking at your trains"[}:)][;)]

[Anonymous]

They are out there,just a rare breed.Have heart though Javern, The ones that i have met in the Forums (rick would know them also) Are top notch excellant people and alot of Fun.So when you do find one, you can be sure she will be a Gem,maybe worth even more than a fully decked out DCC ready Hudson [:D]

[Anonymous]

They are out there,just a rare breed.Have heart though Javern, The ones that i have met in the Forums (rick would know them also) Are top notch excellant people and alot of Fun.So when you do find one, you can be sure she will be a Gem,maybe worth even more than a fully decked out DCC ready Hudson [:D]

[BRAKIE]

I suspect there are several hundred if the facts was known.At the club I am a member of we have 6 husband/wife members.My Girl friend is a modeler as well as a member of the club I go to.She got her interest in the hobby by helping her two boys with the hobby.I know of another very nice lady on another forum that is a excellent modeler from the pictures I seen of her work.

[BRAKIE]

I suspect there are several hundred if the facts was known.At the club I am a member of we have 6 husband/wife members.My Girl friend is a modeler as well as a member of the club I go to.She got her interest in the hobby by helping her two boys with the hobby.I know of another very nice lady on another forum that is a excellent modeler from the pictures I seen of her work.

[der5997]

In the 190s there was a powerful S modeler chatting as "Sebring" I don't know if any of you have come across her or her work.
BTW, BRAKIE, when are you going to tell us the things that are "not so good" about DCC. You said there were some, but then fell silent. [:(] Perhaps you could start a topic on the Atlas DCC Forum?

[der5997]

In the 190s there was a powerful S modeler chatting as "Sebring" I don't know if any of you have come across her or her work.
BTW, BRAKIE, when are you going to tell us the things that are "not so good" about DCC. You said there were some, but then fell silent. [:(] Perhaps you could start a topic on the Atlas DCC Forum?

[Anonymous]

Well, if it make you guys feel any better about nagging spouses and your railroads, men can nag just as much when women have hobbies also. My ex used to get twisted if I spent time doing floral arrangements that I would sell because it meant I wasn't paying attention to him. So, the pendulum swings both ways I'm afraid.

I am glad to hear from the guys. I knew I wouldn't hear from too many women, but would have been nice. Anyway, I hope I'll keep hearing from people. I just think that this is such a neat hobby.

And to Javern, I'm fairly certain that most women don't care for motocross too much either. I'm sure that some woman somewhere out there would think it's neat to see a railroad in action. It's just that most women glaze over when men start talking about locos, minimum curve radius and electronics, if you catch my drift. You have to be able to have conversations about other things. When I first met my boyfriend and he was showing me his N scale layout, my first thought was expensive toys for big boys. But, in time, I saw it from a different point of view and realized that I could use my talents to scenic a layout. Just my point of view. Best of luck.

Judy

[Anonymous]

Well, if it make you guys feel any better about nagging spouses and your railroads, men can nag just as much when women have hobbies also. My ex used to get twisted if I spent time doing floral arrangements that I would sell because it meant I wasn't paying attention to him. So, the pendulum swings both ways I'm afraid.

I am glad to hear from the guys. I knew I wouldn't hear from too many women, but would have been nice. Anyway, I hope I'll keep hearing from people. I just think that this is such a neat hobby.

And to Javern, I'm fairly certain that most women don't care for motocross too much either. I'm sure that some woman somewhere out there would think it's neat to see a railroad in action. It's just that most women glaze over when men start talking about locos, minimum curve radius and electronics, if you catch my drift. You have to be able to have conversations about other things. When I first met my boyfriend and he was showing me his N scale layout, my first thought was expensive toys for big boys. But, in time, I saw it from a different point of view and realized that I could use my talents to scenic a layout. Just my point of view. Best of luck.

Judy