Forums - Kids and model railroading - Trains.com

KIDS AND TRAINS

Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Sep 19 2003 2:26 PM

I HAVE A SON WHO LOVES TRAINS. WE TAKE HIM TO THE TRAIN STATION, HE LOVES TO WATCH SHOWS ABOUT TRAINS, AND HE LOVES TO PLAY WITH THEM. ( AS A MOM I NEVER KNEW A CHILD THIS YOUNG COULD BECOME SO OBSESSED WITH SOMETHING) HIS 2 YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP, AND WE ARE PLANNING A TRAIN PARTY. THAT IS HOW I FOUNND THIS SIGHT. I READ A FEW THINGS ABOUT HOW THERE ARE NO GOOD TRAIN TRACKS OUT THERE FOR KIDS, AND I AM HERE TO SAY I DISAGREE. IT MAY NOT BE MODEL TRAINS AT THIS POINT BUT MY SON LOVES THE THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE TRAINS. HE KNOWS THEM ALL BY NAME. WE HAVE TAKEN HIM TO A DAY WITH THOMAS WHERE HE GOT TO RIDE THE TRAINS. HE LOVES IT. ONE DAY WHEN HE IS OLDER WE WILL BUY HIM BETTER TRAINS, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW I THING COUPLING TRAINS WITH MAGNETS IS PERFECT EXPOSURE TO SOMETHING THAT HAS SHAPED OUR COUNTRY SO GREATLY. I DONT WANT RAILROADING TO BE A COMPLETE THING OF THE PAST, SO TO ME TRAIN EXPOSURE OF ANY KIND IS BETTER THAN NONE.

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Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Sep 19 2003 2:26 PM

Posted by Anonymous

on Wed, Sep 24 2003 11:17 PM

The railroads in this country are still very much alive and nowhere close to becoming a thing of the past.By all means indulge your son in railfanning.With all the nastiness in this world today a passion for trains is a great outlet.Just remember in our hobby,safety allways comes first.

Posted by Anonymous

on Wed, Sep 24 2003 11:17 PM

Posted by Anonymous

on Sat, Oct 18 2003 9:43 PM

My name is david and i am 10 and think you are totaly corect. When i was a kid I liked tomas the tank as well. good luck finding somewhere too take him. Wish him a happy birthday on my behalf.

Posted by Anonymous

on Sat, Oct 18 2003 9:43 PM

My name is david and i am 10 and think you are totaly corect. When i was a kid I liked tomas the tank as well. good luck finding somewhere too take him. Wish him a happy birthday on my behalf.

Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Jul 30 2004 8:48 PM

Panther I agree I am 14 and whe n i was little i collected and still collect thomas and when it comes no good places to expose kids to trains i think that is wrong there are many Good places to go even if it is in a hobby store looking at the stores layout and i also Agree with having him play with the magnet trains but i think its important that he keeps his intrest I think it is a good thing and more kids need that intrest

Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Jul 30 2004 8:48 PM

Posted by TurboOne

on Sat, Jan 1 2005 7:01 PM

My son loves Thomas also. Santa brought the whole HO Thomas collection. We got Thomas, Percy, and James. He loves his "breakable" Thomas just like his wooden Thomas. He is 6 and puts his HO track together by himself. He powers it up, and lets them run. Any excitement will encourage a little one, and watch them grow into the hobby. We are starting some landscaping after the New Year party wears off. Hope ye has a blast, and you too.!

Tim

WWJD

Posted by TurboOne

on Sat, Jan 1 2005 7:01 PM

WWJD

Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Jan 21 2005 6:12 AM

Panther, I agree also. I am 13, but when I was younger (1-3) I LOVED to watch Thomas the Tank Engine and I had those little trains that connect with magnets and I loved those also. But the Thomas the Tank Engine show that had the "haunted" ghost engine scared me. Thats the only one I didn't like.

Posted by Anonymous

on Fri, Jan 21 2005 6:12 AM

Posted by Anonymous

on Sun, Jan 23 2005 1:47 PM

I am 16 now, and I enjoy all trains, I am into O, i enjoy watching HO, N, and anything else.

Chris

Posted by Anonymous

on Sun, Jan 23 2005 1:47 PM

I am 16 now, and I enjoy all trains, I am into O, i enjoy watching HO, N, and anything else.

Chris

Posted by Anonymous

on Tue, Feb 1 2005 10:06 PM

For what it's worth, I don't think you really have to wait until he's older to get him interested in "better" trains.

I have a grandson who's 2 1/2 and is similarly obsessed with trains, Thomas, Little People, whatever. Even takes his Lionel catalog to bed with him. He is also pretty thrilled with "Grandpa's big train" (O-27). I bought it just before Christmas last year, and his eyes when he first saw it were worth the price I paid. We run it slightly off the floor, so he can sit on the floor to play. He starts the train for me, operates the switches, and loads and unloads cars (OK, he puts the logs in the hopper car, but he's a heck of a lot cheaper than an automated log loader) .He occaisionally gets a little carried away and flips a switch while the train is on it, but he's generally very careful, and causes far fewer derailments than I do. I control the train, tell him wich switches to push or pull, and when to pu***he buttons to decouple. It's a great activity, and a great excuse for Granpa to keep buying train stuff.

Of course he's not allowed to play with the train by himself, and it's not his train (at least not yet), but by starting with it this young I think his fascination with trains has a good chance of growing into a very healthy hobby, something that makes him less likely to turn into a video game vegetable as he grows up. Besides, it's nice to have something he really likes to do that he can't do without me.

You can get an O-27 starter set, with track and transformer for under $200, then add switches and remote control track sections gradually just to keep it interesting.

One other thought, if you have train tracks nearby with a regularly scheduled freight train, he will really enjoy seeing a real train go by.