Okay, we all know that model railroading is supposed to be a "guy thing." But there is a tremendous potential for making garden railroading a family activity. In fact, many existing garden railroads show a woman's touch, in the choice and placement of plants and accessories, and even sometimes in the "traditional male roles" of kitbashing and coupler changeovers. To get the whole family involved and keep them involved may be a little bit harder, especially with children having such crowded schedules and so many entertainment options these days. Still, this article, based on trial and error (mostly error) lists a few things we can do to help our children get and stay enthusiastic about trains.
I hope you are reading this while your kids are still small. If your kids are grown, but your grandchildren are small, feel free to read the word "grand" into sentences with the words "kids" or "children."
Trains for Babies? - Obviously, infants will chew on anything, and toddlers will attempt to put anything in their mouths that's not bigger than their heads. Frankly, I'm not certain train-related toys for very young children are going to stir much interest in the hobby, anyway, unless you adhere to the Suzuki method. So I'll move on to the next age group.
Trains for Pre-Schoolers - There are a few toy trains that are suitable for three-and-up or older children. The PlaySkool train isn't on the shelves every year, but if you can come across one, it's sturdy, reliable, and will even run on 45mm track (though not through 45mm switches). It is battery-powered--the kids turn it on or off by banging on the smokestack when it comes past or by throwing a switch on a special piece of track. I hope PlaySkool continues to make this, as it's the best pre-school train set I've ever seen.
Trains for Five and Up - For children slightly older, the Playmobil train may be an option. It's also battery-powered and sturdy, and a little more money. Playmobil also has many accessories that add play value to the growing railroad. Note: Playmobil equipment is usually marketed to 5-and-ups or older children in this country because it contains parts that can be swallowed. Be careful not to put it in the hands of very young children.
Three "traditional" Large Scale providers have added child-friendly starter sets:
- Lehmann (makers of LGB) has recently introduced "Lehmann Toy Train" starter sets suitable for children ages six and up. These have some shiny plastic and molded-on detail, but they're very sturdy.
- In 2001, Lionel reintroduced their Large Scale "Thomas" set, which is a sturdy, instant winner with "Shining Time Station" fans. Clicking on the photo at the right will take you to a page where you can order one from one of our sponsors if you would like.
- Hartland Locomotive Works (HLW)has also announced that they will have an inexpensive "Mighty Mack" starter set, but that doesn't seem to be widely available. Their small, inexpensive four-wheeled cars are also excellent "add-ons" for other starter sets.
Not only do these trains run on 45mm track, but they're directly compatible with most Large Scale equipment. Cost-wise, they are also pretty good values, by Large Scale standards.
Many ordinary "starter sets" can also be used by ordinary elementary school children, with some supervision. The Bachmann starter sets that occasionally hit the warehouse clubs in the months before Christmas are a good value and sturdy enough for kids to use and enjoy.
Note that this section is called "Age-Appropriate Trains," not "Cheap Trains." Toy store shelves often include battery-powered, plastic-tracked trains. These trains are typically poor models, which won't do much to hone a child's taste for trains. But, worse yet, they're prone to breakage, and they don't run very well. Giving a child a plastic toy that looks like a train set won't necessarily do much to encourage the child in the hobby. In fact it could do more harm than good.
Consider having a railroad somewhere that's just for the kids. If you have a test track (inside or outside), let the kids "own" it. During open houses and other visits, let the kids demonstrate it and supervise the visitors who use it. This is a good place for them to develop scenery and construction skills as well.
I've discovered through my family's experiences, that you can't build a lifelong enjoyment of railroading with a hobby that only lasts four months a year and a couple weeks in December. When my children were little they didn't have a place they could leave their trains out and run them indoors. This may or may not be the same as the "children's layout" in the previous section. But it should be a place they can go to, year round, and run their trains. Otherwise, trying to get the kids "back on board," say, every May and December, eventually leads to an attitude like, "What's the point?" Even if it's only a 48" loop somewhere, it will mean something to them.
Many a future master modeler got his or her start assembling Plasticville structures or blowing up "dynamite cars." In my own experience, I've seen many children who weren't particularly interested in the train itself, become very interested when I set out the little people, animals, and other accessories for them to "set up" for me. On visits to garden railroad "open houses," I've seen that my own children and others most enjoy the railroads where the owners have included a lot of human detail and similar objects.
On a stranger note, my children still talk about a tinplate layout we visited about ten years ago, and the mail car that was supposed to snag or deposit a mail bag when it passed the station, but, as often as not, hurled it across the room. To a certain extent, the "train set" can really be an excuse to play with toy people and funky action accessories that the kids don't come across in any other situation. Take advantage of this; let them have their "own" people and accessories, and be certain to take time to "play" with them. If I ever do have an inside G-gauge layout, I'm going to put that little Lionel crossing guard on it somewhere, I promise.
Kids like making and painting things. Let them build kits, paint "little people," or otherwise contribute to the creative effort. Even if the end result isn't up to your modeling standards, it will mean a lot more to the kid than something they watched you put together while they were on the Playstation.
Because I "trashbash" a lot of my accessories, much of my "modeling" is really done with a spray can. You would not believe how hard it is to get a child to use a spray can effectively. But once they learn to do that, or to mask off areas, or to perform a thousand other skills that go into building a railroad, they'll have pride of ownership, and a range of skills that they can actually often apply to other areas.
Of course, it helps if you also have a "children's railroad" on which some of their more, unprototypical results can be displayed.
Unfortunately, in many communities, garden railroading families with small children are rare. But if any of your garden railroading friends have children around the ages of your kids, invite them over and plan activities together. Be certain there is something for the kids to do, so they don't all just have to sit around and watch their parents talk and do "train stuff." The kids' activities don't have to be train-related, but it helps if they are. Depending on the age group, activities might include:
- Thomas Videos
- A "Children's Train" (see above) with age-appropriate trains
- Train-related games on the computer, "Rail Tycoon," etc.
- Other train-related games (Ravensburger's "Rivers, Roads, and Rails" is a good one)
- Age-appropriate crafts or kits or models to build
- Simple gardening tasks, like poking sedum starts between the rocks on the "mountain."
No matter how much your kids love trains when they're small, they will accumulate other interests as they get older. Some of those interests, like sports and marching band, will eventually take so much time that the children couldn't stay very active in railroading even if they wanted to. In fact, no matter how wonderful a parent you are, one or more of your children may even come to think (for a time, at least) that you and everything you do (including your hobbies) are stupid.
But more often than not, when your children settle down somewhere and have children of their own, their links to the past, and even to you, will become more important again.
As I write this article, I have one young daughter who still loves her trains, a teen who enjoys them when there's not something "cooler" going on, and a college student who doesn't even like running her own train set when she's home at Christmas. Time will tell where they end up. But one thing's for certain, I will have spent many creative hours with my children, and that will count for something. I also suspect that when they have families of their own, they're going to have certain expectations about what should be around the Christmas tree.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck, all,
Paul
For an article about our family letting all our kids, neices, nephews, cousins, and friends' children set up and operate the New Boston and Donnels Creek RR at the same time, check out Stress Testing on the New Boston and Donnels' Creek
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