Are you careful who you tell about being a model railroader?


My whole family and all of my friends know I am very into trains, they even pick train related items up for me if they see them and think I'll like it. If you look around my house you will find train related items in pretty much every room and while I don't come right out and volunteer it, if the woman I'm dating asks about hobbies I won't hide the fact that I spend a lot of my free time doing something related to the hobby whether its reading on the net or building something or even out rail fanning. Bottom line is if they can't handle me spending at least some of my time with my hobby there is no point in me dating them because I'm not giving it up. :D
 
The big joke among my friends is when the phone rings in the hobby shop and we say "If that's the girls we're not here... they think we're watching boobies down at the bar!"
Can I say boobies here? You know, the birds that went extinct many years ago?

I think THAT's gonna be my sig line (edited just a tad..)

I say it loud and say it proud... and I work on the railroad where most people have big disrespect for "foamers" I introduce myself, and try to put a good impression in their minds.
 
also, once my father in law asked me when I was gonna grow up and stop playing with toy trains.... I told him "at least I don't sit around all day watching fat men in tight shiny pants grab at each other all day" :D:D

(He and I get along great... except when we dont... we know exactly ow to push the others buttons.:p)
 
While I don't walk around town wearing a sandwich board with I'M A MODEL RAILROADER! painted on it I'm not ashamed of it either. A lot of my friends including my girlfriend know I'm into building scale models and trains. I figure if they're the kind of people who think I'm a nerd or weirdo for building model trains they're not the kind of people I want to associate with.
 
I find myself having to give an in depth description of what exactly I do when 'exposed' as a model railroader. A coworker or family member will tell a customer or friend that I'm into little trains. Well, I can't just leave it at that. I tell them what I do and usually they act interested once they realize it's not a train set. Most of my family and friends are somewhat interested in what I'm doing, so they don't mean any harm by calling them little trains. I guess I must be a little defensive if I feel the need to explain myself.
 
is that for some reason shameful to do MRR? of course not, so why would you be thinking twice if to tell someone or not?
 
Im married, but if I was single, I definitely wouldnt tell any hot chicks. Instant Heisman...
 
I learned a long time ago that trying to explain it (or almost any hobby) was pointless. Those who think it strange aren't worth bothering with; and my true friends are more than accepting.
 
I have a sticker on the rear window of my car.

gmrr.jpg


Thinking about making up some T-shirts with my model railroad name/logo for fun.

Don't much care what people think. If they are interested great. If not .. again great. Someone wants to make a smart, smirky remark then I simply add them to my 'arse' list.

I've mentioned my military service in posts re: veterans or the 4th. Someone wants to make a dumb remark about 'playing with trains' .. my reply is something to the effect that .. after Vietnam, Desert Storm, OIF/OEF, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Korea, Germany .. and all the 'bits' in between those 37 years .. if I want to 'play with trains' then they can just shut the 'F' up. I could care less. :)
 
I learned a long time ago that trying to explain it (or almost any hobby) was pointless. Those who think it strange aren't worth bothering with; and my true friends are more than accepting.

It seems like competitive hobbies are more "acceptable" for guys - golf, tennis, sailing, martial arts, hunting, fishing. People (usually) don't blink an eye if you tell them you're going deepsea fishing in the Keys or you just dropped $1,000 on a new set of clubs. Try telling somebody you dropped $500 on a brass steam engine. Probably an American cultural thing. :confused:
 
I don't hesitate to tell others if the question arises because it's one hobby among others...

...building, motorcycles, bicycles, model trains. :)
 
I'm not ashamed necessarily, it just isn't something people are use to hearing. It requires some explanation in order for them to grasp what it is that I do. Besides, I really am just playing with trains. They just cost a lot more than a train set.
 
is that for some reason shameful to do MRR? of course not, so why would you be thinking twice if to tell someone or not?
Yeah, I'm with you...I don't get it! Maybe a regional or an age thing, but I've never experienced any funny looks about it; only an interest. Most seem fascinated by it, particularly when I explain how there are so many facets in the hobby and if you tire of one, you can quickly change to a different one for awhile.;):)
 
Don't tell my mother I'm a model railroader. She thinks I play piano in a whorehouse...

Seriously, it all depends who is asking, and who is listening. I'm not ashamed of model railroading, but I don't broadcast it where I live because of my fellow residents in this apartment complex. Some of them are kind of scary, and I don't want them thinking there are expensive "toy trains" in our apartment. I'd really hate to shoot somebody over my dog, wife, or trains.
 
I dont hide it but dont brag about it either. Not because Im shy about it. more because I look at it as a hobby just like restoring cars. When I talk to people about cars it goes in depth about what cars I have or have had. when the topic of trains or trucks come up I share what I have or have had. its all about finding and sharing an intrest with people you work with or meet. I think a neat part of a hobby is finding out that someone you know or workwith is into the same things you are. I try and remember that not everyone is into what I am. you cant overdue it to the extent that people think your nuts.

When I talk trains I stay far away from "Mr train geek" We all know this type of person, They are blind to the outside world and can only see the hobby they are into. this person might tell you every detail about what they did to detail a steam engine, Tell RR jokes that only a die hard RR guy would understand. or how about the type that is talking into his DCC controler acting like hes a train disbatcher... Yes I have seen this to many times. being in car,semi truck,train,model train clubs over the years I find that there are certain types of people that draw positive attention to their hobby by just shareing the basics of it, lets the person ask questions if hes or she is intrested. IMO the types that are spewing RR lingo and are off in space and are the ones that scare me.... Im a geek,nerd,biker,trucker, but at the end of the day im real and intouch with things.
 
I just had an odd experience related to telling someone I was a model railroader. The thing was it was another model railroader. Actually my wife noticed a doctor she was dealing with list one of his interests as including 'O' scale model railroading. She felt compelled to tell him of my HO layout. His response was like 'Oh, HO' Kind of got the feeling it was a bit of a put down.

Is this one of these guy's size things or what?
 
Donno about that. I mean .. I MEAN .. you can only fill a pail so much .. and it starts to run over ...
 



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