Who here is under 50?


39 here. Started when I was 13. I was always interested in trains, though, with a step-grandfather who worked for the Wabash/N&W/NS and a great uncle who worked for the Union Pacific in Laramie, WY. My problem before 13 was the Tyco train set and inability to keep that thing together on the kitchen floor. Things took off after discovering Model Railroader magazine. I am still working on the same layout I built when I was 14, though it's went through a major overhaul! I just joined the NMRA and I seem to be a young'un!
 
I'll be 42 soon. Got back into hobby about 6 years ago after having kids (boys). I was into HO when I was about 5 until about 12. Then I took a 20+ year break. My boys 9 & 10) have ebbed and flowed in interest over the last few years. They're into sports, friends, being outside, video games and in general being kids riding their bikes, poking at bees nests, daming up the creek etc than trains. Its all good, they're not couch potatoes, mostly the old school stuff I used to do. It's defintiely more of an interest to me then them, for now at least.

Brad
 
I think that of of the main reasons that you see mostly older model railroaders is because one must get certain facets of life out of the way first. I put three kids through college and didn't have much disposable income until that was done, around age 52. Sure I modeled for about ten years prior to the happy event of the last graduation, but it was all Athearn blue-box and Roundhouse products.
Willie
 
Yup I'm 29. Been into trains since I was 6. Well 6 being my first train set I ever got. A giant battery operated train. First electric powered train set when I was 9. First train table when I was 12 if I'm not mistaken. Second layout when I was 22. Third layout when I was 27. And I'm planning my next layout now. Moving makes it hard to keep a layout.
 
I'm 35. I got into this hobby when I was about 10 years old. I got interested in trains by watching them outside my uncle's house as a kid. When I saw the Carnegie Science center's miniature railroad and villge display I got itnerested in building model trains because I figured it looked pretty cool and I wanted to build something like that of my own so I bugged my parents to get me a trainset for Christmas. I've been modelling ever since.
 
I'm definitely an old fart. Believe it or not, I started when I was age 4, with a wind-up Marx set. At 5, that had turned into another Marx, but this 1 was electric. I didn't like it as much, as it had 3 rails instead of the 2 rails the real trains and that Marx wind-up had.

At 6, Santa brought me an AF dual set, with an Atlantic, and a PA. I loved those trains to death!

At 8 I discovered HO with a Silver Streak SRR Auto box. I still have that car. Being in a low income family my purchases were limited to only one a month. It took me 6 months to save enough money to buy my first HO engine. Then for Christmas that year, my folks somehow put together enough money to get me a Varney set, that came with an ATSF F-3A & dummy B. One day the engines I had all stopped running on my little 4x8, so I took them apart, and taught myself how to fix them. Been fixing them ever since.

Over the years I learned alot, (and am still learning), including, how to draw layouts accurately, handlaying track and turnouts, how to paint with an airbrush,(esp locomotives),and more stuff that I have even forgotten that I learned.

So, some of you "children" may be new to the hobby, but there are a lot of us ole farts around who can give you the "wisdom of the hobby".

All you gotta do is ask! One of us OF's will be more than happy to pass on what we know.

Oh, BTW, I'm 61 and been in the hobby seriously 53 years. (Darn, I'm over 50 even in experience!)
 
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I'm in my 40s and have always liked trains. I first got some models in jr high. I've mentioned it before but I have my current job building movie miniatures because of the experience I gained building model trains. I don't do much now, maybe a few hours a week, that family, work, other work, volunteer jobs, etc thing gets in the way.
 
RIght here! I'm 38 and have been a fan and collector since I was about 14. I got a late start in comparison to others but nonetheless I'm under 50 and plan to be running my holiday layouts for as long as the good Lord lets me!

Awesome to see kids into this. You don't have to be a retired old timer to enjoy this hobby! I think the more advanced stuff and software that is available now is great for the younger generation. A typical 14 yr old might not foam at the mouth if you give him a vintage ZW but running some engines from a phone app?? Thats the kind of thing that will bring the young guys in and keep product going.
 
I'm 38! I've loved trains since I was a little kid. Had a few small layouts as a child built by my dad (simple ovals with plaster scenery) when I was in my mid 20s I got back into it on and off. Had a few switching layouts. Now I'm Back into it in my late 30s with a new house and family.
I agree with red Ryder with the technology and kids. My 14 year old was wide eyed when I told him he'll be able to control the train, switches and dispatch my new (under construction) layout from his iPhone. He's been right beside me helping me with scenery and operating previous switching layouts. I also brought him rail fanning the csx boston line when he was younger, and he loved the big thundering diesels!
I also agree with others that finding today's teens in model railroading is a rarity. I too see it at train shows and open houses I attend.


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SNE said:
I'm 38! I've loved trains since I was a little kid. Had a few small layouts as a child built by my dad (simple ovals with plaster scenery) when I was in my mid 20s I got back into it on and off. Had a few switching layouts. Now I'm Back into it in my late 30s with a new house and family.
I agree with red Ryder with the technology and kids. My 14 year old was wide eyed when I told him he'll be able to control the train, switches and dispatch my new (under construction) layout from his iPhone. He's been right beside me helping me with scenery and operating previous switching layouts. I also brought him rail fanning the csx boston line when he was younger, and he loved the big thundering diesels!
I also agree with others that finding today's teens in model railroading is a rarity. I too see it at train shows and open houses I attend.


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I have started my child out early. She comes with me to the hobby shop and now just recently I have built my new layout and running trains. She is glued to it with large amounts of excitement! Bug has been planted so we will see where this goes.
 
27 here, My Dad got me into Model Railroading when I was around 7 or 8. I've always been interested in anything that has an engine in it really (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles haha). We stopped working on the layout we had back then when I was around 11 because of a move, but I have been itching to start up ever since. Now that Im mostly settled, I decided it was finally time to get myself back into this awesome hobby!
 
NIKO_SUAV3 said:
27 here, My Dad got me into Model Railroading when I was around 7 or 8. I've always been interested in anything that has an engine in it really (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles haha). We stopped working on the layout we had back then when I was around 11 because of a move, but I have been itching to start up ever since. Now that Im mostly settled, I decided it was finally time to get myself back into this awesome hobby!
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That's what I'm talking about! Welcome back to the hobby.
 
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