Toy Model Trains; The Coming Of Age.
- Date: 2010-09-23 - Word Count: 413
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Did You Or your children grow up with Thomas the Tank Engine? Did you ever read them the story of "The Little Engine That Could"? Well, all those stories still exist and Thomas the tank engine is now powered by electricity and digitally controlled. So just how far has the toy model train developed?
Railroad-themed and model train stories and toy model trains are part of the fabric of the American experience. Although the only passenger trains running today are owned by Amtrak, railroads were once the fastest way to cross this huge country. Australia too for that matter.
There's a nostalgia associated with model railroading -- even if it's unspoken. Railroads take us back to an earlier era. A simpler time. When travel by train was seen as a luxury -- an event in itself - and not just a mode of transportation. Model railroading takes us back to that time albeit in our home and miniature.
Many model railroaders take up the hobby after visiting an exhibition or a competition they have been dragged to by one of their children and as a result taken up modelling on behalf of the family. Ah yes that old cherry. I you sustained your interest for longer that you expected and you are now probably passionate about it along with you kids. It does actually happen like this.
You started out with some basic knowledge and were not intimidated by the seemingly endless possibilities for your layout and your own (and your families) enjoyment. So everyone gets involved a level where they feel comfortable. But then you get stuck, because you don't want to build entire villages by hand? You can populate your scenery with proportional figures, houses, cars, and other objects you buy directly from the hobby store. But If you'd rather hand-build an entire town -- building by building, including houses, the general store, and other structures -- you can.
All of a sudden you are a long way from that first toy train you are now into making a model of pretty much everything to do with a railroad including what can be seen from the carriage window.
Is there a difference between a toy train and a model train? Probably not, one is just more grown up than the other. There are very few compelling hobbies that the whole family can enjoy and it all started from toys made to look like steam trains. On the other side though it is a multi-million dollar industry with manufacturers all over the word.
Railroad-themed and model train stories and toy model trains are part of the fabric of the American experience. Although the only passenger trains running today are owned by Amtrak, railroads were once the fastest way to cross this huge country. Australia too for that matter.
There's a nostalgia associated with model railroading -- even if it's unspoken. Railroads take us back to an earlier era. A simpler time. When travel by train was seen as a luxury -- an event in itself - and not just a mode of transportation. Model railroading takes us back to that time albeit in our home and miniature.
Many model railroaders take up the hobby after visiting an exhibition or a competition they have been dragged to by one of their children and as a result taken up modelling on behalf of the family. Ah yes that old cherry. I you sustained your interest for longer that you expected and you are now probably passionate about it along with you kids. It does actually happen like this.
You started out with some basic knowledge and were not intimidated by the seemingly endless possibilities for your layout and your own (and your families) enjoyment. So everyone gets involved a level where they feel comfortable. But then you get stuck, because you don't want to build entire villages by hand? You can populate your scenery with proportional figures, houses, cars, and other objects you buy directly from the hobby store. But If you'd rather hand-build an entire town -- building by building, including houses, the general store, and other structures -- you can.
All of a sudden you are a long way from that first toy train you are now into making a model of pretty much everything to do with a railroad including what can be seen from the carriage window.
Is there a difference between a toy train and a model train? Probably not, one is just more grown up than the other. There are very few compelling hobbies that the whole family can enjoy and it all started from toys made to look like steam trains. On the other side though it is a multi-million dollar industry with manufacturers all over the word.
Related Tags: model trains, toy model trains
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