Back to School Again

Bill,

This is great of the group to do this layout. Like that you lower the height for the kids.

Charlie

Excellent job.

If you want to know how to get young blood in the hobby,  see post above.  

If you do this every year, it will get permanently etched in some of those kids minds.  

Maybe they or their parents can't afford it now, but down the road. . . 

Or when they are adults with their kids, etc.

And what a great platform: electronics; transportation; energy usage; commerce and trade; etc.  That layout is a reasonable small scale model of how the world conducts business.  Another great teaching experience. 

You are gentlemen of great kindness, selflessly giving joy to those children. Whether your layout nourishes our hobby or not, you nourished their sense of play and fun. You can't go wrong doing that. Kindness is never wrong or wasted. It is an investment in the well-being of others. Congratulations on the success of the event.

FrankM

Thanks, all of you. We do use 31" legs for these types of shows. We skip the skirting, which is for 41" tables, fearing it would get dirty, etc. and need dry cleaning. Besides, kids eyes are on the trains and table.

I used to worry about "affordability." Then, I realized lots of these kids have iPods, iPads, etc. so, it is a matter of choice to a degree. Note we also are using Lion Chief and not Vision Line! 

Each year I am amazed by some of the kids' questions. Today's best, from a kindergartener:  "How long have trains been around?"

Outstanding 

Bill - you guys do stunning work bringing the layout to schools!!! Fabulous pics!!!! BRAVO!!!!!!!

Great stuff, keep up the good work!

PCRR/Dave

Day 2 at Medfield Heights Elementary was even more fun than day 1. Here's a few photos, showing things like kids' joy at discovering people in the passenger cars, an Amtrak engineer takes her train around the curve, and an overview shot. Operation Lifesaver was here today as well.  

Story of the day: A second grade class was visiting, with excited children all around the layout. Except for one small boy. He stood alone at the blackboard, crying his eyes out, I mean just sobbing and with tears rolling down his cheeks. Usually a child off alone like that is being punished, but such was not the case. The teacher explained he was crying because he didn't know O gauge trains were coming and his trains couldn't be used.

She said she didn't mind if I talked to him.  "I understand you have trains, what kind?"   "Sob-sob-sniff-sniffle, The Polar Express." "WOW, that's a great train? Do you now what kind or size?"   "Lionel, and it has controls like these....sniff." "Well now, we didn't know you had that train. But, how about if today you run OUR trains, and if we come next year, you bring The Polar Express to school and we'll let you run it on the layout." 

Tears vanished....."and, since you know how to run these trains, maybe you can help us teach your classmates." The results are in the last photo: See the youngster showing a Lion Chief remote to a classmate?  All smiles.

This hobby ain't dead yet, folks!!!!!!

They look like they had a lot of fun. I wish someone came to my school and set up a train layout when I was their age! Though I am bias to my opinion.

Great job, Bill! Thank you, and your crew, too!

You guys rock! Lion Chief is perfect for events like this, and way to help salvage that little boy's day. I hope it comes to pass he can show off his Polar Express kit to his peers next year. Kudos.