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No. But it helps.
Rusty
No. But enjoy learning.
In my case it helps.....
I enjoy Railroad History equally as much as I do the Hobby, in particular the Southern Ry, its subsidiaries and its Southeastern competitors[ ACL, Seaboard, CC&O,etc].
My hobby and the history is focused principally on railroading prior to the end of steam by the Southern in 1953 and N&W in 1960.
You would certainly think so. Don't the folks that participate in model airplanes tend to be pretty knowledgable about aviation?
Would be nice if teaching about the western expansion included some concept of the critical role of the railroads. Probably equally important is the foundation for US industry which railroad and locomotive building provided. Finally, for higher level history, how about technological change! What a series of lessons there.
A great opportunity to put some real life into history!
IMHO, the only railroad history that should be taught in school is that which was important to the development of the country. Kids have enough stuff to learn about.
I don't think you need to know anything about railroad history to enjoy the hobby.
As a child, I knew only a little RR history, although I had my grandfather's books to
leaf through, but I enjoyed my train. Now, I am as interested in RR history as in
the model trains, and have hiked old road beds, climbed to the bed of the covered turntable and Red Mountain Town, and visited other historical RR sites such as Thurmond, Cass, Telluride, and Vermont RR covered bridges. And it does not take exotic locations, for abandoned railroads, old grain elevators, now served by no tracks, and other sites can be found locally. Unfortunately, several RR stations that once stood in the area have now vanished.
The railroad was a vital portion of our 19th century history and the majority of the 20th century. It should be taught is school and is as it pertains to a few segments in history (or at least it was when I went to primary and secondary school).
The history of many small towns is steeped in the railroads making the town's existence practical: the railroad was the primary source of transportation and essential freight (food and materials). It was also used to "export" the town's commerce.
I, myself, most enjoy the history of locomotives (late steam and first generation diesel), caboose(es), and small railroads (especially the Uintah Railway).
Need it, no, but it sure makes model RR things easier to understand if you have a basic knowledge of what real RRs were all about.
Some sellers on E-Bay would do well to learn a bit about the real deal. I've seen steam engines for sale where they call the tender a coal car and even have it backwards in the photos (maybe that's a selling ploy, to get you to think they DON'T know what they're doing???)
I don't pretend to know all there is about real RRs (ok, so maybe I do sometimes), but I can't see a person (who after seeing a living, breathing, steam engine) is not at least be curious about what makes them tick and what it took/takes to build something like it.
Just think (a bit of history inserted here)...every steam engine built (that I can think of) was built prior to computers. I read books on things like Walschaert Valve Gear or Practical Railroading and wonder just how brilliant engineers were back then. I even have a book on the Railroad Police, makes me realize they were bigger and more important than some metropolitan police forces.
No
There are many ways to enjoy the hobby and Knowledge of Railroad History is not necessarily necessary.
Historically there are four generations of ancestors in my lineage that worked in the Rail industry. My father ushered in the computer age by designing the main frame programs which operated the E J & E, Bessemer & Lake Erie and the Milwaukee Road. Though his Father was a Passenger Ticket Agent for the Southern Railway in Macon, Georgia he was not well versed in the history of all the equipment and did not pass much down to me except that which he experienced in his work. In the 50's my elder cousin started his working career with GM EMD, my Brother in the Proviso Yard with C&NW. Yet I'm basically an ignoramus when it comes to Railroad History. Most of my interest in model trains was passed down to me from my Mother's Father who was General Office Manager for Morton Salt and never worked in the Railroad industry.
Truth be told the rivet counter a newbe might encounter at their first train show is not always a positive experience.
No, but my brother-in-law would disagree. He is constantly sending me history links while I try to build my layout. To each their own.
No
Perhaps, like anything in life, knowledge enriches the experience. As far as my being in our hobby, I am very glad I had the experience of growing up during the 40's & 50's in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area, because real-life trains were omnipresent. In fact, as an example, in McKeesport, PA, the main shopping drag, Fifth Avenue, was bisected by RR tracks that went into and out of National Tube U.S.Steel mill, and we shoppers often had to wait, as pedestrians and vehicular traffic, for the trains to slowly take their time accessing that mill. We could stand so close - at-arms-length - to their passing that you could reach out and touch them, as I often did, under the supervision of my parents. Now, whether that gave me knowledge is debatable, but I sure came to know what a real train looked like and felt like!
FrankM.
P.S. I'm honestly not sure if children, nowadays, know what they are seeing and holding when they have a steam locomotive model/toy in front of them, having never been near a real one, in-person, as it idled or went roaring down the tracks in front of them. Experiencing a real steam locomotive, alive and well, and ready for work or at-work, is not something forgotten easily, ever, IMO.
No. I do enjoy learning about real railroads and visiting railroad museums, but I'm having too much fun to care whether my stuff is prototypical or historically accurate. My toy universe doesn't have to replicate the real universe. In fact, for a number of reasons, I am glad it doesn't. There are many unsavory chapters in railroad history.
No, BUT.... there are certain aspects of railroading that I wish that I knew. For example:
A semaphore - No idea how it is used, where it'd be placed
Signalling - What do the lights in different positions mean (round light board with
maybe 4 or so bulbs in it)
Etc.
A lot of things like that. Then there are locomotives... When people start referring to certain parts, I am clueless. Trucks, pilots, couplers, handrails, stanchions (only learned this one the other day), I know... when details start being talked about, I'm lost.
No, but I do enjoy learning about railroads, their history, etc. I love history as it is, so it's very enjoyable for me to read and study the history of railroads. In my opinion though, you don't need that to enjoy the hobby.
Nope.
As with any other subject, the more you know about it the better you can appreciate it. It might be good to at least explain better the role that our railroads have and do play in our nation. I agree that I don't think it is necessary though.
Art
No
No
Steve, Lady and Tex
As a retired Wood Shop teacher every semester I would give the students a video about the wood industry. The video was from the Modern Marvels on the History Channel. There was a part about Ephraim Shay and how he invented the Shay engine to get the big logs out of the woods to the mills. After that I would usually pause the video and show the students a Lionel Shay on the tracks, small oval, in the shop. The kidos loved it. So maybe I might have opened someone eyes to railroading and model trains?
Nope........
When I was 4 years old......all I knew was I liked trains and running them......even if only in a circle on a 4 x 8 board.
It did lead to learning about history, railroad and other, but not a per-requisite.
I don't think we can look to schools for help......they are overwhelmed with other issues....most of them not education related.
Like AMCDave says, when we were four we enjoyed toy trains, and we definitely did not know history then.
I do think railroad history is interesting and I read quite a lot of it. And it does help make playing with the toy trains even more fun.
For me, it's local and family railroading history that has renewed an interest in model trains but I can say as a kid I probably couldn't have cared less.
I think a certain amount of historical knowledge of railroads enhances the experience but don't think it is critical.
No, but the hobby has taught me more about real trains, and I am now more self encouraged to do my own research if I want to make things look more realistic or prototypical for the era like pulling the correct period consists.
Even then, I'm not too strict on myself. After all, it's my railroad, but sometimes its just fun to get it close to historically correct for just my own amusement.
Yes,because it helps me understand why some types of Locomotives were chosen to operate on railroads that I model ie SP and the Cabforwards for one.
Mikey
In my case it helps.....
I enjoy Railroad History equally as much as I do the Hobby, in particular the Southern Ry, its subsidiaries and its Southeastern competitors[ ACL, Seaboard, CC&O,etc].
My hobby and the history is focused principally on railroading prior to the end of steam by the Southern in 1953 and N&W in 1960.
Totally agree. I enjoyed running trains before, but my level of enjoyment multiplied after I did some reading on the history of different railroads, particularly those that run in where I live. Knowledge of their history's and my own observations as a kid have enabled me to focus more on the RR's that run or ran in my area and make plans to build a layout using those RR's which include Seaboard, Atlantic Coast line, Southern and now CSX. I'm not going to be a stickler for fine detail, but it's fun to see an ACL consist cross paths with a Seaboard or a Southern train. Now the trick will be to find some cars marked for private car lines to give these trains some diversity.
No!
I would have to say, "No."
Larry
no
See, I'm a history guy in general, and I like the immediate postwar period, so the "toy" aspect of Lionel's 1950s offerings appeals to me. I don't need in-depth railroad knowledge to enjoy that aspect. If I were doing hi-rail, yeah, I'd want a deeper knowledge, but for what I'm doing just understanding America culturally at that time is more useful
I enjoy learning about real railroad history, toy train history, and visiting RR museums. My wife and myself also travel exclusively by train long distance. It may not be fast but you really get to see what America is like. Seeing the small towns, the mountains, plains. rivers, canyons and natures wonders cannot be beat. I try to incorporate many things that I have seen in my model railroad. Eastern fallen flag railroads are the road names running on my layout. IMO, knowing about railroad history is beneficial to building a layout.
Some, But only the History Tie in for Spreading west (What was hauled and why).
Perhaps one specific lesson covering the Golden Spike Event and the lead up to it and the reason it was important.
Other than that It is overload when students are loaded with incoming data already.
Folks with intellectual curiosity are inevitably drawn into a deeper analysis of the origins of things. For them, history is deeply rewarding.
No, but as I continue in the hobby I have become interested in railroad history and like to learn all I can about the new technology and designs as our modern railroads improve equipment i.e. the Genset, Auto-carriers, modern tankers etc. I find myself reading Trains magazine, while on the lookout for modern models for my own layout and modules. At train shows kids are interested not only in smoking steam engines but also in modern equipment as shown on my Rocket Assembly Plant, flats w/rockets and NASA equipment, things they can associate with in this age of modern technology. I believe keeping up with technology is the way to get more young people interested and into our hobby.
Jack
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