Ever notice some people look at you strange when you say your into toy trains?

I get some real wierd looks when I tell people that I have a pipe organ in our home.  When I mention that I also have model trains, they often have a look of relief.  "This guy is normal, after all."

Both subjects usually start some interesting conversations.

Tom

I learned as an industrial salesman in the Pittsburgh area not to tell guys n the mills and plants that you didn't give a hoot about the Steelers or deer hunting !! I had a collection of a 100 guns at home but if you didn't deer hunt there was something seriously wrong with you.I told an attractive woman yesterday that I was in to photography and LIONEL trains. Yes, they are toys and no, I don't give a good you-know-what about what people think. Beats drugs, cross-dressing and whatever else people do in their own time.

The reactions that many of you have gotten remind me of this scene from the movie, "City Slickers": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYw7S_RJXGs

I totally get where the woman is coming from in regards to guys finding such importance over baseball players from the past. I like going to baseball games, will watch when my alma mater of Florida State plays football (especially if it's a big bowl game). And if guys like the ones in the movie could allow for a comparable importance to other trivia subjects (in other words, allowing that being as focused on, say, Star Trek, old airplanes, Model Trains or anything else is essentially the same thing as being focused on sport), then I'd be fine with that. But sports guys usually don't see it's the height of hypocrisy to put so much importance on sports trivia while diminishing any other subject. I was going to a sci-fi event in the same venue as a sports team fan event (won't name the place). I'll never forget a guy painted in his favorite team's colors, standing in line, telling someone dressed as a Star Trek Klingon on the opposite side of the hall standing in his line, to, "Get a life!" And the painted sports guy didn't at all see how crazy that was to say that.

I used to work with a guy who'd 'hold court' with other men in the office, declaring what is and isn't 'correct' for being a guy. Beats me why as he wasn't a manager and really was a big jerk who couldn't help anyone's career. He'd often declare that, "real men..." and would follow with whatever he liked and held to importance. One day he launched into how guys who don't like sports (to the amount he did) are, to not use the word he used, pansies. I was at a table with some ex-military guys and several started to stand up to say something. I got up first, waved them down and said, "Watch this," and walked over. Pretty loudly for the room, I said that the world is a big place and not everyone thinks the same thing on any subject. I said plenty of 'real men,' myself included, didn't put much of an emphasis on sports trivia. With a sneer I so badly wanted to backhand into next week, he started to make what was clearly going to be a snide comment (he couldn't make any other kind). I cut him off by saying, "Instead, I focused on the skills I needed in the military. You know, truly manly subjects like wiping out your enemy en mass with whatever weapons you can use. And see the table behind me? All of them did the same thing, and I had to talk half of them down from coming over here and snapping you in half like a pencil. I'd be really careful about putting labels on what is and isn't manly, Skippy, because I truly doubt you could do half of what the any of us ever went through."

I walked back to my table, all the other guys applauding.

That jerk sat alone from that day on.

After years of scale model railroading, I got tired of the looks and comments when folks asked about my hobbies. Now that I am into pre and post war O-27 trains, when I say I am into vintage electric trains I get the, "Ooh, cool!" like the guys running old school choppers or hot rods!

Your bailer is outta twine?

I don't get strange looks from people, but mentioning that you're into model trains is a VERY effective conversation killer at a party, simply because so few others know anything on the subject.  Occasionally you might encounter someone who's into model aircraft or military models, and they can relate to the concept of recreating a world in miniature, which is really cool but it doesn't happen very often.

Paul W

NZ

Swanny, not carring a full sea bag? I don't tell anyone about my layout. I think it's too personal for me. Don't want to explain it all, don't want them to come ever and see it. Train guys that visit here, yes, they understand. Don't want to answer what it's worth, how long did it take to build, on and on. Only two people knew I even had a layout in my last house. No one has seen the new one locally other that one part timer here that loves making all kinds of things and is a wonderful interesting person. Don

I often stop at the farmer's market on my way to toy train museum open houses and at the wine tasting on the way home. When I'm wearing my Gadsden Pacific Toy Train Museum logo shirt, I get a lot of friendly questions. It's usually along the lines of: "I didn't know Tucson had a toy train museum! Where is it? Does it cost anything to get in? When is it open? I bet my kids (grandkids) would like that." I've never had any kind of skeptical or negative reaction. 

I love the flaming transformer. I'm sure it makes your engines run extra swiftly!

Semi-seriously though, I guess I'm fortunate enough to not get a negative reaction when discussing hobbies - maybe the people I'm speaking with are just more polite. 

As others have mentioned, I've noticed folks of a certain age almost universally have some memory of 'Lionel trains' - from Christmas tree loops or relatives who were hobbyists -- what brand recognition! And they also think old trains are worth billions.

Compared to when folks used to visit my N gauge layouts - which were more 'scale' - they love the sounds, lights and ability to interact with accessories, sound the whistle, etc. that is more prominent with toy trains.

Like this?

Maybe it's you Chris.

Folks look at me strange all the time so I guess I do not notice it when it is about trains. kinda like that.

Mostly women have this look like ... "Okay I see your pretty messed up in the head"

As far as kids and most gear heads that I am friends with think its very cool. 

Same here!

Nope, they look at me funny for other reasons

My answer - to 'mitigate' the body language response of "the-old-man-playing-with-trains" thought going through the person's mind:  "Interestingly, I was able to fund the toy trains after I sold my Barbie collection."

M.D.,

   I use to have a Baseball Card collection as a kid also, however there are a few of these baseball cards I managed to hold on too, few people had them, and I like them a lot, they are displayed in my Game Room in a nice frame.  You might like them!

PCRR/Dave

I have many things that I guess people could or would poke fun at me for but don't for some reason.

I have a WW2 Jeep and do living history displays. Anyone who knows me knows my interest in the 1940s, and it's all guns and vehicles, so it sounds "manly" enough, I guess (that, and I was a Army Captain when I got out, so that makes sense to people).

I used to do competition shooting. That's not something you want to broadcast to co-workers and people who don't know you well. People associate firearms with the crazy folks who do bad things with them.

But there are other things I would expect to get teased about...

• I have been to the adult version of Space Camp several times and even do public outreach for them:

I would have expected people to poke fun at that, but I guess that deep down inside, many people think, "Wow, that's cool," but more than anything, I think most folks don't know that the adult programs exist and are very popular. Last October, I was on a team with one guy who'd been 11 times and another guy was there for his 13th!

I actually did look into being an astronaut for real, but I found that having had a kidney stone in my late 20s killed my chances as NASA won't take anyone who'd ever had one. Dream killed...

But maybe anyone who would have given me some guff at this space stuff might have been tempered by some of the perks of me doing this. Not too many people can say that someone who walked on the moon called them to discuss something... but I can!

Also, I'll show folks shots of me playing around with the real stuff:

• The one thing people just don't get is my interest in War Correspondents from WW2. I have a pretty substantial collection of stuff along these lines and I do living history events in that capacity. Nobody pokes fun at it, but it's such an uncommon thing to do that nobody knows what to think of it:

• But for sure, I would expect people to poke fun at my interest in sci-fi stuff, but maybe when they see shots like this, it explains why they don't:

If you're at all familiar with the re-vamped Battlestar Galactica series from a few years ago, you'll recognize all this. I've met many people from the cast as well as the crew of the show. I also collect some screen-used items from various sci-fi TV shows and movies. The one thing people tease me about is to ask if I have a Star Trek uniform in my closet (I don't) or rubber Vulcan ears (again, nope). When I've shown people the real production-used stuff I do have, I generally get a reaction of being impressed from most folks. Most people don't know anyone who has anything from a TV show or movie in a closet in their home.

I get more strange looks when I tell people that I do not do Facebook or any other social networking and I am not interested in what my friends or family are doing all during the day.

It leads to great conversation and friendship

Sometimes it leads to more trains too

Heck, I don't even have to tell them about the trains for them to look at me funny.

But then again, people have been looking at me strangely since I was old enough to go out in public. My mom didn't let me go out until I was12. I am guessing my mother embarrassed easily!

To answer your question I don't usually mention the trains to anyone I don't really know thus saving the required explanation.  I've found that in general people are interested once they realize that the "trains" are much more than a circle under the Christmas tree.

Ed

These are all very funny, to reread,  and I have to, on the occasion of somilar situations, repress making mental impolite gestures and thoughts verbal.  IF you read an antiques magazine, you will soon discover people collect EVERYTHING, such as old johnny houses, as well as sand pails mentioned.  I have read about doll collections, and while the closest interest I had to those was the figures in Marx playsets, and I would not just put a dollar value on dolls, I could not care less if somebody collects them.  Some people seem quick to attack everything they have no interest in, maybe

because their lives are so boring and colorless.  I have encountered situations like

that wife who spoke up, saying "he plays with trains", in which I figure she is married

to a couch potato with the intersting and exciting life of a terrapin.

People look at you strange when you say that you are into toy trains?

Big deal!   We are strange, so what of it?

Facebook doesn't interest me and neither do other people's opinions. Opinions are like a-holes. Everyone has them, most of them stink.

I only really tell people who are semi-close to me about my hobbies. I always call them either "toy trains" or "vintage electric trains" depending on the person, usually they're either interested or start to squirm at that point, depending on their thoughts at that time. Then I list a few of the other "fun" things I like to do, ending with shooting.

All the while, my eyes are getting a little crazier.  

Well, DirecTV is adding to the ridicule with their NFL Sunday Football package commercial featuring Eli Manning. In the DirecTV commercials Tony Romo, Eli Manning, and Andrew Luck all have alter egos that have disparaging habits or behaviors. The latest I have seen has Eli running his "miniature railroad" decked out in his engineer's cap. Definitely a put down for us model railroaders. Since all of the "alter egos" portray a bit odd folks, you know where we stand in the mind of the ad writers.

Rick

Ad writers do what's asked of them really.

The NFL wants to play by the "real" Vegas rules.

(If its not spent here its competition to be squashed, even a coffee shop, diner, pub, movies, etc.)

Social ridicule in a cute disguise. "Watch more football, or you'll be an outcast".

 Likely why I stopped paying close attention to any sport without a motor, or a dinner being involved.

 Home championships are about my limit for "watching grown ups play games"

(I'm not running an add here, or would have worded that nicer or chose a new ad)

I think the idea of being thought of as odd is more in one's own mind and perhaps more than a little bit appealing to some.

As with most of our members here, I have always thought, and acted, as an individual.  I have never really conformed to the "mainstream" model of following fades, being like everyone else... what is popular and contemporary.  As I have matured, aka older, it is all the more so.  But, always, I have taken pride in being different, making my own path in life and reaping its rewards.... and have done well.... very satisfied (except for having more trains, LOL).  So, as others stated, others will always have their opinion, and are welcome to it.  Just with the social media thing, people are much more judgmental, or just mental, and everyday more evident of how it is detrimental to all of us. 

For a while, I put aside my train, telephone and insulator collecting hobbies and only collected traffic lights. In fact, at the time, I was so into them that I would drive around and stare at them.

Great thread, I can honestly say people look at me sometimes with that look of disbelief and that I am off my rocker for playing with toy trains.  They almost all think HO and have no idea of the large cool O gauge trains with tons of cool accessories. I have also had uninterested people come over and are amazed at the trains.

Ditto.

After I tell whoever that I am a black belt in karate, I don't sense any disrespect when I tell whoever that, to satisfy my artistic instinct, I am building a model RR.  Wonder why?

Ed

• Not involved in a team sport or a game of any kind
• I'm not a child

This might explain why nobody gives me any grief for the ways I spend what little free time I have, in that I've been a competition shooter and trained with Special Forces in the Army. Maybe people might a little concerned about how I'd react to being poked fun at in public?

I have to say I have a few people I work with break my chops.  I have one guy who collects comic books and named his child after one of the characters but Im the weird one.  I have a co-worker who collects and he helped me with my layout.  My only real issue is my wife, she says I have to many hobbies.  The hobbies in question is, Ice hockey, a sport i have played since I was 5, My golf, I love being outside during the summer, My jeep which i love adding mods to it, Photography, and last but not least guitar.  Trying to find the time to emulate my favorite rockers.  Anyways, I dont say toy trains.  I refer to it as operate my trains on the layout.  LOL

Who cares........?

I for one have never used the term toy trains. The few times I've been asked I reply building a layout and leave it like that. Don

A long time ago Angela Landsbury as Jessica Fletcher in the series Murder, She Wrote dropped a line that went something like "... I can't stand men that play with toy trains and eat shredded wheat...".

I do both.

I also ride Harley's build hot rods and do a bunch of other income absorbing things.

Bogie