Foaming with the Homies

 I ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT TOPSIDERS , BUTT (PUN INTENDED) ,I SURE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SAGGY "LOWRIDERS" OF LATE.  I HAVE THOSE HOMIES ON MY LAYOUT ALSO.

Maybe, I could call them my Frank's or my 53's or my Harry Frank 53's?

 

I'd never thought about naming my clothes before, but I kind-of like it...

 

 

Rick

My hobby interests are antique Fords, toy trains and shooting guns (AKA plinking). People who go too far to make fun of my interests mock me, so they become non-persons in my life.

For anyone who has known me in all of my 59 years, they know I simply love trains and the hobby.  I've never been reluctant to tell anyone about what I'm up to.  As the old saying goes, "What anyone thinks of me is none of my business."   I could care less.  I'm happy and that's all that counts.

 

Someone once asked my wife if this "obsession" bothered her.  She replied, "At least I know where he is, he's happy, and he's not out at the bars."

 

I don't go around wearing a denim vest with every railroad patch sewn to it, but I have seen some guys who do.  That's fine at a train show and let's leave it at that.

 

I have done what some might call doing it all.  From building layouts to writing railroad history and getting published to operating the real thing, I have received a lot of respect for it all.  How many not in this hobby can say that?  Or how many can say they come home to a hobby they truly love and de-stress?

 

Whenever someone sees my eyes light up when asked or talking about my hobby, I like to think that they are thinking, "I want some of that!"

 

Phil

 

 

I don't always agree with Allan, but when I do it's 100%.

 

Well, I missed it, but then I generally steer clear of Rockefeller Center at Christmastime -- except for a peek at the tree.  Any pics around the web?  I've seen Lionel postwar used a number of times, but it usually seems too small to make an impact, particularly since so much is in "realistic" but sombre colors.  Standard Gauge should really pop given the size and glitz.

I'm 60, have played with toy trains my whole life (and refuse to dignify it by claiming to be a "model railroader"). I also collect old movies, many of which are "kid's movies": Disney, Ray Harryhausen, sci-fi (and I won't call it "SF"), and slapstick comedy. I'm also a huge Harry Potter fan and attended all the book release parties and movies with a lightning bolt drawn on my forehead. I was once asked by a rather haughty woman if I felt ridiculous. "No, I feel silly. There's a difference".

I enjoy myself immensely, and see no need to apologise for it.

Please note my signature line.

most people that think it is funny that i like trains have hobbies that i find just as funny  i tell people that do what makes them happy and so will i  and if that does not work then i just smile and walk away.  

I don't recall ever getting any odd reactions to my hobby.  The usual reaction is, "Oh I had a Lionel train when I was a kid", followed by a description of it.  Most folks seem somewhat interested, at any rate.

 

I have just a steam engine sweatshirt for themed clothing, a gift, that I wear to train meets.  That's all.

I once had a "friend" who I felt comfortable enough with to divulge my hobby to. After I had mentioned it, he gave me kind of a funny look but didn't really say anything. After that he he tended to avoid me. End of friendship. His loss, not mine. But I also learned to be careful who I talk about trains to. I don't wear train stuff because frankly "homey don't play that". To me it's strictly a hobby that I engage in for fun and relaxation, not a lifestyle.

What began as a simple, personal reclaiming of something lost to my youth, revived in my adulthood, as a solitary hobby in my basement, became a major element in our (my wife and I) sharing of our home and our hobby with others. All of our relatives love to see the trains, staying in the trainroom for more than an hour usually. Friends, including local law-enforcement, government officials, colleagues, university faculty, the clergy - even a significant portion of Brothers from a nearby seminary, boy scouts, altar-servers, former students, teenagers - just about everybody who has heard we have trains, has asked to see them and has enjoyed the experience, returning often. So, you see, model trains have become a very public statement by me of what is, now, a very socially enjoyed pleasure. I am very comfortable with our hobby having become a known part of my enjoyment of life.

 

The layout has become part of my identity, let alone impetus for a little business venture for me, detailing train layouts for fellow hobbyists, which keeps me as busy as I wish to be, twelve months a year; it's part of who I am.

Frank, Layout Refinements

 

Hogmaster and the rest of you guys,

 

I like to kid around a wee bit, here; but being rejected is not something to make light of.

 

I can't think of any situation where I would get that kind of reaction, after telling someone about my trains. Just can't. Men or women.

 

Rick

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the aforementioned ridicule in my childhood (ironically, the time period when people are "supposed" to play with trains), it was a LONG time before I told ANYONE that I was interested in or had trains.  I believe this is the main reason for my being wary about discussing it now.  To be honest, I haven't even gotten a weird look when mentioning it in recent years, but some things never leave you. 

Here's something for the young guys to think about -

 

Lots of train guys have kids, that they exposed their passion to... If it was a good relationship, then the young persons childhood memories will be warmly carried throughout their lives.

 

Imagine a young woman that has great childhood memories of her family, and their trains; and she meets a new guy(a train guy) and they start going out...

 

I don't think the young woman would have any issues, re: model trains; unless, the new guy was a MTH man and her family bled Lionel(sorry, I couldn't help myself).

 

 

 

Rick

One of the good things about life, Mike... it moves on. I'm glad those days are behind you.

 

 

Rick

I had a few engineers at my office think that a few phone photos of my layout were aerial satellite shots. They were all impressed. And I am not a serious Hi-railer. Just an o-27 guy with a good sense of perspective and a knack for making things. Used to modify antique motorcycles for fun when everyone else was restoring and investing. I got the last laugh because mine are more desirable and valuable due to there uniqueness. Maybe I am a narcissist but some guys thought they were making fun of me and finally gave up when they figured out that I was responding to them as if they were strange and they started apologizing. I made it clear that they had no need to apologize but it was sad that they were improperly socialized and that probably explained why they had a hard time being taken seriously or why they were not respected. I may have been mean but I do not care what your hobby is, if it is interesting I will chat with you for hours and if not I will tell you but I would never try to ridicule anyone for what they enjoyed doing. Been a custom fabricator all my life and have had opportunity to have coworkers that did everything from glass blowing, industrial sculpture, painting, snake breeding, and of course HO and G scale trains and never considered belittling anyone. And sure as heck would not tolerate anyone trying to belittle me. No such thing as friendly kidding unless you are playing a prank. Deep down it is really mean spirited. But no one can make you feel bad about yourself. Only you can and if one chooses to do that, I am even ok with that. But if you expect me too, you will be disappointed. Only started playing with trains this year. My other new hobby is making attachments for my lawn tractor. Just made a front end loader for fun and even I will admit that it is an odd hobby but very rewarding to me. Have a sister-in law who collects bears. Stuffed and plastic. Seems odd to me but not my place to rain on her parade. Plus, what you do or have is not who you are.

Perhaps, there is some validity, in a general sort of way, to what you say. However, I would submit, that such facets of ones life are part - aspects of - who we are, part of how we see ourselves. They are some of the ways we present ourselves to others - to humanity. That is, if a person is an astronaut, or an eye surgeon, or teacher, priest, or auto mechanic, we are serving others with our skills, helping others, regardless of whether we are paid money or not for what we do. How we contribute to society can be a significant part, indeed, of who we are and how we see ourselves. I wouldn't dismiss what a person does as not who they are; rather, some of our identity may come from our occupations. Many people receive great joy and satisfaction - identity - from what they do.

 

Now, on the subject of what we have, I conclude you are talking of material possessions. Many people devote considerable time, energy, blood (literally), sweat and tears, and heart and soul to acquiring things. Surely, that has something to do with how we see ourselves and how we want others to perceive us. If, for example, we buy a large (a relative term, surely) house and a million dollar car, we don't put the house under a shroud (though some folks may seclude them up in the hills and forests out of sight,) nor do we necessarily always make sure the car is never seen by others.

 

Our lives and loves are too complicated, and we as individuals are too complex to have sweeping generalizations fit all the possibilities out there. Maybe, what you have and what you do are not who you are, Ffffreddd; however, others may see life differently.  

Frank (just one person's opinion)

 

Human beings, to my way of thinking, defy labels. The minute a label gets attached, it can actually have the opposite effect; that miniscule label quickly gets lost, as if it were a grain of sand, lying on a vast beach, covered in sand.

 

At best, just a small momentary glimpse of a person. All human beings are transitory, never remaining exactly the same for too long. Nothing about us is static.

 

Labels are an erroneous attempt to have a sense of mastery/control, where there really is none.

 

They also "limit" and don't do justice, to the labeled.

 

 

Rick

 

 

As I read your message, I was reminded of an old (Native American?) axiom that said one could not stand in the same river twice.

I'll take that as a compliment, Murph.

 

 

Rick

Moonsun, I found it to be interesting that you did not include musicians or model train designers or others who bring pleasure to children and adults as contributors to society but mechanics, either of flesh or automobiles and astronauts,( highly educated 3 d hot rod drivers.) Part of the desire to label some as better than others. But I was not generalizing when I said that. How an individual perceives themselves is also not always who they are. My point was not a generalization but the opposite of judging based on a subjective idea of what is good. Even the brain surgeon could really just be doing his job because of a perverse desire to cut flesh with a knife. Or for the money or prestige and may in fact just be a greedy insecure neurotic despite outside appearances. And the man who sits in a cave in meditation may have a more positive influence on humanity by not interacting with society then the man who repairs machines that in the process of providing transportation inadvertently cause enormous loss of life. How society perceives us is also a useless frame of reference. Think of a European society that devalued certain individuals to the point that they tried to exterminate them based on dysfunctional reasoning. It took an alliance of other societies with different values to stop them.

Oh and by the way, I make good money, have a lot if stuff including toy trains, antique motorcycles, a big house, highly respected within my community and executive level career. But I am still just another bloke, trying to raise my kids, no better or worse than anyone else. But if I only teach my kids one thing, that will be to judge carefully and only on actions and not preconceived beliefs about another.

I have an orange baseball cap with the Postwar Lionel logo on the front. 

I don't wear it every where I go, most often when I need protection from the summer sun, like car shows.  I can't tell you how many people walk up to me and say, "do they still make Lionel trains?"  I then invoke the TCA mission statement "and to promote the growth and enjoyment of collecting and operating toy, model and scale trains."

 

"Yes they still do make them, let me tell you a little about them..........."