Maybe some of you have seen this, since so many guys on here are car enthusiasts as well. This passage appeared in the latest Issue of Road & Track. The writer was drawing a parallel between the “non- practical” world of model trains and the impracticality of owning sports cars. As your favorite Twilight Zone used to say, on occasion, “submitted for your approval!”
model trains, like a 63 Corvette, very impractical. But a whole lot of fun!!
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I don't agree with the author that model trains don't have value to society at large. Anyone who has attended a model train show has seen smiles on nearly everyone's face. Model trains bring joy wherever they are shown and to many thousands of people each year. Isn't that a positive contribution to society?
Now as for sports cars, that could be another story. The Corvette that I owned in the 60s brought me great joy when it was running. The problem was that it seemed to break down nearly every week. It was by far the worse car that I ever owned. NH Joe
I’ve been in the automotive sports car business for well over 30 years,….clearly that author hasn’t the first clue about this hobby,……and what he wrote makes me question anything he has to say about the automotive world,…….probably why he’s an author, ….easy to hide behind a pen…..big difference being out in the field keeping that junk alive ……..probably dreamt the story up while getting a manicure……phooey!!…
Pat
The greatest value of a Corvette to a young man was how it attracted the attention of the girls. If you have never owned or ridden in a Corvette, then you will never know what I mean.
Model trains never attracted any ladies. But it is a fun hobby and agree with Joe it has value as most hobbies do.
@mike.caruso posted:Maybe some of you have seen this, since so many guys on here are car enthusiasts as well. This passage appeared in the latest Issue of Road & Track. The writer was drawing a parallel between the “non- practical” world of model trains and the impracticality of owning sports cars. As your favorite Twilight Zone used to say, on occasion, “submitted for your approval!”
Mike,
This article read like something written in two minutes or less while his/her Road and Track boss was hollering on the phone, "Where's your column? We're on deadline; send it to me now!"
Remind me some day to be impressed with that writer's opinion on anything. (Wow, my noo-jurzee sarcasm is kicking in really good now!) 
I’m very sorry for beating this to death,….but I’ll add ….many many folks I know that are avid automotive enthusiasts, both professional and novice alike, are also model railroad hobbyists,….but darn the difference in any hobby that has machinery involved, RC cars and boats, model trains, whatever,….the direct coloration is in the machines themselves,….the vast majority of the folks I know (many on this forum) are car enthusiasts that tinker with, modify, race, and make their car better than stock, ….same goes it with the model trains……SO for some “author” who pend that literary masterpiece, …really proves one thing to me….he hasn’t a clue about which end of a screwdriver is the business end, and really doesn’t belong touching one in the first place, ….he belongs home, buttering toast….ok I’m done ….y’all be good!..
Pat
..
I got my first train at 10 some 69 years ago. I got my 33 Ford 3 window at 14 barely 65 years ago. Would have to think about which means the most to me.
My enthusiasm for trains ultimately won out over my enthusiasm for classic automobiles. I gave up my '39 Chevy 3/4 ton after 26 years of ownership in 2018. It just wasn't practical to keep with the amount of work it needed and the practical realities of storing at that point in my life. I thought I would miss it, but I really don't. I enjoyed it while I had it and the memories are good enough.
Like any opinion piece, I take it at what it's worth. Little.
@harmonyards posted:……SO for some “author” who pend that literary masterpiece, …really proves one thing to me….he hasn’t a clue about which end of a screwdriver is the business end, and really doesn’t belong touching one in the first place, ….he belongs home, buttering toast….ok I’m done ….y’all be good!..
Pat
Yes.
As an aside, I'm definitely a car guy, though Corvettes never boiled my water. Still don't.
My interpretation of the R&T piece was that while the author at one time did not see the value of Model Railroading, he then had an ephiphany (re his phrase "looking back I realized I missed the proverbial boat") and came to understand that Model Railroading, like sports cars, serves a very real benefit to ones quality of life and social/physiological well being. A chance to keep your mind active, to do something on your own, to take pride in what you are doing, and without the stress of everyday life. So in fact, he was headed to the conclusion that there IS a great benefit to the individual and to society as a whole. And I am sure the author eventually gets there, but we don't know because we can't see the entire article. The same can be said for quilting, stamp collecting, bird watching or even "perfecting sealing wax". So no, he wasn't putting down model trains at all. He just suddenly came to the (arguably well known) conclusion that hobbies serve a real purpose
And yes, I collect both old cars and trains. And don't plan on parting with any of them
@John Sethian posted:My interpretation of the R&T piece was that while the author at one time did not see the value of Model Railroading, he then had an ephiphany (re his phrase "looking back I realized I missed the proverbial boat") and came to understand that Model Railroading, like sports cars, serves a very real benefit to ones quality of life and social/physiological well being. A chance to keep your mind active, to do something on your own, to take pride in what you are doing, and without the stress of everyday life. So in fact, he was headed to the conclusion that there IS a great benefit to the individual and to society as a whole. And I am sure the author eventually gets there, but we don't know because we can't see the entire article. The same can be said for quilting, stamp collecting, bird watching or even "perfecting sealing wax". So no, he wasn't putting down model trains at all. He just suddenly came to the (arguably well known) conclusion that hobbies serve a real purpose
And yes, I collect both old cars and trains. And don't plan on parting with any of them
Agreed.
I love O scale trains, sports cars, and motorcycles all my life. Too bad he did not get trains.
"Model trains never attracted any ladies." Not quite correct. My 2 graddaughters liked to run them.
Whatever the hobby: If it brings JOY, it is a good thing!
At 79, I just became a General class amateur radio operator. KO4TIY.
@John Sethian posted:My interpretation of the R&T piece was that while the author at one time did not see the value of Model Railroading, he then had an ephiphany (re his phrase "looking back I realized I missed the proverbial boat") and came to understand that Model Railroading, like sports cars, serves a very real benefit to ones quality of life and social/physiological well being. A chance to keep your mind active, to do something on your own, to take pride in what you are doing, and without the stress of everyday life. So in fact, he was headed to the conclusion that there IS a great benefit to the individual and to society as a whole. And I am sure the author eventually gets there, but we don't know because we can't see the entire article. The same can be said for quilting, stamp collecting, bird watching or even "perfecting sealing wax". So no, he wasn't putting down model trains at all. He just suddenly came to the (arguably well known) conclusion that hobbies serve a real purpose
And yes, I collect both old cars and trains. And don't plan on parting with any of them
I agree. He wasn't disparaging the train hobby. As he pointed out above. Yes, if you read the entire article, he does get there. Read the article in total without nitpicking a sentence or two, and it's actually an interesting and good article about trains and cars and the hobby aspect of them.
I have to agree John Sethian's above assessment, having owned 20 vintage MGs including a 1938 TA Tickford and a 1953 Arnolt MG, but selling my last one almost 12 years ago as my arthritic knees made ingress and egress painful. Fortunately I had the joy of model railroading to occupy my free time and lighten my bank account. As an aside for those of you who think trains are expensive try owning and restoring British sports cars, and vintage racing as hobbies.
Hobbies are almost by definition not productive. One must realize that we are a privileged society to be able to devote time to such things as model trains, Corvettes, ancient biplanes, Mustang convertibles, or doll houses.
Bet those folks picking our fruits and vegetables don't have time for model trains.
I have a average size 3 rail layout and a Honda Del Sol with the DOHC engine and a Integra GSR. No other cars so you konow they are daily driven.
I wouldn't expect a heart warming article about toy trains in a car performance magazine. Owning sports cars or collectible cars never did interest me. But then neither did hunting, fishing, bar hopping, sporting events, beanie babies, and many other things/hobbies. I think everyone's opinions and interests may be different. Not right or wrong, just different.
As a car and train nut, l was with my brother when we discovered the first '53 Corvette in a tiny little rural dealership, and he was hooked for life, owning at least two, and getting one custom built in Bowling Green. I wasn't that taken, and bought a Super Stock Impala. And had that and did not trade for a Stingray coupe, the Vette l am sorry l missed out on. My brother lost interest in trains in preteens and never regained it. I , like many above, have been into trains, with gaps, and cars since before that '53 Vette.. Oops, my brother did have a partnership in a '55 Vette with a manual transmission, that was some kind of race car odd ball they were going to restore, but he developed health problems and sold his share. I was more interested in vintage cars, like that '34 Hupmobile coupe the old farmer would drive by me as l waited for the school bus.
Go to a car show or cruise night and you will find owners ignoring the spectators or yelling at them to not touch their car. Go to a train club's open house and you will find families smiling and kids pressing all the buttons and owners letting them run their trains.
Both types have invested a lot of money into their respective hobby there's just a philosophical difference.
@third rail posted:Go to a car show or cruise night and you will find owners ignoring the spectators or yelling at them to not touch their car. Go to a train club's open house and you will find families smiling and kids pressing all the buttons and owners letting them run their trains.
Both types have invested a lot of money into their respective hobby there's just a philosophical difference.
I would disagree. Unfortunately I've also seen the direct opposite, on both of your examples.
My guess is that the philosophical difference is not over the specific hobby, or collectible, but in one's attitude about his or her collection and other people.
Mike
I've never had any adverse experiences with my grandson at car shows or train meets..
I have taken him to informal car meets in the parking lot of large shopping malls or a Lowes and several times owners would offer to let him sit behind the wheel. Going to the pits at the dirt track after the races are over, same thing. They offer to put him behind the wheel or take a picture. Before covid, on certain race nights, the drivers were allowed to take kids for a slow cruise around the race track after all races were over.
I will admit you don't hear much discussion of Lionel vs MTH or talk about DCC vs DCS.
colorado highrailer could you contact me off the Forum; my email is displayed. Thank you.
@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:I would disagree. Unfortunately I've also seen the direct opposite, on both of your examples.
My guess is that the philosophical difference is not over the specific hobby, or collectible, but in one's attitude about his or her collection and other people.
Mike
I have seen and heard of the same both ways. Some folks let people in their cars at shows and some actually encourage folks to sit in them because they are proud of them and want to share it with others. I have also seen layouts with "Don't touch" or "Be prepared to make a purchase if you break something" posted on them. I have been on the other side also when I was a kid at a car show and an owner got mad because I touched her vehicle and she quickly went over to wipe the fingerprints off. There is a lot of elitism in all hobbies. My partner at work is a ham operator and some people won't talk to him or others if they don't have a room full of high end equipment. Some model railroaders shun others if they have different scales from them or don't model prototypes or if they don't weather their equipment. A lot of people look down on model railroaders and think we are all nerds just as the writer of this article stated. I used to hide my hobbies, now I am open about them and if someone doesn't like them, then I can find other people to socialize with that do.
I think the author of that piece not only redeemed himself, albiet slowly, he redeemed us all. I'm sure many can truthfully say that when you were 12 or so years old, you did occasionally put stuff of the tracks, or stage other Hollywood-type scenes. My bratty cousin called me into my room just in time to see my steam loco fly off a corner at full speed into my favorite model. Tears!!
In an attempt to help my 10 YO grandsons maintain some relavence and (hopefully interest) when they're older, I have opted to secure carrier names they can not only see locally, but can run with their (nerdy??) iPads they are growing up with. Did I do them a disservice? I think not. They can always run the conventional locos that I have, but in my opinion, that trackside gaze we all love to foster in our following generations means, in day to day life, rembering things relatable to our youth.
Ever see antique plates on a Volkswagen Rabbit??? Totally laughable to a guy (me) who shoveled manure into a '38 Ford every moring before school....
But they are important to somebody....
Neil Young .......Sam Posey............Frank Sinatra............Rod Stewart...........Mandy Patinkin..........................just to name a few..............
.......................................
" hobbies are almost by definition not productive " 
!?!
..................a very learned and dear friend of mine involved in sculpting in wood , in one of our many discussions , once observed that the creative mind becomes dull without incubation periods.................
...............MY incubation periods , model RRs , Suzuki Hayabusa and 2012 Hemi Charger.
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR ALL. 
A very wise woman (not the one to whom I am married) once said that she likes her husband having trains as a hobby, because it means he spends his evenings in the home with her.
This guy needs to chill out. Does a hobby have to bring value to society? What’s wrong with just enjoying something for what it is?
If you want to help society there are a multitude of ways to help others.
Any hobby should be fulfilling to the practitioner, period.
"Unless you know who you are. You will always be vulnerable to what other people say".
@RickO posted:"Unless you know who you are. You will always be vulnerable to what other people say".
AMEN Rick.
Good advice I learned from Wayne Dyer .
Trains run on tracks and can't go off off-roading. That ridged requirement makes it very easy to create a realistic scaled world that runs effortlessly around and around our designed creations. If automobiles or boats could do the same thing down in our basements, more than half of us would belong to this fantasy world. Maybe someday the Tesla autonomous vehicle will be made in O scale that will recognize stop lights and wide turning buses. Of course, the technology will be expensive and I'm sure the cars will have to periodically return to their docking station, like a roomba cleaner, for battery charging. Until then, we'll still put cars on our layouts to show we care about the automotive industry. You can't fight every person with a differing opinion or inherited mindset; otherwise you'll be pacing back and forth in front of the White House with the rest of those fools.
Interesting post and comments. Cars, trains, motorcycles and machines of all kinds go together. Like probably every forum member, I have built a small collection of them all in 1:43rd - 1:50 scale. Just added a 1960's era Amphicar that I've been wanting for a long time. At under $100, it's a heck of a lot cheaper to add to my collection than the full-sized version. Yes, at 1:43rd scale it does not run, but a lot of gear heads I know spend more time admiring their rides than riding them, myself included.
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" teaches that quality and aesthetics mesh together in an art form and that makes our machines of all sizes good for society. Plus, great architecture begins with the model version and great architecture is the foundation of our great cities.
A warm father and son story involving a live steam engine in which the author, an obvious car nut comes to appreciate the work involved in building and maintaining a working steam engine.
Unlike the one discussed above this is a well written piece that appeared on the Hagerty web site as one on the "year's best" car related stories.
So how can I read the entire piece? The photo provided in the OP cuts off the remaining paragraphs when expanded.
Andre
I think people are taking it the wrong way. I used to subscribe to R and T for many years, I stopped a couple of years ago because they decided to make it 'edgy' and it lost its appeal. Car magazines often had a quirky view towards cars, one of my favorite columnists in R and T, Peter Egan, often wrote with a sardonic eye at his obsession with cars, especially British sports cars, the joys of unfreezing rusted bolts in a freezing garage, the mysteries of the wonder Lucas electric system (ie might prince of darkness), like 'why am I doing this, am I nuts?".
I don't think he is disparaging trains as useless, I think he is talking about the views of those outside either trains or sports cars that see them as useless. Trains and cars share a lot in common actually, the time we spend on the layouts and the money of course, but also in the diversity. Like with trains, there are those with sports cars who are obsessed with everything being perfect and original, matching numbers, original paint, every nut screw and bolt perfect (kind of like rivet counters in trains). There are those who enjoy driving the car and will modify an older car to put things like disc brakes on it or the like (kind of like those who modify rolling stock, repaint it, put details on it etc, basically operators), then you have those who go extreme.....or those who are happy that the car runs and it might not be 100 point or even 50 point......
And yeah, there is a parallel in both worlds with attitudes towards "outsiders". There are the car people (the 100 pointers) who if you look too closely at the car they will accuse you of damaging it, then there are those who are proud of the car but are okay if you get close or touch it. There are train people at shows who treat anyone there as the enemy, especially kids, and you kind of wonder why the heck they are there, then there are the many who are generous and yep, actually create layouts that kids can do something on.
I think the author was using trains as a way to reflect on his own hobby basically.
There is also an interesting parallel between model trains and cars, and that is the future of both. What we all knew as car culture, the way many of us were, is changing. We grew up where we couldn't wait to get a driver's license and a car, it was ingrained for many of us (kids who grew up in city areas were a bit different, depending on which city). The magic isn't there with young people, lot of them see cars as a utility, not as magic or freedom, a not small number don't bother getting driver's licenses even. And yes, there are young people into cars, the car culture, who love a variety of cars, it hasn't disappeared, it is just different. I would argue like trains, especially our niche, it is becoming less mainstream among the young but of course there are young people in it still, there are weird mini cultures like young people into the 50's vibe but with their own twist on it, which I guess is like people younger than like 70 with steam engines, both groups were born or became aware after the target of their interest was gone.
Andre
I just clicked the link to be certain it worked. On my laptop the picture is wider than the screen but the text starts below it.
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