I dismantled my layout and build this for my son. He received his first"big boy" train for Christmas.
Now he keeps asking if he can play with Daddy's trains.
I think he is hooked.
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Nice work Dad!
As the dad to a 6 year old and a 2 year old I can assure you that your trains are always going to be more interesting!!
enjoy!
Yup!
Peter
MN-CHRIS, your title of this post unintentionally hits the nail square of the head of something I have noticed ever since I got back into the hobby.
Everyone talks about all the technology changes in the hobby. True, there are those changes. But there's also one other change I've noticed....
There was a time most of us remember fondly, the golden Post-War years of Lionel, when many who are in the hobby today received our first train set. We then ended up with a train layout built for us by our fathers.
In my case - as I'm sure with many - it was MY layout. My dad built me a nice train layout. He may have also played with it, but it was still intentionally my train layout. In other words, fathers built train layouts for their sons. And the fathers derived their joy from watching and participating with their sons, playing with and building these trains layouts.
Today, things are different. I've noticed this for many years from reading all the train forums. Now the train layouts are the father's train layouts, in which the kids get to play carefully with dad's trains on dad's layout. Maybe if the kids are lucky, they have their own train they can run on dad's layout.
Well, I guess everything changes, but not always for the better. Even though this video on first appearance is unrelated, it isn't... it's totally related. Watch it and see if you don't agree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfbY3i4FY0
So don't worry MN-CHRIS... let your son enjoy his layout. As his interest grows, more than likely, he want a layout that is a little more complicated. And you'll both do that together. One day a time will come when you can have your own layout. But that won't replace the memories of doing a train layout with your boy.
