05-14-2011, 10:41 PM
My wife of 44 years has always supported my interest in model railroading and the prototype. Working on the prototype she's even rode on trains with me a few times. When I first worked for the Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad (FCIN), we had to make a rare night time trip to Georgetown and she went with us. On the way back, she laid down on the cab floor of that 70 ton GE and went to sleep!
She has gone on a few rail fanning trips with me, but not too wild about that as she finds it boring to sit around some place for hours on end, even when trains are constantly going by. She did enjoy a couple of out of state trips that she went on with me, just because of going places she'd never been to before.
Over the years, whenever we've had to go house hunting; her first consideration has always been "Will you have room in this house to build your railroad?" and we've always looked for houses with basements or at least a spare room.
I worked with a woman a few years ago that knew I had an interest in railroads and had worked in the industry and whenever I went on one of my rail fan trips, she always wanted to see the slides/photos I took. She found it very interesting and when she came to the house to visit the wife and I, the first thing she wanted to see were those "fascinating model trains". She and her son even went with me to a model railroad show one year and I didn't think I'd ever get her to leave. I think she was hoping that her son would get interested in model railroading, so she could work on it too! Her 12 year old son was only moderately interested in the "toy trains", but Mom would spend a long time just looking at the display layouts and all the models and scales and was really fascinated.
Have never run across a woman that actually did any modeling, although I'm aware that there are some out there. I've tried many times to get the wife interested in helping me work on mine, but she's always afraid that she'll mess something up and is just content encourage me to work on it. One important factor: any time I want or need to order something for the model railroad - she's all for it. When the package arrives or I return from the LHS, she always wants to see what I got. Since I've retired, she's on my case on a daily basis to "stop planning and changing things and build it! I'd like to see you complete something before I pass away!".
I do know a couple of other people that are into model railroading around here and their wives are not at all thrilled with the idea of their husbands "playing with trains", but they tolerate it. But, Heaven forbid - they don't want any of their friends to know that hubby "plays with trains".
Like it not, there is a certain stigma associated with grown men "playing with toy trains", possible topic for another thread. But if you find a woman that supports your interests - then by all means put her on the short list of marriage candidates!
She has gone on a few rail fanning trips with me, but not too wild about that as she finds it boring to sit around some place for hours on end, even when trains are constantly going by. She did enjoy a couple of out of state trips that she went on with me, just because of going places she'd never been to before.
Over the years, whenever we've had to go house hunting; her first consideration has always been "Will you have room in this house to build your railroad?" and we've always looked for houses with basements or at least a spare room.
I worked with a woman a few years ago that knew I had an interest in railroads and had worked in the industry and whenever I went on one of my rail fan trips, she always wanted to see the slides/photos I took. She found it very interesting and when she came to the house to visit the wife and I, the first thing she wanted to see were those "fascinating model trains". She and her son even went with me to a model railroad show one year and I didn't think I'd ever get her to leave. I think she was hoping that her son would get interested in model railroading, so she could work on it too! Her 12 year old son was only moderately interested in the "toy trains", but Mom would spend a long time just looking at the display layouts and all the models and scales and was really fascinated.
Have never run across a woman that actually did any modeling, although I'm aware that there are some out there. I've tried many times to get the wife interested in helping me work on mine, but she's always afraid that she'll mess something up and is just content encourage me to work on it. One important factor: any time I want or need to order something for the model railroad - she's all for it. When the package arrives or I return from the LHS, she always wants to see what I got. Since I've retired, she's on my case on a daily basis to "stop planning and changing things and build it! I'd like to see you complete something before I pass away!".
I do know a couple of other people that are into model railroading around here and their wives are not at all thrilled with the idea of their husbands "playing with trains", but they tolerate it. But, Heaven forbid - they don't want any of their friends to know that hubby "plays with trains".
Like it not, there is a certain stigma associated with grown men "playing with toy trains", possible topic for another thread. But if you find a woman that supports your interests - then by all means put her on the short list of marriage candidates!
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"