I was obsessed at the age of 2, probably earlier.
My first electric train at the age of 4 or 5 (preceded by probably a large number of clockwork sets); first Lionel around 6 or 7.
Bunch of small, no constant scale, plastic loco kits (2 to a box, wheels didn't move).
First HO age 11 or so (car kit or Hobbytown plastic switcher). First HO set at 13.
First craftsman kit and Japanese brass before age 16.
sailormatlac Wrote:I'm just curious, if born in a world without trains, what would replace this passion?
Matt
Would that world be worth living in?
Lester Perry Wrote:sailormatlac Wrote:I'm just curious, if born in a world without trains, what would replace this passion?
Matt
Would that world be worth living in?
You've got it right! A gloomy rugged place without hope and dreams... Let's forget about it!
Matt
My dad was a railroader and modeler so,I can't remember not being in the hobby-the only time I wasn't active was when I was in 'Nam,Korea and Germany-I did manage to railfan several times while station at Ledward Barracks at Schwininfurt.
When I was a kid in the 1980's my uncle had a bedroom filling HO layout. Whenever we went to his house he would let us run the trains. By the late 80's he lost interest and gave us all of his train stuff. We used part of it on a 4x8 until I was around twelve years old. Then we moved to a different house and the trains weren't seen until almost twenty years later. My mother sold that house five years ago so I decided to take the trains and do something with them. I set up a 4x8 with intentions of recreating the layout of my childhood. This is why my forum name is secondhandmodeler. Everything I used was from those boxes of secondhand trains. Well, the bug bit and I was hooked. I enjoyed that first layout just for the joy of being a kid again. That 4x8 met the wrecking ball when we moved so I decided to start over. Now I'm modeling my home town and have found that I enjoy researching the history as much as building that history. The hobby has taken so many turns for me that I continually find new things to enjoy about it. What's really funny is that I thought this would be a darn near free hobby since I had everything I would need. I was wrong! I don't even use that old stuff anymore. Every single piece of train related product is brand spanking new! The old stuff is in the boxes it was stored in for all of those years.
So I guess my answer is longer than anyone wanted to hear. If I had to pick an age I became serious about trains it would be late 20's, early 30's.
My wife has a theory that the really devoted model railroaders started off at a very early age -- at least developing an interest.