200 Fingers

[OBJack]

Well this happened a while ago now, but the Big Day did arrive,

I had to be on my best behavior as 200 fingers came to see and test the PistonBroke Line.

Grades K (kindy) to 4 of The local Primary school came to visit. And the Chief Engineer was working up a real sweat making sure that all 4 trains kept running and blowing their horns for 30 minutes without running of the rails..........

That's me "not running of the rails" .....as well as the Locos.

Here are some of the Captured Audience

errm... I mean captive

Although, even being captured, they all seemed enthralled by it all, hock: and asked millions of great questions, probably only so they didn't have to go back to class to soon.
But it was a real Buzz to see the wonder in their faces, and I am sure they enjoyed it.

And I farewelled them with a reminder to ask Santa for a train set for Xmas. HO HO HO HO.

Anywho I survived, The Pistonbroke line survived, the dog survived and the kids survived, so it was a great little interlude for all
and we hope to do it again someday.

Jack
and the lost tribe

[Steamtrains]

WoW...That's great that you opened your doors to a drove of kids..!! Maybe some of them will get "hooked" and carry on this "work"....
How you managed to keep 20 kids and their prying fingers off the layout I'll never know....I had my hands full with 5 kids who came to see the "choo-choos" a few weeks back..!!

[Jesso]

Congrats on the sucessful visit. I'm glad that you were able to share your layout, planting the seed of modeling is always a great thing!

[Herc Driver]

That's great! They went back home with a bunch of stories...ideas...and possibilities in their little heads. Good on ya!

[Beamish]

Great Job promoting the hobby to inquisitive young minds. Glad to hear that everything went well and there were no finger related mishaps.

[Sumpter250]

LIFE....
..... Abandon the search for truth
Look for a good fantasy

Love it!!!.......and, by the looks of things (the pics), it appears that you found one!

[GS4]

Steamtrain, what Jack didn't tell you, was that he had a pair of Rottweilers in the room with him. How else do you think he controlled 20 kids

Cheers, Simon

[ngauger]

Really a great thing you did there!!!

Glad iot turned out well for everybody...

[eightyeightfan1]

200 divided by 10 equals an awful lot of hands that want to touch.
Oh well, as long everyone behaved....including the kiddies.

Suggestion: Since anklebiters like to run trains, what I do is put some of the cheap stuff (Bachmann, Model Power, train set) on the layout, and remove all the good stuff, so the kids can run trains also.This way the expensive, good equipment doesen't get ruined.

I know not all kids are bad, but why take a chance.

[OBJack]

Just felt I should say that judging by the sentiments expressed by all who replied,...."that the hobby is in good hands."
All seem to share the same ideals, in that to share the experience is to make it so much richer, and it is that which started me down this road in the first place.... to be able to share with the anklebiters.
My 6 grandkids already drive the trains, and at ages ranging from 3 to 6yrs, at this stage they only want to see how fast they can make 'em go, but that is cool, they be learning. but sadly, as the closest lives a couple of hours away that is not very often.
I have never been rich enough to have owned anything that can't be fixed or a new one bought if an accident happens.
'Cepting the leg the rottweiller chewed off that little redheaded kid that was trying to escape the other day, (Ya got my measure Simon....GS4) :oops:

I think it is going to happen again soon,.....one of the teachers dropped by the other day to case the joint, and take a few photos to see if she can incorporate it in a lesson on perspective.

So thanks for the encouragement, and all those excited little faces shining with bewilderment and awe is something to which I am starting to look foreward to.

Jack

[Sumpter250]

It's the kids, that make setting up the modular layout at trainshows, worth the effort. Somewhat surprisingly, in most cases it's the "big kids" (read adults) that touch the most!

[TrainNut]

At my sons birthday party last year, I didn't want the kids right up against my layout so I shoved some folding tables up against it and that's where we put the cake and ice cream N stuffs. Lo'n'behold, I look up and one of the older kids had climbed over the back of the couch and squeezed in between the layout and the foldup tables to get a closer view!

[Bigsteel]

its always cool to see how kids react to layouts.the young ones are the most interested,asking how the little trains work,what is what,but most of the time the older guys ask how i did everything and are the touchiest ,constantly poking and prodding to see what they feel like or what there made of --josh