The N.Y.C.T.L. was recently honored to receive a visit from my wife's uncle who lives out of state and made his first visit to our house. Uncle Harry had heard about the trains and was eager to check out the layout. His not being a model railroader or rail fan came into play big time. Things model railroaders and rail fans would normally focus in on drew little or no interest. I found that other things that I often take for granted or rarely pay attention to made a big impact on him.
Uncle Harry seemed to enjoy viewing the layout with some trains running but didn't really pay attention to the trains all that much other than commenting positively on how smooth the trains ran and how he liked the click clack sound of the metal wheels. Thankfully I didn't have any derailments!
After a couple of oh wows upon seeing the layout Uncle Harry focused on and really liked this scene with the sheriff's car parked half on the sidewalk.
This A-B-A- lash up with MILW T.O.F.C. trailer mimicking a photo in the summer 2018 Classic Trains magazine was no big deal to him. I really liked it!
Here's some of the questions I was asked.
#1 How do you keep it clean?
#2 How much is it worth?
#3 How do you make these buildings?
#4 How do you 'letter' the boxcars you painted?
#5 Where did you get the vehicles on the layout?
#6 How long having you been working on it?
#7 How could you ever move?
#8 Do you watch the Big Bang Theory?
Here's some tips for hosting a non model railroader or non rail fan.
#1 Mention early in the visit that Rod Stewart and Frank Sinatra are / were model railroaders to get some coolness factor going to get away from Sheldon and the Big Bang Theory.
#2 Have the layout in a presentable condition. Obviously this is not always possible when doing big projects on the layout. But having a clean area will go a long way in your presentation.
#3 Allow the visitor to explore the layout at their own pace and ask questions as they come up. No sense overloading the visitor with railroad minutiae that will cause their eyes to glaze over.
#4 Be ready for the trains not being the main attraction. What! Yup. In some cases the scale world you've created will take center stage and the trains will be an afterthought.
#5 Be ready to run some trains. While they may not be the main attraction it is a model train layout and therefore model trains should be shown running thru the layout.
#6 Trains should run reliably well. Every layout owner has been cursed at least once with a "visitor derailment". That's OK just rerail and get them running again.
#7 Afford your visitor as much time as reasonably needed to take in the layout and enjoy it. Showing a willingness to answer questions and spend the time explaining the layout, the scenes, the wiring etc is the sign of a good host. Be that guy or girl.
That's it from my soapbox.
Thanks for Reading!!!
"How much is it worth?" is an interesting question -- I remember an intelligent comment in what I think was an NMRA publication that something that was pretty expensive in 1975 -- like a PFM sound system -- is almost worthless now. A good answer would be it almost depends on the year, the circumstances, and the day of the week. To get full value from my collection would probably require me to spend a couple years of diligent effort boxing, cataloging, placing for consignment, or whatever. Not something I look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI generally am less and less receptive to casual visitors. Even my wife's family has to work pretty hard to get me to show the layout.
My usual response to the 'how much is it worth or how much did it cost' is 'don't ask' or 'less than a pack of cigarettes. I gave up smoking at the time I got back into the hobby and used the savings towards my train purchases.
DeleteI don't get many requests to see the layout and the wife is under orders not to show it or mention it when she has a visitor. I've turned down a couple of requests to see the layout over the years. Both times all parties had been enjoying adult libations so that was a definite no-go.
I always welcome visitors to see the layout, especially people who do not know anything about trains. Most visitors ask the question 'Do you play with them?' I do explain to them my passion and always answer their questions.
ReplyDeleteI have an inventory of what I won, but like many things, especially in this hobby, the value of what we paid versus what it is worth and to whom is very subjective.
One thing is that my railroad is always ready for the occasional visitor and a passenger train is always on the upper level for all to see. Most adults as well as kids recognize a passenger train. If they want to see more, I break out the juice train and then anything else depending on the interest level of the guest.
It is well known in model railroading circles that Sir Neal is a most gracious host and the A.P.R.R. is always open for business!
DeleteI always find it interesting when people ask how much is it worth. My stock answer is "it is worth every penny for the joy the trains give me". Not what they want to hear but I find questions like that rude. I don't have the faintest idea what my collection is worth and nor do I care. I never bought them for an investment. I bought them just for the fun of building, restoring and running trains. I really wouldn't know how to value the trains considering the fun they have given me since I was 5. And who knew I would also meet some fantastic friends along the way.
ReplyDeleteI do think you are undervaluing the effect of seeing your super detailed layout. For non hobbyists seeing what you have created is typically far more interesting than actually seeing running trains. As you mentioned you take it for granted and your focus is on the trains more than the scenes. I know that I still get blown away seeing your layout each time I walk thru the door. The same is true when I see the other guys's layouts and dioramas. I think most non-hobbyists can imagine themselves running trains or ran trains in their youth but there are a minute amount of people capable of creating what you guys have. But then again what do I know I have big trains and 3 rails !
The 'how much is it worth or did it cost' has come up several times from non model railroaders ranging in age from 14 to 80. It's not a question I would ask but I think some visitors have been overwhelmed by the sights that this is all they can think of.
DeleteThank you for the kinds words about the N.Y.C.T.L.!!!
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI've had similar experiences and realize that non-modelers just perceive a layout differenblty than those of us who enjoy the hobby. Don't waste time with switching moves...set up for continuous running. More than one train running at a time seems to be a crowd pleaser. Like yoau I've noticed visitors tend to seek out little details tht please them. "How much have you spent?" is a common question. For some reason I don't think people in other hobbies get this question as much. How may folks ask a fisherman about the cost of his graphite rod or boat? Anyway, a fun post and one that I think will resonate with a lot of model railroaders!
Hi Ralph,
DeleteI remember you hosting an ops session with visitors who didn't enjoy it nearly as much as a fellow model railroader would have. I think it's good to see the layout thru a non model railroader lens from time time. What we layout owners focus on may not show well to those outside the hobby. I think the bottom line though is to be a gracious host and be ready to answer your guest's questions.