Which came first - The modelling hobby or the interest in trains?

[Pjlons83]

Hi All,

I was wondering this over the weekend and it made me curious. It both impresses me and completely baffles me about how knowledgeable some of you guys are when it comes to trains, railways, history etc... of railways in the real world. I feel like I'm a late-starter! I had an idea for a small and simple train running on a shelf in my man cave a few years ago and since then the hobby as become a bit of an obsession! This in turn has sparked my interested in "real-world" railways. I find myself checking maps, reading history and actively looking for books in charity shops and the local library.... again this started with modelling but has since become more and more about the real world.

This is my current read from the library and it's fascinating for me;



So it lead my curiosity to the question in the title of this post; what got you started; did an interest in railways lead to you wanting to recreate then in model form or did an interest in modelling lead you into an interest in railways? Or are you into modelling but couldn't care much for the real thing....

No real foundation for my question other than a curiosity to see how others found there way here (and where it has led them). I'm interested to hear people's thoughts.

Happy Monday everyone 

[Newportnobby]

Being raised in Wolverton on what is now the WCML and my father working in the Railway Works it's no wonder from a very early age I became interested in railways. That was in the 1950s and, by the time I was 8 or so, I had a Tri-ang train set. Having quarter fare travel and 6 free passes per annum led me to travelling to widen my trainspotting interest. Then along came motorbikes and lasses (not necessarily in that order) then the inevitable job, house etc.
As soon as I had a free room in the house I did commence my forays into N gauge in the 1970s and it's never ceased. My actual interest in the real thing ceased at the end of the 1960s and now it's just something to get me from A to B............................eventually.

[kelstonlad]

I'd promised my wife I'd retire when I was 70. I only had a year left, and was really worried about what I'd do once I gave up work. For some reason, I decided to try out model trains. I bought a small OO shunter set, and was a bit dismayed about how much room it took up, so decided I'd have to go to N gauge. I used to spend a lot of time as a kid at Temple Meads and sneaking around the huge yards at St Philips Marsh, so steam engines painted green seem to dominate my choices.

From an analytical point of view, it's an amazingingly complex hobby. I've had to learn/improve my carpentry. I've learnt how to model scenery and scratch build a few things. I learnt how to solder, still not very good at it. Hand painting n gauge figures! My background is in software engineering, so I (foolishly) decided that electronics and control were something I could do from scratch. I've managed to take a non runner apart and get it running again. My kids keep asking me when my layout will be finished, and I tell them perhaps another five years if I'm lucky.

There's been so much to learn, and there still seems plenty left. And now, of course, a lot of the stuff I've already done I feel I could do better, so perhaps I should start again

- Andy

[ntpntpntp]

For me it's collecting the models and indulging in model-making which are the attraction.   I like full size railways but I'm not really an enthusiast to the extent of wanting to study in depth and gain expert knowledge etc.  I would probably have just as easily developed an interest in model cars/boats/planes etc. but my Dad bought and set up a Triang layout when I was a youngster in the 60s, with all the Airfix railway kits etc. so that's what started me off.

[martyn]

Definitely playing with trains/later modelling first.

Living in a port town, albeit one with a strong railway connection, I was far more interested in ships as a youngster.

Started toy/model trains aged about 3 with Lone Star push-along.

I didn't become interested in railways until probably a teenager; and same as NPN, having free passes/privilege reduced rate fairs, I soon made up for it.

It then became a career choice; a Merchant Navy Officer, with an interest in trains; or a Railwayman with an interest in ships.

I went to sea........

My interest in 'real' railways has declined quite a bit in recent years, but try to follow major changes, including the preservation scene.

Martyn

[Safety Engineer]

Train spotting came first as my parents house backed onto the mainline out of Euston. Later 2nd Hand hand me downs-clockwork O gauge followed by Tri-Ang Princess on series 3 grey track with a battery pack(1950s).

Martin

[The Q]

Railways first, Granddad was a ganger on the railway line, visible from our house.

However Airfix kits came first for modelling as they were affordable with several weeks pocket money..
The Model railway came later when my parents bought me the 1960s equivalent of the Smokey Joe set..

[Ossian]

Models first, then model trains.
As a lad I built Airfix (1/72) and in my teens built a OO (Palitoy Mainline) layout set vaguely in BR Steam days.
Dropped out of either hobby for many years, then in my 40's started building models again (1/48 and 1/35) but something nagged at me and eventually I realised it was "N".    The rest, as they say, is history....

[port perran]

Definitely train spotting came first for me which started when aged about 6 or 7 in 1960/61.
Steam was obviously still very much to the fore then and indeed my interest waned from about 1968.
I had a largish Hornby 3 rail railway from aged about 9-13 or so.
From about age 15/16 I moved onto the usual other things and my interest in railways was dormant until aged about 30 when I started to collect railway books and take an interest in heritage railways.
I wasn't interested in modelling until probably 12 years ago when I started off on the N gauge road.
I am today quite  interested in the big railway and am quite happy to go out to the lineside or a station to watch a few trains.

[5213 65J]

For me it was the real thing. My Dad was a fireman working out of Stirling South shed when I first became interested. He had started as a cleaner in January 1948 age 16. He had tried to start before Christmas but they told him to come back next week - I wonder why? My bedroom window was only ten yards from the Alloa line tracks and across the way was Stirling North signal box. I was fascinated by all the rods and wires and how all the signals worked. What really clinched it was when he would flag down a shunt to get us a lift down to the shed to collect his pay on a Friday and look at the rosters to see what was doing over the weekend. Standing next to the six feet driving wheels of a Black Five when I was five years old was a real wow - My Dad runs about all day on these monsters!

The modelling definitely came later and has always been there on and off for all the reasons others have mentioned even while I myself worked for BR. I started early in N Gauge and now that I have retired I have plenty of time to indulge my hobby and my interest in everything that runs on rails from historic to current times. I am a bit more like Nbodger than most of you being approximately 30 years into what I thought would be a five year project! However, I am happy with what I've got and tend to refine things rather than build anew over and over.

[Ditape]

For me I was in to crafting/art as a youngster and my big brothers train set on a bare board irritated my sensibilities  so I started adding scenery to it, then I got my own loco and stock to run on it and I eventually started to take over the layout when I was about 6 or 7 when my elder brother (10 years my senior)) discovered girls and beer/pubs. The hobby has stuck with me for 60+ years now, I have experimented with t-gauge, z gauge, n gauge, 009, 00, 0 and 0n30 but I have settled now with n gauge both
BR Western region and US Union Pacific .

[grumbeast]

Both I guess, I don't really remember which came first.  Always loved trains, model railways started as soon as my parents could afford a trainset for xmas for me.  Train spotting started as soon as I was allowed to get the train to Cardiff myself (though i do remember a holiday to York when I was very young so I could go to the NRM)

[Tank]

I remember being quite young and my dad making me wave at the trains, whilst we stood on a footbridge.  The drivers always blew the horns and waved!  My dad also had a brilliant model railway set up in the loft of our first house together, which is what gave me an interest.

[crewearpley40]

My Late Grandfather ran railway station kiosks like these https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/450430400207555710/ and https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2531715  between 1952 and 1991.  I grew up with him, my Great Gran. And family watching trains in the 70s / 80s perched on a stool watching life at Crewe before being let out at 17 to travel to London, Preston, Lancaster, Warrington my old stomping ground, Liverpool. Happy days even c 1984 attending manchester victoria whilst he collected papers that were not delivered watching 25s , 40s at red bank.  I was later to become a railwayman but had a serious back op aged 4 and he purchased my first train set. Which i still have before going to n gauge at 22

[Pjlons83]

Some great memories here