Visitor Issues

This comment in another thread about cats made me wonder about visitors and what to do with them? I guess this could turn out to be a "¤¤¤¤¤ and moan" session with humorous anecdotes but maybe a few viable antidotes as well.

I have been lucky for the most part. About the worst thing that ever happened was when a curious teen placed a nail across a track and held it there. Yep, he got a burned and after that asked before trying things. I do take pleasure in asking him now and then if he has picked up any nails.

 

In our previous house the trainroom was behind the garage, separated from the house. It was there that I discovered cockroaches absolutely adore scenery, especially WS Plaster Cloth. I didn't find this out until we prepared for our move and I tore down the layout. Apparently roaches prefer dining from the inside out. Fortunately I don't seem to have that problem in the new house....yet.

 

Never had any problems, but I pretty well know anyone that's in there. Many of my industries are named for family and friends, and once a visitor sees that effort, they suddenly gain much more respect.

 

I'm rather well known for calling them as I see them, to use one euphemism (if you want to know if a cat is a cat, I'm your man).

The main problem group are the non-modelers. I just read them the riot act before they get anywhere near a train or layout. Then there is no excuse such as "oh, I didn't know" or some other such rubbish.

The clincher is usually "What if I went over to your house and broke some expensive stuff?"

As I mentioned, people know I don't mince my words when it comes to laying down the law, so they're not really shocked.

Quoting Victor Borge, "You keep your hands off my piano and I'll keep mine off your coloratura."

 

I have been lucky. I can't claim to have had scads of admirers bring friends over to see my exceptional modeling (cough), but I have had groups, such as my wife's sorority and husbands for an evening, and invariably the guys want to come down to see the train layout. If I were to assign a probable total of 60 people who have claimed enjoyment at my creation, from kids to adults, not a one has done anything impulsive, bone-headed, disrespectful, or made any passing sneering remarks. Instead, some are quiet, hopefully because they are a bit thrilled and are just wanting to soak it all in, while others have no compunction about asking direct questions, many of them indicating a good eye for details, or for things misplaced.

I have had trades down to the basement for one thing or another. Some pass by like it doesn't exist, no questions, no apparent observation or appreciation for the layout. Others can't help themselves but do a double-take and exclaim that the layout is wonderful. It's always easy on the ears, and so far not a soul has overstepped what I would call sensible boundaries.

I think some of you fellers with large, highly accomplished work, and who have an open house at least once annually, or who take a smaller work to displays, are statistically highly likely to have some marginal personalities attend who can make your day somewhat miserable. I don't know if I will ever be in that league, but I would enlist the help of trusted agents/friends to keep a jaundiced eye on things...well, on the people.

 

I only show my layout in pictures (mainly because it's such a let down in person).

Takes care of any visitor issues.

 

I have no problem with visitors. Usually there's only one who want to see the layout. And we talk about some things I've built. Like my flagman with SMD LED or a structure with hundreds of NBWs. Or my way to operate the layout, with car cards and waybills. And I've a guest-book for first time visitors.

Co-operators make not more damage than myself. :angel:

Wolfgang

 

When we set up MiNi, we have more issues with adults, than kids. The layout height has something to do with that.

Lot's of visitors like to lean on the modules with their elbows, which tends to squish static grass, and in some cases knock the alignment out of whack. Kids tend to point at stuff and just be excited in general.

I have, in one case, been one of those visitors that did damage to a gentleman's layout when I was 18. He offered to let me photograph my California Northern GP15 on a trestle on his layout, to which I immediately accepted. I put the loco on the bridge, took some photos, then went to pick it up. As I did, I inadvertantly grabbed the handrails on the bridge, and snapped them. Man was I embarrassed, but I did immediately tell him.

 

That is an excellent idea! I think I'll do that on my new layout. :thumbs_up:

 

I was the one on the cat thread who started the "human" visitor thing. Over my many years, I have seen it all and it really isn't the kids who cause problems. I have never had anything stolen, but I know some fellows who have had stuff grabbed while nobody's looking. I have folks visiting me all the time, at least 2 "clubs" that meet in the back yard (where my layout is) from time to time, the utilities reader, the mailman, the city inspector, cops, sheriffs, and anyone else who stops by. Actually, the cops and sheriffs are buddies of mine and are model railroaders. I really don't have any problems with anyone. I very rarely have visiting locomotives, etc. since I run r/c and have no track power, but I will gladly give anyone a transmitter and let them get after it. Most are content to look, but some really get into the scheme of things. One time, a club had 3 teens in the midst-I gave them transmitters and showed them which locos to use. They were less interested in running a train and switching than in how fast could a Shay locomotive go or whether a Garratt could run down an incline track and almost fall to the ground! But they got to "participate". My buddy Mopman operates on my layout all the time, but with link & pin couplers and roller coaster track (Mopman is class 1 modern), we tend to holler and cuss a lot...the neighbors just put up with it. While I might be considered a "hermit", I still enjoy having others drop by to see what I have built, isn't that what it's all about-"show & tell" ?
Woodie

 

Woodie will have to admit I don't cuss it as much as I used to (except at night when you can't see anything) LOL.

Anyway, I host the RR club during the year and have an open house once a year during the Plano convention and have yet to have any problems (knock on wood) with visitors. As far as kids go, my layout is 50+ inches high so small kids can't reach (or see) anything unless a parent holds them. Usually during the open house, Woodie and another RR friend of ours help run trains and keep an eye out for problems. I also have a guest book for visitors during the open house.

 

When my son was about 4 we were at a show and the owners of a layout got a little edgy when my son showed up. I told them he knows what he is doing and he won't touch. And he didn't. They were impressed. To let you know he knew how to rerail an engine at age 2 (he is now 10). If you watched him at any time one would be surprised to see how gentle he is with any train piece that needs to be rerailed or any handling at all. He has had his own trains since age 3 or 4 and is looking forward to the new train room to be completed (just needs carpet) so he can run trains with DCC. I don't think all visitors are bad but I can see how some can get overzealous and want to touch everything.

 

During this past spring, my club agreed to display our HO modular layout at a Boy Scout Camperall being held at a nearby fairgrounds. Most of the Scouts were polite and respectful, but there were many undisiplined little B's who delighted in trying to derail trains, shaking the layout to cause problems, throwing switches causing head on collisions and placing sweating soft drink cans and cups on the rails and scenery. All this while their Scout leaders were watching and did nothing even after being told about it. We were debating to pack up and leave before the show was not even open for two hours. We'll never do a show like that again.

 

I'll tell ya, visitors are a pain until they save your bacon. As one at a GATS show in Indy, I spotted a derailment on the G gauge layout, and managed to grab an engine before a simple derailment turned into a three-way. I then apologized for touching the train profusely, which I would not have done if there hadne't been a problem, but it made thier lives easier. Sadly, the plexiglas "no-touchy" was shorter than the backdrop, and with the operator behind the backdrop, I was having better luck rerailing trains than he was.

In HO, I've had similar guests poitn out a derailment, or a switch not thrown all the way, but we didn't have the near collision. Still, a bystander is two more eyes than I have alone.

 

Today I stopped in at a shop in Salt lake that has in the past gotten really nervouse with my son. Always said do not touch. Today they had two O guage layouts with power on and my son found them. The proprietor actually told him to run the trains. He was in seventh heaven. He is 10 years old. Now to get ours up and running.

 

If you are going to have a public show or invited the public to a veiwing, you had better expect kids! And with that you had also better expect some antics!! You can handle it in one of either two ways. You can bite your tongue and be gracious to your guests, or you can scream at the top of your lungs.

I was walking around at a large public show. In attendance was a group from Colorado(They derived their name from the Montana Rail Link). Everyone was looking around and doing some shopping (there were vendors at this show). All of the sudden, there was this deafening shout

"HEY YOU!! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF!!!!!!!"

A small child(6 or 7 years old) had reached across towards a circus display. There was only a small rope to keep people back. The person doing the shouting was only six feet away from the child. Needless to say, the child ran away crying. After seeing such a vile way of handling the situation, I vowed to never give them the time of day.

If you are going to display something and don't want anyone to come in contact with anything, then you do something to prevent such a situation from ever occurring. If it means putting up a four foot plexiglass divider, then do it!!! If you think you can just leave things out on a shelf and have hundreds of people pass by without anyone attempting a touch or a feel then you are seriously delusional!!

Does anyone leave their car in parking lot, keys in the ignition, un-locked with the windows rolled down and their credit cards lying on the dash??? Then why on earth would you do that with your belongings at a train show???

 

While I agree that he should of handled the incident better, the fact remains that he shouldn't have to put up a wall of plexiglass either. What it comes down to is respecting other people's property and teaching children that rule at an early age.

Too many parents don't raise their kids. Instead they let them get most of their input from TV, video games, and the like without the parents inputting the actual reality of proper behavior.

Many find it easy to blame a child for things like this or throwing tantrums in a store, but the real fault is in the parents who allow and don't correct these actions.

Duane Goodman

 

Maybe electric powered barbed wire...... Man i must have been real good as i was around several who had layouts when i was young At one time we,( me, three nephews, a sister and Brother-in-law) All had our family layout! The basement was loaded but we all had a track on the board and racesets too, ( what do ya want? I was around 8 give or take). We all had a good time but we did get into "races" with our cars, and once in a while with out engines as well.:tb-ooh: So we had all learned that we could do anything with "our" track and we could also have 1/4 mile races with the engines but we had to take care as to not break them so we kept the reins in check. The point is that we learned to do anything we liked with in limits but Sis's and Brothers in law's trains was off limits and that included there buildings and switches too! We also learned that engines and cars were also off limits and because those limits were kinda drilled into our minds, we used the same rules when at the train shows and hobby shops close to where we were at.
As too the next generation of brats...deep breath.. I have to say that 90% of them in this town are just that..BRATS!!! Sometimes i have had to collect from the parents the damages there Brats have done. They act like we are the police or something and try and work there out of the store without paying for the damages! Most times Deb and I are pretty good at fencing off the door and they end up paying for the item but once in a while we let one slip out the door before we find the "damage". IF.. we as kids had tried even 1/6th the stuff these kids here in this area pulled I would not be sitting down for a month of Sundays!! And they wonder why we have such a large crime rate......:mtongue: Ok, Back off the soap box. We are lucky that we can even have the trains without having them stolen or busted. I often think that the parents that have train sets or model planes or something like that are more in-tuned to what there children are doing and help those kids to have different values then those that hang on the streets all the time. They are always the kids from across the track.........:we2-policeman: