Why we do this...

river_eagle Oct 6, 2010

  1. river_eagle

    river_eagle TrainBoard Member

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  2. COverton

    COverton TrainBoard Supporter

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    I don't know if a man can get through to many women about what having your own widdo waiwoad is all about, but I think most men get it. Or, they understand some of what you feel.

    Certainly, standing next to a steam locomotive is a thrill. Having one darken the sky as it bears down on you, teetering, causing the ground to move beneath your feet, and giving the impression that it wants to fall over on you as it looms and passes in a roar...it is the closest thing to a fire-breathing dragon that Man has created, and it does our bidding!!

    Aside from the pipe organ, I can't think of another creation that bespeaks the spirit of men.
     
  3. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    That about sums it up. :thumbs_up:

    We're capturing that magic in miniature so we can have that little moment of wonder whenever we want it. Just smaller.
     
  4. Flashwave

    Flashwave TrainBoard Member

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    COverton: "And it does our bidding". Yeah, as long as we pamper it first. Steam engines ain't no dummies. A Diesel, it just gets up and goes. A steam enine practically get a fullbody massage every job.
     
  5. JNXT 7707

    JNXT 7707 TrainBoard Member

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    Who cares? This ain't about steam versus diesels, it's about feeling that POWER.
     
  6. Kevin Anderson

    Kevin Anderson TrainBoard Member

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    That is cool!!!! Nothing like the feel of awesome power given off from the largest operating steam locomotive.:D:D:D I have a model of this one in HO with sound. Also a bigboy. Can't wait to run them both together to get the awesome sound they are together. And when I get the sound put in my cab forward--- Lookout house here I come.:D
     
  7. Flashwave

    Flashwave TrainBoard Member

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    I just liked his dragon comparison is all. I for one wish I could get to see her, but the closest she gewts to me lands on a Thursday...
     
  8. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    Exactly. As much as I enjoy the massive, almost living presence of a steam locomotive, something that marked my youth were the Alco RS-18s that regularly went through town, and did their thing at the local station. Those 251s revving up, throbbing deeply, with that throaty sound coming out of the stacks, the black smoke, the smell of diesel... I knew there was POWER in that machine. A big machine for a kid.

    And the rumble of the train behind the locomotives as it passed by, even in the distance. Especially in the distance on a quiet evening, the whistle echoing through the town, and the deep growl of the diesel engines.

    A train is a train. A steam locomotive is a treat above that, which doesn't take away anything from a diesel.
     
  9. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    When I was dating and a bit self conscience about my model trains I would explain that they are an outlet for almost every aspect of who I am:
    The creative

    • The trouble shooter
    • The artist
    • The photographer
    • The hiker (when train watching)
    • The cook - um, k, that's a stretch
    • The designer
    • The historian
    • The electrician / carpenter / ...
    • The entrepreneur
    Ya, some of those overlap and maybe be redundant, some are more wishful thinking than real but overall they at least reflect my dreams and how I relate to trains, model and prototype.
     
  10. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Just whip out your Fred Harvey cook book and mix up a batch of French Toast, a la railroad dining car fare. Or any other fine dish associated with dining on the rails.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  11. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member

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    "For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible."

    Wish I could remember who first said that..................
     
  12. COverton

    COverton TrainBoard Supporter

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    I was thinking about posting that, or something very close, FB, because it has a strong ring of truth. It is a lonely hobby because so few men do it, but we know from the looks on their faces when they first see what we do that they have a hunger.

    (hee, hee.....)
     
  13. jogden

    jogden TrainBoard Member

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    I understand, it is such a great hobby. I think most of my non-modeler friends realize they'll never understand and just go along with it now.

    I met an older lady the other week in my travels. She explained to me that she was a recent widow and was moving to be closer to her children. In the time since she had become a widow, she explained she had started a new hobby, which she had always wanted to try. She had gone out and bought the beginnings of a model railroad. It was funny to listen to her, because I think to some degree, model trains bring out the inner child in us all. There is something about them that brings back the memories of when we were kids, standing near the tracks and waving to the engineer as the train rolled by. This lady was so excited for her move, because it meant she would have more space for her trains. She explained to me that she had always wanted model trains, but growing up as a girl in the 30's and 40's, trains were not a girl thing, so she couldn't have them. Now that society has moved on, it is okay for her to love trains hand build herself a layout.

    She understands too, even if she didn't participate for most of her life.
     
  14. Mike Sheridan

    Mike Sheridan TrainBoard Member

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    That's certainly the best answer I've seen, but it obviously doesn't explain it.

    The thing is that there is interest in trains. Sometimes the interest doesn't involve models, very common as many people will stop and watch a train pass, but sometimes leading to serious railfans. Sometimes the interest leads to models, but not neccessarily railfanning except on a casual basis.

    So I think there is something quite deep that attracts people to trains, and it isn't just about power - there are plenty of people into little narrow gauge stuff that has less oomph than a family car.
    Maybe one day some psych....ist will produce a satisfactory hypothesis for it :)
     
  15. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    I think it is paraphrased from something that St. Augustine said.
     
  16. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    I see a lot of people on the Internet quoting that, but I haven't seen anyone credit the origin of it.

    It's something you feel, not something you reason out. There is no explanation for a feeling. You have to experience it to feel it. There is no amount of explaining, defining, quantifying, analyzing, codifying, or classifying that can transmit that feeling to someone who hasn't had that "experience".

    To sum it up, either you've got it, or you don't.

    Yoda? :ptongue:
     

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