Grandson Patrick swabbing Burnt Umber on the rails...

[chuck geiger]

Patrick will turn 4 next month and loves trains, we are working on the
new layout together and we work pretty well. He will ask what something
is (rail joiner) and I tell him and he ask's what it does and what is it
used for. He pinned this curve and painted it with a little help from
Pop Pop. Patrick says if you glob it on there is no problem adhering
to the rails. He says Lee is right, bring a mop!

Go Ravens - Send Ben back to the janitorial closet of a suburban Atlanta bar.

[wm3798]

I can't think of a better job for a wee laddie like that!

[DKS]

[chuck geiger]

My son who is 22 use to work with me like this and he loved the smell of
Atlas cork roadbed when it was new. He said it was like a new car smell. I
said we use WS foam roadbed now, no smell.

[inkaneer]

Go Ravens - Send Ben back to the janitorial closet of a suburban Atlanta bar.

Oh, that is so precious!  "Long before it was immortalized in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven, the common raven was a near-universal symbol of dark prophecy—of death, pestilence, and disease..." and now how to lose a football game when you are leading by 14 points at the half.

On a model RR note, It is nice to see kids getting involved in the hobby at a young age.  I note that with the small parts, like wheelsets that are subject to being swallowed, the recommended age for children involvement in model railroading has been raised by whatever government agency from about 7 or 8 to 14.  Heck, at that age kids are more interested in sports, cars, girls or possibly all three but hardly model railroading.  My grandkids are 7 and 8 and do like to run "Pappy's trains".  I don't worry about them all of a sudden getting stupid and deciding to swallow wheelsets or the like.  They are very picky eaters to begin with.  What I do worry about them though; is that they, like their father, are Cincinnatti Bengal fans.  And I send my sincerest apologies to my fellow citizens of the Steel Nation for that.

[chuck geiger]

Good points Ink, they learn a respect for the parts, rolling stock, engines, structures, scenery etc. at around 3-4.
Patrick see the difference between his Thomas and the layout. My son was able to build $2.50 Athearn blue
box kits and drop in #5 Kadee's at age 4. TJ this ain't Cincy and Sacko Flaco