Question for those with small kids

[mike_lawyer]

I have two sons, a two year old and an infant.  The older one seems interested in trains and is a huge Thomas the Tank engine fan.  He also really enjoys watching daddy's N scale layout, and he has his own Brio train room.

I began thinking about my childhood and how I became interested in trains.  My dad and I had a decent sized HO layout growing up. 

Here is my question for those with small children - Did you ever consider moving to HO scale to give your kids the opportunity to get into model railroading?  I guess my concern is that N scale is fairly small, and thinking back to my childhood, I wonder if I would have been frustrated with trying to put cars and engines on the track had we been in N scale. 

Don't get me wrong, I love N scale, but I want to give my sons as much opportunity to enjoy the hobby as I have, and I don't want to turn them off because the engines, rolling stock, etc. are smaller in N.  This is just something I have been pondering recently.

Obviously, with my kids so small, this is not a decision that would have to be made anytime soon.  I also do not have a huge financial investment in N-scale as I only have 5 engines and about 45 cars of rolling stock.

Of course, if my kids don't get into railroading, I'd be happy to stay in N scale!

 

[Dave V]

My kids went straight into N.  Both could run trains on my layout at a very early age.  My 10 year old has his own N scale layout and I just bought the first car for my almost 8 year old.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't undersell your kids. I was laying N scale track when I was 2 with fisher price tools (oddly, my track skills have not improved much beyond that...).

In fact, I think having them work with something smaller may actually be even better, because it is less forgiving (like the world around them).

What I would recommend doing though, is creating something that's "theirs" and that you don't have any sentimental attachment to. My track laying adventure was on a layout that we only brought out for christmas (not my dad's NTRAK modules). My messing with it was just fine in the end.

But I'd hate to have a child decide they wanted to relay a powered full crossover of Atlas #10s...

[John]

my first train was Fleishman HO .. but thats because N wasn't really invented yet

[seusscaboose]

Here is my question for those with small children - Did you ever consider moving to HO scale to give your kids the opportunity to get into model railroading?

no.

i have heard arguments that a larger scale would be more forgiving with children as they develop their gross motor skills (i.e. a small scale would require finer motor skills).  I personally don't agree with that.  I think the size of N scale fits perfectly in a child's hand (versus an HO car which would be too large).

In any event, Ed hit it on the head.  Don't undersell your kids.  Obviloulsy Thomas is the way to go now... but as they grow older, there are plenty of examples here (TRW) where children are involved (M.C., DV, Pud, Lee, myself) in all aspects of the hobby.

Heck, what's the WORST that'll happen?  you like freight and they end up liking passenger?   

EP

[mcjaco]

I think it depends on the kid(s). 

I started with my Dad's post war Lionels.  They had gone through a flooded basement, and he thought they were inoperable.  So, I got to set them up and push them around starting at around age 4.  We later found out that they all worked fine.....oops.  He would set up HO trains under the tree each Christmas and I got to run them with supervision those years as well.  I then got a bunch of the Hot Wheels Railroad sets that were push power (they always seem to pop up on eBay).  Around age 8 I got my first Bachmann starter set in HO, and I stuck to HO through my mid twenties.  It wasn't until I was on my own, and had no room for a HO layout, that I moved to N to stay active in the hobby.  Oddly enough, I still don't have room for a N scale layout.....

My kids are both 8 1/2 months.  They loved watching Grandpa's LGB train under the tree this year, as well as all the scales at Trainfest this past fall, and the Wonderland Express as the Chicago Botanical Gardens this winter.  Obviously they're too little for any scale right now, but I'll let them "try out" each scale, as between me and my Dad we have every scale covered (including Brio, LEGO, and the old Hot Wheels Railroad sets). 

I say let the kids choose.   

[M.C. Fujiwara]

http://issuu.com/mr-hobbyist/docs/mrh12-05-may2012-ol?viewMode=presentation&mode=embed

Remember: if your kids work for someone else, it's called "Child Labor" but if they work for you it's called "Quality Family Time." 

My son was 4 when I got back into model railroading (N scale).
Just start the "One Finger Rule" from the beginning and all will be good 

[mmagliaro]

When my son was about 8-9, he had a fleeting interest in trains, so I helped him build an HO scale layout
on about a 4x6'  benchwork in the large landing outside his bedroom (no room anywhere else, and it was
good for him to have his own layout right next to his room without it taking up his
entire room.

He was always a serious kid with very good motor skills, so he could probably have handled N, but watching
him migrate from the wooden Thomas/Brio toys and build Lego or Erector type models, it seemed to me that
life was easier for him with something a little larger than N. 

Now, I'm raising two younger step children (ages 6 and 10 at the moment).  They are both much less patient
and less interested in trains than my own two kids were.   Kids are so vastly different at that age in their interests
and in their physical development that there is no simple rule about "what age" they will be able to
play with N Scale trains (if ever!).   It's not so much how easily the toys fit in a child's
hand as it is how finely they can control their hand and finger movements.   That really depends on the kid.
Some very young children are great at that; some are very very clumsy during that age 5-10 span, and it will
be very frustrating for them to work with tiny trains.

My best advice is to keep some non-critical N trains around as you build your own collection, so you can let
your children play with them and see how they do.  Every kid is different in this area.  You'll know by watching
them if they can have fun with N Scale trains.

In the meantime, I don't see any reason to switch your scale for this.  If your kids handle N well, then you can
build them some N scale layouts, or let them work on yours.  If not, you can build them something in a larger size.

[kalbert]

I started with N when I was about 8, my grandpa and uncle were doing HO but I didn't have full access to the entire basement to build on so N was where I started from. I was not your typical reckless kid, by that age I had built a number of Guillows planes, Estes rockets, and plastic cars. Pretty crudely painted and detailed, but assembled mostly myself with some help from Dad on occasion.

My nephew has expressed interest in trains, but he specifically said not Thomas. He thinks at age 7 he's too old for that "kids stuff". He's kind of a bull in a china shop and not the most careful so an actual model train might be an expensive waste of money. He's also not really interested in modeling or detailing, he want's to play with it, not just look at it and fret about details. What he needs is a toy train that isn't a big stupid G scaleish brightly colored 1800's steamer and old timey passenger cars, or funny little British tank engines with faces on them.

We picked up a Power Trains Auto Loader set for him at Sam's (http://powertrainstoys.com/content/products/playsets/41389-auto-loader-city-set/), and so far it's been just the ticket. Looks like a real fright train, but is definitely a toy. It came with a bunch of track and a really cool loading dock for loading autos on a flat car. There are also a number of add on components available, more freight cars, passenger things, and locos. He seems to be enjoying it, and if his interest continues we're looking at doing some T-Track modules with him that he can setup and run on the kitchen table and store under his bed when he's finished.

[ryan_wilkerson]

I've been into N Scale since I was a teenager (2 decades ago) so I have some items that are older and not in perfect condition. I decided that I'd start by boys using that stuff to begin their "training" in handling N scale. I had some MDC cars that have almost no details to be broken while they learned. I think my first son was 2 years old when I let him start with those. He got really good at putting them on the track. Later, I had an Intermountain SD40T-2 with a bad motor and the shell wasn't in good condition but the handrails were there. This became their first locomotive to handle, learning what "delicate handrails" were. Both boys ended up cracking one of the handrails (and the IM ones are really delicate!) but they learned how they needed to handle them. I haven't had a problem since. The main thing I told myself is that I want them to have fun with trains so getting mad when they pulled the shrink wrap off Kadee set wasn't worth it in the long run!

My sons are 6 and 8 now and have their own N scale. They always ask for a locomotive for birthdays and Christmas so they are up to 6 locomotives each. They like to buy each other freight cars for these holidays too.

MC and the other FreeMoN guys have seen how my boys handle trains and I'd say I've accomplished my initial goal. Now I want to get them into painting and soldering.

[conrail98]

I'm almost in the same boat as you Mike. I'm slowly coming to realize I need to do something with my daughter to keep her interest. The other day I made a comment how I need to get down to the basement to work on the layout (benchwork) and she asked to go run trains. Then last night she asked me to help her run her Thomas stuff so there's a definite interest there I need to harvest or encourage. It isn't full-blown all the time like some kids, but it's even with the other stuff she plays with,

Phil

[Puddington]

My son's been able to run n scale since he was five and I built his best friend Andrew an n scale layout for his 7th birthday; which he uses and works on almost every day to this very day.... I still have him over to paint cars...n scale = no issues if they are interested and it's well built and functional.

[tom mann]

Little kids like big trains!

[chicken45]

Aren't kids like, N scale to HO adults?

[Specter3]

My girls are 6 and 8. The 8 year old has a kato track set that she puts together onthe floor. I have been working toward making a fold down layout for her in her room. The 6 year old has some rolling stock that she uses on the der one's track and would probably like her own layout space, but not at the cost of her dollhouse. Thy have decidedly different main interests but both like trains. The oldest was running trains on the ntrak layout at age 6. Our largest rivet counter said she drove better and followed instructions better than most i love my kids of any age. They use the blue kato rerailing ramp and have no problems. They dont want to do any switching yet, but that will come.