Coming Out/being outed

[steve fay]

I kept it s secret during my teens but since I dont care . I would rather have an interesting hobby than nothing at all and it's never got in the way of a social life.

I'm not a train spotter but I am a railway enthusiast and an avid modeller.

Long live trains & the joy they bring..!!

[SeanNeedham]

Never really kept it a secret, and I find a lot of people are quite interested in it when I explain to them I don't have a roundy-round of the type you can buy in most toy shops, preferring to build things with the trains as part of an overall (for want of a better word) artistic construction. One of my mates used to take the stick out of me, and call me things, not for the fact I was in to model railways, because he was as well, but more for the fact that coming from a railway family (and this guy being one of my father's colleagues to start with) couldn't really understand the fact why I was taken by southern region and NSE stuff when I used to spend most of my holiday time in York, Doncaster or Sheffield with my father; where he, my father and a couple of people they knew were all in to 'the region' where they were based.

[blue star control]

Something amusing took place yesterday.

 

I took my 'Model railroaders guide to steel mills' book in to show the staff what I was needing the till roll tubes for, then later in the day the store CSM comes away from the front desk and seeks me out in the timber aisle and presents me with even more till-roll tubes

 

And to top that off, I did a small diorama board with a seafoam tree with alittle foliage, and some static grass....the left it on the canteen worktop...low and behold staff were asking me if it was mine and saying Wow!!....'the tree looked very realistic and the grass was fantastic!'

 

The response was fantastic!!

[Chrislock]

I wasn't really into modelling after the age of about 14 until a few years ago, so it's never arisen as an issue for me. I used to wargame when I was in my early twenties, but my wife to be never seemed to mind, being into arts and cratfs herself.

I was always interested in railways though, and often our holidays would involve a trip by SNCF or RENFRE!

Coming back to it in my fifties has been a joy, and although I haven't gone around shouting baout it at work, I have not kept it a secret. it seems to be just accepted by those who know.

( of course they might take the p!zz behind my back!!)

[Catkins]

I don't think I've ever been 'in' about my railway related interests, but again i've not gone shouting about it either.

 

Reading my various magazines at work was the one thing that kept me sane, and at work - no job, no spending money, no models !

I did find that I got more stick from our lorry drivers because I'm interested in model trucks, but that would be good natured stick, and they'ld then sit next to me and start chatting about various things, or if I was reading one of my railway magazines some of the drivers would talk railways with me.

[Boris]

I've never really kept railway modelling a secret, after all I am considered a bit weird anyway by any sane persons standard. Its not something I ever really talked about at school, although I am now in a workplace where people who don't like trains are the exception rather than the norm and it is nice comparing notes on who models what. I must admit I could see folks who are still at school today not really wanting to tell folks that they are into model railways, but then again things have changed in the past 20 years or so. Anyway model railways are far safer than my other hobby which involves horses, swords and a love of history.

 

My wife is extremely understanding as long as I don't want to take over the entire house with "toy trains", although she quite often drags me along to exhibitions. Although she does pull faces at the price of some O gauge locos, she does understand that its still cheaper than her hobbies!

[kevinlms]

About 25 years ago, I was having lunch with a fellow phone tech here in Melbourne. He moved his lunch bag & at the top I spied a then current copy of Steam Railway magazine.

 

So followed a most interesting conversation. It turned out that he used to be a fireman at Carlisle in the late 1950s/early 60s. He was telling me about his times firing and the occasional 'goes' at driving.

 

I asked him if he'd ever fired/driven the Duchesses. He looked at me blankly and said he'd never heard of them

 

Well that stunned me, never heard of Duchesses at Carlisle in the 50s and early 60s!!! I thought about it & asked if he knew the Coronations, or the Cities? He still looked blank and said that maybe they were an experimental locomotive as he was unfamiliar with any of those types during his time there.

 

What was he talking about, as they were at a near peak there at that period?

Of course by now, I was wondering if he was making it all up or taking the p**s.

 

While I was thinking about this, he continued and started talking about his favourites - the tank engines shunting, where he often got to drive. He called them 'Jockos". Now the penny dropped, as I had heard of 'Jinties' being called 'Jockos' by Scotsmen & obviously Carlisle being so close to the border it would follow to use similar names. So now I knew he was serious about being a fireman at Carlisle.

 

Further discussion led to him calling the biggest locos he fired as 'Big Lizzies', which I then clicked as meaning "bigger" Princess class locos, or the Duchesses!!!

 

 

Well a roundabout way of getting there and a longer lunch time than normal

 

Sadly this conversation ocurred the day before he left Melbourne to go to Brisbane, so we only had that single discussion of Carlisle of that time.

 

A great pity, but at least I found out before he left.

 

 

Kevin Martin

[Guest notascoobie]

Back in the day I was a navigator in the RAF. There were plenty of modellers in the forces and you didn't need to keep it a secret. Some of the finescale pioneers had been in the forces and I remember reading of one who lived in a caravan on an airfield with his new wife....while building a layout in there as well.

 

In the mid 1980s I was on a Phantom squadron where the boss modelled in 2mm scale and there were 3 of into EM or P4. We used to arrange the alert roster so the 4mm modellers were on together. We'd build track and kits and stuff. The unfortunate fourth (non-modelling) bod had to keep us supplied with bacon sarnies and tea. It was the end of the cold war and the Russians didn't come out to play very much.

 

Meanwhile, on another Phantom squadron, the frames for a ME Exhibition Gold Medal winning 7mm loco were being fretted out in the alert room......

 

Happy days.

 

Don't be shy of your hobby, it's no more futile than golf!

 

Regards,

 

Vernon

[RussellD]

My family and close friends know that I am in to railways and modelling them, but I am reluctant to talk about my interests if somebody I don't know very well asks. Having said that I do post pictures of railways on my Facebook page and I do mention it on my CV as it is something different, shows you are creative, skilled and knowledgeable. I never really told anyone when I was at school as the kids are horrible and will pick up any differences between you and them and I was already being picked on for being a "geek" and for being above average height, so I didn't want to make myself more of a target. Luckily I have escaped school and at uni which I am enjoying. Incidentally, it does surprise me as to the number of younger modellers on the forum, there are more than I expected. If there are any fellow RM Webbers that are at Southampton University then send me a PM as I would like to get in touch. The forum is great for making you realise you are not alone and that there are people eager to help and pass on their knowledge and skills.

[GC Jack]

There is a stigma about an interest in railways generally. The term "trainspotter" is derogatory.

 

I live in Cowes Isle of Wight where an interest in yachting is "cool" and I have to sometimes endure endless "nerdy" conversations about boats, which - if the discussions were about trains - would be considered as weird.

 

I used to keep it a real secret and only shared it in "safe" company. I still avoid any railway conversations with those not in the know.

 

Jack

[Trevellan]

I live in Cowes Isle of Wight where an interest in yachting is "cool" and I have to sometimes endure endless "nerdy" conversations about boats, which - if the discussions were about trains - would be considered as weird.

The costs involved in yachting also make even the most expensive item of model railway equipment look cheap by comparison. In addition, railway modelling has never made me wet, cold and seasick!

[GC Jack]

The costs involved in yachting also make even the most expensive item of model railway equipment look cheap by comparison. In addition, railway modelling has never made me wet, cold and seasick!

 

That makes it even more "cool" !!

[beast66606]

In addition, railway modelling has never made me wet, cold and seasick!

 

Superdetailing that Bachmann 66 on the Mersey Ferry during a wet November was not my brightest idea

[BlackRat]

The costs involved in yachting also make even the most expensive item of model railway equipment look cheap by comparison.

 

To replicate the joys of yacht ownership :

 

Stand under a freezing cold shower whilst spinning around, drink a pint of salty water and rip up £20 notes.

 

From my oppo.

 

He used to own one, but very sensibly has sold it and returned to railway modelling, American O narrow, you cant have everything I suppose!

[bluebottle]

Back in the day I was a navigator in the RAF. There were plenty of modellers in the forces and you didn't need to keep it a secret. Some of the finescale pioneers had been in the forces and I remember reading of one who lived in a caravan on an airfield with his new wife....while building a layout in there as well.

John Charman, the Charford branch, first appearing in RM April 1955, I presume? He wrote amusingly about friends' reactions to his layout, and it made me feel better about my own interest in the hobby that he was not at all defensive about it.

[coachmann]

My album on the Conwy Valley line had just come out when I was admitted to hospital a few years back. As soon as the nurse put my name above the bed the chap across asked if I was the same 'Larry' and we chatted about railways. The man in bed beside me said he was the last signalman at Trawsfynedd and before long there were seven or eight blokes sat on chairs around my bed! The head nurse explained they were clearing out one of the wards and in the interim she had directed patients to my ward if they wished to chat about railways........

[Guest Natalie Graham]

It's funny how often, when someone finds I build model railways, the reaction is, oh my brother/cousin/workmate/partner/neighbour or whatever does that. I think more people seem impressed than not.

[AndrewC]

I'm starting to thing my hobby interests attract wierdos and whackjobs. I'm normal but the rest are just nuts.

I generally keep my modelling interests quiet on Facebook and Twitter. Beer on the other hand is a different matter.

 

Seriously, I've recently seen something that makes even the most dysfunctional trainspotter/modeller/soap dodger seem normal by comparison.

 

Picture this. A beer tap room (Its not a pub!!!!) in walks a small weedy looking bloke with a beard and massive doctor's bag. He orders a half pint, sits down, opens his bag and pulls out a measuring cup. Measures the half pint, then decants half of that into a plastic bottle, and seals it. He then drinks the remaining 1/4 pint. He then spends several minutes scribbling away in his little notebook. Repeat this for the next hour or so until he must have around 6 or 7 bottles with a 1/4 pint of beer in them, tucked nicely into his bag. Turns out he is what is known as a "beer ticker". Unlike a train spotter though they have to have at least a full half pint in order for their "ticking" to count. How sad is that?

[Guest Natalie Graham]

I'm starting to thing my hobby interests attract wierdos and whackjobs.

 

That's probably just you, nothing to do with your hobbies.

 

Good thing train spotters don't take half the train home with them.

[roundhouse]

Andrew

 

yes I have seen that done on a much larger scale at a beer festival in the middle part of England. Quite a few had brought suitcases full of empty plastic bottles - must have been 20 or more bottles. They have a funnel and pour as much of the half pint they have into the bottle (each bottle is numbered). They drink what doesnt fit into the bottle then go get another beer and carry on filling all the bottles. I presume that they take these now full bottles home and stick them in the fridge to drink later. However they cant tasate the same doing that .

 

However, each to their own. They should all be normal like me... only another 70 or so Bullied light pacifics to go!!

[Earl Bathurst]

The problem I find is some people outside of the hobby are very narrow minded and find it easy to criticised our hobby and what we do. I mean people I work with don't know what I do for a hobby and I am reluctant to tell them because of the comments I would get. Even some members of my family make negative comments bout my hobby. But what bothers me is if Youngsters get negative comments and hassle for being a railway modeller they will give up eventually and I mean that individual could be an amazing modeller in years to come but due to peoples narrow mindedness comments. And I can speak from experience I mean when I was younger I got the Mick taken out of me and sometimes thought do I carry on with the hobby just for a peaceful life. But luckily i stuck with it and I am glad I did because I love my hobby.

[bike2steam]

Andrew

 

yes I have seen that done on a much larger scale at a beer festival in the middle part of England. Quite a few had brought suitcases full of empty plastic bottles - must have been 20 or more bottles. They have a funnel and pour as much of the half pint they have into the bottle (each bottle is numbered). They drink what doesnt fit into the bottle then go get another beer and carry on filling all the bottles. I presume that they take these now full bottles home and stick them in the fridge to drink later. However they cant tasate the same doing that .

 

However, each to their own. They should all be normal like me... only another 70 or so Bullied light pacifics to go!!

 

Beer-tickers are not ale enthusiasts in their truist form, it's just something to do or collect, a worrying concern is that it is linked to 'Aspergers', but there again model railway enthusiasts shouldn't go on about it, as the most popular thing with youngsters that suffer from it is - Thomas The Tank Engine. I know 'cause I'm involved with their care in my job.

[br2975]

I have never 'hidden' my hobby.

.

Becoming a police officer during the late 70s, when it was still a male dominated, rugby playing, beer swilling organisation shaking off its' 'Life on Mars' mantle; I thought I'd get some real ribbing, but most of my colleagues would make a few puerile jibes and then move on to a different subject.

.

When questioned about what the benefits are of being a railway modeller I can say that I have become experienced in geography, local and industrial history, and also can conduct research in many different fields by many different means.

.

Albeit I was trained as a draughtsman (another useful modelling skill) , I've also learned basic woodworking skills, gained electrical experience, metal working and tinsmith as well.

.

I've learned how to 'improvise, adapt and overcome' when faced with problems.

 

In exhibiting I've met a cross section of the community and made many good friends and contacts.

.

As a police officer I gained (legitimate) access to railway locations and other places of interest to my hobby.

 

Now retired from that career, but working in a different, office environment, I find some of my younger colleagues lead a tedious existence with little or no knowledge of the world we live in, never travel and spend much of their lives glued to either X-Factor, Facebook or fantasising with the latest 'Call of Duty' game.

.

Compared to their existence, I don't feel embarrassed about my hobby - and neither should anyone else.

 

It all comes down to how you respond to the jibes and p!ss taking - 'I was always taught to 'have the last word' (and generally do), so if you're quick witted with a sharper tongue than your so=called friend, they'll only take the mick once.

 

Brian R

[Tim Hale]

Do you really need to seek the approval of others in the acceptance of your life choices? If so, model railways is the least of your snags.

 

Tim

[bike2steam]

True enough, but many lesser mortals suffer from the herd instinct, but some of us mavericks ( I include myself) couldn't care less what others think .