Model Railroading > Train display

This is my 21st year setting up a train display in a KeyBank lobby south of Indianapolis. I had visitors from a local kindergarten class. They walked from the school about 5 blocks away.

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They sat and asked questions about trains. They asked about how I built the layout. They asked some vary interesting questions. I taught for 38 years and have a great time with them.
Thomas is a favorite every time.

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This is just great to see! Thanks for sharing your story and photos.

Ryan Wilkerson
Fair Oaks, CA

WAY TOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!

This is great!! I love seeing the kids enjoying your display, especially at the age that they are. My kids all grew up too fast. Thanks for posting the fine pictures.

Enjoy the hobby!

Greg

SWChief Wrote:
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> This is great!! I love seeing the kids enjoying
> your display, especially at the age that they are.
> My kids all grew up too fast. Thanks for posting
> the fine pictures.
>
> Enjoy the hobby!
>
> Greg

Thanks for the dedication Dan, 21 years, WOW. Used to be there was a time your money could have tripled in a bank account over that time frame ;-)

Greg is correct about kids growing up too fast. Seems like just last week that my oldest was the same age as the kids in your photographs. Today she is in college. Looking back the time seems to have passed as fast as a nice long shower.

Jay

This effort is fantastic! Big thumbs up to the Bank for allowing this also.

Javier Cervantes
Castle Rock , CO

superchief73 Wrote:
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> This effort is fantastic! Big thumbs up to the
> Bank for allowing this also.


I would guess that if I asked today the company might not agree to have it there. However, after 21 years the community expects it. The upper management at least in this district likes the public response. The customers start asking in October if the trains will be back.
I have no trouble getting sponsors either. $50 gets your company on a box car and a sign. $100 gets you a building and a sign and car. This raises the funds to get the insurance and replace equipment. It is self sustaining. Just many hours at the bank.
The club I started over 30 years ago, I am the last of the founding members, carries insurance which also helps I guess.

Don't you just love the kids Dan!? Recently, I did a presentation on my book at an elementary school near Goshen, Indiana (Benton Elementary) and they were very well behaved darlings. Before I got to school, the kids colored posters welcoming me and they were posted all over the school. (One kid was very honest though, as he wrote on his poster that he was looking forward to seeing my model trains. <G>)

Because this is a younger group than I normally present to, I ask a few questions first. Did anyone have a parent that worked on the railroad? A few raised their hands. Did any see the steam engine that came through the area recently (the 765)? More than half raised their hands. And then, during the presentation, I had a photo of one of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends. They all knew about Thomas and his Friends.

I played the Wabash Cannonball song and they all started clapping to it. There were two sessions: Kto3 and 4to6 with 400 children. They all sat on the floor in the Cafeteria. I never had such a large, enthusiastic audience!

Dan, keep doing this. The hobby is not dead among the kids. Trains will always be fun. Good that you got some pictures of the kids too. The librarian at the school took some photos but never sent them to me. Some people are funny about having pictures of their kids on the internet. It's a different world. I will post pictures of the posters here and on my site as soon as I get them "stitched" together on my scanner.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/14 09:19 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Don't you just love the kids Dan!? Recently, I did
> a presentation on my book at an elementary school
> near Goshen, Indiana (Benton Elementary) and they
> were very well behaved darlings. Before I got to
> school, the kids colored posters welcoming me and
> they were posted all over the school. (One kid was
> very honest though, as he wrote on his poster that
> he was looking forward to seeing my model trains.
> )
>
> Because this is a younger group than I normally
> present to, I ask a few questions first. Did
> anyone have a parent that worked on the railroad?
> A few raised their hands. Did any see the steam
> engine that came through the area recently (the
> 765)? More than half raised their hands. And then,
> during the presentation, I had a photo of one of
> Thomas the Tank Engine's friends. They all knew
> about Thomas and his Friends.
>
> I played the Wabash Cannonball song and they all
> started clapping to it. There were two sessions:
> Kto3 and 4to6 with 400 children. They all sat on
> the floor in the Cafeteria. I never had such a
> large, enthusiastic audience!
>
> Dan, keep doing this. The hobby is not dead among
> the kids. Trains will always be fun. Good that you
> got some pictures of the kids too. The librarian
> at the school took some photos but never sent them
> to me. Some people are funny about having pictures
> of their kids on the internet. It's a different
> world. I will post pictures of the posters here
> and on my site as soon as I get them "stitched"
> together on my scanner.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com


Victor, I asked permission.
Dan*

Good deal Dan.