Share Model Railroading with your kids...Without breaking them 

My recommendation: LEGO trains. My little ones (3.5 and 5.5) aren't old enough to assemble the models, but they can drive them. And LEGO is pretty robust. Plus as they get a little bit older they can rebuild and recombine them with whatever other LEGO they are playing with. And you get a decent amount of train for generally comparable or less than a decent quality model train set.

I’m 14 and I’ve been modeling since I was almost 7. It’s always been HO for me personally and now I’m expanding into Broadway limited stuff and scale trains as well. It’s been one heck of a ride.

I LOVED wooden trains when I was little! I still love them as collectors items.

The first layout I remember is a oo9 layout (HOn9 to you Amaricans). We had this in my Bedroom when we lived in London. It ran around the walls of the room and was a single track with sidings at each end, but although it was in MY bedroom I wasn't allowed to run it, as my Dad (Quite rightly) thought I would run the train (Singular!) too fast or damage it whilst putting it on the tracks. This was when I was about six or seven. We moved house when I was Nine (1970)to Wales and our first home there was in Pontypridd. We lived there for about a year and a half. We had a new layout within three months which was a bit more realistic (still in oo9), but my interests lay elsewhere at that time - riding my pedalbike around the Estate and studying for the 11-Plus exams to get me into a Grammar School. Later that year (After passing the 11-plus and getting into that Grammar school), we moved to Swansea South Wales. Once Here, the new layout was built about nine minths after arriving. This one was N gauge, and over the next few years the rolling stock (all British outline) expanded and we had several layouts. Most of these were in Our bedroom (I have two Younger Brothers), but two of them were in the attick and were immense! Ther was also one that swung up into the wall and was suspended on chains when in use! In 1979, my father discovered Ham Radio and his interest in model railways declined to the point where he dismantled the last layout of that period and set up a Ham Radio Society. I also lost interest for a few years as I found myself in various jobs during the 1980s. In 1992 I met my wife and we had three daughters together, taking up more of my time. In 2004 my wife and I had split and I moved back to Swansea from Neath (A nearby Town) by which time the Ham Radio Fascination had gone from the General Public and my father wound up his Society. Then a strange thing happened. I went down to see him in his Brick built "Radio Shack" and found he''d built a model railway. Back in the 1970s he'd bought a selection of stock from a work colleague and in amongst that collection were some USA outline rolling stock, together with a couple of locos also USA outline. He never used these on any layouts and gave them to me. Thios rekindled my interest and after I found my current Flat, I built my first solo Layout. I now have about twenty Locos (Including A Kato Big Boy), and about fifty or so Freight cars and Passenger cars. The layout runs in a Full End to end style with return curves at each end, like a kind of Dumb Bell fashion. My love for model Rail is back in force and I can't imagine it ever going away!

My oldest grandson loved trains - we bought him all the Thomas trains and he'd play with them for hours. When he was about 5, I told him he could run my N-scale trains, at first, he was running them like Gomas from the Adams Family, but he finally got the hang of them. When I retired, I was going to rip down the layout, at the time he expressed his wishes that the layout was not only for me, but he was also one of the Engineers too. Well today he's 20 years old and still likes to run some trains when he comes over. He likes the idea for DC and switching to DCC. My other grandson who is15 still loves the basement, he tells me he likes to figure out new routes to run and he's never tired of the old layout. So, I'm glad I listened to my Engineers and kept the layout up and running. It's still a ton of fun! I'm glad I listen to wisdom of my grandsons. I started on Model trains with my dad he was 45 and I was 5, they were Lionel.

I started around age 5 with my cousin's American Flyer. At age 8 I got a Lionel General set. In high school, I tried N scale (think Aurora Postage Stamp trains). I went with HO for the next 30 or so years, but never forgot Lionel. My son was born in 1992 and I bought a Lionel set for his first Christmas. The Lionel bug set its hook into me and I have been a 3-railer since.

I’ve had some adult visitors who couldn’t resist touching-it’s actually enjoyable to see their curiosity & interest.. Once saw a sign at a club layout: “Touch only with your eyes”.

I still have all of my wooden trains! I break them out every once in a while! So fun!

For my birthday at the age of 5, I was given a plastic battery-operated train set. Christmas 1962 at the age of 6 ½, I received a figure 8-S scale set. The following year another S scale set. In 1965 I purchased a used HO scale set due to space and available scenic add-ons considerations. I also was given a Lionel hand-me-down from a friend in 1968. All of which I still have today. Unfortunately, by 1973, I had to put it all away until recently. Developments have changed the hobby so much, that the enjoyment has been enhanced tremendously.

Thanks for posting my coffee choice, Jimmy. Also for the suggestions for getting children into railroading.

My grandfather built me a ho layout when I was five. I had had a few atlas engines and bluebox engines engines. I never broke any. However I did have a foam mountain that didn’t last long.

My son is going to be 5 at the end of July and he’s got quite a bit of BRIO as I had when I was younger. He plays with all my older stuff when he’s at my parents’ house. It’s fun to put together something that winds all around. We usually keep ours on a table, so it is pretty busy when we get the table covered and run up to 6 different battery trains. That said, we have a red diesel battery train that has a remote control, plus smart tech that is Bluetooth, and if we use the switches/turnouts that have plastic parts that will accurately route a train, then you could actually do operations.

First LIONEL SET 2 YAER FOR Christmas.

I started playing with a Hornby clockwork O gauge train when I was 6. I changed to OO when I was 8. My parents were not train oriented, but saw I was loving playing with the trains, so encouraged me.

I for one got my first HO scale trains (Bachmann's Thomas & Friends ones) at 8. My parents started me off with Wooden Railway. For the record, I didn't break any HO gauge trains, but I did have fun turning the couplings upside down (Just to see if they'd still work) and weathering them with crayons (I took great care in what form of weathering I was representing and felt very proud of the final results, but it literally just looks like someone just drew on the wheels and lower parts of the rolling stock with brown and green crayons). Plus I removed the middle axle of three-axled coaches and tenders just to see if it made any difference (I still can't find them). So the moral of the story is, if you give your kids their own trains to do what they like with, you may be amused by their imitations of adult model railroader's habits, or you may just be confused by their experiments. Also, if you go the wooden railway route (or any Thomas & Friends layout-building merch line route in general), don't stop at trains, track, and scenery. Get your kids things like cranes, water towers and turntables, barrel loaders and crossing gates, etc., that add play value to the early model railroad experience. That was one of the reasons why Lionel trains were as successful as they were.

BRIO for me as a youngster. That said... My dad was a member of a nearby N group (and there was an HO even closer but that was harder to deal with given space). I was running (and had my own) N scale train at something like 6 or 7, under supervision of course. (Dad also has an S gauge that he'd break out around Christmas time). Speaking of the club... 6 and 7 seems to be the starter age. We do require adult supervision when running (and the adult is the member, not the kid) but it gets them into it. It's always fun when dealing with young kids on the layout... if you can get them to focus on running the train (and letting YOU the adult handle making sure the train runs etc) then I think you can go as young as you think the kids can handle it.

I’ve very much stuck it out in the 3-Rail, O Scale camp. Not only are they of good size, but they’re just fun. I still do 3-Rail Scale, so it’s gotta be worth something!

There is a lot of great advice here. I got the bug with Thomas Wooden Railway and later Tomy/Trackmaster as a kid.

Happy 4th of July, another great video, the only other thing you could mention is Lego trains...

Drinking Clipper Organic Tea. I am British!

I still remember making a large TOMY layout with the blue track. I plan on getting the engines into a better shape by cleaning the battery contacts.

I got my first electric HO set when I was 6. Now almost 30 years later, I run N scale with both my kids (aged 2 and 4) and they pick which trains to run and have a go at controlling them too, under supervision of course. Maybe they're early starters or I'm just insane for trusting them 😂

I have this one trick that works with kids AND cats... LEGO TRAINS. They can break em. Who cares, it's a 5-15 min fix. And you can have a laugh together. I am so glad my HO stuff is in storage and my lego trains are out; when we got a new kitten... he wanted to play with em all. And he smashed a few off the edge of the table, flying at high speed. Expensive custom models too. 15 minute fix. Eh. And yes, he has his own train to destroy now too.

If I have kids in my future I definitely will get them into the hobby so they have something better in life than drugs and alcohol addictions.

Hello, I am currently drinking Taster's Choice French Roast. At age 5, I received a Western Railroad "Mystery Action" locomotive on Christmas 1967. It was a tin-litho steamer, and I found a flathead screwdriver would lift the tabs and unfortunately, I took it apart. In 1968 I received a Marx O27 gauge wind-up set (I lost the key.). In 1969, I received a Marx O27 electric set with the 4-wheel plastic freight cars, the motor went bad. Same with HO scale TYCO & AHM diesels in the mid 1970s. My Bachmann HO U36B diesel was dependable and pulled many trains! Model railroading did help me learn about mechanisms and electricity & solve problems!

The coffee that I’m drinking tastes just like Diet Coke!

I’ve given the wooden train set to my neighbor for his son’s first train set. (His son is 4 ). When they come over to watch me run trains , I give him an old piece of rolling stock to hold. (Gently)… I also gave him an n scale replica locomotive.

I’m drinking the Honduras blend from Enderly coffee in Charlotte, NC

My dad got me hooked on to ho scale train when I was 9. We had a Golden Eagle train set. I don't have it anymore, but I have some dc ho train set. With lots of track. I want to get into dcc.

Got a hand me down Lionel set from an older cousin at age 6 qand switched to HO around age 12.

Had a bunch of Brio stuff as a kid (knew it as Thomas wooden railway) and that was great. I'd also recommend some Tomy stuff for young kids. Battery powered, plastic, lightweight, easy to use system, some are RC too. Only con that may come w/ Tomy is the cost of batteries, and I'm not sure how popular it is in the US right now. I know Japan still has a decent market for it, but the shipping costs could be brutal w/out a US-based seller.

two plastic toys powered by a single UM-3 cell. 8-10? No actual record. Maybe 15? Had an Atlas HO diesel, some track, a used power supply. Vittoria.

My boy is 2 and he loves pushing his wooden train around the track.

I buy some of the cheap Hornby stuff. It is durable and runs on my HO track.

3:20 is like Märklin myworld

I don’t know how people with kids can have $1,700 Lionel Legacy engines around.

My mom always wanted to buy me the wooden trains, but she never could afford them. Little late now since I have about $3000 worth of HO scale now.

I only drink Lavazza Rosabaya Espresso.

Hello I am just turning 13 and I have a model railroad it's just track and grass 😢 but what buildings do you recommend already built ones or the ones you put together also thank you been watching your beginniner vids

Drinking Megaladonut Boston Creme medium roast from Bones Coffee Company.

Jimmy, with your connections and intimate knowledge of the model railroad supply chains, do you know if Atlas plans to expand the TrainKids line beyond the Acela kit? I don't see that much has happened with this line since 2019, but my reading of reviews indicates it is much more reliable than the Lionel battery product. I'd love to see a Metra set for example. -Ron

Don't break your kids

Sorry that was so long but I got carried away in the story...