Adventure - Planned by MartyDescription: To boldly go forth and experience the tiny world of train modeling.
(Marty's Report):
Specifically, the Feather River Train Shop, on the north border of San Rafael. We had a busy day that day (it was the 24th of January), and were debating whether to drive north. I was the engine for this decision, but Heather willingly allowed herself to be hooked up, and we headed on that beautiful drive up 101.
The directions were pretty obvious, but they took us to an industrial park off of 101, just north of where the Feldenkrais center is. I had expected a storefront or mall, but this little place was smooshed in amongst the anonymous business with indeterminate names, in the back of the complex. But sure enough, it was a train shop.
Inside the small store, there were several rows of above-head high shelving, filled with the minutia of this strange hobby. Which to me was quiet nostalgic. In my youth, I was infatuated for a time with training, and had a layout in the garage, a 4x8 piece of plywood on which I worked my train magic, listening to country western.
This place was primarily an N-Scale shop, selling trains and the accoutrement for this small scale (the standard around-the-Christmas tree track is HO scale). There were all sorts of details for sale: trees, sand, little labels for buildings, etc.
The proprietor was a sweet, quiet man in his early 50's, who was gentle and not pushy. Unlike his groupie, an older man who our friend Gieve described as an "Aspergers hobbyist." Meaning, he didn't quite get the social signals. He was really excited about these newbies and wanted to get us to see what a great hobby this was. He managed to talk the proprietor out of a catalog of very cool intro level layouts (they've gotten fancy since my day).
We got out just before they were closing. I wonder about the owner of the store. He made a slightly wry comment to his friend about being a "model train professional," and had a bit of wistfulness to him in his little outback shop. I just wonder.
(Heather's Report):
As much of a tomboy as I was growing up, I never was into model trains. Or model anything, for that matter. Well, I liked action figures. Had quite a few Star Wars ones. And I had a very "poor girl's" version of a dollhouse but I didn't really have anything in it or make anything for it. As I grew up, modeling in this fashion just didn't "have it" for me. Besides, I was so impatient as a child (and as an adult) that I had a very hard time finishing anything sort of kit I had for crafts or the very occasional Star Wars spaceship.
Our chiropractor is into making those miniature dollhouses and items for said dollhouse and has an example of her work in the form of her chiropractic office in miniature form on her desk. It's pretty cool and amazingly small. I could see how people might get into the craft of it. So when Marty put out going to see a Model Train store, I was a little skeptical as to how I might find this experience but I figured, why the hell not?
I guess I was expecting some grand place like the inside of Santa's workshop or something, with massive tracks and dioramas, with noisy trains and engines busily going all around the store.
Yes, indeed, this is was what I was expecting. I was not at all prepared for the slightly grubby, sort of worn out shop squished between two stores. With a small, plain press board track behind the counter. Bits and pieces of tracks, trains and scenery in neat little organized packages all over the place. Apparently there are different sizes of models, like N, O and Z or some such and the difference was quite noticeable.
As Marty said, the proprietor seemed sweet and his customer, apparent friend and fellow train modeler, quite socially unconscious in the way Marty described. They chatted along, asking questions of Marty and making those "sly" jokes about being married and doing this stuff, as in, "I didn't do it for a while but then got into more after getting married so I could be out alone in the garage." or some such. I made the "tolerant wife" smiles when they joked with Marty about expenses for all this amazing amount of stuff you would probably end up buying, although I did pitch in that I was the one, afterall, who did the books.
Although it didn't seem all that expensive, although some of it was certainly pricey, and for odd items like little tiny rubber tires you could have littering the side of your tracks, etc. I don't know if I'd be on board for that. Marty would probably have to spend his own money on that hobby were he to get into it again.
For me, it was interesting to see the depths of excitement that people (the owner's groupie) have towards this sort of thing and I am certainly not one to judge since I have my own things that I collect bits and pieces for (such as my crafting stuff like beads and findings and all that). It was also a bit fascinating that there are probably companies out there devoted solely to creating these tiny little bits and pieces just for train modeling. That's pretty amazing.
(Heather's Report):
As much of a tomboy as I was growing up, I never was into model trains. Or model anything, for that matter. Well, I liked action figures. Had quite a few Star Wars ones. And I had a very "poor girl's" version of a dollhouse but I didn't really have anything in it or make anything for it. As I grew up, modeling in this fashion just didn't "have it" for me. Besides, I was so impatient as a child (and as an adult) that I had a very hard time finishing anything sort of kit I had for crafts or the very occasional Star Wars spaceship.
Our chiropractor is into making those miniature dollhouses and items for said dollhouse and has an example of her work in the form of her chiropractic office in miniature form on her desk. It's pretty cool and amazingly small. I could see how people might get into the craft of it. So when Marty put out going to see a Model Train store, I was a little skeptical as to how I might find this experience but I figured, why the hell not?
I guess I was expecting some grand place like the inside of Santa's workshop or something, with massive tracks and dioramas, with noisy trains and engines busily going all around the store.
Yes, indeed, this is was what I was expecting. I was not at all prepared for the slightly grubby, sort of worn out shop squished between two stores. With a small, plain press board track behind the counter. Bits and pieces of tracks, trains and scenery in neat little organized packages all over the place. Apparently there are different sizes of models, like N, O and Z or some such and the difference was quite noticeable.
As Marty said, the proprietor seemed sweet and his customer, apparent friend and fellow train modeler, quite socially unconscious in the way Marty described. They chatted along, asking questions of Marty and making those "sly" jokes about being married and doing this stuff, as in, "I didn't do it for a while but then got into more after getting married so I could be out alone in the garage." or some such. I made the "tolerant wife" smiles when they joked with Marty about expenses for all this amazing amount of stuff you would probably end up buying, although I did pitch in that I was the one, afterall, who did the books.
Although it didn't seem all that expensive, although some of it was certainly pricey, and for odd items like little tiny rubber tires you could have littering the side of your tracks, etc. I don't know if I'd be on board for that. Marty would probably have to spend his own money on that hobby were he to get into it again.
For me, it was interesting to see the depths of excitement that people (the owner's groupie) have towards this sort of thing and I am certainly not one to judge since I have my own things that I collect bits and pieces for (such as my crafting stuff like beads and findings and all that). It was also a bit fascinating that there are probably companies out there devoted solely to creating these tiny little bits and pieces just for train modeling. That's pretty amazing.
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