For prototypes:  They're big, powerful, and loud!  I love "heavy metal" - bulldozers, military tanks, and especially trains!  For Louisville & Nashville - learning the history of the railroad

For models:  The skill, hard work, art, and love that go into layouts, rolling stock, and such.  PLAYING with trains and my train buddies.

"These are just a few of my favorite things...."

Rick

I have been intrigued by trains nearly all my life. Not only do I like all kinds of impressive machinery, like RIck mentioned above. I have also been always interested in history and through that, have developed a deep sense of nostalgia. Almost every railroad photograph I look at I find myself thinking about what became of the men, equipment and railroads themselves that were captured in that split second of time. I can honestly say I like all trains. Steam to diesel, shortline to logging to Class I. That's one of the reasons I ended up modeling a freelance railroad. I couldn't bring myself to decide on any one prototype.

As far as modeling goes, what a great hobby. It allows me to be creative which is something I've always loved. Model building, civil engineering, woodworking, painting, electronics, computers,..........What's not to like?

The prototype;

The raw power, the throbbing sound of prime movers pulling hard, the ground shaking rumble, the distant lonely wail of the horn or whistle on a quiet prairie evening, the comforting clickity-clack of rolling steel on steel.

The Models;

The passion, skill, dreams, memories, and camaraderie.  The fun of it all!  Passing it on to the next generation.

There's more to it, but that's the gist of my love affair with the iron horse.

When I was a Kid My Dad took me to the yards in Los Angeles to meet up with my Grandfather. My Grandfather was an engineer for the Southern Pacific and on that day in or around 1957 or 1958  We got to ride with him in the cab of his Cab Forward as they took it to be scrapped in San Diego. I will always remember the smells and the Noise and the Whistle whitch he let me pull the cord a few times.

As we started moving you could feel the power as the engine made the first chuff forward and feel the jerk of the string of cars being taken to the scrap yard with it. As the engine started forward there was a bang bang bang bang as the cars tighten up and started to move, then My Grandfather pulled some levers and pushed another and then grabbed a single smaller crank and everything went forward in a lurch. I remember looking out the front windows and my Dad picked me up so I'd get a better view. Being only about 6 I was having trouble seeing. I remember watching as we moved through the yard going from track to track and watching the flagmen wave us on and then watching all the tracks around us start to disappear until finally there was only the one set we were on left ahead of us.

I don't really remember getting to the scrap yard or San Diego. I do remember my Grandfather and my Dad helping me get down and wishing we could ride back to Los Angeles in that Giant Engine again.

From that day on I was hooked on trains and pretty much everything that has to do with Trains. That day will always be with me and the feeling of the greatest power in the world under me is something I'll never forget as well as being able to pull the whistle cord on the largest Cab Forward that ever rode the rails.

If you add everything Kevin said to my post that will top it off.

Dan

Nice toys for children of any age.

Rich

My interest in trains likely started back when I was knee high to a grasshopper. We were flooded out by the Grand River during hurricane Hazel and had moved to a house in Galt, ON that was just up the street from a rail yard. I remember Dad taking me down to ride a steam engine, likely a switcher. The engineer took us back and forth several times. The yard is gone now and only a through track remains at that location.

The absolute power of engines is another thing that attracts me. I call trains money on the move. With such a variety of engines and rolling stock on the prototypes, there is always something new to see.

From a modelling perspective it is the variety of activities that attract me. Yes, I like to collect engines and rolling stock and even like operating, but the wide variety of activities necessary to build a railroad is what tweaks my fancy. If I feel like detailing and engine or building cars or doing scenery, then that's what I do. Procrastination does enter the picture, particularly when it comes to wiring, but eventually I must face the wall and get the job done.

Scratch building and kit bashing structures is also becoming a favourite part of the hobby. Like scenery, the sky is the limit here.

Roy

Especialy for steam, because it is ALIVE! YES.  I really believe there is a Soul in them.  They each have (had) their own personality, their own quirks, their own way of responding to those who used them.  How can such am impressive thing not be considered alive, that man created?  That is one thing I really love about trains. 

It's been that way ever since I bought my first MR in July, 1954.  And just recently I discovered what being a "foamer" really means.  When a train goes by I can't concentrate on whatever I was doing, my mind goes blank(no comments please).  Maybe it's that string of cars snaking along the track.  Or remembering the steam engines passing through Pomona, CA when I was a kid, or listening to the trains passing through Chiloquin, OR now.  But whatever it is  "...that's magic."

Bob Hayes

 There is just something about them that I enjoy and, as Bob says, when I see one, I can't help but watch it and blank out whatever else around.  My earliest memory, at 4 years old, was of playing with my dad's trains next to his desk in his office.  Loved it.

There is just something about them that I enjoy and, as Bob says, when I see one, I can't help but watch it and blank out whatever else around.  My earliest memory, at 4 years old, was of playing with my dad's trains next to his desk in his office.  Loved it.

Dave

And it seems we may be born with this passion.  I think I was.  No one in my family had a thing for trains until I came along.

This evening my three year old asked to have his copy of the Worlds Greatest Hobby DVD put on.  It's the one hosted and narrated by Michael Gross, that depicts building a layout.  He immediately started laying track with his "Thomas" wooden track sections to build a layout on the floor.  He has the whole table etc. but likes to make his own big track plans on the floor too.

He has a great time sitting with me looking at ANY magazine or book that has pictures of trains in it.  He can spot the difference between model and prototype in videos already...though the shot of the SP locos going through the tall timber on Joe's Siskiyou Line still fool him I think.

When on the road he gets very excited if he sees a train.  At age two he saw a train on an overpass we were approaching, and made such a fuss when we drove under and he couldn't see it anymore.  I felt sorry for him and turned to chase the train down and got ahead of it at a level crossing where we parked with windows down so he could see and hear the train.  Hysterics over and he was a happy guy for the rest of the trip.

This among other things is going to help me shake the analysis paralysis that I have been mired in for...oh years now!  I've actually sworn off buying any more books or videos until I have started the bench work for a layout.  I want to get Charlie's new DVD but it has to wait until I get going.  It's too easy to watch the videos rather than getting motivated, and that has to stop!  I have to build something.  If not for my own sanity, for my little railroader.  Can't let a passion like his go unfulfilled.