This is what can happen when Mommys and Daddys “DONT” watch there kids !!! This happened last year and has taken me to now to get over it…
Did you get names? And a lawyer? It’s the only way some ‘parents’ will learn.
When I was in biz, I was forever dealing with folks who thought I was a free babysitter, and even “Why did you have it out if it wasn’t for him to play with?”
Reminds me of the old saw: Show me a man who hates ‘people’, and I’ll bet he works in retail"
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/noelw/Logo/frown.gif)
BOY… kinda of relate to that. I use to be in a Ho modular club and had show in Mall all over Calif. and Nev. I got in to the hobby kind of deep with 95 feet of modules on my part and lots of equip to run… (DON’T REMEMBER HOW MANY DOLLARS BUT A HOLE BUNCH.} We either had stuff stolen or knocked off the layout due to same as you. I had a Brass S.P. Cab forward knocked off the layout at a show and really never got it to run right after that. Anyway…after a few yrs ( 8 yrs. of it ) We got out of the club and now part of the Ho layout is in a 10 X 40 ft. office trailer. Love to have kid watching and run some of our trains and the looks on there faces was out of this world, it was great. But, then theres the other side, some Dads and Mom don’t give a darn… I guess times have changed and I sure remembered when we were kids. It was something great to have out parents take us to a train show in the old day… Us kids would wait for months to go to a show or Ya. couldn’t wait for Christmas time to get to the stores that had displays of trains running. So … Guess I kind of feel for you guy… I still see stuff when we have some guests over in our garden r.r. in our open house and have to com down the little one from going or getting to wild. They may get hurt or fall in the a pond or just break something that you kind of love to share our hobby with. Ya … Guy… it can make you bitter. But… you and I still try to share with others our hobby and try to have fun with it. So… guess we just try to fix it things and bear it sometimes … See if we can make it run again before we get to old to play like we did when we were kids.
Over here in UK we do not invite people under 12 y/o to our get-togethers. Call us spoil-blankets if you will, but the disasters like those suffered by poor Nick’s loco do not happen.
tac, ig & The Ramsey Abbey Boys
Why would you ever take your best stuff to a show?
Steve Featherkile said:Why wouldn't you? It's a "show" after all. You wouldn't take your daily driver to display at a car show. You'd take your best.............. Ralph
Why would you ever take your best stuff to a show?
Ralph Berg said:And you would take steps to make sure things like this wouldn't happen, steps which obviously weren't taken. So, if you are not going to take those steps, don't take your best stuff.Steve Featherkile said:Why wouldn't you? It's a "show" after all. You wouldn't take your daily driver to display at a car show. You'd take your best.............. Ralph
Why would you ever take your best stuff to a show?
Noel Wilson said:My favorite story from when I was little that clearly illustrates this goes like this:
...I guess times have changed and I sure remembered when we were kids. .....
My Gram and another grandmother were watching a passel of us kids. I don’t even remember what happened, but Gram lit into the one boy’s behind with the wire handle of a flyswatter. Well, the boy went caterwalling to the other woman, HIS grandmother, crying “Gramma! Gramma! Miss Lillian hit me!”
This lady looked at him thoughtfully over the rim of her teacup for a second, then said, “And did you deserve it?”
Don’t think it would EVER happen like that today…
Steve Featherkile said:Can't disagree with that Steve. Sometimes you take your chances...............and get burned.
And you would take steps to make sure things like this wouldn't happen, steps which obviously weren't taken.
It is still the parents responsibilty to make sure their children don’t damage something.
Whether they’re in a store, train show or any other public place.
As parents, you should not expect the rest of the World to be child proof so that you can abdicate your responsibility as parents.
Ralph
Steve Featherkile said:Yes Steve all the protective steps that could be taken were, You cant see everything all the time or a Kid that climbs under the rope when no one is looking and jams a pop cicle stick in the ties of the track to derail the train and thought it was Funny along with the Parents. I only run the best at the shows so that people can see that our scale isnt just toys as most people and other scales think we are. It truly made me realize i was getting old cause i didn't say a word But others did...................I'l be 43 in April you know. Live and learn, Live and learn. Maybe promoting the hobby isn't a good thing.Ralph Berg said:And you would take steps to make sure things like this wouldn't happen, steps which obviously weren't taken. So, if you are not going to take those steps, don't take your best stuff.Steve Featherkile said:Why wouldn't you? It's a "show" after all. You wouldn't take your daily driver to display at a car show. You'd take your best.............. Ralph
Why would you ever take your best stuff to a show?
And you would take steps to make sure things like this wouldn’t happen, steps which obviously weren’t taken. So, if you are not going to take those steps, don’t take your best stuff.
Last edited by Steve Featherkile (Today 14:21:29 MST)
…
Ya… you are probably right…
Not sure what Nickie had, but we had 8 " high plastic guards on our moduals with rope stanchens out 3 foot in front of the displays. Even some Malls even put up temp. metal fences that look real nice …but, kids will hang on the chain/ rope or climb the fences and knock them down. Parents just say . no don’t do that to the little ones… that makes the man mad.
Only way is… yes don’t show off our animated layouts with lots of details or… put up behind a store window with bullet proff glass. But then they would just smear it with candy and parents just say don’t hit the glass window with your metal car… laf…
We been doing show off and on sence 1955 and didn’t have much problems until last 10 or so yrs.
Difference gen.
Ya. guess you and others are right… Keep the good stuff home.
I was never worried much about the whuppin I got from the store manager as I was about the whuppin I was facing when I got home. Bad news travels fast…
At shows, I’ve gotten into the habit of standing outside of the layout, with a throttle for the outside track that usually has my stuff on it. Not my pride and joy, by any means, but something that can take a beating… If any kid shows any interest, I ask him if he wants to run the train, and shove the throttle into his hand, explaining the RULES as I do it. Yes, there is a governor (usually low voltage batteries so Lionel speeds can’t be achieved). Then I set the kid to a problem. All the kids with frigidity fingers then line up for their turn. This almost always solves the problem. The other guys keep a lookout for saboteurs, but there usually aren’t any, they are all in the line.
Steve,
That is probably the thing to do. Ric also lets the children run on the “Timesaver”.
Good for everyone involved 
Ralph
Theres not much that can be done if this was at someones home layout during a club meet or open house besides parents taking proper supervision of their kids. Did the offending little monster…I mean youngster parents even offer some form of compensation? I would think even if they werent members they would own up for their kids damages.
At the shows alot of the layouts have plexiglass barriers to keep curious fingers at bay. I have a rope barrier on the pizza at least it signals parents to tell thier kids "don’t touch " and mostly they have been well behaved …so far.
I always liked the dads who berated their kids about “no touching”, but then proceede to fiddle with stuff until they break it… and then try to sneak off…
Really makes ya wonder if the end of our civilization might not be a good thing
What happened to that loco?
Overheat?
Plastic usually breaks, not dent.
Now take a heat gun to it and finish it off. Display it as a wrecked loco. I have 2 of them on my layout.
John Bouck said:
What happened to that loco? Overheat? Plastic usually breaks, not dent. Now take a heat gun to it and finish it off. Display it as a wrecked loco. I have 2 of them on my layout.
Um John - That would be one of them really expensive die cast locos from USA Trains. Ouch. Or not. It’s a Pacific sitting on an Aristo box. What was it really ?? An AML K4 ??? Sure has the right number and look…
(http://www.accucraftestore.com/products_pictures/G701-01-1L.jpg)
Aha, brass!
I’d be pi…ed too!
USA makes a Hudson. I’d forgotten about the Accu Pacific.
Yup brass AML K4…
Be thankful it wasn’t an Aster Big Boy.
Be thankful it wasn’t an Aster Allegheny .
Be thankful it wasn’t an Aster Challenger, and, this time next year,
be thankful it wasn’t an Aster Challenger.
Bad enough though, Nicolas, many condolences to you of it.
tac, ig & The Brooklyn Roundhouse Boys