I always set up at least two and sometimes three layouts. One is just for the grandkids to play with, and includes old beaters. I bought one of the $39 battery-powered G gauge trains a few years back, and feel that it is perfectly safe for the kids to play with. It is very sturdy, has a remote, sound and smoke. IMHO, no child under the age of about 8 should be allowed to run an electric train without adult supervision. I use the term "adult" with reservation in my case <G>. I built a foam layout in three sections to go around the aluminum tree, ala the piece in CTT a few years back. Last year I thought my daughter was monitoring the layout. I also thought that the grandbaby (4 yrs) was playing just with "his" train. Not so. Daughter walked in the kitchen for a just a minute or two, and the grandbaby came running in saying "the train is smoking!" He had switched one of the turnouts without switching the other, the SHS SW-9 derailed, caused a short and the foam started to melt. I was in the basement and hearing the commotion, came running up in time to unplug everything and prevent a fire. We were considerably more careful this year. Seems to me that if one is going to have kids around, then the environment needs to be constructed in such a way as to allow them to play and therefore learn, and to also keep them and the domicile, safe. If this requires a second layout, or one that is only for kids then that is what I try to do. Bearing in mind of course, that if I had all the answers, I would be sitting someplace where the sands are white, where it is 40 degrees warmer, and where trains are the main occupation, not just a pastime. Happy New Year to all. Cheers :) Roy Inman
> From: Bob Werre <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 09:06:56 -0600 > To: Art Armstrong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: S-scale <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: S-Scale Modeling making the layout safe against grandchildren > > Ah come on Art! ha! Some of the best times I had as a child was to run > my AF Atlantic into a wooden block 'fort' of some kind and run over a > bunch of toy soldiers. I think we also ran it off the end of a > cardboard trestle after seeing the movie 'Bridge on the River Kwye' > (sure I spelled that wrong). Two cars on my original train are on my > layout today as I still 'cared' for the trains. Unfortunately the > Atlantic suffered a terminal case of E unit disease! but unrelated to > countless crashes in it's 8 year life span. Heck it's okay to run your > trains "just like the real Union Pacific"! > Actually the solution might be to have two sets of trains--a > cheepie set and the good stuff! > Bob Werre > > Art Armstrong wrote: > >> At the risk of terminal flaming may I suggest that a child too young to >> understand the need for care in layout operation may be just too young to be >> allowed to operate? Do you let them drive your car or operate your table >> saw? >> >> It's o.k. to tell children "no". >> >> Taking cover. >> >> Art Armstrong >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
