There is a very good reason that most model railroad items now have that specific warning about not suitable for under fourteen: recent federal safety regulations have targeted toys (given the well-publicized PRC use of lead, etc) with onerous reporting requirements which would drive most smaller manufacturers and importers out of business. Somehow (one suspects the MRIA) persuaded the feds that most model railroaders were adults and could be trusted not to eat their purchases. The article that provided that information mentioned model railroading as one of the exceptions gained from rather broad and draconian requirements that lots of other manufacturers and importers are trying to avoid, many of them unsuccessfully so far. I'd as soon not rock that boat.
The warning doesn't prevent those younger from access to trains (and goodness knows I used all kinds of dangerous tools--starting with double-edged razor blades--and toxic substances from a tender age and have so far made it to sixty-nine), just covers the legal requirements and limits liability in a litigious culture. And California is the nanniest of nanny states, rivaling the EU in its concern to protect its citizens from themselves. Rather like the Texas text book approval authority whose preferences and politics dictate what is used in many other states, those of us who live in more normal states end up with California warnings on what we buy. And the mother's hyperconcern for her little darlings suggests exposure to environmental factors is the least of their developmental dangers in becoming productive adults (my dear mother just bought more bandaids). Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > I don't expect children to do anything, but if your hobby shop owner had any > business sense, she would have told the lady that all the items returned had > easily obtainable non-toxic substitutes. Carry what the people want. As for > me, this is my hobby. I exposed my kids to it and taught them how to build > all kinds of models safely using toxic substances. It taught them that they > had to treat everything they're not familiar with, with respect and caution. > By the way, they're adults now and have no interest in trains or any other > crafts. That's OK. In the grand scheme, trains aren't even on the list of > life's most important things. It's just a hobby. > > > Ed Kozlowsky > Sanford, Maine > > --- On Wed, 10/20/10, cfborg100 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: cfborg100 <[email protected]> > Subject: {S-Scale List} Children in MRR > To: [email protected] > Date: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 8:52 AM > > > > > > > To pick up on a theme in recent posts... How do we expect children to get > involved in model railroading when all the products say, "Not intended for > children under the age of 14"? I was discussing this last week with one of > the owners of my local hobby shop and she said this was having an impact on > their sales. For example, she just had a mother bring back a bunch of paint > and glue because it all had state of California cancer warnings and she > didn't want her child playing with toxic materials. > > Chris Borgmeyer > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> 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/
