Riffing: Train People

Admiring PASSION - of all stripes and shapes - we decided to check out the Train Show at the fairgrounds. Train people are not the same as Dog Agility people. Mostly middle-aged men, they don't seem to get a lot of physical exercise. But the gleam in the eye is similar, and so is the dedication.

This was the largest train at the show.

Some women (wives?) were showing their paintings, in one small building...but trains seem to be largely a male pastime. Is this because women are/were not allowed to become train engineers?
Must admit I've never been on a train, except at Disneyland.
It's on my bucket list.

A huge hall, full of train models.

There were a few kids, too. Kids like model trains.
Perhaps because they're like tiny dolls and action figures? Or is it specifically a TRAIN thing?

Trains mean travel, travel means adventure, adventure means excitement.

In the middle of the hall sat a huge model, tiny trains (with whistling steam engines!) winding their way
through forests, tunnels, and turn-of-the-century mountains and villages.
Looked like California's "Gold Country" to me.

This is the man who built that glorious tiny world.
How many hours? How much passion about trains does it take, to build something like that?
I wanted to quizz him for a while, but all I said was,
"It's breath-takingly beautiful...thank you so much for sharing it."
Maybe if I'd played with dollhouses as a kid, I'd already know what it takes.
Still - it sure looks like ART to me. Passion and dedication.

Below are a couple of the many scenes that were included in this one model.