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Re: Who's keeping history alive?? How do we get younger people interested??
Author: Bob Huddy
Date: 05-24-2007 - 10:26
Experience is the Best Teacher: In Developing and Interest in Railroading Too!
Today's youth have many opportunities for entertainment, most of them passive or electronically interactive competing for their attenction. The things that attracted an older generation to railroading, railroad history, railroading or model railroading as a hobby was generally the ability to experience and see the real deal. I walked to school along side the tracks of Santa Fe's Second District and watched the Chief roll by at lunch at Bonita Park Elementary School. Experience with trains, trolley's, and other historic aspects begins with an interest in that reality based dimension.
Today's youth experience a different set of railroad reality. My son rides the Pasadena Gold Line to school, he sometimes rides Metrolink or San Diegans to the Beach, we have ridden the LA Harbor Trolley and watched intermodal trains at the ports. Through Boy Scouts and with the help of Merit Badge Counselor Dave Sanchez, who works at the Whistle Stop in Pasadena, he received his railroading merit badge. And, the ultimate for today's youth, I took him to Orange Empire and paid to let him run the RS-1. As an ex hoghead myself, there is no thrill like running an engine, and how many 17 year olds can say they have done that? It impresses friends of any age!
Mentoring and role models are a critical part of the attraction of youth to future interest in railroading, its history and lore. At eighteen I was a junior member of a least two formal and informal RR Clubs, and when my parents let me go the the Golden Spike 100th Anniversary in Utah, I slept on the floor of one of our adult members campers to save money. Hanging out with "older guys" who worked for or "owned" real railroads. Guys like Carl Ragoza, Jim Christianson, and laying track for Stan Garner, put up with a "kid", and lead me to a career in railroading and transportation planning. Today's youth are not that much different.
Scouts, junior membership programs at museums and with clubs are all essential to fostering an interest and more important opportunities to participate in "railroading". Working with operators like Metrolink, Amtrak, and local transit operators to educate and encourage youth also are essential. These are how today's youth experience railroading, and they seem to like it.
Bob
Today's youth have many opportunities for entertainment, most of them passive or electronically interactive competing for their attenction. The things that attracted an older generation to railroading, railroad history, railroading or model railroading as a hobby was generally the ability to experience and see the real deal. I walked to school along side the tracks of Santa Fe's Second District and watched the Chief roll by at lunch at Bonita Park Elementary School. Experience with trains, trolley's, and other historic aspects begins with an interest in that reality based dimension.
Today's youth experience a different set of railroad reality. My son rides the Pasadena Gold Line to school, he sometimes rides Metrolink or San Diegans to the Beach, we have ridden the LA Harbor Trolley and watched intermodal trains at the ports. Through Boy Scouts and with the help of Merit Badge Counselor Dave Sanchez, who works at the Whistle Stop in Pasadena, he received his railroading merit badge. And, the ultimate for today's youth, I took him to Orange Empire and paid to let him run the RS-1. As an ex hoghead myself, there is no thrill like running an engine, and how many 17 year olds can say they have done that? It impresses friends of any age!
Mentoring and role models are a critical part of the attraction of youth to future interest in railroading, its history and lore. At eighteen I was a junior member of a least two formal and informal RR Clubs, and when my parents let me go the the Golden Spike 100th Anniversary in Utah, I slept on the floor of one of our adult members campers to save money. Hanging out with "older guys" who worked for or "owned" real railroads. Guys like Carl Ragoza, Jim Christianson, and laying track for Stan Garner, put up with a "kid", and lead me to a career in railroading and transportation planning. Today's youth are not that much different.
Scouts, junior membership programs at museums and with clubs are all essential to fostering an interest and more important opportunities to participate in "railroading". Working with operators like Metrolink, Amtrak, and local transit operators to educate and encourage youth also are essential. These are how today's youth experience railroading, and they seem to like it.
Bob
