Most Bizarre Model Railroad Behavior

[eightyeightfan1]

And won't he be suprised when 20-25 years from now everything that he stepped on becomes a collectors item and worth thousands of dollars a piece.

Maybe he can sell copies of those videos for a couple of pennies. Oh..Wait...Its a free site....

[Mike Kieran]

The only explanation that I can come up with is that people are just plain bat crap crazy, like pyromaniacs that get a thrill from setting things on fire. It could either be a revenge thing or a weird fetish like the people that were stomping mice (remember that news item about 10 years ago). Bat crap crazy.

[Ralph]

I like that expression, Mike...makes me want it to be added to the DSM-5.

We'll, if I had to guess , I'd wager that the poster is aware of model railroading, perhaps as a pastime they had as a younger person or else because some one they know was into it. Now, as young adults they find the hobby silly and are showing us how "cool" they are as older "more sophisticated" people by destroying things that no longer mean anything to them....or else they resent whoever they know who found trains interesting and wish to be provocative. I imagine they would enjoy the negative reactions in this thread, along with the critical comments posted to their videos.

Hopefully they will mature for real sometime and look back on these videos as a source of embarrasment.

[Mike Kieran]

I like that expression, Mike...makes me want it to be added to the DSM-5.

We'll, if I had to guess , I'd wager that the poster is aware of model railroading, perhaps as a pastime they had as a younger person or else because some one they know was into it. Now, as young adults they find the hobby silly and are showing us how "cool" they are as older "more sophisticated" people by destroying things that no longer mean anything to them....or else they resent whoever they know who found trains interesting and wish to be provocative. I imagine they would enjoy the negative reactions in this thread, along with the critical comments posted to their videos.

Hopefully they will mature for real sometime and look back on these videos as a source of embarrasment.

Just show sensitivity to the bat crap .

It never ceases to amaze me how low people will go for attention.

[nachoman]

Well, there are a lot of people who do a lot of things that I think are destructive or self-destructive and I scratch my head and think that I am in the minority for thinking that way. And yet some of those people may think I am nuts for simply putting so much effort into building model trains in the first place. I could stand on a soap box now and talk about all the litter I see, road signs or cactus full of bullet holes, or people wasting food. The odd thing about this is, why is this more interesting than stomping on a (much cheaper) hot wheels car? And to put it on youtube thinking others will find it interesting? Search me. Now, if the person was doing some kind of Gomez Addams, maybe she could get a few more views.

[eightyeightfan1]

It's got to be our perspective as model railroaders and railfans. We have that"How can he do that?" reaction when we watch the videos. Being a military modeler, he would probably have the same reaction if one of us posted a video of us crushing a model of an M-1 Abrahams or a German WWII Tiger tank into the carpet. The Hot Wheels, or Matchbox collector would probably gasp, if we are watching a video of him smearing one under his feet.
I'm not condoning what he did. Smashing perfectly good locomotives and rolling stock, or anything else for that matter on the floor is a waste, and had me thinking "Is this guy stupid?"(Which probably answered my own question).

I'm guessing the reason the videos haven't gone viral yet,or he hasn't gotton a lot of veiws is people are watching them and thinking "What's the big deal....I did that to a spider yesterday".

[ezdays]

Well, there are a lot of people who do a lot of things that I think are destructive or self-destructive and I scratch my head and think that I am in the minority for thinking that way. And yet some of those people may think I am nuts for simply putting so much effort into building model trains in the first place. I could stand on a soap box now and talk about all the litter I see, road signs or cactus full of bullet holes, or people wasting food. The odd thing about this is, why is this more interesting than stomping on a (much cheaper) hot wheels car? And to put it on youtube thinking others will find it interesting? Search me. Now, if the person was doing some kind of Gomez Addams, maybe she could get a few more views.

You are right about the messes people leave around, like your pointing out about the cactus full of holes. Remember a few years ago when this guy shot at a cactus and it fell down on him? Or a while back, someone was target shooting against a tree and it fell on him as well. Retribution, well earned, if only inanimate things like trains and stuffed animals could fight back as well there may be less of this craziness.

I am appalled at seeing what people leave behind in the desert. Truckloads of garbage, old tires and yard trimmings are dumped wherever they can get away with it. I've seen TV sets, computer monitors, washing machines, couches and other furniture brought out to use as targets, then left behind for others to clean up. A lot of this can be recycled and anything that can't should go into a landfill. This may not be the same thing as what we've just seen on YouTube, but they could be the same people with the same mindset, that they can do as they please, regardless of how anyone else feels about what they are destroying, be it a model train engine or a pristine desert.

[Sumpter250]

Last time I was out to Chandler Az., my son-in-law, and I drove out into the desert to do some "Target Practice".
We found, on site, plenty of "Targets".
Before we left, to go back to Chandler, we cleaned up all the brass we could find, picked up the remains of our "targets", and left the area cleaner than when we had arrived ( OK maybe we left a higher *lead content*, in the environment, but that was fairly well spread out, and would have taken a year to find all of it hock: )
It didn't take all that long to get it all done, and it all got properly disposed of. Yes, it can be done.

[ezdays]

Last time I was out to Chandler Az., my son-in-law, and I drove out into the desert to do some "Target Practice".
We found, on site, plenty of "Targets".
Before we left, to go back to Chandler, we cleaned up all the brass we could find, picked up the remains of our "targets", and left the area cleaner than when we had arrived ( OK maybe we left a higher *lead content*, in the environment, but that was fairly well spread out, and would have taken a year to find all of it hock: )
It didn't take all that long to get it all done, and it all got properly disposed of. Yes, it can be done.

Pete, that's the biggest thorn in the sides of most target shooters. I'm not good at bending down anymore, but I have a device that I roll along the ground and it picks up the brass as it goes. We also pick up anything else we use as targets and as much more as our body and the truck will allow. Most places are littered with shotgun hulls, and just about anything that comes to mind for some of these fools that are there in the name of target shooting. Some must come at night to party since there is lots of shot-up beer bottles and a bonfire. There are areas that have been shut down because of these people, and I can even remember seeing holes in "no shooting" signs. My son and I were almost hit once by two guys shooting too close to the road with no backstop and in a "no shooting" area and they'll wonder why the next time they show up, the place is fenced off. Concerned shooters even hold organized cleanups. I expect one day to go there and find someone had used model trains as their targets... Probably the same yahoos that made those videos we've all looked at.

[Sumpter250]

I expect one day to go there and find someone had used model trains as their targets... Probably the same yahoos that made those videos we've all looked at.

I would hope that they would be decent enough to set up a small layout so the "model trains" could have a slight chance as, "Moving Targets"

[[ the locomotive would have to be the last target.]] hock:

[ezdays]

I expect one day to go there and find someone had used model trains as their targets... Probably the same yahoos that made those videos we've all looked at.

I would hope that they would be decent enough to set up a small layout so the "model trains" could have a slight chance as, "Moving Targets"

[[ the locomotive would have to be the last target.]] hock:

Hey, don't give me any ideas, we're going shooting this Saturday. Now if I could only find a 50 mile power cord to run my power pack...

Then again, I really don't have any equipment that I'm that mad at to do something like that. Plus, once you cross that line into retirement, everything you own becomes more precious and harder to replace...

[Charlie B]

Well Days, they have inverters that plug into a power port that will run a power pack, Imagine a train pulling cars with "targets" loaded on them, object being hit the target, not the car. Just sayin.... I used to shoot rifle a lot years ago, lived on a farm and did a lot of varmit shooting. Last time I shot a gun was in 1974.
Charlie

[ezdays]

Well Days, they have inverters that plug into a power port that will run a power pack, Imagine a train pulling cars with "targets" loaded on them, object being hit the target, not the car. Just sayin.... I used to shoot rifle a lot years ago, lived on a farm and did a lot of varmit shooting. Last time I shot a gun was in 1974.
Charlie

You're right, an inverter or a portable generator would certainly cut down on the length of my power cord. :o Shooting at targets on moving train cars has more potential than shooting at the cars or engines, but the way we shoot, there's no guarantees that we won't hit one. No, I have too much invested in my trains and too much love for any train to put them in any danger.

We're still looking at excessive heat warnings for a while yet. 109 forecast for today, 110 is the record, so there's a chance that we'll tie or beat that. The fire up north is now fully contained with almost 25,000 acres of trees burned. No one seriously hurt and no structures lost, so that's a good thing. They're still trying to figure out who started the fire in the first place. I really hope they do.

[Sumpter250]

Then again, I really don't have any equipment that I'm that mad at to do something like that. Plus, once you cross that line into retirement, everything you own becomes more precious and harder to replace...

That is especially true, when, as the retiree, you become the recipient of all the "Family Heirlooms". So many of these haven't been haven't been made for generations ! I still have my very first powered HO scale loco, a Varney " Li'l Joe " B&O, 0-4-0 T C-16a, "Docksider".

Back to shooting: If you own a firearm ? You should be able to hit the target or,................ sell the gun.
Last time I was out in Arizona, we found an unbroken "skeet clay", that was left on the ground.
At about 50 Yards, I blew the center of that clay out, leaving the rest of the clay intact, with a .44 magnum revolver.
( I had never fired one before, yes, it took several tries before I hit that clay )
If there are children in the house? Keep all the ammunition locked up !, and never leave a firearm loaded.

Someday, I just have to acquire a Crossbow.

Isn't it amazing, just how easily, the sight of " Most Bizarre Model Railroad Behavior " can lead you right down the wrong track !!

[ezdays]

Back to shooting: If you own a firearm ? You should be able to hit the target or,................ sell the gun.
Last time I was out in Arizona, we found an unbroken "skeet clay", that was left on the ground.
At about 50 Yards, I blew the center of that clay out, leaving the rest of the clay intact, with a .44 magnum revolver.
( I had never fired one before, yes, it took several tries before I hit that clay )
If there are children in the house? Keep all the ammunition locked up !, and never leave a firearm loaded.

Someday, I just have to acquire a Crossbow.

Yeah, we do hit the target often enough, but miss enough times that I wouldn't risk one of my trains being near the target. We shoot a bit further than normal with handguns, like golf ball targets at 100 ft. I remember qualifying for my CCW and the target seemed so big and so close I could score with a spit-wad. I can see where a .44 mag would take a while to find the target, I have problems with shooting my .38/357, but don't very much thanks to the cost of ammo today. :cry:

Isn't it amazing, just how easily, the sight of " Most Bizarre Model Railroad Behavior " can lead you right down the wrong track !!

Isn't this typical of a lot of our threads? We kind of wear out the original discussion and branch off to wherever the tracks lead us.... But then, we don't stray too far away from the mainline most times. Try this on some forums and you get busted. Try to revive an old discussion there and you get banned... Here on Big Blue we try to be reasonable and hope that everyone is understanding enough that it's hard to stay on topic sometimes. I've even seen threads hijacked, then come back full circle. Amazing, isn't it????? It's fun too, and that's what brings us here in the first place.