Having spent this past Saturday in Scranton for Steamtown’s Railfest as both an attendee and a volunteer (just a few hours at the B&M #3713 information table) I had the chance to make some observations about the “generation after the next generation” of steam enthusiasts.

By far, the kids between the ages of 8 and 14 were the real eye openers for me. Hearing youngsters not only ask smart questions about #3713 but also tell me about their favorite Steamtown locomotives was interesting. Yes, of course, there were many kids who have a passion for CN #3254 and to a lesser extent #2317 since they have seen them run over the years. The kids new them by number and referred to them as if they were old friends, much like I did with NKP #759. She was my entre into it all 40+ years ago and hopefully they will get to see their favorites steam again, I am not so sure I’ll ever see #759 run.

But here’s the catch… these were not the kids of parents who were (at least outwardly) buffs. They were hockey dads and soccer moms who were indulging their kids’ interests. To have moms talk about how they have brought their kids to Steamtown multiple times a year for 5 or 6 years straight was great! This is next, next generation of fans, historians and preservationists if we play our cards right and give them reasons to keep their interest up.

Of course, there were kids whose dads were buffs. They tended to have a broader range of favorite engines, as one might expect. The common trait among all of them? Wide-eyed wonder and positivity. Not one child complained there wasn’t a steam train to ride behind. Interesting.

Reading & Northern #425 made a big impact on the young ones. Even though she was under steam, she didn’t move much, but a big blue engine with a frequently-blown whistle was an attention getter, for sure. I would think her presence was good for both Steamtown and the Reading & Northern, which put her into a full day of tourist train service on Monday… the day after Railfest… in nearby Jim Thorpe, PA.

I get to see my son’s own passion for Steamtown on a regular basis, but to meet other kids who want to do what I did when I was their age and wander Steamtown all day in awe of the machines (albeit in a different location) was pretty cool.

It has been 23 years since I was in college in Scranton and volunteered regularly at Steamtown. Saturday was proof that for kids, the magnetic pull of steam trains, and Steamtown in particular, is still strong.

Great to hear positive news. Let's hope there are enough of this new young crowd.

When I was down in Portland back in May for National Train Day, the SP&S #700 was the main attraction. Let's just say that the line for going up the steps to see the cab and talk with the crew was endless, and 90% (just my estimate from what I observed) were parents with their children. A steam enthusiast is born every day in the USA.

Let's hope that at least a few of the children are impressed enough to eventually seek employment in the railroad industry and become supporters of museums, because the museums are going to need lots of money over the new couple decades, and working in the railroad industry still provides a pretty good paycheck at a time when average family's take-home pay has been dropping quite rapidly.

PC

I was on the BR&W mixed train Sunday & was happily surprised at the number of folk in their teens & 20s. Several women on board also seemed to be enjoying the day.