There is no better hobby than model railroading. It's a great way to unwind after a long day's work, it gives us a chance to acquire creative skills in an immensley satisfying way; and it gives us the opportunity to socialize with others of like persuasion.

How did you come to the hobby? Was it through your parents who bought you a Lionel or American Flyer set for Christmas when you were a kid? For those of you who would respond that way, I'll take my wager a little further. I'd be willing to bet that your parents (probably your father) then took the next step - made a commitment of his time - and built or helped you build a layout.

What prompted me to write about this subject was a conversation I had last December with Marc Spurgeon, a member of Rochester's Edgerton Park model railroad club. We were standing in his basement watching his son and friend run Lionel trains around their layout. Before long, our conversation moved from small talk to a discussion about the past and future of toy trains. Marc made an observation that I thought was particularly profound.

He expressed his concern for the future of toy trains because of the nature of toys being produced today. It's all instant gratification. "Here is the Nintendo you asked for, Son. Have fun." And that's it. No commitment required. In fact, just the opposite. What's expressed in that gift is a lack of commitment of parent to child.

On the other hand, when parents (or grandparents) buy a train for a child they're making a big commitment-a commitment to spend what will truly be "quality time" together. I'm no psycologist, but I am a parent, and I know that making a commitment like that says a lot to children. It says that you love them, that you want to spend time with them, and that you want to share your knowledge and experience with them. And it pays off in the future.

My point is this: my parents made a big commitment of time to me. Their efforts have given me countless hours of enjoyment and a hobby for a lifetime. I urge those of you with the opportunity to make that kind of commitment to your children or grandchildren to do so. They need it and will thank you for it.