>>1777059Trainfag here.
From a young age it was the idea of a mystical machine that I didn't see/hear much about except in special occasions like going to the train station or to museums. I had train toys. Got into model railroading as a toddler with a Thomas play table where I could build and move around anything I wanted. Soon it was about how steam engines and other technology work, greatly aided by those picture books that show the inside of things, along with getting a proper model O-scale train so you can see the motion and hear the sound. As I got older, the engineering and history of the steam locomotive was a constant source of interest and learning for me. Played Train Simulator on first PC and learned facts and how to recognize different engines as well as sunk tons of hours into that. Got more into gaming with Locomotion and other Rail Tycoon games.
Parents brutally aided my 'tism, taking me to museums and train spots, as well as buying me stuff for model layouts. It was never really a choice, just something I was obsessively interested in. Ended up studying engineering, so I'd say it was worth. Have moved a lot of my interest over to cars but will have a lifelong appreciation for big machines.
