Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
polizi , I am trying to get youth in my area involved in this wonderful hobby. I have noticed the lack of imagination in youth (and some adults) that you're talking about. Some people can imagine what a kit is supposed to look like when finished, then assemble it. Some can imagine how raw materials can be formed into a finished project and scratch-build it. Some can imagine the sound a train makes as it is nearing a crossing. Some can not. They just haven't been taught that your only limited by your imagination. Another thing I've noticed is laziness. I've heard every excuse in the book. It's to hard, I can't do it. What if I screw it up, I don't understand how to wire a layout. We have to show the people that show an interest how easy and rewarding it is. Offer a helping hand. I also find youth do not like to read. So for them magazines and how-to articles are useless. Hands on experience may help overcome this obstacle. Attention span is another. I had this problem in my younger days. I learned to juggle a few projects at a time, jumping from one to another. Which not only kept me interested it increased productivity. (I'm not sure this will work for everyone) It seems to me the approach to fixing this "decline in the hobby" is to change the hobby to appeal to people who aren't really interested in modeling. Although this is fine to an extent , some of the side affects aren't sitting well with a lot of modelers. A better approach might be to educate people on how much fun this hobby really is. As far as the " decline in the hobby" goes, (and this is only my opinion) it depends on what side of the tracks your on. From the model railroad manufacturers and magazine publishers side , it may look like it's declining as they are probably basing such a statement on yearly profits. For me (and many others) this hobby is thriving. I have been getting more enjoyment now than in years past. Enjoyment is what it's about, not profits. If we compare all the people that enjoy this hobby with the companies that feel they aren't making enough profit, then I would say our hobby is growing. [2c] Our Model railroad group that recently formed is proof enough for me that the hobby is growing.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag

Update Reply

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Model Railroader Newsletter See all

Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!

Subscriber & Member Login

Edit post

Post Body

Tags (Optional)

Subscriber & Member Login

Users Online

Search the Community