I'm 54 and have not missed issue since I got my first copy of MR in August 1966 for my 10th birthday. But I've only been a subscriber for one year. I figure I could have done a lot of modeling with the money saved with subscriptions over the years, but I always bought my mags at hobby shops.
The online subsciber's extras finally prompted me to whip out my credit card... which reminds me, It's almost time to renew... wouldn't want to miss that next scintillating episode of Cody's Office!
galaxy BATMAN: I just look at the pictures, does that count? Whoops!!! Wrong magazine, sorry. Brent Naw, I just read it for the ARTICLES! I'm pushing the big 5-0h. SO I guess that would put me in the "average" category probably.
BATMAN: I just look at the pictures, does that count? Whoops!!! Wrong magazine, sorry. Brent
I just look at the pictures, does that count?
Whoops!!! Wrong magazine, sorry.
Brent
Naw, I just read it for the ARTICLES!
I'm pushing the big 5-0h. SO I guess that would put me in the "average" category probably.
Ya'll must be talking about the historic Farmall Tractor Magazine ! Boy those ole Red trike tractors are pretty It sure is hard to get to the articles while dreaming about a model railroad scene with one of those making hay
Well I've been building model railroads since I was 14, and been interested since I was about 4 when my dad introduced me to my grandfathers layout in his garage, which I later inherited.
As for me now, I'm only 21, and probably the youngest model railroader I know in Brisbane although there will be younger. In Australia the average is probably more like 45-50 here.
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
Well I'm 61, got my first model railroad in 1957. Haven't been active as a modeler though until recently. I am currently building a switching railroad based on a port, with no particular prototype.
I am not a subscriber (yet) but at a garage sale I bought a huge collection of all 1998-2003, 2005 MRRs, (conveniently in chronological order) and borrow a few from my grandopa, who has some from when he was a kid. ($25!) Me, I'm 14.
The timbers beneath the rails are not the only ties that bind on the railroad. --Robert S. McGonigal
I'm 16 (almost 17) and was a subscriber from early '05 (I was ten and in the 5th grade) until early '11. I guess I'm another that's bringing the average down.
galaxy lone geep: trainobsessed: Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing? You're correct. I am 15 years old and going onto 16 at the end of the year. I'm the oddball in town too which is why my screen name is Lone Geep. The Lone Geep OMG everybody! LOOK OUT! there will be another one DRIVING soon!
lone geep: trainobsessed: Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing? You're correct. I am 15 years old and going onto 16 at the end of the year. I'm the oddball in town too which is why my screen name is Lone Geep. The Lone Geep
trainobsessed: Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing?
Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing?
You're correct. I am 15 years old and going onto 16 at the end of the year. I'm the oddball in town too which is why my screen name is Lone Geep.
The Lone Geep
OMG everybody! LOOK OUT! there will be another one DRIVING soon!
I turn 17 and get my license exactly one month and ten days from today... Just saying...
| Joe |
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
Just a quick update on the age poll with some surprising results:
Question: What's your age?
galaxy ...LOOK OUT! there will be another one DRIVING soon!
...LOOK OUT! there will be another one DRIVING soon!
You got that one right!
Lone Geep
\
Hello everybody,
I am 43 years old, been buying MR and Trains for the last 15 years when the magazines got my attention. Then three years ago got subscriptions to both when working in Fort McMurray Alberta while living in camp, it helped to keep me sane, and on the straight and narrow. Really enjoy the mags.
Frank
"If you need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm."
Interesting poll, Ulrich. And I have to admit I'm a bit surprised at the number of youths (or as Joe Pesci would say, "yutes") who have responded to this thread.
Jim
In another forum a similar question was raised.
Here is the result of the poll they conducted. The results may not be fully representative, but it is interesting to see that there are quite a lot (relatively speaking) of folks in the 26 - 30 bracket.
What's your age?
0 (0%)
I am 33 years old and still feeling like a 23 year old man AND maturity! LOL
Well, I'll be 60 this month. I remember reading MR off the news stand some 35 or 40 years ago. Had Lionel stuff as a kid, then a long break, then in 1993 started to get "serious" abut the hobby, at which time I started to subscribe to MR and have been a subscriber to it on and off ever since. I also have been collecting older issues of MR lately, mainly for the content which may be pertinent to my MRR building efforts.
mononguy63 JTG: OK, I finally got around to looking it up. In 1960, the median age in the U.S. was 29.5. In 2011, the median age is 36.9. That mostly reflects the statistic-skewing aging of the baby boomers. I suspect that, about 30 years from now, the median age will pull back a couple of years. Being 47 myself, at least I've finally found something where I'm above average! Jim
JTG: OK, I finally got around to looking it up. In 1960, the median age in the U.S. was 29.5. In 2011, the median age is 36.9.
That mostly reflects the statistic-skewing aging of the baby boomers. I suspect that, about 30 years from now, the median age will pull back a couple of years.
Being 47 myself, at least I've finally found something where I'm above average!
Yep, it absolutely has to do with us aging boomers. In fact, the only reason the median age is not considerably higher is that we get lots and lots of immigrants who tend to be younger.
Demographers expect the median age to continue rising until at least 2050.
I only read it for the articles...
John
JTGOK, I finally got around to looking it up. In 1960, the median age in the U.S. was 29.5. In 2011, the median age is 36.9.
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
Well, I'm 49 and have decided to stop aging so that's gonna throw a kinker in any future surveys.
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
OK, I finally got around to looking it up. In 1960, the median age in the U.S. was 29.5. In 2011, the median age is 36.9.
So the median age of Americans has increased nearly 7.5 years over the last five decades. Stands to reason today's "average" modeler would be older than the "average" modeler of 1960.
lone geep trainobsessed: Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing? You're correct. I am 15 years old and going onto 16 at the end of the year. I'm the oddball in town too which is why my screen name is Lone Geep. The Lone Geep
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
trainobsessed Also, lonegeep is 15, i think, does that tell you any thing?
tomikawaTT The MR staff must agree. My May MR included a questionnaire (business reply postpaid) which included age and tenure in the hobby among the questions. Depending on the accuracy of the sample they get, once they correlate the date they will be able to give us an `official' figure.
The MR staff must agree. My May MR included a questionnaire (business reply postpaid) which included age and tenure in the hobby among the questions. Depending on the accuracy of the sample they get, once they correlate the date they will be able to give us an `official' figure.
Interesting. I received no survey with my May issue. I guess they must just be sampling a percentage of their subscribers.
Recovering former former model railroader.
If the adverage is 50-55 years old, then I'm way under mark. I'm 16 right now, and will be 17 in a few weeks. I've been subscribing to Model Railroader since I was in the 5th grade of school (about 10 years old then?) and before that, I bought MR from the local stores for about a year.
It's kind of funny, but I acually have about 20 years worth of MR magazines that I've collected over the years form train shows, and almost all of them are older than I am (Does that mean that I've been reading MR since before I was born?)
I am 66 and have known about MR since I was nine. I think there were two issues I will always recall. They were July, 1967, nd Dec 1969; the latter headlined John Allen's G&D line! The first had an article on modelling TT by Don Moran, referring to model railroading in an apartment.
The first time I laid eyes on model trains was in Jordan Marsh's Dept store in downtown Boston; probably around 1949 at "Santa's Toyland". Needless to say, I was agog-totally taken up by the fancy Lionel and American Flyer trains that had been set up during Christmas season. I am sure that Mr. Marsh, were he living, must have realized he struck a nerve doing that, as I am sure that many future model railroaders were created at that toy dept!
Yellowjacket
BATMAN I just look at the pictures, does that count? Whoops!!! Wrong magazine, sorry. Brent
Well if you were asking my wife it's not about age it's about "maturity". Let's see that would make me "immature".
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
I'm 15, and had a subscription since the age of 5 through my dad, but recently I pick and choose at the store which one I want. - Peter
Modeling the Bellefonte Central Railroad
Fan of the PRR
Garden Railway Enthusiast
Check out my Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PennsyModeler
Im 44, been a subscriber a couple of times over the years. When I wasnt a subscriber I usually picked one up at the LHS. I've been looking at MR for about 35 years, how time flies.
Medina1128 Sir Madog: jalajoie: In 1960 I was 21 I am now 71 that would make it 84 today. Your guess Sir Madog is very good. Wasn´t a guess - I just added those 51 years from 1960 to 2011 Without a "cackalator"??
Sir Madog: jalajoie: In 1960 I was 21 I am now 71 that would make it 84 today. Your guess Sir Madog is very good. Wasn´t a guess - I just added those 51 years from 1960 to 2011
jalajoie: In 1960 I was 21 I am now 71 that would make it 84 today. Your guess Sir Madog is very good.
In 1960 I was 21 I am now 71 that would make it 84 today. Your guess Sir Madog is very good.
Wasn´t a guess - I just added those 51 years from 1960 to 2011
Without a "cackalator"??
Folks of my age still learned how to calculate without using a "cackalator"
Tom, Sheldon - would not mind sitting next to you guys! I will be turning 55 in a few months, but that makes me too old to relocate to the US or Canada (although I wish I could).