Any young (30 somethings) Model railroaders ??

[Anonymous]

Alot of the postings I read are from older gentlemen. I was wondering if anybody out there is in their 30's?? I am 32, with 3 kids, I don't run into many modelers my age, and I was hopping to know what this age group is in to. I model Great Northern/Canadian National at about the tranisition era( I favor steam)HO, DCC. The funny thing is I have never really seen that many Prototype Trains. I have always modeled..cars,milatary,RC. But my Fathers love of trains got me into the hobby!! and now my older Brother has gotten the bug!!!

PJS from N.J.[:D][:p]

[Anonymous]

Alot of the postings I read are from older gentlemen. I was wondering if anybody out there is in their 30's?? I am 32, with 3 kids, I don't run into many modelers my age, and I was hopping to know what this age group is in to. I model Great Northern/Canadian National at about the tranisition era( I favor steam)HO, DCC. The funny thing is I have never really seen that many Prototype Trains. I have always modeled..cars,milatary,RC. But my Fathers love of trains got me into the hobby!! and now my older Brother has gotten the bug!!!

PJS from N.J.[:D][:p]

[MAbruce]

I’m in my thirties too.

I started in N-scale as a kid, which is something that amazed my parents. They initially thought it was too small a scale for me to start with, but I took to it with no problems. I guess the model railroading gene came from my grandfather, and skipped a generation to me. He was a rather serious O scale modeler.

I modeled as I could until I was around 20, and then everything went into limbo for about 15 years. I started back into the hobby three years ago when my oldest son found my MRR boxes and it rekindled my interest. I’ve since managed to build medium sized layout, but it has been a slow process. Most of my old stuff was junk, and needed to be replaced or upgraded. While there have been many incredible advances in quality and selection since my early modeling years, the cost (in my opinion) has unfortunately advanced well beyond what it should have. This has been the main factor (besides time) that has hindered my participation in this hobby.

The main road I model is N&W in the 60’s, but as my layout is a fictitious area in the east, several different roads come through. I’m not picky, and am just having fun while developing and honing my modeling skills. Its all to prepare myself to build that mega layout sometime in the future! [:D]

[MAbruce]

I’m in my thirties too.

I started in N-scale as a kid, which is something that amazed my parents. They initially thought it was too small a scale for me to start with, but I took to it with no problems. I guess the model railroading gene came from my grandfather, and skipped a generation to me. He was a rather serious O scale modeler.

I modeled as I could until I was around 20, and then everything went into limbo for about 15 years. I started back into the hobby three years ago when my oldest son found my MRR boxes and it rekindled my interest. I’ve since managed to build medium sized layout, but it has been a slow process. Most of my old stuff was junk, and needed to be replaced or upgraded. While there have been many incredible advances in quality and selection since my early modeling years, the cost (in my opinion) has unfortunately advanced well beyond what it should have. This has been the main factor (besides time) that has hindered my participation in this hobby.

The main road I model is N&W in the 60’s, but as my layout is a fictitious area in the east, several different roads come through. I’m not picky, and am just having fun while developing and honing my modeling skills. Its all to prepare myself to build that mega layout sometime in the future! [:D]

[Anonymous]

You would be suprised by the HUGE age spead in this hobbie! Im 25 and felt the exact same way. I dont know of any friends (my age) that are active in the hobbie. Not that they all had no intrest in trains, just not enough to get into the hobbie. A few of them helped me build a table and go to the shows & stores to pickup new toys but they where not buying anything for them selfs. After going to a few shows and a few hobbie shops, I started to relise that there realy is no "age specific" guidelines. The scarry thing I keep finding is that some of these 50+ yr olds are more a "Big kid" then I am! [:p]

I seen and talk to many people in ALL age groups.......Its the kids I worry about. I see them at the shows and the hobbie shops, but it seems that there is less of an appeal to a big noisy machine compared to Playstation 2. tv, & computers (How ironic). Dont get me wrong, there is ALOT of kids that have an intrest to trains. If the parents will take that extra time to see & encourage them, then the the future looks good for this hobbie. I dont want to be the last of a dying breed when I turn 60! YOUR NOT ALONE![^]

[Anonymous]

You would be suprised by the HUGE age spead in this hobbie! Im 25 and felt the exact same way. I dont know of any friends (my age) that are active in the hobbie. Not that they all had no intrest in trains, just not enough to get into the hobbie. A few of them helped me build a table and go to the shows & stores to pickup new toys but they where not buying anything for them selfs. After going to a few shows and a few hobbie shops, I started to relise that there realy is no "age specific" guidelines. The scarry thing I keep finding is that some of these 50+ yr olds are more a "Big kid" then I am! [:p]

I seen and talk to many people in ALL age groups.......Its the kids I worry about. I see them at the shows and the hobbie shops, but it seems that there is less of an appeal to a big noisy machine compared to Playstation 2. tv, & computers (How ironic). Dont get me wrong, there is ALOT of kids that have an intrest to trains. If the parents will take that extra time to see & encourage them, then the the future looks good for this hobbie. I dont want to be the last of a dying breed when I turn 60! YOUR NOT ALONE![^]

[Anonymous]

Well I'm only 21. I suppose that makes me the baby of this thread.

[Anonymous]

Well I'm only 21. I suppose that makes me the baby of this thread.

[BentnoseWillie]

See my profile - age 32. Picture of my kid there too!

I've been modelling since I was 6 years old, and got more serious about it after around age 13. I've had trains all that time, and started approaching railway models as seriously as my other modelling around 1990.

[BentnoseWillie]

See my profile - age 32. Picture of my kid there too!

I've been modelling since I was 6 years old, and got more serious about it after around age 13. I've had trains all that time, and started approaching railway models as seriously as my other modelling around 1990.

[GerFust]

I'm 37, have been in the hobby since middle school. I have yet to create a running layout that actually worked, though. At some point I'm going to have to stop designing them and build one. To keep engaged until I have a big block of time to do benchwork I'm going to start creating the buildings for the layout and getting the rolling stock ready.

[GerFust]

I'm 37, have been in the hobby since middle school. I have yet to create a running layout that actually worked, though. At some point I'm going to have to stop designing them and build one. To keep engaged until I have a big block of time to do benchwork I'm going to start creating the buildings for the layout and getting the rolling stock ready.

[Anonymous]

"How Old Are You?" was a recent thread in the Atlas HO forum. I was actually surprised at how young the responded were as I equate HO as the "old farts" scale. By the way, I'm 55 but in N scale. N scaler's tend to be a younger crowd on "average."

I equated the youth in the HO forum to computer use and the internet which skews responses to younger people (who feel more comfortable with a computer and the internet).

There were a number in the HO forum in their 30's.

To get a feel for the "youth" statistic, if you look at the number of posts in the HO and N scale forums at Atlas, usually there are more N scale posts than HO. When you consider that N scalers are any where from 15 to 20% of HO modellers, that's a lot more activity out of N scaler's than HO. Why? Well, I think it is because N scalers on younger on average and thus use the computer more.

[Anonymous]

"How Old Are You?" was a recent thread in the Atlas HO forum. I was actually surprised at how young the responded were as I equate HO as the "old farts" scale. By the way, I'm 55 but in N scale. N scaler's tend to be a younger crowd on "average."

I equated the youth in the HO forum to computer use and the internet which skews responses to younger people (who feel more comfortable with a computer and the internet).

There were a number in the HO forum in their 30's.

To get a feel for the "youth" statistic, if you look at the number of posts in the HO and N scale forums at Atlas, usually there are more N scale posts than HO. When you consider that N scalers are any where from 15 to 20% of HO modellers, that's a lot more activity out of N scaler's than HO. Why? Well, I think it is because N scalers on younger on average and thus use the computer more.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm in my late 30s and I have been waiting to build a dream layout for about fifteen years. It has taken me that long since college to get a home with enough space to consider a layout large enough to support the operations I want to do. Now I am in the serious planning stage and expect to "break ground" in six months or so. Up till now, I have been reading everything about layout construction and track planning I can find and building cars and structures. Soon it will be time to get down to serious business. - Ed

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm in my late 30s and I have been waiting to build a dream layout for about fifteen years. It has taken me that long since college to get a home with enough space to consider a layout large enough to support the operations I want to do. Now I am in the serious planning stage and expect to "break ground" in six months or so. Up till now, I have been reading everything about layout construction and track planning I can find and building cars and structures. Soon it will be time to get down to serious business. - Ed

[RicHamilton]

I was in it when I was a kid. My father built a 4x8 without scenery which I really enjoyed. I then lost interest around the age of twelve and sold or gave away everything. When I was grocery shopping at the age of 29, I happened to see a set about 6 years ago. My wife bought it for me for Christmas and I have been hooked again evere since. Just with two small kids, money is a little tight to buy extravagant items but I make do. Some modules for a local club, nice locos and rolling stock, just no layout.

Ric
Berwick, NS

[RicHamilton]

I was in it when I was a kid. My father built a 4x8 without scenery which I really enjoyed. I then lost interest around the age of twelve and sold or gave away everything. When I was grocery shopping at the age of 29, I happened to see a set about 6 years ago. My wife bought it for me for Christmas and I have been hooked again evere since. Just with two small kids, money is a little tight to buy extravagant items but I make do. Some modules for a local club, nice locos and rolling stock, just no layout.

Ric
Berwick, NS

[Kent]

36, got back in to trains last year, March 2003. Used to be HO when I was a kid, but now N scale and DCC.
And since I have no social life I spend too much time in the forus. I'm getting more depressed...

[Kent]

36, got back in to trains last year, March 2003. Used to be HO when I was a kid, but now N scale and DCC.
And since I have no social life I spend too much time in the forus. I'm getting more depressed...

[Anonymous]

I turned 37 last week--nice to know that I'm considered young somewhere.

Similar story--had HO trains when I was around 12-13, lost interest, got back into the hobby a couple of years ago. I thought I could use my old HO stuff, so I stuck with HO rather than switch to N, but it turned out to be junk and I had to buy all new stuff.

Gary

[Anonymous]

I turned 37 last week--nice to know that I'm considered young somewhere.

Similar story--had HO trains when I was around 12-13, lost interest, got back into the hobby a couple of years ago. I thought I could use my old HO stuff, so I stuck with HO rather than switch to N, but it turned out to be junk and I had to buy all new stuff.

Gary

[GDRMCo]

I'm 11

[GDRMCo]

I'm 11

[wp8thsub]

I'm 34, currently modeling pre-merger (about 1978-1982) Western Pacific. I try to encourage participation by younger modelers in my operating sessions, and have a regular operator who is 25 and another who's 11. The remaining crew members are scattered throughout the age range from my age up to around 60.

If my crew is any indication, experience and competence at modeling don't correlate with age. One guy of around 57 is just getting into building his first layout, while I've been at it since age 6 (28 years). The rest of the operators likewise vary widely. Hosting op sessions is like having an informal club where a cross section of modelers find common ground in having a good time running trains. It's a great way to help young or armchair modelers maintain interest since they can come over and operate once a month even if thay aren't actively modeling at home due to time or financial constraints.

[wp8thsub]

I'm 34, currently modeling pre-merger (about 1978-1982) Western Pacific. I try to encourage participation by younger modelers in my operating sessions, and have a regular operator who is 25 and another who's 11. The remaining crew members are scattered throughout the age range from my age up to around 60.

If my crew is any indication, experience and competence at modeling don't correlate with age. One guy of around 57 is just getting into building his first layout, while I've been at it since age 6 (28 years). The rest of the operators likewise vary widely. Hosting op sessions is like having an informal club where a cross section of modelers find common ground in having a good time running trains. It's a great way to help young or armchair modelers maintain interest since they can come over and operate once a month even if thay aren't actively modeling at home due to time or financial constraints.

[Anonymous]

I'm 38 and I model in the railroads that served Kansas City Union Station from '68-'70 in HO scale. My good friend is 36 and Models Amtrak in the late '80's to early '90's. Have been modeling since Junior high and seriously since my mid 20's. I have currently left the local modular club and am trying to establish a new modular club using Fre-mo standards. Any body living in NE Kansas, NW Missori interested?[:D]

[Anonymous]

I'm 38 and I model in the railroads that served Kansas City Union Station from '68-'70 in HO scale. My good friend is 36 and Models Amtrak in the late '80's to early '90's. Have been modeling since Junior high and seriously since my mid 20's. I have currently left the local modular club and am trying to establish a new modular club using Fre-mo standards. Any body living in NE Kansas, NW Missori interested?[:D]

[Anonymous]

I'm only 17, and I'd like to have an opportunity to model, but there isn't enough time for me to do what I want to do (in regards to modeling).

[Anonymous]

I'm only 17, and I'd like to have an opportunity to model, but there isn't enough time for me to do what I want to do (in regards to modeling).