Tom, I would suggest that you re-read the body of the OP's post. Informal, or not, he is looking to in some fashion ascertain whether, or not, the hobby had seen much in the way of "new blood" in recent years. He says: "...since I've not seen anyone put up any actual numbers to confirm the situation [no new blood], I figured maybe a quick survey to feel the pulse of the hobby is in order." The wording implies that through responses to this thread he would like to glean enough information to indicate the situation as being one way, or the other.
Thus, ruderunner is conducting a member survey to reach a conclusion. And formal, or informal, I will guarantee that, even though any results would actually be entirely spurious, there are folks here that would accept them as established fact and quote them down the road here and elsewhere. This is the nature of what people do on the Internet and why so much posted information tends to be inaccurate.
CNJ831
Age: 52
Active years in hobby as adult: 10
Active years in hobby as kid/teenager: 7
Scale: N
Run both DC and DCC, switch the layout back and forth depending on what motive power
Prototype: Santa Fe in Arizona, with some Southern Pacific. Two era 's: either mid-1950s, or mid-1960s.
:-)
Still having great fun. And it's the good people that I get to meet that I enjoy the most.
John Sing X2011 West NMRA 2011 Convention online Social Networking coordinatorhttp://www.facebook.com/x2011westhttp://www.twitter.com/x2011westhttp://www.youtube.com/x2011west
52 - 39 - HO - DCC - Mixed
Years in hobby: 1st train set (HO Triang/Hornby) in mid 1960's - Large HO layout in mid 1970's. Hiatus until now - new HO Layout being built.
Scale etc - HO DC with dual controller.
Prototype - Modeling a freelance layout based on York Region, Ontario CN / GO Commuter service in present day.
My Build Thread: https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/185298.aspx
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/stephenkingsmaine
Well, let's thank ruderuner for starting a fun thread allowing people to get to know a little about others who post here. Obviously its intent is to be friendly. CNJ831 contributes great photos of his great layout and models in this forum, and I would like to see more of his work. So, I suggest not getting sidetracked if he has his own opinions and arguing with him..
My 2 cents. I'm in my mid 60's, and have been in and out oif the hobby my entire life. Having lived in 8 states, I have moved often, and I lost count of how many layouts I have built. (Actually, started to build is more correct.) Mostly, I've been in HO but I have been involved with N, O, and live steam.
Currently, I am building my fictional Heartland Division which represents the CB&Q as it appeared in 1962, but I'm not rigid with that date. My layout construction follows walls of the train room. I am building one section at a time including scenery. There are several sections in my plans that have not been started. At present, I am building a large city.
I am now converting from DC to DCC. Most tracks and most locos are still DC.
Happy Model Railroading, everybody!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
CNJ831:
If it is juvenile entertainment to you, so be it. This is a hobby and a website we all enjoy in our own way. So far this thread has generated over 90 responses so some of us are enjoying it. There are many aspects to this hobby, or any hobby, that one can pursue for his/her own source of enjoyment and relaxation. This thread to me is like walking up to a stranger at the local grocery store and saying: "Hi, how ya doing today?"
I hope all of us enjoy the upcoming holidays and can participate in the spirit of the season by just walking up to a stranger and say: "Hi"
Thanks to one and all for making this a wonderful Forum, I have learned a lot here.
Wayne
Modeling HO Freelance Logging Railroad.
Age 51
Years in Hobby about 3
I started when I met my fiance's godson. He has a lot of Lionel but would play with wooden trains when he would come over for a weekend way too young for him. I could not afford Lionel so my fiance' bought me a shoprite HO set (Very poor quality but it got the bug going in me) Last year I converted to DCC.
And our Godson Adam? He's 12 now and will be junior best man at our wedding on January 8, 2011. There is going to be a train in front of the cake.
Joe Staten Island West
CNJ831 pastorbob: CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. CNJ831 Lighten up. The rest of us are having fun with the "poll", I doubt many are taking it seriously. Don't know why you want to throw a wet blanket on it, no one is forcing you to provide your innermost secrets. To quote another pastor brother of mine, "get over it". Bob Because, Bob, in the long run it's pointless and sure to mislead the many folks who believe anything they see posted on the Net must be true, regardless of its basis. I've addressed the particular question posed in this thread at length several times in the past and presented published numbers derived from broad surveys conducted by established organizations. If folks want an honest and accurate answer to the question they should consult that sort of information. All I see being accomplished here is that a small number of forum members are posting info of no particular relevance. I guess that if that happens to be your form of juvenile amusement, so be it. CNJ831
pastorbob: CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. CNJ831 Lighten up. The rest of us are having fun with the "poll", I doubt many are taking it seriously. Don't know why you want to throw a wet blanket on it, no one is forcing you to provide your innermost secrets. To quote another pastor brother of mine, "get over it". Bob
CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. CNJ831
I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby.
Lighten up. The rest of us are having fun with the "poll", I doubt many are taking it seriously. Don't know why you want to throw a wet blanket on it, no one is forcing you to provide your innermost secrets.
To quote another pastor brother of mine, "get over it".
Bob
Because, Bob, in the long run it's pointless and sure to mislead the many folks who believe anything they see posted on the Net must be true, regardless of its basis. I've addressed the particular question posed in this thread at length several times in the past and presented published numbers derived from broad surveys conducted by established organizations. If folks want an honest and accurate answer to the question they should consult that sort of information. All I see being accomplished here is that a small number of forum members are posting info of no particular relevance.
I guess that if that happens to be your form of juvenile amusement, so be it.
John,
Please note that the subject line in the OP says "An informal" survey"; neither a "formal" one nor an "official" one. You have to take it for what it is; not for what it's not intended to be.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
pastorbob CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. CNJ831 Lighten up. The rest of us are having fun with the "poll", I doubt many are taking it seriously. Don't know why you want to throw a wet blanket on it, no one is forcing you to provide your innermost secrets. To quote another pastor brother of mine, "get over it". Bob
Age: 61
Years in hobby: 3 - not counting 0/27 Lionel when 12? (not serious)
Scale: HO
Era: Late 1920's Southern Railway (more or less), layout under construction (finally)
Power: DCC
Focus: Learning - I continue to be amazed by the level of skill and knowledge demonstrated on this and other forums!
If you want to encourage growth in this hobby, buy cheap trainsets for four year olds and play with them. At least some will get the bug.
Art, if it makes you happy, I will be catching up in June. If in the meantime you jump another year, then no contest.
51, modeling for 33 years, modeling HO DCC - the SP Sunset Route in Texas 1960-97, Some proto, some freelance, building my 6th layout now for the past 7 years and hope i have another one in me when i retire and move away from this neck of the woods..... chuck
"At 75, am I really the oldest? Where are you old guys?"
The number of posters under 40 surprised me and that's a good thing.
Happy Railroading
Don't Ever Give Up
At 75, am I really the oldest? Where are you old guys? I counted two other ministers. There must be more. I see a lot of people in the middle ages. That seems right to me. There are a few teens, though I notice that many of you started as a teen as did I. I have enjoyed following this thread.
Years in hobby: 59 years since received first Lionel; In HO since received an Athearn Hustler set in 1959 (But still have that first Lionel and collect some Lionel), with varying levels of activity over the years, depending on circumstances.
DCC (Still in process of converting locos)
Freelance
MR subscriber since January 1963 issue, and have them all.
pastorbob CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. Considering that it is unlikely this thread will generate much more than perhaps 100 responses, this is minute compare with the actual number of hobbyists, or even the number of forum members. As such, any numbers derive would not have any statistical significance regarding any hobby demographic. Further, even if the response was much larger than 100 individuals, the results could not illustrate anything meaningful for the simple reason that the group being polled is younger than the average of all hobbyists to begin with. This is a problem common with just about any poll conducted via the Internet. In fact, in this case it would likely insert an even greater bias, since the bulk of newcomers to the hobby over the past two decades apparently have been well beyond middle age, with many of the older ones probably not even Internet participants! CNJ831 Lighten up. The rest of us are having fun with the "poll", I doubt many are taking it seriously. Don't know why you want to throw a wet blanket on it, no one is forcing you to provide your innermost secrets. To quote another pastor brother of mine, "get over it". Bob
CNJ831: I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. Considering that it is unlikely this thread will generate much more than perhaps 100 responses, this is minute compare with the actual number of hobbyists, or even the number of forum members. As such, any numbers derive would not have any statistical significance regarding any hobby demographic. Further, even if the response was much larger than 100 individuals, the results could not illustrate anything meaningful for the simple reason that the group being polled is younger than the average of all hobbyists to begin with. This is a problem common with just about any poll conducted via the Internet. In fact, in this case it would likely insert an even greater bias, since the bulk of newcomers to the hobby over the past two decades apparently have been well beyond middle age, with many of the older ones probably not even Internet participants! CNJ831
Considering that it is unlikely this thread will generate much more than perhaps 100 responses, this is minute compare with the actual number of hobbyists, or even the number of forum members. As such, any numbers derive would not have any statistical significance regarding any hobby demographic.
Further, even if the response was much larger than 100 individuals, the results could not illustrate anything meaningful for the simple reason that the group being polled is younger than the average of all hobbyists to begin with. This is a problem common with just about any poll conducted via the Internet. In fact, in this case it would likely insert an even greater bias, since the bulk of newcomers to the hobby over the past two decades apparently have been well beyond middle age, with many of the older ones probably not even Internet participants!
...and then, when someone posts circulation numbers people go out of their way to stomp on that...claiming publishers don't even know their own numbers...
That is why one does all sorts of polls and such...to get as close to the true numbers... as is physically possible
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
age-48, 35 years in hobby, HO, DCC, BNSF proto freelance.
It's always funny when a thread like this comes up. You get to see new members who haven't felt like contributing much and older members who don't chime in much anymore either.
I'm 32 years old. I've been in the hobby for 3-4 years. DC control for me and it's based on CNW and Milwaukee Road in and around Mankato MN.
CNJ831I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. Considering that it is unlikely this thread will generate much more than perhaps 100 responses, this is minute compare with the actual number of hobbyists, or even the number of forum members. As such, any numbers derive would not have any statistical significance regarding any hobby demographic.
I don't believe anyone would try to argue the point that this thread would provide anything approaching a valid representative sample of model railroad hobbyists, and pooh-poohing the survey on that basis seems unnecessarily eristic to me. I'm enjoying this thread just because I think it's nice to meet the neighbors once in a while.
I'm 47 and have been more-or-less continuously active in the hobby for over 15 years, though the original equipment I received as a Christmas gift from my parents about 35 years ago is still in active service (even the old MRC Throttlepack in the gold metal casing is one of my two primary power sources).
I model HO scale, and they will need to pry the DC throttle from my cold dead fingers.
I'm a Monon protolancer.
Jim
"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
CNJ831 I'm not at all sure just what this "informal survey" is supposed to demonstrate, if anything at all. The only information it might produce is simply a listing of a tiny fraction of this forum's members vitals and the fact that there is a wide diversity in the members' ages and time in the hobby. Considering that it is unlikely this thread will generate much more than perhaps 100 responses, this is minute compare with the actual number of hobbyists, or even the number of forum members. As such, any numbers derive would not have any statistical significance regarding any hobby demographic. Further, even if the response was much larger than 100 individuals, the results could not illustrate anything meaningful for the simple reason that the group being polled is younger than the average of all hobbyists to begin with. This is a problem common with just about any poll conducted via the Internet. In fact, in this case it would likely insert an even greater bias, since the bulk of newcomers to the hobby over the past two decades apparently have been well beyond middle age, with many of the older ones probably not even Internet participants! CNJ831
AGE: 44
SCALE: HO
YEARS: Train set as a kid, Got the disease three years ago when my son got a train set for christmas. Now building a second layout.
Proto/Lance: D&h, CP, B&M, Rutland, Green Island Terminal RR
Age 66, started hobby seven years ago with grandson, HO scale, DCC power, modeling US and France transition eras.
Dave
USAF (Retired)
Age 71. First set a Marx. Serious in HO since 1970. Have the same expanding layout since 1981.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
Age: 71, first train a Lionel in 1947, serious HO since 1965, 3rd layout 85% complete, DCC, freelance, transition era.
Gale
Age 66, approx. 55 years modeling (non-consecutive), N, DC, proto trains, protolance scene.
Age 65
Got my first used pre-war Lionel before I can remember - It still runs. Modest attempt during HS. Dreamer and Christmas layouts for years. Started collecting HO in 98, mostly armchairing until about 2 yrs ago. Now semi-retired, more time, little room.
DC
Freelance/Transition era/Vermont/Rutland, Central VT and B&M
Having fun despite slow progress.
Age: 63 and retired
Started: This summer
DCC
Freelance all the way. I stare at the roughed-in layout until I get an inspiration and just do it. That's why this project will keep me busy and happy till I croak! Best decision I ever made!!!
Age: 48
Hobby Time: 40 years
Scale: HO (dabbled in N years ago)
Protolance (loose)
Sean
HO Scale CSX Modeler
65, 55, HO,DC only.
59, HO, 20 yrs, DC, I'm HOOKED. Fifth layout and still going strong!
Jimmy
ROUTE ROCK!