richhotrain Two thoughts: 1. What does this have to do with model railroading? 2. It's been discussed so often that it may now be worthy of a Sticky. Time to move on. Rich
Two thoughts:
1. What does this have to do with model railroading?
2. It's been discussed so often that it may now be worthy of a Sticky.
Time to move on.
Rich
Bingo, thats a discussion for another forum. This is model railroading last time I checked.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 richhotrain Two thoughts: 1. What does this have to do with model railroading? 2. It's been discussed so often that it may now be worthy of a Sticky. Time to move on. Rich Bingo, thats a discussion for another forum. This is model railroading last time I checked.
I agree! I hereby nominate Riogrande5761 to be moderator. We know Rich doesn't want the job, we tried.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I'm always fascinated by this fixation on what the youths are up to. I just turned 33 a few days ago. 33 year old me has a lot of different interests than 22 year old me and he had a lot of different interests than 11 year old me. 44 year old me will likely be a different person too. Who cares what some kids are up to? Their interests will change too.
Growing up in the 50's and 60's, I never met any one that was not an adult being in to model trains. Not a single person close to my age.
While in high school I went to a meeting of a large club and I was by far the youngest. All were over 30. With most 50 and up.
Then like most every one else, I kept an interest in model trains, but not enough inerest to start as a hobby. Not until 2006 did I get enough time, space and interest to get it together.
So I don't see any different between, the so called good old days of youngsters, (which many seem to believe) supported most of the growth of the hobby and the reality of it being by far mostly older adult men that did it then and do it now.
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
Shhhh! You're ruining the meme. I grew up in the 50's/60's, too. You remember it pretty much the way I do. I only met one guy my own age into trains and that was while I was in the Air Force. All but 1 of the guys in our operating group are over 50. Not surprising. There's a positive correlation between age and wealth and age and income. It may only be anecdotal, but I seem also to be seeing a highly positive correlation between age and large quantities of free time.
Andre
andrechapelonShhhh! You're ruining the meme. I grew up in the 50's/60's, too. You remember it pretty much the way I do.
No it can't be. I'm sure that we are hallucinating.
Others just seem to have seen swarms of kids builting layouts.
Or, and I am sure I am wrong, but maybe it is not us, but them.
In reality, it could just be where you lived back in the good old days.
4 of the 57 members of the Columbus HO Scale club was teenagers.We formed our own little group so we could talk about what improvements we would like to see in the hobby.
Oddly when I was young everybody was older..Now many years later I am older and everybody at train shows and some clubs seems younger.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Some time ago, my wife sought to pull me away from my computer, and particularly from Flight Simulator. She suggested that I pull my old trains out of the attic and set them up. Other than perhaps having our daughter, it was the best idea she ever had.
I loved the idea of doing something physical rather than virtual. I built things of wood, of wire and metal. And so, I for one am happy to look upon the kids who are choosing RC planes and cars. They are real. They are physical entities, not just video games and images stored on disk. They actually sit there, taking up space on your workbench and demanding to be played with. It's still not the World's Greatest Hobby, but it's not bad.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
What does this have to do with railroading? I would have thought discussing the potential disincentives for young people and indeed the costs as part of how we attract new people into the hobby. That seems worth discussing somehow.
I am old, my first layout 60 years ago was Lionel on a closet door table. My dad bought those trains. Five years later I was buying Athearn rubber band drive locomotives. (Ask your grandfather what those were) I could afford them on my allowance. Today I am retired and on very limited income. I look at a new E8 for my potential B&O railroad, and the $300 says, "sorry, not today."
Steven S So for less than the cost of a single locomotive, I can fly a plane. Steve S
So for less than the cost of a single locomotive, I can fly a plane.
Steve S
Unless of course it's TYCO (They count, right?)
Nothing has changed, in the 60's no kids, but me, were into trains. Slot cars were the rage but by the late 60's, were going away. If you could get a count, you would find more people in model railroading as ever before but if you were to look at a percentage of population, you would see it scrinking (too many other hobbies). You want to see a dying hobby, look at bowling, in warm states they are fast disapearing, out here in California they have started a fundraiser for one that people don't want to disapear. Out of 6 local, only one remains!
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
Okay, the "under 25 perspective" from me.
Most of my friends are spending their money on girls, cars, beer (tons of beer) and buying a house. They spend the leftover on video games,phones, etc. I know about four people interested in trains my age perSonally. I'm in four model railroading Facebook groups full of younger adults, so its not doing a massive die off, its just the way of showing it is changing.
Now you want a dying hobby? Golf. A local range near me is doing a scholarship for any athletes to play it in college due to the massive drop in interest.
I don't have my own layout, nor the space. But I collect currently and run/do work on the club layout.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
x2
Same old yawner posts....over and over
This hobby is dead, last one out turn out the lights
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Geared Steam richhotrain Two thoughts: 1. What does this have to do with model railroading? 2. It's been discussed so often that it may now be worthy of a Sticky. Time to move on. Rich x2 Same old yawner posts....over and over This hobby is dead, last one out turn out the lights
My biggest disappointment is that Steven has not seen fit to delete this off topic thread and start a Sticky in its place.
Alton Junction
Enzoamps I look at a new E8 for my potential B&O railroad, and the $300 says, "sorry, not today."
I look at a new E8 for my potential B&O railroad, and the $300 says, "sorry, not today."
Puzzled, then, why you would be looking at list price for the most expensive option with sound. You can buy perfectly serviceable Walther's/Proto from eBay new in box for under a hundred. And they'll run them again eventually.
Does every third thread on this forum have to be whining about price?
RT TrainsPuzzled, then, why you would be looking at list price for the most expensive option with sound. You can buy perfectly serviceable Walther's/Proto from eBay new in box for under a hundred. And they'll run them again eventually.
Prices are high but,like you say there are options.I would buy a Walthers or even a older LL P2K locomotive and add DCC/ Sound and still have money left over.
Jimmy_Braum Now you want a dying hobby? Golf. A local range near me is doing a scholarship for any athletes to play it in college due to the massive drop in interest.
That has more to do with the region you're in than the sport.
Down where I live, a very moneyed area with lots of people with leisure time to match, they can't build driving ranges fast enough. Land is way too valuable for courses.
But a high end range with chipped balls and targets with sensors to evaluate the distance and accuracy, plus a full menu and bar with waiters bringing your order to your climate controlled bay? Great way to spend a spring day.
When I was a young lad in school (in the 1960´s), my classmates (all male, this were the years before coeducation) were either into trains or slot cars, none into RC planes, as they were too expensive.
When my son (now 28 years of age) was a young lad in school, none of his classmates were into trains, slot cars, RC planes/ships or anything where you actually have to create things with your own hands.
If you take a look who is buying RC planes these days, you´ll find out that it is the same bunch of middle-aged, already gray-haired folks with their middle having a tendency to be comfortably round .
richhotrainMy biggest disappointment is that Steven has not seen fit to delete this off topic thread and start a Sticky in its place. Rich
Maybe our gracious host thinks its refreshing to see something different then another whiny topic or a question that has been covered many times over?
Klambach does offer other hobby magazines..
I think Steven has shown good taste in allowing this topic to run its course.
BRAKIE richhotrain My biggest disappointment is that Steven has not seen fit to delete this off topic thread and start a Sticky in its place. Maybe our gracious host thinks its refreshing to see something different then another whiny topic or a question that has been covered many times over? Klambach does offer other hobby magazines..
richhotrain My biggest disappointment is that Steven has not seen fit to delete this off topic thread and start a Sticky in its place.
First, the topic of RC cars and RC airplanes is not in the least bit related to model railroading.
Second, the topic has been covered many time over - - - too many times over. The title of the thread is a dead giveaway, Where Have The Young Model Railroaders Gone.
How many times and how many threads have we had on the subject of the hobby is dying, the young are not interested, and their interests lie elsewhere?
I am just curious why this thread is allowed to drone on and on while other recent threads have been deleted and replaced by a Sticky.
Where have all the model railroaders gone, long time passing?Where have all the model railroaders, long time ago?Where have all the model railroaders gone?computer games and cell phones have picked them everyone.Oh, when will they ever learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
I don't know.....some threads may be rehashed over & over to some people....but there are also newer people who may have something to say also. Are they not allowed to have their say???
No one is forcing anyone to get involved, negative or positive answers.
Take Care!
Frank
zstripe I don't know.....some threads may be rehashed over & over to some people....but there are also newer people who may have something to say also. Are they not allowed to have their say??? No one is forcing anyone to get involved, negative or positive answers. Take Care! Frank
You are right,write, rite, correct Frank. Take any page of threads, if you take out all the threads that are "repeats", there isn't much, if anything left. I will occasionally go to an other forum on the WWW like Yahoo groups or some other if I have a real problem, however I like the more social atmosphere of this place. Here it is like we have conversations as if we are sitting at the cafeteria at a train show. On some of the other forums it is all business and it is like I have called a company to ask them why my engine isn't running. I get the answer and don't hang around. I am not in their league in this hobby just as I am not in the same league of the experts on this forum, however the smart, experienced guys on this forum tend to be a little more friendly as they also will chime in on other subjects.
I am probably the worst offender when it comes to straying off topic and when told to get back on track I do, however this comes from taking an interest in the people on here and what they have to say.
When I posted this thread it was because I had no idea how popular the RC hobby has become. I was in the hobbyshop on the weekend during a sale and I was checking out the model railroad items. During the time I was there I saw many people young and old come into the hobby shop.
What surprised me was how many of them were checking out thr RC section of cars and airplanes and how during the time I was there say only two other people check out the model railroad items.
During my time in the hobby shop I spoke to the owner manager who I see often at the local model railroad club and we had a conversation of how popular the RC Hobby was. It was the manager who mentioned that the local Model Railroad club was even in danger of folding unless new members would be forthcoming.
As a few posters have indicated age does have a lot to do with peoples hobbys, as a youth I had a few train sets and a permanent layout, as luckily we had a large house with a full basement. Then later i put away my trains and it was not until i was near retirement that i caught the model railroad bug again.
I have a fair size layout in my recreation room and I spend a lot of my free time in the winter working on the layout. Over time I have slowly changed over my layout and now model the 1940 steam era and have on my layout CPR, CNR and GN locomotives. Most of my steam engines are now brass, as if your are modeling Canadian Steam your will find few HO engines available otherwise.
In short I am an avid model railroader and certainly would not want to see the hobby die.
My posting was as I said before based on my reaction to seeing so many people in a busy hobby shop (there was an excellent sale going on at the time) and yet there were so few people browsing the model railroad items and also having the hobby shop manager telling me how popular the RC items were selling.
I would also add a note that since this incidence occurred I have also been at the local designated national RC flying club field a few times and that there are not many young members there either.
Being in a small City with a large rural area with lots of crown land the people flying rc planes, helicopters and drones have lots of choices of where to fly their aircraft, you do not see them in the local parks that often neither but they are out there.
So if I offended anyone with this posting I did not mean to. I was just verbalizing an observation that I had while I was in a hobbyshop that was actually quite busy as there was a sale going on at the time.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
richhotrainI am just curious why this thread is allowed to drone on and on while other recent threads have been deleted and replaced by a Sticky. Rich
Rich,Every day I look over topics that I am not interested in.Should those topics be deleted too?
Sure this topic is not about choo-choos but,it does hold interest for some members and in that light I still think Steven has shown good taste in allowing this topic to run its course.
Even I have a interest in R/C--boats that is.
I think there's been some skimming going on. My post and several others have been specifically about model railroad applications.
I'll throw in another, simply because it's part of the the current issue -- RC planes, boats, trucks, whatever now have another niche in the RC crowd -- trains. Most of that deadrail stuff is repurposed RC.
I've waited for years for large scale wireless systems to get more affordable. The turnkey one's are still relatively expensive, but we now have all the parts available to cheaply build them, even if we're RC-dummies (which I am). I've got a 1:20.3 B-mann Shay that will get wireless sound with onboard batteries whenever the budget can squeeze it in. Like many here have remarked, the LHS is much better stocked with RC stuff than trains these days, but I can work with it.
I'm not sure if anyone specifically mentioned this yet, so I may not be first to point it out, but one reason the new RC stuff is so adapatable is because electric motors are now very common (and I'm pretty sure there's some "fuel" folks who look down their noses at them electric kids). That means its very simple to run trains with basically the same gear that RC planes use. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
What we're seeing is that instead of there being walls between trains and RC is that there is a convergence in certain skill areas. Frankly, that's a good thing. And we shouldn't pretend it doesn't exist. If RC is like traction, or N scale, or DC and you're DCC, just read on, as there's lots of other content here. There's no need to bash those who want to know more about something that is HOT in model railroading right now. Maybe not in your basement, but it is in many others.
Of course,, if you WANT another thread full of RC-bashing, that's easy enough to achieve...right here. On the other hand, be the change you want to see works for me. I've said my peace, and will return to RC given it's the topic of this thread.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
don7As a few posters have indicated age does have a lot to do with peoples hobbys, as a youth I had a few train sets and a permanent layout, as luckily we had a large house with a full basement. Then later i put away my trains and it was not until i was near retirement that i caught the model railroad bug again. I have a fair size layout in my recreation room and I spend a lot of my free time in the winter working on the layout. Over time I have slowly changed over my layout and now model the 1940 steam era and have on my layout CPR, CNR and GN locomotives. Most of my steam engines are now brass, as if your are modeling Canadian Steam your will find few HO engines available otherwise. In short I am an avid model railroader and certainly would not want to see the hobby die. My posting was as I said before based on my reaction to seeing so many people in a busy hobby shop (there was an excellent sale going on at the time) and yet there were so few people browsing the model railroad items and also having the hobby shop manager telling me how popular the RC items were selling.
Above poster already said it in his post. Age is a major factor. Most hobbies require disposable time, money, and in the case of model trains, space to build a layout. Sure there are creative ways around all those things but for all but the most dedicated, they are requirements.
Teenage years through forties are typically occupied by chasing girls, school, work and family. It's not until your fifties that you start to have disposable income and time to enjoy hobbies. In much of the USA basements do not exist, so you have to wait until the kids leave home to find a spare bedroom. Which of course is why most model railroaders and other hobbyists are older.