In the paper today, there was the above headline with the following subhead:
"Model trains are a dying hobby, store owner says on closing shop."
It was reported that Allied Model Trains in Culver City, California is closing after 32 years in business. It was housed in a half block long replica of the Los Angeles Union Station. Seems the biggest problem is getting the next generation interested in the hobby as the current fans are grow older. According to the author, there are so many other interests, like video games competing for the attention of today's youth. The article also mentions that Model Railroader has had a drop in magazine circulation fro 272,000 in 1993 to only 162,000 today. And they estimate that the average railroader spends $1555 per year, almost twice the 1993 average.
Well we are part of that competition. If the physical part of the hobby is suffering, we need to sell the virtual aspects and highlight the many advantages not the least of which is the relative low cost to join and play. Unlike the need to buy every car,wagon and other object separately, we can install and use an almost unlimited number objects without incurring extra costs. Creating and using multiple layouts is normal, you don't run out of space and at the end of the day, you can just turn off the computer and not have to worry about putting everything away for the next time. It's also very portable as those with high end laptops can play anywhere, not just in the hobby room.
As much as we may lament the loss of such hobby shops, if we at the end of the day don't find and introduce potential trains people to the virtual side of the hobby, they will find other games to get excited about and we will have an even smaller hobby.
"Model trains are a dying hobby, store owner says on closing shop."
It was reported that Allied Model Trains in Culver City, California is closing after 32 years in business. It was housed in a half block long replica of the Los Angeles Union Station. Seems the biggest problem is getting the next generation interested in the hobby as the current fans are grow older. According to the author, there are so many other interests, like video games competing for the attention of today's youth. The article also mentions that Model Railroader has had a drop in magazine circulation fro 272,000 in 1993 to only 162,000 today. And they estimate that the average railroader spends $1555 per year, almost twice the 1993 average.
Well we are part of that competition. If the physical part of the hobby is suffering, we need to sell the virtual aspects and highlight the many advantages not the least of which is the relative low cost to join and play. Unlike the need to buy every car,wagon and other object separately, we can install and use an almost unlimited number objects without incurring extra costs. Creating and using multiple layouts is normal, you don't run out of space and at the end of the day, you can just turn off the computer and not have to worry about putting everything away for the next time. It's also very portable as those with high end laptops can play anywhere, not just in the hobby room.

As much as we may lament the loss of such hobby shops, if we at the end of the day don't find and introduce potential trains people to the virtual side of the hobby, they will find other games to get excited about and we will have an even smaller hobby.
