It's the end of the line ...

[DeRiCo]

coldev said:
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Now if only there were a way to reproduce the smells. Perhaps I could light up the charcoal Weber (outside an open window, of course, for health reasons) and persuade my wife to allow a couple of open cans of warm oil and diesel in the house
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Well there is a way to experience those smells.

Down here in Newcastle we have a live steam group at Edgeworth and it is a very popular place on the last Sunday of each month.

If you want to experience some nostalgia just go along to one of these meetings in your area and breath deeply of the smoke and oil. But don't forget to wear your glasses when riding behind them as they do throw cinders just like the real thing.

I too tried to build a model railway over the years, but due to growing family and lack of space/money I had to wait. I did make a coffee table with a small Z gauge in once. The kids eventually grew up and moved out, but by then I had gotten into computers and finally snaffled a room of my own. Luckily the 'Trouble & Strife' didn't want a sewing room.

Of course Trainz came along and I have now set up my planned model rail in the computer. Bigger and better than I would have in a room, not to mention cheaper too.

Rail is not the only hobby to experience loss of interest. I have a 1914 vintage car and will be soon restoring an old 1940 motorcycle. The young people of today are not so keen on older cars either. The clubs have found that memberships are dwindling and days outings are rarer. Of course the RTA rules have not helped there either.

It all comes down to the younger generation and their upbringing which now means computer involvement in just about every field.

One can only hope that there is enough interested people to keep some of the old machines running for our enjoyment.

Dennis

 

[FootplatePhil]

When I first got hooked on Trainz in early 2002 my HO modelling fell by the wayside. Sadly, during my absence from HO, the hobby store I frequented went under. I think it is not just the model railroad hobby which is suffering against the competition for the current youths entainment time and budget.

For me, it was the size of the layout I could build in Trainz which appealed most - no more 'selective compression', and cost was not related to size and complexity. (Although I still do not think of Trainz as an entirely cheap option. While I may only have spent a few of hundred dollars on Trainz sofware over the last 5 years, I have upgraded Trainz specific computers a couple of times, at the cost of thousands of dollars)

However more recently I have rediscovered the pleasures of 'hands on' modelling, and have been putting all my spare hobby cents into a LGB MTS setup in my garage. But I have not abandoned Trainz (and LGB have managed to go under, despite my lucrative patronage). I now enjoy a healthy balance of V-scale and G-scale modelling. My main complaint is that there are not enough hours in the day to both play, and pay !

Phil

 

[GP_38-2]

Footplatephil: same here. 4 years ago (wow has it been that long?) I got into Trainz, and while it has taken over my current model railroading (I can do this, but "hands-on" I just haven't had time for), there's nothing like getting really down and dirty. Sure clicking a mouse is fun, but tearing a model to the frame and tuning every physical part has its own appeal (boy does it feel good to get back to hands-on work).

I supppose it depends on who you talk to. I know at least in my state the economy doesn't help anything, however there's a couple "used" shops and they seem to be hopping along. One of the biggest factors (and why I've bought probably 90% of my models used) is the cost. I remember (makes me sound old haha) when the Athearn Blue Boxes cost me $30-$40 for a good solid diesel, not anymore! With the prices hitting well over $100 even for "basic" diesels it's just too much. Come on, they're made in china for pennys and yet they charge over $100? And people wonder why the industry is falling apart? I'm sorry but I just don't have the cash to spend $140 on a diesel. Heck I can buy a very nice "used" Rivarossi 4-6-6-4 challenger for about that same price, sure not quite all the bells and whistles but still....

just my 2 cents (no wait 1 cent I need that extra penny )

 

[chrisracer8903]

I agree with the topic of this thread. The hobby is getting "old". People today don't keep an open mind about things to try something new. I keep my railroading hobbies to myself due to I get made fun of for it (Co-worker calls me "Thomas" at work because I like trains). Also; I think railroads in the U.S. just not as good as they used to be. There's only 4 major railroads in this country now. 10 years ago we had great railroads like SP, DRGW, Conrail, and Algoma Central. Now it's gone and there's not that much variety now. I see this somewhat sad that (In my area) nobody my age has an interest in it and won't even give it a chance. I think railroading is dieing because my generation (I'm 17) doesn't appreciate stuff like this and that the railroads are becoming "Generic". -Chris

 

[GreatEastern]

My model railway survives but due to lack of space and money it improves in little fits and bursts. The main drain on my finances being my PC to keep Trainz running and my involvement with real 'model railways' . I keep buying books and little bits of railwayana to add to my collection or things I need to work on the lines (hi vis, food etc). It is sad that these things have declined a bit but for me the decline in interest in railways and the fact that not many people are too keen to get involved means that there are plenty of opportunities for me to learn and rise quickly in terms of tools I am allowed to use etc. I know that point of view is incredibly selfish but for me it is the one good thing that has come out of it... Mind you we could really do with more people my age being interested but with the opposite sex and PCs and our current culture something really needs to change in order for these things to be back in...

Andy

 

[campbell5149]

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.

well I agree with you to a certian extent. I work at a Hobby Shop and we have an good size inventory of trains, and I must say we are selling out consistently, and constantly re-ordering. I have customers that are both the usual old man, and some as young as 5 or 6 buying train items. Trains are huge over here in the N.E. , But out west i suppose it may not. Anyway, I have not seen any decline, but actually an increase in interest of model railroading.

CHECK US OUT!!!! ------> www.niagarahobby.com

 

[aradlaw]

CHECK US OUT!!!! ------> www.niagarahobby.com

The one with the red caboose out front When the kids were small we used to visit on our trips to Niagara Falls, they would watch the model trains go 'round, I would wish and dream and my wife would load up on craft supplies

 

[campbell5149]

The one with the red caboose out front When the kids were small we used to visit on our trips to Niagara Falls, they would watch the model trains go 'round, I would wish and dream and my wife would load up on craft supplies

yup thats the place.....that layout underneath is a disaster. I should know. I am the repair/cleaner of the layout (because i work there) and it's a mess

 

[lok93]

The situation here in SIngapore/Malaysia regarding this matter is rather terrible. There are only about 200-300 enthusiasts for BOTH countries, of about let's say 25 million people.

Model railways don't gain much acceptance here, (thank goodness for the only shop that still sells Hornby!). Another shop sells Fleischmann, and that's all for Singapore. There are some more in Malaysia, but they are closing down one by one.

 

[betsy662]

Hi gents:

I have a 14.5 by 40 ft HOn3 model railroad and to be honest I haven't touched it since I got gmax and Trainz. Being retired and on a fixed income I can no longer afford to do much of anything for $$$ reasons. An 0-6-0T in HOn3 runs $495.00, K-36's and 37's run $800 to $900, and the Sumpter Valley 2-6-6-2 is $1000. My first loco (a 4-6-0) ran $37.00 in 1957). They have priced thier product beyond the reach of the average model railroader. Sad, as I have always been an avid physical model railroader but I have no choice but to give it up for Trainz even tho I'd prefer to enjoy both.

Ben

I feel your pain Ben, I'm an avid O scaler myself, naturally two rail is also more expensive than 3 rail these days, been into the physical model trains for years, read about Trainz and MSTS in Model Railroader a few years back, and when the opportunity presented itself, I got UTC, and haven't really done much with my O scale trains since then, I now also have TRS2004 and TRS2006, and have actually been entertaining the thought of tearing down my layout that resides in my outbuilding and listing everything on ebay.

In the immediate area I live in, we do have a train store that is doing quite well, naturally I live in Florida, so many of the older folks still go there and buy trains, mostly in HO scale, but as has been pointed out already, cost is the big factor on scale model trains, some of the prices, especially for sound equipped and DCC equipped diesels, which still have a plastic shell are going for upwards of the $200.00 mark.

One thing that has always been cost prohibitive is changing era's, scale, or gauge, with Trainz, the really big advantage is that you can have it all, virtually speaking, you can have one layout with 19th century trains, another with modern trains, and yet another with Narrow gauge trains, I have a whole bunch of layouts that I have created in Trainz, something that could never happen in the real world......

 

[Magicland]

The one with the red caboose out front When the kids were small we used to visit on our trips to Niagara Falls, they would watch the model trains go 'round, I would wish and dream and my wife would load up on craft supplies

That's part of the problem. Railroads used to be local entities with endearing features such as the caboose, now kids don't even know what one is (the only place they're going to see one is on a model or tourist railroad). Railroads in the US have become bland, generic things. Long trains pulling almost identical cars in seamless anonymity. "Back in the day" almost everyone knew someone who worked for a railroad, now unless they're a commuter, you hardly know anyone who's ever been on a railroad. Movie stars and baseball teams used to travel the country by rail, and a train trip was a genuine novelty, what with great meals in the dining cars, entertainment in the lounge car, a moving hotel in the sleeping cars, and caring, attentive staff who made sure the trip was an event, all on crack trains which would race the competition to their destinations. Now you get generic coaches, snack vending machines, and waylaid on a siding as your train gets several hours late waiting for the freights which have priority. Then, if you take pictures of your hobby, you get dragged off to the police station, your film/camera siezed, and endure hours of questioning by the local gestapo.

 

[goodell911]

I second that emotion

~Rick

 

[seward]

Magicland wrote: "Then, if you take pictures of your hobby, you get dragged off to the police station, your film/camera siezed, and endure hours of questioning by the local gestapo."

I mistakenly thought that this country (U.K.) was the only country (outside of Totalitarian regimes) where this was happening. There has been comments and letters in my "Railway Magazine" about this very subject.
Scary!

As for model railways, it does seem as if these are going into a decline, prices do have a lot to do with it, as does lack of interest from our youngsters, which is very sad.

Trainz does fill a void for me, because I do not have the space or money to build another real layout.
Although I do not post on here, (or indeed visit) as often as I used to, I am still very much involved with my Trainz Hobby, and if I had to give it up for any reason, I know that I would miss it terrably, as, since retireing two years ago, it has become a big part of my life, and I want it to continue being so until I no longer have any interest in life left.

 

[CoolMatty]

Magicland wrote: "Then, if you take pictures of your hobby, you get dragged off to the police station, your film/camera siezed, and endure hours of questioning by the local gestapo."

I mistakenly thought that this country (U.K.) was the only country (outside of Totalitarian regimes) where this was happening. There has been comments and letters in my "Railway Magazine" about this very subject.
Scary!

As for model railways, it does seem as if these are going into a decline, prices do have a lot to do with it, as does lack of interest from our youngsters, which is very sad.

Trainz does fill a void for me, because I do not have the space or money to build another real layout.
Although I do not post on here, (or indeed visit) as often as I used to, I am still very much involved with my Trainz Hobby, and if I had to give it up for any reason, I know that I would miss it terrably, as, since retireing two years ago, it has become a big part of my life, and I want it to continue being so until I no longer have any interest in life left.

The line "Model Railways is a dying hobby" is a favourite line that is usually said to try and bring people away from it. The British Model Railway has increased. There are more manufacturers and clubs about than ever. Dying? Your joking.

I have alot of 00 Model Railway stuff which is in a box until we can set it out again. I have a 16mm Model Steam loco for a Garden Railway. The assocaited association D ) has seen a rise in members. Another model Engineering club has seen increase in members in the 3 1/2" to 7 1/4" (" = inches, doesn't it?) section. Both have added juniors like me to their list. But the issue of junior members was raised at one meeting. We don't know how to combat it.

Rant over

CoolMatty

 

[chrisracer8903]

I agree with Magicland's statement. I also notice that there is a "stage" kids go thru that tells you if they will like trains or not. I've noticed with little kids here this; kids love trains when they are little (Thomas the train or anything that is juvinile to teen/ adults) then about between 10-12 they go thru a stage where the look for other interests and if go back to trains or like trains at 12-13 then they will awlays like trains. If they don't: then it's lost forever. Little kids you can't tell if they really like trains until they are 12-13 years old. I am an example of this, because at age 11-12 I lost interest in trains and got back into it at 13 years old. Now it's a huge chunk of my time and I'll love them as long as I live . -Chris

 

[chrisracer8903]

Ooops. Double post, sorry. -Chris

 

[WileeCoyote]

....Then, if you take pictures of your hobby, you get dragged off to the police station, your film/camera siezed, and endure hours of questioning by the local gestapo....

Tell me they don't do that in America just because you were taking pictures of an SD-70 idling away at a railway station. Homeland security or extreme paranoia? Here it is nowhere near as terrible, you can take pictures of trains so long as you are at least one meter from the tracks and the only places you are not supposed to go (unless given permission to do so) are service depots, rail yards, and switch boxes.

WileeCoyote

 

[FECrailway_Richard]

Over the years, I have modeled trains in very scale that I could get my hands on. Each scale (Z to 1/8th real size) represents a period of my life. At one point, being the youngest of five children of a widowed mother, I constructed my own from cardboard and crayons. Don't ever discount the value of imagination.

I don't believe that the interest in trains has changed one bit; but the pace in which our lives move has.

Kids have the time, but they are limited by the funds of the parent. Older teens spend more time thinking about the opposite sex; plus model railroading may not be considered "cool" by their peers.

Young adults are too busy building the lives and their careers.

Becoming a parent, gives the rail fan the needed excuse to resurrect their favorite hobby. It's all for the kids! Really, it is! My daughter was taught how to start up and drive an actual SD40-2 by the supervisor of locomotives at age fourteen.

Regardless of whatever turns my life may have took, I was born to sit behind the thottle of a locomotive. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to operate trains in EVERY scale.

Today, I enjoy my favorite hobby at three levels:

Trainz allows me to operate many trains on many routes. It allows me to recreate my favorite railroad in the virtual world.

1-1/2" (Live Steamer's) scale allows me to get my hands dirty. I can climb aboard and give folks a ride. There are club layouts to visit, plus I have a layout in my yard that goes around the house. Track cost about $4.00 to $5.00 a running foot to build. My 16HP twin-V 550 pound six foot long model SW9 locomotive cost me about $6500.

Yes, this scale can cost some big bucks. But the feeling when you are pulling the slack out of a fifty car train with a couple dozen people riding in the cars is as close to the real thing that you will ever get!

My favorite scale of choice is the real thing. Whether it is controlling three locomotives pulling 138 ortner cars of gravel (thirty-eight million pounds total), or simply hanging of the steps as I guide the engineer back to a perfect coupling; these are the moments that define what I was born to do.

Our lives may be getting busier and the world may be getting smaller, but as the founder of the Florida East Coast Railway Society, I can tell that the number of rail fans has not decreased.

By creating organizations where members can build modules that become part of huge layouts that they could never build on their own, modeling will continue.

Within this same group, offer Trainz demonstrations and classes. Have slide and picture shows of railroading of years past. Provide tours into operating railroad yards for us kids of all ages to see, touch, and learn.

Railfanning may adapt and change........... but it will never die!

Richard

 

[Kelly88]

I started with model RR with the TT Gauge; some people say that this was a complete cock up as far as scale was concerned, but to me it was great
I came from a big family, and not much money; I got a TT set for xmas when I was around 12years ols, ( just an oval of track and a small tank loco & 4 wagons : cost about £6 in those days); the problem for me was space; 4 brothers and 1 sister in a 3 bed terrace house; anyway I had to pack every thing away after using it; I continued to save my pocket money and for birthdays and xmas I got more items to use; then I started work ( at sea : away from the home 8 months of the year ) so the RR was left to gather dust in its box under the bed; at around 17 I moved out into a small flat, but it had 2 bedrooms so 1 became a model room and the TT set came out; I built a large U shape layout around this and started to buy more track and rolling stock ( the price was not so great still ) this carried on for several years, and the layout grew, still working at sea so the time spent at this was not so much; then as most people do I meet a lady and got stupid(married) then after 2 years along came a baby, goodby spare room; good bye RRno money) but life was good
several years later I found myself alone again; and in a new house with room stared to build an HO layout; this lasted for many years; then came another set back; the company I had worked for whent broke and sold of all the ships; I soon found another job but at a lower wage and longer away; sold the layout ( at a loss) and the house and become a sea tramp, just going from ship to ship; no fixed home base; this continued untill 15 years ago, meet a new lady ( French ) and set up home togeather, have never been more happy; as retirement started to loom we spoke about what we would do; during this I let out my passion for model RR and was suprised when she got me Trainz06 for a prezzy, last year I retired (62) and we are now building I mew house; in the plans we have a spare room 10 x 4 mtrs; this is going to be the RR room; I have been busy this last 5 months drawing up plans for the layout ( london to Leeds 1950's ) buying yards of peco track and points engines and rolling stock all in HO , in August this year the house is ready and I cant wait to get started; in the mean time I have Trainz; I have been building the London / Leeds on this so I will have something to work on; the route is being done in HO scale and the base boards have been arranged to fit the model room so I will have a plan working to build the layout with; maybe next year I will upload the route to the DLS for all to use

anyway as people have already said model RR equipment today is expencive and maybe this is why the hobby is in decline so far I have spent 7000 euro on equipment and not even started the build !!
mind you 2500 was just for the computer and DCC system

When we get moved am going to see if I can start a model RR club in the area using the room as a club room; the problem will be that it will be UK theam and I live in the south of France !!

anyway thats enough of my ranting here
Good luck to all and at the end of the day if its something you are happy with then it has to be good

 

[Magicland]

Tell me they don't do that in America just because you were taking pictures of an SD-70 idling away at a railway station. Homeland security or extreme paranoia? Here it is nowhere near as terrible, you can take pictures of trains so long as you are at least one meter from the tracks and the only places you are not supposed to go (unless given permission to do so) are service depots, rail yards, and switch boxes.

WileeCoyote

Extreme paranoia being passed off as "Homeland Security". It's happened way too often in a place that used to be referred to as the "land of the free". New Jersey Transit is notorious for it. I know of one incident where an Amtrak passenger was removed from a train he was traveling on for taking pictures of it during a station break. He spent several hours in the police station (and obviously missed his train). NYC tried to make taking photos in the subway illegal (fortunately this was struck down). The list goes on and on...