Model Railroading: Slow year in 2011?

CSXDixieLine Dec 26, 2011

  1. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I dont think the lack of new product is affecting MRR as much as the economy is.

    There has been some great looking stuff that came out in 2011. I have seen people who just a few years back who had the "full speed ahead...damn the torpedos !" attitude...that are now adrift in an uncertain economy for one reason or the other. Those who retire with a nice pension...can afford what they want. I dont begrudge them a thing. Those who have lost jobs or are forced on a work slowdown...and therefore must tighten the belt...it's a matter of 'priorities. Those who live on disablity and/or fixed income do the best we can. I myself appreciate those who give, sell, donate any of their outdated, broken, never used stuff to those of us 'dumpster diving' for anything MRR related.

    In the last couple years..the manufactures decided to go with the flow of "give us more detail...we dont care what it cost." Now they are finding out the disposable $$$$$ some had isnt there anymore and the manufactures cant sell their stuff at outrageous prices. I have recently seen awesomely detailed looking locomotive shrink back to the 60- 80 dollar range. But if the modeler still cant afford it...it will sit on someones shelf a longer period of time.

    I have no solid facts to back any of this up...just what I deduct from postings here and other forums. I trust my fellow modelers opinions and postings more then I ever would a politician who p*sses down my leg and swears its only raining !!!

    This is still just a HOBBY. I enjoy it daily. Yes...I covet some of the new things some guys buy...who doesnt !! BUT...I will still paddle upstream against a growing flood of concern for our U.S. economy and the nation as a whole. If it all blows up in our faces...I'll just go out and fire up the generator so I can still run my trains...and relax !!!
     
  2. dieselfan1

    dieselfan1 Guest

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    I don't agree with the economy excuse. I am a finish carpenter so I know how the new home construction has put a major dent in my income since about 2007. I get tired of hearing of how this guy or that guy lost his job and blame it on the economy. If you are hungry enough you will find the work. I have and am on track to have my best year since 2006. So quit waiting around for something to happen. YOU have to make it happen. Then you will have more money for trains.
    2012 looks to be a big year as far as my job goes, back into the six figures for sure.
    I'm off my soapbox for now.
     
  3. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    When...not if...YOUR job goes in the crapper...will you honestly come back here on TB and tell us all how the economy suxs ?

    Just wondering...thnxs
     
  4. Bruce-in-MA

    Bruce-in-MA TrainBoard Member

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    I'm glad 2012 looks good for your six-figure income.

    As far as the rest of your statement goes, I'd agree if it were before 2008. But it's a whole different world out there now. I'd suggest you be thankful that things are going well for yourself, and to keep your grossly uniformed opinions regarding the rest of us who are looking very hard for work to yourself.
     
  5. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    Interesting comments and discussion everyone. In fact, I am a little surprised about the amount of feedback (three pages of posts in just half a day). For the last several months, it seems many topics that would have spurred much conversation in the past generate little interest. I am suspicious of the economy factor (although I believe it is partly to blame) simply because the last two years were booming with forum activity when the economy was really bottomed out. The whole thing is just a mystery to me; it's not that lots of people aren't making any progress, it just seems everyone's level of interest is down. Does that make sense? Maybe the hobby is just cyclical and this is a normal downturn. I haven't been actively invloved in the forums long enough to know. It just seems whenever I make my daily vist to the forums on TrainBoard, Atlas, MR, Ralwire, etc., there are hardly any new posts when compared to previous years. Then again, I am making lots of great progress this modeling season, so it could be everyone is spending more time working on their layouts and less time talking about them. :)

    Jamie
     
  6. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    OHhhhhhhhhh...lets hope that is whats going on. I really am an optimist...seriously...I am.
     
  7. N-builder

    N-builder TrainBoard Member

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    Let's be realistic dieselfan1 six figures for a carpenter that's a first for me you might be the lucky one and you might be tired of hearing this and that guy losing his job. But reality will smack you in the face sooner or later. And if you think today the economy is as good as before 2007 then I hope you go out more often and pay attention to whats going on around you. Just sain.
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Many, many of the Yahoos are also down in activity. Not just rail hobby, but others as well. I see it for my favorite motorsport. What was once jumping is now limping along- From averaging 1200-1600 posts a month, now to between 100 and 200. Not just because of the off-season. It's that way steadily for a couple of years now.
     
  9. dieselfan1

    dieselfan1 Guest

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    Thats about the responses I expected to hear.

    I never said the economy was good, its not ,duh. My job was in the crapper a few years back but I did something about it, I looked harder than I ever had to for more work and branched out. In this business you only get
    out of it what you put into it. In 2011 I had to work in five different states, away from home for weeks at a time working 14 -18 hours a day. Never had to do that before. I went where the work was , I didn't wait around for it to come to me.

    Don't get me wrong , Im extremly grateful that I'm doing well. As far as grossly uninformed goes I know that not everyone is going to get the perfect job to replace the one they lost. Three years ago I hardly had any work but I did what I could to survive. A lot of people want everything handed to them on a silver platter.
    Thats my opinion , if you don't like it , too bad.
    I am self employed so making a hundred grand a year is pretty easy to do if you are good at it, have the right connections and are willing to stick your neck out a little. I've made way more than that when the economy was good and so have my buddies that are in the same business as me. A union carpenter around here makes about 28.00 an hour or aroud 55,000 - 60,000 a year. Thats fine for some guys but I would rather make more than that.
     
  10. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    **disregard...decided it aint worth it **
     
  11. Traindork

    Traindork TrainBoard Member

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    I know I've been spending less time on the modeling forums. All the negativity and whining is really pointless. I tire of the 'I know more than you do' replies.
    I also don't need others to 'push me into being a better modeler.' And yes, my modeling activity went down this year. A move that didn't take place, my father had a stroke, and now a paycheck that's bounced a few times in the past three months has me in no mood to work on the layout. I've got bags of FVM metal wheels sitting on the layout, waiting for me to install them. I waited over a year for them, and now they sit collecting dust.
     
  12. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

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    As far as forum posts, it could be a technolgy factor. Web forums are SOOO 2005 as far as the computer world goes. It's all about social networking sites and blogs and twitter. I have no doubt that that is impacting this site as well.

    And the economy to boot.

    And for the record, I've lost 2 jobs in the last 2 years and moved from San Diego to Portland to Sacramento. I now have a job I love in a city I never wanted to live in. The notion that all it takes is working harder is absolutely ignorant. It takes an awful lot of luck too. And I'm an electrical engineer, a field that is hiring like mad.
     
  13. N-builder

    N-builder TrainBoard Member

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    You can over exaggerate as much as you want your hammer might be made of gold for all I care but in the end you are only lying to yourself.
     
  14. SimRacin14

    SimRacin14 TrainBoard Member

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    I've tinkered with my layout a bit(finally got the entire main up and running, but no blocks or anything else). Still tempted to get rid of it and start all over. I've bought 10-12 locomotives this year, which is pretty good, I guess.

    I have honestly spent more time chasing the real thing, instead of staying at home. I've photographed or filmed about 320 trains this year, up from a total of 279 last year. Easy to see what I've been up to!
     
  15. Tracy McKibben

    Tracy McKibben TrainBoard Member

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    I've maintained a steady level of activity throughout the year, but my participation here on TB has dropped considerably. Why? Because I got tired of getting baited into anti-NMRA rants. I got tired of seeing threads degrade into an off-topic pissing match, like this one has started to do. I got tired of the negative "this brand sucks, this retailer sucks, this scale sucks" posts. I can get all of the negativity that I want from work, I don't need to get it here. To that end, I've focused on my modeling, publishing my progress on my blog, and sharing that progress here. If somebody wants to strike up a conversation about something I've done, I'll gladly do so, but I no longer scroll through the forums looking for fights.
     
  16. nscalerone

    nscalerone TrainBoard Member

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    Since it was my post that you referred to when you called my economy reasoning an "excuse".........I will tell you this - I find your post offensive. It's the same old tired rhetoric....."there's plenty of jobs, if those lazy so & so's would just get off their lazy butts, etc."
    That is just plain wrong!!! I have worked hard all my life (never made more than $40k a year by the way), but that DOES NOT make me any less a person than you!! God Bless you that you have the skills to make that kind of $$$, but everyone doesn't have those skills, or maybe the breaks you've had. While you were probably learning your trade, I was in the military during Vietnam. I'm now disabled as a result, and couldn't work if I wanted to..........so sir, DO NOT DISRESPECT ME by saying "I just need to try harder"..........that's B.S!!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2011
  17. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    We know about this one. My wife's older brother has been in the EE field for almost forty years. He has been all over the world as an employee and private consultant. Was involved with the original development of the mega screens you see at sports venues, etc. But he's had his offs and ons with steady work in recent years.
     
  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    The above being said, (with which I find myself in agreement), and also in unison with what Tracy has noted, I think we need to quickly slide back to model railroading as this is an N Scale Forum.

    Boxcab E50
    TrainBoard Administrator
     
  19. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    I think you are on to something. This thread has made me want to get away from the forums for a while. Jamie
     
  20. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    My layout modeling really didnt get moving till late in the year, and thats because of longer hours at work. I did manage to get the refinery in I had been wanting to do and doubling up the SP mains, so that was great progress for 2011. :) I am hoping to get more modeling time in 2012.
     

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