Hey,I'm a younger guy,and I watched quite a bit of Thomas when I was younger. I was already interested in real trains at that point as well. The younger folk are around,just takes some looking. I don't think our hobby's in much trouble,the train show I went to in January was packed. While I enjoy playing some computer games and such, they do get old to me because it's just virtual. There's nothing you can reach out and touch. I'm also into auto racing(someone mentioned sports),but I don't really watch the racing programming on television unless it's the actual race itself (pre and post race shows are boring). I've also got a racing-related job of sorts,so hey,it may get me a little extra money. While it's true some younger people have "given" up their hobby to pursue school,a career or what not,what's to say they don't rediscover the hobby in 15-20 years when they're more settled down? We've seen quite a few people do that this day in age,what's keeping that trend from continuing? The layouts I've worked on aren't anything you'll see in a magazine,but the only important thing is that I've bought stuff,and will continue to buy stuff,and as long as the hobby companies are getting that $$$,that's all that matters I'd guess.
Coming from a die-hard computer gaming addict through their college years and 20s (me!!), this can't ring any truer. Nevertheless, I grew up with my father and a model railroad, but only recently in the past two years re-entered the hobby. Ah, those fond memories of youth! Now I am completing the dream layout I always thought of back in those younger years. Now I have the skill, time, money, and most importantly support of a loving wife to fulfill those childhood dreams. College and getting one's life on its feet sure does get in the way of the hobby. Rest assured, though. Those with diesel fuel flowing through their bloodstream eventually do return to the hobby
I agree with you about Thomas The Tank Engine. I also agree that a 5 year old who likes Thomas hardly means he/she will get into trains or model railroading when they get older. I see tons of little children at train shows and club layouts who knock me out of the way to see a friggen toy Thomas engine coming down the tracks. Do you think they care about seeing a Santa Fe F7, or a Gp38-2, or an SD-45?
Being the scion of a very creative electrical design engineer who was given a set of "plastic" trains at 4ish, eventually a TYCO _electric_ train set with an oval of track and _two_ switches, er, turnouts at 8yo, and lots of N Scale "Postage Stamp Trains" at 12 I could say these eventually led to my renewed interest in model trains at 50. By extension children who are exposed to Thomas could in general harbor a reticent interest in model trains all their life. ____________________________________________ It does not follow that children who are exposed to Thomas will become model railroaders. Nor does it follow that if you were not exposed to trains as a child you will not become a model railroader. ___________________________________________________ What can be predicted is that intelligent people looking for a hobby might consider model trains. If they were exposed to model or prototype trains at some time in their life perhaps they will pick up the hobby. Then again, they might walk into a hobby shop and walk out with a radio controled ship. _____________________________________________________ Some folks grew up with MC Escher and Picaso. Others with Norman Rockwell and Monet. The art they enjoy today: Ruben and Nagle. ____________________________________________ Yes, we are all influenced in our childhood. The subtleties thereof are not predictable.
I agree. Generalizations based on notions of generations or age groups don't really help out. My kids were first into Thomas, but it was the gateway to increased interest in other aspects of railroading.
It can work both ways. It can as you say be the gateway into a long love affair with trains, or it can just be a phase.
Being that I work in a full service hobbyshop (HobbyTown), I see more than your fair share of new modelers in all aspects. Some things to point out from my experience: Thomas is a great influence to the younger kids and will get them going in the hobby if their parents will let them. The biggest thing keeping young kids from getting interested in the hobby is their parents. Thomas can light the fire if the parents don't put it out. Every Christmas season I get this statement at least 4-5 times, "My son asked for a train for Christmas but he has one request, it shouldn't have a face on it!" We have 4 year olds that walk in and tell their parent's, "that's not a diesel, it's a steamy!". The kids have the bug and have learned the basics, somebody just needs to let them play and continue on. There is already a genertion of parents out there that can't fix or repair anything let alone build a layout from scratch. When they see their kids getting interested in railroading, they don't know how to help them. The majority of parents that come to our shop, that are helping supporting the railroading habit are the mom's. We have more Mom's that are supportive and helpful than fathers. I have seen kids looking longingly into the train cases at the store only to be told by their dad's "What are you looking at toy trains for when there are RC airplanes over here?" We have at least 5-6 teenagers and younger that come in every few weeks and are working on their first layout. We have as many 20 and under railroaders as we do 50 and over that visit the store. Those of you that frequent "Serious" Train only stores, will never see these people because they are afraid to walk in the "train geek" shop. They don't want to be talked down to by the "old guy" behind the counter. Model Railroader is the worst reference for the current state of the hobby possible. The only people that read MR anymore are the older subscribers that maintain their subscription because they always have. I would say out of 100 railroad customers that come in our store, 5-6 of them buy MR when it has a good article, and maybe 10 more have subscriptions. Everybody else is tired of the same old rehash of and reprint of old articles with new pictures and so many articles that have no relevance to what they are doing. The current state of Model Railroading is right here. Most of our customers are internet savy and learn about things here before they would ever see it in a magazine. We are seeing an increase of hobbyist hobbies over the past couple years. Plastic model sales are increasing, model railroading is growing, slot cars are on a strong comeback and the RC is leveling off. The section of RC that is growing right now is the micro equipment, cars, planes and helicopters small enough that you don't have to leave home to find a track or flying field to play. People are starting to do things at home again. My personal situation: I have a 3 year old that can operate a DT400 and run two trains at once. He has been playing with Thomas since he was 1 1/2 and N scale since he was 2. He was the one that lit the train bug back in me. I got out of trains in High School and started racing RC cars very seriously, traveling all over the US in the process. After getting married and having a son, traveling was no longer an option and early on he showed a love for trains so here I am now. He has learned to read by learning the road names on the cars and can count to 100 from couting cars on trains when railfanning. We happen to live within earshot of the local line and everytime we are both home and hear the train blow for a crossing, he is ready to jump in the car and go watch the train. Everybody has the recesive train gene, it just needs some sort of spark to bring it's effects out.
Tony, I can only say that your situation at the local HobbyTown is totally unique in my experience. Perhaps it's a mid-west thing but it certaintly does no reflect the prevailing situation on either coast and definitely not that in the Northeast. About 15 years ago there were 6 hobby shops within 45 minutes drive of my home that offered trains, 2 of these being exclusively model railroading shops. Today there is only a single general hobby shop left. In years of patronizing this remaining outlet, I can not recall having observed anyone under about 25 entering the store, even though the owner's stock covers ALL scales and even tinplate. I've heard him talk of giving up the store and becoming an Internet store. Not only are the retail hobby shops in my region failing but we are starting to see the wholesalers close their doors from lack of sales, this in an area that at one time was called home by probably the largest model railroad outlet of its time in the United States - Hobbies for Men in Beacon, NY. Our very small local railroad clubs are all populated by gentlemen over 40 and many are retirees. Younger family men occasionally take a stab at these clubs but quickly find that other family commitments preclude their active participation in the hobby at the club level. I've never encountered a teen in any local group, nor ever seen one at an NMRA divisional/regional meeting. It stumps me as to just what conditions would seem to prevail in your area that result in such a strikingly different situation. Must be nice though...think you can send some of that special railroad mojo, or whatever it is, this way? NYW&B
We must be doing something right around here, maybe it's in the water. Our shops sales have grown steadily in the past 4-5 years after a hard hit right after 9-11. We survive strong while 3-4 other shops have come and gone in that time. The time of a train only shop is gone. You can't survive on trains alone without a huge customer base to draw from. Many of our younger customers started out with their mom's buying Thomas wooden trains. We have had quite a few other converts that were originally RC or modeling customers that wandered into the train section and caught the bug. We use all sections of the store to help the others. Since we have expanded our Slot Car inventory, there is a lot of cross-over between the two hobbies. Customers come in to look at slot cars and end up walking out with some train goodies also. One customer in particulatr was working on landscaping an HO slot car layout. As he learned the landscaping and got more comfortable with it, the train gene crept out and when the slot car layout was done, he started off in N scale trains. Some of our biggest train customers also fly RC, build military models, like role playing games, and build ship models. We can cater to all their desires. Customer service has won us more sales than anything. We were at a show last fall, I had the small display layout set up on the table and a mom and 10 year old son came by and saw my Atlas Shay running around. He was amazed and wanted one, we happened to have one left in the store. They came in to get it later the next week but another had already found it. Instead of telling them tough luck, we found an online dealer that had a few left. She ordered it, thanked us and came back the next week and picked up a half dozzen MT logging cars to go with it. They are now a regular customers.
Just a side note about hobby shops: I love going into hobby shops, but I usually can't stand the people working there. Either they're trying to push a sale, or they can't be bothered, or they're just down right nasty. I would like to go into a local hobby shop and know the workers there personally and get advice from them, but that ain't happening. Therefore, I just wish they would go away so I could purchase what I need.
I know the feeling... Ever since my good shop closed up, I've been forced to go to one that fits your description. Ye Ol' Shoppe was great, like walking into the male equivalent of a beauty parlor... You could gripe all you wanted... Get a "pop" out of the machine and sit on the couch... I'd pay retail to have that again...:tb-sad: Back to the subject... Young modelers, I guess 26 counts as young. My story, been into trains my whole life. Hired out for BNSF at 19, got married a few months later... I took a short break from modeling, roughly a year, just to get adjusted to my "new life." But have been back 3/4 swing for about 6 years. There are quite a few other young modelers around me.
Here is one. At 13, he has done more than I did at his age. The best thing you can do is encourage them and their parents. May not be as many as there used to be, but they are out there. Jim
I'm 15 and I see plenty of kids in model railroading, yeah I'm sure there are less of us because of video games and such and you can't get nearly as closely involved with real trains either but were still there.
As a member of the younger generation, well sort of, I am 32 now, I am fighting more and more to have a decent lifestyle as more jobs get outsourced, fuel keeps rising, everything else keeps rising, and I'm not making anymore money. I've been out of railroading for about 15 years, and half of that is because I didn't have a home or space to have one. It's sad because in comparison, I make twice as much as I did in 2000, but it's only about 40% of what it used to be. I'm getting back into the hobby now because I finally have a home after 5 years of saving and waiting, and the cost of gas has trimmed my road racing down to a few events a year now. It's typically what happens when a country is falling into 3rd world status, the toys and unnecessary things are the first to go.....
Young Gun indeed! In fact, quite a good layout for 13! (Better, in fact, than a number of layouts I've seen done by people 5 times his age. ) Keep up the good work!
Our local NMRA show was this weekend. There might be a couple young ones right here: http://video.ap.org/v/Legacy.aspx?g=df1c1d81-9e48-4982-b83d-cd6d85acfecc&f=ohall&fg=copy
Without rereading the entire thread, I still don't see a problem. Mechanical devices will always fascinate a certain percentage of the population. Yes, the devices will become more sophisticated--in model trains, DCC is an example, and it's rather crude, technology-wise, to other advances we've seen. Yet there are people still modeling sailing ships from the 1600s or earlier, and that market is not declining. I can't see a decline in any of the modeling disciplines. Yearly fluctuations, yes. An increase in the modelers age, yes. A response to a declining economy in the US, yes. To me, that means crap. We've been modelers, and artists, and writers, and accountants, and lawyers (got to get that in) and judges since we've had society of even the most basic sort. I just don't see it. Maybe I'm an iconoclast. I see no diminishment of the urge to model, nor to create your own miniature world with model railroading, or any other form of modeling. Obversely, I've seen a great desire to create synthetic worlds through modeling, through simulations, through gaming. In a model railroad world, this comes down to a fundamental requirement: once we've lived this simulated environment, let's build a real one to test it out, and really watch it and enjoy it! And see if our simulations are true! No matter how real our simulations are, wouldn't it be nice to watch our simulated world with real, physical stuff? The answer, over and over, is yes. Sorry if this got metaphysical. I've been around in N Scale for a long time. I've been around in reality perception for even longer.
