Aging of the Hobby

He was a truly frightening man, perhaps more so even than Hitler - he certainly hung on to power much longer - and the way he acted when Khrushchev was his hatchet man was truly satanic (he did a pretty good jb of training Nikita, too).  But the quote is my favorite because it is so true: there are times and places where nothing is effective as a lot of something very basic, whether it's just a lot of columns holding up a building well, or a lot of copper (big wire) feeders on my layout, or just about anything.  Over the years, that concept has helped me effectively engineer a lot of great things. 

Were DOOMED our trains will become TATOO's lottery tickets and CELL PHONES when we die LMAO

I'd comment, but I have to go out and clean up the sections of the sky that fell...

Rusty

Looking at the train hobby today and the middle age and senior people that make it up, we can assume that the generation behind us will not be interested in model trains. What will happen to the millions of trains that the baby boomers leave behind is the question. I believe that its a sure bet that most young adults will have no interest but after they have raised a family and reach middle age, there's no telling what will happen. Actually when I refer to the generation behind us they will be middle age when we check out.

It is illogical to assume that no one will be interested in model trains. From the foundation that we leave behind, surely some will pick up the torch and carry on. I always tell my son that it is my wish that he should preserve my layout and I believe that there is a chance that he will.

Are we the only generation capable of enjoying the model train hobby? There will be others that come after us. We just don't know what the hobby will look like in 20-25 years. My best guess is that a new group of old guys will step in.

We all have our opinions and most are probably acceptable. The question, in my mind, is what can "I" do to pass along the enjoyment/love of this hobby? We only need to reflect on the indoctrination of this wonderful hobby that we received from our parents, family or friends. Every time I turn the transformer on, (PW only) I can't help but be brought back to those childhood memories that bring such a smile to my face and a reflection on the joys that I experienced and the bonding with the individual/s that introduced me to this wonderful hobby. So what can I do? Try to introduce those same feelings to my grandson (3 years old) that I felt for so many years and has brought me back, after decades, to the enjoyment as stated above. I bought him the Thomas RC set which he loves and runs at his house. And when he comes over to visit, together we set up some fasttrack and run some of a Gramps PW stuff. I set up some accessories, via a 90 controller, so he can have a interactive experience. To see his expression only reinforces my desire to pass this love to him and for me, I shows what my parents must have felt when they set up that first Lionel train around the Xmas tree in '49 and watched their son smile from ear to ear. So what can we do, pass this hobby along to all you can.

Well, that's not uncommon.. our generation is dwarfed by the ones on each side of it. The Millienials are in career and family building modes...typically not heavy into hobbies at this time. Go out 15+ years then you may see a change. Gen-X is reaching that age when the kids move out and folks typically ramp up involvement in activities. However, our involvement won't stop the shrinking numbers as the baby boomers move on out. There will be a natural contraction of everything then it will go back up at a slower pace...its not like the world is ending. The hobby will endure with changes like its been doing...

Peter

You got that right!

What a statement! Not to long after it's inception to the present day this has been a hobby enjoyed by the aged. This hobby has enjoyed many great years. And it will continue to do so long after you and I are history.

I'm 30 and I think most people my age keep this hobby as well guarded secret, as I do, but there are some of us around.  I took a train with me to college, running it around provided me with a break in studying.  I remember having my JC Penny Lionel Pennsy 2055 running down the hall and around the living room in my fraternity house.  It ended up around the fraternity Christmas tree for two years, if only I could have had it serve cold beer from tank cars, but people loved it. 

The preventive factor in O scale is the price.  I too started out in HO scale back in the 80's, when I got my first train set for Christmas back when Reagan was President.  There was a hobby shop on the other side of town beside where my sister took dance at back then outside of Birmingham and my parents would take me by there to pass the time that had a lot of O scale trains.  Its been long out of business, but I remember seeing all of those big expensive trains and I wanted them.  My parents didn't have the money for them at the time, but I can remember my mother telling me - you don't have to buy the set at once, just by a piece at a time.  Well since I started working back in high school, it has been a piece at a time.  I have built up a nice little collection, that I don't just show to everyone when I have get togethers at my house.  

Not every child that gets a train for a present is going to pick the hobby up, but some will.  With all these children getting these Polar Expresses, Hogwarts, or starter sets lately, I think and hope that the hobby in of itself will be alright going forward.  

Reading your wise words, here, Allan, made me realize I am already doing "my part," by actively sharing (with clergy; seminarians [even!]; the old and the very old; the blithely interested; those who say, "Huh?" when trains are mentioned; toddlers; infants still in diapers; kids who reach out to grab each passing train on the outside tracks) our (my wife's and mine) layout with every living soul that comes near and mentions the slightest affection for model trains. If you have a heartbeat and are reasonably ambulatory, it's down to the basement you may go! 

And if some of those guests to the trainroom happen to be particularly charming and authentically interested youth, ready in a flash to crawl around the floor to arrange track in the midst of a party, then, the next time I see them in their home and they say something like, "How are the trains?" I give them track, a train, and a transformer, enough to run a loop. This I have done twice, so far, and I keep the program going, as long as the interest is voiced by them first when we see each other.

I find that encouraging. And very gratifying. And a whole lot of fun.

Oh, and I have a 30-something friend, whom I cherish, to whom I give the occasional scale locomotive or consist, as a way of saying thank you for his being there when I have neeeded him.

That's become one of my major appproaches to the enjoyment our hobby.

FrankM

I think that there is truth to what the O.P. said above.  As is the norm I think I'm the exception to the rule.  I am twenty four, have a good mechanical mind, am practical with money, and computers, etc, are natural for me.  If I have an interest in something, or if I see that it can help I always try and learn it.  As far as groups, I'm not a part of anything that needs dues paid, but in time I would like to be. Right now a couple (or a few, or several) hours at the train store are time well spent.  This forum is worth its weight in gold as well.  Being sort of a one-off in terms of my age I skimmed most of this thread, lightly. Because, I suppose, I might be sensitive about my age (this was the best conclusion I could come to, the others I came up with 'read wrong').

Have a good day everyone, I'm aiming to get to my LHS after work today.

Some interesting thoughts and observations here by all. Probably as long as trains are running across the country people will have an awareness of them which will hopefully have an influence on some of them to pursue an interest. Seeing a 2 mile long 'unit train' somewhere has to be an impressive sight even to the casual observer.

Personally, I think the incorporation of the iPhone and similar into controlling our models is a great step in reaching younger people and especially with a camera on board so the operator can view from the cab on their device. Consider that the view will be similar to what they see now on a video game. Maybe not as 'exciting' but in this case, it will be 'real' and they will control it!

And another thought - as several have pointed out above, O gauge will in all likelihood begin a decline for many reasons. Someone pointed out that kids who aren't driven by the nostalgia factor will probably reject the three rail track and choose another scale. If a trend, what will happen to the literally millions of new-in-the-box trains that have been accumulating since the late 1970s? Think about that - these were produced to be 'played with' yet they are still 'mint in the box' and sitting on tables at train shows all over the country. You've seem 'em. They are under your layout and stuffed in your closets. Some of you are probably unpacking them and repacking them now for the 237th time and they are still yours!

The prospect for a sale is diminishing by the day...

I am 57.  But I can see TWO issues hers:

1.  Model Railroading as a hobby.

2.  Joining clubs and  groups.

I want to say something about various groups in general.  Most of the time, once you join a group, the first thing you will get are various mailings, e- or snail, wanting more of your time and MONEY!  Usually more of the later.  And there seems to be no long term planning; the Fire up 611 is an exception. At my age, I am getting SICK of it. Live on what you have!  Streamline processes.  Remember, you only get 140 letters and spaces on a tweet.  That is 28 words if a word is 5 letters, as in typing class.

This is a variation of a bumper sticker:  If money is the root of all evils, then why do non-profits and NGO's want so much of it!

If this is turning off people of my generation, it must be turning off people younger than us!

Yesterday's clubs and groups are today's internet forums, IMO. I get a LOT more out of the forums I belong to...3 "O" gauge trains, 1 diecast cars, 4 archery, 5 stereo/3-D photography, 1 vintage postcards, 1 airguns...than I ever got out of a magazine or newsletter. And, I can get feedback on a daily basis, rather than monthly or bi-monthly. If you had a question in the "old days", you could wait 6 months (if ever) for a answer. Now you can get it in hours.

I know of a couple of successful clubs here in the Central Valley: The one in Bakersfield and the PCR.

I have noticed that these clubs seem to be groups of friends who enjoy hanging out with each other.

On the other hand, I was involved with other non-railroad clubs, whose demise were small town politics and personal political agenda.

At this age (54), I am absolutely unwilling to devote my free time to stress-producing activities.

I just took another look at this thread, and I'm noticing no one is pointing a finger at themselves.  It seems like its the neighbor 'up the hill' and 'down the hill' no?  All I can think is that not one of us, no matter our age bracket, has a patent on being correct and wonderful in all we do. And I apologize, I don't mean to project my frustration onto a toy train message board, but I am not selfish, inept, unable to change spark plugs, lazy, or a bogeyman (I am proud, though, that the sentence you just read has never ever been written before).  

Please tell me we are all being silly.  This is the OGR Forum where we talk about trains and get along, right?

The hobby isn't aging.  We are.

Bingo.  Entirely too much navel-gazing goes on around here.

Actually, the hobby is older than a lot of us.

Rusty

Many interesting comments, being 63, I remember the post war Lionel, American Flyer and Marx trains, also A.C. Gilbert Hall of Science and erector sets, Schwinn Black Phantom bicycles, six transistor radio, black and white television, F.W. Woolworth and Kresge Dime Stores, A&P Supermarket, the rock and roll of the 50's and 60's, Dick Biondi, etc., for many of us this was our childhood and teenage generation and lifetime experience. Granted the caboose was replaced by the EOT device, stock cars , refrigerator cars, steam locomotives, watchman and shanty road grade crossings and Class 1 Railroad passenger train service are all gone, the current generation has Amtrac, unit train oil and coal trains, high tech GE and Electromotive diesel-electric engines, high speed trains, well cars than are replacing boxcars. In a nutshell,this hobby will be around in the future, there will be a shift in items produced and the participant size will probably decrease.    

I think it only matters if you make a living at it. Then I would be very worried. Their is going to be so many trains on the secondary market in the next decade and beyond that anyone who wants something will be able to get it. I have been going to York for only a few years and from what people tell me, the heyday has long past.  One of the reasons young people don't have as many hobbies is that thing called making a living which is not easy for them. John

Allan is correct. We need to stop worrying about the train hobby and where it is going.

It would just be comforting to know that the next generation will come to appreciate all of the aspects of this great hobby. The friendships, the camaraderie, the sharing between hobbyists, the layouts, the history, and the wonderful relaxing, happiness that it brings. Only a few other hobbies can provide something like this. Model trains is an easy hobby to get into. Now that old Louie Marx is gone, all you need is an endless supply of cash!

I am aging but what does that have to do with anything? I am more concerned with my health than the future of model trains. I must be crazy.

That's heavy right there, man, total heaviness.

FrankM

What, we worry? 

That's pretty self centered of you! <GGGGGG>  

Actually, I think you have your priorities right.  Toy trains are just that .... toy trains.  If you have your health you have everything!

Just like Ol' Man River the toy train industry will just keep on rollin' along.

You mean to tell me that you can't multitask? 

Overall the future lies with us.

Due to so many circumstances the hobby shop brick and mortar type had to adapt to include other hobbies or go the way of the internet but it still seems to thrive. We here in Valpo, Indiana are losing a great hobby shop nothing decent for 50 mile radius

after they close.

But

I am not one to complain. I see streaks of hope throughout the hobby. Many young new families are buying train sets for Christmas, families are aware of the addictive pull of video games want to redirect their kids to other forms of interest.

In my own case I have seen my own son now 10 benefit greatly from this hobby in terms of reading , comprehension, geography, ability to plan and deal with electrical repairs etc. He reads at a 6th grade level and he is only in 4th grade!!!

I recently picked up 3 lionchief locomotives we had on backorder and he was able to figure it all out not 10 minutes out of the box!!!!!

What I do and recommend is what the APA(American Pilots Association) does. They have a project 2000 to introduce 2,000,000 people to aviation. I took that idea and encourage friends of my kids to come over and "run the trains".

My brother is a Scout master and we are talking about creating a merit badge for model railroading.

My overall point is we have to "break out" spend time with kids let their imaginations run wild and like Johnny Appleseed plant the future seeds of interest in their brains. With all the technical advancements in the hobby I think we are in some kind of new Golden Age.

I am 36 & I only like Unit trains. I have lived in the US for the last 13 years & on almost all occasions I haven’t seen anything other than unit trains as real trains. These 1:1 scale mixed freight & steam locomotives must be rare as the members who like them on this forum.

In my perfect world there would never be a mixed freight with those undesirable box cars & caboose. In this world Panera Bread would only cinnamon crunch bagels & all railroad right-of-way will be fenced to keep taggers & jaywalkers out.

It is likely that this post will offend some members & so I add that these are just my opinion.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

"It is likely that this post will offend some members"

Can't imagine why.  Are there any poor, misguided souls that cannot relate to a cinnamon crunch bagel?

I believe Martin has posted some of his work here.  While not "my thing", it definitely reflects skill and creativity and the end product is very realistic.  I have great respect for folks that can do that kind of thing.  That is the great thing about O gauge - it is a big tent.  

Another reason may be that they never had a hobby when a child. Back in the '50s, my buddies and I built stuff, from car/plane/boat kits to tree houses. We also collected and traded "stuff". Games were played "live" with others, rather than on-line by one's self.