How can we help promote model railroading?

Thanks Bob for your suggestions. Most of us really love this hobby and enjoy sharing it with others.

All of our friends know we are into O-Gauge trains. We are not ashamed of this fact and if you want to spend much time with us, then trains come along for the ride. Whenever we are asked if someone can come to see the trains run, we readily agree. Many time through the year this happens.  

So our promotion activities are more of sharing.

IMO, TCA does little  to promote model railroading. If they did there would be TCA layout displays all over promoting the hobby. How about TCA layouts at state fairs, malls and other public places where the train collector doesn't congregate? Instead the TCA is involved in self promotion. As for the dues, I do not think it is a good value anymore at $50/yr so I dropped out after 35 years of continuous membership. I would still be a member if I thought that TCA was reaching out to the public but I do not see them doing this.

TCA has some very fine people in the association. In particular the Eastern Division has done a wonderful job at York and I will miss going there. The local guys at METCA are also doing a great job for the 2015 Convention and I'll probably miss that too. The bottom line is that catering and preaching solely to the aging train collector audience doesn't do much to promote the hobby.

Bob,

I agree without any reservations. Our local Home Depot & Lowes make it possible for our club to set up our portable layout on a regular basis. Our club provides handouts and have members handy to answer questions. The one thing we have noticed is there is never a shortage of questions.

Dennis,

Please note that this thread has nothing to do with TCA. I hope that you would refrain from your typical negativism.

In my opinion, the best way to promote Model Railroading is let folks know you are involved in the hobby, and to be encouraging/ helpful to anyone who expresses an interest.

Sometimes that might even mean helping someone pick out a train that is not "O" gauge because another gauge is a better fit.

I don't think its possible to make someone interested in trains who doesn't want to be.

As evidenced by comments in the thread about whether railroad history is important, there are many reasons people become interested. It might be possible to show the appeal to a person if you know where their interest lies. To me, this is all very specific, and I am not certain why anybody would want to do this.

As individuals we need to be more outgoing and welcoming to any one that expresses an interest in our hobby.  If more of us would do that, I think we would all be pleasantly surprised at the results.  Talk about trains (just don't overdo it), invite people to see your layout, wear train related caps and shirts (when appropriate), and let your friends and neighbors see how much fun you are having.

The manufacturers should do all they can to promote interest and most of them do, but I don't think that is where we will see the most improvement. 

If we want to expand the hobby, shows like TrainFest in Milwaukee introduce a lot of young people and their parents.  You don't have to have a love of trains to go there and have a great time.  It's hard to attend and not get excited and want to find out more about it.  York is great, but most people that go there are already confirmed O gaugers.  Nothing wrong with that, but probably does little to expand the O gauge hobby.  Like preaching to the choir. 

Nothing improves your enjoyment of the hobby more that sharing it with friends and family.

Art

One activity I think would be effective is for clubs to host workshops for kids at which the clubs have a couple of layouts set up and teach younger people how to set up and run trains. Club members could also act as consultants for parents interested in getting their kids involved. For me getting back into the hobby is daunting because of how complicated they are and can become. Providing clarity to prospective hobbyists in the form or workshops or classes might be the best way to encourage them to take the leap. It's the kind of support manufacturers cannot provide. 

I think people are dong as much or as little as they want to about promoting the hobby.  You can't force interest where there isn't any.

.....

Dennis

Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes

Who's gonna fill their shoes

Who's gonna stand that tall

Who's gonna play at York

And the Big Old Orange Hall

Who's gonna give their heart and soul

To get to me and you

Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes

We welcome new members! Any person who collects or operates tinplate trains (definition), who collects any items relating to tinplate trains, or professes a serious interest therein may apply for membership. Applicants for membership must file a formal membership application.

"Tinplate" is a term applied to toy trains originally built of thin stamped metal, but more broadly it includes plastic trains as well, their over-riding characteristic being that they were built for mass-market enjoyment rather than the precise scale that some of today's model railroad craftsmen build and enjoy.

You can't force people to like anything. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, having fun and if people want to join in so be it. 

How many ways can this be expressed?  It's sad that so many people on this forum think alike.

“I don't think it’s possible to make someone interested in trains who doesn't want to be.”

“You can't force interest where there isn't any.”

“You can't force people to like anything. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, having fun and if people want to join in so be it.”

“Sorry, but I don't see promoting model railroading as a function of the TCA.”

“Please note that this thread has nothing to do with TCA. I hope that you would refrain from your typical negativism.”

Action is the key!!!

I have an 8'x 12' board I take to shows.

four trains on the board and a standard gauge

on the floor. I run em fast and the steamers SMOKE!!!

The kids love it and the Mom's always thank me for such

a action packed layout. some trains I run get more attention than others,

but ultimately, the kids (and parents) enjoy the action.

I always have parents tell me they watch the HO boards for about 2 sec, because the train goes by and then you might stand there for 10 min before it comes around again, because the boards are so huge,(sorry HO guys) ,

when the kids see the action that can be had in such a small 8'x 12' board, they get hooked.

Don't be THAT GUY at train shows-you know the one...hasn't taken a shower in days, smells from 5 ft away and stares at your wife like she is a piece of candy....

I have seen Popi and his display set up at a local train show. I think he is a great ambassador for the hobby.

Noble effort but you have to be realistic.  It is a niche hobby, much more so than HO.  If you want "bells and whistles" it can be very expensive, and if compulsive it will put you in the poor house.  IMHO, the promoting needs to be done by the manufacturers, who stand the most to gain.  Personally, I'm not feeling the love to do their grunt work!

I agree there needs to be something intrinsic, or a passion.  Its always harder to try and "put something in" than to "let something out".  Lets not confuse negativity with facts.

Just my 2.

Rich   

"I am not concerned in the least, and sometimes wonder why others have concerns."

"I don't worry about any of these things."

Funny you are usually the first to post a negative to the suggested changes to the archaic rules. I joined the TCA and went to York. I enjoyed the dealer halls, but found the member halls full of things I had no interest in. To me it was all about visiting the larger dealers without having to drive to several states. A friend told me he thought York went downhill after they let the dealers participate. I think more people want to go because of the dealers. The dealer’s incur a high cost to participate and with the dwindling crowds they are finding it harder to break even and keep doing the shows. Maybe that’s what some of you want. Get rid of the pesky dealers and the new people that only want to attend York because of the dealer halls.  There are ways to make both work, but until pepole die off and are replaced by progressive thinkers there isn't any hope.

"It's sad that so many people on this forum think alike."

Huh?  I think that is why we are here in the first place.

.....

Dennis

I think the heart of the train hobby is the fond memory of model train experiences with parents or other family members (my uncle, my older cousin, etc).  I think Fathers have the strongest impact.  If we can involve youngsters in our train operations from a young age, the memories will stay with them for a lifetime and bloom at some unknown time in the future.  There are three youngsters, all under the age of 5, in my extended family who are involved in trains due to active involvement with their Fathers.  This is also a larger commentary on society itself.  Works for trains, too

The Atlanta area has probably one of the best possible ways of promoting the the model train hobby of all gauges and that is the Piedmont Division of the NMRA's event known as the Piedmont Pilgrimage. http://piedmontpilgrimage.com

I realize that this type of event can only happen in larger urban areas where there may be a large number of enthusiasts from N gauge to G gauge trains. It has been an annual event since 2003 and allows everyone a view of train layouts from their relative infancy to ones that are unbelievable in their realism. 

I think one "gets the bug" by having it passed down to you, or you catching it by seeing some of these layouts in action.

Rick

Kids! We aren't going to attract numbers in the 25-55 range.  You want numbers and life in a hobby, you give it a future to interact with its present. We need to promote our hobby to children as it was promoted to us when we were kids.  Here are the barriers associated with it:

1.From a kid's perspective, it can be intimidating to go into a club room and see a ton of older guys, some of whom may give off the impression that they are grumpy (even if they aren't in reality) 

2.  Clubs and Shows aren't always welcoming environments for kids.  Seeing one old codger snap at a kid for being too close to their stuff turns them off to the hobby for life.  Let me elaborate here.  Yes, I understand you don't want your Postwar Hudson or your Vision Line BigBoy to get pizza grease, finger prints, or even worse, dropped.  So don't run your great stuff where you know there will be kids.  Get the Standard 4-4-2 from the MPC Sets and run some 027 cars behind it.  That's just as enjoyable to a four year old.  The opposite argument here is, "These kids should know better than to touch things at a show."  You're right, so as a collective group, we need to put ourselves in position to teach the expected behavior.  It's stupid of us to assume that kids know better in an environment they have no experience in.  My son is the biggest squirrel sometimes, but he doesn't get grabby at shows or clubs.  He's seven, and I've been teaching him the etiquitte since age two.

3.  Money-  Kids have none other than what they are given.  Growing up on assistance for a time as a grade schooler, it was depressing to go into a show with the $10.00 I'd saved from odd jobs and working for my granddad, knowing before entering I'd probably walk out with the same $10.  I was given hope by an older hobbyist who had irregular or beaten up MPC and postwar cars at his table for $5.00 a piece.  This was in the late 80's, when the secondary market was outrageous.  What kindness, I thought, for a man to be reasonable with the cost of their wares.  I always try to sell some of the bobber cabooses or the plastic shell 2-4-0's for cheap, to encourage kids to start somewhere.

However, none of the above is an excuse.  Here is what our hobby has going for it:

1.  O Scale trains are durable and one of the few toys that can take a bit of punishment and keep ticking.  

2.  Family Legacy.  O scale trains are like wildfire all throughout my extended family, now.  Once you light that fire, it spreads quickly and triggers the most wonderful memories.  Many of my childhood memories have faded, but I remember clearly the evening that my step dad came home with a Mopar Express set and my brothers and I helped him get that up and running.  It was the first time that I felt that it was worth trying to build trust with with him and allow him to care for me.  He would eventually adopt us and raise us up.

3.  Affordability at some levels of the market.  Lionel is expensive if you think of the entire brand as a whole, but at the entry level price points and in some corners of the secondary market, there are low enough prices to at least encourage kids to save up and buy something they can be proud of.

Please consider how you can welcome children into our hobby in a way that is both exciting for them and comfortable for you.  Thanks!

Unless pricing on new equipment comes down - it's going to scare a lot of people away for sure.

I'm sure glad I got what I need and want today.

I think the biggest promoters of this hobby are model train clubs. the maufacturers to little if anything to get this hobby out there to the public. you need to experience it first hand, the sounds, sights and people enjoying themselves in the hobby. most clubs have open houses or set up modular setups for the public, this is how to get it out there. now the second part is the local media doing small pieces on the clubs. since the local TV and news papers  had NJHR featured our attendance has gone up 500%. thousands of people experienced our layout this year because of the media. hopefully lots of them and their children caught the train bug.  get your local media to do stories on your club and watch how many people you can influence.

I've "preached" for years that the best way to grow the hobby is one person at a time, and by one-to-one contact. Could be a family member, friend, co-worker, fellow church member, student, or whatever...that's really the best any one individual, all other things being equal, can do to promote and expand our hobby.

Of course, that doesn't or won't work for everyone. Some people in the hobby are loners, and that's perfectly fine, I suppose. Those individuals are not likely to do much to attract new members. Some, too, may have personalities that may tend to repel rather than attract novices. But I suspect that those of you who have been in this hobby for a long enough time have come across certain fellow hobbyists who are kind of like living, breathing magnets when it comes to attracting newbies and getting them interested. Those folks, and the clubs, large and small, that expose this hobby to the general public, are the foundation for its future.

Wasn't meant to be negative to anyone.  It was my firsthand experience when returning to the hobby at a show.

My wife didn't think it was as funny as I did....however, she laughed later on the way home.  

The people here do an excellent job of promoting this hobby, including you Marty.

In my previous post some are taking it as negative. I don't have the time or money to have open houses or to introduce kids and others to the wonderful world of trains.

I do belong to a hirail modular club that we set up several times a year, we get lots of questions and kids looking. I really enjoy it but I never saw it as our duty to bring more people into the hobby. Being at the show tells me they must have some interest in trains. I do it mostly for me and my happiness. 

I think what the clubs do like the LCCA and others have a major impact on what people think of our hobby. I think that Lionel and MTH also do a good job of promoting the hobby. 

To the people like  popi and many others, I thank them for promoting the hobby. 

86TA, laughed out loud. So true, but they are everywhere. I see em when I race, when I fly RC and at coffee and cars.

Not a negative comment at all.

Ron

I was recently talking to a former LHS owner who sets up a bi-yearly long weekend train show. Also present was an S-gauger who wanted to set up a more toy train-style Flyer layout for shows that included operating accessories.

From this chat I realized I had enough bits and pieces to set up a portable 0-27 layout and run some old beat-up tin pieces and plastic Marx with cookie-tin and piled-up book scenery. (What, you've never done that?) The concept would be "Run-What-You-Brung" to attract attention from the casual observer and maybe get them to dig out those old trains and bring them over. Maybe have a couple of guys and a workbench handy to clean up and maybe get some oldies running. Hopefully the idea will bear some fruit at the next show.

I think this kind of promotion would bridge the sometimes wide gap between casual onlooker and hobbyist. What thoughts?

The short of it is that we need to Reach, Teach and Inspire our youth about this hobby. We also need to keep the hobby affordable as the youth of today is not doing real well financially.

The RTI mission can be served by each of us individually or with an organization that is dedicated to promoting the hobby and not just be a resting place for the demographic of those that buy the Geritol.

The WGHOT show does promote well but you must first have an interest to go there and pay the admission. IMO more layouts need to be in public places where the public can view them free of charge. Years back when Citicorp financial hired Clark Dunham to put a multifaceted layout at Citicorp Center in New York city called the station, the lines to see the layout were always in the hundreds. Thousands came to see the layout each season and in particular, the young children really enjoyed it. That's the type of event that reaches out to the general public. It reminded me of the purpose of the Lionel showroom layout on 26th street years back.

I think you do what a lot of the folks here do:

1.  Have operating layout open houses (NJHR, NPOG, others);

2.  Set-up operating layouts at holiday themed shows and train-related shows (LCCA events, the layouts at York, the Capital Trackers various layouts, etc.);

3.  When you deal with young people in the hobby, act like a mentor and not a crusty old Catholic school nun (speaking from experience as a victim ;-) ); and

4.  Encourage an open, frank, and respectful discussion about the relevance and orientation of organizations that occupy considerable "space" within the O gauge community.  So discussions about the direction of LCCA and TCA are completely appropriate and helpful, so long as they remain positive and constructive.

As a father of two sons, I have involved them both in the hobby.  I can't say I do it out of some sense of duty, rather just because it is something from which I have derived great enjoyment over the years and so I share it with them.  Whether they continue with it once they get past high school and college and start their own lives, time will tell.  For me, I always had layouts as a kid and into grammar school.  My dad had trains too, and no doubt that played a role.  My mom actually got the whole thing started again when she picked out an MPC Amtrak set in the mid to late 1970s and surprised me for my birthday (and my dad too I think).  Predictably, in high school, college and law school, I dropped the hobby for a while.  I always kept my trains in a safe location -- I knew they would come out again.  And they did, when we got our first house.  And then a lot more of them came out when we had the kids.  That's the pattern I guess a lot of folks repeat, and I think as folks who are the real enthusiasts in this hobby that's probably what we should strive for as a goal -- expose the kids to it and then see what happens.  

I have been thinking about how to promote the hobby a lot.  All the major train organizations are having the same conversation & debate.

My general conclusion is that no one has figured out an effective way to promote the hobby.  People either have an interest or they don't.  The real challenge is not turn off the people who have an interest.

I spent the morning working on the Bay Area Garden Railroad Society's (BAGRS) garden railroad in a trailer.  It is G gauge.  The trailer is displayed at model railroad shows and other events throughout the SF Bay Area and is designed to show that a person can build a model railroad in small space.  The trailer will be displayed at the SF Flower Show in mid March.  

I have observed that families and kids are attracted to the trailer display but that our effort almost never results in people becoming involved in the hobby.  The same goes for the modular layouts at train shows.  There is a huge interest by the kids but that doesn't translate into dad or mom getting the kid a train.  My club has a children't layout where kids can and are encouraged to come and run trains.  We attract large crowds at shows but we have not had a single family become a club member because of the kids layout.  One family that is always at the show lives just a 3 minute walk from the club.  

The only thing that gets people involved is one to one invitations by hobbyists to potential hobbyists.  Unfortunately, most people currently in the hobby are not inclined to tell others about the model railroad hobby.  I can't tell you how many times I have been at a model railroader's home and found out that his neighbors and friends don't know he is involved in the hobby.  The same thing happens at my club.  Very few club members invite their family, neighbors or friends to our open houses or shows.  It as if they are embarrassed to be model railroaders.  

The only model railroad group that I know that is gaining / maintaining membership is BAGRS.  BAGRS has 286 family memberships.  This translates to about 300 plus members.  Here are a few reasons that BAGRS is doing well:

1.  BAGRS displays its modular layouts at non-train related events such as the SF Flower Show, the Maker Fair, schools and other venues.  BAGRS has a trailer and a live steam modular display.  Several families join the club each month.  This offsets those that drop out.  Sadly, most members who drop out are either ill or have passed away.

2.  BAGRS attracts families.  It is not a male dominated activity.  Ladies like the garden aspect.  Children are actively involved in running trains.  

3.  BAGRS is social.  The primary BAGRS activity are tours of members garden railroads.  This means people are visiting members backyards.   There is a social event at the last house that is open.  People stay well into the evening watching trains run and just talking.

4.  The BAGRS annual meeting consists of a catered breakfast and lunch, a swap meet, clinics and some historical presentations.  It is held at the Hiller Aviation museum - again not a train venue.  Many museum visitors get to see the modular layouts and some become members.

5.  BAGRS is very welcoming.  The club goes out of its way to contact and nurture new and potential members.   

6.  BAGRS membership is cheap - $35 for a family for a year.  

7.  BAGRS membership is fun.  

You can find out more about BAGRS at:  BAGRS.org

The G&O garden railroad which features both G and O gauge outdoors is a direct result of my BAGRS membership.  

Here are a couple of photos of the trailer at a fair:

Many good ideas above.  I also think that getting the hobby out in public and in front of people is a good way (but definitely not the only way).  Being in a modular group, we are always fielding questions from people who are interested, but haven't yet taken that first step.  We do our best to point people in the right direction, but again, we are talking about people who already have the interest.

Another avenue is to take a page out of JLC's book and try to re-institute "toy trains around the Christmas Tree" or Holiday Gardens as annual traditions.  After all, how many of us got interested because we had trains as part of a family tradition?  I know I did.  The seeds have to be planted before the trees will grow.

Andy

There have already been several great posts that show I'm not the only one that feels as I do, most notable, I think BobRoyals was spot on.  Having an interest in model trains already, and not being afraid to do my own thing, and having parents that helped and supported me kept me in the hobby, however, if I were someone with only a mild interest, and didn't have my father's small collection to start from, I can't see getting involved based on the "welcome" i got at train shows and the like.  Even without the grumpy, off putting atmosphere, it can be intimidating for young people to come approach adults and ask questions.  While running trains at a show will attract attention, it won't bring people into the hobby if you just stand behind the layout chatting with your club friends.  Be active.  Put together a presentation and welcome people to get hands on.  Invite that kid standing off to the side over, and see if they have any questions.  put their hand on the throttle, and let them blow the whistle.  Set up a table and a box of fast track. Let them build a little oval and put a starter set on the tracks.  Get hands on and show people the fun they can have, even when just getting started.  

Have fun, and let others have some too, and people might just come back.  

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”  -- William Arthur Ward

Hi Bob.

 I do agree with you on promoting the hobby of model railroading.

  Now Bob when are you going to join us here at North Penn'O'Gaugers club.

   We could aways use help with promotions are you up to the challenge Bob??

   You know how to reach us. Hope to hear from you.

Seems to me the most obvious way to promote the hobby has not been mentioned, that I saw so far.  How did most of us get started?  We owned a starter set.  It all takes off from there.   I would agree that the price of NIB starter sets is beyond the budget in the minds of most parents outside of the hobby.  The kids may enjoy watching a modular club layout on display and think it's "neat", but unless they have a train of their own, it will all be forgotten in no time.   If you're like me, there was a yearning to have train items to expand my meager layout.   When I am at a club event helping man the portable layout, I like to tell onlookers about the opportunity to go to a swap meet to obtain used equipment at substantial savings vs. new.  Of course, many of us could all pick out a starter set of our own from "old inventory" in our collections that are no longer of much interest or value.   If we could offer that item to a parent on a budget, it just might pay back in a new hobbiest.  We need to be creative in finding ways to help put model trains in the hands of todays kids and young adults.

Harry please consider me available to your club for volunteer work. I won't mind performing any task that would need done. I know you meet on Sunday and Monday, Monday night works better for me. If you need held moving and setting up displays and helping during shows I would make myself available. I will send you an e-mail.

Bob 

Seeing all the hearts open up for Nichole (NQDY) on previous threads, I wonder what would the reaction be we all tried to emulate her. Something I often fail in.

I think sharing the hobby or exposing others to it does equate to a certain self interest which is it's perpetuation and while laudable,it is also true we can only do so much and at a certain point, it's not up to us. It's more cultural. I do think the hobby has a future in the present with fellowship or erstwhile communities which do more for the hobby than simply show and tell..it's the human touch.

I took that post as a joke with a little truth in it. I didn't take it seriously. I thought it was funny.