SteamWolf posted:.......I can't be bothered to spend more money on trains right now
Did...... did he really say that!!?? :::::GASP!!::::: 
AmeenTrainGuy posted:As Ausssteve says there are tons of variables that we will have to take into consideration.....
I think this topic started out to see if there was a relationship between age and the type of train control you use, which I was interested in. While all age groups have conventional runners, I was surprised to see so many younger folks running conventional. I was surprised, although after reading the reasons it sort of made sense in hindsight.
One caveat I think should have been put in was to only list the control type you primarily use. I posted I use command control on my home layout but I can, and do, run conventional. I could have listed it, but since I run conventional maybe 1-2 percent of the time I didn't. I wonder how many folks that listed both command control and conventional actually run both equally. I'd wager they run one type far more than the other.
The people I run trains with all have a common trait; once they went to the dark side they never went back to conventional.
Did somebody already mention "Vulcan Mind Meld"? That'll give you a ballpark on the age.
Another big differentiator I'm seeing is in those that actually "model" their railroads and those that just like to operate what they have and add structures/operating accessories here and there so that needs to be captured in any new survey. I'm in awe of you guys that actually scale model the scenery.
I'd also try to capture those that have kids at home of an impressionable age (whatever that is, I'd say <15) that want to get involved in operations and some scenery builds. For the younger dads this is probably a pretty big driver in terms of how we buy and how we intend to operate. The migration to a mobile device by the major manufacturers is evidence of not just changing technology but a way to capture the younger demographic (this is an assumption).
age 67; PS 2, PS3; TMCC; Legacy; conventional
Age: 31 Control: DCS WIFI with TMCC Command base connected via the serial cable adapter. I very occasionally operate a conventional locomotive
74
TMCC and conventional.
45, Postwar and MPC with ZW and KWs. I’m a caveman
28-Legacy
66 - BPRC (Battery-Powered,Remote-Controlled)
Using Deltang Rx65b and BlueRail receivers
74 and conventional. Roo.
55, Conventional and TMCC.
41. Conventional.
82/Legacy
As much as I love this survey, it’s downfall is a sample population that does not accurately represent a cross section of the O gauge community.
Results are obtained from a small sliver of computer savvy forum members. These are the very same people most likely to adopt DCS, Legacy or WiFi control.
I ask these questions every time someone comes in requesting repair work at our train store. Easily 95% of our customers are conventional only. Even the guys with Legacy locos run conventional. When we fill out the paperwork for repairs, about half don’t have an email address or any knowledge of computer use. Those people aren’t on this forum. The majority of customers are over 65
This survey is a great survey of forum members only, as long as that is remembered.
16 - Mostly TMCC
61-DCS
GregR posted:As much as I love this survey, it’s downfall is a sample population that does not accurately represent a cross section of the O gauge community.
Results are obtained from a small sliver of computer savvy forum members. These are the very same people most likely to adopt DCS, Legacy or WiFi control.
I ask these questions every time someone comes in requesting repair work at our train store. Easily 95% of our customers are conventional only. Even the guys with Legacy locos run conventional. When we fill out the paperwork for repairs, about half don’t have an email address or any knowledge of computer use. Those people aren’t on this forum. The majority of customers are over 65
This survey is a great survey of forum members only, as long as that is remembered.
What you say, Greg, makes a lot of sense.
I'm 66 years old, and as a practicing lawyer, I have done emails and texts for many years, but hardly ever attached a photo or video to an email or Internet message before this Forum, or used my smart phone to take pictures or videos. I also never inserted a YouTube link on an email or Internet message before this Forum. I have learned to do these things because I initially got help from my wife, and then practiced them a lot on this Forum.
I bet many of your customers under 30 years of age, including children, are attracted to the technogicalky modern ways of running trains, especially using blue tooth and smart phones. I realize they are a relatively small percentage of your customers.
"Here is an interactive graph"
This is what I get:
"You need permission to access this published document.
You are signed in as xxxxx but you don't have permission to access this published document. You may need to sign in as a different user."
AmeenTrainGuy posted:
I think what you are trying to do is great, but I guess I'm not sure what this chart is telling me. Reading everyone's responses, there are not that many of us that that run only conventional or only command (or only DCS or only TMCC). With my recent addition of a Lionel engine with Bluetooth, I fit in every category except "Other" and "DCC". Be interesting to see a breakdown of just 1) conventional only, 2) command only (any system), and 3) both. Command control is command control, what system you choose is another topic.
Also, "Both" needs to include only those that run both command and conventional on a regular basis, not like me where conventional is only run 1-2 percent of the time. Problem would be how to make that determination.
There is a lot of data in this topic. As I mentioned before, what originally interested me was what percentage, by an age group, still ran conventional. I have a database (not spreadsheet) somewhere on this computer; may play with this someday.
75 and using Legacy
81, DCS 100%, TMCC available but currently have no Lionel engines.
Dennis
CAPPilot posted:AmeenTrainGuy posted:I think what you are trying to do is great, but I guess I'm not sure what this chart is telling me. Reading everyone's responses, there are not that many of us that that run only conventional or only command (or only DCS or only TMCC). With my recent addition of a Lionel engine with Bluetooth, I fit in every category except "Other" and "DCC". Be interesting to see a breakdown of just 1) conventional only, 2) command only (any system), and 3) both. Command control is command control, what system you choose is another topic.
Also, "Both" needs to include only those that run both command and conventional on a regular basis, not like me where conventional is only run 1-2 percent of the time. Problem would be how to make that determination.
There is a lot of data in this topic. As I mentioned before, what originally interested me was what percentage, by an age group, still ran conventional. I have a database (not spreadsheet) somewhere on this computer; may play with this someday.
I hope that someday will be sooner rather than later. When I started this thread, I thought that there would be two categories, Conventional and all of the others grouped into one. In my mind, DCC, DCS, MTH WIFI, TMCC, Legacy, Lionel Bluetooth and Lionchief all fit into the same group, basically electronics.
While it seems that Conventional makes up the larger portion of the pie, reading the individual responses was somewhat surprising, based on age.
53, still conventional. Not sure what modern control system to go with, and by the looks of that matrix I'm even more unsure. I suspect engine purchases' will steer me into a decision.
I dont think anyone is planning legislation based on the data in this survey. Just an interesting survey with good info, nicely presented in graphs by Ameen.
Just like we dont know for sure there are over 1 million O gauge operators, just cause someone quoted that on the forum.
Dan Padova posted:CAPPilot posted:AmeenTrainGuy posted:I think what you are trying to do is great, but I guess I'm not sure what this chart is telling me. Reading everyone's responses, there are not that many of us that that run only conventional or only command (or only DCS or only TMCC). With my recent addition of a Lionel engine with Bluetooth, I fit in every category except "Other" and "DCC". Be interesting to see a breakdown of just 1) conventional only, 2) command only (any system), and 3) both. Command control is command control, what system you choose is another topic.
Also, "Both" needs to include only those that run both command and conventional on a regular basis, not like me where conventional is only run 1-2 percent of the time. Problem would be how to make that determination.
There is a lot of data in this topic. As I mentioned before, what originally interested me was what percentage, by an age group, still ran conventional. I have a database (not spreadsheet) somewhere on this computer; may play with this someday.
I hope that someday will be sooner rather than later. When I started this thread, I thought that there would be two categories, Conventional and all of the others grouped into one. In my mind, DCC, DCS, MTH WIFI, TMCC, Legacy, Lionel Bluetooth and Lionchief all fit into the same group, basically electronics.
While it seems that Conventional makes up the larger portion of the pie, reading the individual responses was somewhat surprising, based on age.
Yes Dan, I took it you were asking for just two categories. Conventional vs Command. Though there are many like me who run mostly command but occasionally conventional.
I'm 80 and use both DCS and Conventional. And I have one Lion Chief engine with it's own remote.
So, 3 engines and 3 systems. Not the best idea but it is what it is. My DCS is the Remote Commander.
Attachments
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I have just one question, and maybe it has been answered; i didn't feel like reviewing all the responses): i noticed several people responded more than once to this survey. How has that event been accounted for?
AMEENTRAINGUY
HATS OFF, job well done, kudos
35 conventional only
I am unsubscribing to this topic
AmeenTrainGuy posted:Here is an interactive graph showing the ages of those who took the survey. You can press on the bars for a very quick summary of the math.
I am working on the rest of the graphs I will post those soon.
(These graphs will update each time someone new takes the survey!)
Please tell me if you have any issues viewing the graph.
I will always help you out.
If you are on a mobile device and are having a hard time reading the whole thing because it cuts off in the middle click this link: Link to Graph
I will need this explained to me. I'm unsure of how to read your graph. You have ten bars, each with a count of those surveyed. But what does each bar represent ?
I get it. It is the number of people in each age group who took the survey. When I put the mouse over each bar, it gives the number or people who responded in that age group. I am 61, so I fit in the third bar from the right (ages 60.50 to 67).
Am I too late?
61 - DCS, TMCC, and on my hands and knees.
61 - and on your hands and knees!!!! Say it ain't so, Joe!!!!
How can you do it?? I'm 61 and arthritis has made my knees too sore for on the knees!!
Joe, I'm glad you can still get down on your hands and knees!!!! 
I don't know what I will do if we ever have grandchildren!! 
21 and conventional as well as DCS
From Northern NJ .
66 and I have and run only conventional.
Maybe for the next update
70, conventional only, postwar ZW, but have TMCC and DCS locos on the roster. It's nice to see there are some "kids" out there! Makes me feel better about the future of our great hobby!
15, Legacy, Wifi, and Bluetooth systems, along with help from Alexa.
NYC Z-MAN posted:This is a fun post. A couple points I want to make is that I wonder for those that run conventional and command control, what is the percentage of each? I and others have mentioned conventional only on Christmas and Halloween layouts. This probably represents less than 1% of my annual operating time. In addition, I wonder how many of the above 50 demographic that were running trains like I was 25-30 years ago were thinking about running trains free of the transformer with slow speed operation? Anyway you look at it, the common denominator is fun!!!
I'd say it's about 25% conventional to 75% LC/LC+. My son really loves Brewster from Chuggington, and he's a good engine, so he sees most of the conventional run time.
