The future of Model Railroading?

The amount of pessimism in this thread makes eeyore seem jolly.

As I mentioned in the RC thread:

Gizmonic control is an enhancement to the hobby of model railroading.  It is not the hobby of model railroading.

There are folks who seem to think the opposite is the case.

I'm surprised no one's brought up the thought of using Google Glass as the way to bring the youngun's into the hobby...

Rusty

Not really pessimism; more a healthy dose of reality.  I have no doubts about this hobby surviving well into the future, but it's a pipe dream to even think for a minute that the number of participants will be what it is today, or that luring youngsters with the latest electronic do-dads marks some sort of pathway to the future.  It's a hobby about trains and railroading, and that is the absolutely essential ingredient for stimulating and retaining interest.

O guage operational capabilities via I pad will attract about as many newcomers to the hobby as those NASCAR themed train sets.

Just because you associate toy trains with some other interest does not mean it will spark interest in toy trains.

Might as well come out with Lionel golf clubs......

Maybe, maybe not.  I take any prediction within this forum with a grain of salt.  Much like the "it will never happen" declaration by Rich about UP bringing a Big Boy back to life.

Too many people revolve in their own little circle and try to predict the future of things. Life is more fun waiting to see what happens.

One thing I do know, Having a condescending attitude towards the younger generations surely won't bring them into the hobby.

I have read many many posts on this forum and have seen many photos posted of our grandchildren running trains. Just like most of us were enticed into this wonderful hobby, I believe that many of our grandchildren will keep it going.

However, I am concerned with the ultra-liberalism of teachers, professors and college students that have degraded our country in sciences and the technical skills necessary for hobbies like model railroading.

I would not label responses that question a future of electronics as being the magic bullet of the future as either condescending or pessimistic inasmuch as whether you think they are enhancements or simply gimmicks, it all goes back to the railroad's place in my generation's life versus newer generations who do not have that sort of daily contact that was more common back in the day with our interactions and imaginations..Just about every other kid I knew wanted to be an engineer, the romance of far laces, having these beasts under your control..thats what created model railroading, not a silly touch pad or "gaming"..Allan in my view is being a pragmatist grounded in how this hobby came about in my generation and the interest for kids these days just is not even close to comparable..it's just recognizing how all this came about and why.  

For those prediciting the future of model railroading based on thier view of the 3 rail O gauge market, I should warn that most of the interest in model or real railroading amosngst younger people is largely divorced from O gauge.  For the most part, the young folks I know are interested in real trains and HO scale model trains.  They also have little interest in O gauge trains and thus, have no interaction with the O gauge community.  So, we don't really see much of the people who will be the next generation of model railroaders, let alone understand them.  Because of this, I think our predictions of the future of the hobby are overly pessimistic. 

 Yep, this thread is running true to forum...

Jeff C

Always a treat to read the soon to be gone generation bemoaning the tastes and fate of those who will (temporarily) inherit the earth.  Wheelwrights and blacksmiths no doubt predicted the same doom and gloom with the advent of the railroads, and then finally the apocalypse due to the ascendancy of the automobile.

Craftsmanship and hands on production of various unique products and art forms will continue despite the advent of computer generated printed products, without a doubt. Don't worry, be happy.

" I am concerned with the ultra-liberalism of teachers, professors and college students that have degraded our country in sciences and the technical skills necessary for hobbies like model railroading."

This observation may satisfy your political prejudices,  but it not based in reality.  Tens of thousands of people, if not hundreds,  continue to immigrate to study and work here precisely because of the phenomenal technical and scientific excellence of our universities, research institutes and corporate technology.  Technology is not a conservative or liberal undertaking, nor is scientific research, or product innovation, contrary to some claims.

I agree with all of you.....I don't have a clue as to what the answer is either!!!

Liberalism has not one thing to do with model trains, nor some presumed generation gap. As far as predictions and the wave of the future in this hobby ( which was the original subject of the post), I don't see electronics in model trains competing with less expensive options inasmuch as you have the software \ hardware side which is one cost and the trains are another whereas kids ( or at least the ones I met or my grandchildren) like complete synthetic worlds that come out of a CD case.

Generation X will have Nintendo as their pet nostalgia. Yes, very young children will always love trains as a kinetic attraction but I don't think that has staying power, that is enough in mass interest to keep all three manufacturers afloat.

I predict a merger in our near future for that reason, there are simply not enough newbies to keep the market from being saturated and I think that will be true in the future whether electronic gimmicks are present or not. The whole influence of electronics in my opinion has very little to do with the viability of the hobby sort of a false debate. 

Wow, what started out as an exciting post about the future of Model RR has taken a ugly turn!

Im excited about change. Change is always constant.

Not really ugly, Charlie…just different perspectives from different individuals with different viewpoints.  None are necessarily right and none are necessarily wrong because we just don't know what the future holds.  Even the experts can't predict tomorrow's weather with 100% certainty.

Perhaps there will be a tremendous resurgence of interest in model railroading 20 or 30 years from now akin to what many of us (you know who you are) witnessed in the late 1970s through the early years of the current decade--truly a great period for our hobby.  But I sure wouldn't bank on it because the numbers just don't work out.

I agree with TexasSP's assessment of this thread.  There is a negative tone in many of the posts, whether intentional or not, who knows?  With the attitude in the posts it is no wonder this hobby is dying as predicted.  Nothing like professing something will never work, undermining it every step of the way and then claiming I told you so 10 years from now when there will not be a single toy train manufacturer.

I am 41 and grew up in the Star Wars generation.  I liked trains but they could not compete with my Star Wars toys, so I never asked santa for a train.

Now that I am older kid I enjoy toy trains, but I would not have purchased one had it not been for remote control operation.  I appreciate and enjoy the technical advancements, that for me enhance the play value and draw me into my toy train world.  I have no desire to stand at a transformer to make my trains go/stop.

Clearly I am in the minority around here.  I believe I am younger than many of the posters.  The old crabby pessimistic types would ruin it for me if I gave two hangs about their point of view.  But if you old crabby types really love this hobby then maybe you could accept (clearly not embrace) technology if only to increase the odds our beloved hobby will live past your generation. 

A good number that you label as "old crabby types" on this forum--especially on this forum-- are well versed in the new technologies and some are even instrumental in developing them.  Just because there are some who prefer to enjoy the hobby in a manner that differs from your way does not merit applying that kind of label.  

There are no majorities here and there are no minorities unless one wants to consider himself or herself--wrongly--as one or the other.  There is ample diversity and we should all be grateful for that because that is what adds interest and vitality to any discussion forum.

This sort of thing makes me wonder what sort of comments were anticipated as if we are all some sort of representing a monolithic block of opinion that would simply be a carbon copies of one another inasmuch as the variety of opinions is what makes the topic interesting. Otherwise whats the point of reading beyond the first two comments? That much seems pretty self evident.

Charlie, I was excited about your post!

Allan,

I fail to see great diversity in perspective on this thread.  I made no judgment about an individual's knowledge regarding technology.  I did make a judgment regarding the tone of the comments which I believe to be negative and crabby.

This was precisely my point........

Just because there are some who prefer to enjoy the hobby in a manner that differs from your way does not merit applying that kind of label.  

Seems to me, based on the comments and tone of the posts (including some of your comments) in this thread that many of the folks that enjoy the hobby at the handle of their transformers disdain technology and its "negative impact" on the hobby.  My point was that for the hobby to endure it is best that those who do not prefer technological advancements to please not suck the oxygen out of the room for the rest of us.

I will take my chances that boards will be available ten years from now, and if there are not, I really hope that there will be even better and more fun engines to replace a down engine with....but that is just me being optimistic about the hobby.

You sound a little crabby there ..lol Your enthusiasm does not mean that if we disagree we are not enthusiastic in our own way otherwise, we would not be posting here as we are in the hobby, not outside of it. Trending and age demographics have no opinion but we can be pragmatic and yet not cheer lead everything about everything that's going on ..that doesnt mean we don't share your enjoyment of the hobby.

funny...but no not crabby, just trying to clarify my post

Let's also remember that one person who is in a position of influence can do much to steer this relatively small hobby in a particular direction. The emergence of On30 is, to a great degree, based on the decisions made by Lee Riley at Bachmann. I'm sure O scale 3-rail would be very different today if Mike Wolf hadn't come along.

And two brothers in Oregon have had a huge influence on the hobby. Forgetting about couplers for a moment, the line of N scale freight cars from Kadee (now Microtrains) changed the perception of N scale in many modelers minds, making the scale seem viable  at a time when many thought it would follow TT scale into obscurity.

there are many other examples--how many 2-rail modelers had a roster of Weaver freight cars in the 80's and early 90's?

Jeff C

For me it has always been about the trains first and whatever technology happens to be under the hood last.  I am in the "younger" segment of the hobby at 44, have been playing with trains starting at age 6 and never stopped.  I was in HO for 30 years and now just collect pre and postwar HO.  I enjoyed N for about 10 years but got the bigger scale bug about 10 years back and never stopped.  I have simply enjoyed the hobby in all of its infinite pleasures.  When I finally get my command system at home it will be DCC since I really found a love of two rail O.  However, at my three rail club, the DCS and TMCC is fun too.  At the same time, I don't mind just having a throttle in my hand either. 

There is no right or wrong way to enjoy this hobby and when I see the smiles on the young children when running for the public and have their moms and dads ask me about where to find a good train set, I know this hobby has a long future.  It has a staying power unlike any other hobby I have been involved in.

Jerry

The future is as bright as you think it is and are willing to work for.  Stop worrying about it and go play with your trains.