The Truth about Model Railroading

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“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Don’t fret because of evildoers;
don’t envy the wicked.”
Proverbs 24: 16-19 NLT

[@randallellison6421]

This is what I've been saying for a while now! The " gloom and doom" crowd loves to sit there and say "the hobby is dying", when it's not, it's simply going through a transition! Yes, it stinks there's not as many brick and mortar stores now, but that's how it is now with online shopping taking over. As far as what I would like to see, is I would really love to see manufacturers do more budget line locomotives and rolling stock, especially inexpensive kits. At some point both model train enthusiasts, and the manufacturers, are going to have to put their foot down, and stop letting, what I like to call, "the model railroad police" try to run the hobby, or it will get so expensive that only the elitists that can afford to be in the hobby is their only customers, and nobody wins in that deal!

[@Eclipse1988]

Folders Colombian!

[@wixom01]

It may not be dying, but I dismantled my 20 x 40 n-scale RR a few years ago. I missed going to my local hobby shops and talking to the owners and other model RR'ers. And I just got so tired of waiting 2 weeks to get items online. So it may not be dying, but it put me out of the hobby. Edit: it wasn't fun, anymore.

[@TwoRailfans]

Totally agree with all points Randall!

[@57thorns]

@@wixom01 On the other hand a hobby is not dying just because some people move on to other things, what matters is if new people enter the hobby.

[@allenwilson8913]

Slightly different take. I’m 57, and have lived in relatively small towns my entire life. I’ve never lived someplace that had a brick and mortar store. The increase in online stores has given me more access to the hobby. I enjoy finding real stores when I go to bigger cities but the online has given me opportunities I would never have had. The internet is also a double edged sword. We get to see things like all the options of shelf layouts, small layout possibilities, DIY and Digital, Steve’s Trains etc which we would never have seen before. We also get the super layouts that have the most intricate details, 1000s of pieces of rolling stock, etc that can give the impression the hobby is unattainable.

[@brewcrew5854]

i am same age and thought just like u do but i seem to think that now a days professional estate hawks buy up bulk stuff and intentionally drive up pricing on some model train stuff just by knowing the value to the average hobby person ?

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I think the biggest issue is not that the price has gone up, it's that wages have not. Average wages have been stagnant for 40 years, while everything has kept on increasing in price, especially trains. Which used to have the motto of stack them high sell them cheap. But now has stack them low and then add 50% on top of the expensive price.

[@cjdavis2684]

Let's be honest, the biggest problem that has happened with model railroading is they've gotten too damned expensive! Parents are not going to go out and lay down the kind of money trains will cost you today, when they can buy other things cheaper. The hobby has basically became for the rich and not the average person who lives paycheck to paycheck like it did at one time. Trains used to be affordable and parents could wind up buying a train set for their kids for Christmas, or birthday, what ever. I remember my Father building a train layout for he and I as a young kid. They were only DC with no bells and whistles but that is why God gave us brains and an imagination to use. Rolling stock did not cost an arm and leg for one damn car. Engines were affordable and didn't need the buyer to place a mortgage on their home to buy just one. Given a choice between spending several hundred dollars on an engine, or paying bills, buying food, or clothing. The later comes in first when you live on a budget and don't have more money than you know what to do with and can afford these ridiculous prices. That's the truth and why you don't see train sets in the shopping malls, or given as gifts today. As the hobby of model railroading has become solely for the rich.... In fact the hobby industry in general is pricing themselves into Extinction. The bulk of people do not make 6 to 10 digit salaries and cannot afford the ridiculous prices trains ,model, kits, paints, etc. have become. Of course kids today are going to buy a computer game when they can get several for less than what model trains and hobby items cost today. You want to see trains back to having the heyday of the past start lowering the damn prices, and you will see people buying trains for their kids and themselves as they once did. Why do you think how to videos on how to make your own scenic materials, scratch build our print your own buildings, and now a big thing is becoming people beginning to 3D print their own engines and rolling stock as they can do it cheaper that way than buying the pre-made stuff. That is the truth of why model railroading isn't what it use to be.

[@richarddrum9970]

I fully agree with your take on the current state of the hobby. Too expensive for most youngsters to get into. Actually, at this point only larger well-financed clubs can afford to buy the current-priced train equipment. Fortunately I purchased most of my locomotives and rolling stock some time ago off Ebay and at local train shows. I hope the environment changes for the hobby.

[@raymondleggs5508]

There are companies selling affordable trains, Piko, Kato, Maerklin, Tomix, Tsugawa, Poppondetta, Microace, Evemodel, Roco, Walthers, Hornby (to an extent) with Piko and walthers and evemodel being the cheapest in HO, Kato, tsugawa, poppondetta, and Tomix are cheapest in N.

[@kylebjr]

Well said

[@owenlaprath4135]

Pass all the digital complication, it doubles or triples costs! As with all hobbies, there are simple basic options, but from good makers. Buy Kato, skip Bachmann, look for European gear as well, by Trix/Maerklin, etc. They all have simple models, like Piko's Hobby line, or Kato's Pocket Line. They will get you started cheaply, with quality gear, even on small spaces :)

[@chrismiller5198]

When Athearn went upscale a lot of people were shut out of the market. Those inexpensive kits were good introductory material from which you could progress to more finely detailed craft kits.

[@iangerahty3422]

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” L P Hartley, The Go-Between (1953)

[@thomasboese3793]

I had over a dozen hobby shops I could ride my bike to as a kid. Now I've got one shop in town and use many online shops. Remember that hobby shops that carry trains are mom-and-pop shops, not huge multi-state chains. Sometimes their kid takes over, but most end once the shopkeeper can't keep up.

[@cjdavis2684]

Again don't blame so much the Internet for Hobby shops closing, it isn't totally the internet's fault. Granted it did it's share of damage I won't say it hasn't. But the top reason Hobby shops are closing is not because Internet mail order is doing it. But because hobby manufacturers caused it. When you think logically, you have to ask yourself why would people want to pay more ordering a model kit, or a train from mail order on the Internet, as you are paying even higher than you would for that item in a hobby shop. At a hobby shop you only pay for sales tax and your done plus you have the bonus of having that item you wanted right now and not having to wait days or weeks to receive it.. But in mail order your paying sales tax, plus over inflated shipping charge, plus having to wait for the item to be sent to you and delivered. So it would be way better to just purchase from your local Hobby shop. Now wait Hobby manufacturers have raised their prices sky high not only on things like model kits, model trains, etc. but then they started placing ridiculous prices on paints, and glues, scenic materials as well. So people started having no choice but either buy from a discount mail order company trying to at least enjoy the hobbies without having to mortgage the house or sell their first born to get that hobby item they dreamed of. Or they have to just give up on that dream and do without that hobby. And without sales Hobby shops can't stay in business. So again it's the hobby manufacturers who caused the bulk of the hobby shops to shut down and go out of business Not the Internet. Corporate greed on the manufacturer's part, and turning the Hobby industries into only catering to the rich is what has damaged the hobby industry, shut down hobby shops and turned away the consumer far more than the Internet has.

[@Quince828]

Or they just can’t keep up with the changing retail landscape. My local hobby store was taken over by the owners son, but for he still hasn’t built a website.

[@scottfw7169]

@@cjdavis2684 Those "ridiculous prices" are a simple consequence of the inflation which has happened as the years pass and not of some smoke filled boardroom conspiracy. For instance, take a 1983 Athearn Blue Box locomotive of MFR price $32, and no electronics, and no Kadee couplers, and no special detail parts, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index inflation calculator says that 1983 price of $32 would here in April 2024 be $101 and change for the same 'bare bones' locomotive. And a 1983 Blue Box passenger car kit of no superdetail whatsoever priced $7.50 would here in 2024 be just a few cents under $24.

[@cuebj]

In UK, we had the same with bicycles. In 1960s and early 1970s, there were lots of shops from toy and pram stores that also had bicycles to specialist shops for racers. By 1980s, they had mostly gone - almost none in the whole county of Kent and very few in London. Then came the boom followed by a post Covid bust such that many shops have stopped selling bicycles and focus on servicing them. The shop was often owned by the proprietor. When they retired or died, it was a useful asset for beneficiaries of their will to sell off. In fact, in UK, probate pretty much meant they had to sell it off or take out a mortgage to pay the inheritance tax.

[@scottfw7169]

@@cuebj That thing about having to sell it off or take out a mortgage to pay the inheritance tax happens here in the US too. And especially so out here where I now live in midwestern farmland.

[@chugwaterjack4458]

I'm now 80, and finally getting back into the hobby. As a kid/teen, I lived for my model railroad, even though it was populated by Athearn Hustlers that could go 125 mph pulling three streamline coaches, or the Athearn GP-9 with that dreadful rubber-band drive, where the motor shaft translated to drive axles with real rubber bands - sloppy, unreliable, and a nightmare to repair. My buildings were Plasticville, with no people, and plaster mounds with pieces of grass mat laid on. I loved it, and lived through it. Then, along came cars, zits, girls, a war, a career (or three), kids, second jobs, recessions, family reshaping, until Covid came along and took my last wife. For three years I just kind of shuffled about, spending a lot of time at the only local pub, or watching TV. Then, for some reason, I realized what had been a home office would make a great train room! Since I grew up in UP country - Big Boys, Challengers, Streamliners, etc. - that was what I wanted to model, but with "senior" eyes and fingers, I couldn't even begin to consider N scale. For some odd reason as I was KZbin surfing, I came across a modeler in the UK, and I realized that trying to operate a Challenger (let alone buy one) in that room with maximum track curvature of 36" radius would look silly, and seeing the type of locos and equipment from the UK, I suddenly turned into a British modeler! Now, with a stable of well-made and highly detailed $100 locos and a string of wagons (cars) or coaches, I could have my empire, with great DCC controls and benefits, for less hours of pay per unit than I ever enjoyed as a youth. The online videos and articles on how-to have made all aspects accessible for me, and with the typical shipping from the UK being not much more than domestic (you hear me, Walthers) I can get what I need from England nearly as easily as from New Jersey or Milwaukee, and just as quickly. That being said though, if I can find a same or equivalent product in the US, I will generally go domestic unless the shipping is outrageous. Bottom line(s): the cost is about the same as it was 60 years ago in hours worked per unit (sometimes less), on-line information and buying has made buying easier (as the one hobby shop within 90 minutes is usually higher-priced) and being continually challenged mentally and physically is keeping the digits from accumulating on the 80 years so far. Oh, and the electricity my layout uses is offset by the TV being on very much less than it used to be. 40 hours spent building a viaduct is much better spent time than a season of some unrealistic family on the tube with their problems. [If I really want to feel like my layout is somewhat realistic, I just have to watch an episode of "I Love Toy Trains" to see adults with (expensive) toys.] The hobby is changing still, and always will, but can be whatever you want it to be.

[@PaulMiller-mn3me]

Miss the brick & mortars. I vividly remember going to a train shop with my dad in downtown NYC in the late 70s

[@AllenCNW441]

A local shop owner said two things are hurting stores - 1) minimum quantities that must be purchased from suppliers; and, 2) shops are like show rooms- people look at an item, then order it on the internet for less money.

[@joelnordstrom8049]

I like scale model supply in St Paul, Minnesota on Lexington N of 94. Tons of new train equipment and they also have a lot of used rolling stock and some used engines for pretty good prices

[@diedertspijkerboer]

I'd say that one of the best things is the accessibility of second hand products. When I was young, I simply wasn't aware of available second hand stuff other than what my local hobby shop offered, and that was still quite expensive. Now, there is a vast online market with highly competitive prices that allow young people to enter the hobby at low cost. Add to that the availability of ideas, like the small switching layouts, and there's a wealth of low cost possibilities at everyone's fingertips.

[@BOBXFILES2374a]

Quarterly model train show! I have gotten a LOT of HO and some O from those boxes under the tables!

[@Rebecca_The_Dragon]

It was a tragedy the day Allied Model Trains closed in Culver City. But the new stores online are cool too. There was just something so special about walking into a store modeled after LA central terminal and seeing models running on realistic layouts everywhere. Bought my first HO trainset there and still have it.

[@bettym7346]

Allied, the best ever.

[@catspawnostep]

20 years ago I knew two or three other rail modelling types in my area and there was all of three shops in the city; now thanks to the internet, I get to enjoy layouts from thousands of other rail modellers world wide, and I can shop for really amazing equipment and materials from all over the globe....this truly is the golden age of rail modelling

[@billschneck9107]

I appreciate the positive spin you put on this. Much better than the doom and gloom. Thanks, Jimmy! Starbucks k-cup this morning!

[@WWIIREBEL]

I've been a model railroader since age 5...now at 52 ,the hobby is still in my life happily. It's a shame so many kids today don't really have the experiences ,like what most of us in this hobby had ,when we were kids. Many children don't even know the hobby exists, until they go to a train show or see a display at some local venue or see videos on YT and other social medias.

[@CPRProductions647]

Hello! Just to give you some hope for the future, I'm 13 years old and have a 4x4 n scale layout in my bedroom. I've been in the hobby since age 9 and have been having so much fun. Good luck with your layout -Eli

[@loispadgett6306]

I am glad the one hobby shop in my area is still going after 75 years. It is family owned and been past bown through the genartions. I wish some of the hobby shops would have classes on sodering and wiring and stuff like that. I think that would bring more people in. The club I am in we have a 10yr old who joined and he is so good at running trains and learning more he loves it. Thanks Jimmy for all you do for the hobby. GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@victorreznov9940]

I'm 23 and have been in the hobby since I was about 6-7 or so. I do ho and n scale. My n scale layout is DC only and my ho is DCC. I've saved up money and bought the rivarossi heritage DCC/sound big boy and a couple cars, a loop of Kato uni track with a siding and a few buildings. I finally saved up enough to get the nce power cab moving from a bachmann ez command

[@blainedunlap4242]

I started at 6-7, now at 60 I still have those first cars and two engines. And 900 freight cars and 75 engines. Keep after it. Even if you don't have time for a full layout later, you can spend the time improving the cars, weathering, whatever. Great hobby stay with it.

[@JBrown-xm1lk]

I am 66 years old and retired. Railroading has been on and off since my childhood. Now I have more disposable income and time. That mix has elevated my layouts to what I used dream of. My point, nearly everyone makes it to 66 and has the time to spend on your hobbies. My grand children love running trains with me. Perhaps, this is laying the seeds of future railroading.

[@LetsGoChaseThatTrain]

One thing that has definitely changed for the better over the course of my lifetime is that both the selection and quality of models have improved drastically, particularly in HO.

[@grandparails8858]

I come from a time that if you wanted something you ordered out of the catalog so in a sense we have come full circle where we are ordering online. 3D printing has definitely changed the hobby.

[@abbofun9022]

Agree, the hobby has matured and become global thanks to the internet.

[@TrainTsarFun]

I too miss the brick & mortar stores. There’s some good ones on the northeast I like to visit when I travel. Use to have a couple very close to home here like National Hobby Supply. I still got a lot of stuff I bought on clearance there when they closed shop - they also advertised in model railroad magazines but that’s before the internet really got popping. As far as the younger ones in their teens and 20s - I’ve seen some amazing customs - especially with things like Thomas & Friends. So they are definitely out there doing amazing work. I know o had more time when I was younger and I got more disposable income now. If only those two could coincide. Retirement I look forward too

[@justinblumenkamp6005]

The tutorial/instructional videos on KZbin are a HUGE plus to modern model railroading. I'm a first time beginner that got ultra realistic, showcase results in my scenery, weathering and details simply by just following the pros technique videos.

[@Jason_DPMF]

Good morning Jimmy. drinking McCafe coffee this morning. Thank you for going above and beyond; to bring us all on your journey. also your production and information per minute rate is on point. Keep up the great work.

[@jacobstine6221]

25 years old and just starting my N scale layout based on SP & UP, fortunate enough to have a brick & mortar store that can get me anything. Would be cool to see you do a subscriber layout showcase video, would be super neat to see people’s layouts & techniques!

[@davidgray1974]

Hello from Raleigh, NC! Drinking Peets Major Dickinsons Blend this morning. Those Tyco sets you had at the beginning of the video with the plastic scenic floor drop brought back some memories. Had a Santa Fe and GI Joe one just like it as a kid. So glad Nicks Trains in Raleigh has survived. Will always stop by and make purchases there before buying online for supplies. Great Vid!

[@josephmikeals886]

I agree. Model railroading isn't going away anytime soon. I'm drinking Folgers coffee. Cheers.

[@anthony84]

Jimmy, I got to say that you and my wife were both a huge push for me to get back into the hobby. I grew up with the typical HO 4 x 8 layout from the 80s and early 90s; and several of my friends had layouts as well. We all got out of railroading around 15 when other things like cars, girls, and such took precedence. Fast-forward to last year when I was looking up model railroad videos because I did “secretly” miss the hobby and cars are getting too expensive 😂 I stumbled upon your build for the MRROne (which I am replicating with some of my own touches) and my wife watched the video and bought me a N scale starter set so that I at least had some even just to run around the table while I am getting a layout base built. I cannot believe how much the hobby has changed since the mid 90s, and honestly remembering what my allowance was back then and what I could afford at train shows and hobby stores, I really feel that you get more for your money in today’s world in terms of detail and functionality. I am glad that I am having a Renaissance of a favorite childhood hobby.

[@sirxavior1583]

All of your points are correct. I'd be considered a new person to the hobby. At the time VIA rail (Canadian Equivalent to Amtrak) was offering unlimited 4 month travel passes for students. Commuting every day was much cheaper for me compared to living on residence, so I basically commuted everyday for my last 2yrs of university. I ended up graduating, quickly becoming employed, paid off all debts, now had disposable income, and missed my train rides. So I purchased the exact same coaches I rode everyday.

[@vollmerdp]

Of course in the first Golden Age if you modeled--for example--Pennsy, you could get a cheap Athearn blue-box generic hopper with a keystone on it and pretend it was something Pennsy ran. Now, you can get a fully-detailed H21E from the 1948 H21A rebuild program or a GLa with correct brake rigging and the 1954 shadow keystone scheme, etc. It's much easier today to model a railroad, whereas it might have been easier back then (on the wallet) to model "trains." When I was a kid, cheap Tyco was good enough for me. As an adult prototype modeler, I much prefer the availability of exact prototypes for even obscure railroads. The conundrum is that could I have gotten into the hobby as a kid today with prices what they are? I would probably have had to be more deliberate and calculating rather than just buying whatever caught my eye...but we also have the internet today so I can do a little research on whether that Bachmann SD-whatever is worth the price on eBay.

[@davidf9630]

Good morning Jimmy. Today I’m drinking some Kona coffee that was brought to me as a gift from Fran who visited Hawaii last week. As far as excitement goes. I just finished building a backyard shed and I will be putting my 6 x 8 L-shaped and scale layout in the shed, along with some tools, of course. But my mind is racing and racing and racing with so many different layouts that I can possibly squeeze into my little space, I was even thinking about putting in a helix to have multiple layers. So short, I think it’s just my imagination that excites me.

[@andrewlaverghetta715]

This morning I had Dunkin cold brew made at home. When I was younger I had Bachmann and tyco trains. It was frustrating because the train would stop, and when I went to push it along, it would bring parts of the track apart. I didn’t even get track put down permanently on my 4x8 piece of plywood I had in my bedroom. I think I put down SOME cork and a huge roll of grass paper, but had to cut around the cork. It’s amazing now to be older and have the online resources for all this stuff where I can watch somebody from England doing scenery and track work and soldering. I got re-inspired by a guy just making a simple loopy under-over on a 2x4’ piece of foam.

[@artied1807]

I belong to a model rr club and also work some Saturday's on a real life excursion railroad. Our club hosts an open house to the public on Saturdays and we are located next to a large rail yard with a viewing area to the action.. Believe me most children still love trains . I enjoy watching their faces light up when they are around trains, big or small.

[@naguoning]

The idea of unassembled isn't as simple as people think. 1) packaging would be more complicated 2) returns would be more complicated, not everyone can assemble as well as a factory 3) the cost is mostly about the moulds, tampo printing etc. Not the assembly. Sure assembly is a cost but if you add the extra cost of shipping and packaging alone that could counter the assembly cost. Also understand that before Tampo printing is done we often have to desprue so that would still need to be done.

[@ralphgreenwood5857]

Awesome Vid Jimmy!! That is a very accurate description of what has happened. There are no more brick and mortar stores in my area. Would be quite a drive. Thinking about having some Jose's Columbian here in a bit!! 👍🙂

[@mrblond750]

What I am most excited for is my son. I’ve been an on and off model railroader since I was about 5. I’ve always had sets but not always had a layout up. My son will be 4 soon and in the past 2 years I have been to more model railroad stores and shows than I have been in my whole life before my son. He’s reinvigorated the hobby for me. He has is own HO model set and is very excited to build a layout. I’m really looking forward to building one with him.

[@rickmiller595]

Most excited for the next build!

[@gregwilliams7354]

I only drink whatever can of coffee is on sale. I need my money to spend on trains! LOL

[@williamj3843]

I loved seeing the RCA boxcar. I worked in the building where they used to build the Victorola's and remember when RCA had train service to it.

[@timwright3592]

There are a number of hobby shops within a 20-100 mile drive from me in NE Indiana. A good mix of only model trains and various hobbies (RC, Wargaming, and various genres of modeling such as sci-fi, cars, aircraft, including model trains, etc...). Some will have sales having the same as, close to, or better pricing than online stores from time to time. I still find it more enjoyable to step into a brick and mortar retailer as to shopping on line.

[@ChobertonJunction]

Times change and so do we. As you pointed out the changes we are seeing in the hobby are not unique to the hobby. The changing demographics and online stores have hit every industry. But fundamentally the hobby remains the same apart from appearing to cost more. Recently I returned to the hobby after a 40+ year gap and I am stunned at the changes and for the good. 3D printing, sound, DCC, steam etc all good stuff but at a price but not necessarily always the right price. At the first exhibition I went to after 40+ years the audience looked to almost be exactly the same demographically apart from more female hobbyists which is great to see. All in all, the hobby is going strong but as with everything change happens.

[@dalecollier2853]

Same here. I've been away from the hobby 40+ years and the biggest changes are the cost and fewer brick and mortar stores. I recently ran across an Atlas boxcar - same model that I purchased for $3.15 in '79, now goes for over $30!

[@jimmyseaver3647]

Regarding kits, I've always loved assembling models since I was a kid, and trains are no different. I've come to conclude that freight car kits were essentially the Gunpla of their day here in the US before, well, the anime market boomed and people realized that giant murder robots are neat to assemble. If some of the lessons from those could be applied in the event that train kits become economical again, that'd be _nice._

[@scottyounger7948]

Depending on the standard you can design your section of a modular club layout, most likely T-Track or Free-moN for N scale, as a stand alone home layout or switching layout. That way you can have a little something to tinker with and operate at home and when a show comes to town and your group is going to be there you can show up with your section of the railroad and enjoy running on a possibly massive (like 50' x 100') sized show layout for a weekend before it's time to go home again.

[@CodysTrainz]

Myself Being 32 years old with lots of HO scale trains (from the 1930's-1960's model era onwards) really says a lot about what model railroading is like this day and age.

[@OriginalBongoliath]

I'm happy with the releases Broadway Limited is coming out next year and that ScaleTrains is finally coming out with ex-MTH HO steam engines. We need more steam makers in the US market since it is barren.

[@Mike__B]

I think the "cheap" play set for kids is the really sad loss, while the product itself is subpar and not anything that to ever really want outside of nostalgia purposes, finding a clearance sale set at Toys R Us is what made me want to do this... and I was 20 at the time. Right now kids have two real entry points, Thomas the Train and to a much lesser degree Lego sets. Both are perfectly fine and are great but Thomas a child will absolutely outgrow, and Legos are great sure but are far and few between as far as choices, you basically have the Hogwartz express, or the umpteenth urban/high speed train, plus the Lego economy is just bonkers to get around, by the time my kid was old enough to really appreciate trains and build with Legos he wanted the Disney train station (super expensive)... but it was already out of production, and as a result the Lego investors were selling for twice the MSRP, which I refused out of principle.

[@skerbs7755]

Drinking Amazon Columbian coffee with two lumps of Domino's sugar and whole milk. I do miss Model Railway Post Office from Hewitt, NJ--my favorite place to go as a kid. Today, though, I am very excited to see LED lighting, making it easier to light a layout. Also, I am excited that DCC ready trains have speakers built in now. I cannot currently afford a new locomotive, but when I do, I will definitely get one! Thanks for a great video! Model Railroading is fun and very cool!

[@richardcolemanjr3749]

Model Railroading is evolving. Manufacturing is getting more specialized. It won't be long before 3 D printing will be more refined and detailed. I see complete layouts in a box coming down the road. Bench work and all.

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

I am excited for the future of this hobby, it's really going places!

[@johnneely9576]

Another option for getting into the model railroad hobby is to join a club that has a layout. For a small monthly fee, you have access to a layout that would take years and thousands of dollars to build on your own. Some clubs offer discounts for students. I am in two clubs and drive about an hour each way to participate. - John N.

[@TheLEMRR]

Like anything else for me, it's more than the trains, the construction and the art that keeps me in this hobby. While I've always been a train buff; I find the time spent with my brother building our layout, sharing it with friends and interacting with others in the community are what really makes it enjoyable for me.

[@azrailfan2717]

Very good video. I agree with what’s happening to old brick and mortar store. The one right by my house is slowly moving its entire store to on line only.

[@Eric_Hunt194]

UK modeller here. I think Covid helped kick-start the Second Golden Age, as many (myself included) re-entered the hobby after years away. The aspect I'm most excited about is the increase in variety we're getting in RTR models over here. It used to be very steam-centric (with a heavy bias towards the LNER and GWR) with not much for those of us modelling later periods. Now we even have brands announcing models of commuter EMUs. New entrants to the UK scene such as Accurascale and Rapido UK have helped to keep Hornby and Bachmann on their toes. As for the coffee, today I'm drinking a Latte from Tim Horton's.

[@bambostarla6259]

When I grew up, my parents would get tomy thomas trains. Affordable, durable and a lot of fun! In my teen years I got into actual model railways, and picked it back up now that I am 23

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

Still a guy in my city with a local store (here in 2024) that also resells stuff (which is great on a budget). Grateful for that, and that my 15-yo son has a partial interest at least. ;)

[@menguardingtheirownwallets6791]

0:50 = That is an excellent idea for people who are new to the N-scale train hobby: simply make a 'carpet' that has roads, landscape pictures, and a railway roadbed, and have it roll up into a small roll to be unrolled and the tracks put on top of. It would be a fast and easy way to get kids introduced to the hobby in a very cheap way.

[@miketalcott5180]

Perspective: at 16 years old I was working at Woolworth’s for $2 an hour (minimum wage). The store kept a bunch of AHM stuff stocked. Prices probably ran from $2 for cheaper cars to $20 for some of the engines (mostly from Yugoslavia). 10 hours for a questionable engine… Walmart is advertising for stockers for $17 an hour right now. $170 will get you really nice sound equipped stuff!

[@hendrikdebruin4012]

Perspective from Africa. We also would like to get into hobbies. BUT here in Eswatini where I live the minimum wage for a skilled factory worker is.... wait for it.... $600 PER YEAR. And they get paid that. That is $50 a month - and with that you have to pay for everything including accommodation, clothing, transport, medical expenses, school fees, utilities and food. People in the USA are so privileged. People here would work their fingers to the bone for $17 a day never mind an hour.

[@rosscollins2910]

Where in the US can you live on 17$ per hour unless your retired with a paid for home ?

[@goarmysleepinthemud.]

Walmart is probably not starting everybody out at $17. McDonald’s was offering a wage starting at UP to $17 per hour.

[@hobbytinkerer6736]

What's interesting is that it isn't just the hobby that is having a resurgence, it's the real life trains too. I recently went to a railroad museum that had a panel where we could ask questions. They revealed they had a record attendance and revenue in 2023 which is allowing them to expand their facility. They also said that it is a renaissance age right now for steam engines being restored back to operating condition (in America anyway). It's actually really exciting!

[@davevan8864]

If you are old enough to have been in the hobby since the 1970s as I have....cost is a huge change. Back in the day I'd order 10 HO MDC hoppers @$2.25 each. Those 10 kits cost less than a single car today. I have all I need but new modelers will never be able to do the same. Thx

[@AMX86]

I recall when model railrailing was a largely hand built hobby as there were no mass manufscturers. In many instances, if you wanted something you built it from paper, card stock, sheet brass and wire.

[@stephendrivick840]

Good morning....I'm having International Delight Mocha Iced Coffee out of my Trans Am mug. 😃

[@luvindemtrains]

I really appreciate this one. Thought provoking.

[@brt987train]

I have been a hobbyist since I had my first wooden train set. And then got a MARX, actually still have it. I Love trains, HO, N , OO (from the 1930s) the best part is my grandchildren get to play with my railroad too. Now if I can get my daughters to let my grandchildren have a set-up in the house but that's a grandpop story. Anyway you're right the internet has changed everything. Been six decades on it's still fun.

[@jamessneed8789]

It needs to be talked about, and thanks 👍☕️

[@youwereprettylasttimeisawy1227]

i’m 20 years old, i have always been into trains, i actually a chance to become a conductor if i wanted to right now, i just recently gotten back into them as i got caught up in video games and the internet but as i get older and sit my phone down more(and work a full time job) ive gotten back into trains, i just bought my first set and now im planning on buying more, im happy to see im not the only one

[@mightychilster6215]

Hey Jimmy, regarding the loss of the model hobby shop, one of the few around me is in the lobby of EnterTRAINment Junction, a showcase model railroad built for public consumption. And perhaps that is a future vector for our hobby. A place where a model showcase location brings in the traffic to hobby shops. That showcase model railroad hits the sweet spot between a MRR club and corner store hobby shop at a scale that is sustainable.

[@TrainWork]

Built my layout without access to a hobby shop. Did everything online and I can tell you that our - NEW NIGHTMARE - with the disappearance of the brick-and-mortar store is "SHIPPING COST". What I have spent in shipping is easily equal to the cost of half a dozen dcc and sound equipped locos. BTW the hobby is not dying it's just transitioning as technologies advance. 😁😁👍👍OperateOnOperator

[@allychat8496]

One of the big advents to the hobby is videos like this. Some of it can be attributed to showstopper lockdowns but think back, when do remember a time where so many channels appeared on KZbin with fantastic how-tos and other informative content? I can tell you the first golden age didn’t have the resources we have at our disposal today.

[@phoenixrising4573]

I challenge you to find a kid that wont have a blast wiht a big lionel set, even if they aren't asking directly for them.

[@jakrol]

We still have a good number of hobby shops in the Chicagoland area, thank God. I am thinking of getting my son a Märklin MyWorld set when he turns 3. He still likes his battery powered train with his wooden set, but I can tell he wants something with remote controls.

[@HartfordWhaler]

Good perspective. We need industry data to truly understand what is happening. What we observe on social media can often appear larger than it actually is. I do know from my own channel that the average age of subscribers and viewers is 65+, so not many young people. If you ask anyone who is into model railroading, they will say it’s goes back to childhood trains. The only company still targeting youth is Lionel. Since they are privately held, it’s difficult to know how well they are doing, but based on the size of their catalogs each year, I suspect they are doing ok. If the industry, particularly HO, only focuses on ultra-realistic, DCC controlled, very expensive products, HO model railroading will eventually die with the generation that has embraced it (older, mostly white guys who had Lionel or Tyco sets as kids). Exposing children to model or toy trains at a young age is still the key to long-term sustainability of the hobby. I doubt there are many in the hobby who just discovered it at age 30-45.

[@officialFortherails]

I drink Keurig Hazelnut cappuccino coffee with Half/Half creamer, whip cream and frozen strawberries on the top. As the strawberries start to de-freeze, they slowly add natural sweetness to the coffee. Also, I’m 23-years old (will be 24 this June 11), collect HO, O, and G scale sized locomotives, and I’m the owner of a short-line holding company. I can’t say that the hobby’s dying, but that as younger people love TikTok, KZbin, and funny videos about life, we need to be more active on social media to reach a wider crowd. There’s a lot of opportunities out there for the hobby to grow and reach new crowds, but it’s the responsibilities of all of us that are already involved to use what resources we have to market it and show off what we enjoy doing. My 2 cents.

[@stevesmodelbuilds5473]

Hi Jimmy! Whenever I need a dose of 'positivity' -- which is often -- I stop by your channel 😀. Great video! 👍

[@anthonyruby2668]

Hey! Lionel was the Playstation of the 1930s! It had a good life! Now, I build my model railroads in computer games

[@jeremyjohnson457]

1:55 I can sure say that I have seen the evolution of basic analog to advanced digital since I grew up in the 90s and have been collecting model trains for close to 30 years. One of the many things that I do miss is a basic kit, such as the athearn blue box kits.

[@RealJeep]

I have boxes stuffed with track, locos and cars from companies that don't even exist anymore from the 60's on to the early 2000's. I look at today's model railroading and think, I just need to sell all of that stuff because I can't afford to start over. MRR has gotten too rich for my retired budget.

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

Metropolis Coffee's redline espresso is my coffee for today. Watching this while applying a clear coat to a tyco 0-4-0t. Its a saddle tank im painting green, but with black smokebox and cab roof. Theres pipes on the side (part of the mold) i might make red. Might also make the grab irons red. My second attempt at this color scheme

[@93greenstrat]

Being able to pick up an old BB locomotive back in the 90's for $30 sure feels different than buying a $200 Genesis model 😊...... granted there are TONS of differences between them.

[@user-xy1lp8jx2h]

I sure do miss the Athearn blue box stuff. The prices were not bad at all.Most of my RR ho items are athearn blue box.Have been modeling and collecting since the 1960s.

[@michaelpfister1283]

Hey Jimmy! Drinking Coffee Bean Direct CO2 Decaf Whole-bean Columbian! I fondly remember my first model train set, a Tyco HO train (The "Chattanooga Choo Choo featuring the EMD GP-18 diesel loco) and an oval of track. Very simple, lots of fun for me at the tender age of 9. Things are very different now, particularly in the accessibility of detail and the things you can use to make your model more than just a loop of track! And while there will (I hope) always be brick-and-mortar stores dedicated to the hobby I am also OK with the vast majority of purchases being made on the internet. Digital stores bring accessibility to many of us that would otherwise have to travel some distance to find a shop with more than a token offering. I try to support my local hobby shops as much as I can, but honestly I generally have to turn to the internet to find what I'm looking for anyway. Though I do try to order stuff through the local shop's website at least. 🙂

[@hardtime3769]

I'm working on gathering materials for a special N scale project and it would have been impossible to have gathered the pieces without the internet. With that said,I found some critical limited run cars within the brick and mortar shops that would have been a waiting game trying to find them online.

[@Buffalodiv1968]

I’m a mix of old school and new tech. I started model railroading in HO back in 1968. Through the 1980’s it stayed somewhat toy like, but as my sons were born, I started taking it really seriously. Together, we built an empire controlled by DCC, and much better locomotives and rolling stock. Something I’ve noticed, a lot of today’s model railroaders are more than just rivet counters, they’re actually quite snobbish and don’t have time to mentor young people who would like to be a part of it.

[@enischial965]

I'm 32. Sadly one of the first things I think about with model railroading is still the grouchy old guys who get annoyed when you ask questions or want to talk about their models. It's far less prominent now, but that was a definite issue in the past. I'm not sure if that's New England specific. But a lot of us have had that experience.

[@wallochdm1]

I get almost all my stuff at railroad swap meets and pay pennies on the dollar for nice stuff, mostly detailed Athearn Blue Box, Kato, or Atlas. All DC, and simple= low $$$ outlay. My layout might not be state of the art, but it suits me.

[@robby062]

It’s not just the online retailers that brought about the demise of brick and mortar. I know one that had to close due to his rent costs being doubled by his landlord. He did a lot mail order, but liked having the store to sell train sets to newcomers and hope them get started.

[@cowboyvalley]

Video games and smart phones have more to do with a decline in model railroading than "cheap trains", which are still out there. Advent of shelf and modular layouts? You say that like it's new in the last few years. Lynn Wiscott was putting books out with those in mind in the 60's.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

I like model railroading however I have never liked the computerized locos - very expensive and annoyingly loud and noisy . Pre made rail cars and buildings are outlandishly over priced . I don't have the time , money or room for a layout . So I bought a Fender Stratocaster and a good small amp . Great video Thank you .

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

What got model railroads is video games and internet. Folks get in a virtual reality the model railroad used to be the virtual reality of before

[@robertmadison2752]

The main stages in the life of model railroading, it seems to me, are the three prevailing mode of modeling: scratch-built (to 1945) kit-built (1945-200) RTR (2000-present) Each stage results in an increase in costs, an increase largely obscured by entry-level HO sets. Modeling used to be building, then it became assembling, and now it is buying.

[@crapphone7744]

It may be because I'm a boomer, but there is something this early better about seeing a model railroad, then a video game over railroad like train simulator. I don't know if young kids feel the same way when they see the model trains as I do. There's just something engaging about the actual physical device moving around the lab that is lacking in the virtual world.

[@Acc3ssViolation]

Kits appear to be more of a thing in Japanese N scale, Hobby Search has quite a few listed

[@Mike__B]

I don't know if I can call inflation as a driving factor. Out of morbid curiosity I looked at a 2012 Bachmann catalog, and saw prices of most everything in an apples to apples comparison were roughly double (100% increase) where as inflation since 2012 has "only" been 38% so while it is real, it isn't the whole picture. Hell Thomas the Train models were twice the price and they had the exact same part number, which almost suggests they haven't really changed at all... doubly bad is it makes it impossible to know what you're getting if you buy online/used, was that a $59 Thomas model from 12 years ago that you're selling for $100 today?

[@travelaviation3146]

I’m a 21 year old and I get model trains and airplanes just so I can look at it in my room it’s pretty cool I will eventually get a full train set 😊

[@jasper_saberwolf]

I do feel the expense of the hobby but I sort of treat my layout project as a long term thing and I allocate some money to it every so often to spread out the cost over time. I also like to appreciate the models I already have and don’t have room for a big roster. Also when you mentioned the train store that expanded to the retail space next door, I wonder if you’re describing Hobby Express in Cranberry PA! That’s my local hobby shop and they expanded into the Plato’s Closet next door a couple of years ago, knocked down the wall etc. I used to live right across the road from them, now I’m about an hour or so away but still go on occasion.

[@truthsayers8725]

i make a damned good living. my house is paid off. my daughter has no college debt. i have some money put away for retirement. i cant fathom spending as much as it costs to build something even remotely prototypical. when a SINGLE turnout costs $25-40, (HO) that is a HUGE expense to build a model railroad. when i was a kid, $7-10 turnouts kept building a model railroad on the back burner. i dont know anyone who had more than one or two in their 'lay out' i guess i could build a table out of a sheet of plywood like my dad and i did 50 years ago, and i could get my old Tyco sets out and run them around in a circle...

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

People were saying that model rairoadingwas dying because of slot cars. Al Kalmbach stayed the course and kept MR all trains.Used trains are the way to go as for an affordable entry into the hobby. Train nuts are born not made. Lionel 0-6-0 tank engine was $100, then they put all the electronics in the engine and now its $250. All of the bs electronics are driving the cost up. Electronics have a short service life and less when stored . Simple conventional trains 🚂🚃🚃 are the way to go. Williams was a great company making affordable trains for everyone. Weaver made trains in America for less than Lionel would charge for trains made in China. MTH is a shadow of it's former self. Lionel is expensive and unreliable undependable with pieces broken off in shipping. Trains wrapped up while paint was still wet. Collecters want unreasonable prices for nothing special. Trains are meant to be enjoyed not to be a commodity to be bought and sold like gold and silver. Moneyed people spoiling everything that they touch.

[@MoandPapaw-qe1ts]

I love the don francisco Kona Blend. I get ti from Amazon because it's cheaper but it tastes great too.been drinking it for a couple years now and can't get away from it. Try it, you'll like it.

[@davidmilne3421]

Here in coastal VA we had a new brick and mortar store and club open last year! They’re doing well but the age demographic is decidedly older. Nice group of people though and we’re experimenting with small N Scale modules! BTW-I drink whatever coffee is cheapest to be honest!😝

[@mikemunley9563]

Super excited about 3d printing impact on the hobby. I love building structures and am just starting into 3d printing. Imagine if every building on your layout was an accurate model of a real building in that town. Wow. You talked about how you love kits. Imagine buying the files and printing and building your structures. Bye Bye shipping costs.

[@Tomeleck]

One simple Boxcar from (for example) Lionel, sells for $79.99! Gadzooks! ONE boxcar? It seems that the manufacturers are not only pricing themselves out of the market, they are also dramatically reducing the likelihood of any modern child ever having the opportunity of becoming a model railroader. A grown up modeler realizes that the "Made in China" railroad models (where most of them are made) realizes that workers in China make a fraction of what American workers make. I recently worked on an unrelated to model trains project where we Americans made the prototype drawings, and sent the results to China, for final realization of the products. Well, those workers in China were being paid $1.00/day for their efforts and a $1.00/day for their lunch. So why do HO locomotives now cost $3-4-5 hundred dollars? Someone is making some real money, and our hobbies now cost far more than the average American family can afford.

[@halpadgett3166]

It would seem to me that one needs to be a historian to be a model RR enthusiast today because many of the prototypes that are modeled by the manufacturers are now history. When I was growing up, the kid that liked history was rare, but most of us loved anything big & noisy, and wanted to duplicate that anywhere our parents would allow. So now I am a bit of a freelancer when it comes to my garden RR, and I have more freedom to enjoy all aspects of the hobby.

[@MarkWick]

I got started, like many others, when Santa left an American flyer set under the tree in 1958. By the time I got to junior high, the A.C. Gilbert company was all but dead. I switched to H.O. and built quite a layout. In 1986 Santa left that same train under the tree for my son, and years of collecting and building layouts together followed. During the pandemic, I caught the bug, the model railroading bug, again and the internet gave me the opportunity to begin again collecting American Flyer trains built in the late 1940s through the 1950s. And a six year old girl joined me in the new adventure. I am now doing detail work on my second layout, and both have been true works of art. And the old, reliable Gilbert products are not expensive, and either still work well, or can be revived, another part of the process that I like. I remember the day of steam locomotives, and my family and I rode trains across the Western 2/3 of the U.S. several times. Younger people don't have those memories, but they are still fascinated by trains. "The Polar Express" book and movie have probably helped with that. And I was very happy to hear you specifically mention S gauge. I still think it is the ideal gauge and size.