Page 20 - May June 2012

The Future of Model Railroading Lindsay Beare
One man’s view of the hobby and why I think it will eventually die a slow death and will then re-emerge into a collectors’ elite. I have divided my observations into various segments, which are written in no specific order. I hope my views will elicit some responses, both pro and anti, and will cause some debate amongst those both within and outside of the hobby.
I start with the segment on SECURITY/DANGER.
Security came into its own with the September 11 event. Rail- ways became strategic and in the USA the authorities became paranoid about something they had never experienced before: terrorists on home soil. From that day forward all railfans and people who enjoyed just watching trains roll by, became ‘potential terrorists’. A very sad situation that still persists today and shows no sign of going away.
From this standpoint the authorities, both railroad and govern- ment, then actively declared ‘war’ on railfans by harassing them, if any form of recording device was used on, near, by, or within railroad property. To not actively record any event will result in a loss of history; the greatest example of this is that after nearly 80 years or more there is no record of railroads and associated infrastructure within the former Iron Curtain coun- tries. Are we about to enter this period within the USA? Security has, to a degree, prevented both young and old taking an interest, thus diminishing the hobby even further.
Within this segment is danger.
Railroads have got faster, quieter and busier over the previous couple of decades. This makes filming and recording trains anywhere about railroad property very dangerous, something ‘Little Johnny’ does not understand – preserved lines OK, slow and easy, the BNSF transcon definitely not ‘Little Johnny’- friendly. Awareness programmes are OK, but what about show- ing a dead body, headless or otherwise, and some mashed-up car that ‘failed’ a grade crossing, just to get the point home? I also think some adults need this reminder as well, because their activity sometimes leaves a lot to be desired (jail time should cure it).
Most people enjoy seeing and watching trains for various reasons, especially the modelling fraternity. This leads on to the real reasons for this article.
ABILITY and SKILLS
Most people have the ability to play with model trains and to get satisfaction from seeing their ‘toys’ in action. But to expand on this ability and take it to the next level we enter the realm of skills. The skill to make a baseboard, the skill to paint, the skill to construct kits of various types and the skill to solder, glue, wire up and so on, all things that come over a period of time via trial and error, success or failure – a learning process that continues throughout the involvement with the hobby. The skills side of the hobby is gradually being eroded by the introduction of ready-to-roll model train items and ready-built structures. Many of the older generation of modellers (I am in this group) like the Athearn Blue Box/Accurail/Intermountain/ Proto 2000 etc type kits that were fun to make. Time- consuming, yes, but the great satisfaction at the end made up for the time involved. If you fouled up an Athearn blue box kit, it didn’t matter, it was only a couple of $’s.
The current situation is that the manufacturers are producing models of exhibition quality one could only dream of a couple of years ago. The upside is that the models are excellent and actually represent good value for money. The downside is, would you let ‘Little Johnny’ push your $45+ super-detailed hopper car, or for that matter a $70+ passenger car, around the layout/carpet going woo woo? I think not!
The skill and satisfaction are gone and have been replaced by superdetail and cost, and the phrase ‘please don’t touch the models’. Little Johnny is being excluded from joining in, because the skill and fun and cheap models have gone and ‘don’t touch’ has come in. Hence no young people coming into the hobby.
This leads on to the next segment under AGE GROUP and DEMOGRAPHICS.
I recently read in a March 2011 model railroad publication that the average age of model railroaders (of all gauges) was between 55 and 59 (with a few older ones in the 80s age group). This group is probably the current mainstay, but they will surely represent the ‘grand finale’ of the hobby, as they have the time, ability and finances to pursue this interest. The kids have gone, the mortgage is close to or even finished, and retirement is looming. Time is now available to use how you want to (please, not ‘golf anyone?’).
There is really no up-and-coming young or younger group to take over. This is a void that apparently we are unable to fill. Most young people/teens/adults are interested in what I call ‘the instant gratification hobby’, ie the computer game, which can result in isolation, apart from being able to go online and interact with others in far-off places. Just how many shootings, killings, amputations etc can one game player achieve before finally closing down the game. The end result is sore eyes, thumbs, ears and potential epilepsy in certain cases. The games are all shooting, killing, and destruction – no creativity here! But it is still a very profitable market and the computer gaming industry is exploiting it to the full.
We don’t see queues stretching around the block for the latest locomotive, but a new computer game . . .
In order to try and attract the younger generation (pre-teen) the skill element needs to be reintroduced with reasonable quality and cheap kits. The ‘blue box’ era must return in order to create the next generation of modellers. Just where are the unused Athearn moulds, we need them now!
This then leads nicely onto my next segment, MANUFACTURERS. I will not list them all or indeed cannot list them all as there
are too many, but most people will have their favourite, and also their most hated. The current trend by the most popular manufacturers is to produce a ‘limited run’. This is a variable figure and may be as low as 1000 or as high as 10,000, but the median figure of 5000 is the most likely production run for most rolling stock and locomotive models. This is done so that the cost of research and development is recovered, and also produces a profit for all involved in the creation of the item. There is no waste, ie no spare parts; so if an item is damaged in any way, shape or form, or even if ‘Little Johnny’ damages it, the item goes to the scrap yard or you ‘make do or mend’. I expect most of you have experienced this scenario.
Also because of this ‘limited run’ basis, many manufacturers no longer include an exploded diagram to show the various parts of the model. From their point of view, what is the point, as there are no spare parts anyway! The downside to this is that should a locomotive or piece of rolling stock require basic maintenance, there is no diagram to show any of the parts that need attention or where they are. A second side to the limited run production is that it creates a collectors’ market, which causes frustration to the modeller if an item that you have waited patiently for (sometimes over a couple of years) has sold out or not been allocated to your local hobby shop.
This is not good because potential sales are lost, irrespective of quantity, and the purchaser may lose interest in the item/ hobby as a whole. (I waited for the Rapido BNSF Green and Cream executive livery passengers cars for nearly four years – many people have died in that time frame!)
A third scenario also rears its head in the form of the collector (I am guilty). As many models are limited-run and now cost nearer to $100 for a quality passenger car and upwards of $60 for a freight car, do I really want to put it on my layout and cover it with pastels, chalks, Dullcote, oils etc on a model that is obviously of exhibition/museum quality? I think not! The $5 blue box, yes, the Exactrail/Tangent etc, definitely a no-no.
So from my point of view, the manufacturer is partly to blame for:
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