No. Model Railroading is not Dying. 

My 10yr old grand daughter loves my trains and actually asked what’ll happen to them when I go (I’m 74), cheeky kid I told her they were hers

You're right. It's not dying, but it is expensive.☕️

Our entire club says we can not get new and young modelers, but when a visitor shows up, NOT A ONE will talk to them. We also have two young members who are virtually ignored by them. Maybe THEY are to blame.

Working full time, this is the best stress reliever at the end of the day and on weekends. There’s no way it’s dying!

I’m 12 years old and I have my own basement layout I plan to go to college without the layout and come back and be so interested in all the things that I forgot about that were on my way out to help me that get back in the hobby.😅😊

It’s definitely not dying. It’s changing, for the better. New, younger hobbyists are entering the hobby. It’s growing globally. The technology is improving. The biggest challenge is the large consolidator manufacturers are not building products that align with the desires of those who are and will be entering the hobby. And their product quality doesn’t match their high prices. There is a significant gap/opportunity which is being filled by smaller mom and pop manufacturers like Tomar, ISE, Circuitron, Inter-Action Hobbies, and even NCE. I’ll be doing a post soon on my channel about these boutique companies and how it’s to our advantage as hobbyists to support them. Thanks for the post and for pointing out the hobby is changing and not dying. Nobody likes change, but change always creates opportunity. Always.

I’ve just taken the hobby up.

If you have been to a train show lately, they are packed! It can be expensive but there is still a lot of interest in the hobby. Thanks for sharing!

I agree... it's a golden era of model railroading in my view! 3D resin printing making it soooo much easier to have high detailed custom prototypes etc. Electronics has never been cheaper either. And the kinds of things you can do is amazing!

I was just at the Amherst Railway Society show in Massachusetts, and it was mobbed. Even during a winter storm, people (including me) braved the snow and sleet to see the trains. Young and old, tons of people. The hobby is far from dying. Its changing, and some scales are less popular (like O and S), but I could tell from that train show that the hobby is alive and well.

I’m a 22 year-old international student. Two years ago I decided to get away from computer games and start my journey of model railroading. Thank to the decision, I saw a lot of artworks and learned many useful techniques from the great modelers on the Internet. Now I’m also building a railroad layout and I really enjoy it as my imagination is becoming reality. The luckiest thing is that I met some enthusiastic local modelers and we play trains together every weekend. This hobby really becomes a motivation to my life.

TGauge 1:450 & 1:480 is also growing. When I started there were limited resources, not many layouts shared and most of what was shared was low quality videos/photos or outdated tech. But so many more people are working in this scale today, improved tech, high quality videos of layouts, more resources, and more realism too! Excited for the future of model railroading

After I visited Miniatur Wunderland mid 2023, and learned that last year's show for the Victoria branch of the Australian Model Railway Association was their biggest show in its history it's clear the hobby is far from dying even here in Australia. And it's always been huge in Germany. Like most hobbies it has gone through a period of change and evolution and it's been incredibly lucky to maintain a stable platform of interest to launch into the next generation of the hobby.

(Your videos saved me so many headaches…) I’m currently 13 years old, and decided to start with the hobby. I’m not really like the other people from my age, that ONLY play video games and nothing else. I’ve never really done that and it never interested me. But when I heard about model railroading, that was something I instantly fell in love with… So now, 2 months later, I’ve bought my first pieces of track for a small shunting layout, and it’s time to really get started now! (Sorry if this might include some spelling mistakes since I’m from The Netherlands (modelling a British railway..?)

I saw lots of kids last weekend at Amherst, and they (well, their parents) were buying. My son (age 4) now wants his own layout, so I think we're going to make that happen for his birthday.

The issue is manufactors overprice thier products so much. If you're not a SUPER fan of mrr you're not going to go out and buy what you need. Even good sets today are expensive and they are normally only fun for a short while. Another thing is space. Everything is more expensive today, so less people have the space to build a layout.

I'm over twice your age Jimmy, and I have been doing trains since I was about 5. As an adult, I've heard that the hobby is dead for years. I can tell you that it is NOT!

I think the prices are killing us, but other than that, this hobby rules! I mean come on, you learn, carpentry, electricity, logic controls & instrumentation, management, ... I guess the only one missing is plumbing! lol

I'm in my early 20s and I got hooked into everything rail related after living in Japan for a year. I fell in love with the variety and designs of their commuter trains, so I started buying model trains. It's one way I can enjoy the decommissioned trains that I never get to ride or see. Model trains were really accessible back in Japan. Modeling materials , equipment and the trains themselves can be bought at big box stores. Dedicated hobby shops would carry various kinds of scale models, including trains of course. I'm looking forward to making my first layout after watching all these videos on RU-vid and then I decided that I also want something like this for myself too.

First of all I laughed hysterically at the size of THAT coffee mug. I was having a bad day and that made me laugh a lot. I am one of those that had purchased a house in the late 80’s with a basement to build my railroad empire. Life moved on and just before my retirement I moved and found my old railroad stuff. Now I’m building a layout with more realistic expectations in my garage. I recently retired and I am on my retirement vacation and I just visited a small shop in Florida that was packed with people purchasing stuff; so I agree with you the hobby is definitely NOT DEAD! If I drank that much coffee I couldn’t sleep for a week. Thanks for the great video.

I went to a train show in N. Texas 2 weeks ago, and it was packed like Black Friday in there! 🙂

When I was 7 in the early 2000s my dad built me a figure 8 4x8 lionel layout lot good memories playing with my tains

I was at the Jacksonville show this last weekend and it was extremely busy and there were several tables selling cars for $2-3. Not dying in my eyes…

I couldn’t believe modeltrainstuff closed down. Also a lot of people saying the model is really expensive to get into, not really. I model n scale and it’s not super expensive I can get a high quality Kato locomotive for under $100 or $150. It may seem like a lot but it’s usually the average price, HO is even more saturated so you can get stuff even cheaper. O scale on the other hand is a different kind of animal

One of the subjects I like to see you talk about is the disposition of our trains. You're correct. There are a lot of us older model railroaders. This is a subject that most refuse to talk about. Being a former board member of a RxR historical society, that went went into no being after years, has made me worry. But people need to have some guidance on this subject . Thanks for your podcast. Bob

Ok I'm throwing my hat in the ring here! As a new distributor and educator for the hobby since the Pandemic. It is great you bring up all these points. I held onto a custom made bridge my grandfather built when I was 10 (I'm in my 40's now). During the pandemic I got laid off and decided with that bridge and the box of N scale track I had I would create a layout. Long story short Its been converted to modular/portable and DCC. I grew up with DC and blocks. The hobby was harder to get into then due to restrictions on education. My lack of knowledge starting back up in 2019 was quickly gone. Coming from an electronics and mechanical background I was able to use youtube and google as a "tool" to learn all the DCC tricks. With the plan to automate my layout using JMRI. It was a bit of a struggle but I pulled it off. This was before I got into the business side of it. For me the hobby is aged. It needs some people to, like you said, give it a new face (rebirth). Brick and mortar stores I know and love do not realize it is 2023 and all the young kids are not going to come into your store and talk to anyone. This for a number of reasons but capturing there attention span is hard. This is where social media comes in. Social Media... I dont care which platform it is even if it is one we do not know of yet is going to capture all the attention. It sucks ... I still like going to see what Im buying... but then again When I have went to see items in person and have them test out trains. They cannot handle the trains and almost break them in pursuit of a sale. Im good especially since the markup is outrageous! WE have had DCC for some years but I think It still can be improved. I mean half the DCC companies barely have any social media presence. Even if they have older style sales. Those are eventually going to come to a hault. Im sorry but thats just how things are going. It is 2023 and they JUST introduced Blunami decoders. I mean bluetooth has been around for years and this is just coming out ? Think about it. I know lionel and a few other have had it I am just making a point. It is slow to catch up to the times we are in. I feel a wave coming on. I plan to help guide the way to the future of this hobby. It'll be fun. We are just going to provide something new and innovative to attract new people. Appreciate the video! Join the Rebellion! Cheers!

I’m in the group of those who haven’t touched my trains in 50 years and am looking towards re-entering the hobby, with retirement on the horizon. We have been spoiled with activities that are much more sophisticated than they used to be. In the model RR world, that means running multiple trains at once. I keep reading that DCC is easier to set up than DC. That may be true when it comes to modeling a multi-train setup, but most of us didn’t dream of doing that way back when - we just hooked up two wires and had fun (slot cars already had plug and play multi-car capability back then). For a start from scratch situation, the wiring and avoiding short circuits is an intimidating rats nest to me. I was able to figure it out for multi-channel audio years ago but it took years to get past the electronics nightmare that until recently was 3D printing (thank you Bambu Lab). Someone needs to come up with a plug and play system for mainstream model railroading that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (like Bluetooth loco/controller and switch/controller combos). That’s when the hobby will return to a growth cycle IMO. Love your show, babe!

It was 1972, I'm 10, my dad had the classic full basement HO model railroad. I had a 4x8 railroad in the corner he set up for me. I spent hours running my trains. I remember several of Dads friends coming over and regularly the topic of conversation was 'The hobby is dying'. Well, they were wrong. I have my own layout in my basement and still run a few of my dads locos and rolling stock.I got to go! The Sabbath Mountain Railroad is calling. Thanks Dad!

I started with HO, in early 1940s, with Strombecker (wood and cardboard paper, and KIX (cardboard paper printed on KIX cereal boxes). After WWII added trucks, couplers, etc. I still have some upgraded Strombecker cars. Before WWII, I was given Lionel O27, which I ran untill I bought my first HO engine, circa 1950 when I started high school. Still have it, a lindsay FA2.

I had o scale and ho when I was a kid now at 48 after my grandfather died I got his trains and started back up

Ive been in the hobby since 2015. I just wanted simple O-scale train for my xmas tree, boy did that start a small addiction lol. As you mentioned the tech, accuracy, and realism blew me away and I was hooked. I didn't know what was out there until I did that research for that first set, and RU-vid was a great source in learning. I am around the same age (37) with two young boys and they love the trains and helping with our layout. Before getting started back in 2015, I would never had seen myself being interested in the hobby to the extent I am(and boy neither was my wife), but I'm glad I did find it to add to me hobby list. Most of the people I talk to in the hobby are around my age so I think it is doing ok. I do hope we don't start getting priced out of the level we want to maintain.

I am so glad you have brought this up again. Futilist mentalities and doomers are what sometimes drive people away. I'm 16 and I have been in the hobby for a while now and do not plan on slowing down. I'm not an anomaly too, I have several friends IRL and online who love the hobby. And I don't think I've met a single non hobbyist who doesn't think MRR is cool. Thanks for your perspective!

Perfectly said Jimmy! Change can be very good. I have been watching for a few years, and just seeing the technology blossom in those few years tells me we will be around and growing for a long time.

I've got a very small shelf point to point switching layout that I haven't touched in over a year. I have never gone the route of DCC and mostlikely never will. Eventually I'll get back to the layout and clean it up. The one thing I have always enjoyed about this hobby is no matter how long those locomotives and railcars stay idle, they are always ready to go. To save money I mainly go through eBay. Also some of these starter sets have caught my eye as they an excellent way to practice super detailing a locomotive or rail car. Over the last couple of years I have been able to acuire several of my dream locomotives (AC6000, MP15, Genset) and I've been able to snag several Kibri cranes. While I'll never be able to run long trains, I'm at a point where I'm giving the layout a lot of thought as to where I want it to go. Truth be told, I'll never leave the hobby. I just need to get of my duff and get some projects out of the way.

Another great video, thank you - well presented and carefully considered comments. One point I’m not sure has been mentioned in the earlier comments: last year MB Klein (Model Train Stuff) was bought out by Hattons in the UK, so Hattons and MB Klein closing is one business decision, not two separate ones. Over here in the UK, Hattons’ have been commended for exiting the business in a controlled way without going bust (as we say), which I think has rightly been acknowledged as showing care for staff, customers and suppliers too. Hope that helps, Keith.

I'm 37yo and just got back in the hobby. Late 90s I had a layout my grandpa's place with the old Märklin trains from my dad. And eventually it's just like you mentioned: puberty hits and fast cars, girls etc. get priority and the old layout I build with my dad catches dust. Eventually I got back into plastic model building and from there I rolled back into diorama's and trains. Recently I bought a Märklin Z starter set and while looking up dcc-ex I stumbled upon your channel. Now I'm planning to build a small digital N scale layout that can fit in my apartment. The hobby is indeed constantly evolving and with my interest in coding/arduino a whole new world of hobby trains just opened up I didn't realize it existed!

I recently went to a model train show in Columbus, Ohio, and the place was packed. I saw ages range from under 10 to over 70. No matter the age, everyone was having a great time watching the displays. The vendor booths were full of people buying. So I would say you are correct. The hobby is as strong as ever. I am 57 and have been in the hobby since I was in my early teens. Thanks for helping keep the hobby alive.

Totally agree and love that you worked in the Turbo Train!

As a new beginner in this hobby, I was utterly shocked at how much resources, trains, track, etc, and educational resources (eg. Jimmy's YT channel) were available. I always thought the hobby was dead, until I dipped my feet into it .. boy was I wrong.

I had the super turbo train when I was a kid! While things are expensive, they really aren't that much more than when I was active in the hobby as a kid 35-40 years ago when inflation adjusted. $100 today equals $38 in 1988. But the quality you get for the $100 today is way more than what you got for $38 in 1988. As you mentioned, the big change is all the cheap stuff going away. In any event, I would much rather have the hobby of today than the one in the 1980s. There are so many sources for products now online from not just big manufactures, but also lots of other hobbyists. Plus the ability to 3D print your own parts or kits. And the quality of everything is so much higher now. While it has been sad to see many brick and mortar stores close, that has been the case for all sectors, not just model railroading. Stores have to be online in some way in order to survive these days, even just a website helps a ton. If people can't find you online you basically don't exist and you aren't going to get many new customers in the store.

Getting ready for some intense model railroading sessions with my 6 year old nephew and 4 year old niece this weekend! I don't think the hobby is dead! It's quite alive!

My granddaughters found a box of my old trains 2 yrs ago and we have started re building them since the and now have a room just made for the trains. Every morning I now enjoy a coffee with RU-vid channels such as your and now have friends and their children stopping in.

I have built my 4x8 with Woodland Scenics sub terrain, I am 31 (about to turn 32) and I use mostly one locomotive per session. I usually go to a larger 12 section modular layout every week, Your forgetting PC gaming in the form of Trainz which is like Model railroading, this is so cool.

Thanks for the commentary. I have been hearing that since I came back to Model Railraoding over 25 years ago. I had a model railroad when I was a teenager and then life took me another way. I joined a club in my old home town and have been a member since 1985. It is a great rewarding hobby. You are always learning new things. I support my local hobbyshop and they have a great selection and I also get videos from them monthly on what they have new at the store. Thank you again.

I built my first layout in my late teens. 1990s. Some fifteen years later I got back in to railroading and left that n scale door layout with a friend in Florida. And now a few years ago I built my 3rd small layout. That layout now serves a purpose for testing my skills in modeling. My focus now is on modules to build my larger layout. Im 52.

I am 12 and my dad does model railroads and I want to start model railroads and I know for a fact it isn’t dying.

I totally agree with your assessment, Jimmy! Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my very first model train show in the Dallas area and boy was a treat! I felt like it was Christmas with the vast array of new and used locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories that I saw there. The event was very well attended and saw quite a few younger adults with kids checking out the various exhibits and layouts. I was even able to wheel and deal for some cool HO items to add to my soon-to-be-built layout. I certainly plan on going to more shows this year!

I agree with you 100%! I went to the LaCrosse, WI train show last weekend and it was packed with people. I noticed there were a lot of people 20’s and 30’s there too which I thought was great! (I’m in my sixties) Just the fact that there are RU-vid shows like yours that are doing so well also prove that the hobby isn’t dying it’s just changing. You do a great job, I really enjoy your content!

I’m with you, The Hobby is NOT Dying! Been in this since the late 70’s and it seems to me to be better than ever. Can’t wait to see what we get in the future. Thanks for the show, and keep up the good fight!

When I was a kid, my parents and I thought the hobby was dying too until more recently. It seems that with social media and everything, especially since the pandemic, this hobby is growing significantly if anything. The one thing I wish were a lot more present in this hobby is kindness among one another along with a greater presence of brotherhood/sisterhood in the hobby. It's the most amazing hobby and it could be even better if more people were kind.

Well said Jimmy! As for those who say it's too expensive, a toy starter set from Bachmann cost at least $50 in 1975. That same set would cost almost $300 today. $100 for a nicer starting set that was still toy like quality . That would cost nearly $600 Today. In my humble opinion, the hobby has gotten LESS expensive, when you consider the quality you are getting.

I know of a few people that has left the hobby but went the "virtual route". With todays computer capabilities, many would rather play games(simulations) with trains, such as Derail Valley, Transport Fever 2, Railroaders, Satisfactory, etc.

No its not "dying" . But its had big problem. The first it has become to expensive for many,the prices are totaly stupid these days. The store owners has also problems with rents,electricity and other stuff. I dont know how all this gonna end,i guess just wait and see!🤔

Good work on this one. Your point about RU-vid being a positive for the hobby is spot on. I can find far more layouts that are achievable for me in my late 20s on YT than in MRR. My grandpa had a bunch of old hobby magazines laying around from the 70s and I think there is far more in those for the average hobbyist than recent MRR as well. The basement empire may be beyond the reach of most of us, but there is no better time for shelf layouts or even a 4x8. As far as the price of things, I'd argue it is about the same as the 2000s if a person knows how to use eBay and what to look for. I just did a search and found a couple of Athearn blue box locos that would cost under $70 delivered. Those would run forever. Proto 2000 old stock is going up a bit, but I could still "buy it now" a new GP9 for under $110 if I count replacing the axle gears that like to break. Proto 2000 still holds up well against BLI or Athearn Genesis imo. Blue box cars can still be had for $15 on eBay as well and maybe similar for Proto 2000 cars occasionally (which are massively detailed, and also a complete pain to assemble). Now the direction of Bachmann does worry me, and I hope the rest of the industry doesn't follow. They innovated quite a bit in releasing their Spectrum line, but I don't see the same desire lately. Now it seems their goal is just to copy BLI, but without the innovation that makes BLI a premium product. Again, to throw some more shade at MRR (because they are the face of the hobby to some extent), I wish they would do actual reviews instead of what are essentially product spotlights. That at least means mentioning when a $500 list price Bachmann doesn't have the same value as BLI or Athearn.

I have been in the hobby since I was 8 years old. My first set was a Bachman starter set with a NS F unit and 3 bits of rolling stock… and I’m now 15 and beginning the workings of my own full size HO scale layout. I have a full shelf of trains and I haven’t stopped collecting. Almost every weekend I’m at the local antique store(they have a huge selection of mainly rolling stock for very cheap) and it’s absolutely amazing to work on something like this. And I agree, this hobby is my therapy. Long live model railroading

If it were truly dying, wouldn't manufacturers be going out of business as well as retailers? (rhetorical question) People like you have helped to rekindle my interest in model railroading. Thank you, sir. Keep it up!

I'm more of the mind that the hobby is more in an "odd spot" than outright dying. I've been to train shows in my local area. I intend to hit another this Sunday (as of writing). But from what I've seen, there's been genuine crowds present. You've got older people, you've got families, and you've got people in my age group and even younger. I've said this elsewhere as well, but the interest is genuinely there. It's just a matter of giving people that push necessary to get them to purchase their first models and get even a simple layout going, even if it's stuff from the secondhand market.

Excellent video and explanation. I’ve been model railroading for just shy of fifty years. There’s been ups and downs and different changes along the way… I think what’s available today for the modeler is better than ever! Oh… Folgers

I had the plywood 4x8 table for my first layout - 50 years ago... And then again an improved version when I got back into it with my kids 25 years ago... And now I'm getting into it again with a two level shelf layout around the walls... Just turned 58. The hobby sure has changed. I miss the days of the cheap kits for rolling stock, but there have also been a lot of improvements I don't think the hobby is dead yet!

Relatively new to this hobby. I have been, and still am, an avid R/C plane modeler since 1990 when I was around 20, but at least around these parts, it is a dying hobby. When I started, on a weekend you had a hard time finding a place to park and then set up if you got there after 10AM. The last few years we are lucky to have 5 guys on the best days. The cost of entry and chance of success (you can start model RR on your own, but not flying R/C ) is a magnitude better than when I started. I checked a few RR clubs around here, but the demographic leans far above my age, just like the R/C club. I still may join one. As far as cost. I can't comment on the RR cost, as I am new to this, but IMO for what you are getting it seems very reasonable to me. Much like the R/C hobby, I build more than buy so that really keeps the cost down. But with model RR you can build a lot more yourself... DCC++ as one of many examples. I use Arduino, via JMRI (A free option) running on a retired PC to control recycled micro servos mounted on self designed 3D mounts to control turnouts via a retired cell phone. So VERY minimal cost there. BUT you could spend $1000s to do the same with an off the shelf solution. I fly mainly smaller (12"-60" Wing Span ) electric planes and really don't crash unless there is equipment failure. I treat my batteries well so they last a few seasons and are maybe $20 to replace. I MAY spend $100-$200 a year on that hobby. But I know guys who spend north of $15k on a single jet, and have seen a few of those turn into fireballs. With model RR, unless you are REALLY careless that $200+ loco will last a life time. I guess it is just perspective and your approach to the hobby, no matter what it is.

I totally agree with you, the reach of the Internet is incredible. I live in the UK but model the espee in California. In the past I world have had to rely on books or travel to California at great expense and time. Now I can just look up a video or go on Google maps. Today for example I was looking at railroad bridges in the LA area. It’s incredible that I can just click a couple of icons on my iPad and there I am in LA looking at bridges.

Well I like your channel so much, it is allway a place for inspiration. Sometimes you need an inspiration to start with the hobby. I start with interest in railway, wen I was a young boy standing near an german steam loco BR 50 (2-10-0). I could see the engineer and brakemann in the cap preparing the fire, clean the ashbox. The smell of steam and oil, that's impression hoked me for ever. I have an american based H0 switching layout, based on MIlwaukee Road, not ready but near the end, and I plan some further layouts in N and Z Scale. This channel brings me the inspiration to start new things. Railroading is still alife. I hope it never ends....

I’m 23 and have always had model trains! I started with g gauge LGB trains and then o gauge Lionel. Now I’m looking to get into some n gauge trains with some of the Kato stuff. The N700A Shinkansen is the train I rode in Tokyo when I visited and I’d love to have a model of that running!

i would also like to add that the train simulator games online have exploded in popularity. it progressed much farther than the Microsoft train simulator of the early 2000s games like train sim world 4, railroads online, trainz 22, railroader and transport fever 2 have brought new people to model railroading that would have never touch a model train before they have played these games. further more some of these games offer you the realistic experience of running trains with physics simulations like railroads online . some offer more of the business side of railroading like transport fever 2 and some offer more the operational side of railroading like railroader. now don't get me wrong i know games aren't for everyone but as a teenager that has limited space these games are perfect for me. now some may say they aren't model railroaders because they dont have a layout but i feel we can consider this to be a branch of the model railroading community because this is how and many teenagers like me get our fill of model railroading with spend the time and money to build a model railroad.

Great video, it's been a couple of noisy weeks in the UK even the BBC and the national papers got involved with very ill informed pieces. However the general consensus of retailers and vendors is that the hobby is growing, it's not dying, it's just changing with the new demographic of enthusiasts as this channel and many other show. Keep up the awesome work!

we just went to the train show in Sacramento last week and it was PACKED!

Bought a new oval of Kato track today. Same size that are used on T trak modules which seem a great way to make small diorama modules at low cost because each module can be as small a a foot square. Plus N gauge can also be 3'6" for TT scale.

Just yesterday, my 4 year old grandchild asked to see trains run on my layout for the first time. So we also laid some ground scenery. So there is hope for the future.

Good morning Jimmy, the coffee is brewing right now and it’s Italiano espresso blend. Last weekend I went to a train show in Sacramento California and that place was jumping! There were so many different sizes and scales and era’s of locomotive. There was even a club that modeled European railroads. So you are correct, the hobby is not dying. I also seen some interesting stuff there. One thing in particular was a Bluetooth module that fits inside of a box car that is basically permanently connected to the locomotive, and that is your equivalent to DCC, but it runs on Wi-Fi.… I think that’s how it works? I am not an electrician and I have no idea what an Arduino is.

My interest in tbe hobby started when i got some Lionel stuff when I was 8. I am 25 now and have an HO scale collection that has nen expanding. I plan to build my first official layout once I finish college.

Dying out like the Blues and Jazz, especially. It's still big in Germany

I'm 66, and getting back into model railroad. I've had trains off, and on through out my life. It started with a Lionel my Mom got me, because I bugged her so much for a train. Then I broke it, and some kid fixed it for me. Now I want to set up an HO track on a 4 X 8 board in our spare bedroom with quick connect track with a way to hoist it up to the ceiling. When I get that all figured out and working, I plan to put a much bigger more realist set up in our living room that goes up out of the way into the ceiling. I've 3D printed two flat cars to teach myself how to do cars. I plan on more detailed cars, and some engines. To print them they have to be unattainable or too expensive and something I like. There are a few engines that fit that bill. The cars printed look like I can do it for about $20 less than buying them. That's is doing the design in CAD, which I taught myself, and printing them up to run. Anybody who wants to do this, I suggest doing one flat car first before moving on. You will learn so much, and get done the hardest part to work down. I also want to photograph, my other hobby, these trains in action, and make them look real at the same time. I've done this before, and people even thought they were real trains. That is my plans now that I am retired, and can afford paying for what I want. The printing part is a welcome challenge. A starter set can be a good place to get an engine, a few cars and some track for less than in parts. I didn't do that this time, but have in the past.

Hi Jimmy, just getting back into the hobby ( at 56) and in the UK looking at the resale/pre owned values of track, loco’s and rolling stock on various sites it’s definitely not Dying. BTW looking at running shared DC & DCC, the cost of DCC controllers is high but like the DCC++ system. Only problem is availability of the parts here. Coffee of choice Kenco Rich. Cheers Andy

You nailed it Jimmy. In Canada where I am - during the Covid years and we were all locked up. We actually had a nation wide shortage of Kato & Bachman track in N scale. Virtually every shop coast to coast had trouble stocking any. Several of my friends who had stores (1 had a website as well - 1 didn’t). The guy whose store had a website posted record profits he had not seen since he opened his shop. Both shops were still both busy that they didn’t lay off a single person during the whole of covid. Canada is still hosting massively attended train shows and your stats are accurate, I’m your age and still have my layout but also my kids are getting into it now as well. So as we are assured its the simple doom and gloom of a few recognizable names closing up and doing a little numerology theory and arriving at the conclusion - the hobby is dead, the sky is falling and wait…. Who will build the first layout on the moon???

I'm 44 and just got my first train set since I was a kid. I am starting a diorama build in a footlocker trunk. My coffee of choice is Black Rifle Tactisquatch made in an espresso machine... black.

Nice speech. I like to watch you Jimmy. Keep up the good "work".

Preach Jimmy! TL: DR on the below: Model railroading isnt dying, its going through a sudden and shocking cultural shift that it has needed for decades. I'm going to take the time and tell my story here. Like mentioned in the article I started as a kid, but I stepped away from the hobby when is was 12ish not because I didn't want to, it was because no one would teach me. I would go to my local hobby shop and ask questions but was called stupid by the old timers who didn't want to teach. You know who DID teach me the basics of paint, scenic, even some basic wiring? Red Shirts at Games Workshop. So I ended up playing warhammer and 40k for about a decade before coming back to trains. Just two weeks ago I ended my memeber ship with my local model railroad club, much for the same reasons as before in the hobby shop. The people who are complaining about the hobby dying are those not understanding that you have to be welcoming and willing to teach and exchange ideas with people who don't know as much. Is expense a factor? Yes, but to your previously mentioned democratization of knowledge I ended up teaching myself how to upgrade engines to make them work on modern layouts rather than throwing them away. Anyways, rant ended, great video Jimmy!

Had a layout when I was 10 with the help of my Dad 4x8 layout. But to keep me sane when I retired at 70 I started the hobby again. This is a hobby that can not die and yes I now have a basement empire 24x12 anda RU-vid channel in N scale

This makes me think of what happened to bicycles, which over my lifetime have evolved from kids toys and transportation to exercise, competiton and exploration tools for adults, with a corresponding increase in both quality and cost.

It's not dying it's thriving. All 3 of my my grandchildren are into the hobby. The last few train shows that I've been to there are lots of families there and buying trains.

You are right. I do miss hobby shops, but they have been replaced by a large variety of on-line suppliers. Also I attend more shows than I used to.

While I've always loved model trains, I'm an amateur, first timer on making a layout with a long time friend (also first time modeler) of over 30 years. The HO layout we've been building is living proof of what you said about the modern modeling products available and use of the Internet for reference. It's just a compact 5'x9' but it's rapidly turning into a beautiful, meticulously detailed, showcase because we've utilized the many online videos tutorials by professional modelers. Incidentally, I was at a model train show this last weekend it was packed. The hobby is far from dying.

I'm 73. started when i was 12. Have gone DCC. Still have my Tyco set I got for Christmas when I was 12. Dont run it as it is too toy like. Doing more with scenery now. Still love it

I've always been in the hobby in some capacity, I built a G scale raised railway in my backyard and now that I'm turning 53, I'm collecting n scale. N scale prices are stupid expensive, but I will press on!

Quite well put Jimmy!

Spot on Jimmy. It a different and much better hobby now. Finer scale modelling requires supplies of such a specialised nature, it is not well suited to bricks and mortar retail. It would be interesting to know how many hours train enthusiasts spend on digital activities - railfan media, modelling media, railfoad simulators and gaming - pastimes which did not exist until recent decades. Here in Australia, recent model train shows and heritage steam days have been uncomfortably crowded. Regarding cost, the prices can be breath taking - I tell my wife it's cheaper than keeping a boat, although she recently asked "what size?"

Definitely not dying, Our train shows in Jersey are always packed with plenty of purchases! in South Jersey there is a large group of model RR's and it is growing, I feel great about the hobby when we see young kids and teenagers that are starting in or already in our hobby! Amherst show was Over packed this year, so yes its only growing!! As always great Info!

Im 59 just got into the hobby a year ago loving it so far my 4 year old grandson was at the house and asked grandpa can I play with my trains I replied whose trains. I said we have to share but one day they will be yours

The naysayers will always be and with the advent of the Internet they have a nearly unlimited platform. Let people say what they will and I will still have begun my 4th layout today. Having started in the hobby during the pandemic I continue to find so many others who have done the same. Happy modeling to you also.

Thanks Jimmy!

Good morning, Jimmy. Cameron’s Coffee Intense French here. Iced espresso on an unseasonably warm winter morning. I hadn’t heard about MB Klein’s closure. They will be missed. You’re right, the hobby is changing, and it always has been. Covid changed model railroading. Some of the weekly or monthly operating sessions stopped for a time and some never rebooted. For some the community aspect of the hobby was lost as many shifted to engaging with their trains solo but, as you note, sharing their efforts online. I know some modelers who have been involved in prototypical operation for decades, whether on beautifully-scenicked railroads or on forever mocked-up layouts. There isn’t a single way to be a model railroader and there never has been.

Realistic model railroading isn’t really dieing RIGHT NOW, other parts of the hobby are though. We need cheaper models, not just high end ones, part of the hobby is getting into it at a young age, you CANNOT run the hobby without train sets. Kids need to get into it, and we need to do more to make sure the hobby is accessible for kids. You can’t have a hobby that is essentially playing with toys without getting into it at a young age. I understand that you are trying to keep things positive, and I’m all for that, but we need to make sure the hobby is accessible for kids. I’m fine with high end models, and there is market for high end locomotives, but I know personally myself, I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of detail to save some cash, and honestly, a lot of people are the same. Cheaper models are not just toys, they allow those on a budget to get into the hobby/stay in the hobby as well.

Personally I feel the future will see hobbyists building T-Trak modules not for a show at the mall but for small gatherings of friends. You will always have the huge layouts that one person builds and you will have the friend that spends months or years perfecting one or two modules that they can add to that layout on weekends. With the almost affordable laser-cut kits I see the opportunity to buy one module for a child that everyone in their peer group can join together and run trains together. The changes made to N scale by Kato have the potential for concentrating all of one’s energy and resources into a few modules to get that feel of a large empire without the need for a large space. Now about that T-Trak Z. And sorry always water with crystal light berry sangria since 2016. Never coffee just a lifetime of Dew.

The loss of MB Klein killed me. I remember going to the original store front back in the 1970's and 80's. Was a neat place. Walked thru the door and there was a floor to ceiling display of brass locomotives in N to O scale. They moved to Timonium (not 10mins from me) and it wasnt the same. Then they went online only and now gone :( Just like everything else, there is an ebb and flow. Its up to ALL of us to make the Worlds Greatest Hobby lives on!

Thanks for the quick lesson 👌🏾

I got back into n scale after nearly 40 years (I'm not ancient..I was a young teen then). The tech and appearance of modern n scale is phenomenal. I get that people think it's expensive but relative to other hobbies I'd say it's right in line.

Well said, Jimmy, well said! We really need an emoji for a standing ovation... hmm... ok, let me see what I can do... 👏👷‍♀️👏🤵‍♀️👏💂‍♀️👏👩‍🎓👏👩‍🎤 Not perfect, but you get the idea 😁 Greetings from one of your railway/railroad modelling family in the UK 👋

I been in the hobby since I was a teenager(56 now). I go to swap meets to get the deals I'm looking for. When I find something I like and have the money I tend to get it. But when it comes to preorders(I'm in the middle of getting a series), I will never do it again. I find I don't have patience for the delays. I do miss the local hobby shop. It was nice to go down and see if they had anything new or something I couldn't live without.

I've spent way more time and money on sailing, aviation (r/c and real), and sports cars than I could even imagine spending on model railroading. After an unsuccessful start in model railroading with n-scale during Covid, I switched to HO and really have enjoyed every minute ever since. I currently have a small 1' x 12' HO benchtop switching layout that uses the Lance Mindheim idea of slow, realistic operations combined with highly detailed scenery. With 2 locomotives, rolling stock, DCC controls, track, benchwork, and all scratch built scenery and structures, I've spent a little less than $2,000 total. Considering the amount of time and pleasure I have with the layout, that's a really good value in my mind. Every hobby goes through ups and downs. Model railroading is no different and much older and long lived than many might give it credit for. Time to go make some coffee...

Right On. You nailed it.