What the model railway hobby needs right now is.... 

To be honest, many teenagers aren't terribly interested in any hobbies, outside sport, because of all the other things going on in their lives. I can (just) remember my teens (1980s), and I had hobbies (modelmaking and model railways) but I hardly spent any time or money on them, with friends, Cadets, school etc. taking priority. But I came back to hobbies when I 'needed' them. My dad made this honest comment some years ago - "Young people have the time and space, and the eyesight and motor skills to do modelmaking - but not the money; Young adults have the money but not the time or space; middle aged folk are losing their eyesight and dexterity, are too busy, but have the money and space, and by the time you're retired, you can't see, your hands have seized up, but you have all the time, money and space you need!" I think you're bang on - it's changing - not dying.

One aspect you don’t cover, which as a long term secondary school STEM teacher I have seen steadily increasing over the last 20 years, is that teens no longer want to, or have the basic tool handling skills to, make anything. Nothing. They don’t make anything at school and they don’t make anything at home. They also rarely see anyone make anything in those environments other than, if they’re lucky, grandparents. Developing the temperament, patience, skills and tolerance necessary to build something is a dying art. Folks under 25 no longer want to engage with this vital side of life. Its effects are already rippling through many trades and industries, not just in the construction hobbies and arts.

I am a US model railway fan but married to a Brit. On trips over to the UK, I was struck by how popular the hobby is and how many magazines there are dedicated to the hobby! Thanks for the encouraging video. So many are touting the demise of the hobby.

When kids come in an exhibition, most modelers prevent them from coming close to the layout... I even saw people placing plexiglass or a kind of fence preventing them to come close to the diorama / layout. And most times, we stand behind the layout so we don't engage with the kids or the parents. We created a Timesaver on an ironing table with tons of animations. A sawmill with sound and trunks moving, a crane, a welder, a guy with a chainsaw, a fire and smoke in a chimney, a painter... a miniature film crew... and a hidden camera that shows video on a PC screen above the layout. "the smallest camera in the world" We stand in front of the layout. To the very small kids, I tell them I have problems with my finger, I need help to push on buttons. They stand on a chair, I select animations and they push on the "little green knob" to trigger the animations. Stars in their eyes as the miniature show unfolds triggered by their finger. For older kids, I hold the throttle with them, I handle the switches and decouplers and I ask them to move cars around. And for even older ones I explain, help and they do the whole switching alone. When there is a family with several kids, I have the small ones busy with the little green knob that triggers the animations, the others on the switches... and the parents play as well to give advice on the next moves... There are stars in everyone's eyes. 8 years this layout exists, we never ever had anyone break anything. Even if they would, we would repair... that was the deal. Sit in front of your layouts, engage with people, especially kids, propose them to drive trains. Not necessarily the super expensive locomotives. You will see...

It is questionable whether Railway Modelling is correctly described as a hobby these days - for so many people it is a business! Over the years, the manufacturers have learned to tailor their products to the market which means limited production runs that drive up prices. Hatton's went out of business because what they used to do was buy up surplus inventory and sell it off cheap. Model trains have never been particularly cheap. It is high prices that are driving young people away from modelling. £300 for a loco is just ridiculous! Thanks for uploading.

I have experienced that sometimes some of the train modellers don't know how to talk with people that are new to the hobby. When they start to talk they immediatelly go to the very nerdy, very niche, and very detailed technical details of the real locomotives (often not even about the models), that are so overwhelming and so non-understandable to many new people in the hobby, that it makes them feel overwhelmed, and they would turn around and go away because it makes them not comfortable. With the kids nowadays every classical hobby has a huge competition in the phones and computers. It's the incredible interactivity that is making them so attractive. In the past the model trains were one of the most interactive toys the kids could have, and so it was so liked by many. But now the model trains have hard time to compete on the interaction level with the mobile phones or tablets. And sometimes it seems the kids are losing the fantasy, because the games on phones are providing them everything already finished and visualized, so they don't need to turn on their imagination so much as it was with the classical toys. If your kid played with the trains only once, and now it lies in the box, maybe it just didn't discover yet its full potential. Try to pull it out from the box by yourself and play with your kid as a parent. Show the kid what everything it can do with it. Think about a scenario and some goal, some tasks, like: "We need to build a house for the doll, lets bring the bricks to the construction site, and lets use our train for the transportation. We can load it here, and unload it there." Make it a game. Do it several times and show the kid that it's not only about running in a circle. Show them what can be achieved with it with a bit of imagination. With all the interactivity the modern techs bring us nowadays, looking (or running) a train on a circle layout at home may now even feel a bit boring for some young people. The idea of "gamification" is exactly what I too think can make the hobby more appealing to young audience. I saw not long ago a video from Denmark about a public model layout, where they did exactly this - they gamified the layout (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4V2QvfNx6f8.html), providing it with an interface that gives you a throttle and a brake handle, gives you a scenario with a goal, and counts you a score (penalization for exceeding speed limit, or running through a red signal, etc). Your input is processed by computer, which simulates a weight of the cargo, an efficiency of train brakes, etc. based on your "player level". After seeing this I was thinking that something like this would be awesome if the train manufacturers would make for their DCC centrals. They already can connect to computer or tablet, so its probably just a matter of software to be made.

At last! A positive attitude for once. Thank you Dawn for giving us the will to carry on. Well done👍

My son is 13 and is a passionate modeller. Yes, it takes time to save enough money for purchases, but it's so worth it. His secondary school also runs a lunchtime model railway club which is fantastic and well attended. Through modelling he has learnt patience, the importance of research, creative skills, design etc and by visiting exhibitions he has gained in confidence. Fantastic hobby, just costly.

I think that 3D printing and getting 3D files to make the geografi with houses and different terrains is a thing that can be a great thing to keep it alive.

As an American who stepped back from the hobby, and I am just starting to return it seems to me that the prices have risen dramatically. There used to be an entire midlevel in the hobby, where you could spend some money but not a car payment every month. Yes, I am over 58, but I can still remember going to the local model railroad store and they had a wall of Athearn blue box kits for between $5.00 and $9.00. One Friday evening I bought 6 kits and spent the next day assembling them adding the right weights, replacing the couplers and wheels on some of them and then the next day I took them over to the layout a friend of mine and I shared and we had 6 new cars to put on the roster. This led us to lengthen a few yard tracks. The total of my purchase wasn't more than $70.00 and that's because I had to buy some weathering powders and pastels also. Now I look at an N scale car and it's $30.00. I'm presently assembling everything I need to build a layout and want a 130' turntable and a roundhouse with 6 stalls. If I buy it all new, that's going to be $500.00 at least. I found the turntable used so I'm going to use that extra $150.00 to buy some extra detailing parts for the roundhouse area, but still, that's a lot of money for a corner of a layout. Which means I won't be going to DCC. Thankfully I get many items off the marketplace and a few off eBay. I stopped going to train shows 2 years ago. I remember buying 8 N scale cars with Rapido couplers for $35.00, and when I looked at changing the couplers, well I didn't, I put that money towards a used Challenger with Rapido couplers, so now I'm going to have a long train with all Rapido couplers because I'd rather spend the money first on the layout. The last train show I went to had no good deals. I used to be able to find used H.O. and N scale buildings for $5.00-20.00. Now it's nothing but people reselling the same used buildings they bought a year ago for $10.00, and trying to sell them for a few bucks less than a new kit. I contemplated O gauge, but soon put that away when I saw the cost of O gauge rolling stock, even used.

Well said Dawn, we need to push back against the negativity and promote what can be a truly multi-generational hobby. We agree that good local shows and engaging with the community are a great way to encourage wider participation.

Not just the young...women too. Been with my partner a couple yrs and we've only just admitted to each other we both love model railways, she loves them....Get more women involved and the entire thing will just become more inclusive all round.

I’ve been in the hobby for 35 years and it’s been dying for every one of those years.

it needs.... more atypical folk like you! wonderfully positive, fresh and fluent.

At 45, I'm getting back into my N scale a bit after I boxed it all up to raise some kids. What strikes me is that the structures and things haven't changed much since I was a kid! There's a huge offering for transitional stuff so boomers can model a time period that makes them nostalgic; there is some interesting modern stuff coming from the likes of Kato but it's very asia-centric. Shop shelves are all full of the same Walthers Cornerstone and DPM kits that I saw in the 90s. However, with 3D modeling and printing now, I can model an alternate history where the US didn't absolutely forsake rail service and treated everyone with respect, so I don't have to model that gritty looking industrial backlot. You can pull in some really neat models of art deco or modern architecture and make it beautiful instead.

Hi Dawn, we have just had our two day show in Bognor Regis. We are pleased to say that we had record attendance with an increase of 40%.

This is something I've tried to convey in the hobby, that sometimes to get younger modellers involved is to engage their imaginations. Don't let the rivet counters stop you building that fictional railway be it based on reality or fantasy. I've also had to learn to model on a budget and there are definitely ways to save money through recycling/re-using materials in the scenery aspect like salvaging insulation foam from building skips (with permission from the builders of course!)

This sort of discussion was ongoing during the 1960s. The threat then was Scalextric and now it's probably computer games, or somesuch. It's worth some serious thought, but not panic.

Thank you for that excellent video. I am as well as a railway enthusiast, a piano player, and am really pleased to see the increase in pianos being placed in public places for everyone to enjoy and try. Many Video Clips now show people performing for fun, and I can see that this encourages people to learn an instrument. Maybe having Railway layouts in public places would have the same positive effect and encourage people to try modelling their own layouts.

I was quite big on model railways along time ago when I was a kid, but have recently been interested in how it's going (and how it's managed to survive) by watching RU-vid videos and following channels such as Sam's Trains. I think a large factor is that real railways really aren't very interesting any more. Many much-older people remember the days of steam, and that drove the hobby back then and would explain its peak. Having said that, that "peak" is long gone. I also think due to computer games etc. that people's sense of entertainment is a lot more sophisticated now than it was. Just buying a model train set and watching them go round and round gets pretty tiring after about 10 minutes. Making anything more complex needs time, money and above all - passion. I agree with the idea that bringing a "gaming" element into it could spark interest, though I've no idea how. A good gaming app - e.g. build your own "world" - railway and scenery, and associated controls - could attract younger hobbyists. I'm afraid to say though that I think the whole demographic has just changed completely and there are no easy solutions. Ultimately it needs people to be passionate about it again.

In my humble opinion, your best video to date, not knocking the previous BTW. A very realistic view of the issues.

Great video Dawn, may I say you're a voice of reason in this debate. Totally agree with the affordability issue and I guess this has come about because we, as modellers, have demanded ever more features and detail in our models and that's not just for locomotives but rolling stock too. Hornby's "Railroad" range has the potential to fill this gap but even this comes at a price. If there's ever been a moment where the hobby needs to take a good look at the direction it's heading then it's definitely now.

With the availability of different scales,although space is an issue,I think it’s price which is the biggest factor. I read a review today on a new Hornby loco which cost over £300,the issue is the price never goes down

Interesting video Dawn. I would argue that it’s not only the price, but also the stigma around railways as a hobby. I know plenty of teens who model, but are embarrassed going ‘public’ in school. If you could change that stigma, then you’d see a change

Well said. As a youngster myself (45 ahem) I'm just getting back into model railways. I've bought some bargains on eBay, N gauge, so it can be done cheaper than buying all brand new. I've been building models of all shapes and sizes of all descriptions. Had a layout when I was younger. When I was a teen to mid thirties I kept building the odd model. Trucks mainly. Through those years I was mainly interested in girls, going to the pub and seeing as many gigs as I possibly could. Not to mention two wheels. I'm sure this rings true with many people. Then along comes settling down and having a family. Only now do I have a little time to enjoy any hobby. I have many.

Hello, Thank you so much for your enthusiasm & energy in your video. Nearer eighty than seventy, I've never as an adult been without a model railway. A child receiving his Hornby Dublo, Christmas 1953, set me for life. Even before my wedding (I'm a widower now) 1968, buying our home, extensive thought was given, so encouraged by Pam. I want to encourage you, because the model industry as indeed the real thing was going through doldrums. The names Triang/Rovex, Trix-Twin, Hornby Dublo, had all disappeared. So I resorted to kit building. Wills, Ks, Romford, whilst Hornby & Wrenn started up, then early seventies the name Palitoy, that became Backmann. We've been here before. I do applaud your encouraging interest & analysis of the current state of affairs. Thank you so much

I think the space issue is understated. Sharehouses seem to be requiring everybody live with less and less space while rent continues to skyrocket. Half my friends wouldn’t have space for an N-gauge layout at present, let alone OO. Before I got back into the hobby, I also assumed it was dying literally only because of the progressively smaller shoeboxes we’re being forced to share. :/

Very detailed and insightful video presentation. Well done and grateful for your contributions to the hobby. I live in the US and have been modeling in 3-rail O gauge for quite some time. Space is always a factor and O gauge certainly adds to the challenge, but I have found contentment in my 8x14 (feet) configuration. Not my dream layout, but it keeps me engaged and always looking to do more. Despite the various limiting factors you mentioned, there is continued strong interest for model trains in the US, particularly in the Northeast. Social media has helped the hobby with how-to videos, private FB groups and Instagram. People want to showcase their collections, projects, and layouts. This has been a huge driver for the hobby. There are a few you-tubers out there that have tremendous subscriber bases. Local train shows are serving larger crowds lately and the local hobby shops are always busy with repairs and taking pre-orders from customers for the latest product releases from the key manufacturers. Some manufactures do not require pre-payment with BTO orders and instead are allowing layaway plans or the option to pay in full once products are received by the retailer. As for developing interest for the younger audience, I think the parent-child connection is the ticket. Children engaging with model trains is directly proportional to the amount of time invested by the parents. I believe this hobby has a lot of runway and opportunity for growth. THNKS again for everything you are doing for the hobby!

The best analysis I've heard on the industry for a long time. Thank you for putting this together, your comments on sustainability, tech, gamification, affordability, etc make a lot of sense.

Very insightful. Thank you.

As a visitor from Ireland to warley for the last 10 years its was one of the highlights of the year. Surley this event can be saved.There must be another model club who can step in and save it.

...a youtuber not making a video with that's doomer clickbait about the hobby dying... i never thought I'd see the day. It is indeed not dying, it is indeed just changing, it has always been in a constant state of change because the world always is.

You are spot on with everything you said. We all struggle with change. Targeting young people and listening to their feedback is crucial. The small community based shows, in my opinion, offer more opportunities to engage with and become part of the model railway communty.

Excellent video and insights! I’m 40 and have been a fan of model railroading about 3-decades. I went from starter sets to more advanced models. I even built a shelf layout (videos are on my channel). I agree the hobby is changing, not dying, and it will thrive when it’s more open to people of all ages and skill sets. The advanced model railroaders like ourselves need to always nurture and encourage those just starting out.

Well said. Hope the men running the model railway business and hobby just didn’t listen but heard what you said.

Part of the problem is housing costs. Model railways - if you want anything more than a tiny shelf layout - take up a lot of space. They are for people with spare rooms, attics, basements, garages, sheds, or other such spaces. When millennials can't get on to the housing ladder and are living in small flats, it's hard to find the space for a proper layout. TT120 might be a solution there. You could build a TT120 layout that would slide under a single bed (just), but it will always be a stretch and a compromise if you just don't have enough room.

As a 40 year old I feel sidelined by the market. I see a lot of effort from traditional manufacturers to bring out some rare long since scrapped kettle. But when it comes to diesels and electrics in particular, I'm left wanting. Accurascale seems to get it. A 92 with working pantograph and all the toys is just for me. To be fair the Bachmann 90 is pretty slick too. But where's the coaches? Having bought Oxford Rail the only Mark 3 and 4 producer is Hornby - and their coaches leave the modeller wanting. I see your point about affordability but I'm not keen on pushing round rolling stock that looks like it was designed in the 1980s. Maybe it's just me but the HST and 91s are very good; they need the rest of the train to match!

How about this for an idea - a manufacturer ( let’s say Hornby ) makes one or two simple, generic chassis with easy to use mounting points for a body - then they have a few downloadable files for people ( youngsters? ) to 3D print their own body , at home , at school or at the local club where they could use their 3D printer. Make the files editable ( open source ) so you could make your own unique version and paint it in your own paint scheme etc. Have a free to join club where every month you could get a free download for a body , a wagon body to fit a generic wagon chassis or a simple building , people , even trees ? Competitions on the ‘club’ website for best creation this month etc. etc. This is of course a new twist on an old idea - there must have been countless white metal kits that went on an oem chassis way back when. I am most certainly not the target age group but it sounds so much fun I would have a go myself.

Spot on!

Thank you for this video. It is astonishing to think of how much could help to revive this hobby. There is no single solution but this can all help. Speaking as someone in their late 20's, I used to be into railway modelling. But back in my teens I stopped with the hobby. Not so much lack of interest, but just the lack of space. It did not help that I have other hobbies that demanded much space (Lego I am afraid-a similar kind of hobby as it requires imagination). But I have started to get back into the hobby. It has been a blessing to get back into it. I found the ideal scale for now-009 of all things-but I can create a nice layout in a small space with it. And at my preferred scale of 1:76 (I always loved OO but N was tempting me for space. 009 is the best of both worlds).

I found it interesting to listen to your opinion about the model train hobby. I want to get back into it after leaving it in the late 70's and I've found it to be very expensive. I ordered some items off of eBay which are old and used and will need cleaning and repairs. You're 100% correct about time, space, and expense. I'm not sure where I'll build my layout, the cost is prohibitive which affects the amount of time I can actually run the trains because I'm having to spend time repairing them. You spoke of high tech which I see the hobby has become more high tech with DCC and other things. So the hobby has progressed somewhat since the 70's. Like many teenagers I got out of the hobby because of other interests which seems to happen to most teenagers. Not sure how you could bring "gaming" into the hobby, but for teenagers that would be huge if it was exciting and fun. Thank you for your thoughtful comments.

Wonderful presentation with inspirational enthusiasm for a most rewarding hobby. Thank you.

Lots of good points raised here Dawn. I am a very young nearly 70 year old. Built first model for my young son and daughter over thirty years ago. Still running and great fun. Last year I got the bug again and built four models. Two in N and two in 00. I am lucky, I have a huge and dry garage where I can model to my hearts content in a safe and warm environment. I am also fortunate enough to have a disposable income that allows me to spend on the hobby whereas others are not so well blessed. However, I make do with items from the bargain box at my local model shop and occasional forays to shows/E-Bay. I have learned lots of artistic and scenic skills of late and much enjoyed making do with the bits and bobs around the house be they cardboard or foam, carpet tiles or other items headed for the bin. I hope my two (soon to be three) young grandsons will in time enjoy the interest too. At the moment their youth makes them clumsy and breakages are costly. They also have lots of competing interests and of course school. The latter always takes priority as you would expect. Both parents work and are therefore not able to invest hours in helping them. I am not local to them so visits are difficult. In summary, lots of barriers and I guess many are in the same boat. Living near to Stamford, we know what some young folk can get up to when they get the opportunity! Modelling takes time, money and patience as well as knowledge. Many youngsters struggle with these attributes. I thought that in the spring I would throw open the garage and have a model day to attract some local interest. But that raises its own issues around security and all the other risks of allowing the public into your personal space. At the end of the day no easy answers but perhaps as others have said, draw folk in through the local shows and clubs, make people feel welcome and involved and show them you need not be rich or a craftsman to get enjoyment and pleasure from the hobby and all the life skills it can teach.

Cost is the major factor, it’s not just the cost of locos and rolling stock, it’s the cost of materials to build the baseboard. Then it’s the space, modern houses are smaller, and the roof space is not very usable with how they are constructed.

Great video. Love the hobby

You hit the nail on the head on all your points! I own a small electronics company owner in the states that is dedicated to model railroading.

Amazing video and insights! How could I not know your channel until now? Couldn't agree more on all your arguments, especially on tech and pricing. I personally would also consider marketing as a major vital point, especially marketing to younger generations. It's becoming harder to "discover" model trains: train stores are closing, and regular toy stores are not carrying train sets anymore (with rare exceptions in the UK for Hornby, or Märklin's My World quite successful range). At the same time anyway, all physical stores are being replaced by online shopping everywhere, it's a universal trend: soon there will be no way to "stumble upon" model railroading in real life. So we need the brands to be about 10000 times more active online. We need more model railway influencers. We need more sponsored posts. We need more collabs. We need young people, older people, middle aged people, men, women, from all continents and walks of life slowly reminding people that model railways exist, and - as you rightfully say - is a rich hobby. Thanks for the video and the positivity!

My older brother had a small HO layout when I was younger, I 'inherited' it when he left for college. I'm 73 now and after a long time away from the hobby I bought a Woodland Scenics N-scale kit. Had fun building it, but decided to give it to a local club and took a break. My current solution for all of the problems stated in the video is a Bachmann HO DCC starter set and a lot of extra track. I set it up when I want to, use XtrakCAD to design a temporary layout, get it running and then decorate it with mini-scenes, similar to KATO's diorama idea, to add interest. When I don't have it set up, I can still build new mini-scenes for relaxation.

Hi Dawn. Totally agree with everything that you said 👍

I have to flog the same old thoughts here.. As a woman, you are quite exceptional in supporting and advocating for an almost entirely male hobby, indeed, male to the point where most women see railway modellers as little boys, emotionally immature and , if they are in the market for a partner, as a complete turn-off. Tell that to a teenage boy taking faltering steps towards his first girl friend. So that is 50% of the population which is against you. When I meet a woman who asks me what I do in my spare time, I always say I practise the hobby 'which dare not speak its name.'. They are intrigued at first, then the look of surprise, pity and disgust appears once I own up, or I get some story about their brother having a 'train set' when he was a little boy. The same information goes down like a lead balloon on dating apps. Secondly, unless you are Rod Stewart or Jules Holland ( i.e., real men )the media does a consistent hatchet job on the hobby , using it in dramas a s a shorthand for weirdos, even in 'intelligent' series like 'Inspector Morse.' A well-known modeller recounted to me how he received a 'fishing' phone call from a tv company looking to do a programme about railways etc., and the interviewer expressed complete surprise that he had a professional job, was married with children and did not live with his mother; needless to say, things went no further as the required level of eccentricity/immaturity/television drama potential wasn't available to exploit. I will have to stop, but add the decrease in people's ability to concentrate plus the desire for quick results from little effort, and these are some of the reasons youngsters just don't want to know.

From Colorado..Well done!

A lot of good points, I've only just got into the hobby through TT 120 and am really enjoying creating a new layout.

Nice video! It would be great to see what ways the hobby can grow. I just got into the hobby after getting myself a set for my 25th birthday last month. Seeing people have fun with trains on social media got me inspired. People my age threw the word nostalgia around and its true!

OK wow. This is the most inciteful honest video on the current state of the hobby I have seen. I have an 8 year old two 4 year olds and an 18 month baby. I am looking how to engage them in the hobby and everything you said is spot on. I think 3d printing is one of the answers. I would love to see a range of rtr blank chassis that have axles only. These if designed right could run on traditional wooden railway sets and then convert to oo. You could design and print basic bodies and clip them on. The companies could even do the printing.

Good points well made, and in a positive way, Ms Q. I guess I'm typical of many in the hobby, who left it in my early teens and have now come back to it in my mid/late fifties, but never turned my back on it completely. The danger today is that there are fewer boys and girls getting involved, meaning that in the future there will be no-one of my age with a desire to "re-visit" model railways, as they never "visited" them in the first place. Let's hope people with more vision and ability than I can, as you say, innovate to ignite the spark of interest in the kids of today, so even if they do take a vacation from the hobby in their teens, 20s, 30s & 40s, will feel a strong pull to return as they mature. PS: the point you make regarding 3D printing and other tech is interesting. That could well tempt people in their teens & 20s to give the hobby a try.

Thank you for a thoughtful and well presented report. Now retired i recall as a child i had few toys, my parents could not afford the Hornby Range but they did manage to buy the Playcraft sets / range made by Jouef. These were HO and crude by comparison to the British and German made sets of the day but were affordable to expand on pocket money. It was in fact my only toy and responsible for my development understanding electricity, carpentry and system design and control. I went on to study Electrical and Electronic engineering as my career. Kato prove it can be done and Mike from Budget Model Railways regularly shows what can be achieved on a budget. It just takes imagination and time.

Now that all of my 6 kids are grown, and 3 are producing grandbabies for me, I have just one 18 year old at home. He likes gaming, but we don't have video games at home. I can finally afford to accumulate components for a model railroad. I had to build a room in my garage for it. I have a strategy to involve my son. He is interested in miniature tank war-gaming, and so I intend to let him use my railroad landscape when we play these dice-rolling games. I'll be teaching him to build trees and buildings that we can use for cover in our battles. He'll grow out of the tank games as he gets busier being an adult, and the grandkids will be next. That is how I'm involving the youth in the hobby by adapting to their gaming interests.

I was born into model railways like a religion and enjoyed my childhood growing up with model trains along with my brother and father and many friends we made along the way. Work Girls cars sports families living abroad and other hobbies put pay to my model railway pursuits . Now I have returned from my 30 year sabbatical refreshed . You will be astounded the amount of people who are interested in model railways and many of them are younger than you think. They don't necessarily go in exhibitions or join model railway clubs but they are there . Given there is so many practical skills involved and so much more technology it's time to get universities involved and get students involved and there children's children, this is the way forward. Smaller scales are much better these days N , TT and even Z are making a comeback. With better electronics and ease of fitting into a smaller area .

Dawn fantastic video well done everything you said was true, the hobby is not dying and people need to understand that they can build a big or small layout the choice is theirs and it can be whatever they want it to be

I just came across your channel. While I gave up model railroading when I was about ten, I retain an interest in the hobby. The realism of the train movements, compared to the real trains, is what captures my interests.

Excellent video and food for thought - will take up the challenge with my model railway club……

I am 72 years old and have been involved in railway modelling for a long time. My interest is based around the 1950s/60s and my memories of railways when I was a youngster. Yes I can just about remember that far back. I was never a "train spotter" but loved seeing the real trains. Perhaps the youngsters of today do not experience real trains in the way that older people did. A trip to the seaside or going on holiday then quite often involved a train journey. Also industries all over the country used the railways so there were lots of trains to see. Myself and my school age friends would quite often watch the coal trains going to and from the local colliery. I don`t have any answers to the lack of interest by youngsters today as we cannot turn back the clock to an age that has gone. I really do hope that people cleverer than me can come up with something. At least we have a clever youngster in Dawn and others doing their best for this wonderful hobby. ❤

Thanks for this excellent video and greetings from the United States, where I just subscribed to your channel. I'm 69 and had a Lionel train set as a child set up in my bedroom. Having retired to Route 66 in Oklahoma, I've opened a storefront museum where I will shortly be adding a long diorama that incorporates an HO scale American Freedom Train along with an HO scale "small town America / Route 66" display to get visitors interested in both how we celebrated our bicentennial in 1976 and how the values in small towns can help us think about making things better nationwide. I mention this because I think model railroads should have a theme, and I don't just mean a geographical reference point. I think they should tell a story. I've even found an American company that makes two different sizes of Saturn V rockets (at the launch pad ready to take off) that can be used to add a celebration of the space program to a model train layout. When you add water, steam is generated to make it look like the rocket is ready to take off! I wonder if other people ask themselves "What story is my layout trying to tell?" It just might help.

Wow, very wise observations. Perhaps an annual design competition between railroad clubs to create a game using trains in the smallest scale possible (or practical). That could help inspire the masses. Replace tracks with bendable wire mounted to a game board that could be folded up and put away or reconfigured at any time. You make really useful videos. My kids grew up with Thomas.

My four sons all had a part in the building of our fairly large model railroad. My grandchildren also run trains now. We have a fleet of roughly 160 steam and diesel locomotives with a price range of $50 to $1,000. They know the simple rules, don’t handle the locomotives and cars unless they’re derailed, and don’t run them like a race car. Working on big scenery projects helps to keep the grandchildren involved. We work together on most of it.

Good channels with well done content about trains and the hobby in general may be a good key 🗝️

So glad I saved some of my old stuff from 20-30 years ago for my kids. Lack of space, time, and funds are definitely issues these days. However, I think one of the biggest problems is perfectionism. I see it with many other hobbies too such as Legos, sports, theme parks, etc. Kids need to be 'allowed' to experiment and sometimes break stuff to really get a feel for the hobby, and I think adults who want to relive a perfect version of their childhood hobby can sometimes get in the way of children's enjoyment of the hobby at the entry level. To me, that entry level has to happen, though... that is where the "spark" of imagination is. It doesn't have to be perfect. Model trains can be a breath of fresh air for kids in a world of screens and I think the ability to train young minds to directly manipulate a model can be more rewarding than a virtual model. That said, that 3d printing idea seems like an awesome opportunity for the industry... maybe to help local hobby shops stay afloat. On a practical note... I find that the classic layouts with loops take too much space, is there any chance for more products that can keep keep things more linear (whether reversing polarity at the ends of the line or some other kind of simple control that can be achieved with basic electronics)?

Sound and sensible analysis Dawn, and well-presented. I think model railway clubs have a huge opportunity (if only they would all accept it) to engage with younger people and promote the hobby - maybe another video on this topic as I know many of them do exactly that. Also, there is clearly a problem to do with the alarming rate of closures of model shops. Perhaps some of those remaining might need to consider changing their ways too, to encourage young and older modellers to develop their skills and interests in the hobby. Thanks for expressing your thoughts so well.

Good points well made Dawn. The hobby has evolved over many decades with bouts of “boom” and bouts of “doom” but there will always be a new norm. I think the intervention of some Rock stars, RU-vidrs, new manufacturers and new technologies helps the evolution to a new norm immensely. With regard to pricing, there is an American manufacturer who sells 3 grades of locomotives - “ Museum Quality”, Rivet Counter” and “Operator” which are self explanatory and have prices that are lower for the lower grades of fidelity. Hornby and their competitors might do well to emulate this rather than churn out older models in garish liveries.

You make some very valid points. What I see in the model railway hobby in Britain is an emphasis on construction, which is great, but when it comes to what they do with their beautifully constructed layout when it's finished is ..... well nothing much really. Whenever I ask what they do with it, they say "Oh I just run trains", which means they basically run trains round and round in circles until something falls off, or they nod off :) In America I think the emphasis is on operations. Americans tend to have big basements, and have more scope for operations, but operations can also be achieved with small layouts. I do see many British layouts that model a need, an industry, and they operate it like a working railway (except leaving out the big time gaps between trains like on the real thing), but I think mainly, especially when trying to encourage younger members, there is no thought about operations. For instance, my dream would be to create an exhibition layout that would allow visitors, young and old, to drive it ... BUT ..... drive it with a purpose. I would set them shunting puzzles. I would present them with a train of wagons that are a mix of coal, tankers, whatever and I would say "We need to make up a train of just those coal wagons. How do you reckon we could extract just those wagons out of that mix and make up a train of just the coal wagons? Without using your hands of course", and I would let them drive the loco.

Went to a local show last year and had similarly exciting thoughts re setting up my own layout. I only really just started in the hobby (and joined the Hattons staff in mid 2023, timing) so it's encouraging to see this take.

As an American, I see the same thing here. There are a few factors which I think are universal though on the state of the hobby. 1 Teens, 20 somethings 30 somethings and kids of all ages love trains. But model railroads need disposable income and free time. Two things many young adults lack as they get themselves into college (BTW many universities in the US have model rail clubs), their first cars/apartments/jobs/serious relationships/marriages/kids of their own. 2 the cost to make and transport everything has gone up, including model railroads. 3 making new molds for new items is very expensive requiring the expertise of folks not often found everywhere. 4 in the US and in many individual states anything electrical and sold or marketed to children has a lot of regulatory oversight, that costs the manufacturers directly to pass those tests.5 WalMart/Target do not usually stock train sets even at the holidays. When Toys R Us were still in business, they too in their last 10-20 years did not have a toy train or model building section in their stores. 6 Many hobby shops/specialty train shops are usually the vision and passion of 1 person, when that person goes, usually the business goes as well. Families do not as often assume business like they did in the past. 7 All of us in the hobby try to introduce more members to the hobby, but it's like everything else, the desire is not enough, the free time and ability to spend some $$$ needs to be there as well. 8 Seeing Hattons, MB Klein (owned by Hattons) and many of my local stores over the years close or change focus (one train store focused on RC instead of Trains over time, etc.) the manufacturers need to change as well. In HO and N scale NO MANUFACTURER has offered a set under $100 for YEARS. You;re telling me you can;t put a power supply, a circle of track, Loco and 3 cars in a set for no less than $250? Come on, you can. Look the N Scale Thomas set is usually about 160-200$ that's a bit much for a parent sometimes for a basic set. Should a manufacturer go broke doing this BUT there is a need for an entry level 99$ set to keep the spark lit to hopefully kindle into a past time for many younger kids and adults.

My 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 yo grandsons are mesmerised by trains - they each have bucket loads of Brio and cheap self propelled Thomas and love to build track layout with these with their parents or especially grandad. In Australia the cheapest set available of the traditional style is from Hornby at upwards of $au600 , no struggling young family can afford to put something like this into the hands of a child. Only the retired crazy (like me) can consider this. Manufacturers need to make a dramatic turn - they must capture the market before the smart phone grabs their attention. Change or your market will die.

My club has a layout we take to shows (including Warley) for us to enjoy running and showing off our live steam narrow gauge trains. However when we get our battery powered Thomas and Percy stuff on the track pretty quickly every youngster at the show turns up. Model trains are, and need to be, fun.

Well said.👍👍

If I might suggest what Lionel Cowen would have suggested about keeping new generations interested in trains. You can't have trains only operating in a predictable circle; give them accessories that move, that bellow with smoke, light up to dazzle, and function with the train. Part of it is the log loaders, the lumber mills, the coal towers, the magic water tower, electric switches that go left, right, and when they run out of reasons 'wye'. But the most important thing at all is the cooperative approach to operating these, be a voice that guides and let them be the hand that follows. "Trains that go round and round will easily bore a child, they're likely to run off to put sugar in the gas tank, and set fire to the curtains!" . . . essentially TikTok

It is worth mentioning , with regard to younger enthusiasts of the hobby , that the level of expense involved is now considerably higher , driven by the increasing tech element and higher levels of detailing . The hobby has now effectively come full circle from the demise of Hornby Dublo in 1964 . Now , however , there is no affordable "Triang" brand to cater for the limited means of younger enthusiasts , as there was then . To add to the change since 1964 , we now have products shipped half way around the World from China , a factor which no longer ensures cheaper goods , with people in the industry continually moaning about production schedules . The demographic argument is an obvious one - how many teenagers are going to be able to spend £ 200/300 on a locomotive ? It is also worth mentioning that todays railways are not half as interesting to younger minds as they used to be . Gone are the days of loco hauled and mixed freight - character has gone out of the window , and been replaced by trains that we don't make ourselves . Enthusiasts were mortified when steam went , but the modernisation programme still had something for everybody when they got over the changes . Privatisation has been a disappointment , and this does not help .

Great video...👍

Nice positive summary. I wasn’t aware of the Kato mini diorama’s. Very cool. On size I know you don’t want to be seen promoting one product but I’ve found the new British outline TT120 a good innovation for those with limited space. Brought me back although admittedly in my late 50s now

I am making sure to build all of my models to be very " pick up and examine" friendly, by building them from styrene with any fiddly bits be made in brass. It is also to show people that you can scratchbuild models that look just as good as mass market ones for a fraction of the price.

Well said Dawn I will try and share this vid with the boys at Romford MRC

Wow Dawn you're definitely an ambassador for this great hobby. Every point you so eloquently covered is one that I'm totally in agreement with you. This hobby is not dead and it's not dying but it is evolving . Bah humbug to the gloom mongers. When I exhibit my layouts at local shows I've found the most commented remark is "I haven't got space"! Understandable when modern housing has gotten smaller inside! My micro layouts change that perception! But the really big plus side that with today's high pressure life style/worries etc hobbies like ours are a good therapeutic way of easing the pressure and tension for all age groups. ( I do hope your monologue is watched by the manufacturers as well.)

I agree with Dawn the clubs ,and others need to think differently. I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada. 25 years ago the 5 main clubs decided to pool their resources and with over 100 non club (people who model by themselves) members created a new group to put on a train show. 25 years later this show fills an area about the size of 5 indoor soccer fields, 60,000 sq ft or around 6,000sq meters. Last year 11,500 people attended of which 4,500 were younger than 16. Every type of layout is welcome from expert to novice. Within a 2 hour drive you would only find 2million people so not a huge catchment area. One of the main problems is the car park being full and people not being able to find a parking spot. This is all possible because it is not the same people having to organize year after year.

I have two micro layouts that I take to local exhibitions in Scotland. Last weekend at Irvine we had lots of families with younger children who loved the layout. Also many adults were asking about the size and impresses with the amount of detail on it. The hobby isn’t dead yet. Great video btw.

A very interesting video, with relevance to other hobbies too, including the focus on the role of tech and gaming. I often hear similar issues raised among historical wargamers. As a teenager, I turned away from railways towards military modelling and gaming because of the lack of narrative once a layout was complete. I don’t know how common this is, but the popularity of fantasy gaming suggests that many teenagers are interested in miniatures if they can use their imaginations and do something with them, once they’re complete. At the younger end of the ‘market’, as you mention, is the huge popularity of Thomas, which is partly due to the story and presentation of engines etc as characters but that doesn’t seem able to transfer to the ‘grown-up’ version of the hobby in any way. I wouldn’t argue for all engines to have faces, though machine qualities interest many people as do the lives of inventors and developers but perhaps they’re not represented much in the hobby. On the price issue, it might be useful to compare railways with radio-controlled vehicles or aircraft, where the level of tech is similar, but the sense of control over the machine is greater. Who knows, that might also be an obstacle to attracting younger people as well. The strengths of model railways for me, as an outsider, are the modelling skills and terrain that I often see featured in Utube videos. But Chandwell is the only one I’ve found so far that also incorporates humour and narrative, with characters and history regularly emerging from the developing layout. I’ve also noticed the Luton club depiction of the Great Train Robbery has attracted a lot of attention. Perhaps there’s something from history to be gleaned from that. As for the media, it always seems to be an easy story for lazy journalists to say this or that activity is dying but books, vinyl records and even cassettes are making a comeback so I'm sure our hobbies will also continue to thrive.

great video ! i think that a great start for kids, using iPads and pc, is to try one of the train simulators that are on the market today, You can make your own engines and rolling stock, exchange them with others on the net, lay tracks, scenery and then watch the trains run. at Low cost and if they want to put paint on a kit, they could go from there to building a small scenery or layout. this software layout is good also because it doesn't use any space at all.

A great presentation of a great hobby, I am not into trains etc, but am an avid Rc plane flyer, a sport and hobby i love, yet at 63 yr young ! i am one of the youngest in our club, and despite adverts, etc we just can not get new blood into our great (weather dependent) hobby, youngsters can do all this stuff on there phones, and in my case crash, and fly again in a click, so why invest time, and money as you say, in real stuff/toys, and for clarity, i have four grand kids, ranging from 9-23 yet NONE of them are even slightly interested in RC planes, its sad, that these fantastic hobbies and pastimes, are dwindling

Another excellent (as usual) video Dawn and I agree with all you said. My observations at our local shows, and the club's (Silver Fox) show is the younger generation, particularly those pre-teens, want to see movement and lots of it. The older groups of young adults, and those 'returners' want to know all about DCC, control by WiFi, and often are eager to have a go when this is offered. I have also noticed many with SEN are drawn to movement and are seemingly enthralled by moving trains. I find the cost prohibitive (I'm a pensioner) but would pay for reliable and good quality mechanics and less 'hidden' detail which I cannot see at over 1m distance anyway! I've got 4 UM locos, and 4 Minitrix and all run better than many modern locos at the club, and can pull a lot more as well. Keep on with your quest!

Great video Dawn, i found your channel purely by chance a while ago. You you inspired me to have a bash at a small layout... I have got an old Lima N guage in the loft. from what i remember it is an intercity 125 or something similar. I worked on the Ffestioniog railway for years so fancied doing something with steam. Now living on Shetland we dont have any shops so everything is vis online vendors. Personally for me cost is the issue (oh and space) I live in a tiny croft house... hence the N guage idea!

It seems during covid the hobby was storming, riding the crest of a wave. Yet now its seemingly slumped the other side, although from what I see as a someone who sells in to the hobby is that the last few years have been steady. I think with many of the points you raise and others in the comments section are very valid, it is now a hobby in change more than decline. It will come out the other side of this negative period with a very different look but it will need inventiveness and bravery to attract different generations from the many clubs and businesses out there.

Nice to hear someone with a rational outlook. I think affordability is becoming more of an issue at present. Limiting younger and mature people equally. The model railway clubs are definitely a good way of introducing people into the hobby. But at the same time I think there is still a gap in-between the two. There needs to be something that piques the curiosity in the first place and gets people of any age to look for an inroad into the hobby.

I agree with a lot of what Dawn says. My contribution to the hobby this Christmas was to make a baseboard for my Grandsons (4&6) to run their Dad's Thomas set which had sat in the loft for 30 years. I provided a controller, two extra locos I did up for them (by adding faces) and the most precious thing of all; time. Christmas Day was a great success. One of the greatest successes was the inclusion of a Peco level crossing which engendered lots of fun and arguments all with two move able gateshead! The layout has plenty of space to add things, some of which I'll 'find' from stock and, as their Dad is a Lego freak, they've got room to add structures of all kinds. Scale isn't important! Play value is.

I can think of one way of bringing model railways into the current age - 3D printing ! Some collaboration and innovation by manufacturers could use 3 D printing to lower the cost to the end user and also the cost of manufacture and holding of stock. Find/create a 3D printer with sufficient fidelity/resolution and you could have all sorts of model railway layout features selected from the internet and printed off either locally or at a local 3D printer shop or school. Potentially layout features could be selected and designed and tailored and dispatched to the home with next day delivery - for the end user to paint and decorate. eg. Stations, bridges, signal boxes, locos, rolling stock, cars, vans, people/figures etc. and potentially tap into the Minecraft generation !

I initially started about 10 years ago (give or take) with my first Bachmann HO scale train set, the Chattanooga. (with the 0-6-0 steam loco). I had fun for a little bit but with being in school, having therapy after school, I hardly had time... nor the money. During that short time when I was first interested, I did manage to buy an old Lifelike Amtrak F40PH for 19 dollars and that was it... It wasn't until summer of 2022 when I was organizing downstairs, I stumbled upon my set. I set it up; ran my old 0-6-0 and my F40ph, then it hit me... I have money now... So then began the revival. Currently I have over 40 locomotives, 50+ pieces of rolling stock, and an assortment of passenger cars from different railways across the USA. From the Denver & Rio Grande to the Chicago Northwestern (CNW is my fav). I also joined my local club and there are a few young adults like me. I hope to see many years in this hobby and maybe if I have kids, I can pass the torch on.

The Great Model Railway challenge raised some great awareness... maybe a new season could be created!

I would not be concerned, they have been saying the hobby is dying ever since I can remember, same scenario has always been there, kids not interested, oldies passing away, it never changes, but the hobby is bigger than ever, with loads more manufacturers and accessory suppliers! The baby boomers are about to turn grey, I see an even bigger surge coming back into the hobby!

Very good video

We started a modular model RR club here in Kalispell Montana and meet once a month in a local mall... Yes, in a public space where the public can actually see a model railroad! We have several younger members and find interested parties all the time. Why? because we are not hiding the hobby in a remote basement. A 2ft x 4ft or 2ft by 6ft module doesn't take a lifetime to get up and running and you can easily store it in a closet...Modules are built light weight so they can be carried by one person. It's time for model railroaders to take a fresh view, socialize, and get out of the basement. Vance

Last time I had a HO scale hobby train starter set was when I was a kid in 1985. I got back into it last year around Christmas when I got nostalgic and got one for the tree. It escalated quickly.

The Hornby Thomas Range certainly helped the younger generation of rail fans to get the hobby over the last 35 years, but there’s still hope that the Bachmann Thomas Range will help the young people still contain an interest in model railways in both England and Australia.