In the last few years of helping my father inlaw (John Houlihan). I have come to a idea that can help promote the hobby and let young people in their 20-50's get into the hobby. We need to get videos of your layouts in places that people can see. In that spirit I have started a video group at youtube for model railroading. If you have videos available on yoru computer click ont he link below and add them to the modelrailroad list. If you have never video taped your layout please do so. If you need help editing your video you can contact me at rex@irishtraklayer.com and I will be happy to help you edit and upload your video for free.
I feel that if we show people what these layouts look like that many more people will get into the hobby. I want this hobby to be seen by people my age. I am tired of them waisting their life in hobbies that they will not be able to pursue when they get older. I personnaly am not a model railroader but my father in law is. I teach middle school kids, many of which could become model rairloaders if they only knew the hobby existed.
So get off your but, video tape yor layout anyway possible, get the video on your computer (contact me if you need help, its free), and upload your video to any of a number of video hosting sites. If you want hobby shops across America to survive we all need to do our part. I know I am, are you?
Welcome to the forum. That’s a good idea. I’ve always noticed that something good usually happens to a non-modelers perception of this hobby once they see peoples work.
New ideas and ways of doing things are always welcome. Thanks for bringing your idea to the forum, and welcome.
Personally, I feel that this would be akin to posting videos of church choirs singing…very interesting, maybe even moving, to those inclined to seek out such entertainment, but there is the issue that only people interested in model railroading, prima fascie, will avail themselves of what your idea offers them. The cart, to me, is running before the horse.
I can see why MR wants to promote the hobby. I can see why Walthers wants to promote the hobby. I just can’t see why we want to promote the hobby. Do I really care whether Joe Blow takes up model railroading? I tell my brother that I like model railroading, but it is no skin off my nose if wants to fly fish instead.
IF a kid come to my house and wants to run trains, heck, I’ll hand him my throttle (and clear the main). If he wants his own layout, I’ve been known to give away enough spares for a starter layout. But I won’t try to sell him on it.
Life is to short to worry about who does what with their spare time.
And if I have to convince someone that model trains are the world’s greatest hobby, then most likely it is me that is having doubts.
Speaking as a 35 year old who is starting up the hobby there are still plenty of things out there that make you want it. The difference being if you’re scoffed at for trying to model Sodor Island it makes you shy away from the forums and the events because it seems snobby.
But at the same time if you go to an event you will always find one or two Thomas layouts where Thomas is spinning in a circle on a little track. Indoubtably though most often you’ll find the largest group of children/familes crowded around that because even though he goes in a circle, the kids are fascinated.
Now sure I’m going to model the real stuff, but having Henry running next tot he Super Chief on a fully scenic-ed layout sure grabs a lot more attention sometimes.
The other challenge is that this is a hobby that requires some stability in your housing, your life, and etc. I’ve lived in my home for four years now, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I left my parents house. A lot of 20 year olds are in college, bouncing from apartment to apartment every semester, etc. Model Railroads aren’t completely portable. They are getting better, but they still take a bit of work and/or space to do. I think that is also why the demographic is a bit higher in age.
Also, it’s not a pickup and play hobby. Speaking for myself and most of the people I know we were raised with other things you could pick up, play with and enjoy, and walk away from such as vid games, etc. Railroading is an investment in both time & money, and it takes a bit of time before you can just walk up and play short of a little circle on the floor.
Mouse, the bigger the hobby the better for us all as a bigger market promotes further investment in the hobby by manufacturers.
I agree getting people to watch is very problematical as the public already has a dim view of model railroaders.
Lastly, I believe modelers are born and bred, not drafted from the general population. This is true for race car drivers (look how many are from racing families) and is true of many hobby interests. Not to say you have to be from a railroad family, but it has to be in your genes.
i will say no it does not have to be in your genes. When i show my students a picture of a idealy modled layout. they ask so where is that picture taken. when i say its a model they are maazed. and waalaa a new hobbiest is made.
now how to expose them? we must first start with gettign video and pictures available.
once we have material (video and pictures) then we begin to share them. if the right person shows the video to other (email them link). If that right person shows others then you might have in one day say 10,000 people see what model railroading really is. You never knwo who that person is. once you have those new people interested then they will go by their hobby shop and asked to be set up.I live in the bay area in california and we have many peopel here that are lookign for hobbies. Model railroading is a hobby that peopel can do their entire life.
once they are setup they will build the railroad, see that they want to get more, and then get hooked. Within 1-2 years the number of peopel in the hobby will increase measurably. Hobby shops will see that and peopel will start releasing new products. My father in law is releasing new products but he is a exception. If you have a expanding hobby, prices will go down and new inovations will occur.
I just met my new neighbor who is building a house next to me. He gave me a tour of the half built home. We get down to the 2500sq. ft. walk out basement(yes, I’m drooling at this point) that he calls his “hobby room” I’m thinking could it be? A fellow model railroader moving in next door? I say to him, “I’m into model railroading. What’s your hobby?” He gives me a dirty, nasty look and says We’re into scrap booking![xx(] And that was pretty much the end of the conversation.[:(]
Back to the topic. I think it’s a great idea just to have one place to see videos. I’ve tried to do searches on You Tube and haven’t come up with much. I know there are a bunch of vids there, I must not be using the right search words.
[#welcome]
PS-Since when did scrap booking become a hobby? There are 5 scrap booking stores in the little town I live in.[%-)]
rex said "…When i show my students a picture of a idealy modled layout. they ask so where is that picture taken. when i say its a model they are maazed. and waalaa a new hobbiest is made…
ttyl
rex "
I have seen that reaction dozens of times. I have seen it teaching scouts, I have seen it hosting comet and planetary viewing with my telescope and when teaching astronomy to school children. Their reaction is part contextual, part polite, and part genuine interest. It is like reading National Geographic. You may learn and appreciate a great deal from the magazine, but you’re hardly going to take up photography, do more travelling, or buy a subscription to the magazine.
Our lives are full of gee-whizz. And we don’t need youtube to get it, either. In fact, and I acknowledge that I may be wrong about this, their are many folks who have no interest in cell phones, computers, the internet, and if they manage to have all three, with youtube.
I am acutely aware that I seem to have adopted a nay-sayer’s role here, and that bothers me a great deal. However, I think this idea straining at the hawsers, and not because it wants to float with the tide. [;)]
How about some NON historical modeling? I am always opening up the Model Railroader mags and seeing the captions as “so-and-so pulling some freight up so-and-so mountain” Ummm…kay. Yeah, I know this is an artist’s interpretation of what he sees in his mind, but how about some other things? How about a some imaginary interpretations from books, from movies? How about Hogwarts Express rounding London or some scottish highlands? How about an Amtrak line scurrying past an ocean beach with Godzilla’s eyes peering out of the water? Something interesting.
I was at the Stafford Convention Center here in Houston earlier in February and saw a great N Scale display with a scale Superman flying above a rail line; a crashed flying saucer with mutiliated cow carcasses nearby; and house fire with scale fire engines. It was a great crowd draw from every age, sex and race. It was really interesting even if not historically accurate.
I myself want to recreate Sodor for my 4 yr old, but add some volcanos within a Jurassic Park area, and then also put in some construction sites for Bob the Builder and his crew (and some of Thomas’ friends from The Pack). Just something to make it interesting for all people to examine.
the more out there the better. if you are enthused that is what matters. have fun its a hobby and is supposed ot be fun. enjoy yourself, think, enjoy life, and share your acocmplishments. And get those videos out.
I can see why people want to promote the hobby as it will lead toward more higher quality and hopefully less expensive products for all of us. I personally have little desire to promote or impose the hobby on anyone not showing an interest.
One big turnoff for me, and this is MY personal turnoff, is seeing guys decked out in engineering caps and vests with zillions of railroad buttons at train shows or other venues. I also get turned off by the grouchy, cold and aloof attitude of some modelers whose whole purpose in life is modeling. We need more open-minded and congenial men, women, and youngsters who love modeling but have other interests and a life outside of the hobby. I believe this will put our hobby in a positive light for both modelers and potential modelers.
I wonder if there is more consensus for this finding or observation. If there is more than a germ of truth to these appearances, then the hobby needs a serious PR retrofit. It isn’t bad enough that the heavy preponderance of us is male, and many of the “sour pusses” are probably a bit advanced in years, although I can’t say that with any certainty.
Still, is that our image…fifty year-old geezers with three days of growth on the face, a worn railroad cap with badges stuck all over it, engine crew overalls, and no smiles on our faces?
Yeeesh! Maybe youtube will be our salvation after all.
As I’ve said before I think the biggest problem is lack of advertising. I still remember as a kid in the 80s during every loop of commercials there would always be at least one mcdonalds commercial in amongst the commercials for toys and video games. Yet not one commercial for trainsets. McDonalds had gone on to become incredibly popular with kids looking to score cheap junk as a payoff for eating that coronary inducing swill and the name is firmly etched in our minds. Yet model railroad sets went virtually unmentioned. Sure Toys R Us, Kay-Bee toys, and the late Children’s Palace sold them but basically never really said much about them. People are very heavily influenced by advertising.
For what ever it’s worth here is my input. Bare in mind that I’m a fairly new recruit, my history as a MR only goes back about a year. Ofcourse I also had an HO ayout as a kid and that probably did help me somewhat getting back into the hobby.
First of all I think we need to make the hobby more accesable. Better information on websites with clear instructions on what you need and what you can expect. Lets just imagine how dissapointed a new modeller will be coming home with his new Walthers heavyweights that he purchas for 45$ a piece and to find out that they won’t work on the track that his starter kit provided him with. That is the kind of thing that really can scare someone away. When I started this hobby again I got a starter set based on recomendations that I should do that. Most of the track was ueseless due to small curves and the DCC system was so limited that I have already outgrown it. The websites should be so good that we shouldn’t need to ask fellow modellers on details about items.
Second. Better and more suportive advice from veterans. This site is great and I have gotten a HUGE amount of help from a lot of people. But some people do have very strong opinions of what is wrong and right. Average Joe wo starts out because he likes trains and want something to do with his kids will not be pleased by bad attitides because he choose the wrong engine or track code. Once again an example: Assume someone takes a GP30 and run it on Code 100 rails on his 1952 layout. He think it seems like a great idea. He doesn’ care. But he is then told that he is wrong because the XXX railroad didn’t use that heavy rail during the period and the GP30 wasn’t available.
Third. Following the logic above. It’s supoose to be FUN. If you as an individual feel that you like to do something do it. That sentiment should be encouraged with all newcomers. Correct prototypical operations might not be his cup of tea or it might de
Selector-I’ve run into my share of those “sour pusses” over 35 years.(and a handful here) I had old timers look down at me when I was a kid for not hand laying my own track and they look down at me now that I’m 42 and not running brass Big Boys on a Digtrax system. I never really let it discourage me from the hobby. There’s a lot more railroaders that I do have things in common with than not. I do see how this could affect some newbies though.
