Until the manufactures in this hobby wakes up and develops prefab layouts that are realistic and non-toy looking, this hobby will continue to shrink.
Before everyone poo-poo’s this notion give the following some consideration:
I was in R/C Airplanes for 40 years starting 1951. In those day’s there was practically no prefab airplanes, parts or anything else for R/C. I even built my own transmitter and receiver. Airplanes were early free-flight models converted to R/C(Free flight meant flying without any control). If you couldn’t build it or invent it you were out of luck. The R/C hobby flourished for several years at this level.
Then slowly airplane kits designed for R/C were introduced. Slowly small parts were made available and even the radio
That’s part of the fun is designing and building your own layout. It challenges your mind to be creative (which my mind has a hard time doing)- along with using the tools and materials to create something that already exists, as close as possible to the real thing- or do like I do- freelance it into something totally unrecognizable.
Plus you get to learn by your mistakes, and in turn it makes you better at trying to achieve your over-blown empire. Just laying the track and trying to get those 18" curves with flex track just about blew my empire. LOL Ho scale.
There has always been a market for custom builders. I assume that market is still alive. I like the building, but I agree that many would get into the market if they could “have” a layout without having to “build” a layout. I hope the industry continues to cater to these people because the model builders among us benefit both directly and indirectly. We are certainly getting nice RTR models these day and the kits are wonderful. For the scratch builder, little has changed except there are more parts to purchase. CalScale did make that easier.
What about the Terrains for Trains line of pre-engineered layouts and Walthers offerings in HO scale? While these aren’t pre-built, they are the closest thing to it, somewhat like the Almost-Ready-to-Fly R/C stuff from 25 years ago.
I agree that part of the fun of this hobby is building the layout and knowing how to make changes when we want. I’m afraid that any manufacturer who sells a R-T-R layout is going to charge BIG bucks for it and that will put off many potential modelers.
I think the layout kits available now are a start in the right direction. A greater selection of RTR trackplans would be a boost, too.
But I will still build my own, thank you very much! LOL
Darrell, where’d I put my hammer?, and quiet…for now
I agree that RTR layouts would be more tempting to the potential market of newcomers. As Darrel said, I think the cost of producing them would be an issue. I don’t think the idea is madness, however, I’m afraid that it will just lead to another common problem. RC airplanes and cars are not limited to a predefined layout. The experience of operating them can be different every time they are powered up by simply changing locations. In the case of airplanes, the “playground” is 3D so even in the same location, the session can be quite different.
A model railroad’s “playground” is static. Unless the user is visiting other layouts, it is the same world over and over. We all know that watching a train chase its caboose or EOT will get boring real quick. Maybe the person will get the bug and learn about operations and expand their interests or maybe they will just let the layout collect dust while they pursue other interests. Maybe I’m cynical, but my guess is they will go down the path of least resistance and fire up the video game.
For those who design or select a track plan and build it, or even pay somebody else to design it and build it for them, the operations part generally gets covered in the design or selection process, or setting the criteria if it is custom designed. And let’s face it, building something yourself causes you to develop an insane bond with it-almost like it is a living thing.
Finally is that the general perception is that cars and airplanes are sexy. They are the race horses, we are the mules. Airplanes and cars are generally run fast (or relatively so), but running trains fast just gives them the illusion that they will actually catch their own caboose or EOT, assuming they stay on the rails.
Some people are attracted to trains, others to cars, planes, Barbie dolls or whatever. It’s a big world. I believe the main difference with trains is that a commitment is required. You have to make certain decisions before you begin (even if that only means choosing an existing trackplan from a book), you have to assemble the materials required and then you have to DO something with all that material. It is not a project that you will complete in an evening or a long weekend. You are committed to buuilding a small world, a place for your trains to operate. If you throw together all the materials just to have a train run around in circles, you will only wonder what the attraction was in the first place.
True, cars and planes are sexy. Trains used to be, back in the days of named passenger trains, overnight accomodations, luxury dining, etc. A long trip on a train was equivalent to romance and adventure! Trying to recreate that in miniature is difficult without a commitment.
And you know how some people are afraid of commitment! LOL
Darrell, totally committed, or should be, and quiet…for now
There is a key difference with model railroads. A model railroad is not a single self contained thing like an airplane. Also, even if you have a layout custom built it will be different from the next one in terms of rolling stock and structures. As other have pointed out, there are a number of kits for helping to build the layout and some kits that include buildings, track, etc. The amount of RTR has increased considerably. With sectional track, preformed land forms, rtr buildings, and rtr trains, you can have a model railroad with only minimal assembly. This can include DCC.
Actually most of the rtr crowd has been in the 3 rail side of the hobby for quite a while and it is doing very well. There are a number of HiRail layouts as well as toy train layouts.
While we won’t see turnkey layouts except from custom builders, we’re pretty close already.
To some degree model railroading has made the transition you refered to in the R/C plane and car hobby. Take a look at the high quality, DCC ready or plug and play locomotives with sound that are comming on the market. Take a look at the already built and detailed rolling stock and buildings on the market. Take a look at the new DCC systems, with wireless control. Take a look at the new signal systems comming on the market (Digitrax and Atlas). Take a look at the many layout operating/CTC software comming on the market.
YES, you still have to build a layout. (I survived several years on Bachaman easy track on the family room carpet so I could run trains when a change in jobs moved me to an apartment. My nephew recently inherited the carpet layout now that I have a new basement.)
For the better part of three quarters of a century the hobby of model railroading has been about modeling skills, creativity, and artistry. For the overwhelming majority of hobbyists it has been the enjoyment of the building phase that has provided the greatest fun, challenge, personal satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.
With RTR everything, including the layout, all that is removed. What is the hobby to be about then - simply collecting and running trains in little circles? I can tell you right now, regardless of the general mindset of the current generation on their supposed lack of time, their need for instant gratification and the distaste of commiting to any project, if it were all available RTR you’d see a fellas’ interest last about one weekend after purchase before packing the whole thing in.
What point would there be to the hobby at all? The unexpended energy certainly wouldn’t suddenly all be transfered to operations, because right now less than 20% of model railroaders do anything in the way of formal operations as it is. My guess is you’d end up with a crowd of glorified holiday layout folks, who ran their trains only a few times around Christmas…for lack of interest in doing it at any other time. When, and if, it ever all goes over to RTR they’ll have to find a new name for our hobby because it certainly won’t be model railroading any more!
I can see several potential markets for pre-built model railroads:
People who want a Christmas or birthday (or fill in the special day/event of your choice) gift that’s somewhat more sophisticated than a simple loop of sectional track with one 9 inch straight on each side so it can be called a ‘loop,’ instead of a circle.
People who are technologically challenged by an extension cord, own no tools and don’t want to buy any - but still want to run trains.
People who can’t squeeze layout construction time and energy out of a long-hours 6+ day a week job with a long commute at each end.
People who have the money to indulge themselves, but can’t see spending any of their ($50+ dollar per) hours on a task that can be contracted out for less.
I can also see several potential levels of pre-building:
“Just add trains.” All trackwork, wiring and scenery in place, tested and guaranteed operational.
“Just add scenery and trains.” AKA the Plywood Pacific (or Foam Flats, if you prefer.) Trackwork and wiring done and tested, scenerywork left to the customer when, as and if.
Both of the above, but on standard modules rather than complete layouts.
Custom built in place, following the desires of the owner but using the skills of professional model-building craftspeople.
When can we expect to see this sort of thing? To a limited extent, it’s happening right now. Seeing it expand in the future will be a totally unsurprising development.
Will the traditional master layout builder someday vanish into the haze of history? Not as long as there are modelers who look at all the pre-built offerings and tell themselves, “I can build something that looks a lot more like (fill in the blank) for a lot less money.”
Chuck (planning to pre-build a small layout for a train-struck grandson. From his point of view, pre-built))
Correct, layout “kits”, “just add scenery” and totally RTR examples, are already vailable…but just look at the prices!
The WS HO layout “kits” list for around $750 complete. They may speed things up in the building process a little by supplying nearly everything you will need but a hundred or more hours is still the minimum required to build them into anything worthwhile. A well planned, one-time trip to Home Depot and the LHS could accomplish just about the same thing for no more money.
On the otherhand, a small, custombuilt layout (say 4x8) will run you in the area of $10,000 . One of simply modest-size will reach, and can far exceed, $25,000 ! See the Dunham Studios’ website for some pricing in this area. And don’t expect those figures to decline in the future, either, because those layouts of any real quality simply can’t be mass produced. They are a one-at-a-time commodity.
It stands to reason, then, that truly RTR layouts will ever remain the province of only a tiny minority of the rich hobbyists…never to become mainstream, no matter how the hobby advances. And, as I’ve said previously, what kind of ho
“Until the manufactures in this hobby wakes up and develops prefab layouts that are realistic and non-toy looking, this hobby will continue to shrink.”
Gosh, ya think? I don’t know. It doesn’t really bother me that model railroading isn’t as large as some hobbies. That makes it all the more unique to me.