Ok, so maybe we can’t predict the future, but any thoughts on where the hobby might be heading?
Good Morning Rene,
My choise was “DON’T CARE, I DO MY OWN THING”
I live in an area that has but one outlet for G-Scale and at best it is only has a representative stock. Thay say they can order whatever you want but why pay their price when I can go on line and get what I want. I must say that going on line is like opening the doors to a new world.
Ron
Hi Rene,
I did’nt vote since I feel it will grow as whole. Mainline Standard if definately on the upswing. It’s obvious by the increase in products out there. Track is quickly following suit. Large gentle curves, wide switches etc. are pointing toward “Mega Layouts” that will require a lot of space to build. Longer trains of 50 cars and up will be seen a lot more with the new motive power being able to really “Haul”. As for myself My love for Narrow Gauge continues to grow but Standard is really looking awesome. My plans are to continue modelling Narrow Gauge indoors and Standard outside. For me that’s the best of both worlds. Another thing continuing to increase is QUALITY! Modern technology is ever increasing at a mind boggling rate. Some really awesome innovations are being added every year to our trains. The future looks great! Later eh…Brian.
Based on the latest new item being marketed Standard Guage trains are going to become predominant, but narrow gauge will still be there just not as dominant as it has been in past years.
The general acceptance of wider radius curves and longer stock has really opened the doors for large scale standard guage items. Look at AC’s DASH-9 . Man has that been popular, as has USA’s and AC’s long streamline passenger cars. MTH has a Challenger for sale and will be selling a Big Boy next year! A Big Boy for chriss-sakes!
Bachmann won’t make a K-series because they claim its too big, yet MTH can produce a loco thats over 4 FEET LONG and has will have a massive overhang if the Challenger is any measure! So now we are getting 5 to 6 new standard guage items each year and often only ONE new item for narrow guage.
Also more and more garden rr’s are embracing the larger broader vista’s that traditional mainline railroading offer. Need I mention Marty’s spectacular layout? What’s missing in 1/32 & 1/29 is scale buildnings, kinda like 1/20.3 in that respect.
I will not get into whether 1/29 Aristo/USA or 1/32 MTH/Marklin will win the scale wars. But they will be side by side for a while. If MTH decides to get into large scale on a scale like AC or USA, 1/29 could finally face a real scale challenge. I feal in the long run more modelers especially the ones coming up from HO or O will demand more accurate “scale models” as time progresses.
I have to admit, when I saw the Big Boy in a MTH catalog I found myself saying " I have to have one of these" Of course I would have to build a layout for this and I actually sketched out a simple loop with 10’ dia curves just so I could, at least in my own mind, run this beauty.
Rene,
I voted that standard gauge wiill grab more of the market share. As already stated, there are 4 or 5 new standard gauge offerings for every new NG item.
I think that 7/8" scale will become more popular as more RTR equipment becomes available.
My preference is and always will be narrow gauge. I model 1:24 but I’m eventually going to stick my toe in the 1:13.7 pool as well. I can always go down to the tracks and watch a 100 car train roll by or an Amtrack metroliner fly by at 80MPH on Laser straight track, that’s reality. But I cannot go down there and see a dirty, sooty, smoky steamer pulling a short string of wooden cars around sharp curves through picturesque mountain scences, that’s magic!
Walt
Rene, I voted more like indoors if I interpeded it right in meaning it’s catching on. I don’t really know how many members are on this forum or subscribe to GR, but due to the amount of [#welcome]'s we do around here I’d say it’s growing. I think more publicity in the mag of this forum would help increase or even keep people in the hobby because you can get ?'s answered quickly instead of writting in and hoping your question gets answered. My draw to this end of spectrum of model RR has been the lack of interior space in what I would like to have, so I decided to go outside. The total concept of this hobby’s ability to create a totally different RR outdoors than you can indoors…Sorry Vic.
Another draw I believe for some is the ablity to create on your own without a magifying glass. GR/large scale in general is as close to most of us will come to running the real thing especially LIVE STEAM.
Sorry for the rambling shouldn’t have drank a pot and half of coffee this morning[:D]
Rene
I’ll do my own thing ,AS LONG AS MY HEALTH HOLDS OUT. ben [2c] [:)]
Hello Rene,
I also voted,I will do my own thing.Before I joined this forum it was only me and my Dad that used garden railways.When you read the magazines ect ,they always concentrate on the perfect layouts.Although this gives something for many people to aspire to,it can be hard on the person just starting out on a limited budget.That’s what I like about this forum.It’s a mixture of everyone.The people that have been doing this for years are happily willing to share their knowledge without various cutting remarks.I don’t think this exists on any other forum.It would be nice if some of the magazines could do some articles on the fledgling layouts.Revisits could be arranged to see the progression.This could give a huge boost to the newcomers.After all,more people,more money,more products.
Sorry started to ramble[oops]
Troy
I voted “I don’t care I do my own thing” but that is not true I do care, but you didn’t have any category near what i think.
1/ It is oneof the fastest growing pasttimes in the world and will become much bigger over the next ten years.
2/ It will become more electronic, people will want to have a system like the the MTS but won’t pay the money. If you had a fully digitally controlled system, with locos with sound you just woudn’t be bothered with going back to anything less. I can see it here, devoted old train people use my MTS and they all say what are we going to do with our layouts? Even smaller guage users are looking on their equipment as obsolescent.
3/ Equipment will become cheaper, as the scale of trading increases and automation makes big quantity runs really cheap. They will have to as the Chinese will get up to speed and offer good stuff for incredibly low prices just like power tools etc.
4/ You can see by this forum it is becoming more international and the ideas of Americans wanting yankee layous and poms wanting English layouts and even us Aussies will just have to look at what others are doing.
5/ as many of us live in cities, we will possiby look to producing a city layout (I’m considering one right now). We all look to emulate what we see around us.
6/ The gauge will not change, as we all want more for our dollar and that means standardisation.
Regrds
Ian (The Oracle)
Different people model different scales so had to go with I do my own thing.
This Hobby will go on a up swing.
Hi Rene
I think the hobby will decline suburban blocks of land are geting smaller
the trains are geting for ever larger the prices are starting to go through the roof. the tolal lack of at least standardised, track and wheel standards and coupling type and hight.
Will all I think put it out of reach of the average family on an average pay packet for his country of residence.
It will end up becoming the realm of those who have the skills to build thier own or where lucky enough to inherit one.
We all do our own thing but I think we are all going to to have to learn how to build our own with the current trends of the manufacturers to build too large
in size and price with no standards common to all manufacturers.
A pesamistic view point but I think a realistic one.
A few people I know have said to big for thier block and to expencive to even think about it
regards John
I have to agree with Walt, the magic of narrow gauge will hold my attention in all its forms, from 42" right down to the 15" lines. The 7/8 scale bug is also flittering around my layout looking for a place to land; and one day I’m sure it will. I don’t know if 7/8 scale will replace the “G” scale or just run at different times with 7/8 scale buildings…only time will tell.
Having said this it may seem odd that I am also gathering HO standard gauge equipment and structures for a urban style switching layout in my basement.
Over all I think large scale will go the way of all other scales (except tin plate) with standard gauge leading the pack then narrow gauge and following close behind will be us rebels modeling in odd scales on odd gauge track.
OLD DAD
the one hope i have for garden trains is mine will soon get in to the garden and out of the house. I hope Ihope Ihope[:p]
Here I am at the bottom end of the world in Port Elizabeth. About the best thing I can say about Port Elizabeth is that if the planet Earth ever needed an enema, this is where they would insert the pipe. Due to my location I am isolated from the mainstream but I crawl all over the Internet and I subscribe to GR and previously MR. I therefore consider myself to be fairly clued up on the model railroad scene and my perspective of where it is going is as follows:
People build models of what appeals to them. This appeal is nostalgic, emotional, and personal. We want to reproduce our childhood memories and experiences. We want to surround ourselves with models or scenes that reinforce those memories. My childhood memories are of steam engines, and being from a railway family, I had unlimited access to them. I could go down to my father’s office on the station and sit there for hours watching the locos come past. I was always hanging over the balcony of the first coach behind the tender, getting covered in soot and ash. The smell of coal smoke was sweeter than any perfume. I loved it.
In later years when steam has disappeared from South African Railways, I became interested in the 2 foot narrow gauge railway that runs from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur. This has a steam hauled tourist train known as the “Apple Express”. I became fascinated with everything that had the “narrow gauge” imprint on it - tight curves, little locos, short trains, quaint equipment. The merger of my childhood experiences of the main line and my adult experiences of the narrow gauge have ensured that my model railway is strictly narrow gauge steam. I do not want and will not build anything else. I am living my memories.
My step-daughter’s fiance is a young man who is fascinated by what I am doing and loves watching the trains run. One day he asked me if I knew where he could go to see an actual steam engine. He has never seen a real one in his life. This was a sad revelation to me who grew u
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QUOTE: Originally posted by ronnielouw
Here I am at the bottom end of the world in Port Elizabeth. About the best thing I can say about Port Elizabeth is that if the planet Earth ever needed an enema, this is where they would insert the pipe. Due to my location I am isolated from the mainstream but I crawl all over the Internet and I subscribe to GR and previously MR. I therefore consider myself to be fairly clued up on the model railroad scene and my perspective of where it is going is as follows:
People build models of what appeals to them. This appeal is nostalgic, emotional, and personal. We want to reproduce our childhood memories and experiences. We want to surround ourselves with models or scenes that reinforce those memories. My childhood memories are of steam engines, and being from a railway family, I had unlimited access to them. I could go down to my father’s office on the station and sit there for hours watching the locos come past. I was always hanging over the balcony of the first coach behind the tender, getting covered in soot and ash. The smell of coal smoke was sweeter than any perfume. I loved it.
In later years when steam has disappeared from South African Railways, I became interested in the 2 foot narrow gauge railway that runs from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur. This has a steam hauled tourist train known as the “Apple Express”. I became fascinated with everything that had the “narrow gauge” imprint on it - tight curves, little locos, short trains, quaint equipment. The merger of my childhood experiences of the main line and my adult experiences of the narrow gauge have ensured that my model railway is strictly narrow gauge steam. I do not want and will not build anything else. I am living my memories.
My step-daughter’s fiance is a young man who is fascinated by what I am doing and loves watching the trains run. One day he asked me if I knew where he could go to see an actual steam engine. He has never seen a
Carpenter Matt
Yes, I agree you must expose the children to it as much as possible. That’s fine but the problem still remains - how do you even begin to describe the sound, the smell, the feeling of a steam engine? The toy shops are full of dinosaurs. The kids love them, although when last did anybody see a live one? So maybe with the help of museums and videos we can keep the flame burning. But still, it’s not the same as being there.
I’m not starting an argument here - just agreeing with you in my own way. [8D]
Regards
ronnielouw, I live in Columbus, Ohio and I plan on taking my daughters to Nelsonville Ohio probably not till next spring though, to the Hocking Valley Railway for a RIDE ON SOME STEAM[:D]! My Dad drug me around railfanning on are family vacations as a kid, sometimes there wern’t any trains just a Tall tall trestle. My Dad will go with us as well. Your’re right though you got to ride on one to appreciate it and take it all in, the slack coming out then the jerk of movement and the SMELL of smoke! My Dad use to pullover and stop are car just to watch a trian go by, they were deisels though, BUT BY GOD THEY HAD A CABOOSE BACK THEN!
I voted , stay the same, which as i see it. All areas are growing and companies are all tring to be the top dog. And the quality is getting better. New folks keep popping up and the web sites seem to be more active.
I said - stay the same. But that may require some explanation. I believe we will continue to have a variety of scales, a variety of themes - everything from total adherence to prototype to the total “whimsy” (sorry, too much HGTV).
My hope is that, while within large scale the variety remains, the hobby grows overall. Being a narrow gauge person, I am sometimes frustrated by the lack of 1:20.3 products available to me. [soapbox] The best way to solve this is not for narrow gauge to take over but for the entire hobby to increase. We all seem to be becoming more outdoorsy. What better way to be outside when we’re not rock climbing or whitewater kayaking?
The common theme in most of these postings is that steam and narrow gauge have a very broad appeal to most of us. I’m 64 and can only vaguely recall childhood memories of steam locos being used in real life. Folks in their 50’s and 40’s can only relate to steam trains from visits to RR tourist lines and RR museums. That’s why it’s so important for all of us to support those institutions. They’re the only link we have to that past.
I tried unsuccessfully to bring my own two sons into the fraternity (maybe I tried too hard). I’m now starting to work on my two grandsons. My plan is to transition them from Thomas-the-tank-engine to occasional visits to places like steamtown and later a fullblown assult with weeklong visits to the Colorado NG RR’s. The point is, we need to make sure that places like Durango& Silverton, Cumbres&Toutec, EBT, etc,etc (those of you in other countries fill in the blanks with your own favorite steam RR’s) are going to be there for the coming generations.
The preservation of these institutions is important not just because we happen to like steam locomotives but because they’re a living link to our past, a lesson in history. I’ve probably learned more about American history and culture while reading about old RR lines than I did in high school. I’d really like that resource to be available to my grandkids in the future. So, whenever we travel, I make it a point to visit the local tourist steam RR’s or museums, buy a couple tickets, take the ride and buy a few items from the gift shop. And when we get back home, I share my experiences with friends and encourage them to go there themselves and visit. With the exception of Steamtown, there are very few if any RR institutions that are federally subsidized and only a handful that get any kind of State aid. Therefore it’s up to us to keep these enterprises running.
Walt