Hi all, Jimmy's latest video was very interesting and I thought well worth a share. Those of you not into DCC-EX or T-TRAK etc may not have heard of him as he's a US modeller but still a great channel.


In this video he goes over some data from a recent market research report into the state of model railways in 2026. Lots of good news! The key points:

- The whole market is forecast to go through very robust growth as millenials and gen Z (ages 20-40 or so) return to traditional hobbies.

- N scale (not sure if our N gauge is included) is the growth market, with demand driven by pressures on living space.

- Brick and mortar stores are beginning to dwindle but it isn't a indicative of spending contraction or a shrinking market.

- Smaller layouts and module standards are increasingly popular.

- There is an unmet demand for entry level models that manufacturers would do well to investigate to encourage this emerging market of younger modellers.

So this is all really good news for us! I'd be interested in your thoughts if you have any, as this focused mostly on North America, Europe and Asia, we're kind of our own "thing" I think!

Based on what some retailers have said, TT:120 is damaging N gauge sales in the UK. That is a shame because N gauge has a great range of models available whereas the TT:120 range is growing rapidly but still a very restricted range for anyone who wants to model a particular era or area. TT:120 isn't really very much bigger than British N either. If what some retailers are saying is correct then Hornby's foray into TT:120 could reduce the number of new tooling N gauge models over the next decade.

It's tricky to know what TT is doing to the British market. My impression which may be totally inaccurate, is that TT growth was mostly among trainset newcomers and OO downsizers, and new model N gauge sales were already reaching a plateau. Though the market for used N is growing enormously according to one major retailer I spoke to.

But nonetheless it must be having some impact. US N scale is I think more popular and has a bigger market share with no other small scale to dilute it.

Will.

Quote from: Chris Morris on Yesterday at 05:15:01 PMBased on what some retailers have said, TT:120 is damaging N gauge sales in the UK.

"Some" being the important word - usually said without reference to the shop(s) in question, or from a shop that isn't known for n gauge.

I had a very quick look at one of the reports he cites (https://marketintelo.com/report/model-railroading-market). Apparently it does include the UK, grouped in with "EU". Makes sense - we're not really doing our own thing, we're a huge market, among the biggest in Europe.

I'm not sure about the report myself. Not that I don't agree we'll see growth, it just seems a bit 'well... yeah'. I'm not sure the growth is attributable to the things they suggest either myself.

Couldn't care less about modular standards, indeed I generally really dislike modular layouts, but if they work for the builders then great.

I think we need to be careful what we wish for re: low detail 'entry level' models. The market isn't big enough for two ranges. I don't believe that price is a barrier to entry for young people in any meaningful sense, and I don't want models being 'dumbed down' to suit a market I'm not convinced really exists. What's the evidence for unmet demand?