geting the young involed

[Dock Shunter]

This dad doesn't seem to be having problems getting his youngsters interested in trains.

That's Mike Fifers layout which is a little bit more than an oval of track on the kitchen table..
How many three and four year olds have access to a layout like that..?
Getting kids interested and keeping that interest long enough to develop a trainset into a layout is the key.

[Sithlord75]

My girls are interested in trains - oldest is 5, youngest 8 months (although in her case it may be too early to tell!).  Certainly the middle pair (aged 4 and 2) are both keen.  They are all looking forward to December when we are moving to a shed (well a house but it has a 7.5m x 6m train shed in the back yard!) so they can set their train set up permenantly - plans include a hill (for the tunnel) a farm, a church, a village and a bridge apparently.  Somehow I have to fit it all on a 4x8 board (cause that is all they are getting space wise - I have to fit mine in too!) but I am thinking keen outguns prototype at this age so I am planning on looking the other way!

[mrjamestrain]

i agree as a lad of 15 i have no access to £100+ for descent loco but then even the 57xx i have seen for £75+ but farish could release older models ie 37 , 47, the gp tank and the 20

[Newportnobby]

i agree as a lad of 15 i have no access to £100+ for descent loco but then even the 57xx i have seen for £75+ but farish could release older models ie 37 , 47, the gp tank and the 20

Hi - I used to live near Stafford and regularly attended the Collectables/Railway swapmeets at the Showground. It's a great source for cheaper items and I would recommend it. If you don't take the Railway Modeller mag let me know and when I see one coming up I'll PM you.

[longbridge]

Many young modellers I have been involved with have gone for Thomas or Hornby Railroad in OO gauge, when it comes to N Gauge in Australia the only cheap way into the hobby is to buy second hand or brand new Bachmann American Diesels which sell for less tham $40au or about 28 quid sterling.

[AndyGif]

There is the option of a mass breeding program from selected train loving adult specimens....
There however is one major drawback, the ratio of male to females subjects is significant and there is the lengthy lead time to consider....

Cloning vats on kamino anyone....

My own son (nearly 3) has only recently seen my layout re-erected after it was taken apart and put into storage before his birth and a house move.  He got to like thomas the tank characters from someone taking the P*** and giving me a diecast james for my 40th, i think he was  about 1 when he saw it in a cupboard where it had been put(chucked in disgust more like {i dont do mobile hot water heaters}) and then that was it he was hooked.
Like most little boys(?) he likes cars, truck, tanks etc,  but he has good selection of the take a long thomas die casts (and makes me make more and more complicated layouts from the plastic track bits with every passing week).
I cant say either myself or his mother have encouraged him down this route he just likes them, is it genetic i wonder? (i used to be a proper hammer and spanners engineer before being made redundant 20+ years ago and moving into computersand programming)

His 11 year old halfbrother couldnt give a monkies about trains, planes or cars unless they are in one of his computer games.
His dad did send him a model kit of a harrier for one birthday, his dad being in the RAF and thats what he was currently working on, i dutifully helped him put it together and then started to help him paint it, he lost interest when it took so long to do and probably would have just smashed it to bits eventualy if his mother hadn't put it back in the cupboard out of the way.

Engineering is in the blood here,  my dad was a draftsman, his dad was a motor mechanic, and his dad was bicycle mechanic.
Never saw real steam, born in '68 so it was all gone by the time i could take notice.  Probably why i only have one kettle a 9F just because its big and did once work through my area.

Modern kids dont get to see real trains doing real work that often now, so they are just not inspired they way we were??!!

Well thats my two pence worth, cheers
Andy.

[mrjamestrain]

yeah iv'e been to every one with my dad since i was 2 i love the county show

[Ollie3440]

I'm fairly young (19) and i exhibit my layout. I've just always had an interest in the hobby and rarely go a day without some form of it. I know of a few even younger who are interested, like my neighbour (7) who i helped build a layout with.

I totally agree with what people are saying about a 'railroad' style range from Farish but what i think is really needed is Hornby to start N Gauge. They are the name most associated with model railways and with them having the rights to Thomas etc they could easily boost N Gauge to a wider audience.

Ollie

[poliss]

I think Hornby only have the rights for the OO gauge Thomas range. That's why you don't see the Bachmann OO Thomas range in the UK, but you do see Bachmann's large scale Thomas range on sale here.
I suspect Tomix have the licence for it in N scale.

[RichardBattersby]

I'm 25 and I've always loved modelling (of all kinds) and trains. My father was also very interested and we did a lot together. Going to exhibitions I sometimes find the significant age gap intimidating since I know relatively little at the moment. My layout isn't exhibition worthy yet but it's something I'd love to do in the future. It helps that I have a girldriend that is also interested. It is an expensive and time consuming hobby though but ultimately very rewarding.

[poliss]

"It is an expensive and time consuming hobby though but ultimately very rewarding."
Would that be trains or girls? 

[GT VIRUS]

My GF and I are young compared to most (22), and neither of us have parents etc involved in the hobby. We started as we wanted to do something together, and we are both interested in different parts of the hobby. I love the electrical and modelling side, and she just loves the trains (and collecting them!). It's something that is bringing us together, and it's good to have something that isn't virtual to do.

As for getting the young involved, it's going to be tough. The young has access to any amount of instant gratification, and modelling takes too much time for them. It's such a pity that the youth don't put in the time into anything any more. I can only think of showing the more modern aspects of the hobby, such as computer control etc.

Another idea is to get them to be interacting at model shows. At most show's i've been too, there has been very little to inspire people to get involved, as they don't do anything but watch. Anything from public running modules, to public building session. Anything to get people involved at show's would help alot more people get involved

[RichardBattersby]

"It is an expensive and time consuming hobby though but ultimately very rewarding."
Would that be trains or girls? 

Most definitely both! 

[moogle]

Back in the 80's there were loads of youngsters involved, me included. 
Trouble now is that there's so much vying for their time and attention.
Add to that that fact that high street model railway shops are getting rarer by the day for various reasons.
Thats why computer games do so well. There's a computer game shop on practically every high street so of course they can just walk in.
No internet ordering and waiting, buy it, go home, play it. Simple. Remember when we all did that with trains? 
It's not the prices that are stopping them getting involved as computer games aren't cheap.

Then you've got exhibitions. Full of mainly 'old men' as they'd see it, who focus on everything being to scale and correct and not having fun.
Next time your at an exhibition, a local one not Warley or something, have a look around and look at the age ranges.
There'll be a lot who are 50 plus, a fair few who are 30 plus but not many under that.
Most kids you'll see are preschool age and lovers of Thomas the Tank Engine.
Mind you I still like him! 

Then there's the image problem in the press.
Non-railway modelling press still seems to label us all as 'trainspotters', a view unchanged since about 1952.
About time they grew up...

The modelling press don't help the matter by concentrating on steam.
Now I know some mags are better than others at including more modern stuff but some are still stuck in a timewarp.

So if a 'cool' image was presented by the mainstream press and the model press had a more varied, less rose tinted view we might get more youngsters modelling as the here and now is what they see, are familiar with and would probably model.

Any one who is reading this who's under 30, welcome to the greatest hobby on the planet!
Just my view of things now that I'm an old git! 

[Oldman]

Just read this thread, and putting my farthing's worth in.
I must be one of the lucky ones then, My grandaughter (13) is pressurising me to get her  N base board made.
She has asked me to lay the track and do any wiring, but insists on choosing the rolling stock.
She has got the Peco Set-track starter kit and so far 4 Peco Wagon Kits, Kestrel buildings(she does not think the detail on card ones is good enough(something about texture). For motive power she has an old Trix 0-6-0 steamer think continental prototype.
Every thing she has paid for out of her pocket money and I think very unusual given the age!