Lots of young modellers now???

[Ensign Elliott]

Hi all - apologies if this has been discussed before.

As the son of a train driver (who's about to retire after nearly 50 years service), I've always had an interest in the hobby and started modelling N when I was about 10, having played with Dad's Triang fleet until then. Now aged 29, I've been through the whole getting girls, getting married and finding a house lark and am still as enthusiastic about trains as I was when I was 10, with my 4th N layout now in the planning stages.

I have to say though, I've always thought of our hobby as being, generally, a bit of an old man's hobby, and myself as a bit of an exception. When I was at school, the whole thought of trainspotting and playing with model trains was mocked as geeky etc, etc... A lot of the exhibitions I went to when I was younger were dominated by middle-aged and retired men, with very few young modellers around. My local club, until recently was also dominated by the same.

However, in the past 4 to 5 years, I've seen an noticable increase in the amount of young modellers around, both at exhibitions and at my local club where we have a very active young membership. We have at least 6 members who attend regularly, sometimes twice a week, who are all of high school age, and our chairman and treasurer are both under 30.

Is it just me or are we seeing a bit of a renaissance with young modellers/trainspotters ??

[Ensign Elliott]

Just you ... the average age of our club must be 70+, only three of us are under 50 !!

Ha, maybe its a case of young people attract other young people!

[Maurits71]

[longbridge]

I think its nice that someone has noticed more youngsters getting involved in trains and the hobby, I have several mates that are involved in a local club and to be honest even though I have been asked to join I wont, the way they talk they have no room for young people at their club and all they do is moan about each other, I tell them that they would all be better suited to the Country Womens Association 

[Kipper]

A friend of mine has two girls, aged 5 and 7. Every birthday and Christmas, they only want rail related presents. The have played with a Brio set since very young, and to aid reading I bought the "Jack the Station Cat" books, which they loved for the trains - not the cat! They always want to see my layout, and have a play with it (old rolling stock, no problem), and want their own. I am sure, when they are a bit older, the usual alternative interests will take them away from modelling, but perhaps they will come back when they have their own children.

[trainsdownunder]

I think that for many a "train set" years ago was just that, and with all that dangerous electricity around it was more of a "Dad Toy" - much like "slot cars".

Modern model railways offer far and with the ever increasing tech changes young-uns (under 50s) are finding the hobby more appealing. Add that to the fact people now travel outside their local town far easier than they used to following the advent of "cheap motoring" and so can get to many more exhibitions and local clubs. When growing up we had no car, so my railway treat was going to see the Hamley's layout at Christmas and maybe a trip to Beconscott, Don't remember all these exhibitions every weekend.

Forums and the internet mean knowledge and advice can be much easier obtained with a wealth of experience being handed down.

Yes there will still be GOMs (grumpy old men) stuck in their old ways, much as there are "rivet counters", and "train spotters", but it appears the young element in the hobby is growing and that can't be bad.

:thumb:

[Bealman]

Thanks for kicking off such a positive thread, Ensign Elliott. I don't attend exhibitions very often here in Australia (there's nowhere near the number of the events that the UK has, for starters), and I haven't been a club member for many years.

However, your observations are very encouraging.

[PLD]

This is a topic that regularly crops up on various forums...

We at Hull MRS have a decent number of members in their teens/20s but then there are fewer between 30 and 50 with at least 1/3 of the total being in the 50-65 range...

Most new joiners seem to fit in either the Late Teens or Early 50s ranges. I think it it mostly to do with working life and other commitments getting in the way...

For us it's not something we really worry about. Members do come and go but the overall total membership stays fairly constant and the age profile hasn't really changed in the 20+ years I've been a member...

It is pleasing when younger members do join and we do our best to keeep them! We have a weekly workshop session where we encourage new members (of all ages) to get creative and learn from the more established (not necessarily older) members and it is really pleasing to see the results.

[d-a-n]

As said above, I think we're just finding each other a bit more easily online, as well as the Internet offering us the chance to read about locos/trains, see layouts/get advice from Youtube and forums and make rash. late-night purchases from online retailers...
Model railways are very much a luxury but are nowhere near as expensive as cars, motorbikes, golf or the like can be.
Where are you based Elliott?

[Skyline2uk]

Now aged 29, I've been through the whole getting girls, getting married and finding a house lark and am still as enthusiastic about trains as I was when I was 10, with my 4th N layout now in the planning stages.

Hey Ensign Elliot.

The above quote is similar to me, expect I have the house and partner but not the married bit just yet and I am only on my second layout. The number of layouts is merely down to lethargy though I suspect 

I too have started to see the number of younger people in the hobby increase, but seeing as (like you) I was into N gauge from the age of 10, exhibitions  are a regular for me and have been since the days when the odd old bloke was surprised when I knew what a 47/7 was 

Skyline2uk

[mark37/4]

well i wouldnt class my self as a young modeler, (very early 20s) & ive been in to model railways since i was 6, with 00 gauge (which i still have my first trains, a Hornby 142 pacer & intercity 125), & got in to N gauge a few years back,

But I attend only local two shows, & have noticed there is a few younger modelers now getting involed, & ive attended two shows & its suprising how many youngen's visist to watch the trains


Mark

[bridgiesimon]

Maybe it is an N gauge thing, esp the modern scene. the average age at the forum meets and at tings seem to be lower than the ages of the modellers in the larger scales, especially O gauge which does seem to be the scale of the older modeller.

We were operating at the Thornecombe show yesterday and there did seem to be a good proportion of families and youngers visitors so maybe the era of computers only has passsed and people are looking for otehr play things as well? Who knows but I think that our hobby is very strong for the future!!

Best wishes
Simon

[mark37/4]

Ive seen that aswell Simon, It seems that each scale has a select age group

Younger modelers up to mid 20s, model in n gauge or 00

Mid age folk around 30s-40s model in 00 gauge

Then the older generation model in O gauge

Mark

[EtchedPixels]

Ive seen that aswell Simon, It seems that each scale has a select age group

Younger modelers up to mid 20s, model in n gauge or 00

Mid age folk around 30s-40s model in 00 gauge

Then the older generation model in O gauge

At 20 you can read the fine print on the side of an N gauge wagon, at 40 you can see the wagon, at 70 I'm not sure I'd be able to see the wagon

[railsquid]

Ive seen that aswell Simon, It seems that each scale has a select age group

Younger modelers up to mid 20s, model in n gauge or 00

Mid age folk around 30s-40s model in 00 gauge

Then the older generation model in O gauge

At 20 you can read the fine print on the side of an N gauge wagon, at 40 you can see the wagon, at 70 I'm not sure I'd be able to see the wagon

Not with those sunglasses on you won't.