The popularity of Warhammer would suggest that there’s not some inherent aversion to building and painting small models among The Youth.
This is just my experience but I’d be quite interested but there’s no way I could fit a model train setup in my house. You really need a spare room or a fitted basement or a decent sized garage that you can dedicate to that hobby, while most of my generation are just happy to have a place to live.
No surprise people living in houseshares, one/two bedroom flats and, if they are lucky, cramped Barrath Homes style boxy starters homes aren’t building model railways for their non-existent spare rooms
It’s the cost for me personally, simply can’t afford £200-£400 for a multiple unit or £115 for a little 0-4-0 steamy.
the remote control cars (different but similar) has a crazy boom again since covid. I’ve heard loads of shops completely sold out during covid.
even rail simulator games are considered very niche.
and thats without the storage, cleaning and cost of model units.
Could the increasing cost of models be part of the problem, I know you get what you pay for and the standard of models is unbelievable but the cost has to be a problem?
My dad used to take me to exhibitions or events or w.e. they were and I always thought they were pretty cool, I even had some track and trains for a while but you need space and essentially a massive table, you can’t have them on the floor…
Then at one event some asshole sold me a train set that he claimed was fully working but he’d placed a weight in one of the locomotives to make it feel like it was.
​
Now a days its over £300 just for the two end carriages and £500 for a full train
I think the drive to build has not disappeared, just that its focus has shifted.
Warhammer is not so different really, and something that young people get into with no prompting.
So in many ways Games Workshop is the Hornby of the 21at century
It’s also likely because MOST OF US CAN BARELY AFFORD RENT AND LACK THE SPACE FOR IT!
Im in my 30s I’d love to build my own model railway, I could probably afford it with the cost spread out sensibly, but I don’t have space, and there is no way I’m gonna be in a position to buy an even slightly bigger house for at least 10 more years.
Spent many hours as a youngster building train sets and occupying the dining room table with various bits of kit, but couldn’t be bothered with that faff now days. Much easier to play a train simulator on PC
When they move out of all the houses big enough for them so the next generation can have room then these hobbies will grow again.
I’ve been selling my late uncle’s model trains on ebay for most of the last year, and there’s definitely still a market out there that’s enthusiastic and passionate.
But, realistically, with a hobby driven largely by nostalgia, the Big Four trains that my uncle collected will have a very small group of enthusiasts, which is only likely to get smaller.
The model shops I spoke to about his collection all said that the majority of collectors they sell to these days are more interested in diesel locomotives than steam, because those are the trains they were interested in when they were young.
The space you need, the time and investment required, and the vision to build something that really makes you happy probably all act as obstacles as well.
The steam era, and probably the BR blue era when diesel came in, has a massive range of interest, with many locos, wagons, and such. The modern era of rail is heavily passenger focused, and there’s very little variety in locomotives these days (unless you really like 66s). It’s no surprise – BR were always trying to standardise but never really managed it. The modern railway has been more successful at standardisation. But I don’t think it makes something as interesting to model to younger people. But there’s obviously people wanting to model.
I remember when my town had a model railway shop. Now we have a Games Workshop.
My dad got into model railway when he retired & a whole set costed over £10,000 lol…
Just seems a very expensive hobby. Some buildings cost anywhere from £5-50, and you needing around 50 of them to make a town/city, then all the foilage, tools and accessories, the space…
Wages haven’t kept up with inflation, let alone the increase inflation of model train prices, which has gone through the roof as Chinese production costs have risen.
Brexit.
Cost of living crisis.
Houses are getting smaller, and these things take up space.
The customers have generally been older people, and younger people aren’t joining at the same rate. It’s morbid, but these older people are starting to die at a higher rate.
Computer games take up less space and are cheaper than model railways.
Hattons stopped stocking Bachmann for considerable time.
There’s been a rise in the number of manufacturers. This gave the impression that it was a booming business, but this isn’t sustainable long-term due to the above.
Some of us have tried pointing out that this isn’t sustainable long-term, but sadly, some model railway forums have their heads in the sand and seem keen to shut down all discussion of increasing prices and the hobby shrinking. Having your head in the sand won’t stop the inevitable.
We don’t run out of steam, we’ve just moved to other shit.
Instead of trains, it’s now warhammer, or in my case, Lego.
I do a lot of Warhammer/One Page Rules figure painting and I’ve considered getting into model railways but I just don’t have the space to put them.
I wonder if a large difference is younger generation of train enthusiasts have simulators and videos online they can watch, whereas before the internet the model railway would appeal because it was one of the few ways of replicating it at home
I used to be into model railways and engineering as a teenager before I got into motorcycles (I’m only 33!).
I’ve recently revisited some of the shops I used to go to and couldn’t believe the price changes.
It’s absolutely INSANE how much the hobby costs now. It was never a poor man’s game but it’s beyond the pale now. I think my GF would be more annoyed at how much I’d spend on trains rather than motorcycles!
What doesn’t help is the sometimes (frequently) miserable old bastard/rivet counter attitude that young people simply aren’t willing to put up with. I also own a classic motorcycle and although many club members are nice people a fair few are complete pricks – again, looking down at the younger generations much like the railway groups do.
People don’t have the space, yes. Also they’re not new or interesting technology. Models will always be a thing, but people will move from trains to planes to drones.
People have less money, less time off work, and it’s getting harder and harder to find a house big enough to keep a model railway. The people who can generally afford these things tend to be those who bought their houses when they were worth about a tenner or something.
Aren’t they expensive? I remembered seeing model trains set costing a fortune…
Have a garden railway, its morea model village with a railway running through it, think Titchfield thunderbolt,
I started with a lgb starter set, a basic circular set of track..£250 at the time, and over the years added to it.
Advent of 3d printing means you can, print your own..
It’s not a cheap hobby..but it dosnt have to cost loads..make your own.
Maybe if young people had money for hobbies and houses they could fit hobbies in they would spend money on hobbies.
I mean, considering how expensive it is kinda makes it difficult to get into for a start.
As a model railway hobbyist this week has been an odd one – Hattons closing, a major retailer and the Warley show stopping – the largest model railway exhibition in the UK.
Age is a huge factor, but I would argue price and space play the biggest part. I model in N, which is a quarter of the size of ‘Hornby stuff’. That still needs a bunch of space if you want a model railway rather than a train set. Houses haven’t been built for larger hobbies and newer builds are using loft space to cram another bedroom in so a typical loft layout isn’t achievable. It was telling that Hornby released a smaller scale a few years ago that directly rivals their own existing products (TT:120 v. 00).
Ten years ago a single coach was around £20, some are now pushing £50 to £60. Even second hand items are going for near new prices.
Getting younger people into clubs is difficult, not all, but a lot of existing older club members look down on younger people and so naturally there is a barrier to getting fresh blood into replace those who pass on. Similar to some preserved lines that face the same age issue.
Clubs need rented space to store layouts and meet, that is an ever increasing expense.
Model trains will not disappear and there have been new innovations with laser cut items and 3D printing – new manufacturers driven by passion projects still occasionally pop up which is promising.
People are lucky to afford a room these days. Let alone space for a train set 😂
That’s sad I do like seeing them, I just don’t have the motivation, space or money to do it myself.
Honestly I find model train sets so interesting and complex. You can get audio packs from stations around the country with the National Rail voiceovers too & mini led boards to put on the stations. The level of detail on some I’ve seen around is unreal.
That said I admire the effort and everything that goes into it, find it interesting to see personally I would never get involved with it or have any interest in trains.
But respect to those that go all out with their hobby because they do look great. It’s bloody expensive as a hobby
30 comments
The popularity of Warhammer would suggest that there’s not some inherent aversion to building and painting small models among The Youth.
This is just my experience but I’d be quite interested but there’s no way I could fit a model train setup in my house. You really need a spare room or a fitted basement or a decent sized garage that you can dedicate to that hobby, while most of my generation are just happy to have a place to live.
No surprise people living in houseshares, one/two bedroom flats and, if they are lucky, cramped Barrath Homes style boxy starters homes aren’t building model railways for their non-existent spare rooms
It’s the cost for me personally, simply can’t afford £200-£400 for a multiple unit or £115 for a little 0-4-0 steamy.
the remote control cars (different but similar) has a crazy boom again since covid. I’ve heard loads of shops completely sold out during covid.
even rail simulator games are considered very niche.
and thats without the storage, cleaning and cost of model units.
Could the increasing cost of models be part of the problem, I know you get what you pay for and the standard of models is unbelievable but the cost has to be a problem?
My dad used to take me to exhibitions or events or w.e. they were and I always thought they were pretty cool, I even had some track and trains for a while but you need space and essentially a massive table, you can’t have them on the floor…
Then at one event some asshole sold me a train set that he claimed was fully working but he’d placed a weight in one of the locomotives to make it feel like it was.
​
Now a days its over £300 just for the two end carriages and £500 for a full train
I think the drive to build has not disappeared, just that its focus has shifted.
Warhammer is not so different really, and something that young people get into with no prompting.
So in many ways Games Workshop is the Hornby of the 21at century
It’s also likely because MOST OF US CAN BARELY AFFORD RENT AND LACK THE SPACE FOR IT!
Im in my 30s I’d love to build my own model railway, I could probably afford it with the cost spread out sensibly, but I don’t have space, and there is no way I’m gonna be in a position to buy an even slightly bigger house for at least 10 more years.
Spent many hours as a youngster building train sets and occupying the dining room table with various bits of kit, but couldn’t be bothered with that faff now days. Much easier to play a train simulator on PC
When they move out of all the houses big enough for them so the next generation can have room then these hobbies will grow again.
I’ve been selling my late uncle’s model trains on ebay for most of the last year, and there’s definitely still a market out there that’s enthusiastic and passionate.
But, realistically, with a hobby driven largely by nostalgia, the Big Four trains that my uncle collected will have a very small group of enthusiasts, which is only likely to get smaller.
The model shops I spoke to about his collection all said that the majority of collectors they sell to these days are more interested in diesel locomotives than steam, because those are the trains they were interested in when they were young.
The space you need, the time and investment required, and the vision to build something that really makes you happy probably all act as obstacles as well.
The steam era, and probably the BR blue era when diesel came in, has a massive range of interest, with many locos, wagons, and such. The modern era of rail is heavily passenger focused, and there’s very little variety in locomotives these days (unless you really like 66s). It’s no surprise – BR were always trying to standardise but never really managed it. The modern railway has been more successful at standardisation. But I don’t think it makes something as interesting to model to younger people. But there’s obviously people wanting to model.
I remember when my town had a model railway shop. Now we have a Games Workshop.
My dad got into model railway when he retired & a whole set costed over £10,000 lol…
Just seems a very expensive hobby. Some buildings cost anywhere from £5-50, and you needing around 50 of them to make a town/city, then all the foilage, tools and accessories, the space…
Wages haven’t kept up with inflation, let alone the increase inflation of model train prices, which has gone through the roof as Chinese production costs have risen.
Brexit.
Cost of living crisis.
Houses are getting smaller, and these things take up space.
The customers have generally been older people, and younger people aren’t joining at the same rate. It’s morbid, but these older people are starting to die at a higher rate.
Computer games take up less space and are cheaper than model railways.
Hattons stopped stocking Bachmann for considerable time.
There’s been a rise in the number of manufacturers. This gave the impression that it was a booming business, but this isn’t sustainable long-term due to the above.
Some of us have tried pointing out that this isn’t sustainable long-term, but sadly, some model railway forums have their heads in the sand and seem keen to shut down all discussion of increasing prices and the hobby shrinking. Having your head in the sand won’t stop the inevitable.
We don’t run out of steam, we’ve just moved to other shit.
Instead of trains, it’s now warhammer, or in my case, Lego.
I do a lot of Warhammer/One Page Rules figure painting and I’ve considered getting into model railways but I just don’t have the space to put them.
I wonder if a large difference is younger generation of train enthusiasts have simulators and videos online they can watch, whereas before the internet the model railway would appeal because it was one of the few ways of replicating it at home
I used to be into model railways and engineering as a teenager before I got into motorcycles (I’m only 33!).
I’ve recently revisited some of the shops I used to go to and couldn’t believe the price changes.
It’s absolutely INSANE how much the hobby costs now. It was never a poor man’s game but it’s beyond the pale now. I think my GF would be more annoyed at how much I’d spend on trains rather than motorcycles!
What doesn’t help is the sometimes (frequently) miserable old bastard/rivet counter attitude that young people simply aren’t willing to put up with. I also own a classic motorcycle and although many club members are nice people a fair few are complete pricks – again, looking down at the younger generations much like the railway groups do.
People don’t have the space, yes. Also they’re not new or interesting technology. Models will always be a thing, but people will move from trains to planes to drones.
People have less money, less time off work, and it’s getting harder and harder to find a house big enough to keep a model railway. The people who can generally afford these things tend to be those who bought their houses when they were worth about a tenner or something.
Aren’t they expensive? I remembered seeing model trains set costing a fortune…
Have a garden railway, its morea model village with a railway running through it, think Titchfield thunderbolt,
I started with a lgb starter set, a basic circular set of track..£250 at the time, and over the years added to it.
Advent of 3d printing means you can, print your own..
It’s not a cheap hobby..but it dosnt have to cost loads..make your own.
Maybe if young people had money for hobbies and houses they could fit hobbies in they would spend money on hobbies.
I mean, considering how expensive it is kinda makes it difficult to get into for a start.
As a model railway hobbyist this week has been an odd one – Hattons closing, a major retailer and the Warley show stopping – the largest model railway exhibition in the UK.
Age is a huge factor, but I would argue price and space play the biggest part. I model in N, which is a quarter of the size of ‘Hornby stuff’. That still needs a bunch of space if you want a model railway rather than a train set. Houses haven’t been built for larger hobbies and newer builds are using loft space to cram another bedroom in so a typical loft layout isn’t achievable. It was telling that Hornby released a smaller scale a few years ago that directly rivals their own existing products (TT:120 v. 00).
Ten years ago a single coach was around £20, some are now pushing £50 to £60. Even second hand items are going for near new prices.
Getting younger people into clubs is difficult, not all, but a lot of existing older club members look down on younger people and so naturally there is a barrier to getting fresh blood into replace those who pass on. Similar to some preserved lines that face the same age issue.
Clubs need rented space to store layouts and meet, that is an ever increasing expense.
Model trains will not disappear and there have been new innovations with laser cut items and 3D printing – new manufacturers driven by passion projects still occasionally pop up which is promising.
People are lucky to afford a room these days. Let alone space for a train set 😂
That’s sad I do like seeing them, I just don’t have the motivation, space or money to do it myself.
Honestly I find model train sets so interesting and complex. You can get audio packs from stations around the country with the National Rail voiceovers too & mini led boards to put on the stations. The level of detail on some I’ve seen around is unreal.
That said I admire the effort and everything that goes into it, find it interesting to see personally I would never get involved with it or have any interest in trains.
But respect to those that go all out with their hobby because they do look great. It’s bloody expensive as a hobby