I remember steam on mainline railroads (yep, I'm a dinosaur), that's why most of us in our 60's
and older model the transition era, we can relate. It was a very interesting era. But this hobby
is getting more hi-tech and sophisticated all the time, great to lure the younger generation in.
I personally think it will be around a very long time.

On Mar 21, 2015, at 9:53 PM, 'Scott H. Haycock '  wrote:

There's a GG1` paper kit as well.

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/2027/gg1/index.html

Scott Haycock

---

 

Here..... try something different.... download and consider building this per the plans and study how you could make a more conventional RR model from it.....

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/2027/hayabusa/index.html

Or some just as modern, but less complicated to build...

http://site5.tori-info.co.jp/p/chizukyu/special/paper_craft/

On Mar 21, 2015, at 9:09 PM, Mike Bauers mwbauers55@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:

Maybe I'm too optimistic about the pre-decorated aspect. But look at carbon3d.com and see how the newest 3d printers make prints in six-minutes that other makes take over an hour to make. Then consider what a small maker can do with a bunch of those machines running at once.

I'll bet this hobby will have a tidal wave of new offerings five years from now.

On Mar 21, 2015, at 8:58 PM, david ellzey davidellzey1@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:

I have to agree somewhat that that it's an "old man's hobby". Back in the early 50's just about every kid had a Lionel or American Flyer train set under the Christmas tree. Now, the kids want computer games and other hi-tech stuff. Changing times.

I remember steam on mainline railroads (yep, I'm a dinosaur), that's why most of us in our 60's and older model the transition era, we can relate. It was a very interesting era.

But this hobby is getting more hi-tech and sophisticated all the time, great to lure the younger generation in. I personally think it will be around a very long time.
  

---

From: "Tim O'Connor timboconnor@... [STMFC]" <STMFC@...>
To: STMFC@... 
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 8:08 PM
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Random Thoughts from my two articles in Volume 3 of Speedwitch's Modeling Journal

 

> Face it; it's an old man's hobby. 
> Brad

Not old -- but most people get into the hobby (or come back to it, as I did)
in their 30's and 40's after they "settle down" and develop an interest in doing
some activity in their leisure time at home. But I think the median age of NMRA
membership was always in the low 40's... It's probably climbed now since a lot
of new model railroaders no longer join because there are so many other outlets
for sharing in the hobby. Like STMFC!

Ah well it's nothing to worry about -- considering everything that is out there,
there's never been a better time to enjoy this hobby than right now!

Tim O'Connor

On Mar 21, 2015, at 7:47 PM, Tony Thompson  wrote:

Mike Bauers wrote:

The trends are not positive and have been steadily negative for far too many years.

Look at the numbers over time and see if book sales match those of the past. I think if they had stayed very strong, so many bookstores would not have closed over the last several years.

I just think the hobby has changed radically around us. Its still there, just very changed.

     You're still not listening, Mike. Total hobby sales and trends are NOT negative, just store sales. Books likewise have held up, even hardbacks, and e-books, though no longer growing by leaps and bounds, continue to show strong sales. The book business is FAR from failing, though physical stores are struggling.

     Your last statement is the key. Our hobby, and much else in the world of retail, is indeed changing, in some ways radically. But to understand it, you have to recognize Internet sales. It won't be long before people react the same way to remarks about hobby shops, as some already do to the idea of a camera store. One person said to me, "what camera stores?"

     With respect to freight cars, Richard Hendrickson was fond of saying, "THESE are the good old days." Look at the selection and quality of today, and the fact that there are NEW manufacturers offering ready-to-run freight cars. Doesn't sound to me like "the trends are not positive."

Tony Thompson             Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA

2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705         www.signaturepress.com

(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, tony@...

Publishers of books on railroad history

Modeling the late 50's and early 60's, would the stripes above and below the reporting marks have been removed during renumbering. Is it possible that a few stripes survived into the 60's? Same with the ampersand on T&NO cars, could any have survived?

Thanks in advance.

David Ellzey

On Mar 21, 2015, at 7:08 PM, Brad Smith  wrote:

Face it; it's an old man's hobby. 

Brad

Sent from Brad's iPod

On Mar 21, 2015, at 6:56 PM, Mike Bauers  wrote:

 

It is a complex problem.

You reminded me that one thing they said was that books and magazines sales were still doing well, but not enough to carry the store. Its a large building and perhaps a third of it are books and magazines. Which is an interesting point, since they are just about four blocks away from a large Barnes and Nobles bookstore.

 

It is a complex problem.

You reminded me that one thing they said was that books and magazines sales were still doing well, but not enough to carry the store. Its a large building and perhaps a third of it are books and magazines. Which is an interesting point, since they are just about four blocks away from a large Barnes and Nobles bookstore.

There were several volumes of local RR'ing books released and carried by them that I bought copies of, as one example.

In general, every hobby section of the store was large and well stocked. They were the #1 R/C store for that half of this county and the next as well.

And I wrote 'increasingly can't afford it' quite intensionally. A growing problem is that the newer modelers have an extremely difficult time finding well paying jobs and far too many are still livi ng in basement bedrooms at the parents home as 30-year-olds. 

There are only so many hobby items one can put in their bedrooms when they can't get a place of their own.

The trends are not positive and have been steadily negative for far too many years.

Books may be an exception. I leap for them in effect. But I work with many people in a huge company that generally don't read anything other than the occasional contemporary magazine. They're not buying books as much as we could hope.

Look at the numbers over time and see if book sales match those of the past. I think if they had stayed very strong, so many bookstores would not have closed over the last several years.

And the new media is a competing problem. A couple of years ago I bought a cd that contains 15 ,000 books in it. Yes, 15,000 books.....

For under $5 .......... 

I don't even have a dedicated digital reader like a Kindle. But I do have all 15,000 books on my computer and use an App to read them. Where some years ago I bought nearly every reprint like the TOC Car Builders Dictionary with their thousands of RR car photos and equipment drawings in each. Now I've gathered even more of them in freely downloadable .pdf's that I can directly port into computer programs, transform, and build from....

The print versions will be going on eBay later this year.

Well, aren't I a downer ............

I'm still looking forward to doing all of the catch-up building of stuff that I just can't find to buy in the first place.

I ju st think the hobby has changed radically around us. Its still there, just very changed.

We can work with that..........

My more recent buy is the second volume of the Milwaukee Road Streamliner plans.......... Soon to be mated with a low-cost laser cutter to give me the models I can't find to buy.

Best to ya,

Mike Bauers

Milwaukee, Wi

On Mar 21, 2015, at 6:25 PM, Tony Thompson tony@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:

Mike Bauers wrote:

 

According to the recent closing of a major hobby shop here, the owners stated that sales of everything have steadily dropped since the panic of 2008.

They closed due to projections that they would be unable to make the payroll in two more years of decline, and assessments of what additional costs were expected as various governmental programs kicked in over the next couple of years, increasing their overhead as well as further reducing the general public's ability to buy leisure items from anyone. The economy hasn't recovered and is being driven further down. Just paying the constantly increasing electric and heating bills became a challenge to a hobby shop as sales reduced.

    Mike, I'm sure these people are sincere and very likely believe what they told you. But actually, all niche products have been falling in sal es in brick and mortar stores. Books are the same. But book sales, like hobby sales and other niche products, are INCREASING, and have been right through the recession. No prizes if you guess it's all about the Internet. Buy a book, buy an Athearn locomotive, it's the same product anywhere you buy it, and both convenience AND price are driving all this. It is silly to say "people can no longer afford it," because overall sales are NOT down.

     For freight cars, this is at least as true as for the other items named. Few hobby shops could afford to carry a complete stock of, say, InterMountain cars, not to mention resin kits. But sales of them are zipping right along. Just not in stores.

Tony Thompson             Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA

2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705         www.signaturepress.com

(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, tony@...

Publishers of books on railroad history

< /p>

On Mar 21, 2015, at 6:25 PM, Tony Thompson tony@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:

Mike Bauers wrote:

 

According to the recent closing of a major hobby shop here, the owners stated that sales of everything have steadily dropped since the panic of 2008.

They closed due to projections that they would be unable to make the payroll in two more years of decline, and assessments of what additional costs were expected as various governmental programs kicked in over the next couple of years, increasing their overhead as well as further reducing the general public's ability to buy leisure items from anyone. The economy hasn't recovered and is being driven further down. Just paying the constantly increasing electric and heating bills became a challenge to a hobby shop as sales reduced.

    Mike, I'm sure these people are sincere and very likely believe what they told you. But actually, all niche products have been falling in sales in brick and mortar stores. Books are the same. But book sales, like hobby sales and other niche products, are INCREASING, and have been right through the recession. No prizes if you guess it's all about the Internet. Buy a book, buy an Athearn locomotive, it's the same product anywhere you buy it, and both convenience AND price are driving all this. It is silly to say "people can no longer afford it," because overall sales are NOT down.

     For freight cars, this is at least as true as for the other items named. Few hobby shops could afford to carry a complete stock of, say, InterMountain cars, not to mention resin kits. But sales of them are zipping right along. Just not in stores.

Tony Thompson             Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA

2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705         www.signaturepress.com

(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, tony@...

Publishers of books on railroad history