Metropolitan

The three bits of news we have had are not necessarily related. Hattons to close, Hornbys 2024 catalogue and Warley. Hattons have lost, what, 15% of their sales because of the loss of Bachmann? Hornby's lacklustre catalogue, no idea although this may have affected Hattons decision? And then there is Warley with a lack of volunteers. Why would this be I wonder? How welcomed and appreciated did the management make those who did volunteer feel? How eager were they to bring those volunteers into the organisation? Or was it a tyranny?

You are right! But do the heritage railways let youngsters ride on the footplate? Do they let them get to touch the stuff and maybe oil up an engine? No they don't.

Times change. I believe that modelling will come back as the fact that feeling or seeing something physical in your hand trumps anything on a screen. But it will be a long time. And I can't see how the the real world railway system we have now is going to inspire young modellers. It's no good blaming the media. The only people allowed anywhere near anything interesting are old,

Fair enough.

Why are my posts being deleted?

The problem is that the online world has usurped hobbies like model railways. For instance I have Train Sim World, but ultimately found that, in the end, it is in no way a replacement to having physical real objects to own and enjoy. It may be a few years away but my guess is that the emptiness of online replacement activities will become evident and will fade. Young people will again realise that real things are, well, just much more fun.

Ah.

Am I imaging it or do I correctly recall that, some years ago, Hornby announced that they were bringing production of their models back to the UK? What happened?

I've fitted a power bank to the HM7000 and I must say that it's a flawless runner and that I haven't found any of the issues mentioned above in this thread.

Or forums.😀

Nice to know. I must have missed them.

New commercial people. Not hobbyists. Where are all the young people entering the hobby as you suggested? I don't expect it matters.

Where?

Oh I have. And that's great. But I've also noticed that the hobby's backbone, Hornby, isn't investing in new models bar one. And they ain't daft. TT is a gamble which may or may not pay off. Looking at my SR RTR loco collection I note that I have 12 Hornby, 6 Bachman/EFE, 3 Dapol, 1 Oxford Rail and one Kernow with one from Rapido due this year.