Accentuate the negative - who's trying to kill the hobby?

[Sotto]

22 hours ago, Fair Oak Junction said:

 

Well actually, yes. When I went to an unspecified Welsh narrow gauge line (not named in case I get someone in trouble) late last year, there were a couple of families there with young children. A father and son were allowed to ride on the footplate down and during running round, and then another father and young son were on the footplate on the way back up.

If that doesn't get those kids into steam railways, nothing will! 😉 And I'll admit....I was a little jealous 😄

If it was this one, it's on their website!!:  https://www.festrail.co.uk/a-summer-of-footplate-rides/#!

[Fair Oak Junction]

1 minute ago, Sotto said:

If it was this one, it's on their website!!:  https://www.festrail.co.uk/a-summer-of-footplate-rides/#!

 

It wasn't, but that's nice to see!

Edited January 16 by Fair Oak Junction

[flockandroll]

Tonight's BBC Look North for East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, report on Market Deepening Model Railway Club about it's many youngsters. BUT begins by saying how the hobby is getting older and at risk of dying out (IIRC)!

Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Evening News: 16/01/2024: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vgx8 via @bbciplayer 

from 24.05

 

 

[flockandroll]

http://Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Evening News: 16/01/2024: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vgx8 via @bbciplayer

 

from 24.05

Edited January 16 by flockandroll
To add start time of report

[LBRJ]

on a brighter note, I called in at Rails today and they are reporting record levels of orders this week,.....

[arran]

57 minutes ago, melmoth said:

 

is that the best you can Do 

 

pathetic realy 

[Steamport Southport]

2 hours ago, Ruston said:

Newspapers. Tomorrow's chip wrappers, or at least they used to be.

 

Warley. I last went to the Warley exhibition over 10 years ago and even then it was overcrowded and overpriced and don't get me started on the price of parking a car at the NEC. No matter how long Warley continued to run I was never going to set foot in the NEC again.

 

Hattons. I've not bought anything from them since they brought out the Andrew Barclays. I don't know what the big deal was about them anyway.  Just one of many online retailers as far as I can see. I buy the vast majority of my modelling stuff from my local model shop anyway.

 

The ageing membership of model railway clubs. I aren't interested because when it comes to clubs, I'm with Groucho Marx.

 

It's all just a storm in a teacup.

 

 

 

 

But to millions they were the local shop!

 

 

 

Jason

[Legend]

1 hour ago, LBRJ said:

on a brighter note, I called in at Rails today and they are reporting record levels of orders this week,.....

Not really surprising given that Hattons have suggested transferring pre orders there 

[LBRJ]

1 minute ago, Legend said:

Not really surprising given that Hattons have suggested transferring pre orders there 

 

I wasn't in the slightest surprised, I was just reporting something as good news, rather than the more frequent negativity mentioned in this thread.

[andyman7]

30 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

But to millions they were the local shop!

 

 

 

Jason

Sorry, can't resist

[PMP]

3 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

Sorry, can't resist

We didn't burn him!

[TEAMYAKIMA]

3 hours ago, Ruston said:

The ageing membership of model railway clubs. I aren't interested because when it comes to clubs, I'm with Groucho Marx.

 

It seems a slightly strange comment in the context of this thread. I can only assume that you are equally not interested in going to model railway exhibitions and, if you are not interested in going to shows, that is your right, but it's not my viewpoint.

 

99% of exhibitions are put on by clubs. Therefore, if clubs die out, and they will if your attitude becomes more widespread, then many/most exhibitions simply won't happen. Of course there will still be a few shows, the ones sponsored by Warners or Key Publishing, but generally speaking if clubs die out so will most shows.

Edited January 16 by TEAMYAKIMA

[tractionman]

bit more of a positive spin in this BBC piece

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-67999111

 

Edited January 16 by tractionman
link corrected

[TEAMYAKIMA]

1 minute ago, tractionman said:

bit more of a positive spin in this BBC piece

 

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-67999111

 

 

 

That link doesn't work for me.

[PMP]

14 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

99% of exhibitions are put on by clubs. Therefore, if clubs die out, and they will if your attitude becomes more widespread, then many/most exhibitions simply won't happen. Of course there will still be a few shows, the ones sponsored by Warners or Key Publishing, but generally speaking if clubs die out so will most shows.

I think that shows may become less of a 'club' thing. There are already examples out there, Larkrail for instance. These are currently small by nature, but I can forsee a change where groups rather than formal clubs will start organising specialist shows or expo's.

 

Edited January 16 by PMP

[tractionman]

1 minute ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

That link doesn't work for me.

sorry, correct link now 😔

[Coldgunner]

The 16mm show has moved from Peterborough due to the showground closing, and moving near Coventry for this year. Made a bit of a difference to me as I actually need to put some planning into the trip, and now the Peterborough group are going to car share, but interested to see if the numbers at the show improve or dip.

[queensquare]

8 hours ago, PMP said:

I think that shows may become less of a 'club' thing. There are already examples out there, Larkrail for instance. These are currently small by nature, but I can forsee a change where groups rather than formal clubs will start organising specialist shows or expo's.

 

…… and we will be doing it again this year as well - Saturday July 13th - details to follow.

 

Jerry

[On30runner]

On 15/01/2024 at 18:13, Metropolitan said:

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. 

Errrr yes, if they are cleaners, they do.

[Revolution Ben]

23 hours ago, queensquare said:

Well I’ve just rewatched the piece on BBC breakfast and it seemed to me the focus was on naff puns and the fact that Market Deeping suffered from dreadful vandalism a few years ago. 
Twice the reporter eulogised about the Dawlish layout with its cliffs, waves etc yet all you ever actually got to see was the fiddle yard!

The club chairman came across very well but otherwise a pretty shallow bit of reporting.

 

Jerry

 

I thought the item was fun and entertaining and, most importantly, with the input of the little lad who'd built a Superquick kit (that wasn't super quick!) would've engaged with a Breakfast audience.

 

As to the reporting:  How much depth did you want?  This was breakfast telly - not Panorama.  The vast majority of the audience will be half-watching while they're dressing or munching toast.

 

As to the camera work:  Broadcast cameras are not small - this is intentional as their inertia helps to keep the shot steady when hand-held in a scrum.  The camera operator will also have been responsible for the sound, the signal back to the satellite truck that relays the item back to the studio and in that environment would've been *very* wary of walking into something or swinging the camera round and causing damage.  And at that time of morning they'd probably have had at most ten minutes to rehearse the live and get people into position.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

Edited January 17 by Revolution Ben

[queensquare]

8 minutes ago, Revolution Ben said:

 

I thought the item was fun and entertaining and, most importantly, with the input of the little lad who'd built a Superquick kit (that wasn't super quick!) would've engaged with a Breakfast audience.

 

As to the reporting:  How much depth did you want?  This was breakfast telly - not Panorama.  The vast majority of the audience will be half-watching while they're dressing or munching toast.

 

As to the camera work:  Broadcast cameras are not small - this is intentional as their inertia helps to keep the shot steady when hand-held in a scrum.  The camera operator will also have been responsible for the sound, the signal back to the satellite truck that relays the item back to the studio and in that environment would've been *very* wary of walking into something or swinging the camera round and causing damage.  And at that time of morning they'd probably have had at most ten minutes to rehearse the live and get people into position.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

Fair points Ben. Having watched the second report just before nine I was perhaps a little harsh.

 

Jerry

[Bernard Lamb]

Meanwhile in Germany.

Piko are looking forward to a good increase in sales for the coming year, with less reluctance among customers to spend money.

Bernard

[CF MRC]

Posted before completion. 

Edited January 17 by CF MRC

[NHY 581]

From the perspective of a small, local model railway shop the run up to and post Christmas period has been really busy. The vast majority of our sales are from visits to the shop, though last few weeks has seen an increase in online orders. 

 

But, crucially,  we are seeing lots of new customers, lots of youngsters with parents, customers travelling from outside of what would be considered 'our area' to visit and of course our regulars. 

Of those customers, the youngsters are all ages. Some benefitted from gifts of train sets at Christmas and returned afterwards to add to that initial purchase. Others came in to spend their Christmas money.  Those who say the hobby is dying,  as already debated here are ill informed and on a personal level, it is lovely to see the youngsters joining the hobby. 

 

We are also seeing a number of new adult modellers, some starting from scratch others returning to a childhood hobby now that family/work is settled. 

 

We also attend and support shows, large and small and generally attendence is as expected, normally confirmed in conversation with the organisers afterwards. Sometimes, custom exceeds all expectations and we are finding that exposure at these shows brings custom to the shop. 

 

The only conclusion to draw therefore, certainly as far as we are concerned, is that the hobby is good. 

 

Rob. 

 

[jjb1970]

From a retail perspective a lot will depend on commercial variables and business model, just the same as for manufacturers. The fact that one retailer or manufacturer is thriving or going downwards doesn't necessarily say anything about any others. Some businesses have lower costs, are more efficiently managed, understand their business better and are just better at what they do. Businesses thrive and businesses fail. Of course there are macro issues affecting business, but again the particular impact on a given business is not an immutable force of nature but is influenced by how it responds to conditions and adapts. Too many people see the plight (or achievements) or one business and assume it represents an entire segment of the economy.