Vinny26 posted:How can young people be interested in a hobby that is based on trains no one has seen? When was the last time you saw a steam locomotive? How many young people have seen any train? When we baby boomers had toy trains we also rode in and saw real trains. Young ones have little experience if any with trains. In the late fifties and early sixties many saw toy trains die off because of airplanes. People flew in planes not on a train. In the early eighties toy trains began to be popular because baby boomers were buying them. Today, the vast majority of model railroaders are old ones. Yes, there are some young ones but not enough to sustain the inventory being produced by the major companies today. Don’t forget that with hobby stores closing and access to trains is only possible on the internet how are young ones going to see them. Train shows have died off too. With overpriced trains and cranky sellers sitting at tables yelling at kids for getting too close to his table what do you expect? Toy trains are still very appealing to kids but will not be without plenty of exposure.
Exposure is what is missing and unless it changes it will die off with us baby boomers.
Amtrak ridership is at an all time high, Brightline just started service and public transit ridership is higher than it has been in decades. I think focusing on making trains that people use currently and partnering up with Amtrak to maybe do a train awareness campaign might help. It is kind of crazy that no ones has done a Siemens Charger or Sprinter Locomotive in O-gauge. Many people ride on trains pulled by Sprinter locomotives on the North East Corridor and Charger will be used on the Pacific Surfliner and various other state-funded trains that are also really busy. I think if MTH or Lionel made a starter set with one of those locomotives and some Amfleet coaches it would do well.
