@Lou1985 posted:O scale 2 rail and 3 rail are expensive hobbies. If you are in the 20-40 year age range (mostly defined on OGR as "younger people") than you don't have as much disposable income as someone 50+. If you are into model trains the smaller scales provide much more bang for your buck. Instead of getting one locomotive for $500-1000 in O 2 rail you can get an entire train, locomotive to caboose, in HO. Plus if you're younger and in a smaller home you can have more equipment in a smaller space. A smaller budget, due to child care costs, mortgage costs, etc. all contribute to smaller scales popularity as well.Think about it. If you're in your 60s and have money to buy trains you probably didn't have that disposable income 30 years ago when you were starting a family. It's basic economics, space requirements, and the proliferation of other hobbies that didn't exist 30 years ago for younger generations enjoy. Pretty simple.
Except, you really don't have to have $500-1000 locomotives. I've only crossed into that range twice in 20 years and have as the normal modeler too many locomotives. Rolling stock can be had for a lot less proportionally as well. Last train show I attended (this month...) a brass tank car came home with me for $35. None of the cars on my table for sale that day were more than $75 and most were under $50.
Space as I noted at least 3 pages back is dependent on the modeler's objective - there is nothing that requires one to build a massive empire layout. My own is in an 11x16 room. Also finished and has inherently has minimal maintenance thanks to that constraint in size.
