How the hobby has changed!


In another way -- going back to philosophy 101 -- the actual hobby has not changed at all.

insert pause for that to sink in a minute....

The hobby is to model a railroad, a part of a railroad, or some aspect of a railroad. I don't think that has changed.
The goal of a model railroad is usually to make it as realistic as possible. I don't think that has changed. At least I'm still trying to doing that.

What has changed, as this thread attests to, is the tools and technology that allow new levels of realism in pretty much every aspect of the miniature creation process from the research forward to "finished" result.
 
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The goal of the hobby is the same, its how its achieved that has changed for many. So much RTR items now. Most new model railroaders have no desire or clue how to build a steam locomotive kit, or fine tune and paint a brass model. But those skills can be learned, just as they were for those that came before us. I learned to build Bowser steam locomotive kits from one of the elders of the local club. He was old enough to be my grandfather. I have watched how the hobby is enjoyed change vastly since I was a young boy. Magazines once filled with ads for brass trains, how to articles and such have gotten much thinner in page count and are mostly ads and pics of mega layouts. I have seen the hobby go from under $10 for an Athearn blue box grain hopper, to ones that rivial brass but in plastic and with the price to go with it. A four car train would cost me nearly $100. If I want brass detail, I will buy brass. And that is exactly what I do, its less fragile than the new plastic with that level of detail. Many times, the prices are not that far apart as well. A shop in Indianapolis sells more estate/collection items than new trains. When I see tables with estate items at a show, its quickly mobbed once the doors open. So the old school modelers and ones tired of high priced RTR items are out there. And its not just grey haired older gentlemen. I see plenty of younger 20-30yr old modelers in those mobs. Mike the Aspie
 
In another way -- going back to philosophy 101 -- the actual hobby has not changed at all.

insert pause for that to sink in a minute....

The hobby is to model a railroad, a part of a railroad, or some aspect of a railroad. I don't think that has changed.
The goal of a model railroad is usually to make it as realistic as possible. I don't think that has changed. At least I'm still trying to doing that.

What has changed, as this thread attests to, is the tools and technology that allow new levels of realism in pretty much every aspect of the miniature creation process from the research forward to "finished" result.

Precisely.
 
In another way -- going back to philosophy 101 -- the actual hobby has not changed at all.

insert pause for that to sink in a minute....

The hobby is to model a railroad, a part of a railroad, or some aspect of a railroad. I don't think that has changed.
The goal of a model railroad is usually to make it as realistic as possible. I don't think that has changed. At least I'm still trying to doing that.

What has changed, as this thread attests to, is the tools and technology that allow new levels of realism in pretty much every aspect of the miniature creation process from the research forward to "finished" result.

Absatootly!
 
So, as I have discussed elsewhere on the Model Railroad Forums, I model the transition. However, my true love is the Steam Era and in particular the Narrow Gauge, specific to Colorado. I find that there is far more Narrow Gauge stuff available today, then there ever was, previously. I think if you want to know what is popular, you should really go by what is being produced. However, I also think, just because some things are popular doesn't mean that should effect the decision you make about the hobby! To think along the lines: I'm going to be doing this because many others think it is neat, certainly makes my blood flow cold! Generally hobbies are a chance to let the creative juices flow and creative juices flow from independent sources, per individual.
 
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