tomstockton
Tom Stockton
In a different thread, but still here in the General Discussion group, there is a thread discussing the varying amount of participation on this (and other) forums. But "hidden" in that is something I've never considered, and it ties into the header of this thread: "The decline in the number of model railroaders?"...
Selector made a comment that (in my opinion) has a very astute observation, and one that I've never considered -- until now:
"As a population, we are losing ground to the years. My guess is the typical rail forum has a mean age of around 65, whereas it would have been closer to 50 fifteen years ago. Just as steam is losing ground over time, the age of the hobbyist is getting older, and the electronic devices and media favoured to pass time with our youth are of a different nature. Trains don't figure largely so much in people's lives, unless they are blocking traffic somewhere or burning tank cars. Or steering into young high schoolers walking along the tracks with their ear buds firmly planted."
To me, that is somewhat of a revealation -- "Trains don't figure largely so much in people's lives".
I grew up in the late '50s and '60s, when airlines were still kind of a novelty and trains were how one traveled long distances -- and short distances, when there were enough people to justifiy it. And trucking had not reached it's current prominence, so many business were located along or near railrosd tracks. I grew up in a small town (pop. 950) in the midwest. Trains were a major part of my life; my grandfather had worked for the railroad, and encouraged my interest in trains. Our house was located on a spur that had an LP gas facility, two grain mills, a very active hardware store, a lumber yard, and a coal yard -- so there was a little bit of traffic almost every day. And they guys on the train almost always waved back at us kids as we watched them work, so there was a bit of human interaction there.
But now... kids and younger-than-us adults don't interact with trains. Trains seem to haul "bulk amounts" of cargo from one unseen yard into another unseen yard, and the "local" seems to be a thing of the past. As Selector pointed out (and I'm not direct quoting here), the only interaction that most people have with trains nowadays is when the trains are blocking a street crossing. Rather negative way to see trains, for most people.
I apologize for the length of ths post -- but Selector's words seem to have really opened my eyes, and given me a perspective on one reason why that (seemingly) most of the folks in our hobby are older folks -- myself included, I'm 63 years old.
Regards to all,
Tom Stockton
Selector made a comment that (in my opinion) has a very astute observation, and one that I've never considered -- until now:
"As a population, we are losing ground to the years. My guess is the typical rail forum has a mean age of around 65, whereas it would have been closer to 50 fifteen years ago. Just as steam is losing ground over time, the age of the hobbyist is getting older, and the electronic devices and media favoured to pass time with our youth are of a different nature. Trains don't figure largely so much in people's lives, unless they are blocking traffic somewhere or burning tank cars. Or steering into young high schoolers walking along the tracks with their ear buds firmly planted."
To me, that is somewhat of a revealation -- "Trains don't figure largely so much in people's lives".
I grew up in the late '50s and '60s, when airlines were still kind of a novelty and trains were how one traveled long distances -- and short distances, when there were enough people to justifiy it. And trucking had not reached it's current prominence, so many business were located along or near railrosd tracks. I grew up in a small town (pop. 950) in the midwest. Trains were a major part of my life; my grandfather had worked for the railroad, and encouraged my interest in trains. Our house was located on a spur that had an LP gas facility, two grain mills, a very active hardware store, a lumber yard, and a coal yard -- so there was a little bit of traffic almost every day. And they guys on the train almost always waved back at us kids as we watched them work, so there was a bit of human interaction there.
But now... kids and younger-than-us adults don't interact with trains. Trains seem to haul "bulk amounts" of cargo from one unseen yard into another unseen yard, and the "local" seems to be a thing of the past. As Selector pointed out (and I'm not direct quoting here), the only interaction that most people have with trains nowadays is when the trains are blocking a street crossing. Rather negative way to see trains, for most people.
I apologize for the length of ths post -- but Selector's words seem to have really opened my eyes, and given me a perspective on one reason why that (seemingly) most of the folks in our hobby are older folks -- myself included, I'm 63 years old.
Regards to all,
Tom Stockton