HOW OLD ARE YOU MODEL RAILROADERS?

Ashpit Nov 9, 2019

  1. dualgauge

    dualgauge TrainBoard Member

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    62 years old. Still trying to finnish up drywalling room for layout. Have seen many put hobbies on hold because kids and work taking must of time and money for the hobby.
     
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  2. gmorider

    gmorider TrainBoard Member

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    Just turned 65. I liked trains when I was young. Stopped for many years. Got back in. Had HO layouts, then N scale. Now, something I call Omega scale. Not for the faint of heart, 1/384.
     
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  3. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I love the tiny challenges too. I built a 1:450 scale Northern Pacific Issaquah WA depot when I was 50, just to test my resolve:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. gmorider

    gmorider TrainBoard Member

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    Excellent workmanship!
     
  5. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

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    How old do I look? NO! don't answer that
     
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  6. GP30

    GP30 TrainBoard Member

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    I will be 34 next month. I consider myself to have been a serious modeler for about the last 18 years. I am also bringing my 6 year old son along in the hobby, as well. We will be starting on a large basement layout this winter, too.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  7. Ashpit

    Ashpit TrainBoard Member

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    It's not gentlemanly for me to ask a lady how old she is. However, for this purpose, maybe you could reference which of the following categories you fit into:

    Child, 0-12 Years Old
    Adolescent, 13-19 YO
    Early Adult, 20-44 YO
    Middle Aged 45-64 YO
    Senior 65 YO and older
     
  8. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Coincidentally, yesterday, my wife had a birthday. The card I made read, "Happy '39.59'.
    I'm not sayin anything else.
     
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  9. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    Birthday is 23 November 1949 in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin.
     
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  10. Ashpit

    Ashpit TrainBoard Member

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    Pretty much down for the count, here! Anyone else want to include themselves in this survey? I can tell you that the ages earlier than 19 years old only have two respondents, both are from the adolescent division.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 19, 2019
  11. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

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  12. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

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    Early Adult, 20-44
     
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  13. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Mine is 22 November 1959, I turn 60 this Friday, so you will be 70 Saturday. Happy Birthday Shortround! :D
     
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  14. nscalestation

    nscalestation TrainBoard Supporter

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    63 and still learning new things in this hobby all the time.
     
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  15. nscalestation

    nscalestation TrainBoard Supporter

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    And Happy Birthday to you Robert !
     
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  16. badlandnp

    badlandnp TrainBoard Member

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    Am half way through 57 this year!

    Dad, as usual, started the train thing with a TYCO HO set way back in 1968 or 9. That set went the usual route of experimentation and tearing apart, reassemble and run them that little boys do! Neat thing is, it came from the House of Trains in Omaha, which I did not know until my brother and I stumbled upon it a few years back. Dad took me there once when I was a kid, and when I went in with my brother, FLASH! Memories! And it is amazing that the store is still there!

    After a move to Iowa, had the layout setup in the basement and a buddy who played train too. We also did cars, tanks, planes ships.....And N scale got more attractive every year!

    Fast forward through school. Navy, marriage and kids and we end up in Livingston, MT. I worked for a loco rebuild outfit, LRC, and got back into trains! Did some custom building and painting for a while, mostly in HO, but also in N and O. Then got a complete N layout. It was portable and went to many a railfair event with me.

    Some of my children have the bug, but are busy building their lives just now, but I do see some trains in the future for several grandkids! At least 3 grandsons are interested, and one is bubbling fount of Thomas trivia! Two grand-daughters enjoy driving the models on the layout,too!
     
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  17. Ashpit

    Ashpit TrainBoard Member

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    The following is a breakdown of how this survey turned out. It may not be absolutely the most accurate, as I sometimes found the information on the participants age to be difficult to determine! I believe the survey does give a fairly accurate description of how old we modelers are.

    Age Group Age # Responses
    Child 0-12 -0-
    Adolescents 13-19 -2-
    Early Adult 20-44 -9-
    Middle Age 45-64 -21-
    Senior Citizen 65-older -20-

    So, what does this mean? Had this survey been placed in front of me when I first started in model railroading I would have fit into the Child group, having started at 6-7 years old. The fact that this age group probably does not get much of an opportunity to respond to computer surveys might have an effect on the lack of responses from this age group. Although teenagers certainly could see the survey, it might be well represented by a quantity of two. That the majority of respondents are from ages 20 to senior and older, does seem to fit what I see every day and that is that the majority of model railroaders are firmly within these two age groups!

    Can any firm information be deduced from this survey? Yes, i think so and that is that we are an older crowd, now!

    I'm sure there will be some with different (Ya, But!) opinions!

    Thanks to all who responded!
     
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  18. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Extrapolation:
    Interest in model railroading specifically and modeling in general is fading.
    Explanation:
    • Flat screens are more gratifying than modeling to younger people.
    • Adjusting to the end of high school and into adult hood / college asorbs enormous amounts of time
    • Family absorbs enormous amounts of time
    • Modeling is hard
    • Modeling requires long term goals / perseverance
    • Modeling requires an over all comprehension that most younger people in general do not possess.
    • Modeling requires space
     
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  19. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Quality of Life
    We strive for it.
    The personal satisfaction / pleasure of long term planning and follow through
    vs
    The short term pleasure available in any flat screen
    For younger people the short term will win out.
    I was introduced to model railroading at an early age.
    I didn't persuse it until I was 50yo. (15 years ago).
     
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  20. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Steve, your analysis contains two words, Gratifying and Perseverance. These point to a major problem in today's culture, the need for instant gratification which is provided by smart phones and instant communication between "friends".

    I saw a sad cartoon commentary recently. The scene was a funeral parlor with a casket at one end and hundreds of empty chairs. The funeral director commented to his partner that he didn't understand the lack of mourners because the man had hundreds of "friends".
     
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