I never thought it would come to this

I've noticed most comments and rough attitudes come from the 65 and over crowd. I usually shrug or smile it off. If your happy thats all that matters!

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh...must be a millennial eh ?

 

If that's the case I'm just getting started. Dang fool idiot kids. Grin!

What? What? What did I say? LOL

Hey, you administrative types, what's up with the "Token Expiring" and you aren't allowed to post what took you forever to write. Incidentally not the above...I didn't have any problems getting that written or posted?:uhoh:

 

LOL! 30 Years old, 16 at heart, 35 away from being the old man that yells at the kids on his lawn.lol

 

Seeeeee...we are all still having fun...thats all that matters....

 

Sad to read about Ken's decision to leave Trainboard... and perhaps the hobby too.
I've known Ken for about 15+ years... and he has always been very gung-ho about model railroading.
He has been a person that promoted the hobby in general and N scale in particular.
He has worked with local brick-and-mortar hobby shops to encourage the model railroad hobby and even donated a layout or two as a way for those hobby shops to promote N scale.
I've been a 'lone-wolf' model railroader since 2009... right after the club I belonged to shut its doors.

Over the past 7 years I've not had direct contact with Ken... even though he lives about 30 miles north of me. We usually met at the Deerfield Beach Club during their swap meets... or occasionally at another model railroad event. Trainboard has been the closest to having a conversation with him in the past 7 years. I've not reached out to any model railroaders from the Big Pine & Sawgrass Club or other groups since the BP&S club closed January 2009.

The hobby here in South Florida is waning... IMHO... and with it we've lost the camaraderie that comes with being a member of a club and going to local model train events. The loss of several hobby retailers which used to carry N scale products... or a large selection of model trains in general has negatively impacted the hobby in this area.

Many of us here in South Florida expected a large influx of 'snowbirds' retiring here and with that... and increase in the number of transplanted model railroaders. Since we DON'T have basements here... the most logical scales to be popular would have been N and Z scales. I don't think that is happening... instead these folks are dropping the hobby altogether and seeking other ways to entertain themselves in sunny So-Fla.

We are not really getting a 'replacement' batch of new model railroaders down here and the local hobby shops... those still in existence... are carrying less and less product. Certainly those LHS' which are still viable... are turning to R/C cars and such. What little model trains they may have are usually entry level HO... and the ones that go a bit further may carry some regionally specific models (FEC, CSX & Amtrak).

Sure... we still can get stuff on-line... and probably at a much better price too; BUT, again we lose the opportunity to meet with face to face with our comrades-in-arms. The internet... for all it's glory... has made a LOT of us 'lone-wolf' model railroaders. We sit here and 'converse digitally' on the internet... shop on the internet and sometimes share our accomplishments on the internet.

We really don't even NEED the magazines we buy to support that aspect of the hobby; however, YES... when we buy the magazines we supports the hobby by keeping a printed version around that someone may some day pick-up and say... "Gee... what a cool hobby this might be"! Chances are that the hobby doesn't promote itself adequately to other persons NOT presently engaged in model railroading. I doubt there are thousands of people 'Googling' the internet every day for "N scale model railroading"... who are NOT currently engaged in this hobby already. If it's happening... it's not by design... but by accident that NON model railroad finds their way to model railroad venues, model railroad e-tailers... etc... looking for a potential life-long hobby. This is probably part of Ken's rant on the World Greatest Hobby.

The rest of his concerns about the WGS on Tour... is that they DON'T COME TO SOUTH FLORIDA. Very hard to promote the hobby in this part of the country when there is NO SHOW large enough to generate interest. In FACT... I don't remember the last time we had a relatively large show SINCE 2002 when the NMRA National Train Show came to Ft Lauderdale.

Often time I wonder how it's possible for a HUGE show like the Amherst Railway Society's show in West Springfield MA... doesn't exist on an annual basis here in South Florida. Is our typically balmy & dry 60's to 75 degree February weather a turn-off to model railroaders? We had a few shows several years ago... The Greenberg Toy Train & Dollhouse Show... and other smaller 'one-of' events. The vendors at these events were rarely selling anything at a reasonable market value (kind of like our eBay thread) and the lack of model railroad manufacturer presence, clinics and other associated events typically made all of these events to be poorly received. Other than that... the twice annual swap-meet by the Deerfield Beach Club' were 'IT'... and... their events were probably more engaging than the previously mentioned ones! Ken had a lot to do with the Deerfield Beach Clubs show and their successes.

So... I guess that the above and perhaps some 'tiffs' which have occurred on the Forums over the past few years has come full circle to discourage Ken... and probably several others... from being involved here or in the hobby in general. It's a shame to have this happen in our hobby since every member is an important part of keeping the hobby alive.

 

As a granddad with grandkids, it was been my observation that DCC will never attract the next generation into the hobby in any meaningful numbers. It is not that DCC is a bad approach; it is just one that it has become out of touch with current technology. I have seen some interest from kids, but it has been severely dampened by the realization that this part of the future of the hobby is now stuck in old technology. Kids (the future) are often a big-pain-in-the-rear, but so were most of us at that age.

At least some (if not most) of my investment in the hobby is going into the “future”. And I will leave the outcome in the hands of someone who is much smarter that I am. After all, are we not the beneficiaries of those who invested (many years ago) in the future of the hobby for “us”.

Without hope for the future, there is nothing!
Bob

 

RT, I'm a granddad too. You may be wrong about DCC, but that's okay. What I looked forward to in your post was, what current technology are you talking about? You sort of left us hanging there. Also, I'm sure this 'current technology' will be usable with scales Z through G like DC and DCC is? Jim

 

I will be glad to have this discussion, but I will answer you in this thread: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...he-Open-Source-Bluetooth-Train-Control-Thread.

I do not wish to side-track this important thread with a side issue.
Bob

 

I got an email from a long time friend who encouraged me or should I say conerced me into reading the Trainboard as on my computer there are 6 pages of responses. Calzephyr pretty much nailed it on the head about me.

Now I am 67 and feeling darn good but had some health issues that reminded me I am not going to live forever. Instead I count my remaining days/months/years on fewer fingers than ever in the past. So, I made a value decision to not waste my time with endeavors or people that are a waste of time. I love model railroading and forever will, but since '54 I have enjoyed the hobby environment and now have come to view it as a waste of my time effort and resources.

Since I am so well stocked, and my wish list is achieved, save for the M1a which will never be produced in my lifetime, I will spend the rest of my life with valued friends operating my trains on my and their layouts, ignoring hobby shops and train shows (except to sell my stuff) and not making new friends and acquaintances like in the past. Simply put, I am streamlining my life to concentrate on what is important.

Frankly as for the model railroad world down here, I could care less.

Ken Willaman