Era Modeling by Age Group?

[squirrelhunter]

Born in the early 80's, and I model 1984-1986 in central Texas. Most of my formative train memories are from the 1988-1996 era, but I model mid 80's to have MKT and MP.

[C855B]

I couldn't resist a numerical analysis of this rich data set. 43 responses (at this point) is statistically significant. What I found here is fairly revealing and seems to break the conventional wisdom.

For starters, the average age is 53, youngest is 28, oldest is 78. The average modeling "era" is five years after birth year, which I interpret as the average respondent has no direct experience "living" the chosen modeling era.

Where it gets really interesting is there are three distinct clusters, the largest group (27, or 63%) modeling eras they never could have experienced. The next group (eight) is "modern" or nearly so. The remainder (also eight) are those possibly recreating railroading experienced in their youth or young adulthood. 16, or roughly 1/3, model "transition" era, and 14 model 1960's and 1970's, the post-transition, pre-Staggers/pre-hypermerger era.

It's been said several times that TRW does not represent the average MRR. One "conventional wisdom" is the average model railroader is seeking nostalgia of their childhood experiences. The data here basically does not bear that out, at 19% of the set. But another maxim is "modern sells", so I am quite surprised at the relative lack (19%) of modern modelers in this survey. Makes one wonder about all the whoopie about modern power, at least according to the model manufacturers.

[brokemoto]

..............and here I had thought that it was mostly modern modellers in N.  I tend to model the roads of which I was a customer.  Those would be Boston and Maine, NYNH&H, Penn, New York Central, Southern Pacific, Baltimore and Ohio.  My choice of era is the mid-1950s, because that was what my father modelled in HO before and shortly after I was born (1955).  He was, for his time, a "modern modeller", although he did prefer steam.   My father taught me this hobby.

I modelled SP in HO.  When I was in high school, there were enough of the old Varney and MDC steam locomotives still running around.  Most of those were based on SP prototypes.  For diesels, I simply used Athearn Blue Box.  Most of my rolling stock was Athearn Blue Box or TYCo.  I could not get any of the bi-Levels, so I just ran Athearn Blue Box HWs except for a Daylight connector which used a PA and a few corrugated Athearn Blue Box.  I rode the SP to school, which was why I chose it.

When I decided to get back into the hobby, I was living in an apartment, so I picked N scale.  I could not find any SP steam, but I went to this show where a guy had a bunch of old RR passenger cars and two B&O Rivarossi E-8 shells tranplanted onto RoCo E-7 chassis.  I did ride the B&O to school for a while in Washington, so, allright.  Now I am modelling B&O mid 1950s.

I do have a nineteenth century pike, as well.  GF likes that era.  I have mostly B&O on that, although GF has her ATSF and UP trains.  I also keep two V&T locomotives and car sets.  GF gave me a D&RG nineteenth century 2-6-0 and 2-8-0, so I keep that, as well and a passenger and freight car set for it.

I have a non-historic short line on the mid 1950s pike.  This lets me operate steam locomotive types that went to scrap on the B&O in the 1930s (eight wheelers, ten wheelers and moguls--although some ten wheelers did persist into the 1950s on the B&O)

[Doug W]

I couldn't resist a numerical analysis of this rich data set. 43 responses (at this point) is statistically significant. What I found here is fairly revealing and seems to break the conventional wisdom.

For starters, the average age is 53, youngest is 28, oldest is 78. The average modeling "era" is five years after birth year, which I interpret as the average respondent has no direct experience "living" the chosen modeling era.

Where it gets really interesting is there are three distinct clusters, the largest group (27, or 63%) modeling eras they never could have experienced. The next group (eight) is "modern" or nearly so. The remainder (also eight) are those possibly recreating railroading experienced in their youth or young adulthood. 16, or roughly 1/3, model "transition" era, and 14 model 1960's and 1970's, the post-transition, pre-Staggers/pre-hypermerger era.

It's been said several times that TRW does not represent the average MRR. One "conventional wisdom" is the average model railroader is seeking nostalgia of their childhood experiences. The data here basically does not bear that out, at 19% of the set. But another maxim is "modern sells", so I am quite surprised at the relative lack (19%) of modern modelers in this survey. Makes one wonder about all the whoopie about modern power, at least according to the model manufacturers.

Very interesting. Your last comment says it all. We've got ES44s coming out of our ears, even though they only have a maximum 16-year applicability and have worn only a few boring paint schemes, yet can't get locomotives (and cars) that were common in other eras, even ones that were in service for 40-50 years in large numbers, and can be reproduced in multiple schemes. Manufacturers need to deliver what the market needs, not what they think it wants. I think they would be pleasantly surprised by the resulting sales.

Doug

[Ike the BN Freak]

He was crushed because he wanted to fly the P51 or I guess in that time it was an F51.

Carl, the P51, was the P51 in the 40s, didn't get redesignated to the F51 until the Korean conflict

[Ike the BN Freak]

So for me, born in 1984 in the Republic of Korea, dad was active duty USAF, retired when I was a senior in high school.

I mode BN from 1992-94ish.  Two years at Offutt and almost five at Ellsworth exposed me to lots of green machines

[x600]

Cool tread. It's nice to get to know everyone a little better.

Born in 55 and lived along the D&H main in south Scranton, with views of the CNJ and the DL&W/EL.
We had Lionel and HO and I got my first N in 68. My first layout was what ever was available at the time, and caught my eye.
I stopped for the usual reasons and got back into it in the early 80s when I saw a set of Con Cor PAs in Erie Lackawanna.
We moved to Washington state in the late 80s where I found a large active group of N-Scalers and I fell down a deep dark rabbit hole.
That's when I started researching, collecting and painting D&H and EL, but things got out of hand and I couldn't keep up with all the stuff
that was coming out. I joined an N-Trak club and the bottom fell out of the rabbit hole and I went deeper into the depths of depravity.
I amassed a pretty good collection of D&H, EL, Erie, CNJ and LV stuff, but got keenly interested in DL&W.
Not too much was available, so I started painting and decaling Lackawanna both steam and diesel, then started doing passenger cars for
A Phoebe Snow and a Lackawanna Limited. 
So I thought I was pretty close to being done then I did 2 SD80macs in Erie Lackawanna for a TOFC train.

So I suppose I model DL&W 40s to 1960, EL 60 to 76, D&H 50s to 80s,and some crazy place in an alternate dimension.
Oh, and sorry, I don't do Conrail.

Statistically, this should put me in way out in left field

Greg O.

[C855B]

...Statistically, this should put me in way out in left field

Not really, maybe a slight outlier. I take the approximate center point of your era preference, calling it "1960", and while you're older than the median*, statistically you're at the cutoff I used for "no direct experience of...". But since your interests are so broad, era-wise, you do make a point, that's where the analysis fails somewhat because there's no easy way to quantify how your interests fit relative to multiple epochs; you've clearly experienced much of what you model. But not "modern"... I've discounted acquisitions of token modern models for the others who have "club layout" power and rolling stock outside of their core era.

Or, in your case, "just 'cause I can, and it's cool".

* - Didn't I see a recent survey - Model Railroader or somebody like that - that pegged the MRR hobbyist average age at something like 63? That puts this group as its own cumulative outlier, 10 years younger. Interesting.

[sd45elect2000]

Born in 65. Went to work for the Milw at the end. Model Milwaukee in 1946

[Maletrain]

Good to see that the transition era is not just of interest to a bunch of geezers who can be expected to die off pretty soon. 

Now, can we please get some 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 models that are up to the current level of detail, mechanical quality and electronic capability (sound decoders)?

[sd45elect2000]

Good to see that the transition era is not just of interest to a bunch of geezers who can be expected to die off pretty soon. 

Now, can we please get some 4-6-2 and 2-8-2 models that are up to the current level of detail, mechanical quality and electronic capability (sound decoders)?

I need 4-6-4's and 4-8-4's

[MVW]

Here, here on the 2-8-2, 4-6-2, and 4-8-4! And how about an 0-6-0 or 0-8-0?

Mike, you beat me to it! I was halfway through page 3 when I thought about tabulating the responses and analyzing the data. You make some very interesting points regarding the community here. It's always seemed to me there was a larger contingent of modelers here focusing on more modern times. I don't feel like such an outlier with my interest in the transition era.

Very cool thread.

Jim

[babbo_enzo]

Well, for my side is very simple: born in 1951 and model the friendly Espee in 1951!

[tuxachanie]

Born in Mississippi in 1976
Engineer for NS so I see modern stuff every day
Primarily model GM&O, IC, and Southern in the early 1950's in Mississippi in N scale, but I also have been collecting some later equipment for 1960's for the same roads up to early ICG days (early 1970's) just to change it up once in a while. And for fun I also have a little On30 logging equipment to build a small switching layout based on 1920's Mississippi logging railroads. My problem is I like everything!

Tony Howe

[superchief]

Born 1963 in the Houston, TX area, got my second train @4 years old Aurora Postage Stamp n scale train set for Christmas, Santa Fe Warbonnet with freight set. Had several small layouts as a lone wolf modeler, went to my first train show in 1976 the San Jacinto model railroad jamboree. They had home layout tours, one was Gil Freitag's Stony Creek and Western layout, a full operational layout, working signals, passing tracks and meets. I was 13 years old and blown away!, has stayed with me this long! At 18 with help from my parents I got an outside building and started building an operational layout with a 400 ft mainline and 12 ft passing sidings. 35 years later married, own a house with a separate train room with an operational layout, and still get invited to Gil Freitag's layout to operate and dispatch on this awesome layout that inspired me over 40 years ago!!!!!
                                                                                                       Gordon Bliss-Santa Fe-All the Way  1953