🔴Graham - not usually a commenter - have followed you since your kitchen floor. please shorten your video's they are getting too long !! make your point and end it - we dont have 40 minutes of our lives to listen to what can be put across in 10. Not sure I agree with you though - the hobby is being destroyed by ebay sellers and online auctions that are now in it for a "money making excercise" rather than to offer the goods at a reasonable price and what is affordable to younger generation. In 10 years the hobby will become self destructive by greed - there will be no one prepared to pay the prices . Fortunately like you It dosnt bother me- being the owner of as much stock (collected for over 50 years) as I can / want to run on my layouts.

The voice of reason. Well said Graham. Hattons closing and Warley being stopped isn't the end of the world, everything evolves, and nothing lasts forever. The hobby is alive and well.

Absolutely!! Well said!! 👏🏼👏🏼 It is alive and well!! Just because Hattons as gone means absolutely nothing!! People are just panicking. Fantastic video!! Best wishes

Finally someone high profile is saying what I've been saying. Well said Graham. Couldn't agree more with what you've said.

I couldn’t agree more. The hobby is not dying!!! Its changing. 00 being the main market, has also changed, things are looking up. The model railway industry is valued at 4 Billion pounds. Things are not all doom and gloom! Now, I’m 27. I’ve always been an odd lad in that I’ve not left the hobby. I’m part of a model railway club, I also model in 7mm. I’ve lost interest in 00, as I found the skills involved in 7mm interest me far more. Kits are where I go, which means I’m involved with the cottage industries. I’m not buying models from the likes of Hattons, Rails etc. But things are changing for me too, I’m not collecting loads of things etc. As I’m cherry picking a ‘loco build’ then I’m spending time preparing for it. Price has been a significant factor for me, but in the long term 7mm has been cheaper than 00. But I have had to get equipment to support the kit building that I do. I’m tempted to do a video on my thoughts on this. But I think I’ve done that now. 🙂 Cheers Tom

Hi Graham, I couldn't agree any more. Our hobby is thriving, and whilst a few shops may close and shows change, there are thousands upon thousands of people so excited to see our models trundling around our tiny little worlds. Im thinking of people like yourself, many many youtubers, along with Pete Waterman and the amazing response to his layouts. He certainly wouldnt be building more if people werent interested. So well said Graham, we just need to continue doing what we are doing. The phone bit with Z21 and others, but not forgetting Hornby's bluetooth control through the phone. Take care my friend.

Well said Graham. The voice of sense and reason. I started, thanks to my late brother, in 1945 with my Hornby clockwork on the lawn in Manchester. In 1948 I was inspired,by a picture of David St John Thomas in his Farther’s Train Room in Newton Abbott, to one day have a railway room of my own. (David you will recall as one half of David and Charles the publishers). I was also inspired by Rev. Edward Beal and his scratch built ‘West Midland’ and his descriptions of home made solenoid point motors for me to copy, aged 12! Fast forward to the present day where I do have that room and happily run my analogue trains of various vintages; some pocket money memories, some early Triang and Hornby Dublo plus more modern say Hornby and Haljan smooth runners etc, etc. All in all a wonderful hobby that has been and will continue to be, a source of pleasure, comfort and creative satisfaction. Over the years I’ve witnessed many upheavals, changes and ever improving standards. I treasure it all and totally support your view that our hobby is far from being in decline. Hope you eye op. goes very well and you can pick up your tools and apply your great skills again and video them for our mutual benefit. Best Wishes, Tony (aka T🚂).

Thanks Graham- you’ve cheered me up. Your words are wise. I also saw some of those videos which were rather doom and gloom. Some comments suggested we needed more technology to attract the young, or special interest groups within the hobby to attract more women. One commentator even complained there were too many old men in the hobby! As if older men were somehow to blame! Let’s keep political correctness out of our hobby and try to encourage people of any age or background to take it up and enjoy it.

They hobby over here across the pond isn't in decline either, especially the prices. Thanks for your comments sir. 🤘🚂🤘

Great video well said agree with you 👍

Nicely put together Graham...Simon

I think your analysis of the life of a railway enthusiast from a child to a pre retired or retired grownup is absolutely 100 per cent correct it mirrors my journey into the hobby from beginning to now, I also agree on your analysis of the state of the hobby regards to its popularity, Its far from going down the tubes for all the reasons you have stated, I'm 73 and it will be going strong long after I'm gone, so well said Graham, you may have put the doom and gloom to bed once and for all, regards, Colin.

Couldn’t agree more. I see no signs of decline. I had a couple of 19 year olds here running trains a couple of weeks ago. They were enthusiastic beginners building layouts. Surprised me. They saw the whole model train idea differently than we but they did see it clearly. Cheers my friend

Very well said Graham. At 68 I expect to retire next year and hope to start my layout soon after. My employment takes me away from home for 9 months of the year, this being so, I purchase railway stuff regularly, actually way more than I need, I have the "Sable" syndrome (stuff acquired beyond live expectancy). But like you I buy what I like, in my case pretty much ONR (Ontario Northland), ACR (Algoma Central), TH&B (Toronto, Hamilton, & Buffalo) and other short line stuff along with a little bit of CP and CN. Steam, early diesel, late diesel; what ever takes my fancy (including some from the UK). Do to age I'm not going to do much scenery, but will concentrate on laying track and doing switching operations with scenery building being a secondary job. As for the Beatles, when we immigrated from Market Deeping to Canada in the 60's I brought along my plastic 4 string Beatles guitar, seeing what they sell for today I wish I still had it so I buy several new loco's!!!! Cheers, Geoff

Couldn't agree more with the sentiments of this video. I came out of the hobby in my late teenage years - girls, drinking, going out - like you said. Had a break for over 20 years before coming back into the hobby. When I was modelling in my early teenage years the hobby was seen as an "old mans hobby" - so nothing has really changed ..... Hattons closure was probably more to do with the fact they no longer stocked Bachman. As an N gauge modeller I more or less stopped buying from them as they didn't stock any Farish models. Hattons did make a loss in 2022 and I suspect 2023 was possibly no better ? As for Warley - it was run by a club and it has just run its course. New shows will appear ( a couple of new ones north of the border this year. I suspect a number of individuals who have pontificated via their channels were possibly more interested in click bait !!

Well said Graham

Well said Graham you are perfectly right. Hope your eye op goes well. Best wishes Richard. Cantertbury

Hear, hear. You are absolutely right, life is about change.

Yep I’d agree Graham , young old people will always want to play trains and have fun. Too many doom and gloom folk about ,I worked in a railway works but wasn’t overly interested in trains . As you said life is a ever changing journey 😊 Best regards Fred

Very well said Graham, I think you,ve nailed it. The layout I built for my son is a small one , he is now 13 and not as involved in it as he was when younger , I keep it going and it’s always there for him when he wants it .

Hi Graham your thoughts I think will resonate with most of your viewers they certainly do with me Steve

The voice of reason! Very interesting listen Graham 👍🏻👍🏻

Warley is a victim of the NEC, just look at GETS! Reasonable price to get in and free car parking! Hattons closing is business decision! The owner wanted out! Bits will be saved by other companies, some won’t ! It’s a great opportunity for other companies in the business!

Well Graham, I could've written that script for you. 100% agree. I live about 20 mins away from Rails and they seem to expand by the day! I visit the shop when I'm in Sheffield for the football and it's always busy, as is our local shop D W Models. As for the phone thing, that's a reason I got back into the hobby. The tech side of things I find just as interesting. Good luck with the op. All the best.

I have four sons all in their Twenties wanting to know who I leave my collection to.... LOL.. The journey continues.... Graham your a hero!!!!!

I don't think the hobby is in decline. It's evolving. New makers are coming on board. I didn't start until my early 30s took a break and came back in a big way during the lockdown. Shops closing is nothing new. I remember Beatties sadly closing. The hobby will survive and evolve. Hope you are soon in the swing of things. Cheers Paul.

Hi Graham, you make some really great points as always. Am I the only one who never bought a thing from Hattons? Yeah like you said, it's unfortunate a big retailer decides to close down, but your right, there are others out there. I remember when Accurascale and Rapido started Uk production thinking how great it was for our hobby to have more choice instead of the usual blue and red boxes, and look now, so many smaller producers are making great products. As for the cost of models, yes prices have gone up, but I remember as a kid my parents could only afford a loco at special times of the year, Birthday or Christmas. It's gone full circle and once more we can only afford locomotives etc at special occasions. I have been blown away by DCC sound as I know you enjoy that too, but instead of paying a furtune replacing locomotives I have been upgrading my older models and for Christmas this year I installed sound in my 15 year old Bachmann class 108, and it sound amazing. Little and often as finances allow. Exhibitions and Warley, I've not been for years, it was too crowded and you couldn't see much when you did go. So I tend to go to my more local shows, I think my last was Stamford last year, it was a great day out, and cheaper too, which allowed me to buy something. I do get that the committee of Warley had run it for years and were getting older so who can blame them for hanging up the baton. I nearly missed your last afterthought. Yes youngsters are glued to their phones today, so why not control your trains from your phone too. You can see where Hornby were going with their latest control offerings. If you use JMRI through a laptop any DCC layout can use a phone as a controller, you just need to download the Engine Driver app. Your idea of small modular scenes is something very popular in US railroad modelling. They call it Freemo, you have a standard size module with set track positions on and off the module but can do what you like in your module. Then they link them all together to make a huge layout, brilliant really. Oh sorry I've been waffling again, I'll call it a day. Hope your eye gets better soon, all the very best Dave.

Couldn't have said it better. A shop's shut and a show stopped big deal!

Well I’m a newbie coming into the hobby. I started last year and continue to proceed with building my TT120 layout. I’ve since bought a Roco Z21 and I’ve bought iTrain because I like the idea of full automation and I’m very grateful to people like Graham and others who have made such wonderful helpful videos. Cheers Steve PS I hope your eye gets better soon. ❤

Graham well said I couldn't agree more. You may remember the national model railway shop chain from the 1970s called Beatties that closed down for good but did the hobby die?? ABSOLUTELY NOT. It's unfortunate that Hattons is closing but like the WHARLEY MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION it is not as bad as we think it is. I see both of these things as a temporary situation in that current economic climate is prohibitive to trading conditions so both organizations have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close whilst the economy improves. So whilst it looks pretty tough at the moment. It's not over yet for our hobby, we have other model railway shops to purchase from than ever before. I'm not concerned or worried about our perception that the hobby is in decline because it is NOT IN DECLINE. ITS JUST CHANGING AS new concepts and tools come on stream for the older models from hornby. I remember airfix, mainline (palitoy), wrenn, lima, Graham Farish- the old railway modelling manufacturers who served us well over the years and sadly either closed permanently or merged with the likes of hornby, Bachmann. But the hobby hasn't died folks, just changed with new technologies. Fingers crossed for your eye operation in 2 weeks 😊. Take care and bye for now.

Absolutely spot on. Priorities change, space issues are a consideration too.

I agree Graham...I'm new to the hobby at 51 years of age ...and looking to build my first layout..channels like your own have helped me no end...the cost of living and the price of trains is obviously impacting the hobby..people's money is being stretched...but that goes for most things ...I'm confident the hobby will continue there's always new people taking up the hobby....like me 😄 ...good video mate

Hi, agree with yours thoughts. I started in the hobby two years ago after finishing work (Engineer by trade), it’s given me a whole new world to get into. Having other hobbies (including coarse fishing) I do think cost is an issue and a barrier to some entering the hobby with a degree of seriousness.

Everything goes in cycles, the same with all hobbies. My Plunkerville R/R of four years is taking it to a different level. " TOY RAILROADING ON A SHOE STRING".

Very good comments, fully agree with you.

Totally agree Graham.Iam positive I believe the Hobby is actually expanding.Yes sad about Hattons and Warley.When I lived in Wetherby I was a member of Harrogate Model Railway Club .We use to put on large show At the pavillion for a number of years .We were lucky to break even.Our chairman at the time stopped and we put on a local show that had members layouts and the wives and girlfriends put on some delicious meals and Cakes and we made a whopping profit for the club that we were able to renew the track on the clubs layout .2 of my so 11:52 n's have come back to the Hobby through gaming .Well done and well said.

Spot on Graham .I got back into the hobby by building box car kits in my hotel room when I was away on business.However as the baby boomers die off there has got to be an overall shrinkage in the number of model railroaders.

Your point regarding tablets and mobiles use by teenagers is interesting. That is the way forward and having virtual train sets as a way of attracting back teenagers

Well said Graham! All the best 👍

Well said Graham,i thought it was the end of the world when the Westerns disappeared 😂but i still enjoyed seeing other locos and like everyone else i was well into model railways but got distracted by other things but i found it never leaves you and when i came back to it there's never been a better time to be into it,im guilty of buying a bargain when i see one and my obsession with Warships doesn't look like ending soon but i find its the best form of escapism and relaxation,take care and well said 👍

You are quite right Graham all the best Martin

It all sounded logical and from experience

Hi Graham, thanks for doing this video, very well said, i shared a news paper article on my facebook page and was shocked by the amount of negative comments on the hobby, the article itself was very negative and i spent about 2 hours in the loft infront of the camera trying to express my opinion on the subject and i felt like i was just being a broken record going in circles lol so i kept it short and simple and done a bit of a running session to, but what you said is spot on and i fully agree, i thought what peter waterman and the rail nuts done with there layout in chester cathedral was great as they let kids run trains using ipads, so thats a mix of computers and model railways using new technology and like you mentioned the hobby changes and evolves, i remember when dcc started being more widely available it took me a while to see the benefits of it and make the change from analogue to dcc, hope your eye is better soon and you can get back to those fantastic projects that you do, and always enjoy your facebook posts. Tom

Totally agree Graham

Fabulously said Graham one retailer out of how many in the uk very rarely I bought from Hattons I only got back into the hobby in my thirty’s we have no option now but to shop about unfortunately I wouldn’t touch Hornby web page I would rather spend in my local from a pound to hundreds it keep it there for all to use hope your keeping well 🚂🚂🚂🚂

"You tell em luv" was a catchcry of an Australian comedienne back in the '50s, and I congratulate you for telling it like it is. The number of monthly magazines, KZfaqrs, new manufacturers tells me that our hobby is very much alive and well.

Exactly. Even in the UK, model train sales are up over the last 10 years (even if down from the height of lockdown). More companies are producing more and varied stock, and there are dozens of start ups joining the 3D world. There are changes, closures, etc., but the hobby is still going on.

Graham, this discussion is a bit like the endless "death of first class cricket" debate. Both involve the perception that they are enjoyed by old men and are dying out with them but they don't! I certainly think the main demographic for the hobby is our generation but that doesn't mean it dies when we do. Look at Richard at Everard Junction who is in his 30s or Dave Watson at Dave Class 47 who is in his 40s. Model making is as old as humanity and some sort of model railway hobby will be there among that bigger hobby. It will change in the ways you outline. What I think needs doing is manufacturers paying more attention to making affordable and reliable models. For me the future is Railroad Plus and the like to attract people on a budget to decent models. The very detailed models that enthuse us are for a more techy minority but thats not the whole hobby. I think that using IT and AI will be one way to attract younger people. My main concern is that we as a generation grew up with trains in a way that young people haven't. For us trains were the epitome of high tech especially when steam was being replaced by diesel and electric. Also our train sets were our most high tech toys. I don't think trains hold as much allure to the young and they certainly have more high tech toys and hobbies than we did. Thats why your thinking on using more IT is correct. Good luck with the op!

I'm young and interested in the hobby, I'm also disabled can't afford to move out or spend the money, with the cost of living crisis I could see many people in a similar position. I get my fix via a few video games instead, but maybe one day if I gain the space and spare income I'll be able to get into it proper

Totally agree with your comments. Hattons made some bad decisions that effected their ability to continue trading. As far as I can see the hobby is doing really well change is inevitable and the manufacturers and outlets have to change to suit the conditions Keep safe.

Well said sir, a sensible perspective on the current state of play.

Warley I understand, Hatton's I do not , more to the story than anyone will ever understand, will never give up on my OO railway

Completely agree. As a kid who "grew out of it", I'm now looking to get back into it as my own kids grow up and prepare to leave home. And what an exciting time to get back into the hobby.. DCC, Arduino, 3d printing, the big companies and the small indie manufacturers. Other than a second hand market that seems a bit overpriced I think it's amazing and I can't wait to get back into it The high second hand prices are also my argument as to why the hobby isn't dying - if it was the market would be flooded as people move on (by choice or otherwise), thereby reducing prices

Graham this is so well said, and I completely agree with you on every point you have made! I do feel like the videos out there spelling doom are really just knee jerk reactions, the reality is as you said, 30+ is your audience, not kids by any means. It took me 25 years to return to the hobby and it’s alive and well and stronger than ever. Cheers, Hylt

The hobby is not dying, they say the same thing about miniature wargaming, but the range of choices is huge. They wouldn’t produce them if they didn’t sell. Yes, it is a niche hobby, but healthy and thriving.

Couldn't agree more. Prices have always seemed exspensive. The 142 pacer that I recently upgraded with lighting I think I bought it around 1989 at an exhibition, probably about £30 then which was almost a weeks wages for a faily basic model. When I was a youngster used to have the triang track that clipped together, take it apart after playing with it on the carpet, my cousin had one as well and we would meet up and join our sets together.

Hi Graham. Like many of us, we started our model railway adventure when we were young. Then moved away because of life’s distractions and returned later in life, but we had a start. The major issue being raised by manufacturers is that there are not the young starters, who would hopefully return to the hobby in the future. It’s these young starters that need to be encouraged to sustain the hobby going forward.

No Graham the hobby is not dead but it is changing. We only have a fraction of the hobby shops we had 15 years ago but there again that could be attrbuted to the general demise of the High street and sky high council rates. We lost our only continental model supplier up in Scotland about 15 years ago and it was a big loss to myself . All Austrian and German brands and rolling stock were there in abundance . England lost a few of the big names too , but the new guys have taken up the slack for you UK outline modelers. We do have a guy in Carlisle but over 2 and a half hours away so a visit is out the question. Hope everything goes well for you in the next few weeks.

totally agree with pretty much everything you said sir, for me it was action man,subbuteo,starwars, trainsets, all christmas presents payed for by the bank of mum & dad, then i hit my teens and discovered motor bikes and girls, both of which were also very costly in one way or another and the bank of mum & dad was closing, deep down i always had a passion for my trains though, travelling everyday to and from college in the late 80's early 90's. Something made me look through some old boxes in one of my many messy cupboards a few years back at the start of all the lockdown stuff and i found my old train set bits, this ignited my old passion and being longer in the tooth so to speak i did some research and found that people on youtube(which i had never been interested in before) were into trains, i watched and learnt and from that moment on i have'nt looked back and have built a layout that gives me so much joy, the only thing for me that has drastically changed my ability to buy trains/wagons etc is my disposable income has pretty much vanished due to the cost of basic things food/rent/utillity bills going up 150% in the space of months.

Great comments Graham, and I totally agree with what you said. Yes, we’ve lost a few names of late (Hatton’s etc) but we’ve also gained many new companies coming to the market. Just look at the explosion in 3D printing and Laser Cutting companies now offering model railway products. The industry is changing and evolving with the times and youngsters are still very much involved. Just look at the advances in DCC over the past few years for example. We seem to get this doom and gloom messaging every 10 years or so, you can almost set your watch by it but as history has shown the hobby carries on! All the best and thank you for sharing this video 😊👍

nicely said graham my, belief is you have to try and plant the seed with kids between 4 and 14 after 14 no chance, then maybe 30,40,50 years later you rekindle that childhood passion because you have more time, space, money, etc, but there is always the exception .................tony

Graham ,common sense, as regards Warley, I expect that to put on such a show is so expensive, plus the ticket price ,travel and parking are becoming prohibitive, with the cost of living. I would like the major manufacturers to bring out a budget range to encourage more hobbyists. Prices have really shot up. Still I don't think that the hobby is failing just evolving

Hi Graham, I'm sad for many reasons that Hattons has closed, not least for the staff. Of course the hobby will continue and if anything we are encouraged to support our local model shops. I'm concerned that the hobby is becoming exponentially expensive and the likes of the late Hattons & Rails (both of which I use(ed) are/were able to offer big discounts. and I like many need to watch the spend. The last exhibition I visited (Railex Fareham) had a good age demographic. We need to encourage socialising and we'll need to accept that IT is taking over. Rather weirdly, as someone living on the south coast, due to my job, my last two visits to a 'local' retailer has been Tony's Trains of Rugby! Cheers, Dave. 🙏

It has been suggested by many that the hobby should be introduced into the schools. Some may have had that in the past. I think that is what you are trying to say. It does take a village though

Everything you said i agree with. Enjoyed model railways as a kid. Then a teenager and wasn't interested. Now I'm in my 50s and am into model railways. I buy on line but i do wish i had a model shop nearby but there aren't any. I would rather have a rumage in a shop rather than buy online.

Well said GRAHAM..

Went to another toy fair today as I often do, wall to wall, with a struggle to park. Never been so busy. I sometimes regret promoting toy fairs on my channel since covid as they are even busier now than before. But I'm sure it's not all my doing. The only decline I have seen is the lack of local model shops, but that has been happening since I was a kid and nothing new. Atb Graham 🙂

Shops are closing in all sectors of the retail market, it's the current way of the world. Virtually all the items I buy are on line, mainly because there has been no retail outlet near me until just recently so I had little choice. I always frequented shops when on my travels to browse, but usually I was not financially equipped to buy from them if on holiday etc. I haven't been to the new shop yet but I will soon now it's there. As to whether I buy or not will be based on the economics of price and availability of money. Funnily enough I have been buying items for the last 20+ years without an actual layout, but I have the chance now to finally create one again as I've reached a certain age (50's) and can find the time.

We hear the same thing over here, (U.S.) the Model Shop I work in usually sells locomotives every day. Not to mention rolling stock. We have a lot of kids interested in the hobby. They do sometimes back off in their teens, but then they get married and then get their kids interested. The only complaint I have is the cost is making it harder for the kids to be active. Gone are the reasonably priced, reliable locomotives like the Athearn "blue box" locomotives. Athearn is still around, but the costs are 10 times as much.

Aha, an opinion I can actually agree with! It's evolution plain and simple. It grinds my gears looking at clickbait Dr Doom crap...does wonders for their algorythms. The hobby is in rude health, cheers Graham

Bully for you Graham , I read in the local paper with Hatton's closing and the cancellation of future Warley's . The decline is due to lack of the younger generation interest , I echo your opinion as a teenager Good On Yer Graham . I couldn't agree more with your comments about buying models , the truth is , far easier to knock something , than to compliment it . Chin up Graham

I've said in other posts, Hattons has closed due to their own success. I saw it happen to small shops in the 90s and early 2000s. Also the cottage industry is far stronger these days which has seen me purchase many items from eBay. I've also heard that Hattons has kept their USA shop, that in itself tells the industry is still strong, for them

I completely agree with you Graham in fact I would go a bit further to say that I think the NEC played a big part in Warley calling it a day. Good luck with the roof now there is a skill but don't worry I'm taking no notice of what others are saying.with your idea I think peter waterman is doing that where he is getting kids involved via a tablet to run his layout.but a good idea . Brian

An overall good video here Graham, I certainly can’t see the hobby in decline and I won’t be packing up anytime soon, so far this year 3 model railway items have been bought by me these being a rake of hornby container wagons, the EFE Bulleid booster and just the other day I managed to find a hornby Ivatt Duchess locomotive the Sir William Stanier FRS version which I have wanted for a while now, I also have a fair few models coming in 2024 one being the new 18100 Gas Turbine from Rails/heljan and hopefully the KR Models Bulleid Leader so as you can see I won’t be packing up in this hobby anytime soon, some overall good points mentioned in this video your one about Warley being packed was a good one, while I didn’t get to that show at all really due to it being quite far from where I live the closest I got to a show like Warley is to the Doncaster BRM show which I have attended twice and both times it has been packed with many people attending, in fact last year I managed to met some of my online friends there, in fact I’m hoping to get to this years one at Doncaster and I won’t be surprised it it’s packed out again, overall good video her Graham, some good points raised overall.

Firstly, I haven't done any research into the model railway business in the UK. I've bought from Hattons on occasion in the past, but more from Rails. I grew up in Sheffield, less than 2 miles from Rails - so it's a very familiar store. I assume they are doing well as I now live in Dronfield (in Derbyshire, near Sheffield) and Rails (before it was called that) started over the shop down my road. Recently they have opened up a new warehouse facility down on the industrial estate in Dronfield, so I presume they see a good future to invest so much in a shiny new building. I agree with your overall view Graham. It's never been a teen pastime. I do worry about the massive upwards trajectory in prices though.

Hi Graham, Hazel and Ruby. 100% with you Graham. People vlogging doom and gloom about the hobby just send out negative vibes. Just look at our model shop Trains 4U, all young. Rocket railways all young etc. When I go to exhibitions, yes the older generation are there in numbers, but youngsters are also there. As you must have noticed as well. Yes it is expensive if you buy new, but the second hand market is very healthy. As for hornby they have started doing some cheap entry locos as you said, good on them. Get the young ones in the hobby, then after the teenage years they will remember the fun they had with trains when they were ankle biters. Sorry for the long comment, but it's an important vlog for our hobby. Thanks for this Graham. Stay safe.............Pete.

Good evening Graham I'm in total agreement with you all hobbys change just because one retailer is closing I didn't really shop there. I tend to shop at my local model shop and Plymouth. I started my modeling back in 69 then I discovered girls so yes I stopped but I built layouts for my kids then in older life I've come back. I bet if you asked 99.9% would say the same. Anyway my friend stay safe chat soon. Stephen

Second thought on the subject...... Our hobby is ZEN... A place to go away from Governments war & hate..... All we have to do is to convince the youth that their peace of mind lies in the rolling fields, towns. stations & rolling stock.. All together now Ummmmmmmmm!!! Keep the kids safe. Grand Dads of the world unite!! Save your Grand kids and start a build!!!! All we are saying is give builds & imagination a chance!!! Love you all!!!!

Declined in what way? Have prices gone up? Yes. Is the hobby right now a luxury rather than a hobby to some people struggling to get by with rising costs of living? Sure. Does that mean the hobby is dying? No. Hattons closed, sure it's a sad thing when a model shop closes but the weeks before they closed I saw more and more people bemoaning a lack of customer service from Hattons and ridiculous prices for second hand models. Now if you look at social media you'd be forgiven for thinking that everyone shopped at Hattons and it was everyone's favourite shop. Good job though on actually analysing the hobby a bit and who are the 'young ones' that are supposed to be coming into the hobby. 'Young' in the hobby absolutely are people in their 30s-40s (it feels good to be considered young in something!). You have a great knack for talking good old fashioned common sense which sometimes gets lost on social media especially. Also, who at some point hasn't had a Smokey Joe loco that goes at 100mph and had fun with that? That is exactly what I had as a kid, bought for me by my dad and exactly like you said, the seed was sown way back when and now I'm back in the hobby 20-25 years later. It's a long term game to keep the hobby going, but it's exactly what needs to happen and kudos to Hobby for keeping that going. That's been part of their business model for however long and hopefully it will continue for a lot longer

I think you are right about tech based hooks for younger modellers. Also do we have any young icons to follow Pete Waterman, Jules Holland et al. For instance the cast of Harry Potter would be a great connection to promote our hobby

Hi Graham, hope you’re ok, so sad about Hatton’s deciding to shut up shop after all those years, as you state about the negativity in the hobby are the opinions are of individuals, for instance Hornby are not in my good books because of their poor customer service and products, there are people whom defend them 24/7 because they’ve never had an issue with them, when you do have an issue Hornby make it difficult for you to get a positive outcome because in my opinion they don’t care! Accurascale have had their faults but they sort them out because they genuinely care about their products and their customers, again this is down to personal experience so I know this to be true. Hatton’s had some amazing prices that made you buy extra item’s because you saved so much money, I understand model railway retailers need to make money so sales and discounts could be at a minimum, I also buy what I like and not what I need so if it appeals to me I will do my very best to get it if the price is in my budget, I’ve been into this unique hobby on and off for over 44 years so let’s hope it continues for many years to come, thanks for sharing.

watch if you haven't already done Jennifer e kirk railways exclusive interview with the ceo of Hattons

Well said Graham. From an Australian perspective, have the doom sayers looked at recent event crowds? Glad covid has settled down a little, because at the last Sydney exhibition I attended you couldn't put a pin between patrons - of all ages and both genders.

Good point Graham. Cheers Andy 👍

To me it’s only in a decline because of the increase during lockdown so now people aren’t in lockdown anymore it’s going down as I expected it would but I don’t think it will decline more than before lockdown.

what is the loco behind you?

I have several hobbies. Only going to mention 2 of them. One is of course Model Trains and the other is RC planes. I hear the same thing about RC planes, the end of the hobby, it's over, the government is killing it, on and on...... I can tell you that is not true from what I have seen by going to RC flying meets and swap meets. Our club has grown each year with new members. The annual event we hold at a non club field has doubled in attended over the years. It's mostly KZfaqrs jumping on a band wagon to get clicks (Likes, subscribers and $$). Thanks Graham...

Graham at the end of the day new companies would not be starting up in a dying industry FACT, The only issue is the high cost of some of the products especially Bachman are guilty of this , But I think Accurascale have demonstrated that doesn't need to always be the case

Hi Graham I hope you are well Yes they nothing wrong it the hobby It happened in every business look at steel in Wales it does not mean tata are going bust. As you know I run what I like. You seen a few of my clips. But I agree with everything you say in this video Keep safe ARP

Just so…

Much as I love you Graham I have to disagree: the hobby is, in fact, in decline. Here on the continent it's even worse. Roco and Märklin are both in major trouble as far as I can see, people are simply dying off alas. Very sad it is too. Joachim

regarding the modules, they do this in America

To be blunt, as I don't mince my words, whether the hobby is less popular or not makes not one jot of difference to me, or should it to anyone else! The manufactures and retailers obviously will feel it but they are partly to blame for any sales problems themselves, by their greed and obscene price hiking over the last decade! Lets face it, if they all shut tomorrow, they have already sold enough model railway items to last the ongoing hobbyists and future market another 50 years. ***** Model railways, hobbies in general, are a personal thing for personal pleasure and not a competition to have the biggest following, so what does it matter either way! ***** I don't get it. For what purpose are you trying to recruit more people into the hobby and why does it matter? It's not a religion or a particular cause, so what are you trying to do and why?

glyn Williams from north Wales what you sed about model railway I don't it is in decline you sed about warly model railway show might have to stop it sad if that happens you mentioned hattons it sad about family business i bought a decoder so i can run my king class on it just had delivery two days ago sound decoder from you choose had a mishap phoned them this morning they told me to send it back to be tested see what they tell what to do Graham all the best hope EF goes well when you go to hospital

nicely said graham my, belief is you have to try and plant the seed with kids between 4 and 14 after 14 no chance, then maybe 30,40,50 years later you rekindle that childhood passion because you have more time, space, money, etc, but there is always the exception .................tony