Joseph Frank1 wrote:Hello, "whomever" (and YOU are, heh, NOT "Rufus" !!)
PS: I think that last magazine was Scale Model Traction & Trolleys Quarterly by Mike Grutsch of I think Milwaukee
I confess to having never heard of that one!
My observations as to why attendance at some traction meets and also forum activity (subway- traction etc)_ participation is markedly down over the past few years --- is because over the past number of years, the younger to near middle agers have either gotten married and had children, and the even back then younger ones who married long ago, now have near or present teenage children -- and the attending responsibilities on their spare time ( job, family, children, finances and ever growing expenses etc.,
Others have lost their good jobs (the economy collapse six and more years ago) and perhaps are in part time or in temporary lower paying wage jobs and the hobby and money involved in the participation in such, is out of reach for them presently.
Also distance from shows and travel costs and overnight lodging costs --- as well as many of the long term hobbyists like myself, who have so much already and spent so much over the decades in it -- well, you get it --- we have enough, to too much already !
Lastly, as we grow older -- medical and other issues arise -- I have seen it quite many times in many of my traction friends -- and have seen quite a number of traction pals and modelers who have passed away over the past 5 or so years (one at work at 58 years old - suddenly, a few weeks ago) --- but bottom line is there are no younger (20 to 35 ages) replacements for EACH of we much older traction modelers. Its quite obvious by all the bald and grey haired much older guys seen in the majority at various shows !
Also it is a "hands on" modelers format -- and most younger persons today are not so much into "building, constructing, things but rather "shake it from the box instantly ready to go " types. Which is why hobby shops have been closing in record numbers across the country over the past 10 years.
These are the Facts, "whomever", and I have lived them as one of the still few very active ones in the transit-traction modeling hobby
All of the above is not unique to traction modeling by any means, and applies rather well to the O scale community at large. You only have to attend the March Meet in Chicago to see exactly what you state. And, despite being retired now, I'm probably on the younger side of the bell curve! However, the past 2 meets there have had an increasing component of youngers (1/2 my age guys) buying not only RTR, but also buying kits and projects to build. They are out there and only need to be connected to and supported/encouraged.
Back to my main point - there are publications that will and do provide support to traction. But, they need support from that community and that means articles for without content being provided for publication, those same publications do not have staff writers to just labor on creating publications for a community that is not invested in participation. We are not going to get traction and trolley modeling into the hands of the younger modelers if it's not going to be featured in the remaining publications that are willing to publish such articles.
Sent an article to O scale Trains! Contact them to see if they would be interested in having your layout featured in print!
