Some highlights of the 11th Australian Narrow Gauge Convention

[danpickard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQOjXNiGnig

Just a quick throw together of some of the sights and activities from the recent 11th Australian Narrow Gauge Convention. 

Cheers,
Dan

[lab-dad]

Great!
Just like being there without having to deal with the wildlife.
Question; why were all the attendees so old looking?
Nice to see Jacq and hear nick (?) instructing others to "wave at thee peasants"
Marty

[danpickard]

Hi Marty,
Good question...
Model railroaders a dying breed perhaps (that might be a can of worms)? 
Of the 150 attendees, some of the numbers were interesting/encouraging.  I think we had about 20 odd first time convention goers (good percentage overall, and perhaps a bit surprising to us as organisers).  I'm probably one of the younger category at 38, but I reckon there would have been about 20-30 guys in the 30-40 years age bracket.  I think a fair bit of it (especially when it comes to conventions) may be a cost thing, with >$100 for a convention, but <$10 for an exhibition, so you see a few younger guys at general exhibitions.  Modelling railway stuff an take time and money, which are two things that younger guys don't seem to have as much of when compared to more senior/retired older attendees.  We asked plenty of survey style questions as part of peoples registrations, so have some good stats on where people come from, when they joined up etc, but don't think we asked peoples ages, which would have made an interesting stat.

Cheers,
Dan

[1-32]

looks like there was some great modelling as per usual
kind regards kim

[danpickard]

Hi Kim,
Was a good amount of worthwhile viewing.  There was also a fairly healthy volume of 1:35 models as well, so I think you would have enjoyed the displays. 
Even more scary, I picked up some of the 1:35 Diorama Debri brick moulds that Nick was promoting...

Cheers,
Dan

[Hauk]

Question; why were all the attendees so old looking?

Uh... Because they were old?

Seriously, all the pictures I  have seen from model railroad related events have been dominated by elderly white males.
The rising average age of model railroaders is clearly no myth.

[lab-dad]

I'm probably one of the younger category at 38

Well aint that a kick!
I used to be "one of the younger ones"
Guess the joke is on me!

[mad gerald]

...  I'm probably one of the younger category at 38 ...

... um well, whadda ya mean ... "38" ... year of birth (SCNR) ...   ... ?!?!?

BTW: Thanks for showing (us) around ...

[finescalerr]

The issue of an aging hobby with very few new and younger participants continues to be an insurmountable problem. The circulation of hobby publications and manufacturers' production runs have dropped by an average of about 9-percent a year over the past eight years as hobbyists disappear and stores close. (It was dropping at about 5-percent a year from 1998.) The 2008 financial crash wiped out a bunch of stores, and probably hobbyists' incomes, resulting in about a 17-percent drop that year. The model railroad hobby has never recovered.

If you have noticed that the larger manufacturers are producing more re-issues than new models you now know the reason.

An aging hobby population has had other negative effects: Less modeling, less participation in other aspects of the hobby by those who consider themselves still "active", a more rigid and narrow approach to almost everything by old white haired white male hobbyists resulting in less creativity and more redundancy in article content and product development, more politics and cliquishness in the smaller segments of the hobby due to shrinking numbers ... on and on. (That includes an overwhelming resistance to digital publications. But, guys, someday digital will be the only way hobby publications can survive so get used to PDFs, or whatever else, and embrace them.)

These and related factors are the main reason why I have decided to terminate the Logging and NG Annuals after next year and why I want to semi-retire. The business is no longer fun, I no longer relate to the typical "model railroader", and I earn much less money in return for the same or more work. It's like unrequited love; after a while it starts to get to you and you turn your back.

This forum alone continues to inspire me and maintains my interest in modeling. The content of American model railroad publications has become so stagnant and in large part (if you will pardon my bluntness) stupid, most of the stuff isn't worth reading let alone printing.

At the same time I am dismayed by the utter disinterest by a majority of younger people in any pastime requiring research, skill, and use of hands. That's why hobbies are dying. It's a lot easier to enjoy a computer game -- and certainly it's more exciting -- than it is to build a boxcar. And, frankly, operating trains simply can't compete with even watching TV.

What the asinine hobby industry fails to recognize is that the answer isn't more ready-to-run models. The answer it to make people realize how satisfying it is to CREATE SOMETHING YOURSELF -- from its initial design to the last dab of weathering powder. Nobody is going to retain a long term fascination with something he buys. We only maintain an interest in things we ACTIVELY CREATE because that requires an investment of part of ourselves and we feel pride in the results.

But I can't and won't fight City Hall. It is long past time for me to walk away from an industry largely consisting of nincompoops whose very expertise is creating its demise! So, next July, when I write a withering commentary about the hobby, you will know what to expect. And from that time forward I will become a MODELER (of whatever interests me) who hopes to share what you guys and I create in only one publication: The Modelers' Annual. And that will continue only as long as you provide material.

Russ

[Ray Dunakin]

What the asinine hobby industry fails to recognize is that the answer isn't more ready-to-run models. The answer it to make people realize how satisfying it is to CREATE SOMETHING YOURSELF -- from its initial design to the last dab of weathering powder. Nobody is going to retain a long term fascination with something he buys. We only maintain an interest in things we ACTIVELY CREATE because that requires an investment of part of ourselves and we feel pride in the results.

The problem is, the hobby industry (like any other business) is devoted to selling things. So there's no motivation for them to convince people that "modeling" is better than "buying". The only exceptions are a few smaller companies that make scratch building supplies or detail parts.

The hobby magazines are the ones who should be promoting scratch building, but most of their money comes from the advertisers, so even the magazines have a vested interest in pushing products rather than promoting modeling. And then they point to the buy-it-don't-build-it mindset, which they fostered, as justification for decreasing the modeling content of their "modeling" magazines.

[k27rgs]

NickO stayed with me for the week and was a pleasure to have him around.  
It was also a pleasure to take him to the airport to make sure he left the country.  
As of writing the plane should just about to take off.  

[k27rgs]

For the record.   I have black hair and still feel young as ever    

A few "Happy Snappy's" of the show with a few links to some great modeling by Narrow Gaugers

cheers all

    Mario Rapinett  ( keep on dancing )

       http://www.modvid.com.au/html/body_australian_artistry.html

[TRAINS1941]

Dan thanks for the upodate.

Mario we where kind of hoping you would keep Nick downunder!!!!!

Jerry

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks for the video and pics, looks like there was a lot of great modeling on display!

[finescalerr]

You Australians don't mess around! Most satisfactory.

Hey, Mario, I thought you had shut down your website and moved on. I am delighted you changed your mind.

Russ