Model Railways For The Over 10s/ Under 40s? (Will There Be Much Of A Model Railway Market In The 2030s/2040s?)

[tbtc]

I'm sure that places like Toys'r'Us used to sell a range of Hornby stuff (a limited range, but at least a couple of train set boxes), there used to be Beatties too - but current toy shops like Smyths and The Entertainer don't seem to cater to that market.

Being dragged around Smyths recently, bewildered by the range of modern toys, I noticed the lack of anything "Hornby" - and there seems a huge gap in the market for fans of model trains generally:

• Wooden "Brio" toys for toddlers
• Plastic "Thomas" toys for primary school kids
• ???
• OO gauge "Hornby" models that are incredibly realistic but also over £100 per locomotive

At younger ages, it does feel like there's not much of an obvious "next step" for a seven year old who's outgrown the "Thomas" market.

LEGO do some trains (and you can build virtual mine carts in Minecraft), there are half a dozen Hornby sets on Argos, and I know that everything is available on Amazon/ eBay 24/7 these days, but the lack of train sets in toy shops feels a loss. This is despite the obvious attraction of the Hogwarts Express to that demographic.

Meanwhile, the manufacturers of OO gauge trains seem to be happily concentrating on the high-end stuff (and, why not, when you can charge so much for locomotives that are so much more detailed than the stuff I had in my 1980s childhood which now feels incredibly basic in comparison!).

If I'd been living under a rock for the past thirty years, I might have expected model trains to be a lot cheaper today than they were in my childhood (given the way you can manufacture things in Chinese factories), but the opposite is true - I don't begrudge the manufacturers from charging higher prices that the current market can seemingly afford but I do wonder if there'll be much of a market in the future.

Without trying to turn this into a "rich boomers vs skint millennials" thread (since the internet already has more than enough of those), the generation of older modellers able to afford such carefully crafted replicas isn't going to be replaced by people with the same interest in trains or the pockets to buy such high-end models (or the room for much of a layout).

There are attempts like the Hornby "Railroad" to try to bridge a gap but I worry that the "model" market will go the way of record shops, which lost the mass market years ago and the establishments that survived only did so by targeting the richer collectors willing to pay £20+ for deluxe gatefold vinyl re-issues, rather than the school kids wanting contemporary CDs.

You can make £££ by appealing to today's "collectors", but tomorrow's "collectors" are the current 10-40 year olds who just want "toys" at this stage in their life (and it doesn't feel like they are going to graduate to replace the people currently purchasing carefully detailed replicas)

I know that the people on this Forum aren't exactly a cross-representation of the Great British Public (nor do I claim to be myself!), so maybe our experiences will be different (hey, if I can afford a full length push/pull rake with a Class 27 on each end to recreate the glory days of Edinburgh - Glasgow trains then I'll have a happy retirement!), but do you get the feeling that there are diminishing marginal returns in the current market?

 

[Ianno87]

I've had this exact concern myself - once the generation of current, generally older, modellers is no longer with us, then I fear younger folk won't be in sufficient number to replace them. I look around the trypical clientele at model railway exhibitions, for example... Like many things, it is seen as being for "old white men", and that image desperately needs a shake up.

Personally, I'm in my 30s, and spending hundreds of pounds per model train is virtually unthinkable at present, given all the other things my finances need to stretch to cover. Although my kids are convenient excuses to buy some train sets!

 

[birchesgreen]

Prices are relative though. I remember locomotives being 30 quid in the 1980s, thats the equivalent of nearly 150 now.

 

[BanburyBlue]

You can get Hornby train sets from Argos. And my granddaughters have Brio type trains (I think they sell an equivalent) in Ikea.

Do agree though. Perhaps it's also down to space, with modern houses being smaller?

 

[bluenoxid]

It’s tough to say. I think model railways are going to have to get modular with the ability to swap chassis for locomotives particularly diesels, multiple units and small steam trains.

 

[aar0]

When I was ten my parents bought me the Hornby Flying Scotsman, which I loved and played with for years, and is now in my dad's loft on a fairly tiny layout. I think it's still for sale but at over £200 - I could never imagine spending that much on a ten year old! There must be a market for the same 00 track, but cheap and cheerful carriages and locos? Even now I'm fairly wary of touching the newer models, as there are so many tiny bits to break off... plus part of the fun when you're ten is turning the dial to max and watching the train plough off the corner and into someone ankle...

 

[DB]

Is it one of those hobbies which many who do it take up when they retire and have time on their hands?

 

[Peter C]

Is it one of those hobbies which many who do it take up when they retire and have time on their hands?

Definitely.

<rant>
Although I personally think numbers of younger people getting involved in model railways is slowly increasing, it's not increasing by enough to make it certain that the hobby will survive. The hobby is doomed to fall apart if model manufacturers continuing making far too expensive models of steam engines and older diesels with only a few making more modern-scene stock, these latter items being something the model railway press likes to describe as a new big thing whenever one is released, almost certainly due to the rarity of such modern image engines and units in model form.

Manufacturers such as Hornby need to move away from making plastic trains on plastic tracks with card tunnels for £30-odd and start making cheap train sets with 0-4-0s and 4-wheel coaches (the costs of which would have been made back donkeys' years ago) with good controllers and cheap ways of expanding upon the basic train set idea. I started with a small 0-4-0, which I still have, and it inspired the entire model railway I've got now, although it was ~£90: far too much for what it was, really.

</rant>

-Peter

 

[tbtc]

I forgot to mention yesterday that the price for model buses seems similarly high - even more so when you think that there's no motor to justify high prices - I was looking at a Leyland National in Rails (of Sheffield) recently but... forty quid seems a lot of money - a beautiful model, and I'm not saying that everything should still be the price it was when I was getting pocket money many decades ago, but... it's all about the "collectors" and not about the "toys"

Prices are relative though. I remember locomotives being 30 quid in the 1980s, thats the equivalent of nearly 150 now.

Looking at the Office for National Statistics website (https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/cdko/mm23), if a basket of goods/services for £359.80 in January 1985 (i.e. the middle of the 1980s) then that should cost £1,157.10 in August 2020 (the most recent figures) - i.e. something that cost £35.98 in January 1985 would cost £115.71 today.

So using 3.2 as the multiplier, a £30 locomotive would be £96.48 now.

But that's an average based on the whole basket of things that RPI measures - consumer electronics have become a lot cheaper in real terms - in some cases things actually have lower prices in 2020 than they would have in 1985 - so you might expect that £35.98 locomotive to only have gone up to £50 or £60 (looking at the way that a computer/ camera/ music player has become cheaper in real terms to produce)

Perhaps it's also down to space, with modern houses being smaller?

That's a good point - I've heard people say that Minecraft allows today's kids to have a virtual LEGO set that's a thousand times bigger than their bedrooms could ever accommodate (especially given modern houses with tiny bedrooms) - but at the same time, LEGO still sells in large numbers.

Maybe there'd be a market for an N-gauge layout to suit cramped bedrooms?

It’s tough to say. I think model railways are going to have to get modular with the ability to swap chassis for locomotives particularly diesels, multiple units and small steam trains.

That's a great point - I'd not considered that - if you only have a layout for two trains to be active at one time then you're potentially paying large sums just to have working mechanics in locomotives that are idle - there's an advert on telly for a DIY brand where you only buy one "battery" and then apply it to various different hedge trimmers/ drills etc (so you don't need to pay for batteries in lots of separate things) - could the same work for model railways?

There must be a market for the same 00 track, but cheap and cheerful carriages and locos? Even now I'm fairly wary of touching the newer models, as there are so many tiny bits to break off... plus part of the fun when you're ten is turning the dial to max and watching the train plough off the corner and into someone ankle...

I'd like to think that there was some market for something like you are suggesting - I wouldn't want to give a modern kid something as delicate/ expensive/ precious as a modern train set, I'd worry it wouldn't last a couple of laps of the track before it was broken - which is why I give LEGO as a default present for kids, because I know they won't be able to do it much damage, so should get longer playing time out of it.

 

[Domh245]

I think an important factor not discussed here is simulators. I suspect that in no small part the reason many people went for model trains was because that was the only way to do their hobby at home. Nowadays, you could build a model railway, but given the relative ease, and far greater opportunities presented by simming, it's no surprise to see that physical models have taken a dive in popularity, and I suspect the same is true for other genres of 'toy' as well - why build an airfix kit when you could play any manner of flight/combat sim, etc. The toy market has gone digital

Given that proviso, it also explains the relative cost and intricacy of current models. When the only people who are really interested in them any more are 'modellers' as opposed to railway enthusiasts looking for an easy home-hobby related to trains, it makes sense to produce a higher end, more detailed model for them to run around their layouts. The market for 'cheap toy' style models to get a run out on some recently laid and constantly changing track doesn't exist to the same extent any more.

 

[Cowley]

Interesting thread @tbtc.
I was one of those kids in the 1980s spending my pocket money in the local model shop, and from what I remember a brand new Lima class 47 or 37 (pretty much the best that was available to us back then) was around the £35 mark.
I suppose that was around the equivalent of a days wages in a fairly decent job (for my neck of the woods) back then, so not too far out from today considering the huge leap in quality that models have taken in the last twenty years in terms of quality.

What’s really noticeable now though is that when Bachmann (for instance) bought out a class 37 that was light years ahead of the Lima offering in the mid 2000s (around the time that Lima was dying), it was only around thirty percent more expensive.
I bought a load of stuff around then and when I changed over to N gauge a couple of years ago I made a profit on virtually everything 00 that I sold on eBay even though it was well used, just because the price of the new stuff had gone higher due to the rise in prices of Chinese manufacturing.

Also though, when I was young the model shop always had a cabinet full of second hand stuff that would do the job on a budget rather than buying new (I mean old Triang stuff etc), but these days that sort of stuff looks archaic, and anything half decent ends up on eBay fetching silly prices.

One thing I do know though is that people have been saying that the bubble will burst at some point for years and years. But the truth is that it’s far more healthy these days than it was thirty years ago when we were struggling with poor motors, analog controllers and no online community to share tips with etc.

You can still get into it relatively cheaply with some of the starter packs these days I reckon, and the thing is that you can keep upgrading and buying new stuff like we always have done to add to your layout as you go along.
There’s been some really interesting comments about simulators on this thread. I wonder how many people have drifted into the hobby via that interest?
I’d say that the two compliment each other rather than compete in a way.
What do others think?

 

[TheEdge]

I think an important factor not discussed here is simulators. I suspect that in no small part the reason many people went for model trains was because that was the only way to do their hobby at home. Nowadays, you could build a model railway, but given the relative ease, and far greater opportunities presented by simming, it's no surprise to see that physical models have taken a dive in popularity, and I suspect the same is true for other genres of 'toy' as well - why build an airfix kit when you could play any manner of flight/combat sim, etc. The toy market has gone digital

I think the two overlap but neither really means the other can't exist. Yes, you can do whatever you want in Train Sim but for some (like myself) there is something better about having the physical object. Same as plastic kits.

Given that proviso, it also explains the relative cost and intricacy of current models. When the only people who are really interested in them any more are 'modellers' as opposed to railway enthusiasts looking for an easy home-hobby related to trains, it makes sense to produce a higher end, more detailed model for them to run around their layouts. The market for 'cheap toy' style models to get a run out on some recently laid and constantly changing track doesn't exist to the same extent any more.

I'd say the seemingly booming trade a lot of model shops do in second hand along with the almost guaranteed sale of any model on eBay there is a market for the cheaper models. There are countless examples of people taking old Lima models and with some work at home making a model that easily stands toe to toe with the current offerings. The Hornby Railroad line was meant to appeal to that market but for some reason Hornby have started charging so much for those they've moved them out of the niche they had.

One thing I do know though is that people have been saying that the bubble will burst at some point for years and years. But the truth is that it’s far more healthy these days than it was thirty years ago when we were struggling with poor motors, analog controllers and no online community to share tips with etc.

I think the bubble is getting close to facing an existential crisis because of the age profile. An industry that seems to rely on making its money from rich pensioners is doomed. The pensioners buying models now on tasty old pension schemes are not getting replaced like for like. Myself and a good friend were walking round Ally Pally a few years back, between us our pre-tax income is within spitting distance of 6 figures, and we both concluded it was just too expensive. With the various other pressures on even the well paid Millennial pay packet a hobby where you can expect £150 to be a starting price for a single loco plus another £100 for some rolling stock for it to haul, plus the £100 for a half decent DCC controller, oh and the £30 for the DCC chip, and £60 for a track pack and all you've got there is a train running round a coffee table, its just unsustainable. A newer modeler can get lots of hints and tips, but how brave is said modeler when it comes to trying out weathering on their new £150 loco because that's the starting price? Its all good and well all these amazing new developments but if you haven't got customers to sell them to its pretty pointless.

You can still get into it relatively cheaply with some of the starter packs these days I reckon, and the thing is that you can keep upgrading and buying new stuff like we always have done to add to your layout as you go along.

But there just isn't a stepping stone from the starter set to the new loco. So you've got your Flying Scotsman set for £159. Lovely. So now its only right you get Mallard and some coaches for her to haul. Railroad Mallard and 3 Railroad Teaks, £182. Lets say actually you've got the bug and want the higher quality A4 with some nice Pullmans, £353. Even Railroad Mallard on her own is £110, so when you "only" paid £160 for a whole set its a big jump in cost.

 

[aar0]

between us our pre-tax income is within spitting distance of 6 figures, and we both concluded it was just too expensive. With the various other pressures on even the well paid Millennial pay packet a hobby where you can expect £150 to be a starting price

As a millennial, I can let you have a laugh - my pre-tax income is only just in 5 figures...

 

[Iskra]

I've had this exact concern myself - once the generation of current, generally older, modellers is no longer with us, then I fear younger folk won't be in sufficient number to replace them. I look around the trypical clientele at model railway exhibitions, for example... Like many things, it is seen as being for "old white men", and that image desperately needs a shake up.

Personally, I'm in my 30s, and spending hundreds of pounds per model train is virtually unthinkable at present, given all the other things my finances need to stretch to cover. Although my kids are convenient excuses to buy some train sets!

I’m 30. I don’t go to model exhibitions. I watch layouts on youtube, twitter. There is a lot of online content out there, which I assume is how the ‘younger’ modellers engage with the hobby, and it’s free that way too and I don’t have to travel. That’s the same kind of assumption that gets made about trainspotting, yes you only tend to see older and ever declining numbers of spotters on platform ends, but that doesn’t mean younger spotters don’t exist; they just engage with the hobby in a different way, much of which is online.

Im attempting to build a model railway, I only have one Hornby railroad model, out of a collection of 15 loco’s, you just have to buy when you can and build up slowly. You don’t need 50 loco’s to have a layout and it doesn’t have to be a massive layout based on a 4 track mainline. You are free to build what you want and you can scale it down to what you can afford and it can still be good.

 

[Ianno87]

I’m 30. I don’t go to model exhibitions. I watch layouts on youtube, twitter. There is a lot of online content out there, which I assume is how the ‘younger’ modellers engage with the hobby, and it’s free that way too and I don’t have to travel. That’s the same kind of assumption that gets made about trainspotting, yes you only tend to see older and ever declining numbers of spotters on platform ends, but that doesn’t mean younger spotters don’t exist; they just engage with the hobby in a different way, much of which is online.

Good point - I guess an example of modern real railway enthusiasm via YouTube is the likew of Geoff Marshall (to be honest, I'm happy for train enthusiasm to lose it's anoraks-on-platforms-ends image!)

 

[Domh245]

I think the two overlap but neither really means the other can't exist. Yes, you can do whatever you want in Train Sim but for some (like myself) there is something better about having the physical object. Same as plastic kits.

I'm not disputing that there is a market for people who want a physical object as an outlet for their hobby, but my suspicion is that it's a very small market and not one that'll sustain a company!

I'd say the seemingly booming trade a lot of model shops do in second hand along with the almost guaranteed sale of any model on eBay there is a market for the cheaper models. There are countless examples of people taking old Lima models and with some work at home making a model that easily stands toe to toe with the current offerings. The Hornby Railroad line was meant to appeal to that market but for some reason Hornby have started charging so much for those they've moved them out of the niche they had.

I think that's more to do with human desire to get a good deal than a specific market for low cost models! I don't think there's much demand for the relatively simple Smokey Joe type models for example - the people buying models nowadays are those who specifically want a nice physical object. Sure there might be some people who just want a relatively simple model that they can send round a track, or something that they can use as a base to scratchbuild/detail something from, but that's a niche

 

[DB]

I'd say the seemingly booming trade a lot of model shops do in second hand along with the almost guaranteed sale of any model on eBay there is a market for the cheaper models. There are countless examples of people taking old Lima models and with some work at home making a model that easily stands toe to toe with the current offerings. The Hornby Railroad line was meant to appeal to that market but for some reason Hornby have started charging so much for those they've moved them out of the niche they had.

I think a lot of the second-hand market (especially for the higher-end models) elates to the limited production runs, and the long time which can pass before a particular livery is done again. This particularly applies in N gauge, where the production runs are smaller, and there are many models (generally recent ones, as standards have moved on a lot in the past few years) which typically sell on ebay second-hand for far more than the original purchase price.

 

[birchesgreen]

Looking at the Office for National Statistics website (https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/cdko/mm23), if a basket of goods/services for £359.80 in January 1985 (i.e. the middle of the 1980s) then that should cost £1,157.10 in August 2020 (the most recent figures) - i.e. something that cost £35.98 in January 1985 would cost £115.71 today.

So using 3.2 as the multiplier, a £30 locomotive would be £96.48 now.

But that's an average based on the whole basket of things that RPI measures - consumer electronics have become a lot cheaper in real terms - in some cases things actually have lower prices in 2020 than they would have in 1985 - so you might expect that £35.98 locomotive to only have gone up to £50 or £60 (looking at the way that a computer/ camera/ music player has become cheaper in real terms to produce)

I used the measuringworth website to compare the money, its what i was recommended to use when i was doing my masters.

Consumer electronics are cheaper but they are also produced in much greater numbers. The average piece of consumer electronics is made in the hundreds of thousands at least and probably millions, how many locos are made in a batch by Hornby, Liliput, Roco et cetera? I suspect its only in the low thousands if that.

The quality and features are much higher now. I look at my 1980s bought Hornby locos and compare to my latest Roco loco and its pretty stark.

 

[tbtc]

I think an important factor not discussed here is simulators. I suspect that in no small part the reason many people went for model trains was because that was the only way to do their hobby at home. Nowadays, you could build a model railway, but given the relative ease, and far greater opportunities presented by simming, it's no surprise to see that physical models have taken a dive in popularity, and I suspect the same is true for other genres of 'toy' as well - why build an airfix kit when you could play any manner of flight/combat sim, etc. The toy market has gone digital

Given that proviso, it also explains the relative cost and intricacy of current models. When the only people who are really interested in them any more are 'modellers' as opposed to railway enthusiasts looking for an easy home-hobby related to trains, it makes sense to produce a higher end, more detailed model for them to run around their layouts. The market for 'cheap toy' style models to get a run out on some recently laid and constantly changing track doesn't exist to the same extent any more.

Good points - I'd not considered simulators, as I've never dipped my toe in that market (since a 1980s game on the Spectrum computer called "Brighton Belle"!) - I guess it's like the Minecraft example I mentioned earlier, where anyone can have an enormous set, despite the size of their bedroom

One thing I do know though is that people have been saying that the bubble will burst at some point for years and years. But the truth is that it’s far more healthy these days than it was thirty years ago when we were struggling with poor motors, analog controllers and no online community to share tips with etc

Yeah, I guess like the way that people had been saying that rail passenger numbers had peaked twenty years ago, and were saying so fifteen years ago, and ten years ago, and five years ago, but they seemed to keep going up (until Covid, of course, but you know what I mean - you keep expecting some things to peak and they never quite seem to!)

If the market is there to pay for a premium product then I certainly can't blame manufacturers - there's probably more profit on one £200 locomotive than a dozen £50 ones - few companies are going to charge less than the market will pay - it's just a shame that the market for people paying £50 seems to have dwindled away (I remember the days when I'd spend that in a record shop most weekends, but that's another market that has changed a lot!)

I'd say the seemingly booming trade a lot of model shops do in second hand along with the almost guaranteed sale of any model on eBay there is a market for the cheaper models. There are countless examples of people taking old Lima models and with some work at home making a model that easily stands toe to toe with the current offerings. The Hornby Railroad line was meant to appeal to that market but for some reason Hornby have started charging so much for those they've moved them out of the niche they had

It's a shame that the Railroad range hasn't worked outs intended - I'd have been happy enough to buy something "decent" (rather than "perfect"), but I guess the market isn't there (?) - some brands are good at selling "economy" and "premium" versions of the same thing, but maybe the model market isn't large enough to do both

I remember when Hornby had a "budget" range of Thomas stuff, relatively affordable for pocket money prices

I don't think there's much demand for the relatively simple Smokey Joe type models for example - the people buying models nowadays are those who specifically want a nice physical object. Sure there might be some people who just want a relatively simple model that they can send round a track, or something that they can use as a base to scratchbuild/detail something from, but that's a niche

I agree, it's just a shame, as I could justify buying a set like that for kids' birthdays, and if it gets trashed then it's not the end of the world - but might be a good introduction (and then encourage them to buy an extra wagon or track for a siding or tunnel as they develop)

 

[Iskra]

Good points - I'd not considered simulators, as I've never dipped my toe in that market (since a 1980s game on the Spectrum computer called "Brighton Belle"!) - I guess it's like the Minecraft example I mentioned earlier, where anyone can have an enormous set, despite the size of their bedroom



Yeah, I guess like the way that people had been saying that rail passenger numbers had peaked twenty years ago, and were saying so fifteen years ago, and ten years ago, and five years ago, but they seemed to keep going up (until Covid, of course, but you know what I mean - you keep expecting some things to peak and they never quite seem to!)

If the market is there to pay for a premium product then I certainly can't blame manufacturers - there's probably more profit on one £200 locomotive than a dozen £50 ones - few companies are going to charge less than the market will pay - it's just a shame that the market for people paying £50 seems to have dwindled away (I remember the days when I'd spend that in a record shop most weekends, but that's another market that has changed a lot!)



It's a shame that the Railroad range hasn't worked outs intended - I'd have been happy enough to buy something "decent" (rather than "perfect"), but I guess the market isn't there (?) - some brands are good at selling "economy" and "premium" versions of the same thing, but maybe the model market isn't large enough to do both

I remember when Hornby had a "budget" range of Thomas stuff, relatively affordable for pocket money prices



I agree, it's just a shame, as I could justify buying a set like that for kids' birthdays, and if it gets trashed then it's not the end of the world - but might be a good introduction (and then encourage them to buy an extra wagon or track for a siding or tunnel as they develop)

There are still products on the market, at this level:

Search results | The Model Centre

www.themodelcentre.com

Smokey Joe is £36 new, another basic loco £31, plus another at £28. Plus with brand new MK1's for around £17. Additionally basic trainsets start at £50. I think that represents reasonable value compared to other hobbies. A ticket for a football match would cost you £30+ quid for 90mins, plus other expenses. The cinema is expensive, again for only a couple of hours entertainment. I think if you buy one of the better value sets and then add to it piecemeal and you aren't too fussy, there is reasonable value to be found. Where it gets expensive is when you specify you are modelling area/era/toc X, then all of a sudden you end up with a lot less choice and you have to pay the higher prices to get what is available to enable you to do it accurately.

 

[Cowley]

Because I’m a bit out of the loop with 00 gauge these days, has the Hornby Railroad line not been too successful then?

 

[TheEdge]

Because I’m a bit out of the loop with 00 gauge these days, has the Hornby Railroad line not been too successful then?

It's not that it doesn't sell, it's just Hornby don't seem to have stuck with what it started out to be me.

They were meant to be the old models sold new at a much cheaper price than the main range. But it's got to the point now where they are not a huge amount cheaper than the main range models. B17, £95 for the Railroad and £120 for the main range one.

 

[Peter Kelford]

Is it one of those hobbies which many who do it take up when they retire and have time on their hands?

Yes but the 'seeds' often need to be sown at a young age and/or over a long period of time. I would think that the following groups of people are far more likely to become modellers:

Career railwaymen (and women) - retired or working
Those who have had childhood experiences with the railways
Those who have intensively used the railway as passengers (this last group especially for those moving over to railways from other models).

The 'railwayman culture' is reducing significantly so I do think that the first is diminishing.

For the children, the railway is no longer seen as something exciting as often.

For those regular passengers, it has been taken for granted more and more.

 

[102 fan]

I left OO 15 years ago for 16mm scale narrow gauge trains, and I've never looked back. In that scale there's a wealth of kits that are reasonably priced. And although a live steam loco can be expensive, it's no more than about 10 DCC loco's in cost.

 

[Cowley]

It's not that it doesn't sell, it's just Hornby don't seem to have stuck with what it started out to be me.

They were meant to be the old models sold new at a much cheaper price than the main range. But it's got to the point now where they are not a huge amount cheaper than the main range models. B17, £95 for the Railroad and £120 for the main range one.

Oh ok. That is a surprise. You’d have thought that they’d be able to do them a lot more cheaply because they’ve missed out on much of the development costs with the bodies etc.

 

[DB]

Oh ok. That is a surprise. You’d have thought that they’d be able to do them a lot more cheaply because they’ve missed out on much of the development costs with the bodies etc.

Some of the Railroad models are actually developed new - they are just less detailed than the main range.

Others are ex Lima.

 

[43055]

Oh ok. That is a surprise. You’d have thought that they’d be able to do them a lot more cheaply because they’ve missed out on much of the development costs with the bodies etc.

There are some cheaper models priced around the £70 mark. I have one of the 66's but I think there are some other models like 47's coming soon. These are basically ex Lima models with NEM couplings but they do still look good detail wise.

 

[Peter Kelford]

I'd have thought that with the latest resin 3d printers one could have cast/printed tiny pieces of detail at little to no cost and left it to the modeller to install as a cost-saving measure with intricate detail moulded on too:

This is a one-piece moulding for instance.

3d printing can be done in a range of realistic colours as well (e.g. a printed rendition of valve gear).

 

[Journeyman]

Interesting comments. I got a Hornby set for my fifth birthday in 1979 (class 37 and 3 Mark 2s), and I was a keen modeller for about ten years or so, until girls and computers distracted me. I never had a particularly sophisticated layout, but I built up a modestly decent fleet from birthday and Christmas presents, and my pocket money would stretch to a decent selection of buildings and scenery.

I rather regret getting rid of it all now, as the barriers to entry seem shockingly high. I'd happily settle for 80s quality models at sensible prices, although I think if I started building a layout now, DCC would be a no-brainer. I really don't think I can afford it, though, and I'll have to wait until one of my kids moves out before I'll have the space...

I really think there's a gap in the market for aggressively priced, visually good but simple and robust models of modern prototypes. I wish someone would fill it.

 

[TheEdge]

I really think there's a gap in the market for aggressively priced, visually good but simple and robust models of modern prototypes. I wish someone would fill it.

Its exactly what Railroad was meant to be but it was like Hornby saw pound signs.