That question brings quite a few things to mind Joe. But IMO, without a doubt the most beneficial is what you are working with here at MRH. The internet and computers. Almost everything I do now in this hobby is directly tied to the internet and the vast amount of information that is so readily available. Want to research a prototype? Want to find a photo of a bridge, piece of rolling stock, vintage signage, whatever it may be, I can just go online and find examples and inspiration. Need an a particular item? Used to be you'd have to search the local hobbyshops, or attend swap meets, or send away for catalogs. The collaboration with fellow modelers is one thing I enjoy and value about MRH and other forums. Want to learn a skill or technique? Go online and order or download a tutorial video on ths subject. It's all available for anyone with a computer and an internet connection.

I would also have to mention the high quality of products available now that weren't here 20 years ago.

As far as what's hurt the hobby?  The only thing I can think of is maybe the lack of younger people getting involved with the hobby. I'm currently helping a friend and his 9 year-old son build his first 4x8 HO scale layout. I'm trying to guide him toward doing everything right in order to avoid frustration that might in turn alienate him from the hobby. I think it's important to the future of the hobby to get more young people in love with trains. I guess that ties in with what I think will make the hobby better in the future.

I'm going to say the most significant development in the hobby in the past 20 years is DCC with sound, hands down.

As for the future, I'm going to echo Kevin and say MRH is the future of the hobby.  The internet is the global marketplace and meeting place.  Leveraging that for the hobby is leading edge stuff, IMO.

The sooner the paper mags figure out that everything they have been doing up till now is ancient history, the better for the hobby and their bottom lines!

The people who are so avidly against e-publishing are shooting themselves in the foot and the blind proponents of the paper mags, constantly giving them "attaboys" is not helping the ruling powers at those publications to see the light.

That's my take on the matter.  Don't shoot the messenger. [wink]

By far, the development that is of most benefit to the hobby is DCC.  Since re-entering the small scale portion of the hobby (having spent some years exclusively in 1½ inch scale), I've been looking, rather critically, at DCC versus straight DC operation, which I am extremely comfortable with.  (And now, I've quit kicking and screaming, and am jumping into DCC completely).

DCC affords the operator the opportunity to concentrate on prototypical running of trains, rather that operating within the idiosyncracies of whatever cab control or other system straight DC required us to have.  So now, we are seeing an explosion in interest in operation. 

So, then, at least for me, this leads to more research into prototypical selection and placement of rail-served industry, and accurate track planning, regional features, even scenery.

The future?  I agree with Kevin.  Sparking interest and encouraging new modelers is key.

Negatives:  When I started in the hobby (about 1959:  MR article :"Jack Work builds a Coal Mine"), and for many years, to get what you wanted, either with structures or with rolling stock, you scratch-built or you kit-bashed.  For me, this mode of acquisition was also driven by my limited budget.     Now, you can have whatever you want, constrained only by your wallet contents or credit card balance.  Sure, there are kits, for all skill levels, but the pricing leads you to be able to buy ready-built for the same price.  The emphasis seems to be distinctly away from the very pleasurable built-it-yourself part of the hobby.  I think we're losing something here.

Hi folks,

For me I think DCC is absolutly the best advancement since I started, decoders have even gotten better as time has moved on.

Wireless throttles.

Better cars and Locomotives.

Scenery materials and and track are better, I love the static grass and my Fast track jigs.

I just got my first Digitrax PR-3 so I will be able to interface with the layout completly.

The internet has opened the world up to everyone, and your not locked into mail order or what is at your local hobby shop anymore.

I cant really think of anything really bad, most things have been a very positive improvment.

I would like to see companys produce larger industries and not so many small kits, something that would handle larger quantities of cars.

But I end up kitbashing or scratch building several kits etc, to justify a large industry.

Forums like this and this publication are a wonderful resource also, and when I do have a question I know there is a wealth of knowledge out there to help me out.

I also like that everyone has there own way of doing things and I like to see peoples techniques and learn from them.

Anyway I'm starting to babble

Mark

 I know of a way to gauge some of the changes in the hobby over the years. Back in the 60's, I frequented a local hobby shop in Westmont, NJ. In the front of the store they had a neat flip-top container that held a lot of different wood structural shapes for scratch building. Over the years the container began working its way towards the back of the store. The when it hit the back, they began to put other items on top of the container and one had to remove them to access the wood parts. I moved to PA and my trips became infrequent. Last month I happened to be in NJ and stopped by to pick up some parts. The container was now in the garage. They let me back there and the clerk informed me that only about 2 or 3 people a year were interested in it and that once each part was gone, they weren't going to order any more.
 

I'm not complaining because this is the best of times to be a model railroader for all the reasons stated here. I too enjoy the internet and computers and have installed DCC on most of my layout. But, it is a bit sad to see the interest in scratch building go the way of that container.

I'm not complaining because this is the best of times to be a model railroader for all the reasons stated here. I too enjoy the internet and computers and have installed DCC on most of my layout. But, it is a bit sad to see the interest in scratch building go the way of that container.

I have to agree with that sentiment Roy.

While I appreciate the surplus of ready to run for what it is, I have never scratch built anything and have only kit-bashed at the beginner level.  I would like to develop those skills more now so I hope the resources for scratch builders remain available into the future.

 For me the biggest improvement is linear layout designs (with DCC) that allows me to follow the train and watch it close up, instead of trying to control it from 15 feet away.

The biggest regression is the gradual disappearance of rolling stock kits.  Why is everything RTR now?  (Yeah I know I can still get legacy kits but how long will they last on the shelves?)

Modelrailroading has come a long way since I started in the early 70s. I liked the blue box kits Athern had

and enjoyed making them also some of the early Roundhouse kits, Now everything seems to be RTR. Its

also sad to see some of the structure mfgs going that direction with their ready built structure buildings.

One of the local hobby shops in my area that was big into scratch building supplies is closing at the end

of this year due to two things the RTR stuff and the supplyers demanding orders be a amount in high

dollars before they ship to the stores. THE last order I placed took three weeks because they needed

a certain dollar amount to fill the order. Some of the mail order companys charge way to much for shipping

some in the 10 to 12 dollar range  almost half the price of an item. With al this going on it almost takes

the fun out of the hobby. I could rant a wole lot more but I wont. Needless to say I still enjoy the hobby.

But it sure has changed alot. the best part is DCC and sound it realy makes the hobby come alive.

ron netti

Our modeling world, in general, including model railroading, becoming so vast but at the same time so confined to the PC room with the coming of the world wide web. MRH beeing only one small asset of that development.

Same thing can be said for the social (global) life, we all saw growing with the coming of the world wide web. Hobby related or not in this.

Miniaturisation and digitalisation bringing yet another dimension to our miniature world(s). Not only in model railroading is the use of digital components expanding (too?) fast.

To a certain level IMO, the past 20 years of developments are very positive. But positive automatically brings negative (the one never going without the other). 

I find that the computerisation of almost every thing around us, including our hobby is taking the overhand way too fast . Only resulting in frustration. Frustration only resulting in abandon at the end. Due to financial lacking or technical comprehansing lacking.

Brings me to products developements. Yes, our hobby related products have seen a warp of improvement(s) but here again, today ,  quality comes second to quantity due to fast mass production and poor end of the line quality inspection. Not taking away a fact on price increase. The "good enough" for a "higher price" is a common merchandise politics of manufacturors nowadays.

As a final note, IMHO, with the coming of the World Wide Web the world started to run where infact it was still learning to walk and nowadays it starts to trip on occasions. Running beeing the only way to go today, I wonder wat is going to happen when flying is to occure. Reflecting this on our hobby concludes me in saying that "choice" is a good thing but not when you only have a split second to choose, miss the boat and have to swim. (there is too much, too fast, to choose from)

All the above does not take away that I love my hobby and every thing around it , including the "real" people I got, get, to know through it for the past and future.

I've been in the hobby now for over 20 years

PRO's to the hobby

• DCC
• BETTER DETAILED LOCOMOTIVES
• RTR BETTER DETAILED (TRAIN CARS ONLY)
• BETTER REALISTIC SCENERY (SCENIC EXPRESS IN PARTICULAR)
• Internet information of course

CON'S

• Ready made buildings (they look awful and cheap)
• Pre order (not much we can do because of the economy)