Most of us can agree that the gloom and doom surrounding today’s state of model railroading — due to the initial closing of Hattons and M.B. Klein/Model Train Stuff a year ago — went in like a lion and out like a lamb. Despite this over-exaggeration in 2024, I’d be lying if I said the hobby is all sunshine and rainbows. The different niches from within still have their own set of challenges.
Arguably one of the greatest challenges facing the hobby today is model railroad clubs’ ability to recruit and retain the next generation of members. It’s a topic I’ve discussed at length with both participants at Milwaukee’s 2024 Trainfest and interviewees, remotely, from as far as overseas.
With Challenges…
The consistent theme? The decline in club membership usually revolves around old age and ultimately the passing of an individual. Morbid as it sounds, it’s reality that exists on a global scale. The natural loss must then be replenished. Accomplishing this with young members, ranging from kids to young adults, can go a long way in shoring up a group’s long-term sustainability. But that can be easier said than done.
The challenges of recruiting and retaining young members can stem from reasons beyond a club’s control. Kids joining, compared to young adults, can be a challenge in itself because of the extra care and dedication needed to garner support from a family member to take part in the activities, having a positive mindset and proactive approach from current club members, and understanding child protection requirements. All of this is still possible.
“Kids, however, mature remarkably quickly and often move on to other interests and pastimes, and consequently leave the clubs,” said former Railway Modeller editor Steve Flint. “It is hoped that seeds will have been sown into the young individuals and they might return to the hobby many years later, perhaps in their mid-life stage.”
Getting the next generation onboard must also involve change by the clubs themselves. That alone is a challenge in itself. “The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) would be a classic example of that where it didn’t really change much until recently,” said NMRA president Gordon Robinson. “We did the same things over and over again, and didn’t really embrace digital technology for a significant amount of time.
“I think there is a big problem out there around traditional organizations not changing and that’s driving it forward. But the younger people are there”
…Comes Opportunities
Thankfully, it’s not to say that every club is immune to recruiting and retaining the next generation.
From my discussions, I have discovered groups acknowledging that young people are interested in the hobby and change is inevitable for them to join in. With challenges comes opportunities in both obvious and unique ways to recruit and retain without reinventing the wheel: Engagement, Collaboration, and Culture.
So what are clubs doing that can be passed on to others who must also take that first step for new chances to thrive?
Engagement
Initial conversations between a group and newcomers must first open up. This can be done digitally, with an online presence including websites and social media pages; and traditionally with posters, flyers, event participation, and simply word of mouth.
Since the 2020s, the Twin Cities Division (TCD) of the NMRA has beefed up its own digital engagement with a social media presence on Facebook and YouTube. But the biggest driver of new memberships has been the addition of the Crossing Gate Podcast. Since its launch in 2021 with TCD superintendent Thomas Gasior leading the way, each episode, hosted by division members, sets the tone for a casual conversation about different interests in the hobby.
“You’ll hear that every episode is sponsored, but not by a real organization,” member Ken Zieska explained. “We have the Gruesome Casket Co. [based on an International Hobby Corp. structure] and F1 Function, which is the bell [on most DCC systems].
“It’s all fun and designed to tell people right away, ‘Hey, this is something that we want you to sit back, relax, and have a smile on.’”
Meanwhile, in South Elgin, Ill., the Valley Model Railroad Club (VMRR) takes a traditional approach to engagement by hitting the road with its HO-scale portable layouts to train shows and other events. While many other groups do the same, this club takes a unique twist by letting kids run the trains in an interactive operating session. Club member Joe Montilla described the layout during Trainfest as having a sturdy benchwork that stands at kid level (height of 30 inches), powered by a custom DCC system with user-friendly remotes for attendees, and features a centralized traffic control with operating signals and switches, along with members serving as dispatchers.
“We’ve always been able to consistently have at least 7 to 8, if not 12 to 14 kids [as new members],” he said regarding the layout’s impact for the club. “The portable is out there at train shows and libraries, and that’s where we’re getting people to notice us.”
Even by going an extra mile in outreach, current members must make further communications and connections to those interested in joining. For Zieska, it can be difficult at times when targeting a young audience, but it’s still a worthwhile endeavor in engagement.
Collaboration
Collaboration in club circles normally finds multiple groups joining forces for a specific cause with public events, such as train shows, being a common occurrence. But there is a realization that this alone will not always attract the masses of all ages. They also need to seek members outside of their typical circles.
Flint and the Warley Model Railroad Club, which hosted the United Kingdom’s National Model Railway Exhibition for years, established a partnership in 2024 with the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust Ltd. The result was a more modest showing, last October, that featured steam-powered train rides in a charitable effort to attract the wider public to railroading in all scales. “Visitors to [‘Warley at Statfold‘] were a mix of Warley show regulars and both long-established enthusiasts together with families from around the wider region,” as reported by Flint.
Meanwhile, in northern Scotland, Robinson has seen model railroad clubs take part in events related to other hobbies such as cars, boat and plane modeling, wargame, and Comic Con. “They’re all different clubs that come together, but are quite well patronized by people of all ages because it’s a bit weird having your layout there and operating with Darth Vader and Stormtroopers walking past,” he said. “But you know what? It works.”
Of course, club collaboration isn’t limited to public events. Members devote personal time, behind the scenes, to ensure a club’s success. It can be as simple as a work night on a club layout, or going above and beyond with scheduled operating retreats. The latter has become a staple to the Twin Cities Division in recent years with participants, young and old, visiting private layouts around the area and building camaraderie in a stress-free operating session.
“I had three young guys that belong to one of the local clubs hear the podcast, and they met me and asked if they could come over and operate, which was great,” said Zieska. “They were fantastic.”
Culture
In any organization, a good culture goes a long way in attracting young members and making them feel welcome by being part of an active, inclusive, and diverse team.
For the Valley Model Railroad Club’s case, creating a family-friendly environment has been key. “Everything that we do is to have fun with trains,” said Montilla. “We don’t want to get involved with things such as politics or anything else going on.
“We’re here to run trains, have fun, and our big thing is everybody is welcomed. Our only rule is you have to be family friendly.”
Clubs can take it a step further by asking members what it can do to help them get the most out of their experience. As I’ve gained an understanding from these discussions, the hobby is more than just running model trains. It’s other aspects such as electronics, woodworking, and historical research. As an example, Robinson reminisced about a prior meeting with a young NMRA member who recently joined one of the New York State divisions.
“He said, ‘At my first meeting, they gave me a job.’ And I asked, ‘Okay, what job did they give you?’ Feeling nervous in a leadership role then, he answered, ‘they know I was into railfanning, so they asked me to write a railfanning guide on Rochester, New York, for the division.’
“I was like, ‘that’s a brilliant idea.’ He then replied, ‘I’ve done photographs, track charts, and everything to help everybody who’s in the division and visiting to be able to railfans safely in Rochester.’ That’s fantastic!”
Looking to share what other model railroad clubs are doing to recruit and retain the next generation of members? Let us know in the comment section.
