Is steam modeling dead?

[Christian]

Time to  pull the lever/mark the box. This isn't very scientific since a look at posts on Atlas Rescue make the results obvious. It came about this morning as I mused about Rapido's Canadian steam project. Lots announced, one come and gone and, apparently, one in the pipeline moving very, very slowly. It looks like the hobby can support many Big Boys and Challengers, but not much beyond.

[12bridge]

I don't think it is dead, but it is starting to go that way simply as the generations change. (Don't tell that to Kalmbach though).

[Colin 't Hart]

Yes, it's hardly surprising that steam modeling is dying as mainline steam locomotives were basically all but gone 70 years ago.

[fr8kar]

I have a bunch of steam locomotives that I inherited. Only one of them has DCC. I doubt I'll bother installing DCC in any of the others. If I buy a steam locomotive it would probably be one of the 0-6-0 switchers used at Dallas Union Terminal (though it will take some sorting out how to model the tender).

[riogrande]

If this were the crowd at the model railroader forum, there would be a lot more steam. So it depends on what group you poll.

I picked diesel, diesel diesel. But I s do have a one off cab forward. There wasn't a poll option for that.

[lars]

My first train memories were in the 80’s so I have no personal attachment to steam. If anything, my appreciation of steam and the transition era in general came from reading Model Railroader in the 90’s, but it’s not something I want to model. But’s there’s plenty of things that are pretty boring about the transition era, too. As someone that like the graphics and design side of things, I find the technicolor era of the 70’s much more interesting.

Some have suggested that the interest in steam for the younger crowed comes from tourist lines, museums and excursions, and the offerings out there are at lest in line with that thought. And considering that things are a bit more bland today in terms of locomotives and rolling stock, steam definitely mixes things up.

I also don’t have a lot of love for early first generation diesels out of the transition era. For instance, I like F units, but only if I was modeling the 40’s through the early 60’s. It seems wield to me to think of them running with SD40-2s and C307s.

[gevohogger]

I read somewhere that the 19th- and early-20th-century era is alive and well amongst some VERY ardent modellers. Don't cross them!

[Deleted]

I picked the two steam options, even though I probably shouldn't have.

Most of my HO scalle "stuff" that I like is steam, or transition era. Think H10s, K4s, GG1s, and an Alco S2. If I could afford it, I'd have a S2 Turbine.

I also have a handful of very modern Amtrak, and some not-so-modern Amtrak, and 2 SD40-2's, an SW1500, but that's more one-off... If this were Lionel I'd call them "sets", complete with specific cars that are era or livery specific. But the majority of my things that I would put on a layout for operating is all PRR Steam/transition, or railroads they interchanged with.

For everything modern, I have N scale, where I can afford to have 3 GEVOs pull 50+ cars on what would be a modest size HO layout. There, the only non-excursion steam engines I own are a K4 and GS4, and even then they used to be in excursion service.

Edit: Regarding Rapido specifically, I think their problem is multi-facited.

1) They announced way too early. Like years too early.

2) This is their first steam engine, and they don't have a proven steam record. What they do have is a proven record for making poorly performing items on their first go around, as well as a more recent proven record of WTF with motors.

3) They announced something that no one cares about. Seriously, how many CP Steam modelers exist? In order to model CP steam, someone has to make CP steam... It's a chicken and egg problem.

4) They announced at a sky high price point. It should have been closer to $300, not $600.

5) It doesn't smoke. BLI and MTH have shown that you can do smoke in HO scale very well. Anyone wanting to drop money on a toy train will look to BLI or MTH, and completely skip Rapido. Given that BLI has stated that their non-prototypical paint schemes sell well, there's probably a lot of people who prefer toy trains over model trains.

What they should have done was start off with a generic Pacific, or pick a much more popular Santa Fe or Union Pacific model to make. A PRR E6 would have a much boarder audience than a D10, but still have multiple variations. A small PRR A5s (0-4-0) or UP S-6 (0-6-0) would allow them to justify a lack of features, or charge a premium for features packed into such a small space. An S-6 #4466 ran in the 90's, so it is "modern" too. Better yet, put a poll on their website for steam engines, to signify that they are looking at steam, but don't actually announce a specific model until they have a working model to show off. ScaleTrains does that well. Make sure it smokes.

[edwardsutorik]

I've already got a Pennsy steam switcher with smoke:



So I'm set on that.


Walthers can make you the best choice of steam switchers already: the USRA 0-6-0 and 0-8-0. I wonder if they ever WILL. I see Bachmann does a USRA 0-6-0, too.


I would far prefer lead in the boiler of a switcher, over a smoke unit. For that matter, I think a lead boiler would be cutting-edge. I'll concede the cab, though some lead in the roof comes to mind. Years ago, I moved the motor into the tender of a Mantua 0-6-0, and filled the cavity with, yup, lead.


A switcher that can pull something would be great. Which of course could lead a person to go with an 0-8-0.



Ed

[el3625]

In 50 years of having model trains I never had a steam locomotive, my first was an EMD F unit and never looked back.

Bruce

[Deleted]

I once was very interested in steam, and Alco PA's and other first generation diesels.

Now I deliberately skip any cab units on the layout, as do my friends. We have none whatsoever.  I know Rapido is making an excellent Alco PA-1; it's just too late for me.  That ship has sailed.

I do admit to having one brand new MTH DM&IR Yellowstone, and my son has one too. Currently that is all the steam in our house.

So I voted diesels, diesels, diesels and placed no other vote. 

Also, for me personally, I can remember Conrail's big fleet of SD40-2's.  I have no real memories prior to that...saw a couple Reading Big Alcos back in the 1970's, and a couple CP MLW's during the 1980's...but that's really it.  I remember when SD40-2's ruled the rails and ex-EL SD45-2's ruled the mountain out of Altoona as helpers.  The SD40/45-2 era is my future modeling focus.

John

[bnsf971]

I have two steam engines, a 2-8-2 and a 4-8-4. Other than those, I have all diesels, with no plans to expand my steam fleet.

[jonklein611]

I've got one excursion version of the N&W J Class 611 (Hence the username), and a VERY eclectic collection of passenger stuff + some random freight stuff.

[Judge Doom]

May 31, 2021 11:17:32 GMT -8 Colin 't Hart said:

Yes, it's hardly surprising that steam modeling is dying as mainline steam locomotives were basically all but gone 70 years ago.

Not entirely. There were lots of steam fantrips in the 1960's, 70's and 80's that were well patronized. Some roads like CN ran large 4-8-4's and 4-8-2's in regular weekend excursion service during the summer on mainlines, so a lot of the railfans and modelers now in their 50's to 70's still have fond memories of shooting and riding mainline steam.

www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=40985
www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=22439

[Deleted]

I'll be 53 in a couple days.

I saw NKP 765 come through Enola Yard once...

Rode Grand Canyon Railway behind the rebuilt mikado once...Now the wackos have them dieselized in the name of cleaner air near the Grand Canyon (funny, the smog from CA and power plants probably had much more adverse impact than a couple steam engines ever did.)

Rode Steamtown behind CP pacific once...

but that's about it except some Strasburg visits when my kids were small.

This thread kinda got me thinking, or I was already thinking, that I'm enjoying my slightly "more modern" than before diesel era locos and rolling stock, and I just don't need my one steam engine so am gonna put it up for sale.  My son will keep his one steamer for now...for perhaps a future day in case he gets the bug for steam, so we'll have just one left on hand.

I played with an awful lot of steam models in the past.  To be honest, most of my friends who played with steam right along with me are already passed on or are at a point where they are "beyond" model trains or especially steam.  One guy still alive sold most of his brass trains to essentially finance his Harley Davidson habit.  The other guy is the store manager of a great train store, but by the time he gets home he doesn't play with trains very much, and certainly no longer steam...though he once did.

Most of my model train friends who remain alive and interested in the hobby are just far too young to the point where we don't even remember the big fan trip era.  It all occurred before we graduated college or at a time when we had no disposable income to travel and see those engines.  I wanted to see a big articulated run with my Dad, who vaguely remembered the B&LE 2-10-4's of his childhood...but we never were able to do that.

I have some great memories of some really fine Overland Models steam, but life, family and kids resulted in it getting sold off.