Nice to read that, following predicted doom and gloom for the future of railway modelling last year, the organisers of the Workington model railway event are hoping for record attendee numbers and are claiming interest is buoyant.  Here's a link to the BBC article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8963rrdg7o.amp

 
A bit of upbeat news about the fortunes of Hornby Railways this year since Mike Ashley's involvement with them.  Quite a pleasant surprise, sales do seem to have significantly increased.

https://www.cityam.com/mike-ashley-works-his-magic-at-hornby-as-sales-jump/

 
From https://www.rmweb.co.uk/shows/nfrm-2024/

 
It looks like Warner Publications has stepped in to fill the gap left by the Warley Railway Show.


https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/new-train-show-the-national-festival-of-railway-modelling-to-fill-a-void/

 
There's another Guardian article about efforts to reverse the trend here.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/14/an-aged-hobby-enthusiasts-struggle-to-keep-model-railway-industry-on-track?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17057911824000&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Flifeandstyle%2F2024%2Fjan%2F14%2Fan-aged-hobby-enthusiasts-struggle-to-keep-model-railway-industry-on-track

 
A more upbeat take on the future for model railways from this letter to The Grauniad...plus a reassessment of Rod Stewart!

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/19/time-to-get-on-board-with-model-railways?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17057409995879&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Flifeandstyle%2F2024%2Fjan%2F19%2Ftime-to-get-on-board-with-model-railways

 
Hornby are pulling their "Playtrain" range.  Apparently, although not a flop, they might be looking for a better introductory level product.  More on the link below.

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/hornby-announces-the-end-of-playtrains/

 
Story picked up in the national press - here is The Standard

 
Times change ... and businesses (and everyone else looking ahead) needs to move on.  

Note all the changes that we perhaps would not have forecast a decade ago. With the astounding technology changes, with those who remember the romantic age of rail becoming less able and active, with many needing to cut back on none-essentials, with the changes (love them or hate them) brought as a result of Brexit, with the effects, short and long term, of covid on society, and with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, we are now in a different environment.

Railways have been around for over 200 years. The first successful steam locomotive was Salamaca - rack and pinion on the Middleton Railway in Leeds - but look at how few models you see of railways from the first 50 years, or even the first hundred years.   People look at not exactly modern image, but living memory image and that has faded and become more boring.

Looking more recent, 100 years ago, stations were interesting.  Exmouth (as a random example) had 4 platforms, lots of sidings, and an array of interesting things to reproduce in miniature.  These days though it has, I would be pretty sure, more train services and more passengers but they would be mighty boring to model with multiple units driving in an out of a single platform.

The really old stuff is rarely modelled - too long ago. The modern stuff - sorry - too uninteresting and the modelling of railways loses a lot of its fun, even before you look at all the alternative hobbies.

 
I have a number of model trains pristine in their boxes.  They are nice to look at but sadly I don't have the room for a layout - and I suspect I am not alone.

 
Wouldn’t surprise me. Always been an expensive hobby but have you seen the prices of the models these days?!?!?

 

One could say the same about chosing just one of the items mentioned by Hattons as being the sole cause of their decision is equally suspect and one sided.

Hattons mention seven specific reasons (plus "other.....costs") for their decision - yet "Brexit" is immediately to "blame"....................QED.

PS: It was reported in the national media, only a couple of days back, that there had been a huge decline in the interest in model railways over the past few years....................no connection ??

 
Using the IEA to back up a pro-Brexit point of view is hardly in depth analysis.

If Hatton's blame Brexit then I'd like to believe they are merely stating a fact, not expressing a political opinion.

 

I am merely the messenger. I suggest you address your concerns to Hatton's.

 

We should reflect that the Institute for Economic Affairs is a right wing think tank that among other things was the origin for the Truss budget. Here's a precis of that report, from the IEA themselves.


https://iea.org.uk/media/brexit-leaves-uk-trade-unscathed-finds-new-iea-report/

A quote: "UK goods exports rose by 13.5 per cent to EU countries and 14.3 per cent to non-EU countries between 2019 and 2022, before and after Brexit. This indicates no impact of Brexit on goods trade."

Now, that sounds encouraging. But, those figures from the IEA aren't adjusted for the inflation that's occurred between those two dates. Factor in inflation, and trade to the EU has fallen by over 7% and to the rest of the world, by over 9%.

Also... it's complicated, as this, from the House of Commons Library, indicates:


https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7851/

Mark

 

Oh dear................seven and a half years on and they still can't get over it ! A Referendum and a General Election ago .............and "B" still has to be blamed for everything that might go wrong.

Yesterday my car told me that my rear off side tyre pressure was a bit low.............I have worried myself silly since then: A leaky valve ? A nail in my tyre ? Stop Oil protesters ? A "Friday" built Michelin ?
I must suppose that had I voted against "The B Word" and had festered over it ever since I could have instantly blamed "B" for the loss of air pressure in my tyre and all again would have been sweetness and light.............perhaps Ursula von der Leyen would have even snuck in at night, with her foot pump, and restored my blood tyre pressure without my even knowing about the problem.  Amazingly, I have not heard the Horizon fiasco blamed on it - not even by Ed Davey..............yet !!
 
Ah well..............what could have been    

PS:  Institute for Economic Affairs report (6/11/23)  -  " 'B' leaves UK trade unscathed ". 

 

From Hatton's press release:


One word beginning with "B" is the first word in a sentence. They describe themselves as "an international business".

 

Actually they are pains to state that they are NOT insolvent.  Presumably they have looked at the future and decided that things don't look good, but for now they are are OK. 

 

Which "B" word might that be ?  I can only see a couple of "B" words and they only seem to be mentioned only once - except "be"..........

 

I see the "B"-word prominent in their announcement.

 
Quoting from within one of those articles ...

 
https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail?id=1498


https://thewarleyshow.co.uk