Looks like google predicts the end of model trains

[ezdays]

Let's just look at the bottom line economics of this. What would companies like Atlas, Kato, Lionel. MRC, Soundtraxx or Bachmann (to name a few), manufacture if there were no modelers to buy their products? What would Walther's, Brooklyn Locomotive or Caboose Hobbies sell if there were no modelers around to sell to? How about all those shops that just sell to the modelers or the hobby shops that dedicate a large portion of their store to model railroading, what would they do? It's marketing that keeps the world running, they create an interest and that sells product. No, you won't find Atlas or Athearn putting on a Super Bowel commercial, but if things began to slip enough to hurt sales, you can be sure they'll be doing what they need to in order to keep old and existing customers and to bring in new ones. The little guys in the supply chain may bite the dust, but the big ones won't let it happen at all cost (think: an Atlas GP-38 with DCC and sound for around $50 would do that job).... that is if there is a need, and I doubt that there will ever been a need. Discretionary spending always declines in poor economic times, but the interest in things like model railroading doesn't. Better times changes interest into spending and doing...