model railroading in 2017

[Andy Fekete]

while i was reading through the latest issue of MR i stumbled on an article i found very interesting it was an article about what a few people think about what will happen to this hobby by 2017 there were some very interesting theories like how one person thought that the most modeled era will be the 1980's or how model steamers will be able to emitt scents so that they can sound, look and smell like the real thing. Seeing as this article was made sing people's opinions i fighured it would be a good idea for a chat topic and so i will start us off!

i think that in 2017 the smoke systems in model steamers will look a lot more realistic with the added option of opening and closing the cyilinder cocks so that when they are open smoke emitts from the sides of the loco making it look a lot more believeable!!

[SteamGene]

First, never underestimate what will happen in the future.  However, the cloud that escapes from a steamer's cylinders is steam, not smoke.  "Smoke" will have to have a break through invention to avoid oily residue.
I'm not sure why the '80s would take center stage.
Gene

[Summertrainz]

The 80's because many tried to predict 20 years into the future and we keep either proving them right or wrong
mostly wrong
so thinking 10 years into the future
who knows

[r.cprmier]

Bo, I think you maybe have way too much time on your hands...

Rich

[Andy Fekete]

to gene summertrainz and bo by smoke i did'nt actually mean REAL smoke i just meant the smoke you get with a smoke generator inside the smokebox using smoke fluid the word smoke was not really meant to be taken litterally(sorry for not stating this originally).
gene just to clarify things ill explain why the person in question thinks the 80's will take centre stage. (quoting the article)
"while the 1950's is the most modeled era today, roger thomas of windsor nj predicts this will shift to the 1980s-90s by 2017 He cites modelers' nostalgia as the main cause of the transition era's current popularity likewise the younger generation will tend to model what they had known in their youth. ""those with more space will follow the class 1 railroads into intermodal unit trains ethanol tank trains roadrailers etc"" roger says ""the fifties will never die but they will be the road less modeled"""

Model railroader volume 74 issue 8 pg 68-69.

i think he made a good point but i dont think that the 50's will ever loose it's popularity as i think it combines the best of the steam era (in my opinion as all steam locos were produced and running in regular service((i could be wrong)) along with the early deisel era so you have a good balance say %65 %35 in favor of steam 

[SteamGene]

I have a unique feel for steam in the '50s.  I left the U.S in late August 1953 and returned in early August 1955.  When I left there was still plenty of steam on the tracks.  When I returned, there was none that I saw.  I may be wrong, but the first steam locomotive I saw running on rails after 1953 was in Korea in the winter of '67-68. 
Take the dates of steam dropping of various railroads and understand that this was the LAST time it happened.  For perhaps months before, there was one lone steamer in the whole division.
Gene

[Andy Fekete]

im sorry gene for my date being inaccurate i used the info for the cnr as most steam locos were retired in 1959 and for the lucky ones 1960.

[Beatle (TrainBrain)]

model steamers will be able to emitt scents so that they can sound, look and smell like the real thing.

MTH's K4 already does that!

[Andy Fekete]

really? wow.......(speechless)

[SteamGene]

Just as an addition to my earlier comment, right after school was over, my mother and I left Milwaukee and headed south to Ft. Sill, Ok.  I think there was a side jaunt to Alexandria, LA, and then across by car to San Francisco where we boarded a ship for Japan.  In 1955 we landed in Seattle,  Washington, then headed south to Los Angeles, then east through Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, to Louisiana, and then east and north to Ft. Devens, Mass.  On the second trip not a steamer was seen.
Gene

[Beatle (TrainBrain)]

really? wow.......(speechless)

Yeah, they're fun.

I went to an opperating night once and the guys wanted to see the smoke...let me tell ya somethin:
The sound is timed with the wheels and the wheels are timed with massive smoke puffs...thus, this engine not only creates dense smoke, but it smells real, too!

Here's the fun part: the owner of the layout had a pipe...guess what happened!

So we have a new basement for a new layout. The basement doesn't smell train-worthy, so (sorry B-man) I'm buying 2 or more MTH K4's, putting smoke fluid in them, putting them on every cornor and in the middle of the room...THEN IT'S GOOD!!!

[Conrail Quality]

Who says the 50's have to be the transition era? The 70's and 80's could be the next transition era! The Milwaukee in '73, Conrail in '80, Chicago & South Shore in '83, the diesels finally triumpuphed over the electrics ...

It wouln't happen, but I can always hope for the chance to get an affordable Little Joe...

[RAM]

by 2017 production will be moving back to the U.S. because things from overseas will cost too much.