Alex Hern, in his interesting piece about a perceived ageing of model railway enthusiasts, is correct that the hobby has more older people in it than younger ones (‘An aged hobby’: enthusiasts struggle to keep model railway industry on track, 14 January). This is partly because many use the concept of model railways to recreate something representing the railways they remember from their younger years. However, there are young people who like to buy models representing the trains they can see today.
Alex regrets the ceasing of the Warley National Model Railway exhibition that used to annually excite visitors to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. But a different occupier of the NEC space for 2024 was announced recently under the guidance of enthusiast and music magnate Pete Waterman. In recent years his model railway projects have been shown in Midlands cathedrals, and moving to the NEC can bring in a wider audience.
