After a long hiatus, I'm back in the hobby. I'd really like to make it to fall York next year. It seems a lot of the younger hobbyists (in their 20s-30s, like myself) do most of our shopping and interaction online. But there's something special about attending a big train show or going to your local hobby shop - even though both of those things seem to be disappearing. Great video, though!
You make several great points. I used to say “who buys these $1500-$3000+ trains?” It’s all these you tubers that review the Lionel catalog and buy $15,000-$20,000 worth of trains, NOBODY can afford that! I feel that this causes resentment, every week a you tuber comes out with Lionel set costing $5000+, meanwhile a train show once a year to MAYBE buy a $500 train is an EVENT
Fully agree with your comments, especially around vendors and their pricing. Granted I haven’t gone to York, but seems most shows people think they have gold. I’m a part of couple live sale groups, where I love Train town St Louis, but have now moved away from NYET (who I know goes to York). NYET has same “gold” mindset, and after watching a few they don’t sell as much (also not a fan of owner). Thanks for posting this!
Thank you for your very nice presentation and commentary. So true. The Choo-Choo Barn's display is a fantastic idea. And I hope it generates steam for a new generation.
I started collection seriously 4 years ago. It's turned into a plethora of rabbit holes of every aspect of all things railroading. I think my all immersive experience is the key to getting hooked on the hobby. My initial interest was sparked when I realized that building a layout was a great opportunity to combine two-dimensional and three-dimensional art that trains just so happened to pass through. It's been a very worthwhile and rewarding experience letting ones imagination become a reality. Something missing with kids and people in general that seems to be lacking today. This hobby has so much more to offer than trains just running in circles if you let your imagination run wild. I run conventional and grew up in the postwar era and really like that era of model railroading. My single most expensive model is less than $400.00. Spending $100.00 or less on a typical model. I doubt that I would ever spend more than $400 on a single model. For those who can spend $500 to $5,000 dollars on a model train, it may be a good deal for them, but it soon prices the typical consumer out of the market looking to break into the hobby. While there may be a market for big spenders, I think it would be very limited. Perhaps it's a situation like selling houses where once they step up to sell the big ticket items, they can't go back. For those interested in starting in the hobby, there is a lot of used 0-scale to choose from. I have a sizable collection, but nothing I have is brand spanking new. All the models I collect and recommend collection starting out because they are rugged, reliable, affordable, and easy to maintain and have had great success buying used is Marx, Lionel, Williams, and K- Line. They offer dependable, trouble-free running at a great value. Perhaps Menards will be able to fill the introductory new market. I don't have any of their new engines, but they seem promising.
Great video, nice layout. Last year I started collecting Standard Gauge mostly MTH and I can see why very few kids get into trains. I can barely afford to have what I have. I just came across your video this morning and enjoyed it very much, so awesome. Thank you
I’ve often considered coming to York, it would involve travelling from Europe to do so, watching this video makes me wonder if just visiting regional shows might work better for me.
When these multi-thousand dollar loco's fail, and they will fail, our only choice is to turn to the after market control boards from ERR and Soundtrax Blunami to get them going again. This seems like an amazing business opportunity. I have used both of them and they are amazing! Great video.
OR.... bypass all the high tech stuff and revert to conventional transformer control. After all, some people still prefer manual transmissions in their automobiles; and others will never give up their automatics. You are right about boards failing. But postwar open frame AC pullmores just keep soldiering on with proper upkeep.
Nice video. I arrived there at 1:00 on Thursday and found the Silver Hall absolutely busy and the Blue nearly as much. These were the busiest I've seen in the last 5 consecutive April or October shows. The other halls were about the same moderate level I've seen them in the past. I do agree that the average buyers age exceeded my 66 years by several years and lastly, you are absolutely right that the asked prices are way too high. You have to look hard and quibble to get a reasonable bargain. But the experience is really nice.
I had a very similar experience but in reverse in terms of the pricing. My greatest deals happened at the Wyndham Gardens bandit show. Granted, I am looking for MPC, Fun Diensions and LTI and was very pleased with the price I payed for my items. Postwar prices ranged greatly, and it seems like many vendors believe the year is 1994, not 2024. Many postwar prices were WAY outside the pricing ballpark that the trains are selling for.
I get a lot of what you're saying, and it's true. I used to go on Thursday, so I could get first pass at the merch available. This year I went on Friday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, there are far fewer vendors (than when I first attended in 2008), and smaller crowds. But I really enjoyed having more space between the aisles, and fewer folks jammed into cramped spaces. I'm a Prewar guy, and I saw a lot of excellent stuff... along with way more sub-average stuff. The premium, like new, boxed sets will continue to demand premium (and increasing) prices. But if you can settle for C-6/C-7, there's a lot of good Prewar available. I don't pay much attention to Postwar, but I imagine the same is true. Thanks for your remarks about the bandit meets. I've never been before. I might give them a first try in April: maybe you need to haggle with the vendors there? All in all, I had a good time at York this year; best in a few years. And I certainly appreciate your reporting here, and always enjoy your channel. Thank you.
Nice flick nice layout ! Glad to see choo choo barn still at it . I feel the same big bucks for this new stuff . no history behind it . i want to tell young guys guy gold but i don't .
York pirate meets and the Round the Clock diner. I was at the diner, i ask the waitress, what are your hours, she looked at me and said cant you read Round the Clock. Bandit meets, that may be more accurate.
Very pertinent, your comments about the future. I don't understand the point of collecting, keeping something in the box untouched by human hands, forever. I have bought a lot of new-old rolling stock that way, but I take it out of the box and I play with it. I don't pay crazy prices for anything, just be patient and wait for someone else o offer the same $80 box car for $35. The circuit boards do worry me, because Lionel seems to be poor with parts availability-once it breaks, might stay broken. It's the same thing with my other hobby-photography. It gets to the point at which a leading manufacturer does not want to support their very high $$$ gear with parts, so that they can force you to buy the next line. It sucks.
You said the truth 100%. I can not see this sustaining the “high dollar collector” mentality. The mega dollar stuff is just something I walk past. Only interested in post/pre war Lionel at reasonable prices from private individuals at reasonable cost. Modern, china plastic junk, stuff in boxes, high dollar scale, and anything not Lionel USA made is of no interest. Even ebay is out in left field with it’s prices and inflated shipping costs. I’m getting to the point of not going to shows and screening out anything on ebay over $100 or over $15 shipping assuming it’s bigger or heavier. Your post war video’s is among the best on internet.😊 I like your custom creations. All my diesels are custom. I don’t collect I just play.
I don’t go to the shows, because I won’t be able to afford to buy anything. Extra spending money for my toys just isn’t in the family budget. I just enjoy what I was able to buy years ago.
The younger people in the hobby do not do as we do. There are a lot of young guys here on UA-cam......but most are going scale. Transitional size stuff is not selling. Hobby will out live us. Thx
So do you watch a T.V. that still has a tube then? That kind of logic is what will hurt the hobby more. If all we buy is the old post war stuff that we all seen many times before, what's the use of innovating new exciting features like whistle steam and a swinging bell? I grew up with MPC Lionel and today all I own is modern legacy stuff most of the time it can be repaired. I love it!
I like most of your comments at the end of the video I’m not sure about the shows shows always were hit or miss, but you think it would be a good way to see how the population is liking trains are not liking trains I do agree with the engine prices when I see eating hard dollars or more for train just want to gym it freaks me out I want all my reply with the zone bring it out just too expected to work with heck you have a price it’s still expensive sure it sounds wonderful I’ve been average Cory but not for sure but a price for what they were a few years ago your own for 500 bucks in cash and you know I get white one. Couple of years you know what Tori $2000
The You Tube channels devoted to O scale trains will attract new people to the hobby, newcomers can learn how to set up, run and repair the trains also learn how to make benchwork and make scenery for their layout.
I was turned off from that show years ago as theres was all kinds of rules and the ticket process was really goofy like. Hey i wana just buy a fucken ticket at the door and walk in if not fuck you.
I 100% disagree with your outlook on $1700 engines. They hold their value just fine. boards are for sale, you can get them from Lionel or MTH right now. Will postwar run forever sure. Does postwar get the attention of the younger people not so much. They want the newer tech in the new engines. But I respect your opinion I just don't think its accurate at all. I picked up 5 engines at York last week. Deals are there. I think what you will see at York is the there will be fewer halls open. Seems to me like you see the same sellers in the member halls selling the same items year in and year out. But I still go through them looking for a deal. I found JLC Legacy Big Boy in the white hall and got a smoking deal on it. York may not be what it was 30-40 years ago, but for younger guys like myself (younger being 39) it is the York that we know. And we love it. I make the trip from Florida as well, I think its worth it. The hobby doesn't need the TCA or York. The hobby has the internet we can find sellers anywhere in the world. But York is what you always here about. I will continue to show up and buy engines that don't hold their value and become paperweights. 🤣
I think you prove my point, York will not be the same due to the current attendance. Talk to the dealers they are finding it harder to justify the trip. Also as I mentioned outside of Orange hall the dealers view York as a social event and they are aging out of the ability to travel. I'm 61 and considered a kid in their eyes. As a repair person Lionel's warranty is now only 90 days. They will replace the item, but not repair it. I have not seen anyone being able to obtain any boards from Lionel and if you can they no longer have authorized service centers. York is still a great experience but is now 4 halls are people going to go if its 3 halls, how about 2. ??? I agree and buy from other sources and get better pricing without York. I disagree with younger people wanting the fancy features. I purposely open my layout to my neighborhood youth. The interest is there and teaching them basic wiring, and layout design teaches them hands on skills that they can use forever. Younger kids don't need talking engines they have their own imaginenations which as we age olose the magic and need to substitute pricy gimmicks. In the end this hoby allows you to make of it what you want... There are no wrong answers.
@@fau008 absolutely can buy boards. I buy TMCC engines and upgrade them to Legacy. I agree about the service centers no longer being around. I have got to a point if something needs to go back to Lionel for warranty work I would rather just fix it myself. I find that when I send things back they usually come back with more problems than I sent them with. When I was talking about wanting the newer tech I meant in terms of the command control and sounds with the different smoke features. I'm no fan of crew talk. Yes younger kids do very well with their imaginations, but at some point they grow out of that stage. Yes I know the older generation didn't grow out of that. I don't see a problem getting young kids to like trains, I find it harder to keep them in trains. But the biggest problem is getting the parents to want to spend money on the trains. I will say that I grew up running postwar, I still love postwar. Something about the sounds that postwar make, its just hard to beat. I always look for a postwar J at York. They seem to be asking $650-$900 I'm not gonna pay that kind of of money for a postwar engine that I want to run under the Christmas tress and that's it. I bought 4 different legacy engines in that range last week. So I agree about sellers thinking they have gold. And some of the postwar is gold but not all of it. I find myself walking by most tables that are full of postwar.
I got to be honest there trying to get kids into trains but ,we cant afford the trains. They say menards is cheap i cant afford a 250.00 300.00 menards set after tax to buy for my child.
cost and competition...market forces drive the price........it is called capitalism ... if you don't like it, move to North Korea. ... don't like the price, don't buy....the model train hobby is full of people that complain about the prices ....... it's a toy........not a required good... stop complaining so damn much...amazing......bread ain't 10 cents a loaf anymore ................and most of us don't have pensions, can afford to own homes and have to work 2-3 jobs just to pay rent ... and you are complaining about the cost of a toy boxcar.......I hope god forgives you, cause I never will.
Very nice video and I appreciate your take on the state of the hobby. I'm a relative novice here (age 70) since I basically started in 2020 when Covid hit. Since then I have established both an O gauge (conventional and Lionchief & Protosound 2.0) and HO (Conventional & DCC) layouts. I also have a UA-cam channel which I hope you will take a look at. I do share your concerns about the hobby and the future of shows like York. I am a member of TCA and have been attending them regularly. I also have been to shows at Timmonium in Md as well as Allentown, Oaks Pa and even Edison NJ. I actually started out with a Lionel MPC era Diesel switcher and then postwar Lionel 2026 that picked up off of E-bay for $55.00 with tender. I could actually maintain both of these following youtube channel, videos. Seriously these Vision line locomotives priced at $1500 to $2000 with circuit boards that can easily short out and will probably not be available for service in a few years are poor investments. I was pleased to see Menards hardware introduce some lion chief like locomotives & sets for under $300. Their quality and attention to detail may not be as good as the Lionel or MTH equivalents but to attract a new generation to the hobby, those prices really need to be constantly more affordable. Thanks!
After a long hiatus, I'm back in the hobby. I'd really like to make it to fall York next year. It seems a lot of the younger hobbyists (in their 20s-30s, like myself) do most of our shopping and interaction online. But there's something special about attending a big train show or going to your local hobby shop - even though both of those things seem to be disappearing. Great video, though!
You make several great points. I used to say “who buys these $1500-$3000+ trains?” It’s all these you tubers that review the Lionel catalog and buy $15,000-$20,000 worth of trains, NOBODY can afford that! I feel that this causes resentment, every week a you tuber comes out with Lionel set costing $5000+, meanwhile a train show once a year to MAYBE buy a $500 train is an EVENT
Fully agree with your comments, especially around vendors and their pricing. Granted I haven’t gone to York, but seems most shows people think they have gold. I’m a part of couple live sale groups, where I love Train town St Louis, but have now moved away from NYET (who I know goes to York). NYET has same “gold” mindset, and after watching a few they don’t sell as much (also not a fan of owner). Thanks for posting this!
Thank you for your very nice presentation and commentary. So true. The Choo-Choo Barn's display is a fantastic idea. And I hope it generates steam for a new generation.
I started collection seriously 4 years ago. It's turned into a plethora of rabbit holes of every aspect of all things railroading.
I think my all immersive experience is the key to getting hooked on the hobby. My initial interest was sparked when I realized that building a layout was a great opportunity to combine two-dimensional and three-dimensional art that trains just so happened to pass through. It's been a very worthwhile and rewarding experience letting ones imagination become a reality. Something missing with kids and people in general that seems to be lacking today. This hobby has so much more to offer than trains just running in circles if you let your imagination run wild.
I run conventional and grew up in the postwar era and really like that era of model railroading. My single most expensive model is less than $400.00. Spending $100.00 or less on a typical model. I doubt that I would ever spend more than $400 on a single model. For those who can spend $500 to $5,000 dollars on a model train, it may be a good deal for them, but it soon prices the typical consumer out of the market looking to break into the hobby. While there may be a market for big spenders, I think it would be very limited. Perhaps it's a situation like selling houses where once they step up to sell the big ticket items, they can't go back. For those interested in starting in the hobby, there is a lot of used 0-scale to choose from. I have a sizable collection, but nothing I have is brand spanking new. All the models I collect and recommend collection starting out because they are rugged, reliable, affordable, and easy to maintain and have had great success buying used is Marx, Lionel, Williams, and K- Line. They offer dependable, trouble-free running at a great value. Perhaps Menards will be able to fill the introductory new market. I don't have any of their new engines, but they seem promising.
Great video, nice layout. Last year I started collecting Standard Gauge mostly MTH and I can see why very few kids get into trains. I can barely afford to have what I have. I just came across your video this morning and enjoyed it very much, so awesome. Thank you
I agree 100% with your comments. Excellent video.
Good for you!! Thanks for sharing
Great Video. Thank you.
Great coverage. Next year its a go for me for sure!
I’ve often considered coming to York, it would involve travelling from Europe to do so, watching this video makes me wonder if just visiting regional shows might work better for me.
When these multi-thousand dollar loco's fail, and they will fail, our only choice is to turn to the after market control boards from ERR and Soundtrax Blunami to get them going again. This seems like an amazing business opportunity. I have used both of them and they are amazing! Great video.
OR.... bypass all the high tech stuff and revert to conventional transformer control. After all, some people still prefer manual transmissions in their automobiles; and others will never give up their automatics. You are right about boards failing. But postwar open frame AC pullmores just keep soldiering on with proper upkeep.
Very interesting commentary. Thanks for your insights. I agree with you.
I love The Choo Choo Barn Mobile Experience truck idea
Good commentary and very informative
Nice video. I arrived there at 1:00 on Thursday and found the Silver Hall absolutely busy and the Blue nearly as much. These were the busiest I've seen in the last 5 consecutive April or October shows. The other halls were about the same moderate level I've seen them in the past. I do agree that the average buyers age exceeded my 66 years by several years and lastly, you are absolutely right that the asked prices are way too high. You have to look hard and quibble to get a reasonable bargain. But the experience is really nice.
Thanks for sharing.
I had a very similar experience but in reverse in terms of the pricing. My greatest deals happened at the Wyndham Gardens bandit show.
Granted, I am looking for MPC, Fun Diensions and LTI and was very pleased with the price I payed for my items.
Postwar prices ranged greatly, and it seems like many vendors believe the year is 1994, not 2024. Many postwar prices were WAY outside the pricing ballpark that the trains are selling for.
In the end I will continue to attend York for as long as it can maintain its current size. It is still impossible to leave there empty handed...
I get a lot of what you're saying, and it's true. I used to go on Thursday, so I could get first pass at the merch available. This year I went on Friday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, there are far fewer vendors (than when I first attended in 2008), and smaller crowds. But I really enjoyed having more space between the aisles, and fewer folks jammed into cramped spaces. I'm a Prewar guy, and I saw a lot of excellent stuff... along with way more sub-average stuff. The premium, like new, boxed sets will continue to demand premium (and increasing) prices. But if you can settle for C-6/C-7, there's a lot of good Prewar available. I don't pay much attention to Postwar, but I imagine the same is true. Thanks for your remarks about the bandit meets. I've never been before. I might give them a first try in April: maybe you need to haggle with the vendors there? All in all, I had a good time at York this year; best in a few years. And I certainly appreciate your reporting here, and always enjoy your channel. Thank you.
love the girls set, great video
Great video and comments. I hate to say it but I agree 100% with what your saying..
I love the choo choo truck
Nice flick nice layout ! Glad to see choo choo barn still at it . I feel the same big bucks for this new stuff . no history behind it . i want to tell young guys guy gold but i don't .
York pirate meets and the Round the Clock diner. I was at the diner, i ask the waitress, what are your hours, she looked at me and said cant you read Round the Clock. Bandit meets, that may be more accurate.
Very pertinent, your comments about the future. I don't understand the point of collecting, keeping something in the box untouched by human hands, forever. I have bought a lot of new-old rolling stock that way, but I take it out of the box and I play with it. I don't pay crazy prices for anything, just be patient and wait for someone else o offer the same $80 box car for $35. The circuit boards do worry me, because Lionel seems to be poor with parts availability-once it breaks, might stay broken. It's the same thing with my other hobby-photography. It gets to the point at which a leading manufacturer does not want to support their very high $$$ gear with parts, so that they can force you to buy the next line. It sucks.
I agree
You said the truth 100%. I can not see this sustaining the “high dollar collector” mentality. The mega dollar stuff is just something I walk past. Only interested in post/pre war Lionel at reasonable prices from private individuals at reasonable cost. Modern, china plastic junk, stuff in boxes, high dollar scale, and anything not Lionel USA made is of no interest. Even ebay is out in left field with it’s prices and inflated shipping costs. I’m getting to the point of not going to shows and screening out anything on ebay over $100 or over $15 shipping assuming it’s bigger or heavier. Your post war video’s is among the best on internet.😊 I like your custom creations. All my diesels are custom. I don’t collect I just play.
I don’t go to the shows, because I won’t be able to afford to buy anything. Extra spending money for my toys just isn’t in the family budget. I just enjoy what I was able to buy years ago.
The younger people in the hobby do not do as we do. There are a lot of young guys here on UA-cam......but most are going scale. Transitional size stuff is not selling. Hobby will out live us. Thx
I’m intrested in the girls set
So do you watch a T.V. that still has a tube then? That kind of logic is what will hurt the hobby more. If all we buy is the old post war stuff that we all seen many times before, what's the use of innovating new exciting features like whistle steam and a swinging bell? I grew up with MPC Lionel and today all I own is modern legacy stuff most of the time it can be repaired. I love it!
The last time I checked you could get an 80" tv for less than a Legacy engine...
old school yay
what part of florida are you in.
@@_Doc_Holiday_ Port St Lucie
@@fau008 nice im in ocala. i spent a good amount of time working on East Hutchinson island back in 04/05
I like most of your comments at the end of the video I’m not sure about the shows shows always were hit or miss, but you think it would be a good way to see how the population is liking trains are not liking trains I do agree with the engine prices when I see eating hard dollars or more for train just want to gym it freaks me out I want all my reply with the zone bring it out just too expected to work with heck you have a price it’s still expensive sure it sounds wonderful I’ve been average Cory but not for sure but a price for what they were a few years ago your own for 500 bucks in cash and you know I get white one. Couple of years you know what Tori $2000
Because of inflation, the young can`t afford such hobby's same as I.
Every time I look at three rail it seems to get worse.Definately a dying part of the hobby
Is York only once a year?
Twice, April and October
The You Tube channels devoted to O scale trains will attract new people to the hobby, newcomers can learn how to set up, run and repair the trains also learn how to make benchwork and make scenery for their layout.
Muffins got kicked out and permanently banned from York.
Reason?
Why?
I was turned off from that show years ago as theres was all kinds of rules and the ticket process was really goofy like. Hey i wana just buy a fucken ticket at the door and walk in if not fuck you.
I 100% disagree with your outlook on $1700 engines. They hold their value just fine. boards are for sale, you can get them from Lionel or MTH right now. Will postwar run forever sure. Does postwar get the attention of the younger people not so much. They want the newer tech in the new engines. But I respect your opinion I just don't think its accurate at all. I picked up 5 engines at York last week. Deals are there. I think what you will see at York is the there will be fewer halls open. Seems to me like you see the same sellers in the member halls selling the same items year in and year out. But I still go through them looking for a deal. I found JLC Legacy Big Boy in the white hall and got a smoking deal on it. York may not be what it was 30-40 years ago, but for younger guys like myself (younger being 39) it is the York that we know. And we love it. I make the trip from Florida as well, I think its worth it. The hobby doesn't need the TCA or York. The hobby has the internet we can find sellers anywhere in the world. But York is what you always here about. I will continue to show up and buy engines that don't hold their value and become paperweights. 🤣
I think you prove my point, York will not be the same due to the current attendance. Talk to the dealers they are finding it harder to justify the trip. Also as I mentioned outside of Orange hall the dealers view York as a social event and they are aging out of the ability to travel. I'm 61 and considered a kid in their eyes. As a repair person Lionel's warranty is now only 90 days. They will replace the item, but not repair it. I have not seen anyone being able to obtain any boards from Lionel and if you can they no longer have authorized service centers. York is still a great experience but is now 4 halls are people going to go if its 3 halls, how about 2. ??? I agree and buy from other sources and get better pricing without York. I disagree with younger people wanting the fancy features. I purposely open my layout to my neighborhood youth. The interest is there and teaching them basic wiring, and layout design teaches them hands on skills that they can use forever. Younger kids don't need talking engines they have their own imaginenations which as we age olose the magic and need to substitute pricy gimmicks. In the end this hoby allows you to make of it what you want... There are no wrong answers.
@@fau008 absolutely can buy boards. I buy TMCC engines and upgrade them to Legacy. I agree about the service centers no longer being around. I have got to a point if something needs to go back to Lionel for warranty work I would rather just fix it myself. I find that when I send things back they usually come back with more problems than I sent them with. When I was talking about wanting the newer tech I meant in terms of the command control and sounds with the different smoke features. I'm no fan of crew talk. Yes younger kids do very well with their imaginations, but at some point they grow out of that stage. Yes I know the older generation didn't grow out of that. I don't see a problem getting young kids to like trains, I find it harder to keep them in trains. But the biggest problem is getting the parents to want to spend money on the trains. I will say that I grew up running postwar, I still love postwar. Something about the sounds that postwar make, its just hard to beat. I always look for a postwar J at York. They seem to be asking $650-$900 I'm not gonna pay that kind of of money for a postwar engine that I want to run under the Christmas tress and that's it. I bought 4 different legacy engines in that range last week. So I agree about sellers thinking they have gold. And some of the postwar is gold but not all of it. I find myself walking by most tables that are full of postwar.
I got to be honest there trying to get kids into trains but ,we cant afford the trains. They say menards is cheap i cant afford a 250.00 300.00 menards set after tax to buy for my child.
cost and competition...market forces drive the price........it is called capitalism ... if you don't like it, move to North Korea. ... don't like the price, don't buy....the model train hobby is full of people that complain about the prices ....... it's a toy........not a required good... stop complaining so damn much...amazing......bread ain't 10 cents a loaf anymore ................and most of us don't have pensions, can afford to own homes and have to work 2-3 jobs just to pay rent ... and you are complaining about the cost of a toy boxcar.......I hope god forgives you, cause I never will.
Very nice video and I appreciate your take on the state of the hobby. I'm a relative novice here (age 70) since I basically started in 2020 when Covid hit. Since then I have established both an O gauge (conventional and Lionchief & Protosound 2.0) and HO (Conventional & DCC) layouts. I also have a UA-cam channel which I hope you will take a look at. I do share your concerns about the hobby and the future of shows like York. I am a member of TCA and have been attending them regularly. I also have been to shows at Timmonium in Md as well as Allentown, Oaks Pa and even Edison NJ. I actually started out with a Lionel MPC era Diesel switcher and then postwar Lionel 2026 that picked up off of E-bay for $55.00 with tender. I could actually maintain both of these following youtube channel, videos.
Seriously these Vision line locomotives priced at $1500 to $2000 with circuit boards that can easily short out and will probably not be available for service in a few years are poor investments.
I was pleased to see Menards hardware introduce some lion chief like locomotives & sets for under $300. Their quality and attention to detail may not be as good as the Lionel or MTH equivalents but to attract a new generation to the hobby, those prices really need to be constantly more affordable. Thanks!