Some sectors of the hobby have shrunk, yes. Subscriptions to magazines and printed sources, without a doubt, have declined due to the internet. Even forum participation or museum membership seem to have fallen off in recent years in some circles.

However, others are booming. This past weekend I was up in Tehachapi with a group of other relative "boomers" in the railfan hobby, and saw many others out in the field. Of my circle out there I'm fairly certain I'm the only one subscribed to TrainsMag, or the only one who has a library full of Signor or Abdill books at my fingertips (nonetheless my mention about steam-era Tehachapi, ATSF's Mallet mad-science, and the legendary 3800s did lead to lots of preservation discussion, which might be a good sign for museum interest). Nowadays most everyone gets their news on a more local basis from the area social media groups or forums relay area goings-ons faster than any magazine ever could. Railroaders who also are in the job with an enthusiast alignment often chime in to dispel rumors or drop the ever-helpful heads-up, as well as giving enthusiasts a sampling of what they'd be in for if they pursued railroading as a vocation.

Another entry port for newcomers is, of course, train simulators. There's something captivating about Railworks for most newcomers to the hobby, and seasoned content creators and new recruits alike have latched onto a community-made MSTS emulator called "OpenRails". Nowadays we've swapped out Athearn blue-box kits, RTR locomotives, and detailing kits for vast libraries of equipment in every livery or configuration imaginable, and most everyone has the tools to scratchbuild a locomotive as detailed as an Overland brass for absolutely nothing but an investment of time thanks to accessible CAD software and a myriad of tutorials. Most of the simulator forums I've been on have been more international-reaching than any magazine could hope to be, and we've garnered members from every corner of the US--if not the globe--on one I frequent.

So in short, change does come, and on every front. I may get scoffed at for saying it but there will be a day when my generation will be nostalgic over GEVOs, Vaders, and doublestacks when the next big thing comes along.