ebay is a great place to find bits and pieces. The 3D printer folks are stepping up and filling holes for scatch builders, but, yeah, it's changed big time. The more detailed engines, the less offering of road names, or four or five road name specific, but you can only afford one. Back in the Athearn blue box days you could afford three, maybe, five and actually build a roster. Ima N scaler. It's been a long slog and expensive over the years to build a roster of engines, cars and CA- cabeese for a U.P. 1966-1974 time period dream.... 1973 was when I got into it and had to wait 33 years for someone to produce a CA-3/4 caboose that I could afford. You could/can buy them in unpainted brass, at 60 to 80 dollars a pop, but my pocketbook keeps saying, Noooooo!
The youngsters who would perpetuate any hobby, can't afford this hobby really, so when the boomers are gone.....