When not working on a new suite of songs, Neil Young likes nothing better than to hang out in the "train barn" at his Californian ranch where he has an exotic model railway collection.

In some respects, the rock star - who has a 20 per cent stake in Lionel, the largest US maker of miniature trains - is typical of the kind of collector the hobby is used to: ageing baby boomers with a longing for the rolling stock of yesteryear. Adult collectors account for an estimated three-quarters of the industry's sales.