When are all the separate. disparate branches of the traction - trolley - tram -- transit [ what I like to call the T-to-the-Fourth-Power] groups going to realize how much more could be accomplished if they all presented a united face to the hobby public, in one location at one major exhibition in a venue that's
1. pleasant --- nice surroundings, decent accommodations, no Beverly Hills prices
2. attractive (an entirely different matter) Some of us attended a recent miniatures program --- not too far afield from rail models and held at what we felt was normally a nice family place --- that featured an outlaw motorcycle group get-together that went on in the hallways and courtyards until well after 2:00 a.m. There really do exist many travel destinations that specifically market to and monitor for family groups.
3. easy to get to, unlike the often obscure locations chosen because they're cheap or free or, as in the following case, exotic. We were once invited to attend a major international event in Kuala Lumpur (!!), after being advised that our suggestion of Orlando, Florida was an inconvenient destination. P.S. They had to cancel the program, presumably because of lack of attendance .
4. that provides other visitor attractions for the rest of the family while participants and enthusiasts are attending the show
5. in a climate that does not require heroic efforts to prove how manly we are to fight our way through meteorological obstacles. Why is it, when model exhibitions are held, the organizers seem to choose precisely the season that predictably or statistically is most likely to feature tropical storms, OR blizzards, OR ice, OR impossible passenger transportation schedules and seasons like those annual predictable peak flight times around major family holidays ?
6. that doesn't require hand drawn campus maps OR, as I was once asked in all seriousness, "What's the latitude and longitude of this place?" --- and this was well before GPS technology.
7. or finally, and last only because it continues to cause major restrictions on attendance and the growth of less popular aspects of the model hobby, in places that are NOT private, unmarked, not advertised, and require finding and driving over often unpaved private roads . I've been told that attendance is restricted because of insurance restrictions , which reminds us of the faux restrictions that auto dealerships impose to keep us away from seeing what horrors they are doing to the family car.
This is not to criticize any of the separate groups --- East Penn Traction, CERA, the Los Angeles group, the European tram enthusiasts, and on and on, each of which is made up of many first-rate modelers and organizers, --- but the resultant "Balkanization" has held our very special model interest back from its rightful place in the hobby spectrum. Our local radio control model airplane group has opted for a very large public park, with County approval, on an active county road, accompanied by much advance newspaper publicity, and photo and press coverage . When we arrived, without an appointment, there were volunteer members, who took turns to show us to free parking; other volunteers ascertained that we were unfamiliar with the hobby and self-appointed themselves to show us around, unlocked the building that housed their displays, and set up the computers containing video simulators; Other volunteers staffed a large outdoor booth serving inexpensive hamburgers made to order, with all the fixin's, as they say in the South, and a reasonable choice of beverages. A safety area, not subject to crashes of errant model airplanes, and provided with comfortable seating under covered shelters in a sort of pavilion, made for a very pleasant day for a total of $2.00 parking fee as a (very modest) fundraiser. Now, compare that to the last Trolley - tram - Traction - transit show you attended, and ask yourself which hobby presented itself better to the public .
Picture a national T4 program on that order presented by an amalgamation of regional groups acting as a unified body, as a public introduction to the hobby ! Wouldn't that arouse more interest, recruit new members, and create more great memories for families ?
This ultra-regionalism has splintered us and divided our efforts in so many ways, into so many directions, that it almost seems as though we're trying to keep people away... and that has generally kept our branch of the model railroading hobby small, insular, and divided. When it was suggested that we could all meet in one grand venue and present a united face to the public, we encounter a host of objections (it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too far, etc.), and the result is a face that we present to the public that's as exclusive, in the original sense of the word --- tending to exclude people --- as some vast esoteric international political conspiracy.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
READY - TO - RUN MODELS
WANT TO SELL MODEL TROLLEYS TO A LARGE MARKET ?
DON'T EXPECT CUSTOMERS TO BUILD THEM !
You may disagree, but it's a Fact of Life !
This next advantage might not take hold quickly, but it's something to consider, so hold your fire until you see the general reaction to this proposal and think it through . If we built automobiles like we build live steam locomotives, we'd probably still all be driving teams of horses !
Picture this Alternate History : The instruction book --- all 650 pages --- would begin : "First order the castings for the frame" . The instructions would continue "Lay out the main frame according to Construction Drawing # 2063 " ; "Weld Part 104 to Part 675" ; and so on, until you had your brand-new (?) automobile in front of you a few years later, one of --- maybe --- six in your entire home town . It certainly would save on road construction and maintenance .
Our proposal suggests building and selling ready-made, assembly-line-built, buy-it-and-run-it the same incredibly exciting day (can you picture Christmas Day 2016, finding a two-inch scale New York Central Hudson or Peter Witt trolley under the tree?). I suppose it would mean adding a (not to scale) lifting crane to your workshop to move the heavy gift up to the benchwork and on to the rails.
As we shrink our space requirements to conform to the new scale , many times the number of hobbyists could participate in the MEGA - SCALES by building their layout in space much smaller than Central Park (exaggeration for effect !) . The hobby could shift its Center of Gravity from giant cooperative (or, as we have personally witnessed, not-so-cooperative) club ventures to a backyard, or even indoors, pursuit .
Another probable advantage is that the price of a Gross Scale engine would drop precipitously when small manufacturers find that they can produce multiple models at assembly line costs, making it much more affordable by the average household, and spurring more people into the hobby . We just might give Chinese manufacturers a run for the money !
We just heard a savvy East Indian businessman say (about Japanese manufacturers, but equally valid here ) , "If the [Japanese] want to sell to the Indian market, they must first understand the Indian market : buyers wants and needs" , The same holds true for potential modern U.S. trolley buyers and enthusiasts.
We really might have to create a designation for this new aspect of our special interest, something like "Model Engineering" instead of "Live Steam" (No offense intended, Traverse City) . By necessity, it takes into account having bridges and viaducts in place for the layout ... OR it might bring into existence an entirely new branch of the hobby . Traction modellers would truly come into their own, with their arcane, but complex and fascinating, overhead wire , purchased ready-to-erect or craftsman-hand-built, to add still another challenge to this great aspect of the hobby .
Enthusiasts may find that it's at least as fulfilling a hobby if we concentrate on building one small area --- a diorama --- and do it well. The Europeans have got it down to a science... so have some noted Brooklyn subway modellers !
DON'T EXPECT CUSTOMERS TO BUILD THEM !
You may disagree, but it's a Fact of Life !
This next advantage might not take hold quickly, but it's something to consider, so hold your fire until you see the general reaction to this proposal and think it through . If we built automobiles like we build live steam locomotives, we'd probably still all be driving teams of horses !
Picture this Alternate History : The instruction book --- all 650 pages --- would begin : "First order the castings for the frame" . The instructions would continue "Lay out the main frame according to Construction Drawing # 2063 " ; "Weld Part 104 to Part 675" ; and so on, until you had your brand-new (?) automobile in front of you a few years later, one of --- maybe --- six in your entire home town . It certainly would save on road construction and maintenance .
Our proposal suggests building and selling ready-made, assembly-line-built, buy-it-and-run-it the same incredibly exciting day (can you picture Christmas Day 2016, finding a two-inch scale New York Central Hudson or Peter Witt trolley under the tree?). I suppose it would mean adding a (not to scale) lifting crane to your workshop to move the heavy gift up to the benchwork and on to the rails.
As we shrink our space requirements to conform to the new scale , many times the number of hobbyists could participate in the MEGA - SCALES by building their layout in space much smaller than Central Park (exaggeration for effect !) . The hobby could shift its Center of Gravity from giant cooperative (or, as we have personally witnessed, not-so-cooperative) club ventures to a backyard, or even indoors, pursuit .
Another probable advantage is that the price of a Gross Scale engine would drop precipitously when small manufacturers find that they can produce multiple models at assembly line costs, making it much more affordable by the average household, and spurring more people into the hobby . We just might give Chinese manufacturers a run for the money !
We just heard a savvy East Indian businessman say (about Japanese manufacturers, but equally valid here ) , "If the [Japanese] want to sell to the Indian market, they must first understand the Indian market : buyers wants and needs" , The same holds true for potential modern U.S. trolley buyers and enthusiasts.
We really might have to create a designation for this new aspect of our special interest, something like "Model Engineering" instead of "Live Steam" (No offense intended, Traverse City) . By necessity, it takes into account having bridges and viaducts in place for the layout ... OR it might bring into existence an entirely new branch of the hobby . Traction modellers would truly come into their own, with their arcane, but complex and fascinating, overhead wire , purchased ready-to-erect or craftsman-hand-built, to add still another challenge to this great aspect of the hobby .
Enthusiasts may find that it's at least as fulfilling a hobby if we concentrate on building one small area --- a diorama --- and do it well. The Europeans have got it down to a science... so have some noted Brooklyn subway modellers !
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
NEW DIRECTIONS IN MODEL RAILROADING & MODEL TRACTION
A NEW PARADIGM FOR AN OLD HOBBY TAG-LINE : Where is it Written in the Sacred Books of the Ancients that the only acceptable model railroad scales are N, H0, S, 0, G, and Inch-and-a-Half ???
WARNING: This article contains material that may be considered controversial, and may upset or anger some readers, while others may find it offensive. Reader discretion is advised. An open mind is always welcome .
WATCH 'EM, DON'T RIDE 'EM
At one time, the operator of a live steam locomotive had to ride aboard, generally for some of the same reasons as engineers of full-size locomotives:
1. It was necessary to keep an eye on the water gage, to make sure that adequate feed water was being supplied to the boiler. It’s notoriously dangerous to allow boiler water levels to drop so low that the crown sheets are uncovered, as that can lead to a disastrous explosion. This water level can change in a short time, requiring constant vigilance by the locomotive crew. Monitoring the steam pressure gauge located in the cab was equally important, despite the proven reliability of safety valves.
2. In running live steam locomotives, the conventional approach has been to run the engine around and around some continuous circuit, presumably replicating the classic early toy trains circling the Christmas tree. A realistic exception like Quentin Breen’s Train Mountain --- a truly point-to-point live steam line --- is so unusual that it attracts live steamers from all over the world to their public runs.
3. Continuous circuits mean keeping an eye out for objects and people on the tracks, much as in real life, and requires a very large area on which to build the trackage.
4. As the hobby evolved, a large part of the activity consisted of giving rides to visitors --- adults and children --- on rail cars specifically designed to accommodate riders. These riding cars detract from the realism of the train, so that keeping to scale was not considered of critical importance, as the illusion was already destroyed by the scene of a giant perched on the tender (or thereabouts).
5. In earlier times, the electronic technology required for the mechanisms that control speed, direction, engine sounds, bell and whistle blasts, and so on had not yet reached the degree of sophistication that it has today. Therefore, hands-on control by an onboard engineer was necessary.
6. Building and running trolley, traction, tram, and streetcar models would mean straddling the roof and destroying the trolley poles or pantographs, or riding behind the motive power on an unprototypical trailing seat car. This effectively discouraged pursuing this fascinating aspect of the hobby. You’ll notice we did not say "prevented" ; there are some spectacular models of trolleys in 1½ inch scale and even three-inch-to-the-foot scale, but they are very few in number. At the end of this article, we have placed photographs of the latter -- one-fourth scale --- that we understand are now located in a small museum in British Columbia, Canada, and have also heard of a model of that size built for the Florida Power & Light Company in Tampa.
WARNING: This article contains material that may be considered controversial, and may upset or anger some readers, while others may find it offensive. Reader discretion is advised. An open mind is always welcome .
WATCH 'EM, DON'T RIDE 'EM
At one time, the operator of a live steam locomotive had to ride aboard, generally for some of the same reasons as engineers of full-size locomotives:
1. It was necessary to keep an eye on the water gage, to make sure that adequate feed water was being supplied to the boiler. It’s notoriously dangerous to allow boiler water levels to drop so low that the crown sheets are uncovered, as that can lead to a disastrous explosion. This water level can change in a short time, requiring constant vigilance by the locomotive crew. Monitoring the steam pressure gauge located in the cab was equally important, despite the proven reliability of safety valves.
2. In running live steam locomotives, the conventional approach has been to run the engine around and around some continuous circuit, presumably replicating the classic early toy trains circling the Christmas tree. A realistic exception like Quentin Breen’s Train Mountain --- a truly point-to-point live steam line --- is so unusual that it attracts live steamers from all over the world to their public runs.
3. Continuous circuits mean keeping an eye out for objects and people on the tracks, much as in real life, and requires a very large area on which to build the trackage.
4. As the hobby evolved, a large part of the activity consisted of giving rides to visitors --- adults and children --- on rail cars specifically designed to accommodate riders. These riding cars detract from the realism of the train, so that keeping to scale was not considered of critical importance, as the illusion was already destroyed by the scene of a giant perched on the tender (or thereabouts).
5. In earlier times, the electronic technology required for the mechanisms that control speed, direction, engine sounds, bell and whistle blasts, and so on had not yet reached the degree of sophistication that it has today. Therefore, hands-on control by an onboard engineer was necessary.
6. Building and running trolley, traction, tram, and streetcar models would mean straddling the roof and destroying the trolley poles or pantographs, or riding behind the motive power on an unprototypical trailing seat car. This effectively discouraged pursuing this fascinating aspect of the hobby. You’ll notice we did not say "prevented" ; there are some spectacular models of trolleys in 1½ inch scale and even three-inch-to-the-foot scale, but they are very few in number. At the end of this article, we have placed photographs of the latter -- one-fourth scale --- that we understand are now located in a small museum in British Columbia, Canada, and have also heard of a model of that size built for the Florida Power & Light Company in Tampa.
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