TRANSPORTATION FALLACIES

Consider the false notions that have contributed to transportation decisions over the past 100 years or so :

The Athletic Fallacy : thinking that the average person --- let alone the visually or physically handicapped, out-of-shape, or elderly person --- can travel to work, school, medical appointments, or shopping, by bicycle or on foot.

The Meteorological Fallacy : Just consider the enervating heat or “frog-choker” tropical downpours of a Florida summer, the snow and ice in much of the north for months at a time, or the lightning storms and tornadic winds almost anywhere in the heartland of this country.

The Asphalt Fallacy : believing that adding more lanes to current roads will solve the traffic nightmare. As the Mayor of Milwaukee said, in 1997, “Adding highway lanes to reduce traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to fight obesity”.

The Traffic Engineering Fallacy : thinking that current road designs contribute to traffic safety. Turn lanes are badly designed and demonstrably dangerous; traffic circles --- given up as unworkable even by New Jersey ---are being proposed for Gulf Coast Florida. There actually exist lists of treacherous intersections that publicize the most dangerous. We know what and where the problems are but, like the buffalo in the herd standing around and watching as their just-killed companion is dragged away by hunters, presumably thinking “Well, there goes Old Herb. What a shame ! Oh, well ! This certainly has nothing to do with me”.

The Gas Mileage Fallacy : believing that improving automobile gasoline mileage figures will decrease our dependence on foreign oil. It is a futile --- and at best only temporary --- method of saving gasoline that has little impact on the problem.

The Passenger Fallacy : Considering only the problems associated with transporting people from one place to another. Even as far-sighted and intelligent a group as The Monorail Society does not pay sufficient attention to monorail use for freight traffic -- an absolutely obvious and natural concurrent associated need. Indeed, it may well be the income provider that, like Mighty Mouse, Saves the Day by paying for the installation, covering ongoing costs, OR, dare we say it, makes a profit. This is particularly ironic because it is often factory-installed monorail freight systems that power assembly lines in many large factories.

It’s not just a question of dependence on foreign oil. Even oil-rich states in the Middle East and Asian-Pacific Rim are building and operating Monorail and MagLev transit systems for transit needs.

Every country without blinders is beginning to subscribe to the dangers of massive carbon dioxide production, whether or not it's the cause of the Global Warning that, while denied by many, is an ice-melting fact of life in the Arctic and Antarctic. While the debate goes on, the ice roads melt into puddles of water, making road traffic impossible and impeding vital transport needs ---- food and medical supplies to polar settlements, as well as the availability of emergency medical services and the transportation of oil drilling machinery and re-supplies. The Canadian government recognizes and acknowledges these needs, and is looking to innovative transport methods such as huge Lighter-Than-Air freight carriers (Zeppelins, dirigibles, blimps) to satisfy those needs. See the scientific and technical papers presented at Dr. Barry Prentice's Airships to the Arctic conferences .

It takes mental blinders or obsessive-compulsive behavior for people to sleep on airport floors for days --- as is reported in the national media every year during heavy snow storms --- because of bad weather or cancelled flights, instead of taking readily available, comfortable, fast trains that would take them to their destination in a few hours.

Readily, widely available Monorail would ensure safe, comfortable passage far above even a three-foot snowfall, while other air, road, and foot travel are snarled, unusable means of getting about .

Rails-to-Trails is a sadly misguided, quasi-permanent transformation of railroad right-of-way --- potentially usable by large numbers of travelers for necessary work and travel --- into biking and hiking trails usable only for optional recreation by a small number of people for leisure time activities. It's sardonically amusing that, often, this occurs in areas naturally well-supplied with recreational opportunities, like waterfront communities and rustic areas .

Even worse is the blatant disregard of the “rail-banking” concept upon which the authorizing legislation is based, as no withdrawals are ever made from this bank. Once the rails are ripped up and the roadbed converted to trails at great public expense, these same recreational users fight --- tooth-and-nail --- any re-conversion to transportation purposes when the need for rail service arises later, despite the original premise upon which this change was made. The taxpayer, of course, continues to pay for the maintenance and policing of these underutilized stretches of linear recreational areas throughout their (perpetual?) existence.

What is particularly vexing is availability of vast, existing, tax-payer-maintained, dedicated recreational areas already in place. This entire concept exhibits a hugely unbalanced political favoritism catering to the never-satisfied demands of the recreational biking-hiking-and-running-lobbies, which contribute next to nothing to cover the costs of purchase and maintenance, a never-satisfied Black Hole. See also, the Athletic Fallacy.

Quick Notes and Impressions of Ultra-Light Rail --- a New Quicker, Easier Branch of the Model T⁴ Interest

It pays to look at older periodicals in your reading collection ; there's an article on the prototype on page 6 of the January 2002 issue of Tramways & Urban Transit , a superb UK magazine with international coverage of all our favourite topics . The prototype runs on electricity and !!! a flywheel !!!

Parry's People Movers provided major impetus to this whole Ultra-Light Rail movement in the prototype . The models are easier to build (no teeny-tiny catenary parts, wiring, fumble-fingers), and easier to transport to exhibitions

Shades of Lionel center third rail OR of no current carrier at all, whether third rail or overhead . NYC subway (and other transit system) modellers have been doing without overhead catenary [redundant and, obviously unprototypical] for years .

Advantages accrue to those who are taken with small English rural and suburban scenes, like those in the Miss Marple films based on the mystery novels popularized by Agatha Christie about the delightful (and always successful) English detective . Also to those who enjoy the magnificent , inexpensive David Winter collectible cottages as easy-to-place background accessories .

                                      
PARRY PEOPLE MOVERS David Parry and a model of his ultra-light rail vehicle to a scale of 2 inches = 1 foot , one-sixth full size at an industrial Exposition

Barbie dolls and GI Joe military action figures make perfect passengers for the models, once they have been de-glamorized and de-militarized, respectively, by modifying their clothing to the appropriate scale in street clothes and civilian work clothes.

Please note : I have absolutely no financial interest in Parry's People Movers (although its Return on Investment is probably going to be better than the 0.5 % interest we're getting at the bank); NOR in Mattel OR whoever manufactures GI Joe .

Where do Political Movers-and-Shakers get their Attirudes Toward Public Transit ?

Do we remember how powerful and effective were the campaigns by the Bus Lobby in the 1930's and 1940's against other forms of urban transit like trams and trolleys ?

The transit planners of those years are now safely out of reach of angry mobs carrying pitchforks and flaming torches . Encouraged by the bus lobby, they wiped out most of the effective, inexpensive, comfortable, passenger-oriented, city-wide rail-based transit systems (trolleys, streetcars, trams, light rail) then in existence and --- cheerfully supported by the asphalt lobby --- ripped up the rails, repaved the roads, added treacherously dangerous bicycle lanes that force cyclists to travel alongside speeding autommobile, bus, and truck traffic --- to whom they are essentially invisible --- and then proudly presented this system to populations that included :

1.  aging people forced to give up driving because of encroaching physical impairments . Think it will never happen to you ? Wait until you encounter the need for your first pair of bifocals at about the age of 40 , or the first time you hear the dreaded word "cataracts" --- and those are the inevitable, predictable hazards !

2. those who have been visually-challenged and handicapped for some time ;

3. children too young to drive ; remember, that's sixteen years of guaranteed dependence on others ... each ;             

4. users of golf carts, especially in warmer climates like Florida, Arizona, and California . Golf carts are often the vehicle of last resort of people with an urgent need to get to the local super market or pharmacy ; our wise politicians (!!!) have therefore carefully banned them from using the public roads --- for safety sake .

5. bar-hoppers who consider it a regular part of their lives to "stop off for a  drink", which almost always escalates to 4 or 5 or 12 drinks, and who then drive home dangerously impaired ;

6. their cousins, the beer drinkers, who (literally) do not consider beer an alcoholic beverage;

7. life-long urban dwellers who have never learned to drive ("Back home I can just hop on the subway" OR " a taxi ... the EL" ... OR, increasingly, light rail ) ;

8. people who just flat out can't afford an automobile, with the accompanying down payments, the monthly payments, the cost of parking , the liability insurance required by law, or the gasoline at over $3.00 per gallon to run it ;

9. most important for the economic health and growth of a region, the developers, relocation specialists, and potential property owners , who often as their first question to Economic Development Authorities trying to persuade a new industry to relocate into their town and to realtors talking to out-of-town residents inquiring about buying local residential property, raise the question :

"Is public transit available?" AND "How far is the nearest transit station?" .

They're not talking about a bus route that exists primarily on paper and that might be redrawn or eliminated at the whim of the next politician two years down the road . They want something dependable and permanent, like steel wheels on steel rail .

How do we know all this ? Personal experience, because recently we became a member of one of those groups listed above . We quickly realized that members of our family had appointments with several doctors and almost no civilized or comfortable way to get there... in a word, our independence was gone, snatched away by inexorable, relentless, pitiless Father Time .

Days of empire-building may be long gone, but requirements and needs still exist ... with almost no way to get where we need to go, certainly NOT by frequent, convenient, safe public transit . Our only course is to beg our friends for a ride, often to discover that they are in the same situation as we are.

Maybe the real problem is basically threefold in nature :

1. A complete lack of imagination on the part of planners, pundits in think tanks, and city fathers. AND

2. Complete reliance on academic authority falsely assumed to be bright, impartial, and accurate by the City-Father-of-the-Month Club, a poitical leader who is liable to be unseated in the next election, apparently with little real-life experience aside from politics and golf courses, AND

3. Have you ever noticed that professional Planners insist that public transit must break even or DISPLAY A PROFIT --- but nobody ever demands that, say, the army or the navy be similarly required to break even or show a profit.

We're all human and can make mistakes ; no one is asking that transit planners be perfect; just that they be rational, well informed, and --- almost above all ---- impartial .

Respectfully submitted ! 

HYDROLLEY GOING INTO SERVICE ON SPANISH NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS

FROM THE RAILWAY GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL 19 October 2011

SPAIN: Meter-gauge transit operator FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha, meaning "Narrow-Gauge Railways") is a state-owned Spanish railway company that has unveiled a tram (can we still call it a "trolley" ? ) powered by two hydrogen fuel cells that can carry between 20 and 30 passengers at up to 20 km/h. (12 mph) .

The prototype was built at the company's PRAVIA workshops by Fenit Rail (in which FEVE holds a 37.5% interest), and it is hoped that it will enter service in Asturias, Spain, next year.

Developed at a cost of €1m --- one million Euros ($1,310,900) --- using a     14.3 meter (47 foot long) Series 3400 car originally built for SNCV of Belgium** and later operated by FEVE in Valencia, Spain, the prototype vehicle weighs 20 tonnes (44,000 pounds). It is powered by two 12 kW fuel cells, supplied with hydrogen from a rack of 12 canisters containing 105.6 cubic meters of the gas.

Current is fed to four asynchronous AC traction motors, each rated at 30 kiloWatts. Energy produced during regenerative braking is stored in three Maxwell HTM125 super-capacitor modules or lithium-ion batteries rated at 95 kiloWatts.

Power equipment was designed by CIDAUT, a transport and energy research and development centre formed in 1993 to draw upon the expertise of the University of Valladolid, in Spain. Funding for the project was provided by the Asturias regional government.

** Societe Nacional de Chemin de Fer Vicinal (Federal Local Railways Corporation --- think 'vicinity rail')

UNUSUAL and SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGY NEWS TO WATCH

Reprinted fom the Proceedings of the 2012 HYDRAIL Conference held in the UK :
"Stephen Kent and Jon Tutcher – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF. Stephen Kent is a Research Fellow and Jon Tutcher is a Ph.D. candidate at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. Together, they head up the University of Birmingham team that is currently building a 10.25-inch gauge HYDROGEN-POWERED LOCOMOTIVE to be entered in this year’s IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) Railway Challenge competition."

OUR IMPRESSION : The HYDRAIL Conference has been principally conceived and executed by Stan Thompson, of Mooresville, North Carolina, a dedicated supporter of the use of hydrogen in unique and environmentally sound ways. He has built a world-wide constituency solely on the basis of his energy, the soundness of his views, and the strength of his commitment. 

BLOG COMMENTS :

What IS a hydrogen-powered locomotive (HYDRAIL) ... especially, a 10.25 inch gauge miniature railway locomotive ? We outlined its application to Mega-Model miniature railways in bold-face type in the lead paragraph above to call attention to this unusual application of an important new technology.

First of all .... HYDRAIL is the fascinating new concept which utilizes a fuel cell, mounted in a locomotive --- and now other modalities with a Green power requirement (it is already being installed in many new ship engine rooms because of recent Draconian restrictions by European countries on carbon emissions) --- to generate electricity for traction motors.

Second of all, "miniature railway" is the Term of Art applied to mega-scale models with a gauge greater than 7½" / 7¼" and less than 24" , especially those operating in Great Britain . Model railways in 10.25" gauge (a scale of 1 : 5.5) are popular in England, where that gauge is utilized in a substantial percentage of passenger-hauling hobby-and-leisure layouts. Our educated guess is that this large gauge was chosen for this installation because it provides a good deal of room for mounting the fuel cell, and possibly also because there was a miniature railway of that gauge handy for testing and running.

Third of all ... the fuel cell : a newly developed device which is fueled by hydrogen (or other fuels) stored on board in a high-compression cylinder, and fed as fuel to the cell. The output of the process is electricity, used to power traction motors in the locomotive, and ... Ta-dah ! it emits only water vapor as exhaust ! This solves four major issues :

1. the diesel particulate problem (a serious health threat)

2. the carbon cycle problem : emission of carbon dioxide by internal combustion engines and its possible effect on climate change

3. geo-political problems engendered by the importation of foreign oil (and the use of domestic oil, also, as the two are essentially commingled in the logistics process, a fact often ignored by those with personal supply chain agendas), and

4. the diesel engine noise problem,

all at one swell foop .

Fuel cells offer a nifty energy solution, but one that is being accepted and adopted only very slowly by the tradition-bound railroad industry.

We sincerely hope that news of the possibilities inherent in this technology are spread among the NGO's (non-governmental organizations --- essentially non-profit organizations), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) , and political decision-makers, as well as among the usual suspects crowd of technocrats and engineers.

FLASH ! We just (mid-afternoon, 1 October 2012) received a news bulletin that contenders in the famous Albuquerque LTA balloon race may be using hydrogen as a lifting gas for the first time, because of a world-wide shortage of helium, reflected in both availability and price. An amount needed to fill the average balloon with helium now costs $12,000; the cost to fill the same balloon with hydrogen is only $1,000, a very significant difference. If that is an accurate reflection of the situation, it will, in all likelihood, also be reflected in planning and activities for LTA dirigible airships . It will be another good reason for serious exploration of the HYDROGEN ECONOMY !

LEASE-OPTION THAT DREAM MEGA-MODEL : A GUIDE for the PERPLEXED

This will provide you with a basic understanding of why and how a lease-with-option-to-buy (one of the two methods previously described to purchase goods or equipment with a high selling price) can be a great way to buy and sell a model whose price is normally far beyond the means of the average person!

Let's begin by breaking down the term 'lease-option'. Although the term is used as if it were one contract, it is essentially two entirely separate agreements within one contract.

1. We have all heard of leasing or renting. If you don't currently own your home, then you probably signed a rental or lease agreement for the house, condo or apartment where you live, or have entered into an agreement like that in the past.

2. The option is the guaranteed choice of purchasing the subject of the agreement --- in this case, the locomotive or Mega-Trolley---at a future date based on a price you and the seller had previously agreed upon, under the terms that you had previously set in the beginning.

When you buy a house, you need to come up with a large down payment, complete credit & financial forms, assume closing costs, paid "points", fees, etc. It can be overwhelming! In that regard, a lease-option benefits both parties involved.

The theory behind a lease-with-option-to-buy is simple: Lease a locomotive or expensive trolley model with the opportunity but not necessarily the obligation to buy . The other relevant, and related, method --- easily confused with that --- is the rent-to-own agreement.

Both agreements have benefits for both the Buyer and the Seller, which are outlined below.

Benefits for the Buyer:

• A Low down payment places the model in your hands

• A portion of the monthly lease payment is used to reduce principal owed on the locomotive or tram

• No credit check (usually or necessarily).

• Payments are usually lower than borrowing money from a bank or putting the transaction on your credit card

• The model may appreciate in value, but the price is already set in the agreement.

• There are no additional costs or fees.

• By the time you exercise the option, you can obtain a personal loan and purchase the model outright, and you will have done so with no money down and no financial qualifying.

Benefits for the Seller:

• No Broker commissions.

• No closing costs or additional fees.

• Monthly rental revenue.

• No worries about storing or maintaining the model.

• Perhaps no tax consequences (check with your CPA on this)

• Option payments and down payments are non-refundable.

• And, best of all, the Seller has the ability to sell an object which is only optionally needed (no one needs a model) at a high selling price. Risk is minimal and the huge customer base is far beyond what you had previously envisioned.

For both Buyers and Sellers to be successful with rent-to-own or lease-option agreements, a few things need to happen:

• Buyers and Sellers need to get connected.

• Both Buyer and Seller must agree on the terms of an agreement that benefit both sides.

• Both Buyer and Seller must sign a binding agreement.

• In the case of a Lease-Option agreement, the Buyer must execute the option before the expiration date.

The key points of any lease option agreement are:

• The amount of the down payment and option price.

• The length of the lease/option term.

• The selling price.

• The amount (or percentage of the rent) that will be used to reduce the outstanding principal (the amount still owed).

• Who has the responsibility and the authority to upgrade, modify, or maintain the model.

Down payments on a lease-option can vary tremendously. Remember, higher is not better. The goal of this transaction is to Encourage and Enable the Buyer to finally buy and operate the locomotive or mega-trolley of his dreams.

All these terms are classically negotiable. If you are not good at this barter-and-trade business, you might want to enlist the aid of a friend who is skilled at this, or even a hard-nosed gimlet-eyed businessman or attorney to actually perform the hard bargaining for you.

The most common practice is to pay a down payment which does not cripple the Buyer, but acts as a very strong motivation not to disappear during the period of the Agreement. Possibly, a similar payment is made at each anniversary of the Agreement afterward. All of these payments goes toward reducing the principal, and, in most cases, is non-refundable (But remember, everything in the Agreement is negotiable !) . Generally, this down payment negates the need for a security deposit.

This is the kicker of the lease option - The Buyer has the opportunity to accumulate the equivalent of a down payment over the course of the lease. The Seller keeps the money if the Buyer defaults on the lease, or fails to exercise the option, and gets the locomotive or traction.

The most typical and beneficial length of lease-with-option is four years. A shorter period does not allow a reasonable equity to accrue from the payments made during the Agreement. This is important because the more equity the Buyer owns in a model, the greater the pride of ownership, and the less the chance that he will need more money down or qualifying restrictions when he finally pays the balance off.

Typically, a Rent-to-Own agreement obligates the Buyer to go through with the transaction, although even here, the Buyer keeps the payments already made.

The selling price must benefit both the Buyer and the Seller. For the Seller, he must consider the future value against the costs incurred if the locomotive or model were to be sold by a broker or auction house. Remember, auction houses traditionally charge the Buyer on the order of 20% of the final selling price as a fee for selling an object, AND --- recently --- a 12% fee has been charged to the Buyer, in addition. These costs must be taken into account when the total cost of the transaction is calculated.

The Buyer must understand that price negotiations are not usual in lease-option agreements. This is where a lease option is appealing to the Seller. As the Buyer, you are able to agree on a higher sale price, counting on paying off much of the principal of the Agreement in the coming years. For the Seller, this is appealing because they it is highly unlikely that they could sell at the top dollar price for cash in this economy.

Deciding on what percentage of lease payments reduces the principal is tricky. The range can spread between 10% to 100%. This is the second area of negotiation after the selling price. Now the Buyer can always pay additional monies, above and beyond the lease payment, for which 100% would come off of principal. One common practice is to allocate 50% of the lease payment to reduce principal or act as added down payment.

The difference between a lease-option and a rent-to-ownl agreement is very evident with maintenance issues. The lease-option requires the buyer to assume more responsibility when it comes to repairs and maintenance. But once again, both parties must come together and agree on limits. Generally, the Buyer is responsible for all repairs and maintenance for the duration of the lease.

Upgrades and improvements are quite common in lease option agreements. Everyone benefits when the Buyer invests in upgrading (increasing value) the home he is leasing. The home's value can only increase. Handling improvements should be agreed upon. Normal limitations include advance notice and, if a do-it-yourself project, evaluate the skill level required for competent results.

The best lease-option deals occur when both parties are happy. It is very important to have a proper agreement set and ready to go.

It is also advisable, although not mandatory, to have an attorney prepare the Agreement that ssets all this in motion. Most praticing attorneys have a file on their permanent hard disc that they can access and print with minimal effort. There may also be copies of different model agreements available on-line to you, the modeler.   Always wanted that $75,000 live steam locomotive you saw advertised on Discover Live Steam ? This might be the pathway to fulfill that dream. We also want this seen as an effective but rarely-utilized marketing tool for manufacturers and advanced modelers to facilitate the sale of their products --- just like in the automobile business.   Good Luck !   ERRORS AND OMISSIONS EXCEPTED ; Save those important questions for your Attorney . We do not pretend to do more than stimulate the hobby and facilitate the fulfillment of dreams, not to give legal advice or guidance .

HOW TO BUY (OR SELL) That Model Trolley, Tram or Locomotive AND Enjoy It Now, Even Without $50,000 (USD) In Your Pocket (or actually sell it, if you're the Manufacturer)

PART TWO :

We had just asked ourselves the following question : How many cars do you think General Motors would sell if they ran an ad in Car & Driver magazine that displayed their beautiful new Chevrolet Impala, quoted its purchase price as $39,000, and expected that the Buyer would pay the full purchase price in cash at the time of sale ? Answer : vanishingly small and approaching zero, as an engineer or mathematician would say ! Yet model manufacturers or other Mega-Scale model owners must think that people have the disposable income to mail in a check for a comparably-priced model locomotive or hand-made giant trolley model. In this economy, it is likely that sales income wouldn't even repay the cost of the advertisement !

We will let both manufacturers and modelers in on a technique that structures the sale of those beautifully-crafted, high-priced products, even in a tough economy, to people without the immediately available cash available.

It's called (or, more properly, they're called) Lease-Option and Rent-to-Own, and, if you haven't already guessed, is based on cleverly-structured, common real estate transactions, although we are beginning to notice that even furniture  retailers are beginning to advertise "RENT TO OWN" in large banner ads on their storefronts.

The difference between the two techniques is small, subtle, and significant :

In a Rent-to-Own situation, the Buyer can terminate his payments in the middle of the transaction, and his only obligation (normally) is to return the model in good working condition at pre-determined times, but he is otherwise NOT obligated to finish paying for the model. The manufacturer or other Seller gets to keep all the money that the Buyer paid up to the date of that point, if the modeler-Buyer walks away before the end of the Agreement period.

In a Lease-Option, the Buyer can change his mind about the purchase (by not exercising the OPTION) BUT the modeler-Buyer may nevertheless be obligated to pay the principal (the balance of the payments). Of course, in that situation, the nice part for the Seller (model manufacturer) is that he gets to keep all the payments that the Buyer has made along the way PLUS sue to collect any balance of payments, and still gets his locomotive or tram back.

Legal considerations make the distinction between the two subtle, but there are important differences, which is why we urge both the modeler and any manufacturer contemplating this approach to consult an attorney-at-law in their home states (as state laws differ) OR, if appropriate, a solicitor or barrister in their own country.

Contract

The biggest difference between a Rent-to-Own agreement and a Lease-with-option-to-Purchase (Lease-Purchase) agreement is that in a lease-purchase agreement, the landlord and the tenant enter into a contractual relationship that obligates the tenant to purchase the model at the end of the lease.

In a rent-to-own or lease option situation, the tenant has the option to purchase the property at any point in the lease period. In general, both circumstances require the tenant to make a down payment at the beginning of the lease and then pay a certain amount above the monthly rental price, all of which goes toward the down payment at the time of purchase.

Walking Away

In order to walk away from a rent-to-own or lease-option agreement, the Buyer forfeits his down payment and the money paid above the monthly rent. However, in a lease purchase agreement, if the tenant decides he does not want to purchase the house, he has broken his part of the contract and may face legal ramifications that obligate him further. The contract is a legally binding document in which the Owner-Seller agrees to sell the Modeler-Buyer the model for a set price, and in return the modeler agrees to buy the model by the end of the lease. Breaking that contract means that the Buyer may incur additional obligations and expenses.

Preparation

Due to the legal differences between a lease option and a lease purchase situation, the level of preparation may differ slightly before making an agreement. In both instances, you should work with a real estate lawyer to make sure that both sides are clear on the terms of the agreement and to create an exit strategy.

Much more on these fascinating but little-known approaches that facilitate these not-for-cash approaches to buying the model-of-your-dreams will be continued in tomorrow's BLOG .

P.S. If that contemplated National Traction organization gets organized and running, their attorney could draft a version that's fair to both parties, at a nominal cost to members instead of at the $500 per hour that is being billed these days by attorneys.

"I LOVE THAT MEGA-SCALE T⁴ *** MODEL, BUT HOW CAN I POSSIBLY AFFORD IT ...

                               "I LOVE THAT MEGA-SCALE T⁴***
                        MODEL,  BUT HOW CAN I POSSIBLY AFFORD IT ...

... especially in this economy ? I saw it for sale on an on-line forum, but the seller wants $23,000 for it and I don't have that much cash, nor could I justify spending it even if I did have it!"

[The same complaint is valid for a giant scale live steam locomotive, but I'm restricting this discussion to focus our goals on acquiring electrically-powered Mega-Scale T⁴ models .]

In response to that question, let me ask you another question :

How many cars do you think General Motors would sell if it displayed the beautiful new Chevrolet Impala in an ad that ran only in Car and Driver magazine, quoted its purchase price at $39,000, and expected the full purchase price in cash at the time of sale ?

If you consider all the aspects of that question in the previous paragraph and considered them from a business viewpoint, you'd realize pretty quickly that the Systems Approach would insist that it's a Marketing Issue, and a solvable one !

Not many people outside the Plutocracy go down to the local shopping district with a spare $39,000 in their pocket, after having read the latest Car and Driver, with the intention of stopping in at their local Chevrolet dealer, plunking down that money, and driving off in their latest model ? We'd all still be walking or driving horse carriages .

If you couldn't do that for an automobile right out of the dealer's inventory, how much less possible would the purchase of a house be ?

Finally, how immeasurably less possible would be the purchase of a coveted, but unnecessary, "toy"? What can we -- the folks encouraging the growth of this hobby -- do to solve this problem?

We're going to suggest some solutions that just might have that Mega-Scale T⁴ streetcar model leaping off the seller's shelves and running through your special work tomorrow. Sound impossible? Stay tuned for solutions to this seemingly insoluble problem in tomorrow's BLOG .

NOTE : The solutions will apply to small and large manufacturers, start-up builders, retailers, and garage-based craftsmen, also .



*** T⁴ : Traction, trams, transit, and trolleys

SIZE MATTERS , BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE WAY YOU THINK

Okay , we agree that darned few T⁴enthusiasts have the space, the time, or the funds to build and maintain a one-fourth scale (3 inches = one foot) trolley or tram, like Gordon Hatch did in those spectacular photographs displayed in previous blogs .

Let's consider less expensive, more attainable branches of the T⁴ hobby , namely, the gauges that lurk a couple of steps down in scale :

1. The scale of 1:6 (2 inches = one foot) illustrated by the industrial scale Parry's People Mover --- large, but clearly not impossible . One can utilize all the PlayScale (Barbie doll and GI Joe action figures) as passengers and street figures ;

2. A perennial favorite , 1 inch to the foot (1:12) , supported by the whole infrastructure of doll house and miniature interests --- very nice, indeed ; AND ...

3. the scale that we have skated by several times in passing , (1:16) or ¾ inch = one foot , represented ...

a. in the United States by Jimmy Sparkman, of the East Penn Traction Club in Philadelphia. Of interest, and perhaps the key to the aura of authenticity : Sparkman is, if we are not mistaken , an employee of the 12-inch-to-the-foot South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) , AND ...

b. in Great Britain by the majority of tram modelers .

Very impressive craftsmanship and striking models in that entire genre . There is an interesting subculture involved in producing and collecting beautiful ready-to-run die-cast automobile models in that scale, together with a few supporting cast of scale model auto mechanics and other automotive miscellanea, that would make an excellent back-story for the trolleys and streetcars .

What we particularly like about Jimmy Sparkman's infrastructure is his supporting framework of aluminum (I believe they are) girders forming a very attractive trestle and roadbed structure --- realistic without the burden of cinder ballast, using the girder bridge approach that Sparkman uses .

It might even open up hands-across-the-sea cooperation with the British branch of the hobby , not a bad idea at all .

Comments are encouraged and welcome .

1:16 Scale model of the Stockport 20 by Marsden

Photo courtesy of John Prentice of the Tramway and Light Railway Society

P Gauge--- For your consideration

Oh, no, not another model railroad scale !

With the proliferation of scales and gages in model railroading, you'd think that the number and diversity of options and opportunities are enough to satisfy anyone. Yet, consider the scale of 2 inches = 1 foot:

1. endorsed by Mattel, arguably one of the biggest leisure-product manufacturers in the world;

2. supported by an infrastructure of military action figures, fashion dolls, and accessories;

3. can use prototypically correct, readily available one inch high rail (scales out to 6 inch high prototype);

4. big enough to stand out anywhere

5. reasonable size when modeling trolleys, interurbans, and streetcars, with their tight turning radius and their relatively modest space needs; good for light rail, subways, and rapid transit, also

6. distinguishes it just enough from live steam's inch-and-a-half scale, which has never really produced a line of non-rail-oriented products to be a viable off-the-shelf leisure line. You're expected to be a skilled metal worker, a fast-fading ability, to succeed in live steam / inch-and-a-half = one foot scale.

7. contrasts history and nostalgia with modernism and high technology in hobby activities and interests. It's very pleasant to be able to take a mental break from text-messaging, cell phones, and video games by immersing yourself --- however briefly --- in the era of your parents and grandparents.
There's a nicely done nostalgia-periodical called "Reminisce" with many images of life in, essentially, World War II and before, especially small town life. The articles are written by the participants (and probably edited and polished before publication). Many good ideas here ! ... and just maybe an outlet for some of your pre-War writings and photography. Reminisce is publshed by Readers Digest, so it's professionally done and interesting to read..

8. If artisans and small scale manufacturers pick up on this, this provides scope for them to populate an entire world, or as I would have it, a Miniature Universe.

I recommend calling this new scale / gage "P Scale" and "P Gage". This reflects subliminally the PlayScale that Mattel endorses, and avoids duplicating any other name. I also recommend a gage standard of 9 1/2", which differs from the prototype 4' 8.5" by 0.886%, less than 1%, not bad for modeling, a prototype distinction of about one-half inch --- as a former staff member on two short line railroads, I only wish that full-size railworkers could keep their tolerances that close.

Please look again at that image of Mr. Parry, of Parry's People Movers, sitting quietly at his commercial display at some forgotten industrial exhibition, next to the commercially-custom-made model of his "Parry's People Mover", which prototype people-carrier is propelled by Inertial drive , i.e., A RUDDY FLYWHEEL !

The picture does show very nicely the impressive size of a P Scale model light rail vehicle. Picture that on your traction layout !

Mr. Parry, of Parry's People Movers

DISCLAIMER: I am not connected in any way with, nor an employee of, nor a stockholder of, Mattel. I do not receive, nor have I ever received, any benefits, funds, rewards, or support of any kind from them nor from any other manufacturer. If you search the Internet, you'll find that there's a huge international subculture of independent workers in one-sixth figures, model structures, dioramas, and accessories. Join us.

IS A ONE INCH SCALE TROLLEY (TRAM) FEASIBLE ?

HERE'S A LETTER THAT WE WROTE SOME YEARS AGO TO A WELL-KNOWN, LONG-TIME ONE INCH SCALE SMALL MANUFACTURER, INQUIRING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PURCHASING A CUSTOM-MADE (to our Euro Fans : BESPOKE) POWER TRUCK IN ONE-INCH SCALE :

I am a long-time "live steamer" who, frankly, much prefers traction: trams, street cars, interurbans, and trolleys. I am very taken with the idea of operating battery-powered one-inch scale NON-RIDING trolleys. Designing them as non-riding from the outset means that they needn't be built to carry 200+ pounds on their roof, nor do we have to be concerned with damage to delicate pantographs or trolley poles. Modeling electrically-powered prototypes produces easily designed and realistic model trolleys as a natural outcome.

I am subject to fits of quixotic thought-experiments (thanks to Albert Einstein for coming up with that wonderful phrase) regarding this strange and wonderful hobby that we both share. A strong and recurring theme is that of developing and marketing a line of one-inch trolleys. Your diesel-outline locomotives strike me as --- arguably --- ideal candidates for the basis of a nifty trolley model. You have already performed the most difficult task of producing the power truck, although I understand, of course, that the side frames probably would need re-designing, and that some compromises with precise scale-sizing might have to be made.

Nonetheless, your diesel power trucks provide one of the best ready-to-use power units on the market today. Page 107 of a popular, widely available book titled "A Trolley Car Treasury", authored by Frank Rowsome, shows the manufacture of a prototype 1905 wooden trolley body in a trolley-car erection shop. It does not take much imagination to picture a similar scene taking place in a small commercial woodworking shop, followed by mounting that body on a power truck, adding the appropriate details and finishing steps, and then marketing the complete trolley to traction fans.

If one omits the weight of a rider, a model like that could easily run on the code .332 track that is widely available from "G scale" model train sources, representing very acceptable 4" high rail (about 75 pound prototype rail).

Power could be supplied by either the common overhead catenary or by (occasionally-found) third rail (code .332 or 0 gauge rail) mounted alongside the running rail.

Any good business man immediately asks what the potential market is. My instinct, coupled with a detailed search of the Internet, shows a list of many thousands of possible buyers. These range from members of the many trolley fan and preservation groups to the many hundreds of members of  trolley groups such as the East Penn Traction Club and the CERA. I might add the untapped thousands of one-inch scale miniature hobbyists.

Identifying them and targeting the advertising of this product to that audience could be done in a straightforward manner through their membership and other popular publications.

Determining an affordable price-point for the model would be of critical importance; setting it properly so that it produces a profit only slightly less so. Building to a cost that ensures a profitable sale would be made easier by your pre-design and construction of the power trucks.

I have posited a project that sets a high bar, but you can see that I have given it much thought. Model trolleys can realistically negotiate much tighter radius curves than comparable main line engines. This means a much wider potential market, without the 5-acre minimum needed for live steam.

Building them ready-to-run will also appeal to a much wider audience, without the restrictive need for metal-working and machining skills. Making available a realistic sound system is a natural adjunct. We need a much wider audience than the very small live steam group. Getting, say, Neiman-Marcus to show it in their famous Christmas catalogue would be a public relations coup of the first magnitude, and is well within the realm of possibility.

If some or any of this triggers a positive response, please let me know. If not, I might well be interested in a quote on the power trucks alone. Thanks for listening to a long-time fan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE RESPONSE QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,500 PER TRUCK, as I recollect --- a fair and reasonable price, but I never did follow up.

Harold Nils "Hal" Pelta

Electric Railways Network
P O Box 208
Ellenton, FL 34222

HNILS@msn.com

Final Blog in this series

        ADVANTAGES OF A NATIONAL T⁴ ORGANIZATION


My contention is that a national model organization could function to maintain, reproduce, and distribute archives of rare and otherwise unobtainable or out-of-print photographs, images, engineering drawings, books, periodicals, and videos, properly safeguarded against vandalism, theft, and loss .

1. It could establish a consortium of model traction clubs and museums, existing as units of a national or international organization as suggested above, ideally in conjunction and cooperation with full-size heritage (vintage) trolley museums. Individual memberships would definitely be available and welcome, also .

2. It could tear down the walls between the several regional traction groups, while maintaining regionalism and individuality

3. It could utilize the many new Social-Media approaches to public relations, making them much more effective (who ever heard of Lady Gaga five years ago?; how many have heard of your group ?) Are you still depending on a monthly notice to a newspaper ? Good luck !

4. Bring down the expense of informing the public about who we are and what we do by sharing the effort and the cost;

5. Bring new voices and new energy to the hobby;

6. It could inform the public about the history of electric traction, as trolley museums are attempting to do;

7. In a small, but effective, way, change the world we know.

8. It could publish a national magazine that would present the best face of our hobby in a professional way, educating the public, spreading word of regional and national meets, acting as liaison to professional transit groups, providing a medium where small manufacturers can present their products, where new small model-makers--- even one-man garage set-ups --- can have their products showcased professionally.

9. When will 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 presented a united face to the hobby public, in one location at one major annual exhibition in a venue that's

a. ... pleasant --- nice surroundings, decent accommodations --- without Beverly Hills prices

b. ... safe (an entirely different matter). We recently attended a miniatures program, a subject not too far afield from rail models, held at what we thought was a nice family motel ... that housed an outlaw motorcycle group get-together. The ruckus 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. A large hotel, backed up by the local gendarmerie, would not have tolerated this behavior for five minutes; they would have politely but firmly told the rowdy guests to maintain the peace OR leave. A professional conference venue would not have tolerated this rowdyism for one minute.

c. ... 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 distant and inconvenient. They had to cancel the Malaysian program, presumably because of lack of registration or attendance . They settled later for their second choice : Dubai ! Not much higher attendance, but they still hold the record for exotic locations. Talk about exclusive (in the original meaning of excluding people) !

d. ... that provides other visitor attractions for the family while participants and enthusiasts are attending the show .

e. ... in a halcyon climate that does not require heroic efforts to prove how manly we are to fight our way through snow drifts . Why is it, when model exhibitions are held, the organizers seem to choose precisely the season that, in Florida, predictably or statistically, is most likely to feature tropical storms (Florida in the Summer) , OR, in Minnesota, blizzards, OR in Nunavut, Canada, ice, OR, elsewhere, impossible transportation schedules and travel times like those annual predictable peak periods around Thanksgiving or other major family holidays ?

f. ... that doesn't require hand-drawn campus maps or, as I was once seriously asked, "What's the latitude and longitude of this place?" -- and this was well before GPS technology.

8. ... finally, and last only because it continues to cause major constraints on attendance and the growth of the model hobby, in places that are NOT private, unmarked, unadvertised, and require driving over unpaved private roads . I've been told that attendance is restricted because of insurance requirements , like those fake restrictions that auto mechanics impose to keep us away from seeing what horrors they are doing to the family car.

               UNIFICATION CAN AVOID MANY DIFFICULTIES
This is not to criticize any of the fine 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 . However, the resultant "Balkanization" has held back our very special model interest from its rightful place in the hobby spectrum.

             MODEL AIRPLANE PEOPLE BENEFIT BY DOING IT RIGHT

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 any reservation, volunteer members took turns directing our cars to free parking; other volunteers ascertained that we were unfamiliar with the hobby and appointed themselves to show us around, unlocked the building that housed their displays, and set up the computers containing video training simulators, so that we could try our hand at radio control flying virtually without destroying someone's prized model; 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 shelters covered for shade in a sort of pavilion, made for a very pleasant day, all for a total of a $2.00 parking fee to cover their modest expenses. Compare that to the last Trolley - Tram - Traction - Transit show you attended, and ask yourself which hobby presented itself better to the public .

                               LET MY PEOPLE KNOW !

Picture a national T⁴program organized like that, presented by an amalgamation of regional or national 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 than current arrangements? With more worker bees, the many vital components of such a program would be easy to handle.

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. That has generally kept our branch of the model railroading hobby small, insular, and divided. When it's suggested that we could all meet in one grand location 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 exclusive, in the original sense of the word --- tending to exclude people --- like some vast esoteric international political conspiracy.

                              AN INTERESTING MARKETING IDEA

Has anyone given thought to the marketing (NOT advertising !) opportunities?
Picture a chartered bus caravan from, e.g. , Philadelphia --- home to one of the largest charter bus operations in the country --- full of trolley fans, sporting custom-made banners emblazoned with

"East Penn  Traction Club                                                                                                            We're on our way to the First Annual Trolley, etc."

exposed to all the traffic, rest stops, and tourist restaurants along Interstate 95, all the way down to, say, Florida. Anyone along the road who inquires during a break would be handed a  nicely printed brochure about the group and the exhibition/conference.
24 hours later, with no TSA pat-downs or runway delays, you and your trolley buddies would be delivered directly to your hotel, your modules safely stowed in the capacious baggage compartments of these long-distance buses. It certainly beats a flight to Dubai !

      HOW DO WE GO ABOUT SETTING UP A NATIONAL T⁴ GROUP ?

We're personally getting much too long in the tooth to attempt this ourselves, but we strongly believe that people of good will with good reputations in this field --- like many of you reading this exhortation --- can get together and make it work. Do you agree ? Be in on the Genesis; eMail us at HNILS@msn.com OR ...

... Write to T⁴at :

The National Traction, Trolley, Tram, & Transit Group
Post Office Box 208
ELLENTON, FLORIDA 34222 U.S.A.

We'll do what we can on this end to bring us all together.

IF YOU ARE THE FEARLESS LEADER OF A TRACTION, etc., GROUP AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE JOYS AND WOES OF LEADERSHIP OF THE KIND OF NATIONAL GROUP DESCRIBED HERE, PLEASE WRITE to the same address [ OR, at least, COMMENT ],

AND, FINALLY (WHEW !) :

If you would like your very own copy of this [26-PAGE] Manifesto for a National Group, mailed to you in a plain brown SEALED manila envelope

1. replete with images clearly not suitable for framing,

2. ... with significant points emphasized in Boldface type

3. ... containing at least some additional material

4. ... on clean white 8 1/2 X 11   24 LB bond paper,

5. ... printed on one side only; the other side usable for any household purpose

6. ... NOT copyright --- In fact : Please copy, steal, distribute, etc. to your heart's content --- that's the idea of this whole effort.

... please write, enclosing a check for $ 5.00 (in EuroSpeak : USD) payable to "Harold Nils Pelta" --- which according to the audited statement of a world-renowned CPA firm, barely covers our costs of mailing, packaging, and petrol for delivery to the local Post Office --- mailed to :

T-to-the-Fourth-Power Society 

Post Office Box 208

Ellenton, FL 34222  USA

or use PAYPAL, PAYABLE TO  HNILS@MSN.COM . I am told on Good Authority that YOU do not need a PayPal account, as the recipient already has one. If you encounter difficulties in this process, eMail to HNILS@MSN.COM or write us at the above Post Office Box address .

Sincerely yours,

The Iconoclast of the Catenary,

Hal Pelta

Editor's Note : Isn't it easier to write T⁴ than all that other stuff?

BLOG NUMBER SIX IN THE SERIES

WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ?

People react fiercely to the concept of a national T⁴organization. Look dispassionately at other similar organizational concepts --- especially the very similar situation of national modeling groups like the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) which governs the field of model airplane hobbyists --- we find that those groups which have come together in a national alliance and a spirit of unity have been the most effective and functioned the best.

Every weekend, model plane hobbyists gather. They consist of several different operational factions --- radio control similar to military drones; free flight in which the models are launched by hand to travel freely in any flight pattern; U-control, in which a strong, fairly long cord is attached to the model airplane at one end and to a hand-held grip on the other; and in other events, including aerial combat and Giant Scale, with model planes with operating bomb-bay doors, working retractable landing gear, and variable speed propellers, none of which could have been remotely possible in the earliest stages of the hobby when we were first introduced to it 60 years ago. Even though much of the power and control of AMA has to do with the frequencies of the radio control spectrum --- a legitimate Federal concern --- it is surprising how AMA's interest extends into every facet of operation. The AMA's opinion and recommendations are even taken into account by the Federal Aviation Authority, whose legitimate concerns extend into safety issues at those altitudes where air space for model and full-size airplane conflict, even if only visually. ("Good Gosh, Godfrey, is that a B-17 at two o'clock?")

It is interesting to note that the public model airplane events with the largest attendance tend to be the Giant Scale programs. They are held all over the country and are a significant factor in the promotion of the hobby. Local newspapers reporting the events often pose modelers crouched next to their Giant Scale airplanes.

To provide another, even more compelling case, consider the analogous case of radio amateurs --- hams. Few interests are as individual-focused, as suited to participation by a lone wolf, as the ham radio operator sitting alone at home, seeking to establish communications via their expensive radio rigs to people all over the world. A truly international camaraderie becomes possible .

Arguably the best approach they took, early on in the development of their hobby, was to form the Amateur Radio Relay League, with well-developed regional, national, and international organizations and sponsored activities. The ARRL represents --- authoritatively and intelligently --- the interests and privileges of radio amateurs up to the very highest levels of the Federal government. Amateur radio has become one of the most active and well-recognized hobbies in the world. We should consider how much of that success can be attributed to a supportive organization, with a national publication. Picture the possibilities for a publication catering to mega-scale traction interests, illustrated with the many photographs now stored away in dusty archives, or discarded by the unsophisticated families or Executors of a deceased hobbyist.

Think about the copyright laws, not protective but restrictive, which forbid reproduction of these beautiful images, but prefer that they languish, unseen and unappreciated, in "archives".

I also see many superbly written and published publications which reach only a small fraction of possible readers. How satisfying it would be to carry a stack of NATIONAL TRACTION magazines in the trunk of your car, and hand them out to people we meet in the ordinary course of business or leisure activities.

We do --- arguably --- one of the worst jobs of letting people know about what we do. Photos of trolley meets, of trolley museum activities, of new developments in light rail (particularly in Europe and some of the enlightened cities of the United States) are rarely seen in newspapers or magazines .

I also like the Trolley Module concept. We attended a meeting of local government in Pennsylvania, that was called to decide on use and fate of an abandoned rail line. One of the presenters constructed a model of the line in question. Crusty farmers, officials of the church adjacent to the line, neighbors and housewives, spent almost a half-hour before the meeting was called to order, clustered around the portable module. They could see what the presenter was suggesting, and wound up approaching the presentation with an open and educated mind.

Right now, model traction is a fragmented, even splintered, hobby. The number of regional groups is considerable, and does not have a loud enough voice to bring attention to it.

If a national traction and light-rail organization were organized and run effectively, it might even raise national awareness of municipal light rail, which currently draws a blank stare from most Americans. The opposition to light rail is professional and well-organized, by groups with financial motives and personal gains to achieve .

These opposition groups organize "Transportation Institutes" ---some connected with respectable Universities and staffed by PhDs and Research Assistants --- that are assigned to do almost all the research work on proposed rail transit and its connected funding. They print articles on "Passenger waiting time in Bangladesh as a function of social class" and consistently deny the value of public transit, arguing that you cannot justify public transit without a large base of congested population to support it, basing their case on statistics and calculus.

They have apparently forgotten that the way that early traction pioneers promoted their streetcar lines was to deliberately choose a large vacant area, a long way out of town, and build a trolley line from the center of population out to the PLAYLAND or cemetery that they carefully situated on vacant land. Soon, houses sprang up along the line, obviously because it was so convenient for travel. Furthermore, it encourages substantial healthy growth of attractive neighborhoods.

Ask a Realtor ... one of the more frequently asked questions of professionals interested in relocating to a new city is, "How far is it to transportation to my job? How long does it take to get to (the city center? the beach? my new office? )

BLOG NUMBER FIVE IN A SERIES

READY-TO-RUN MODELS


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 or model trolleys, we'd probably still all be driving teams of horses !

Picture this Alternate History : The instruction book --- 650 pages of "Build Your Very Own auto-mobile" --- begins : "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 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 . Some of them might even run. It might even save on road construction and maintenance .

Our proposal suggests building and selling ready-made models at the Traction Museum : assembly-line-built, buy-it-and-run-it the same incredibly exciting day -- picture finding a two-inch scale Peter Witt trolley under the Christmas tree.

Another probable advantage is that a Mega-Scale model streetcar's price would drop precipitously when small companies 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 .

Traction modellers would truly come into their own, complex and fascinating, to add still another challenge to this great aspect of the hobby . Maybe we could even eliminate the "Made in China" Syndrome and proudly place "Made in the U.S.A." on these products again.

TO BE LAUNCHED BY A NATIONAL (INTERNATIONAL?) MODEL TRACTION ORGANIZATION UTILIZING MAJOR MODERN MARKETING and PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS

There is one last point that needs to be covered : This paradigm shift MUST be combined with a major, industry-wide, simultaneous marketing*** campaign extolling the virtues of this new approach to the hobby. It would provide extraordinary opportunities for family fun and hours spent together; for the acquisition of many new useful skills and historical knowledge by our youngsters; for the introduction of a new hobby and the rescue of an old one; an investment where everyone benefits . We contend that only a broad, professionally-designed marketing campaign can do the job well, and only a nationally-coordinated campaign can do the job in a professional manner.

*** MARKETING IS NOT ADVERTISING, or at least, not only advertising . Observations indicate that most small businesses are completely unaware of the distinction, and neither are most organizations aware of the possibilities, as they practice neither marketing nor advertising. Sadly, it shows !

IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE ... AND BY RESPECTED MODELLERS

As an aside, Bruce Moffett, noted author from CERA territory, has built (and runs on batteries, I believe) a beautiful trolley model in a scale of 1:8, which he controls from a seating-car (is there a better phrase that I have missed in over 50 years in the hobby ?) coupled directly behind the traction motor; here's proof :

NO ! That's not the Moffat Tunnel behind him --- note the different spelling ! Besides, he's probably heard that at least one hundred times already .

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE NEW SCALE AND GAUGE

We worked out the minimum radius requirement for a streetcar in the Mega-Scales . It would require a 10' radius for P Scale and a 15' radius in GH Scale to comply with prototype standards for civil engineering construction, to scale down the 60 foot minimum radius recommended by prototype transportation engineers . We can follow the lead of our British and Continental colleagues, and build "fiddle yards" and street scenes that are not locked into round-and-round track patterns.

WHAT NEW SCALES AND APPROACHES MIGHT LOOK LIKE

Here are some pictures in these ultra-scales to encourage the expansion of our vision in harmony with the ideas in this article .

The photo shows Mr. Parry, a serious British inventor, designer, and manufacturer set up at an industrial exhibition with a two-inch-to-the-foot (1:6) scale) Proof-of-Concept model to demonstrate the feasibility of his Light Rail vehicle. Parry People Movers, utilizes the inertial power of flywheels for the very short range station-to-station transit needs often found in rural England . (Image copyright not secured from Parry People Movers, UK ) .

Mr. Parry and his Parry's People Mover in P Scale (1:6), a light rail vehicle powered by an internal flywheel, which is set in motion at passenger stops by external plug-in electrical power, and whose inertial power moves the vehicle to the next passenger stop. Just the right size for 12 inch action figures and Barbie dolls as passengers.

These are photographs of an even more daring expansion in both concept and scale by Gordon Hatch, a trolley modeler from British Columbia who built a magnificent three-inch-to-the-foot (one-fourth scale) trolley layout in his backyard. We understand that the entire set-up was donated to a local museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada after Mr. Hatch's recent passing . (Photo was copied from the Internet with no commercial intent or benefit ; image copyright has not been secured from the family of the late builder despite best efforts, although they were published on the Internet) . Hoping that these photos stir the blood of previously-unmoved modelers .

OBJECTIONS FROM CRUSTY OLD-TIMERS

We anticipate a storm of protest at these suggestions . We wonder how Joshua Lionel Cowan's first efforts at Gauge Zero (O Scale) were received by cynical customers a hundred years ago ; probably something like "We already have all the possible gauges from #3 down to tiny #1; heck, we'd have to call that rascally peddler's trains "Zero gauge (0 gauge) ! " ... with raucous laughter in the background !

We have found, in over three-quarters of a century of looking at the world, that by a certain age most people have closed their minds about everything and then securely locked up the contents, no matter the facts or changes in circumstances . We just ask that, if that's happened to you, you open them just a bit to consider the possibilities and advantages . Meanwhile, we'll raise the drawbridge over the moat, slam shut the massive bolts on the main gates, and wait out the storm of live steamers and small-gage model traction buffs with pitchforks and torches . Just stop laughing as you watch the diminishing number of live steamers grow even smaller . Those who don't plan for the inevitable are doomed to deal with the inevitable .

Blog number 4 in the series

CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES


1. The Traction Museum can be developed into an authentic simulation of reality, using overhead catenary or trolley wire, OR deriving its power from concealed batteries, opening up an entirely new galaxy of prototypes .

2. It would minimize liability insurance issues, as the possibility of collisions or other injury to riders and spectators is effectively eliminated .

3. The public would be more likely to visit these Model Trolley Museums, now situated in more accessible locations ; visitor income would increase, providing more  funding for operation and maintenance .

4. A museum, becomes a true teaching facility based on this principle, could stay open every day, not just weekends and not just occasionally as an Exhibition is, and become self-supporting . The technology of traction and the sad history of its breakdown and collapse could be taught painlessly to visitors, eliminating many questions from the vast majority of people who had never hear it before .

5. It would encourage the participation of youngsters who are familiar with the use of remote control systems similar to that employed in the radio control of airplanes, boats, and video games . The technology already exists, waiting to be adapted from those hobbies .

6. It could lead to the launching of hundreds of new small businesses --- a rare aspect of the financial picture which the Beltway Brains and the Wall Street Whizzes agree is the best basis for growing our economy .

This can mean

a. new jobs;

b. a return to local manufacturing;

c. a market for the many components and lineside scenery of electric railways ;

d. new possibilities in scenery;

e. a focus on complex track patterns --- special work, yard layouts and complex switching, instead of running aimlessly around and around in great endless loops

f. the production and sale of hundreds of accessories like, e.g., scale figurines of passengers, street figures, and railroad workers ; Main Street store fronts; trackside buildings; model automobiles; and the many other models that can be seen in the smaller gauges.

7. Displays would be at a good viewing height instead of on the ground; seeing railway equipment go by on eye-level tracks would be realistic and impressive, and more appreciated by spectators.

8. It would allow appreciation of details and construction

9. It would encourage the production, placement, display, and sale of accessories, buildings, miniature passengers and railroad employees, for sale and for display.

10 . A unique facility like this would be unusual enough to attract visitors and the income generated by tourism.

11. It would bring many new participants to the hobby, which currently is losing significant numbers of participants to age, disability, and the lack of machining and metalwork talent previously mentioned .

12. An entirely new sub-unit of the hobby could arise --- it can be thought of as truly Miniature Engineering --- a significant segment of which would be a new focus on bridges, tunnels, under- and over-passes, viaducts, etc., capable of carrying heavy (but not impossible) weights, as passenger-carrying miniature railways in trolley museums are expected to.

13. Cooperation with engineering colleges could be encouraged in the design-and-build aspect of miniature infrastructure. It is easy to picture a contest with respectably-sized prizes (meaningful and helpful to serious students at engineering schools) in various categories with local and national press coverage .

14. As bridges could now permit much smaller clearances, layout tunnels and bridges would no longer have to be designed to allow the passage of full-size engineers or motormen, and interesting new track plans could be designed .

15. In addition, interesting and complex arrangements of overhead wires (either or both catenary and trolley wires) for the propulsion of models of streetcars, electric locomotives, box cabs, trolleys, heavy electrics, third rail transit, and light rail, etc.) could develop into a special interest.

16. It could bring participation by trolley buffs, a population that arguably exceeds the current number of live steamers . Many fans of full-size traction, recruited from the many trolley museums, might dip their toes into the hobby of model traction as a sidebar to their prototype work in the trolley museums .

17. It would bring the excitement of a close-up view of model traction to children and adults alike

18. The Museum would consist of much more than merely running continuously in identical, never-ending circles. A yard layout or a trolley barn could be an interesting variation on a theme, allowing much more realistic operational variation. It would increase interest and encourage the design, construction, and very careful placement of large and complex trackside signal systems .

19. Model traction enthusiasts, who might resent bringing their models to annual club exhibitions, unloading them, and bringing them home again after the exhibit, might be willing to lend their models to legitimate, non-profit museums so that the public has a chance to share the trolley experience, provided that the exhibit is truly a loan --- much as the process of lending expensive, irreplaceable fine art to art museums has been established and recognized. Most people do not realize that, often, the greatest art museums do not own the paintings or sculptures that they display; many of these works of art are on extended loan from wealthy art patrons, who enjoy seeing their names prominently displayed in the exhibit halls, and who are, as a reward, invited to galas and exhibition openings, so that they are perceived as Patrons of the Arts. It would be rewarding if similar opportunities to be recognized were available to fine modelers.

Blog number three in the series

                    A NEW PARADIGM FOR AN OLD HOBBY : THE SCALES


TAG-LINE : Where is it Written in the Sacred Books that the Only Acceptable Model Traction Scales are N, H0, 0, and G ???

WARNING: The following section of this Proposal 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

In contrast to electric traction, the operator of a model live steam locomotive has to ride aboard, generally for some of the same reasons as engineers of full-size locomotives :

It was necessary to keep an eye on the water gage, to make sure that adequate feed water was being supplied to the boiler. In running live steam locomotives, the conventional approach has been to run the engine around and around some continuous circuit, replicating the classic early toy trains circling the Christmas tree. 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.

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's backside perched on the tender (or thereabouts).

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. Building and running trolley, traction, tram, and streetcar models would mean straddling the roof and destroying the trolley poles or pantographs (or else riding on a following, coupled-on, riding car, complete with seat cushion).

VIEWER EXPECTATIONS

Seeing a giant human being (the engineer) astride a tiny tender, with his knees tucked underneath his chin, destroys the illusion for many of us. We are reminded of circus clowns who try to be humorous by posing as a large adult perched precariously on a tiny child's tricycle, trying to balance himself and pedal the cycle at the same time. The visual analogy is almost inescapable.

The use of models --- electrically-powered, unmanned, remote-controlled motive power --- of our prototypes eliminates most, if not all, of these objections .

Electronic control systems are now very highly developed, so much so that much of the war in the Middle East was coonducted using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ---drones --- operated by personnel hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. We envision realistic dioramas, the model equivalent of a stage setting, allowing full scope to the imagination and skills of builders, bringing many different craftsmen to the hobby, for overall realism .

NEW SCALE POSSIBILITIES and THEIR ADVANTAGES

This Paper suggests avoiding the pitfalls and expenses of full-size, restorations of trolleys by introducing realistic electrically-powered giant scale models. Build layouts in a scale of 2 inches = one foot (1:6) [DisPlayScale] or 3 inches = one foot (1:4) [GH Scale] to be displayed at about chest-level , powering our T-to-the-Fourth-Power remotely controlled models by electricity --- truly Remotely Operated Vehicles --- much as the smaller gauges are, with all the many possibilities that this scenario suggests to the imagination.

Setting the base of the benchwork at chest level raises the entire layout high enough so that the eye level of the spectator is set at the eye level of the miniature inhabitants of the landscape, producing an unmatched equality of viewscape between visitor and model, enormous enhancing reality . 

Blog number TWO in the series

What is the answer ? ... or rather, what is a solution? Follow the course set by maritime museums, which often have to become satisfied with --- and flourish with --- model ships !

Arguably the largest percentage of trolley museums provide a passenger ride for several miles on hard-to-maintain track laid on difficult-to-come-by land. It occurred to us that many of the huge "Big-Box" stores, industrial sites, and supermarkets are going belly-up in this economy, leaving enormous empty spaces that, in our own experience lie vacant for --- in many cases ---years. They could be turned to good and interesting use.

Dictum One : Don't Ride 'em, watch 'em

Take into consideration the tremendous impact that size has, and how it can convert our model thinking . Here's GH Scale, named for the late Gordon Hatch of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Picture these one-quarter-full-size models that can run both outdoors and indoors because they are safely powered by electricity, like any model railway equipment . With one stroke, costs have been reduced to manageable proportions.

Dictum Two : Size Matters

Suddenly, the concept of a museum like this becomes readily manageable.

1. Youngsters, eager for new experiences and without the funds or physical strength of adults, can become viable candidates for both membership and internship as working members;

2. retired adults are an enormous untapped resource. One Florida retirement community alone --- No ! not a nursing home, not a managed care facility --- may have over 2,000 residents, both working and retired. They can participate or volunteer; the operating budget no longer matches that of the Pentagon ; and retired workers often carry with them the very skills and work ethic required for restoration, light construction, and old-new ideas.

3. the scope of both display and operation is within everyone's capability.

4. Convenient location of, and access to, many of these vacant properties translate into many more visitors and easier access by volunteers and staff.

5. The cost of exhibits and trolley barns drops dramatically.

6. Non-availability of replacement parts is much less of an issue.

7. A modest machine shop can serve dual purposes : it can be used to manufacture metal and wood parts on site for its own use and for sale to the public, Made in the U.S.A., they can be used as a basis for training youngsters in the use of serious machine tools under adult supervision.

8. Some of these might even become adjuncts of school systems that are strapped for money and that (coincidentally) are not building a knowledgeable labor base for the future of manufacturing in America (North and South).

9. In that last regard, a recent survey indicated that a large majority of our youth don't even know which way to (ready for this one?) turn a screwdriver ! Now, there's a selling point for a private education initiative ! Our education systems (of which we ourselves have been members for many years) always lag many years behind our country's needs, and fail to provide adequate career guidance to both students and workers alike.

It doesn't take much to start a traction museum along the lines suggested above, one that would match the best of the maritime museums. It does take good sense, initiative, and will.

NATIONAL TRACTION : A PUBLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC RAILWAYS NETWORK, VOLUME ONE, 28 June 2012

T⁴ MUSEUMS : A RADICAL NEW APPROACH TO TRACTION MODELLING AND TROLLEY MUSEUMS

WHAT ?

First, probably many of you are wondering what T⁴(T-to-the-Fourth-Power) means.  It's our abbreviation for the four T's :

Trolleys (in North America : streetcars, not shopping carts)

Trams (essentially, European, Australian, and Asian trolleys, streetcars, and light rail)

Traction (the old professional name for rail equipment powered by electric traction motors, such as trolleys and box cabs), and

Transit (Light Rail, the New York subways, the Chicago El, the London Tube, the Paris Metro, interurban electric railways, etc.).

WHY ?

Second, why an organization of this stuff? We already have model trolley groups, trolley museums; the famous Tich tram museum in the U.K. (England) ; the many fine local trolley museums in the United States, and many others. Do we really need to organize more ? ... and why now ?

BECAUSE :

Questions with easy answers, once you consider the broad perspectives of Time and Space Available .

1. Our North American trolley museums are delightful, nostalgic collections of antique and vintage traction equipment. BUT, they need very large budgets which will undoubtedly increase with time and inflation, large amounts of decreasingly-available space, and many volunteers, who are much more concerned these days with finding money in the budget for food and shelter than with repairing old rail equipment.

2. Equipment maintenance is a difficult labor-intensive task , requiring large financial expenditures, time, shelter for the equipment, machine shops, as well as highly specialized fittings and replacement parts.

3. Volunteers --- for any optional activity --- are becoming less and less available because of economic times, an older labor force that needs to spend its time in more financially rewarding ways, the increasing lack of knowledge about "streetcars", how they work, and the mission, ethic, and function of museums, [we know; we've been there].

4. The ride provided to visitors is overshadowed -- in many visitors' minds -- by the ubiquitous thrill-based "rides" available at theme parks and amusement parks. One might call it "The How-Fast-Can-It-Go Syndrome" .

5. Grant money, local government appropriations, and private donations are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

6. Much information regarding traction, and appreciation for its historic role, is fading from the public consciousness.

7. This entire Tractatus was, and in a sense, still is, primarily addressed to TROLLEY MODELERS, the forgotten Majority.

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EDITORS' NOTES and COMMENTS : A BOLD NEW IDEA
 
Faithful readers may find some of this repetitive of some of the material previousy written. Still, this beats sending Thoughts and Ponderings to an entire mailing list, given the escalating costs of sending anything anywhere these days. 
 
If you think it's really worthwhile, send five dollars (much of which goes to the US Postal Service) and the recipients' names and addresses for every recipient you deem worthy (head of a model traction group, of a trolley museum, of a transit advocacy group, Publisher of a trolley publication, Editor of a museum newsletter, or even just a Trolley Buddy), and I'll send him/her/it/them a copy of all 26 pages. NOT COPYRIGHT, SUITABLE FOR REPRODUCTION AND FRAMING, ON RECYCLABLE PAPER, MADE IN THE U.S.A. 
 
Any time you want, you can change your mind and ask to be demitted from any and all mailing lists, and keep the material you already have .
 
Fair enough ????

F GAGE TROLLEY, ALL BRASS

One of my correspondents sent us a most pleasant set of comments, for which I thank him here, publicly, and --- in addition, sent along a clear, detailed photo of a model trolley, brass, in F Gage, that he purchased. With his implied consent, I'm publishing the picture, below.

If anyone has any information as to the original source, the prototype, manufacturer, or any other useful data, please send it to me at HNILS@MSN.COM, and I'll be pleased to pass along the word to the proud new owner.

For those of you --- and there are probably quite a few --- who may not have encountered F Scale / F Gage in their previous surfing, I am appending to this Blog some details on this burgeoning gage , as carefully crafted by one of its founders, Iron Creek Shops, which would be delighted to hear from you :

What is F-Scale ?

Almost all garden railways in North America operate on #1 gauge track (45mm between the rails.) Many different prototypes and scales are found among these "large scale" trains; but nearly all of them share one thing in common: they operate on #1 gauge track.

Scale and gauge are actually two very different concepts. Scale refers to the proportional relationship between a given model and the prototype it is supposed to represent. Gauge, on the other hand, refers to the distance between the two rails upon which our model trains operate.

One Gauge - Many Scales - Much Confusion

Ideally model trains built to a particular scale should also run on a model track gauge proportional to that of the prototype. Historically, as garden railroading has evolved, this has not been the case. Concern for scale has generally taken a back seat to the expediency of one almost universal track gauge - 45mm - and the result has been a cacophony of scales, mismatched models, and confusion, all trundling down the same track under the vague heading of "G-scale". On many garden railroads, one can find models of American standard gauge trains (4'-8 1/2") operating right alongside (3') narrow gauge, European meter gauge, and even Maine 2' gauge trains - all on the same track. As many as six different scales (1:32, 1:29, 1:24, 1:22.5, 1:20.32, and 1:13.7) now populate the large scale scene!

The F-Scale Solution

Unlike the smaller model railroading scales, where each major scale has its standard gauge as well as narrow gauge counterparts ( for example: O, On3, On30; or H0, and H0n3), each scale making use of several different, proportional track gauges, large scale has not had this option - until now.

The 1:20.32 Scale Revolution is ON

Probably the majority of large scale railroading is devoted to modeling such classic 3' narrow gauge lines as the Denver and Rio Grande Western, Rio Grand Southern, ET&WNC (Tweetsie), and others. These lines have each been modeled in several scales for operation on #1 Gauge track; however, 1:20.32 scale (what the NMRA has now finally recognized as "F-scale"), most accurately represents 3' narrow gauge prototypes operating on 45mm gauge track. Over the past few years, most of the smaller manufacturers, brass importers, and Bachmann have committed themselves to this scale and hence to accurate 3' narrow gauge modeling.

Standard Gauge Modeling in F-Scale

Of course, accurate narrow gauge models are best complemented by accurate standard gauge ones. F-scale solves the garden railway scale and gauge dilemma by creating a new track gauge of 70.64mm (2.781") Now both narrow and standard gauge trains can be accurately modeled together in the same scale.

F Gauge and Fn3

To use the nomenclature of the small scales, F Gauge (70.64mm) accurately represents 4'-8.5" standard gauge trains in F Scale (1:20.32), whereas Fn3 (45mm gauge) accurately represents 3 foot narrow gauge trains in F Scale.

To arrive at any actual model dimension in F Scale from a prototype dimension, simply divide the prototype dimension by 20.32. Or if you prefer to work in the metric system, in F Scale 15mm = 1 foot. F, then, is just a shorthand for 15mm scale. It's that simple.

©2009 Iron Creek Shops™

I know that this material is copyright by IRON CREEK SHOPS, but I believe (and pray) that publishing this information right from the source will help a significant number of modelers obtain the correct story and, if you are really interested in pursuing this further, the owners of this Intellectual Property right wouldn't mind if you Googled "Iron Creek Shops" and went right to their web site, which has detailed track drawings and dimensions. IRON CREEK SHOPS is precisely one of the small manufacturers to which I refer in my previous blogs. It's worth a visit !

Hal Pelta                                            HNILS@MSN.COM