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 .