Beautiful British Narrow Gauge layout

[JohnP]

A fine idea Dallas, to create specific area for layout threads. We could start by moving Dave's two recent suggestions there.

Russ, I believe I understand your points about "The Great Unwashed" and their layouts. And the point about operators- I have seen layouts where it is just tracks on plywood, maybe a structure or two and index cars of what industry the siding is supposed to serve. Maybe they should do it on a computer.

But, regarding the unwashed, I have given clinics to the masses. Most modelers are mere mortals. Maybe because they put their energies elsewhere, maybe they haven't had a chance to expand their skills, maybe they just don't have it. But what was sad to me was that they were very insecure about what they have done and what to do next. The main stream, and by that I mean Model Railroader and Kalmbach, have created an empire based on shaming folks who just want to have fun with model trains. MR has figured out how to profit on a human's natural insecurities by telling their followers how to make things "better" by implicitly implying anyone's work is inadequate if it is not like the work done by the "experts" featured in the magazine. It is always about "improving" everything. It is always about following certain methods and using certain products. It is about categorization, modeling scale prejudices, and just about any other way they can get modelers to feel inadequate and make them buy advertisers' products. Even the title of something like "Great Model Railroads" I find insulting coming from them. Who says they are "great"?

When I gave the clinics I first emphasized I am not an expert. I was only there to help them and explain some basic materials, tools and techniques. I told them I was going to show them how I did things and it did not mean it was the only way. Every clinic started with a slide show (yup Kodak carousel) of the real world and I went from there with ideas and inspiration. I started with pictures of the real world, not someone elses' pre-judged great modeling. I was always happy to look at snapshots of their layouts, even if they were not to my taste, because it supported their creativity.

Your books are similar. The modeling projects are a demonstration of how others have interpreted a real-life object and what tools, material and techniques they used to create the model. I do not believe I have ever read anything telling me this is the way and the only way. On the forum we say yea or nay, but that is the idea. Your thread Wall is a perfect example. Pages of discussion and opinions. In the Model Railroader world, there is no discussion about what Kalmbach pronounces as good.

John

[finescalerr]

Kalmbach is a moderately large, soulless publishing corporation and MR long ago gave up any pretense of being a magazine by modelers for modelers. It is, in fact, a magazine by corporate nincompoops for the purpose of obtaining advertising and promoting the products of their biggest advertisers to make as much money as possible. How do I know? Kalmbach is my distributor. Content is a necessary evil to fill the pages between the ads they publish.

Now let me talk about the average model railroader so you fully understand my point of view: When I published a true magazine I made it a point to print any photo a hobbyist sent me, no matter how hideous the layout or model. I wanted to encourage every reader to pursue the hobby and to attain whatever degree of excellence or crudeness he wanted. I'm not a snob; the idea is to have fun with the hobby, not to compete.

But my personal interests have nothing to do with those of most readers I had at that time. When it became apparent that a magazine was no longer a feasible way to earn a living I gradually made the transition to the Annuals some of you guys read. Those books (that is really what they are) reflect the best articles I can publish about subjects many of us seem to prefer.

So, now that I am out of the magazine biz and approaching either full- or semi-retirement, I really don't give a rat's ass whether people approve or disapprove of what I like or what I say. I pretty much speak my mind on this forum and try to lead by example with my publications. My personal opinion is that anyone who collects out-of-the-box products and puts little or nothing of himself into a hobby is a short timer. He will move on to some other dilettantish semi-interest in a matter of months and good riddance. The guy who wants to create, has a sense of artistry,who has sufficient interest to do some research, and who has the desire to master some skills is worth encouraging. He'll be around for a lifetime and his modeling will improve with each new project.

I am under no illusions that what we do is "important". It's trivial and that is its awesome beauty. Each of us, in his or her own way, expresses something of his or her soul when we create a model. It can be as imperfect as my long departed grandfather's crude oil paintings or as sublime as some of the marvels we enjoy on these threads. That is irrelevant. But it is the most important thing on earth that we do it.

That is what this website and this forum are about.

Russ

[DaKra]

Model railroading is unimportant.  Doing the best you can at whatever you do is important.

   

[jacq01]

  .....and do it with your heart, not your head.

    Jacq

[RoughboyModelworks]

Content is a necessary evil to fill the pages between the ads they publish...

I am under no illusions that what we do is "important". It's trivial and that is its awesome beauty. Each of us, in his or her own way, expresses something of his or her soul when we create a model. It can be as imperfect as my long departed grandfather's crude oil paintings or as sublime as some of the marvels we enjoy on these threads. That is irrelevant. But it is the most important thing on earth that we do it.

Russ

Spot on with both comments Russ. There are exceptions of course in the magazine and newspaper publishing world, but they are few and far between. It used to be that the purpose of publishing a periodical was to disseminate ideas, information and commentary. Once it was determined that money could be made through advertising for the advertiser, the advertising agency (now there's a parasitic industry motivated solely by greed) and the publisher, content did indeed become a necessary evil. Advertising took over and editorial content became secondary. The worst offenders link editorial content to advertising... in other words, pay for an ad and we'll publish a glorious article about your business, that you of course get to edit and approve. It seems entirely plausible to me that the overwhelming presence of advertising is a contributing factor to the general dumbing down of our culture.

Your second comment is a perfect summation of what we do. What we do is indeed trivial in the grand  and not-so-grand schemes of things and to many of the people who see our work. Regardless of the quality of our creative output, the important thing is that we do it honestly, to the best of our ability and put our heart and soul into what we do. If other people like it, that's a bonus, but in fact, it's irrelevant.

Paul

[JohnP]

  .....and do it with your heart, not your head.
    Jacq

In my humble opinion that is why a lot of the much earlier MR magazine articles have a timeless quality about them. Those guys were making things from raw wood, metal and crude castings. It required a lot of creative input and hand work. That needs the heart involved as well as technical aptitude. They seemed personally proud and/or pleased with their output and work. It recalls the more recent series you ran Russ with the guy building a brass engine with an electric drill strapped to the bench. So utterly cool.

Dave, Russ, Jacq, this is truly in the profound category. Quite unlike the other RR forums. Thanks.

Back to Dave's layouts now??

John