I’ve posted this thought several times before, but it seems appropriate here too. A good freelance railroad is a long way from the “I do whatever I want on my layout” philosophy. We have one person in the club who is one of the best craftsmen I’ve ever met. He can do electrical work, electronics, mechanical, plastic work, structures, scenery, you name it. He is the best. BUT when it comes to freelance design he is terrible. He tried to do some variation of the clubs standard paint scheme that just make no sense at all. He has to model things in the prototype that he can research and duplicate. I don’t know if he just doesn’t want to put forth the mental effort it requires, or if he his brainis missing some cognitive process that allows the application of prototypical principles in a consistant fashion to create a believable alternate reality.
In many ways fully developing a believable freelance is much harder than modeling a prototype. This is overstated to make the point, but when modeling a prototype one doesn’t have to think so much, just research and mimic. Freelance railroads like the G&D, V&O, and Sunset Valley don’t just happen.
In my opinion if “Don’t Worry About It” had any validity to their argument, they would not be ashamed or afraid to sign their name to it.
Saywhat?
Why is freelancing bad? Sure the guy is jealous of you, but still, Why are freelancers bad?
I don’t see why. Now I can run Big Boys with daylights, FEFs and K-27s, you name it.
What is the definition of “freelance” ? ? and what does it have to do with model railroading??? I think I understand the meaning of “prototype” which means recreating the EXACT reproduction of the real thing(all of which we know CANNOT be done) so it would seem ALL model railroading is “Freelance” no???
Sorry, we all to often assume everyone knows what we are talking about. A freelance railroad is simply a ficticious railroad. We make them up as if they really exist, and then model it as our prototype.
I don’t think freelancers, prototype modelers, or anything in between (protolancers?) will drive anyone either into or out of the hobby. Freelancers and protolancers may actually encourage more people to take up the hobby as it is a means to express their artistic and creative ambitions without the rigid restrictions pertinent to prototype modeling. My hat is off to those who endeavor to create exact models of prototypes but for me, and this is MY opinion, it is too restrictive and more like a chore than an enjoyable pasttime. I get much more enjoyment out of freelance (protolance?) type modeling and prefer to model items that are based on either prototype practices or plausable “could have been” prototypes. There is no right way to model as both methods and everything in between is valid. The most important thing to remember is MODEL RAILROADING IS FUN!
Why would freelancers kill the hobby? What Bunk!!! I freelance my own layout and model in the present, with just a little bit of older nostalgic stuff thrown in. I think its ok to take liberties in whatever era you decide to in provided you don’t over-do it.
Pay no heed to the haters. They have no pride of their own so they always feel the need to drag everyone else down to their pathetic level.
As for freelancing I would say just about all of model railroading is freelancing to an extent. Some like to model a completely fictitious railroad in a completely fictitious locale, others like to model a fictitious railroad in a real place. Others still like myself model a real railroad in a fictitious place while even more model a real railroad in a real place as they wish it existed. Even those who go the real railroad, real place route often times model a fictitious segment of the real place. So when you get down to it in a way freelancers are probably the largest part of the hobby.
So is there any prototype that had an entire operation in just under a million square feet? That’s what my 6x20 foot HO layout is allocated. It has no choice but to be a freelanced locale, sowhy not a freelance railroad? Rivet counters may now shoot me.
Tell you what, my friend. You get the guy’s address from his e-mail, let me know, I’ll send my buddies Guido and Thumbs Louie over to his house and let them rip off his front porch with their teeth, okay?
Prototype, free-lance, proto-lance–whatever, it’s first and foremost a HOBBY and hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. If I want to number my two Akane M-4 Missabe yellowstones in Denver and Rio Grande and assign them the never-was 3900 series, I’ll bloody well DO it! In fact, I have. And my Rio Grande Yuba River sub runs where Rio Grande (or ANY railroad for that matter) never ran, the North Yuba River country of the California Sierra Nevadas. And if THAT upsets anyone, well–whoop-de-effing-do!
Oh, my goodness–is that a Pennsy J-1a hauling a coal train over Yuba Pass? HORRORS!! Yah, right. If whatever kind of ‘lancing’ we call it is ruining the hobby, then the hobby must have died a really TERRIBLE death with John Allen, back in the 'fifties. Or Bill McClanahan or Malcolm Furlow.
Like I said, let me know, and I’ll call up Guido and Thumbs Louie. They work cheap, they’ll probably do it for a large sausage and pepperoni pizza.
Now…Am I missing something that occured a week ago on the forum. There have been a few mentions of a thread posted by Tracklayer (if I remember correctly after reading everything)…Should I know the story behind that one? I haven’t been on the forum in a few weeks…
If someone wants to get down to it, unless you are working on the real thing it is all a version of freelancing! Not a single prototype loco runs on 12 volts dc with only 1 or 2 motors at most. None of the locos I have ever seen have a plastic, brass, or cast metal body. Let alone DCC and plastic freight cars that don’t actually earn their keep. I say let this “brainiac” come to this forum and post using a real name and address and see how quickly he is run off.
As for modeling styles, I prefer my freelance road to anything in the real world. It’s my line. I’m the one helping keep the hobby shop in business with my purchases for items that aren’t “real”. I can build my monster diesels, steamers, electrics, or anything else that seems enjoyable. Oh wait, isn’t that the purpose of a hobby; enjoyment? Relaxation. Pleasure. If those aren’t the reasons someone is in this hobby, then why is anyone doing it? Huh, I never made the connection. Thanks Mr. Obvious, you’re a lifesaver!
In closing, ignore this idiot. Do want you want, I for one enjoy some large, unlikely to be built in the real world motive power, so that’s what I have been working on. Good luck, and remember this quote I saw somwhere, “Model Railroading Is Fun!”
I am a freelancer. I model to please one person. Me. I can’t imagine my approach to the hobby would drive anyone else away but if it does, I don’t care.
Your right Tom. Bergie deleted it too, then sent me a stern little email saying - You shouldn’t have to have eight years of college to be a model railroader. It’s just a hobby for for crying out loud… I hate to admit it but he was right, I was wrong. Oh well. Live and learn.
Yes TrainFreak409. You did miss it. It was a thread entitled WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MODEL RAILROADER. In it, I stated that in order to be a true model railroader, one should have skills in every aspect of the hobby from being a carpenter, to knowing arts and crafts, wiring, being mechanically inclined so that they could work on their own rolling stock and locos, etc., and several of the members went ballistic on me!.. Anyway, Bergie deleted it, and emailed me saying more or less shame on me. I think his concern as always is the possibility of members being driven away by negative threads and replies which might in turn hurt the magazine(s) he works for, and I would never want to do that.
I also included why I wrote it, which was because a totally dysfuctional guy I was trying to help get into the hobby wasn’t learning anything, we had words and I gave up on him.
A also added a few of my other talents and things I’ve done over the years to give the members a better idea of who I was, but that just added fuel to the fire… I think from now on I’m just going to be Tracklayer the model railroader and leave it at that.
