I am planning to do something sorta like this,someday, when I get layout in “good enough” shape.
The prototype location I am modeling once hosted a prototype private railroad car owners convention, with quite a few private cars parked at the station. Would involve private cars being brought in on regularly scheduled passenger trains.
I agree wholeheartedly.
[8-|]
First, a comment on shipping rolling stock from one layout to another:
It takes time, and the USPS isn’t exactly famous for respecting FRAGILE stamps on packages. Anyone who wants to start a car on its rounds would be well advised to design and fabricate a suitable permanent mailing package - something on the order of a cask used to ship nuclear waste.
Then, the reasons why I must, of necessity, decline:
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tstage
One destination, and back right to the owner till the next one. I don’t really care about people who are not domestic (I think there be lots in the states to keep things going sometime), I am that is what I am worried about. If someone that was not domestic wanted to join in that’s up to them, and their cost.
Getting participants for knowing is what I am wanting to do.
maxman
Until shown other wise? Yes. That’s really all people have shown me in this hobby, and that’s why young people are not doing the hobby anymore.
steinjr
Flat rate box takes 4 days from Florida to Washington state. As for breakage if I can get glass bottles in the same flat rate size box, and have them not get smashed from Wash to Fl, I feel a train car will would be rather safe.
Now you see we would not send our stuff to just some random kid, you would run to someone that has a layout we could tell would not be a slacker teenager.
"You want to add the additional flourishes of having people competing for the “honor” of receiving a random bunch of cars from strangers, run them as a train on their own layout, and then returning them to their rightful owners. "
Yes I am, how long dose it take you to put something back in the box it came in, and put the return sticker on?
Risk of conflict is what makes things worth doing, if there was not a risk what is the fun? Yes something bad could happen, yes there could be a drop. Really we are all careful, and the cars would be treated like our own.
Lots of work for the layout owner? Yeah if he is lazy, but the layout owner would not be lazy because he put in the bid.
The only positives is a video of a train consis
SP4460,
“Risk of conflict is what makes things worth doing”
Maybe for you. Obviously my risk tollerence is different from yours.
My passenger cars are not just high end RTR stuff I spent a lot of money on, they are in fact just the opposite - they are simple Athearn Blue Box kits mostly, that I have spent 30-40 hours each super detailing and kit bashing at considerable extra expense as well.
They simply are not availabe to be handled by strangers - PERIOD.
I don’t haul my equipment around much to clubs or friends layouts, I’m surely not shipping them to a stranger.
Have fun,
Sheldon
I can see that you are getting ready for a management job in the corporate world. Here’s your great idea, but if I tell you that we’ve been there, done that 15 years ago and it didn’t work, then I have a bad attitude, am resistant to change, and am paranoid. And your statement that “that’s why young people are not doing the hobby anymore” is totally unsupportable by any fact other than your opinion.
However, I really see no point in discussing this with you further. You’ve presented your idea. What I would suggest is that you invite anyone who might be interested in participating to contact you via the private message route. Then you can exchange personal e-mails, phone numbers, addresses, or whatever other information you need to initiate your plan.
Just so that we’re on the same page: You and 19 others mail me your car at your cost. After the photo run - when it comes time for mailing all the cars back to their original owner - who pays for the return trip?
The way I understand what you are saying is that I would be responsible for mailing back all 20 individual boxes. Unless there’s something new the USPS has instituted regarding round-trip postage by the sender, I’d be stuck paying for the return trip. If that’s the case then that sounds like a lot more than just a few coffees at Starbucks. I’m just trying to understand your financial logic here.
Lastly…and this is just a suggestion. Signing your name to the bottom of your posts is a good way to “break the ice”. I tend to be more trusting with folks if I know the name of the person I’m having a conversation with. That holds true for those who only refer to me by my profile name. Again, just a suggestion.
Tom
Tom, as I read it, the person sending the car pays for the shipping to the layout and also provides a prepaid return postage for the return. Apparently the flat rate box is a little over $11 so around $23 in round trip postage.
Got it! Thanks, Simon. I missed that part in the original post. That answers my question.
Tom
See I respect someone that has done hours of work on their cars. Would you be up to a few cars to come to your layout? Really if you don’t trust anyone to handle your stuff, I can guess you will be careful with mine. See that’s the kind of thinking I have.
maxman
When was the last time you stopped in a RR hobby shop? Yes my opinion is right, nothing not one under the age of 25. Unless it was a father or grandfather taking there kids… and you know what they never get anything.
But its good to know if something failed 15 years ago there is no need what so ever to ever try it once more.
I love this hobby, its vary fun to do. But I have had a bad taste in my mouth from it. Be it when I was real little, I got this new dome open end observation car in Seattle. On our way back home we stopped by a club layout in Edmonds. There were 2 guys just messing around with some small passenger trains, most of the club had not made it yet. Me being 11 or so at the time, I ask if I could put my car on, and see it run around because it would be one of the few time I could see it really run with me not having a layout at home. You know what he t
Thanks Simon.
See that really don’t seem like am asking that much on that part lol
In the words of your generation, “whatever”.
I do like the idea that you’re trying to do but the problems cited by galaxy and them would also keep me from participating. I would also feel REALLY bad if one of the cars picked a turnout and derailed, shearing off or breaking details. That would also cause problems for my Turtle Creek Central financial department. Why not bring the idea to the NMRA and then they could do it in their divisions. Your idea has some merit, it just needs to find another place to do it.
Perhaps in your neck of the woods but not in mine. Although not a lot, I do see those 25 years of age and under coming into the LHSes that I frequent; sometimes by themselves and sometimes with a family member. I also see them buying items, too.
I’m sorry you have a bitter taste in your mouth from when you were 11 years old. There may have been other factors for not letting you run your observation car on the club layout but were never disclosed to you. Maybe it was the way you asked or how you came across? Maybe it was the 10th time someone had asked it that day. I don’t know.
When it comes to your own layout, you can make the rules. However, you have to respect the rules of others; whether you agree or completely understand the reasoning or not.
Tom
lone geep
I feel bringing the idea to the NMRA will just end the same. People fear something going wrong to much to get anything done.
tstage
In my neck of the woods, shops that have been open for 50+ years have close, and no new shops what so ever. I don’t even have a hobby shop near me anymore for 150 miles. When I do get to the hobby shop, it is as I described. Am happy to hear that is not how it is all over.
Bitter taste comes from more then just that one time. I remember my words, “can I please put my car on the back of your train? I just got it today, and I don’t have a layout at home to really enjoy it, and shelf don’t go that far.” Even if it was the 20th time someone had asked that day, if it was just me another guy from the club, and a father and son there is NO question. You let the kid put it on, and everyone has a smile on their face.
See rules are like paper work, the less we have the better. Put your train on the track, don’t run in to the back of anything, if one car comes off the track 3 times pull it, don’t go 1000mph… The only rule should be don’t be stupid.
Well that is a real shame you were treated like that as a kid. Round here the exact opposite happens. Take a look at this Youtube of operations on the K-10 layout. Not only are there several in their 20’s but my two boys, 12 and 15 are welcome to participate in the operations. On the first Sunday of every month kids of any age get to run on the layout. Many of them bring their own trains.
SP4460:
Just wanted to let you know that I did get your nasty private message and I’m not impressed. Sticks and stones,as they say.
I already have suggested to you that, since you’ve made your proposal, you invite anyone who might be interested to contact you via the private message route to iron out the details. Why don’t you take up the challenge and try to make it work rather than sitting around blaming everyone over the age of 30 for something that happened to you when you were 11?
Its funny what we end up keeping with us as kids, but that just goes to show you need to be nice to everyone.
That’s a real cool video, and set up. If I could ever make it out it would be a lot of fun to do. Wish I had something like that, and people around me that could do it.
You see I private message you to keep it off here. Telling you: I pi*s on my generation, and at least I try to do something new. Me tell you to take your worthless “whatever” and shove it is not that nasty.
My point for telling that story was to tell why I may come a cross as bitter, and that people of the hobby had let me down.
So instead of saying whatever, why don’t you tell me how you would do it? Help iron out the details.
So I will go with it, I made my proposal. If anyone is up for doing it I guess PM me…