It does if they want many new members under the age of 40, which they desperately need. I don’t know if it needs to be as “front and center” as it is. it also implies that NMRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and tax-deductible - that’s important these days.
I think its a clever logo, perhaps too clever. I recognized it immediately, but I’m not the target audience.
Actually this is only one small part of some major changes that are in the works. It is the most visible obviously. I am part of 2 nmra online groups that are discussing and finding options for addressing many of the concerns at the Regional and Division level. Understand the nmra is making plans for the 21st. century and being there to continue helping model railroaders in many, many ways.
Ray Howard, Superintendent, Lakeshores Division, Niagara Frontier Region, nmra
Heres my two cents. I really do not care which way the logo is designed. I think (and I am a member ) if the NMRA wants to increase members start treating people who are new members like they are welcome.Call them , talk to them , CORRESPOND . I joined well over a year ago , left messages sent e-mails trying to get plugged in and guess what I got for my efforts ? An e-mail that stated heres a flyer look at it see what you want to come to. Here is the real problem , there is a sense that one gets that this a good ole boys club and outsiders are to be endured and really not welcome. Why spend money on logos when there is a strucdtural problem such as getting the new members plugged in and growing with in the organization.From articles I have read in the NMRA this is a common problem.It is money wasted that should be spent repairing other issues.
You just hit a home run! That is exactly where the problem is. What you are describing is a problem at the Division level I would bet. Every Division is supposed to have a person who is the “Member Aid” representative. They should be contacting you as soon as they know you are a member. They should also be getting you in touch with some of the members who live close to you as well as having someone call and invite you along to the meets and other activities. These are the issues we are taking on with the groups I spoke about earlier.
My division is trying to get all these things in place. A lot depends on having the members who are willing to step forward and DO these things. In my division the officers are only myself and a treasurer (absolute minimum) right now. I do have several of the “old guard” who help me out whenever possible (and they are great!). One MMR who is in the Southern part of my Division and has recently moved into the area is getting local MRs to come to some meetings and involved with ot
The new Global Strike Command logo keeps the three red lightning bolts, but also calls back to the pre-WWII white star with red dot roundel.
Just like the NMRA logo keeps a wheel but its not a driver any more.
Not sure now if this is a model railroad forum or an Air Force forum. Oh well. As I have said before, been part of the NMRA since 1960, like any other organization, it isn’t perfect. I said that for those who might think the NMRA is trying to be perfect. It isn’t and it isn’t. Just some guys who decided to get more modern. Problem is anymore, if it don’t look modern, smell modern, growl modern, then it can’t be modern. That is the thinking of many who are so upset by the new one. I could care less. There are a lot of logos out there I don’t care for, but if I boycott the product because of a dumb logo, then it doesn’t speak well for me.
The Atlas forum is almost foaming at the mouth over this stupid logo, 7 pages of comments, including mine, when I just left there. If we put that much energy in our hobby efforts, we might have more Whiz bang modelers and less critics.
Since my early modeling days were in the infancy of the NMRA, I saw the hobby before, at and today, and things are much better today with standards being developed and followed than when I started. In those days you never knew what to expect when you opened a kit box and sometimes you just wanted to throw it in the trash when you did see it. In fact, I did that on a few occasions. There isn’t a modeler alive who hasn’t benefited from the efforts of the NMRA, and you can make fun, trash it, ignore it, but the fact is without the NMRA or some organization like it, the only standards would be what EACH manufacturer determined they were. That should say enough. Don’t sweat the logo, sweat the consequences of no standards at all.
Bob
[quote user=“howmus”]
You just hit a home run! That is exactly where the problem is. What you are describing is a problem at the Division level I would bet. Every Division is supposed to have a person who is the “Member Aid” representative. They should be contacting you as soon as they know you are a member. They should also be getting you in touch with some of the members who live close to you as well as having someone call and invite you along to the meets and other activities. These are the issues we are taking on with the groups I spoke about earlier.
My division is trying to get all these things in place. A lot depends on having the members who are willing to step forward and DO these things. In my division the officers are only myself and a treasurer (absolute minimum) right now. I do have several of the “old guard” who help me out whenever possible (and they are great!). One MMR who is in the Southern part of my Division and has recently moved into the area is getting loca
Personally, I thought it was a fancy smiley face trying to say welcome. The wheel on rail part had to be explained before I saw it. But then not everybody saw the kitten in the old Chessie logo…
I guess it says something about our culture that so many see a female body part, kinda of like those old ink blot tests.
I agree that the most important thing the NMRA has done and continues to do are the standards and RPs. But the organization needs new and younger members if it is to survive. And the old logo was kinda of stodgy so maybe this will help - it certainly can’t hurt to get the web site publicized.
Enjoy
Paul
NMRA# 24602 since 1972
Said all I had to say earlier, but I post once more to simply say, as a long time NMRA member, I really don’t give a tinker’s dam what the logo looks like as long as the standards are maintained and improved. Any organization is made up of a variety of people, but the purpose of the organization must come first or the “organization” needs to fold up its tents.
As far as I am concerned, the NMRA has and continues to do its job. Period. and by the way, when I opene my mail and found the bulletin with the new logo, I was able to identify it as what it is, a wheel on a rail, stylized as many company logos are today. Makes no never mind to me.
Bob
Just saw the logo here for the first time. I would not have thought it a body part if it hadn’t been brought up, and still don’t think it looks like it. I wouldn’t have thought it a wheel on a rail… until it was pointed out, and now I do think it looks like that. I thought it was a series of half moons at night… and still looks like that… unless I remind myself its a wheel on rail. I think a part of the journal box would have helped.
I commend the “.com” part… that puts it in the here and now, and surely for the young. Even better with the org name is to its right.
Look, a new logo doesn’t hurt anything, and suggests a try at a new beginning. Not a top priority, but ok for image… its why Nike has the swift wing, not needed to make your shoes functional… but repeatingly catches your eye and burns into your memory each time you see it.
As for the NMRA… I’m happy if it really continues and always improves to do its core business… set standards and enforce or grade adherance in the industry, make the pieces and parts of modeling all fit together regardless of vendor, keep the history and library of mode RR, and provide good train shows with useful clinics.
But the bit of local chapters, regions, bylaws arguing, politics,bickering, central control and fellowship… that direction for success from now on will be always up to the enthusiasm and desires of a local group of people… one size to fit all for that doesn’t happen anymore… too much diversity and on the move (tweet, twitter, text, go). It has the same problems as the Scouts, Masons, Lions clubs, etc. with hand wringing on low attendance and poor membership. NMRA has a solution… its core business. Sell it and the membership for it alone… pure and simple! And local groups can best contribute to
I thought it might be because nmra.com went to another site with similar initials (National Mustang Racing Association, maybe), but nmra.com forwards to the nmra.org home page.
I guess the logo says .org because it’s being published on the web site. Has anybody seen the logo in the wild? Does it have .org on it on banners at shows, in magazines, etc?
I don’t have any objections to new logos.
I do see the wheel on the rail.
BUT, The problem I see with it is if I did not know what the “nmra” was, I wouldn’t know what it was, or what a "nmra.org"is, the logo would not look like a wheel on a rail to me. Being that I DO know what a “nmra.org” is, I do see the wheel on the rail and can make the connection to railroading.
I think the “modified female body part” is a bit rediculous though, as I would not have put the logo togetehr that way knowing or not knowing what a “nmra.org” is or what the symbol is, so I see little connection to it and did not find it humorous!
In all the sound and fury, a question:
What are their plans for the traditional logo worked into the brickwork of the NMRA National Headquarters building???
Are they planning to rework that, too? I sure hope not.
As for the crescent moon logo, adding a journal box would sure help.
Chuck (Ex-member modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi,
I’ve been an NMRA member for a lot of years, and appreciate the improvements in the monthly mag, and what they are doing to keep standards alive and well.
But why the new logo? The NMRA surely has better things to spend money - and time/effort - on than creating a new logo. The old one was just fine by me, and frankly identified the organization as RR oriented quite well.
Come on, this new whateveritis doesn’t do a thing to get new members, keep old ones, or to get the hobby in front of young folks.
For what its worth,
Mobilman44
After reading all the different views here on the new NMRA logo, I can only agree with the one´s that think it is appauling!
I hope they didn´t PAY anyone to make this abomination!?!
The font is horrible, the t*t is very visible and the .org is making me laugh out loud!
Yeah, I bet it was hard on the border of impossible to register the NMRA.com domain…
I think it is okay to modernize and refresh logos and trademarks but this doesn´t fall anywhere near that mark!
I agree with you. Not sure what would be wrong with simply having a steam loco as a logo. That would be pretty unambiguous, IMO.
John
You betcha, and everybody knows that’s the logo for the
National Model Rifle Association
[:D]
John
With the new logo, they’ll be thinking we’re a bunch of boobs…
[:P]
John
To help illustrate my point, I just showed the new logo to my wife, who has no idea who or what the NMRA is or supposed to be and is as far from a train person as you can get, I said tell me what your first impression is, and she took one look at it and said, “its a b[:O][:O]b, what is that for, a fund raising site?” meaning brea$t cancer research. I told here who it was for and she said sarcasticly “Did it have overwhelming approval?” [:-,]
I wasnt joking when I said this has the potential of going south very fast once it hits the street. [:-^]
The Atlas forum has been foaming at the mouth in a thread on the HO forum. 7 pages of some really funny and rediculous stuff. However, the moderator just shut it down because it was getting way too silly. I emailed the NMRA pres. about the furor in case Mike doesn’t look at forums. Will see what response the board has over the reaction.
Bob