And if she rolls her eyes skyward and gives you “that” look…
…you must be talking to my wife! [(-D]
John
One thing to recognize is that FSM spends thousands of dollars on advertising. They produce catalogs with pictures of the model in it. Thousands of modelers read their ads. Hundreds of modelers buy the kit and assemble it. Hundreds or thousands see the model on other people’s layout.
Chances are if many modelers saw a picture of the model standing alone or on a layout they would recognize it as a commercially developed structure, many could identify it as an FSM kit and many could tell you which kit it is.
If I saw pictures of a layout, I couldn’t tell whether is a commercial design or a homemade design.
[quote user=“jwhitten”]
“In Need of Professional Help!”
!http://www.therefinedgeek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/design.jpg
From time-to-time I have read articles in the model press, including Model Railroader magazine, or on various forums, about people who have literally “purchased” their entire railroads in one go-- by which I mean they contracted with a layout design and construction firm to do all the planning and all the work. And from the examples I’ve seen they generally look okay to me. They seem well-designed and thought-out, well made and nicely apportioned, fully-scenicked and, frankly, look like they might be a lot of fun to run and operate.
But, curiously, sometimes the reaction to such a layout is negative and, or even downright nasty. I recall one specific example in Model Railroader a few years ago about a fellow who contracted with a firm to design and deliver a layout based on a locomotive servicing facility. He didn’t have much space, liked locomotives, and after consultation it was decided that a service facility would be a good fit for his wishes. I forget offhand why he didn’t want to do it himself, but it doesn’t really matter, whatever the reason, he just elected to “buy” his railroad rather than build it. Well, in the very next issue there were letters from people complaining about how he wasn’t really a model railroader and that it was somehow “cheating” since he had it built and didn’t build it himself.
I remember my own thoughts, more or less, while reading the article showcasing the layout, which was something like "Boy, this is over the top co
LOL. Now that’s probably the longest sentence I’ve ever seen. [:D]
Could you expand on that thought?
[quote user=“ccaranna”]
the other day i woke up and had some coffee and then i thought what a great day to drive my car around the block and maybe see if that rattle was still loose under the car but after i had my coffee i needed to clean the pot when i realized that if i used plaster on my walls in my house after repairing the wall maybe i could use the plaster on my railroad so i drove along the tracks near my house and saw a train it was long maybe 45 cars i don’t remember but the coffee pot was hot and i thought about how many people are rude when they talk about other peoples railroads like NS or something because i like csx i get alot of flack for it just like my railroad which i built completely by myself with plaster cloth and cardboard lacing which made me think that if i only paid someone to work on it for me i would still be made fun of for not building it myself now i don’t think i do a bad job its just that other people are better except i know all of the csx road numbers by heart and people are kind of impressed by that but usually theres some other guy that knows which chessie engine was used in williard in 1978 which i do not know but i am still learning i guess someday i will try and write a book but its so difficult finding a publisher that will print my book maybe it is because there is a lot of editing involved not sure if i type too much but if anyone knows a publisher that i can contact i would appreciate it so after i had drive around the street i came back and built a ready to run building and put it on my layout which looks really good i must say but then i decided to make my own scenery material so i went out back and cut down a tree by hand and brought a limb inside where i cut it down and used the sawdust and painted it green and i used that for ground cover on the farm i have now i am not too proud that i did that because i know people will think it loo
It could be why some people aren’t overly fond of “instant model railroaders” with their prefabricated layouts is the same in most life situations where there are resentments for the “nouveau riche” (newly rich) who try to buy their way into neighborhoods, yacht clubs, golf clubs, high society, etc. As in “Just who do they think they are, calling themselves model railroaders, when their only effort was writing a check?”. Perhaps a better term would be “model railroad owners”.
[quote user=“jwhitten”]
richhotrain:
selector:
We can have a model train set, or a model railroad, but we aren’t modelling…we are playing with them. Modelling, per se, is the act of rendering an item in scale. Few of us really go to those lengths these days.
-Crandell
Crandell,
Shame on you. We are all model railroaders, from the guy who lays track on an old door and runs an engine in a loop to the guy who pays a small fortune to have his layout professionally built to all the rest of us who fall somewhere in between who build our own layouts, large and small, and enjoy the hobby.
As for the author of this thread, I don’t know what he wants. Back in May, he wrote about a layout that he hated. It was so egregious in his view that it was a caricature of what a train layout should be. He didn’t like the layout, he didn’t like the landscaping, he didn’t like the structures, he didn’t like the little people, he didn’t like the weathering. Gotta feel sorry for the “model railroader” who built it. Now, he wants to know where is the threshold point on commercially designed layouts or “store-bought” items before the “negative connotation” emerges.
All of this negativity does not promote the hobby in my view. C’mon fellas, we are all model railroaders. Yes we are!
Rich
Wow, you sure are reading a lot more into this than I had in mind. My original goal of this thread was to simply to discuss how people felt about engaging in professional commercial model railroadi
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
I probably should keep quiet… last time this kind of subject came up I was soundly beaten about the head and body, handcuffed, tarred and feathered, and run out of town on a rail. [:-^]
Lets see, If I go out and by a model railroad does THAT make me a Model railroader??? Hmmmmm???
Well, I went out and bought a truck a few years ago. It sits right out there in my driveway. So, am I a Trucker? I know some truckers who don’t have a truck in their driveway…
I also own a car that I bought. I must be a Auto Mechanic? I know several Auto Mechanics who also have cars in their driveway.
There is a kid down the street who owns an electric guitar. He must be a professional Musician, right? I have a degree in music and I own a guitar, so…
I mow my lawn with a mower I bought. Am I a landscape professional??? Hmmm?
Guess it has to do with symantics. Oooooo I used a big word. I must be a poet! Yep!
73
The question isn’t whether it makes you a model railroader, but how do you feel / what do you think about contracting out all or part of a model railroad layout? And if it bothers you, are you bothered by someone who hires someone to do the track plan? Build the benchwork? Build the structures? Etc-- how much / where is the tipping point when it begins to seem different from someone who does it all?
This post is NOT about who is or isn’t a model railroader.
John
OK… Well it seems that a few have made it, or tied to make it into THAT! So I guess I would have to say, “How do I feel about it?” Total and complete indifference! [:-^][zzz]
Actually I wouldn’t buy a model layout or have it “contracted” out to someone else because THAT would take all the fun out of building a Model Railroad. But if YOU want to buy or contract out your layout… Go ahead. Won’t make me “feel” one way or another…
73
It’s your layout because you built it. You didn’t hire someone to build or assemble it for you.
This is what Railroad Modelers do.