I’ve modeled the Chicago and North Western for almost 10 years and recently decided to model the Route Rock as if they never went bankrupt. During that transition time till now I’ve noticed alot of resentment from many when they learn what I model. This has gone so far as one hobby shop dealer would not help me get parts for some locomotives I was making. He was offended that I was painting Kato models blue and white and placing a big R on the sides. Another incident happened at a train show when I took in a Dash 9 I spent weeks detailing and painting to take pictures of on the display layout they had. Some guy who ran a rather large stand there and came over to me. He asked me about my paint scheme and why I was painting a perfectly good Dash 9 in that scheme. Before I could answer he picked up my loco and threw it on the ground smashing it. What happened to him after I won’t say.
I asked my wife who was there if I came off wrong and she said I did not. I’m getting to the point that this hobby is no longer fun. I don’t normally share my hobby with anyone except here because I won’t be facing any charges from someone who was offended at my way of modeling.
Is this the way the people are becoming in this hobby? I’ve found only two hobby shops in this state that have no problem with my little world I’m making. Has anyone noticed the holier than thou attitude from fellow hobbiers like I have? Maybe it’s just the state I live in I’m not sure. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.
not really. i just started and eveyone that i bought stuff from this past weekend was really helpful. the people i went to the show with have like over 75+ years experience with the hobby combine and they are really helpful. i was thinking about making my own railroad but i don’t think i will. to much time.
I am in total shock to hear what happened. I thought modeling was to be a hobbie and not a crime. The railroad you choose to model is your choice. I guess you just to feel sorry for these people. You keep on modeling your railroad you have my full respect. rambo1…
I had a similar experience years ago when I was modeling HOn30. Some evil rivit counters dissed my kitbashed loco’s and suggested I take up “knitting”. I responded by showing them the bird and replying “sit on this and spin!”
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. All I can say is if someone smashed one of my engines he’d be the first person on earth to have a model train inserted nasaly. Seriuosly, I would have hurt him…badly. The surgeon would be wondering how all these train parts got shoved into his body cavity. I hope you took him to court for the cost of your engine.
Now I’m really stinking things up by doing 1/2" g gauge totally freelanced and loving it. I know exactly what your feeling I have had to deal with it for several years and now I’m not taking it anymore. Someone disses my stuff they had better have some good reasons for it, not just “its freelanced” or “it never existed therefore its irrelevent” or they are getting the same salute the other evil rivit counters got.
STUFF THE RIVIT COUNTERS AND MODEL WHAT YOU WANT!!!
Other hobby shops give you a hard time? Dont shop there and dont be afraid of telling others what they did to you and why you wont shop there anymore, it has an effect. Word of mouth is blood for most hobby shops. Shop at the ones that are accepting your approach, most shops could care less if you were modeling a layout on Mars, your patronizing thier shop and they are going to be helpfull for your business.
There are an awful lot of guys like you doing the semi-freelance thing. This forum has several. Dont let the snot-nosed rivit counters drive you from the hobby, there are others out there that feel your anger. The evil rivit counters are a small and hopefully diminishing group, most people I have met are very open minded to new ideas and dont have a problem with singular visions.
Hey, its YOUR railroad, do what you want with it, paint
I have noticed a little of this attitude thing. On the other hand, a man who is well known amoung CB & Q modelers is building a “Burlington & Missouri River” layout. He paints modern EMD & GE locos in long defunct CB & Q schemes. The Chinese Red for one maker’s product, the old “blackbird” scheme for units from the ohter builder. The gentleman is an excellent modeler and I have not heard any one criticize his work.
On the other hand I made a goofy comment (just being a bit of a kidder) some time back during an op session at a well know layout and have not been asked back. Apparently the host was offended.
As far as I’m concerned if you want to model the CB&Q on the moon “it’s your railroad”. As long as you (and your operators if you have them) enjoy it, then it’s ok. If you don’t enjoy it you’ll probaly do something else anyway.
As a very avid and forthright supporter of this hobby, I am horrified to find out what happened to your model. Had that happened to me, several of my fellow model railroading friends and I (We also costume as mobsters when we are bored) would have made him dissapear quite suddenly. His bones would be found several years later out in the high mountains of Wyoming. Eaten on by bears.
What that person did was certainly out of line and I almost demand that my fellow sane model railroading compatriots (Now there could be valid arguments questioning my own sanity [8D] ) completely cut this guy off from his hobby resources. As for you Mr. Jeremy, I run a custom paint shop and as such am frequently ordering detail parts. I would be more than happy if any of your present suppliers cut you off to order the parts you need and have them shiped to you. If you are interested in this offer use the link below and email me and we will work out the details further. I must admit that I have been somewhat of a secret fan of the Rock Island and enjoy seeing their equipment modeled. Even if it is Dash-9s and SD70Ms.
Are you serious? If the guy actually broke your model that is just so way out of line it’s beyond horrible.
I take a little interest in the history but I’m also doing “fantasy” layouts. In fact our church has a layout that has both a union pacific diesel and a hogwarts train running on two lines side by side. considering that one doesn’t egsist and moreover if it did it would be on the other side of the pond so to speak… soon they may both see some paint bushes as they become an offical part of the A+O (Alpha and Omega) model railroad ministry
Actually I’m having a real blast working on the plans and fiction of my own personal 1’X3’ fictional layout too. Thinking up an entire world around it is just a hoot. Currently it’s got a mine, dock, and even moonshine operation planned into it.
Did you see the Mexican railroad in model railroader magazine a few months back? To me that was among the best I’ve ever seen. Moreover in the last model railroader magazine there were some good comments in the letters to the editor section but also someone who hated it and thought it was a caracture.
Boy I think I would really have to restrain myself not to punch someone in the head if they smashed my model train like that. Not that I endorse violence, but that is just so horrible.
I want to tie this bad boy to the bottom of a slow hot ballast train in the Southwest and left on the siding.
If anything like that ever happened people here in Arkansas I gaurantee you there would be a problem. Throwing a very expensive engine to the floor is very childish and calls for very fast and decisive response.
I do hope that you recover the cost of the engine and maybe some damages as well. It is unlawful to destruct property.
With that said, I will attempt to lighten things by saying this: since we dont know “Who” this offender is… (Frankly we should be informed since this happened in a public place) we could off hand mention to a person about a non bankrupt route rock… IF the resulting person’s face turns bright red and fists clench and whiten, there is a good chance you found the man who broke the engine.
I would have unleashed the dragon on that guy, no matter how large he was. Then, I would have sued for the cost of the engine.
Some of my modelling isn’t appericiated by some of the locals. The main person I’m trying to please is me.
P.S. My layout quality is good enough to be featured in MR, but the room has alot of other objects that would appear in the back ground of the photos. It falls under the catagory of spectacular small layouts.
I’ve been involved in this hobby seriously now for twenty years. I’ve run show’s for a club, and been active in two others. I don’t know if it’s the modeling or history part of it ,
but this hobby seems to have a larger than normal portion of IGNORANT people participating in it.
What you are doing is what some of my freinds refer to as " Modeler’s License". If you go to the Erie-Lackawanna web site you will find a section on what if the RR still existed, which has fictitious rosters.
Some of the BEST MODELERS i have met do not belong to clubs, or even show off some of their work because they are sick of the petty nitpicking.
Do your own thing, some of us do appreciate someones work…just have to find us.
Besides, some of the biggest pain in the buts usually pay someone else to do their detailing, they don’t have the talent or the patience.
I went Proto-Freelance a few years back beacouse of people like that…i am sick and tired of hearing that im placing the wrong type of air horn for BNSF and crap like that…Now that im Proto-Freelance…SCREW what people think…it IS my railroad and i will run it the way i want. Now keep in mind that there is a very convincing story behind my railroad (if anyone wants to hear it all id be glad to tell them about it). But i have encountered the “Know it all” people out there…you know the ones im talking about…the ones who even if your knowedgeble on a subject have to either correct you…or ad in some really small detail that you missed just to make them look like they know more than you…i had this problem a few years ago with some dork on an AOL forum…and i flat out told him that it bothers me that he has an answer for EVERYTHING…he accused me of being jelous…i wasnt jelous…i was more irritated that if somone else posted information before he did that he had to CORRECT their post so that his was the end all be all. So i went proto-freelance. Another thing that greatly bothers me are the people that will nitpick every little thing on a model that you built…and im not trying to blow my horn…but i superdetail, paint, decal, and kitbash museam quality models (of which i have had my work mentioned in several publications beacouse of that…and at 24 years of age im damn proud of myself) but even then…and im sure its beacouse of my age…the nit pickers will still try and find something wrong with a locomotive…hey did you miss an air hose there on that SD70 pilot??? These people are the ones that make this hobby NOT FUN…and well…being an OTR Truckdriver and having a mouth that comes with the job…i have told many of them what i think of them using severl explatives that im sure are not fit for this all ages forum LOL. I left my last model railroad club beacouse of that…i have since joined another on that is not quite like an rectal-exam…and everyone there is “great people”. Damn
Sick, just sick. I could care less if your layout was based on prototype or not. if it looks good I’ll compliment you, if i don’t like it, i’‘ll move on. it’s your choice how it looks, and if your happy with it, well, i’'m happy for you to.
I’ve seem steamers pulling modern passenger cars, is it right? who knows, the owner thougt so, i thought it was a a pretty interesting idea. And after talking with the owner, you realized he did it as a spoof, an eye catcher.
If you want to paint your cars bold pink with blue poka dots, by all means do so, it’s your line! you own it, you built it.
As for the moron who broke the engine, not sure of the original value, but if all the time, labor and costs equal over $250 in the US, you can actualy have him arrested for grand larceny (he did take it off your layout without your permission, theft), and destruction of private property.
I’ve been in this hobby since 1953 and i’ve seen this RIVIT COUNTER attitude increase every year, especially the last 10 years. To the Rivit Counters I say, stick it where the sun don’t shine, this hobby is for everyone, not just you…
once a jerk always a jerk! don’t lower yourself to their abysmal level. as my dearly departed dad (who died at 91) said “if u can’t change it or won’t change it, ignore it”. words I try to live by. Hang in1
I didn’t think that people in this hobby could be so disrespectful. Every one I meet in this hobby are pleasent decent people. In fact, every one who has visited my layout has something nice to say about it. It’s as if they are afraid to offend me by finding something they don’t like. One of the reasons I have open house’s is to invite constructive critisisim. Hey, I just had a brain wave while writing this. I’m going to have a questionaire for visitors to fill out. Maybe people are more willing to give constructive critisism if they dont have to do it in person. They can remain anonymos. Sorry,I’ve gotten off topic. My point is, in my neck of the woods, I have never heard of anything like this ever happening and can’t imagine it happening any where else. ( not that I doubt you ).It’s true what they say about the bad apple. It only takes one to spoil the barrel. I hope this bad experience doesnt stop you from reaching your goals in this hobby.