OK... I am tired of all the "horse blinder" thinking.....YOU WANT AN S MAGAZINE
(and all the S products, repairs, kitbashing, how-too's conversions,
adaptations, etc., etc.?) ...well it takes a huge effort and DOES require the
input help and contributions of ALL involved with S, regardless of individual
preferences.
Almost all S items are useable by everyone, regardless of whether you are a
SCALE Proto 64 adherant, a narrow gauger, or want your AF pure and use link
couplers only!
Yes there are differences, SO WHAT?, and some things may not be, in a strict
sense, compatible...mostly track specs and couplers. The rest everyone can use,
learn about, improve their layout with, solve an electronic issue, learn about
scenery, backdrop painting, using HO, N and O components for S and on and on....
The LIMITATION of prejudiced controling thinking and exclusion of one one group
inteersts over another groups will potentialy condem a publication in S (and by
inferrence S products).
Succsess is in quality yes, but truly is in the numbers. There are many
examples of sucessful products that cater to ALL aspects of the S community,
wheather originally directed toward the "Scale" side or the "AF" side.
I believe that any product for our S community should be addressing "ALL" S
enthusiats where practical.
A publication is usually based on circulation, the bigger the better, it draws
more readers, it draws more contributors and it draws more advertising revenue,
which is what pays the bills.
So if a "NEW" publisher/editor/magazine is going to make it....It should
address the entire S community, regardless of personal leanings. If you wnat
stuff about your interests..then you send some article, opinion, hint, how-too,
etc., etc., to the "NEW" publication.
A real world example is an O publication...that originally was called "O-Scale
Railroading"...the magazine was OK, but did not try to improve and reflect what
was the "O" world overall, when new ownership took over, they immediately saw
that a huge part of the 'O" community was not well represented and that they
were missing huge potential revenues from advertisers and marketing of their
own "O" products (That ALL "O" gaugers could use, wether Proto 48, narrow gauge
or Lionel/MTH/ K-Line etc.) The somewhat ho-hum magazine has become the leading
force in todays "O" world, and may be the main reason that all the O
manufacturers have grown so fast and found such a "wide" audience, eager for O
products (both "scale"-2rail and 3 rail) . The magazine is now called "O"-Gauge
Railroading". It has increased in size, complexity and hugely increased
circulation. It has also become a very well layed out, graphically
sophisticated and good looking magazine, not gimicky or lets try every graphic
computer trick - magazine. It is a joy to read and chock full of all kinds of
goodies, and even a web site with help/sales for S people!
This could be a guide/model for "OUR" S publication to come.
Personally I like the "Dispatch"...just needs more "meat", and I loved Ed L's
magazine (a beautifully done magazine), and always love to re-read my S-Gauge
Heralds and even the older S-Gaugian's.
Model railroading is, for me, a joy. The 12"=1'-0" real thing is what it is all
about for me, everything else is an approximation to some degree. I have great
joy, when hanging around some "toy train" people watching, the loco's and cars
banging, clattering and racing around, whistles, bells, flashing lights and the
aroma of smoke and ozone mixing. Woweeee..is that fun, I love the sense of
feeling reality on a well detailed fine scale model scene, I get a huge kick
out of running and firing a 1 1/2" scale live steam engine, pulling people
around in nature, watching the site glass, keeping water in the boiler,
pressure up and pushing the johnson bar to it's best tractive position. Man is
that fun. And then theres the real deisels and stema engines I have been
on...now we are talking railroading!
So....ALL of us, get together, do it, make it happen....life is way to short to
quibble, and for me is running out fast at 65!
S Gaugingly yours,
Dr. K. Loeb (Peter) in warm southern Oregon
S web site; www.trains-4-u.com S-Coupler (information) blog:
www.s-cplrhed.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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