--- In [email protected], Pieter Roos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
> To further Dan's comment, let's build models! Bring them to local
meets. John Degnan brought Jim King of Smoky Moutain Models into the
fold at a Railroad Prototype Modeler's meet. I usually display some
of my models at the RPM meet held in Connecticut each June. I don't
know that anyone has joined our ranks as a result, but a lot of
people have seen current production S.
>
> My current plan is to build a small switching layout to bring to
local train shows. There are lots of small but interesting designs
around, check out Carl Arendt's "Micro Layout" site for ideas.
http://www.carendt.com/ My current concept is to have an "Inglenook
Sidings" type layout, with a sound equiped locomotive and a handfull
of quality cars on display. If anyone shows interest, they will be
able to take the controller and work on a simple switching "game"
while blowing the horn, ringing the bell, etc. This project has not
advanced as quickly as I thought (nothing ever does), but a lot of
the basics are in hand and I still hope to have it up and running by
next month!
>
> Pieter E. Roos
>
> Railroad Home Page at
>
> www.geocities.com/pieter_roos/pieter_1.html
>
Pieter:
Thanks for your comments. I hope you will be able to share some
photos of your switching layout with us in the near future -- even
under-construction photos help to get our modeling juices flowing.
We all seem to sit around and wonder just why S scale has never
attracted a larger following. The basic problem seems to be that
viewing S scale in magazines or in catalogs or on the web does not
allow people to "get" the size advantages of our scale. The magazine
coverage that Ed L has gotten of his beautiful NYC layout has been
fantastic. But, a modeler in HO who sees Ed's layout in print cannot
discern any difference in detailing or prototype fidelity from those
photos, compared to other scales. By the same token, manufacturers
who go the extra mile to advertise in general interest model railroad
publications probably don't get innundated with responses to their
ads -- how impressed can you be at a photo of an S scale engine that
is two inches long in print?
In the end, it is not up to the manufacturers to promote our scale --
it is up to us! The only effective way to promote the scale, as
Pieter says, is to show up at general interest model railroad shows
and meets, with S scale models and layouts. Our local club, the
Potomac Valley S Gauge Association, built a modular layout in the
1990's that we took to many shows. However, once we had completed
the basic benchwork and rudimentary scenery, most of the modular
layout was populated by Ertl, MTH and other out-of-the-box structures
that don't even meet the detail standards found in HO and N. There
was little evidence of an active modeling community to encourage
others to join us. The result? We did not create one new member to
our club and to S.
But, as I mentioned yesterday, this is NOT about helping the
manufacturers, and it is NOT about getting new recruits for S. This
is all about us enjoying our hobby to the fullest, while we still
have time to do it!
Let's flood this yahoo group with postings about current projects,
questions about techniquues, and photos of modeling projects. We
will not be successful until Yahoo complains that we are using too
much storage space for photos!
Let's get modeling! Isn't that why we are all here in this group in
the first place?
Dan Vandermause
Ellicott City, Maryland
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