I think Chris and Pieter have hit the nail on the head. The way I see it, the way to continue to stimulate growth in "S" is to share it with those who are not currently in "S". While forums like this chat room, the "S" magazines and all the "S" clubs are great (our Southeast Michigan S Gaugers club has over 50 members), it's only when we reach outside the "S" community that we can grow. I am in an operating group where mine is the only "S" layout and am active in my NMRA Division 8. My layout is the only "S" layout that some of these 'N' and 'HO' folks have ever seen, certainly have ever operated on. I have thought about putting a jar in the corner and dropping a quarter in every time someone says "Gee, this 'S' is neat! I looks great and runs so smooth! I wish I didn't have so much tied up in XYZ scale!" I have also worked hard to get articles to the non-'S' magazines so we're not just 'talking to ourselves'. Despite the recent setbacks some "S" manufacturers have faced, there's lots of great stuff available to build really nice "S" layouts today. If we take the 'half full' view, there's lots we "S" gaugers have to be proud of...and to share. Brooks Stover
--- In [email protected], Pieter Roos <pieter_roos@...> wrote: > > Chris, I have to agree. > > Not only that, but modeling and sharing the results is why most of us > presumably started doing this, especially in an off-beat scale. If our goal > was the to buy the largest selection of stuff, HO would be the winner easily. > > Pieter E. Roos > > > --- On Mon, 10/17/11, westfield_depot <cborgmeyer@...> wrote: > > > If size mattered, if two rails were > > better than three, if details were better at 1:64, if our > > models tracked and ran better, if some writer 40 years ago > > wrote something positive, if, if, if... None of this > > matters today. What matters is that people get out > > there, build and showcase fine modeling at 1:64. Like > > it or not, much of the forward momentum in this hobby has > > settled around those groups and those manufacturers who are > > pushing the detail and modeling edge. Prototype > > modelers, craftsman structure/diorama builders, the various > > Proto movements, the narrow gauge modeling groups, the > > operations and design SIGs: this is the type of modeling > > that is generating interest and momentum irregardless of > > size, scale, or whatever. We, as a collective S scale > > group, need to increase our modeling skill and then our > > visibility so S is seen as a viable, alive and thriving > > community. A community that is progressing with the > > rest of the hobby. We need to present both > > inspirational and aspirational work to the MRR community in > > general. We need to continue to push S forward. > > That doesn't mean abandoning everything from the past but if > > does mean getting our heads out of the sand, looking around, > > taking stock (honestly and realistically) and moving > > on. I know the hobby is changing. I know not all > > of us like those changes. Evolve or die. It's > > that simple. > > > > Chris Borgmeyer > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
