What Brooks is saying is very true. You sometimes spend years building
a layout and hopefully you'll be able to spend some time operating
before 'really' old age gets us. So learning photography, & writing
complete stories for many is up there with track cleaning or fixing that
turnout in the far corner that doesn't,,,turnout that is!
Let me site a case in point about the age thing or maybe I should have
said it's probably more a matter of health rather than age. A very
prominent local modeler had a feature in RMC many years ago showing
several completed scenes. It was impressive, but his layout grew many
times over except for his scenery. The owner got into operations
big-time, he authored a couple of large books and continued to expand
his equipment, trackage and operations. I borrowed a scene on his
layout for a book cover and it worked out very well. I then asked the
folks at MR about covering his layout--they said sure, we know him, so
if he ever gets some more scenery go for it! This modeler now has
advanced cancer and it's unlikely he'll ever get back to his layout. So
you never know when you clock will run down and it's all over. It sure
is a shame that most of the modeling world will never see his work.
Many times a couple of us have offered to do the photography and help
with the writing. Right now I'm trying to plan a trip to Dallas and
another to Florida to cover S layouts. Bob and Brian Jackson's layout
will be coming out hopefully in a few months and I have another (HO)
layout due anytime too. The problem that I have is, editors can get
very picky for a variety of reasons, so professionally it's difficult to
spend days working on a project to have them say--thanks but no-thanks.
I always get a commitment before working on a layout feature. Kalmbach
'passed' on my layout, but maybe at a different time, a different
publication, or a different editor they might jump on it--who knows.
This is just like making it in music, acting, painting or sports.
However, you'll never know until you try. Add some luck and it can happen.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 2/23/13 7:20 AM, bcgsteam wrote:
Roger,
Interestingly, a discussion of writing articles and publishing photos
of our layouts came up last night at an operating session on an N
scale layout. There were N scalers, HO guys, and one S guy (me!)
involved. What was clear is that an individual modeler has to have an
interest in that aspect of the hobby, not just a layout that would be
"magazine worthy". In our operating group there are probably 6 layouts
that could easily be featured one of the mainstream magazines but the
modelers have other priorities. One fellow there last night who has a
fantastic HO layout said he would rather work on the next layout
project than dedicate the time to take photographs and write a piece.
And that's just fine. Ours is a wonderfully diverse hobby and it's
simply a matter of what's of interest. I suspect that the reason more
S modelers that have models and layouts that could be published don't
do so is simply that they have other priorities. Those of us who do
enjoy preparing articles are a small percentage of all S gaugers, but
probably no smaller a percentage than in any other scale.
>
> Make that 198! It would be great if your neighbors could share some
pics of their layout with at least the S community.
>
> Thanks, Roger
>
_
.
