Hi Roger --- Another neat photo!
We have had several house maintenance people come through over the last year (painters, plumbers, air conditioner techs) and when they see the railroad their eyes light up. Without exception, I have had to run the trains for them, no matter how tight their schedule! Guys still like the idea of model trains. We just have to figure out how to make it possible for them to play. These days, space and money are even more of a problem than the loss of the local hobby shop, though that plays large, too. With both parents working, it is much harder for anyone in the family to take up any kind of hobby that requires more space and skill than playing on some piece of electronic tablet, big or small. Finding space for a club layout is nearly impossible, but that is probably the best way to involve new people. >From the standpoint of scale S, there is another factor – most of us are very >securely stuck with our own vision of what we want. I know of practically no >scale S clubs (there are two in the LA area, though neither are purist >[meaning that there are compromises in track/equipment]), probably because no >two of us could agree on what the club should build. We also tend to be very >particular with how things should be made. Wonderful as Roger’s layout and >models are, I don’t see him letting too many others actually get in and work >with him on it, probably for fear it wouldn’t turn out just exactly as he had >envisioned it. (Roger can contradict me on this, if I am incorrect!) And, >I think, the same goes for the rest of us. This week and last have seen virtually no progress on the SLE&P. I have taken out a few car kits to build, but that is all. I have also thoroughly tested and tweaked all the track that was made operational a couple of weeks ago, which is now just fun running the trains, of course. Have a good holiday weekend, but remember what it is about! Bill Winans ----------------------------------- Steve (and all the “brothers”), Good job on exposing our scale! Next to those who do all the hard work of carting S portable layouts to train shows, I think that having our S layouts open at NMRA conventions is the best way to show the model railroading public the size benefits that we enjoy, and to overcome the myth that everything must be scratchbuilt in S. While I can’t come close to matching your numbers, this last weekend I had 15 visitors from our NMRA 4th Division. I also gave a clinic on modeling the prototype that featured many of my RTR models and kits to show what’s available in S if you look for it. The clinic was attended by about 35 non-S modelers. Another advantage of having the layout open (maybe!) is to get inspired to complete things. I have posted a photo of my new warehouse at Ames Junction that got “planted” quickly to be presentable for the open house. It can be viewed in my “Monon Route” photo album: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/photos/album/135944245/pic/647239785/view?picmode=large&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&dir=asc Mid-States Steel + Wire Co. was serviced by the Monon, the NYC and the PRR back in the late ‘40’s. Roger Nulton
