Selective Ignoring?

[Anonymous]

I see a lot of attention paid to fine detailing locos, rolling stock, while so many layouts have cars that look plastic, unreal. A case in point is in Great Model RR 2003, with the undetailed Cherry Picker on the HO layout, no lights, license plate, etc. no attempt at detail of the molded bucket. I think we must ignore the lack of details we don't like, just as I used to try to do with my 3rd rail 027. I can ignore a duplicate number on my 2nd loco, better than I can the lack of a number on my other N scale SD35. I can ignore Rapido couplers better than I can the unreal HO couplers, but I do like my Kato or MT, Accumates better, the Kato switches look more real than the Atlas with the plastic "motor" section sticking out. I can even ignore the paint scheme of the EL F7AB better than not have any at all, and could wait for weathered rail while working elsewhere to get the right style, shape. My too long LL F7 in SP black widow paint bothers me more cause I don't have a matching B unit. Not having a Diesel loco bothered me more as a 10 y/o than not having steam now. The lack of lots of SP on my layout bothers me more than having locos after 1966. Just my thoughts, we tend to fill in the mental spaces, but it's the overall "feel" that is needed on a layout. Tom

[Anonymous]

Tom...that's what we do...we selectively ignore.There just doesn't seem to be any way to avoid it, and really there's no harm in it.
The main thing is to enjoy the hobby without taking it too seriously from an "accuracy" point of view. You know how, many of us do, but some do not.
My biggest kick comes from watching, or listening to the "Scale Rule Richards" who insist on absolutely accurate paint schemes, rivet spacings, hose crimp patterns, etc., and run those masterpieces through hopelessly out-of-scale surroundings, be it scenery, buildings, track, or whatever.
Compliments of the Season & best regards / Mike

[Anonymous]

There will always be a certain degree of ignoring points or details that others will pick up on. But, the fact that we can selectively enjoy our pet interests is one of the great strengths of this hobby, and always will be.

I model the railways of Switzerland and France. The fact that some of my models might be of Era 4, and not Era 5, matters not a whit to me. The fact that my Smarts (a make of Swiss auto) don't have license plates or internatioal IDs doesn't lessen the fun I get from them.

As for the nitpickers...I tell them in no uncertain terms that I don't give a diddley-squat about their (IMHO) demented fixations with accuracy...

Doug

[Anonymous]

Kudos for the above responses--If anyone nitpicks your layout, selectively ignore them. Seldom do rivet counters even build layouts--they'd rather criticize the work of others. Enjoy our hobby and Happy Holidays to all.

[Anonymous]

I also agree with previous reply no matter how your layout is viewed someone is going to nitpick on something but to me it really doesn't matter I don't go around nitpicking others people layout everyone don't want that level of degree of details just wants to run trains and have fun.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to add my two cents. Buckminster Fuller, I believe it was, said that an advantage to getting into his 70's was that he could finally just say "I don't know." This applies here in that the enjoyment of anything is the unfettered spontaneous enjoyment itself. In less confusing terms, another quote fits; Adida's "Just do it" I spent a ton of wasted time trying to analyze and rationalize all my industrial sidings and the cars necessary to supply and pick up. Then I decided "screw it, these cars are carrying nothing to nowhere, what am I worrying about? Its basically a TOY, for God's sake!!" Relax, enjoy, don't sweat the little, or even the big stuff. And remember this: most modelers have a specific enjoyment. I love building structures and frieght cars. If you try to perfect everything, you do so at the expense of dedicating more time to what you really enjoy. For me scenery is marginally enjoyable, so I am now building a featurless pike where I will get them up and running and focus on doing what I like. So many things to do, so little time. Remove yourself from time costly aspects and ENJOY what you like about railroading. Happy holidays to all.

[BRAKIE]

I have found over the years and I am sure more today on the different forums there is a lot of Talking the talk but not walking the walk in modeling that some modeler do to appear better modelers then they really are or playing the roll of a expert(what ever that means) modeler by using books and information found on the net.Looking up answers and rewording them.Of course this does not apply to all modelers on the found on the forums...

[Anonymous]

Larry, do you remember in school, there was always one, if not two kids in every class, that put up their hands excitedly for EVERY question the teacher asked, even if they DIDN'T know the answer? Do you remember, in every family, or neighbourhood, there was always one kid whose worst crayon scrawls imaginable, were up on his parents' frig' for a year at a time? Well, over the years, these folks added up to hundreds of thousands, some of them got some trains, a lot of them got computers, and now they frequent many MRR forums to "help" people.There's a lot of good help out there being offered beginners, but a lot of non-help too...some of it just dumb, but some of it damaging.You can tell by some of the long-winded, totally inaccurate posts on many forums, that they are being written by people who have no knowledge or experience of the topic they address.It's a shame for those beginners who think that an answer on a MRR forum is automatically correct, or of help.

Happy New Year / Mike

[emdgp92]

Nitpickers would just *love* my layout. Not only do I have lots of handwritten notes scrawled on the benchwork...but I use Amtrak F40s and F-units in switching service at times :)

[BRAKIE]

Mike,I sure do. I just answer the questions I can help with or make a suggestion.Questions I don't know the answer to I pass by.Now I will give my thoughts,experience and opinions if I feel they are needed,if not I just past those by also.

Like you I have also seen some very questable answers,seen some down right false statements made.

After 51 years in the hobby one can plainly see what works,should work and what is so much hot air being put out,this comes by experience,not by books,some hot shot expert that just may be wrong or worst a self proclaim expert...

I found over the years the best answers to a questions comes from the average modeler who has been there and done that and not from books,experts,or those that have no experience in the subject but,claim they do.




Happy New Year/Larry

[dknelson]

Heh heh . A friend of mine has a slide showing an Amtrak F40PH switching a tank car at Sturtevant Wisconsin. I no longer recall the circumstances but it was necessary to turn the train for some reason and a tank car was in the way on the wye.
Dave Nelson

[emdgp92]

I just assign whatever unit I can find to the jobs... Did I mention that I sometimes use a pair of switchers on my commuter runs? :)