would this make a unique, interesting book?

[FJ and G]

I’m pondering writing a book about our hobby that I believe has never before been written. Audience would be the public, not hobby specific. All of the books on model railroads I've seen describe either how to build a layout or are catalogs or histories of trains or train companies like Lionel.

I’m thinking about writing something about what inspires people to get into model railroading and what sort of satisfaction they derive from it. Family members and friends would be interviewed as well. There’s be chapters on each layout/personality including chapters on garden RR, HO, N, toy trains.  A female would also be interviewed (if one exists who like trains, LOL). The book would be more about the individuals (each chapter a novella), with their miniature created worlds weaved in.

I’m still mulling this and may soon do an outline and proposal.

My first thought was to contact Kalmbach with the idea. However, on second thought, I have concerns that they are more used to marketing their publications to those in the model RR world and less for general consumption.

Appreciate any feedback.

I do have a close friend for the toy train chapter, btw.

[Jumijo]

It already has, David. Playing with Trains by Sam Posey is a relatively new book that looks at just the sort of thing you are considering. The book has gotten rave reviews. Check it out online by clicking on link below:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400061785

Jim

[FJ and G]

well, diss that idea. Hey, wouldn't be the first time something like this happened. Recall a while back when 3 books came out in rapid succession, all about the transcontinental railroad, one of which was by a well-known author (steve ambrose), the other being Empire Express by David H. Bain, and one other one. (there were others prior to this).

[FJ and G]

Jim,

Now I'm curious and will have to get a copy of that book. Appears from the review that Possey dwells a bit more on the trains and the philosophy, e.g. scenery or realistic operations.

Mine would go 2 steps further and explore each person's life and weave the layout into each novella. As each person's life is unfolding, so is the layout, for example. Or, even better, each person is talking about their life, and trackside descriptions and operations are also taking place as they are speaking. Kinda hard to explain what I'm thinking but that's the drift.

[Jumijo]

David,

From what I've read in this book, Posey does much the same thing. He gets inside the head of each "creator" to find out they whys, hows, etc. Not just of their layout, but also of their existence in the hobby. That isn't to say that you can't write a similar type of book. I've read your work and you are a very talented writer. Please don't think that I'm trying to discourage you in any way, because I'm absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I'd say go for it. Just pointing out what's already out there.

[envfocus]

I've read the book ("Playing With Trains, A Passion Beyond Scale) and I think your ideas would still be unique and of interest to the general public.  The book was OK.  It starts out great, but it seemed to simply grow into a reflection of someone's obsessive behavior rather than tell a good story.  By the end, the author visits other layouts, but fails to tell their stories (or their wives feelings/stories about their husbands obsession).  Its also singular, reflecting the authors experiences and not others.  I think your idea of having many peoples experiences would be quite different than this book.   I'd say go for it.............Roger

[FJ and G]

Thanks, Jim,

Also thanks, Roger, you could be a book reviewer!

[cnw1995]

It's interesting to re-read Playing with Trains to see it devolve as Roger noted. Mind you, this is more about scale model railroading along more of the high-scenic, prototypical manner - and how Posey sees it - there are some interesting, kind of odd profiles of MR's own Tony Koster (sp) and George Selious (sp) of the Franklin and Manchester fame. Made me think: my goodness, do I come across like that? Not quite toy trains: in fact, I thought him rather dismissive about his early Lionels. His mother was more of a fan. Also, Posey had much of his Colorado Midland layout built for him with all that entails.

The neat thing about the development of the Web, David, is you could always write or blog about it. Like TV, the Web is always looking for content.

The subtext to the title is telling: Playing with Trains: A Passion Beyond Scale.
 
Wasn't during its writing, Posey was diagnosed with Parkinsons?
Publisher website: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400061785

The Amazon reviews are interesting but one-dimensional: http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Trains-Passion-Beyond-Scale/dp/1400061784

[Anonymous]

I'm working on a couple of new model railroading books at the present time, and hope to get the manuscript portions wrapped-up over the winter months--neither book is along the lines of what you're thinking of, though, although they will take a somewhat different approach than what is normally seen in such how-to hobby books.

As for women in the hobby:  My previously published garden railroading book devotes an entire chapter to a woman (and close friend) who built--pretty much on her own--one large and very fine garden railroad in her backyard in Chesapeake, Va.  She's also a multi-term past president of the large garden railroading club in that area.  I first met her when she worked in a train shop in Hawaii.  She has probably forgotten more about trains than most males will ever know.

There also are a good number of women involved in the Z scale segment of the hobby, as well as the garden railroading segment.  Few that I know or have known are involved in O gauge (although I do know some in two-rail O scale), and there are a fair number in HO and/or narrow gauge, including the first female Master Model Railroader in the NMRA.

It's still a male-dominated hobby, of course, and that's kind of to be expected.  But the female modelers I've known over the years do work that is as good as, or better than, what most any male can do.

[perry1060]

Go for it anyway as there may be room for multiple variations of the same topic. There is a message taking place in another forum right now about what inspires us to model what we model on our layouts...

 

 

 

[1688torpedo]

Hello Dave- I also think you should give it a try. You are a very talented writer.Plus, you have tons of photo's to help validate your work & experiances as a model railroader which would also help to make your book informative & entertaining as well. I would think that your book would be fun & interesting to read. Have you started or about to collect information for each of the chapters in your book? Anyway, Good Luck to you. Take Care.

[Brutus]

Go for it, man!  You might want to go the library and check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Market-2007/dp/1582974276/sr=8-2/qid=1161218767/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-3786752-6533732?ie=UTF8

[Jumijo]

It's interesting to re-read Playing with Trains to see it devolve as Roger noted. Mind you, this is more about scale model railroading along more of the high-scenic, prototypical manner - and how Posey sees it - there are some interesting, kind of odd profiles of MR's own Tony Koster (sp) and George Selious (sp) of the Franklin and Manchester fame. Made me think: my goodness, do I come across like that?  . . .

George lives near me. About 1/2 hour away.

And Doug, you come across just fine!



GO FOR IT, DAVID!!!!

[thor]

Dave I like your style of writing and you are obviously a careful and methodical sort of guy, so I would encourage you to write your book, a copy of which I would certainly buy (but it has to have at least one picture of your pup)!

It's a pity that there's no easy way to pull the posts off the forum and construct a book in which all of the contributors ideas and exchanges were somehow interwoven so that the reader was given a story in which the characters and their conversation  sounded like a session does here. My wife is fascinated by the description I give her of how certain issues are batted back and forth, the depth of knowledge and humor but she finds the forum impenetrable, I have to put it all into context by describing the various personalities and then zip between selected posts to show how the idea unfolds.

A good book about our hobby ought to present enough of a balanced overview so that a person not familiar with it could get a feel for the sort of people involved, too often hobby books tend to give the impression that we're a bunch of rather odd, vaguely anti-social loners which is NOT in fact, the profile of the average O gauger. Well, not here, anyway.

[Brutus]

Allan W. Miller - hmmm, I just got your book in the mail from Amazon!

[1688torpedo]

Dave- Now that Groucho is back you can include a chapter about "Marx" Trains in your Book! Take Care.