Every forum has its own 'flavour', or more rightly called its culture. Over time, due to all sorts of synergies, they tend to attract a restricted range of interests and personalities that reaches a level of harmony or dynamic equilibrium. A flow.
When a person who is not well known, or who is new, posts with how-to's, or injects a way of expressing himself that is not fully consonant with the culture, he will experience some indifference, some argument, some hostility, but sometimes outright approval and encouragement.
One of the artefacts of this forum is that it gets a lot of look-see members who virtually refuse to contribute to the discussion. I don't mean to suggest that they are hostile, just not willing to add their own thoughts, often because someone else who posts more frequently has said much the same thing. If that is so, then the more aggressive and assertive personalities are likely all that you will see. You are just as likely to get some encouragement as some discouragement.
Best to tough it out, do what makes you comfortable and what brings you pleasure. I can guarantee that you won't please everyone who views your subject matter as you present it. Don't get drawn into verbal sparring if you can help it.
Crandell
Selector,
People assume that because I had just started posting in January, that must mean I am new to the hobby and certainly new to this forum. While I did just restart in the hobby and also posting here. I have been involved in Model Railroading heavily since 1988; but, took a hiatus from 2006 to this past January. Also, I built layouts in both S and HO when a kid back in the 50s and 60s. Also, I was involved in this forum from around 1997-8 until I took the hiatus in 2006! While on hiatus, I participated in my other hobby, which is building and flying model airplanes and was active in quite a few forums on those topics.
Some people, who have some history with a forum can start to think of themselves as sorta the owner's of that forum and new people will need to pass the muster before they will be accepted by them and "Whoa be it to someone who hasn't paid their dues"! I see this phenomena fairly regularly. They then protest that this simply does not happen. I beg to differ and would go so far as to suggest that this may be why so many lurk; but, won't post. It may even have chased some away from this hobby, which is a crying shame!
I may have ruffled some feathers with my observations. Oh well!
(I left this post intact, feeling it gives some of my history in the hobby and basic opinions on how I feel things work on internet forums. After all I do have opinions like everyone else!)
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I'm assuming that the first page of this thread may have something to do with the high number of views and low responses. As was said before, the 'meat' of the thread is useful to those who are building a trestle. You just have to get past the false starts in the beginning of the thread.
That being said, you did a nice job on your trestle. I built mine a few years ago so didn't need the information. I'm guessing that others who haven't tried yet will find it useful.
Back to the topic of this thread! I don't generally do any modeling during the summer months as I have outdoor activities that occupy my free time, such as RVing, Sailing, Biking, beer drinking, etc. This summer, I did the least amount of modeling activity, I think I've done, since I was over in Germany in the U.S. ARMY! However, I plan to get back to this project by continuing the scenery process. It may take me a week or so to get back to the full swing, however, so if your interested in what I'm doing here please be patient, I will get going soon. I wanted to find this thread and bring it forward.
While some have been lollygagging on the beach, a few of us have been diligently working on our creations. My trestle contentment ended when I watched a prized Skytop repaint tip over on the curve to disassemble itself 600 scale feet below (since repaired..).
The solution was to plaster the EZ track to the roadbed, and to add protective uprights (to be re-purposed as leftover 'cranes') around the curve to avoid future mishaps...
The second pic shows the original incarnation on my first layout, as a segmented outer curve; the first shows it re-purposed into a single unit with an inside curve. I too used a template gleaned from a forum, but as I was using bamboo skewers, it was just as easy to glue them to the template, printed on cheap paper, the take it off with a sharp blade after it had cured.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Thats really nice work! I think ill save this post and use your pic as a reference for when I begin work on my trestle. Thanks.
http://mwcohio.blogspot.com
I've decided that I'm going to edit my earlier posts in this thread as I don't like how I came across. Having written this post in the early part of 2013 and then going back to it and re-reading it, I feel I came across as pretty immature! I guess I have that problem at times; but, shurly wish I didn't. Where I feel I got into a disagreement with someone, that had little; or, nothing to do with the subject of this thread, I will simply delete that post. This may make the thread seem to lack continuity and I apologize for this. Be that as it may from this point forward, I hope to do a better job.
I am building a couple of box cars right now and have been cleaning track. I want to run a few trains around, then I will start in on scenicing the area where the trestle sits.
I think you're doing just fine here. Your posts are an enjoyable read, the pics are great and your descriptions and suggestions are informative and pleasantly presented.
Carry on...
Thanks, bigpianoguy! Shall carry-on!
I'm going to retire the end of December and I'm going to put continuing work on my layout on hold until after I do retire. As is the case, when starting to build a layout, the information we proceed on, is (at best) formative. As we gain experience, the little design problems we didn't see in the beginning, crop up and tend to cloud over the original idea! I started this layout in 1988 and although I had built several small layouts when a kid, that experience was not enough to carry into a large layout. Simply put: this layout works; but track problems seem to plague it.
The biggest problem is turnouts located in difficult to reach locations. Too much track in tunnels and staging with inadequate room to fiddle trains.
I don't know if I'm going to start over; or, devote a bunch of time fixing the problems.
NP2626 I've decided that I'm going to edit my earlier posts in this thread as I don't like how I came across. Having written this post in the early part of 2013 and then going back to it and re-reading it, I feel I came across as pretty immature! I guess I have that problem at times; but, shurly wish I didn't. Where I feel I got into a disagreement with someone, that had little; or, nothing to do with the subject of this thread, I will simply delete that post. This may make the thread seem to lack continuity and I apologize for this. Be that as it may from this point forward, I hope to do a better job.
Well, there's your problem, having written it in the early part of 2013, it's back to the future.
Man, I sure wish I was following this thread when it was first written. With all of the editing and deleting, you took all of the fun out of it.
Very nice work on your project, by the way.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks Richotrain!
This was a very informative and very helpful.
Lynn
Present Layout progress
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/290127/3372174.aspx#3372174
Glad you found it helpful. I found building trestles to be very fun, educational and a good thinking and planing avtivity.