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[quote user="selector"][quote user="shawnee"]" RAILROAD MODELLING Defined: a hobby in which the person endeavours to replicate a scale example of a currently operational or an historical railroad"Selector, I don't think railroad modelling requires trying to replicate a currently operational or a historical railroad.  Freelance railroad modelling, cleverly conceived, thoughtfully planned with context, and hewing to basic operational precepts of the prototype....it's lost in your definition.It is a shame when high-level posts with interesting subjects like this turn into flamethrowing or ruminations about tone of the forum.  It's a turn-off.  "But in this day and age of polarization - no sense agreeing on anything when we can fight to the death over some misunderstood principle - there are those who take umbrage when someone champions a view other than their own."    - Tony Koester[/quote]Shawnee, upon reflection, I will condede the point to you, but....I wanted to differentiate between the prototype, of which there are unique and real entities, and freelanced which may resemble aspects of one or all, but which are none-the-less imaginary or fanciful.  It may even be the difference between a John Allen and John Armstrong.  Each has an implied purpose and plausibility, but the one is surely more prototypical in its bent than the other.  So, for me to operationalize the discussion, railroad modelling is just that...a railroad that is modelled after a real railroad.  The freelanced one may have many characteristics of the/a prototype, but it is not a model of the prototype...therefore not modelling at all.By introducing my definitions, I realize that I am wanting to impose a restriction on the thinking of all who wish to contribute, but we need to establish a frame of reference somewhere.  I strongly urge, and heartily invite, others who feel that they have a better definition to post it in their own thread...to which I will contribute gladly.-Crandell[/quote]I have refrained from entering this thread - until now [:)]I do not agree with the comment above (bold and enlarged).  Just because I do not try to "copy" a real railroad, does not mean that I do not engage in railroad modeling.  My fictional railroad models a time period and operating scheme in a defined geography.  Along with the "real" railroads; it "could" have existed.  My town of Hardspot could have been named Durango and Arock could have been named Silverton; however, this would have limited my artistic ability and would have "required" me to try and copy those towns instead of creating towns that actually fit in the space that I have available.I have no problem with people that try to "copy" real railroads, or with those that try to make their models "rivet compatible" with the 1:1 stuff.  I do not agree that building a fictional railroad means that I am not modeling in the full sense of the term.I believe that modeling "flavor" is just as valid as modeling "rivets".  I am having fun, are you ?
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