Actually, it started out with the Lance M. article in the April MR, then, because some people haven't gotten the April issue yet, it morphed into the Lance M. article in the March issue. It's pretty much back to where the thread on the March issue left off.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi Actually, it started out with the Lance M. article in the April MR, then, because some people haven't gotten the April issue yet, it morphed into the Lance M. article in the March issue. It's pretty much back to where the thread on the March issue left off. Mike.
And that is because more than a few people saw both articles a little bit as "the world acording to Lance".
I've been at this 47 years, helped a lot of other modelers build their layouts, worked in this business.
Lance is a skilled and knowledgeable modeler, but the tone of his articles is a little too "this is the best way" for my taste.
The April article pretty much came right out and said that people like me still using old approaches, technolgy and techniques are holding the hobby back.
You attract more flies with honey.......
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL mbinsewi Actually, it started out with the Lance M. article in the April MR, then, because some people haven't gotten the April issue yet, it morphed into the Lance M. article in the March issue. It's pretty much back to where the thread on the March issue left off. Mike. The April ariticle pretty much came right out and said that people like me still using old approaches, technolgy and techniques are holding the hobby back. You attract more flies with honey....... Sheldon
The April ariticle pretty much came right out and said that people like me still using old approaches, technolgy and techniques are holding the hobby back.
I have not read the April article, so I'm only comenting on the article by what I gather from others' comments.
I find your interpretation of what he said to be a bit inconsistent with how he builds his layouts...so he must have written something odd, IMO.
They are extremely DC friendly, uses a 15 year old Walthers non DCC Ready locomotive, and uses digital photographs of building facades affixed to foam board as his preferred method of building structures...and prefers solid blue backgrounds as opposed to expensive photographs that some prefer..or simple swtches of gray paint and steel wool for low relief hills...lgoing back to his old Monon Southern Indiana based N scale layout. He uses standard ME track as oppossed to hand laid....which is odd for a guy who thrives on up close photos of his detailed scenes.
Nothing about his methods are high tech or particularly modern, so I'm baffled by that interpretation. From what I gather, the last thing he does is buy expensive RTR stuff from a hobby shop (except maybe rolling stock), but rather builds and modifies simple products to suit his needs. I thought that approach was old school.
- Douglas
The April ariticle makes a big push for dead rail, layout based sound with headphones, and his favorite, small shelf layouts. And he suggests somewhat strongly that the time old reluctance of model railroaders to replace technology they already own is holding things back.
You keep commenting about that loco he uses in his photos, so what?
I have 50 or more of those Proto locos, mine still run on DC. Lance does use DCC and make reference to that fact in the April article.
Things like DCC and sound or dead rail are easy to imbrace if your goals only include a few locos. Not everyone has the same goals or interests. It is a very diverse hobby.
Like I said, I would get out of this hobby if my only choice was a 12' shelf and three locos........
ATLANTIC CENTRAL The April ariticle makes a big push for dead rail, layout based sound with headphones, and his favorite, small shelf layouts. And he suggests somewhat strongly that the time old reluctance of model railroaders to replace technology they already own is holding things back. You keep commenting about that loco he uses in his photos, so what? I have 50 or more of those Proto locos, mine still run on DC. Lance does use DCC and make reference to that fact in the April article. Things like DCC and sound or dead rail are easy to imbrace if your goals only include a few locos. Not everyone has the same goals or interests. It is a very diverse hobby. Like I said, I would get out of this hobby if my only choice was a 12' shelf and three locos........ Sheldon
Well, if he directly said that people who don't embrace new technology are holding the hobby back, I would disagree with that. Not that it isn't true in some aspects, but its not our responsiblity as consumers to propel the hobby.
The rest is just discussing recomendations to enhance a chosen style of modeling. I don't see that as an endorsement of a style. Just like a George Sellios written article, or a David Barrow article, or a Bruce Chubb article; where the article reflects the type of layout they have and how they prioritize things.
As for battery power. I don't care about track cleaning or wiring. I can see it helping slow speed sound switchers crossing long frogs. I'll never buy it, but I can see why others would. I don't see the advantage to operations if the layout is based on multi-wheeled long locos sailing through frogs at 20 mph.
Headphones and sound? I have no problem wearing them...if it helps. I've always preferred listening to music with headphones on..real headphones not earbuds, so I'm not tossing the concept aside.
I tried Large Scale "modeling" (using the term loosely regarding the various compromises of scale versus gauge involved) more than a decade ago. I became friends with some wonderful people that had neat, really excellent outdoor layouts, and even helped them move several tons of gravel (Roger Cutter, near Bel Air, Maryland, for one). Roger and his club of Rio Grande narrow gauge associates were very pro-battery and were moving toward deadrail at that time. These were folks who had, well, more hobby funding than I'll ever have--and they were spending the funds to go to battery power then, when it was a few hundred dollars per each loco.
Funny thing happened: some of them eventually decided the outdoor trains were too much hassle or too much to maintain, and actually dismantled their layouts. (I know gearbox failures were relatively common due to the tremendous forces on large scale train gearboxes--that was why I gave it up--and my older son also stopped playing with it outside--and HO was just much much more cost effective).
So here we are, more than 10 years later, and some guys that write for a magazine actually think that battery power is the future?
Let me put is simply: This is exactly why I do not read Model Railroader. This is exactly why I don't even touch it to look at product reviews or advertisements anymore. The possibility exists that they might be out of touch with at least some of the people in this hobby. I'm sorry if this reads as harsh, but when I have looked at the magazine in recent years, every single time I was very turned off by the opinion columns in the magazine. I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with those guys on...many things.
It seems like this is in many ways becoming a hobby for tech-heads who love electrical gadgets, and less and less people who focus on modeling. I'm only good with track and scenery, not building trains, and will never be a Master Modeler, but I can appreciate the fine work done by others when I see it.
John Mock
I watch science programs. In one, a lady found a way to have rechargeable batteries last for years. A normal rechargeable for a cell phone only lasts 3 years and needs to be replaced. In the future a battery could be recharged many times for 100 years.
In another, a man replaced the lithium gel used in lipo batteries with a lithium based plastic which prevented fires from overcharging or having a hole punched. Perhaps in 10 years batteries would last 100 years of recharging and never start a fire.
Small lipo batteries put out 3.7 Volts and are able to power 3 Volt motors. Would this combo work in an N-scale galloping goose?
DoughlessWell, if he directly said that people who don't embrace new technology are holding the hobby back, I would disagree with that.
Nah, that's not what he wrote. I think Sheldon is giving a bit of spin on it that makes it sound that way. Mindheim makes it clear it's, first of all just like it's Sheldon's, too, it is HIS opinion. He further qualifies that the market will decide, he just has his own opinion on what would help the hobby most and market success of that may not follow.
Lance is certainly not calling for people to do away with anything, but to instead realize the advantages of thinking small and simple, more bang for a limited hobby buck. Sheldon probably has more in common with Lance than it seems, but that's just my opinion.
The headphone thing is Lance addressing the same issue of limited sound fidelity that Sheldon reminds of often. Except that Shedlon is just pretty much a "No sound, please..." sort of guy, while Lance wants to rock out, just needs better (not perfect, better) fidelity to enjoy it. That's OK either way, as far as I can see. I rather suspect if we're talking "future" as the article clearly does, we'll be hearing more, not less sound. The market expects it. I just don't see growth in no-sound gear due to both limited demand and the fact that any sound gear becomes non-sound simply by turning the volume to zero.
I do like the headphone idea myself, in part because it helps establish an environmental ambiance conducive to operating. You can adjust the sound to your preference and not intrude on anyone else's choices. Integration of crew radio systems also quites that down and allows similar choice in preferences. An attractive feature to add would be a facility to let someone trying to speak F2F with you to break into the headphone feed, making it still easy to speak with other crew directly. Lots of good here in this idea and very little negative (headphones are hard on your pompadour, for instance.)
As for the shelf layouts, it's his thing -- and probably needed to balance out the monthly load of medium to largish room-fillers. Just getting to a better balance in that is probably one reason why the MR team stuck Lance's article in just behind the big and much-anticipated MR&T article, for instance. But Lance isn't dissing large layouts, just encouraging people to consider the merits of an limited footprint. I'm pretty certain there are far fewer small shelf layouts abandoned in place than the basement octipuses that are still the all too often fully unrealized dream for many of us. Be realistic, is about what the message is here in many ways - and it's a good one to promote the hobby, BTW, even though I tend to be more old school than Lance.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
https://xkcd.com/386/
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
So appropriate, that xkcd comic deserves a hotlink
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Don't like Lance Mindheim's articles?
Write some of your own.
* crickets *...
Taken from Doughless' quote in his reply to me on previous page of this thread:
"It's also important to focus on ordinary structures rather than the extra ordinary, or cute, ones. For example, rather than modeling a candy factory, a pickle factory, and a Victorian mansion; model a fuel dealer, a non-rail served industry, and a few one-story clapboard homes, as shown in Fig 3." (which also show a haunted house, a saloon (old west?) and ice cream stand and a park (with an octagonal bandstand near the edge of the park)
I agree with Mindheim, or at least with what I feel he wants us to take away. Don't spend so much time on the "Ooooh, loooook...!!!" cuties at the expense of what will first come to the viewer's/visitor's eye, or what is likely to create that first important impression and anchoring. By all means, do let the viewer find them as she/he looks deeper and spends more time sharing your creation with you, but don't be hasty in creating the more prominent and possibly key components of the scene you are attempting to duplicate in scale.
It almost sounds like he has adopted a variation of the minimalist approach where he says to spend the time making the big stuff, the more obvious stuff "correct" or right, and don't clutter what's in between with things that are out of place or rare that might command attention for the wrong reasons. However, even there we invited judgement and dissent; who is to tell either the creator or the viewer that their attention is on the 'wrong' thing or for the 'wrong' reasons?
Where did Mike Buonarotti go wrong in his Sistine Chapel painting?
slammin Bayfield Transfer Railway Wow, this really is a tempest in a pee pot.Also, I don't have the April issue yet, but if people are interpreting this article as badly as they interpreted Lance's articles on scene composition, it should be interesting. Also, some people need to get off the Net and stop reading conspiracy theory sites. The offending article is on page 28 of the March issue.
Bayfield Transfer Railway Wow, this really is a tempest in a pee pot.Also, I don't have the April issue yet, but if people are interpreting this article as badly as they interpreted Lance's articles on scene composition, it should be interesting. Also, some people need to get off the Net and stop reading conspiracy theory sites.
Wow, this really is a tempest in a pee pot.Also, I don't have the April issue yet, but if people are interpreting this article as badly as they interpreted Lance's articles on scene composition, it should be interesting.
Also, some people need to get off the Net and stop reading conspiracy theory sites.
The offending article is on page 28 of the March issue.
Completely different article. Some of us have digital subscription, and already have our April issue.
I just don't think that battery-powered trains offer the quantum leap of improvement that we got from DCC over DC. Thus, I see no great advantage. I seldom have trains that stall, and even those problems are now being addressed with keep-alive capacitors. To me, it's easier to clean my track a few times a year than to charge each of my locomotives several times a week or to worry if they have enough charge to last through the evening.
DCC, even before sound, had obvious advantages of running multiple trains independently withou complicaced blocking. I don't see that kind of advantage with battery power.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Bayfield Transfer Railway Don't like Lance Mindheim's articles? Write some of your own. * crickets *...
I'll bite. So you're saying if people don't like an article they have to write one of their own? Self fullfilling prophecy - are you enjoying yourself there? Ain't going to happen of course and people are still going to voice their opinion anyway.
I don't walk around with ear buds and a phone full of music. I don't listen to my 1700 vinyl records with headphones, it is just a non starter for me. Sheldon
I don't walk around with ear buds and a phone full of music. I don't listen to my 1700 vinyl records with headphones, it is just a non starter for me.
Me neither, but I'm an old phart too. It's mainly a generational thing - you typically see youngsters walking around with earbuds or headphones. Older people, not as much.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Since my subscription lapsed when we moved I spent the 10 DOLLARS this "controversial" issue cost and read the OP article "The Future of Model Railroading".
First of all, the fact that Lance Mindheim wrote an article about the future of the hobby is a bit out of his normal focus. He normally writes about modeling, so I wouldn't consider him an expert in the field of hobby philosophy. I'd think Tony Koester would be a better choice.
It is one man's opinion, clearly stated as such as to what he views, primarily, the "game changing" technological advances to be in the hobby.
Overall, I think its a fair article that is generally unbiased. But it is tech heavy, and my observation is that there is a natural tendency towards tech heavy publications to view tech customers as smart and hip and noncustomers as stooges scared or philisophically opposed to change.
He says, "I think the biggest thing holding the hobby back is complacency with the status quo. It's a lack of demand for superior products. This isn't my own gut opinion, but feedback I consistently get hear from manufacturers and leaders in the hobby. " Personally, I think he, well, the hobby leaders, are simply wrong.
LM gives two areas that he thinks, in his opinion, will be "game changers" in the hobby. And its not another release of an F unit. Its battery power and off board sound, which is where the headphones come in. He he pretty much slams onboard sound since he says the pathway from the decoder to the ear was limited from the start.
He thinks using smart phones as a throttle is a push.
He believes static grass will get better, yet he is told that the good products that are available now sit on the shelves. He implies that other modelers don't put as much importance upon accurate scenery than he would. (That's probably because a lot of people in the hobby never get to the scenic stage of a layout, if I had to guess).
As far as era: "The structure and detail market has been slow to embrace the trend towards the modern era. At some point, it will become so obvious that the suppliers will catch up to demand." And illustrates this point with a picture of a Summit Customcuts CVS pharmacy.
As far as the future of layout design, he mentions the change from the 4x8 to the Allen McClelland/Tony Koester mainline run layout...to a smaller but more "operationally sophisticated" shelf-style switching and branchline layouts. I don't know what that means, but I think its amusing because of the smoke coming out of some ears as they read it.
"This trend...also allows participation by the more sophisticated (LOL) modeler who may not want to devote the time necessary to build a larger layout."
Other than a couple of misguided comments, I thought the article was presented as being one man's opinion about where he thinks the hobby is going presented as one man's opinion. Some of it I agree with, some I don't. But hardly offensive.
But just intuitively reading between the lines, the article would be appreciated by the younger technology interested person that would be interested in more technologically advanced products, who might think that present day DCC and onboard sound is the technology his parents would choose.
DoughlessBut just intuitively reading between the lines, the article would be appreciated by the younger technology interested person that would be interested in more technologically advanced products, who might think that present day DCC and onboard sound is the technology his parents would choose.
I suspect that's why Tony did NOT write the article. Nothing against Tony, I like reading his stuff, but him, me, and some of the rest of us are old school. Better to have a fresher perspective or at least a different one here for this task.
What task? That same thing we often hear a lot of hand-wringing over, the Future of the Hobby...sorta like the title of this thread, don'tcha know?
The future is made by the young and inventive. Yet when that future of the hobby is often addressed as something we, umm, more mature folks need to do SOMETHING about, it usually turns on some gem of philosophy that worked for us and must be handed down as the precious thing we always thought it was...and that may be exactly the problem...we can't see the forest for the trees.
Let those kids do their thing and welcome it...that's the future of the hobby, even if it doesn't jibe with your experience.
mlehmanLet those kids do their thing and welcome it...that's the future of the hobby, even if it doesn't jibe with your experience.
I agree with Mike. I still use DC block control at home, DCC at the club. I am not the future of the hobby, the twenty and thirty somethings are. If they spend their money a certain way, those items will continue to be produced.
If item X is not bought, item X-type will not be produced.
Dave
mlehman Doughless But just intuitively reading between the lines, the article would be appreciated by the younger technology interested person that would be interested in more technologically advanced products, who might think that present day DCC and onboard sound is the technology his parents would choose. I suspect that's why Tony did NOT write the article. Nothing against Tony, I like reading his stuff, but him, me, and some of the rest of us are old school. Better to have a fresher perspective or at least a different one here for this task. What task? That same thing we often hear a lot of hand-wringing over, the Future of the Hobby...sorta like the title of this thread, don'tcha know? The future is made by the young and inventive. Yet when that future of the hobby is often addressed as something we, umm, more mature folks need to do SOMETHING about, it usually turns on some gem of philosophy that worked for us and must be handed down as the precious thing we always thought it was...and that may be exactly the problem...we can't see the forest for the trees. Let those kids do their thing and welcome it...that's the future of the hobby, even if it doesn't jibe with your experience.
Doughless But just intuitively reading between the lines, the article would be appreciated by the younger technology interested person that would be interested in more technologically advanced products, who might think that present day DCC and onboard sound is the technology his parents would choose.
I never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is? And if you don't like his scene composition presentation, or even his definition of real or cute, so what? Take what you can from both articles...or threads...and ignore the rest.
MR includes all interests. This article I see as a modern present day modeler talking about the future of his hobby being impacted most significantly by computer related technology. A younger-minded car enthusiast can say the same thing.
Same article, different magazine. Same audience. Same critics.
riogrande5761Me neither, but I'm an old phart too. It's mainly a generational thing - you typically see youngsters walking around with earbuds or headphones. Older people, not as much.
Actually I use earphones a lot even when railfaning a ear phone in a scanner clears things up and the volume lower. My laptop is headset equipped as is all four of my game consols..
I would be highly interested in wireless headsets for sound equipped locomotives.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
DoughlessI never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is?
I generally agree, but more along the lines of taking in Lance's, Sheldon's, and anyone else who offers an opinion as worth considering. But the future belongs to those who will be around for it. That will be me for awhile longer (knock on wood) and then it won't matter too much anyway -- to me at least. So I agree let's not worry too much about the data point someone offers and more about sustaining an interesting conversation, which I think you've helped contribute to. That's when we're all winners, really, and the hobby is as you point out big enough for us all.
BRAKIE riogrande5761 Me neither, but I'm an old phart too. It's mainly a generational thing - you typically see youngsters walking around with earbuds or headphones. Older people, not as much. Actually I use earphones a lot even when railfaning a ear phone in a scanner clears things up and the volume lower. My laptop is headset equipped as is all four of my game consols.. I would be highly interested in wireless headsets for sound equipped locomotives.
riogrande5761 Me neither, but I'm an old phart too. It's mainly a generational thing - you typically see youngsters walking around with earbuds or headphones. Older people, not as much.
As a mostly non-headphone using creature, Lance's article left me wondering why one of the leading decoder makers hasn't already gone here? I think it's a splendid idea. Virtually everything that used to have a cord now has WiFi or Bluetooth.
Most drones (speaking of another hobby that's somewhat more cutting-edge than model railroading) at the budget end of things use WiFi for control, video, or both. Such apps would actually work even better with your trains, I'd think, as they are less likely to wander off someplace out of range you weren't anticipating.
Then there's a market for MR-spec-ed wireless headsets in a variety of forms, from the one-ear to full-on dual muffs. So long as the decoders makers settle on one type/band for the link, this should be attractive/profitable for vendors to offer. Needs a way to inject crew radio -- maybe even have it built into the headsets, which would also get the antenna up high -- and a mute/F2F option via either manual switch or a over-the-air proximity sensor.
Then you could take technology like a second generation of the Soundcar and build in stereo imaging, reverb, peer-to-peer coms, etc to get the sound effect running throughout the train...
mlehman Doughless I never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is? I generally agree, but more along the lines of taking in Lance's, Sheldon's, and anyone else who offers an opinion as worth considering. But the future belongs to those who will be around for it. That will be me for awhile longer (knock on wood) and then it won't matter too much anyway -- to me at least. So I agree let's not worry too much about the data point someone offers and more about sustaining an interesting conversation, which I think you've helped contribute to. That's when we're all winners, really, and the hobby is as you point out big enough for us all.
Doughless I never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is?
Thanks for the kind words.
I think the generic term of the future of "the hobby" is probably measured in terms of sales and popularity. The future of the hobby is battery power...if enough people accept it. So the future of the hobby is driven by what everybody else tends to make it. As hobbyists, I don't think we ultimately care about that, unless we like being in the big pool of what the present of the hobby is and feel our place in the hobby slipping away if that changes.
I care about the future of my layout. As I suspect we all do. Its interesting to discuss how the hobby changes as a discussion forum topic, but it really doesn't impact our personal layouts unless we let it.
And I can't see now how my layout will involve battery power in the near to mid future.
Now there we are complete agreement. I think I started my first response to this with a comment about the hobby continuing to become even more diverse. That is a prediction I would put money on.
Every time someone starts wringing their hands about getting young people in the hobby, I say I already did my share from behind the counter in the hobby shop 35 years ago.
So which "captains of industry" are telling Lance we are not demanding high enough quality products? Mike Wolf and Bob Grubba? The two who are in the one upsmanship battle? The two who think we should pay ever higher prices for fancy gimmicks while they keep offering us "value added" versions of UP Big Boys?
Well no thank you.
I really do miss Lee Riley........
I take no issue with those who like sound, or other high tech features. I have no issue with those who prefer high end RTR. I welcome others to approach the hobby as they see fit. And I know my own approach to the hobby is neither mainstream today or completely "old school".
I also have no desire to "save the hobby", or move it "forward", but I will not be talked down to by people who's saleries I partly pay with out comment either. Yes, I have been a Model Railroader subscriber since 1968, still have every issue. Before the forum, I wrote letters to the Editor, a few of which have been published over the years......
And yes, maybe I did over react a little, maybe the OP did as well. But even our level headed Doughless felt a few words could have been more carefully chosen.
mlehmanDoughlessI never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is?
Because manufacturers may actually listen to the people with the microphone...
mlehmanBut the future belongs to those who will be around for it.
Yeah and at the ripe old age of 29, I plan to be around for a lot of it.
I do not believe that a battery powered train is a superior product. And it will not be, untill you have the flexibility to run as long as you want.
Provide a battery powered train that will run consistantly for 4-8hrs pulling 40-60 cars at scale speeds, with DCC and sound---that people other than the person running it can hear, because there are these things called train shows, and children like hearing train sounds. Oh and it has to be ready to repeat that feat the next morning. Oh and how exactly do I recharge my locomotives, bring them back to my hotel room? Because leaving them plugged in unattended for 12hrs doesnt seem like a good plan. And the other 30 people in the club need to charge their locomotives too. And Im sure all of them will show up with a fully charged locomotive at the start of the day.
Im invisoning the local fire marshal shutting down the show because of the daisy chained powerstrip nightmare that he will order unplugged. -> No trains running.
No thanks, I'll keep my old inefficient electrical wiring which is so difficult to understand.
I agree with his stance on smartphone throttles.
I agree on the 3D printing front, at least the individual modeler. See end of post.
Color placement section assumes modeling modern day. I dont have color glossy 8x10s with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back expaining what each one was..... <--thats for you guys who have been around for a minute.
I'm lucky to find so many black and white photographs of my prototype.
Real game changers have been and still are:
1. The internet, and photo hosting websites that have been linked here and elsewhere. That is an invaluable learning resource, and reference for research.
2. 3D printing, not for the individual, but for scenic details. There are small businesses using sites (maybe site) like Shapeway to bring an array of scenic detail parts not made by detail part manufacturers. These are affordable, and some will do custom parts and add them to their store. These items are made to order, no inventory anywhere, other than the bulk base material.
cuyama So appropriate, that xkcd comic deserves a hotlink
Had a good, hard laugh over this one, cayuma - Thanks!
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
BMMECNYC mlehman DoughlessI never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is? Because manufacturers may actually listen to the people with the microphone...
mlehman DoughlessI never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is?
My belief is that the manufacturers listen to the people with wallets.
Doughless BMMECNYC mlehman DoughlessI never understand why what the future of the model railroading hobby will be is important. I only got invovled when I thought people were overreacting to an article, but who cares what one person's opinion of the future is? Because manufacturers may actually listen to the people with the microphone... My belief is that the manufacturers listen to the people with wallets.
I have one. And yes its just 1 wallet. I just dont believe that anything that a battery solves is a real problem, and the problems they add are quite real. My Ho scale trains cant drag around a 120Vac extension cord and a wallwart....My O scale might be able to though....
PRR8259 I tried Large Scale "modeling" (using the term loosely regarding the various compromises of scale versus gauge involved) more than a decade ago. I became friends with some wonderful people that had neat, really excellent outdoor layouts, and even helped them move several tons of gravel (Roger Cutter, near Bel Air, Maryland, for one). Roger and his club of Rio Grande narrow gauge associates were very pro-battery and were moving toward deadrail at that time. These were folks who had, well, more hobby funding than I'll ever have--and they were spending the funds to go to battery power then, when it was a few hundred dollars per each loco. Funny thing happened: some of them eventually decided the outdoor trains were too much hassle or too much to maintain, and actually dismantled their layouts. (I know gearbox failures were relatively common due to the tremendous forces on large scale train gearboxes--that was why I gave it up--and my older son also stopped playing with it outside--and HO was just much much more cost effective). So here we are, more than 10 years later, and some guys that write for a magazine actually think that battery power is the future? Let me put is simply: This is exactly why I do not read Model Railroader. This is exactly why I don't even touch it to look at product reviews or advertisements anymore. The possibility exists that they might be out of touch with at least some of the people in this hobby. I'm sorry if this reads as harsh, but when I have looked at the magazine in recent years, every single time I was very turned off by the opinion columns in the magazine. I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with those guys on...many things. It seems like this is in many ways becoming a hobby for tech-heads who love electrical gadgets, and less and less people who focus on modeling. I'm only good with track and scenery, not building trains, and will never be a Master Modeler, but I can appreciate the fine work done by others when I see it. John Mock
Well John, I must admit you have really tried it all.
I have friends in large scale, and I live 6 miles from Bel Air.........
I knew the minute I saw a large scale train outdoors that it was not for me. Remember my motto - "I was once well rounded until I learned what I really liked".
Lucky for me I learned what I liked at an early age.........
What don't I like about Garden Railroading? Summer sun and playing in the dirt, neither is my idea of a good time......
No matter the experiances of you, or Roger, or his group of friends, battery power remains very popular in large scale. But large scale is WAY different from HO and will likely remain so for a long time.
I'm pro choice, I think there is room in this hobby for battery power, direct radio, DC, DCC, sound, no sound, headphones, layout speakers, onboard speakers, advanced cab control, computerized block control, kits, RTR, brass or plastic, victorian houses, grimmy industrial districts, class one mainlines, struggling shortlines, plaster on wire screen or foam.
Tell me what you are doing, but don't preach to me about why I should do it.