Are we approaching a "goof-proof" hobby?

[steveblackledge]

a goof to one man might be a godsend to another

[Anonymous]

I struggle with this concept as well.

I am planning on getting back into the hobby soon, but I'm not sure how to put my own stamp on it. You can buy perfect looking locomotives, track, etc. now.

It seems as if scenery and whethering are the only challenges left.

I think about this stuff a lot - glad someone brought it up. I'm thinking to have "my" own Model Railroad, I'll have to keep it very small, and try to do most of the work from scratch. This way I could experience what people got to experience years ago.

[mersenne6]

Goof proof???? It better not get that way ! If it does there will be a huge number of us who will never make any further progress in the expansion of our rail empire.....for example

"Jeez Honey, I guess I goofed and forgot to tell you about the new engine I put on the charge card!"

"Oh man, I goofed. I said I needed three cars for my reefer block but it turns out they only sell them in sixpacks."

etc.[:)]

[Anonymous]

I think a "goof-proof" hobby wouldn't be very fun, one of the main reasons why this is such a great hobby is becyase you have to work with it to get it right, You can't get it right the first time, i wouldn't have alot of fun if i got it right the very first time

[dave9999]

Model railroading is an on going learning process. You have to goof to learn
from the goofs. Just some goofs are bigger than others! But I do think that some
people, just like in other parts of life, are better at some things than other things.

Manufacturers are making it harder to make mistakes though. Dave

[RedLeader]

I don't think so. I think that the hobby is going all the way arround. Each day, with the technological advances, the hobby is getting more complex. A long time ago, detail wasn't important, cause tracks where 3 rails and rolling stock where considered toys. Now days is different. It seems like there is no excuse for having a "toy like" layout with all those super detailed locos and structures. I think now days the hobby ask more of the model railroader. So many kits, so many products, so many choises... It took almost 3 months to decide which DCC system would suit all my needs. I still mess up big time some times. With DCC is easier to control trains, but I already have a couple of broken handrails and couipler from a frontal collition...

[dwRavenstar]

Before the age of the VCR and DVD we used to say that the only reason movies were better than books was because you couldn't spill coffee on a movie.

Still drinking coffee here, still holding the option of having a fresh mistake to learn from as well.

Dave

[Anonymous]

Model railroading can be considered an art. Those who can get it right have the "right stuff", others may never get it right. It's one thing to buy all of this neat stuff, but blending it together into a realistic scene is something else.

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

To me it seems not so much goof proof, but if you spend eneugh $$$ on it it will come out nice.

ICK!!!!!!!!!!!

James

[Anonymous]

Seems to me you can still goof, but it's not always as catastrophic as it used to be.


m

[mcouvillion]

fiatfan,

You would be amazed at how some folks can still get it wrong. I guess they don't pay attention or have 10 thumbs. It's remarkable. Some guys can do scenery (like Pelle Soeburg) that looks so real you can't believe it. Some do wiring, benchwork, electronics, or painting like masters. And then there are the few that can't seem to do anything right. Even when you take the time to carefully show them step by step, it doesn't sink in. Nothing is fully goof-proof and that is a shame.

Mark C.

[simon1966]

Well, looking at a fairly large burn on my index finger, from grabbing the soldering iron by the wrong end, I would say that this goof still has some work to do!

[fiatfan]

With the highly detailed engines and rolling stock, the DPM, City Classics, Cornerstone, etc., buildings, nickel silver track that doesn't need to be cleaned as much as the brass, the easy methods for scenery, it seems to be hard to build a bad layout.

We owe a debt of gratitude to those who developed the ground foam technique, the ones who first started using craft paint, and I'm sure you can all think of other things that make our layouts look realistic without much effort.

Just a stray thought that got away.

I would be curious to hear your thoghts on this.

Tom