Separate forums by scale????

[AntonioFP45]

Looks like the majority wants to "Stay Onboard This Train!"

[greenHigh Greens[/green] and a big 10-4!

[AntonioFP45]

Looks like the majority wants to "Stay Onboard This Train!"

[greenHigh Greens[/green] and a big 10-4!

[lupo]

other idea: when you look at your personal profile page there is a thing called AVATAR, it might be possible to put something there to point out what scale you are modelling, so that it shows up at the left side of your post, next to or beneath the stars.
IMO this is a general discussion forum, and should stay that way, there are too many topics around that are not scale specific.

[lupo]

other idea: when you look at your personal profile page there is a thing called AVATAR, it might be possible to put something there to point out what scale you are modelling, so that it shows up at the left side of your post, next to or beneath the stars.
IMO this is a general discussion forum, and should stay that way, there are too many topics around that are not scale specific.

[Bikerdad]

Separate, or at least enforce some sort of "scale identification" when it is appropriate. I've already voiced my irritation with wasting time researching specific produts (say, a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0) only to find out that the thred I've spent the last 5 or 10 minutes reading is about the HO scale product.

Many things are not scale specific, many others are. Perhaps the best approach would be to have a general forum, AND scale specific forums.

[Bikerdad]

Separate, or at least enforce some sort of "scale identification" when it is appropriate. I've already voiced my irritation with wasting time researching specific produts (say, a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0) only to find out that the thred I've spent the last 5 or 10 minutes reading is about the HO scale product.

Many things are not scale specific, many others are. Perhaps the best approach would be to have a general forum, AND scale specific forums.

[Jetrock]

We should hang together or we will surely hang separately!!

It does not seem like there is enough traffic to justify separate categories. Even worse, we'd end up with an HO forum with almost the same number of posts, and a couple of very quiet forums (O and N) and a couple of almost totally dead ones (S and Z.) Frankly, I would like to hear what the S and Z scalers are doing, and certainly there is plenty of information applicable to all scales, which allows them to add their contribution and glean ideas without having to hop around a bunch of forums (forii?)

So, for me, I'd say keep the forums limited and the conversations open!

[Jetrock]

We should hang together or we will surely hang separately!!

It does not seem like there is enough traffic to justify separate categories. Even worse, we'd end up with an HO forum with almost the same number of posts, and a couple of very quiet forums (O and N) and a couple of almost totally dead ones (S and Z.) Frankly, I would like to hear what the S and Z scalers are doing, and certainly there is plenty of information applicable to all scales, which allows them to add their contribution and glean ideas without having to hop around a bunch of forums (forii?)

So, for me, I'd say keep the forums limited and the conversations open!

[willy6]

you an have "all scales" used too under user name

[willy6]

you an have "all scales" used too under user name

[DSchmitt]

Which scale should I check.? I've been in N for over 35 years , but am building an On30 layout, own a lot of O scale 2-rail, a little 3-rail, some HO, and have just joined a garden railway club.

[DSchmitt]

Which scale should I check.? I've been in N for over 35 years , but am building an On30 layout, own a lot of O scale 2-rail, a little 3-rail, some HO, and have just joined a garden railway club.

[willy6]

A simple answer to a simple question, just have a slight reformat to this forum that has the scale you work with or like posted under your user name and have if color coded..(i.e. N-green,Z-blue,HO yellow and so on), then there would be no confusion of what scale you talking about.

[willy6]

A simple answer to a simple question, just have a slight reformat to this forum that has the scale you work with or like posted under your user name and have if color coded..(i.e. N-green,Z-blue,HO yellow and so on), then there would be no confusion of what scale you talking about.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bergie


So, for the time being, let's all learn from one another!

Happy modeling,
Erik

I agree with this decision to avoid scale-specific forums.. I would add support for a DCC forum, though, since it seems to be a subject all its own. Or perhaps a general model rr electronics forum to make the DCC threads easier to find and browse.

Wayne

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bergie


So, for the time being, let's all learn from one another!

Happy modeling,
Erik

I agree with this decision to avoid scale-specific forums.. I would add support for a DCC forum, though, since it seems to be a subject all its own. Or perhaps a general model rr electronics forum to make the DCC threads easier to find and browse.

Wayne

[railman]

remember the old west adage....ride together or hang alone...

[railman]

remember the old west adage....ride together or hang alone...

[jdolan]

Keep it all together. WE all learn more this way. Some people have more than one scale interests.

[jdolan]

Keep it all together. WE all learn more this way. Some people have more than one scale interests.

[tstage]

As much as a separate forum for each scale would make sense in some instances, nevertheless, I do have to side with Bergie on this one.

There are too many common "threads" (pun intend) amongst the various scales we model to warrant isolating each one to it's "own kind". I am by no means an ecumenicalist, but sometimes "isolating" ourselves further results in more harm than good. Some of us already suffer from the tendency to be lone wolves anyhow. Why should we compartmentize the hobby and enthusiasts further?

One of the enjoyments of this hobby of ours is seeing it's diversity and the passions and reasons each of us has chosen the scale that we have. Just because I love baseball (Go Tribe!) more than basketball doesn't mean that I won't go to a Cavs games with a "basketball-loving" buddy of mine. (At least, now that they're more worth seeing. [:)]) Just because I don't model in Z, N, HOn3, S, O, or G scale (can you guess which one I do?) doesn't mean I can still enjoy attending an "all-scale" train show or reading and learning from others on this forum - no matter what scale they model.

Case in point, I went to a train museum a couple of months ago in Bryson City, NC. It was an authorized "certain ethnic" train dealer in O-gauge. Now, I'm NOT a big fan of O-gauge - I can't get past the look of the 3rd rail - but I could still enjoy and appreciate the 20 x 60' layout that they had. I had a great time chatting with the guy behind the controls and I would go back and visit that again anytime! [:D]

To bring up a previous point on a post a couple of months back, I do like the idea of having a check box or something in our profile that would identify what scale(s) we are modeling. It would be just be a qucik reference so that we might be able to more clearly know how to respond to one anothers questions and inquiries.

Tom

[tstage]

As much as a separate forum for each scale would make sense in some instances, nevertheless, I do have to side with Bergie on this one.

There are too many common "threads" (pun intend) amongst the various scales we model to warrant isolating each one to it's "own kind". I am by no means an ecumenicalist, but sometimes "isolating" ourselves further results in more harm than good. Some of us already suffer from the tendency to be lone wolves anyhow. Why should we compartmentize the hobby and enthusiasts further?

One of the enjoyments of this hobby of ours is seeing it's diversity and the passions and reasons each of us has chosen the scale that we have. Just because I love baseball (Go Tribe!) more than basketball doesn't mean that I won't go to a Cavs games with a "basketball-loving" buddy of mine. (At least, now that they're more worth seeing. [:)]) Just because I don't model in Z, N, HOn3, S, O, or G scale (can you guess which one I do?) doesn't mean I can still enjoy attending an "all-scale" train show or reading and learning from others on this forum - no matter what scale they model.

Case in point, I went to a train museum a couple of months ago in Bryson City, NC. It was an authorized "certain ethnic" train dealer in O-gauge. Now, I'm NOT a big fan of O-gauge - I can't get past the look of the 3rd rail - but I could still enjoy and appreciate the 20 x 60' layout that they had. I had a great time chatting with the guy behind the controls and I would go back and visit that again anytime! [:D]

To bring up a previous point on a post a couple of months back, I do like the idea of having a check box or something in our profile that would identify what scale(s) we are modeling. It would be just be a qucik reference so that we might be able to more clearly know how to respond to one anothers questions and inquiries.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Not normally one to post a "me too", but if we're going to get an idea of what the majority wants, I'll pitch in with "Keep it as it is, all scales in one". The magazine works well like that, and so does this particular forum, IMO.

---jps

[Anonymous]

Not normally one to post a "me too", but if we're going to get an idea of what the majority wants, I'll pitch in with "Keep it as it is, all scales in one". The magazine works well like that, and so does this particular forum, IMO.

---jps

[ckape]

I think separating forums by scale is a bad idea. While many times the mechanics of model railroading are scale-specific, the ideas tend to transcend scale.

[ckape]

I think separating forums by scale is a bad idea. While many times the mechanics of model railroading are scale-specific, the ideas tend to transcend scale.

[egmurphy]

Count me in as another who likes the forum just like it is.

I'm happy to have access to a major forum that is not segregated by scale. While I also frequent other forums that are separated, I really enjoy the interaction that we have here.

Regards

Ed

[egmurphy]

Count me in as another who likes the forum just like it is.

I'm happy to have access to a major forum that is not segregated by scale. While I also frequent other forums that are separated, I really enjoy the interaction that we have here.

Regards

Ed

[rrinker]

I will add my vote now to NOT seperate by scale. Simply because most anything you could talk about is applicable to ANY scale. Those that are not - such as talkign about a SPECIFIC model, well, the intelligent thing to do when creating a topic about Kadee HO scale boxcars or an Atlas N scale RS-3 is to use proper descriptive terms as the topic title.

But the majority of topics, such as scenery techniques, benchwork, wiring, DCC, etc, apply to ALL scales. Having a multitude of forums would just make things more complex and probably result in fewer people posting

These same things come up periodically in reader mail in MR as well. I always love the ones that complain that the entire issue was devoted to N scale or something - so, Mr. Letter Writer, since when is the method of painting a backdrop restricted to N scale only? You can do the exact same thing to paint a backdrop for a G scale layout. (just an example here)

--Randy