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No respect for Thomas modeller

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 4:36 PM
 Gunns wrote:

...In the museum restoration community "Thomas" is big Ju Ju. Often a visit by Thomas is the only thing that keeps the place in the black...

Yep, Thomas is definitely the rock star of the train world, the one who draws a crowd, the Cheetah Girls or [insert other latest teeny-bopper craze here]...

And you know what? Good! We've been a little too "Muzak" in this hobby for a little too long.

Rock on, little blue loco.

 

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Posted by pcarrell on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 2:22 PM

How's this for some Thomas respect?

http://www.railserve.com/jump/jump.cgi?ID=11529

Thomas GIF's!

Philip
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Posted by Tilden on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 10:12 AM

Hey Jeff, Good Idea.  After all, if an Athearn BB SD45 is worth $1200 to $1500 then I figure in 20 years the"rare"  Thomas stuff ought to be worth at least 5 grand!!!

Tilden

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Posted by Gunns on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:16 AM

Actually you can't really win the snickering thing... I am a member of a club restoring a 2900 series locomotive, and get the snickers about the 1 to 1 scale stuff when I buy N scale stuff for the model I am making of our work site. In the museum restoration community "Thomas" is big Ju Ju. Often a visit by Thomas is the only thing that keeps the place in the black.

Model what you want, vote with your feet if you have to.

Kevin

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Posted by scole100 on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:54 PM
This summer I was on vacation in London and we stopped at a hobby shop there.  It was full of great train equipment both European and American.  They also had a ton of Thomas stuff as well.  It was all very prominently displayed.  I did not buy any, and I still kick myself.  How cool would it have been to Have a Thomas or Trevor straight from the England?  I did not do it because I was afraid that some one would giggle at me.  I applaud you for doing what you think would be interesting and fun.  Don't mind the people that may not understand.  You will find people who do not understand model railroading, no matter what road you model.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:41 PM
 jeffshultz wrote:
This has me wondering if I want to go out and buy some Thomas stuff... for the future. (no, nothing on the way or anything, but never too soon to start you know!)


Buy! Buy! and Buy some more! That way they'll make even more stuff to buy! Maybe even something I want!
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Posted by jeffshultz on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 6:55 PM
This has me wondering if I want to go out and buy some Thomas stuff... for the future. (no, nothing on the way or anything, but never too soon to start you know!)
Jeff Shultz From 2x8 to single car garage, the W&P is expanding! Willamette & Pacific - Oregon Electric Branch
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Posted by SteamFreak on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 5:44 PM
 Tilden wrote:

Trevor,

  If it was between the manager and another employee, it might have been an "I told you this stuff would sell" look.  A little payback to a doubting Thomas (sorry about that).  Laugh [(-D]

Tilden

No respect for puns that bad....  Thumbs Down [tdn]

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Posted by Pathfinder on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 4:03 PM
Good on you Trevor for sticking with it.  My kids love the Thomas and Potter stuff I run and I do not care if it looks strange next to a CP SD40-2, nor do they.

Too bad about the hobby shop but I have run into that issue at more than one in SW BC.  Now my list of "good" hobby shops is short, about 3. 
Keep on Trucking, By Train! Where I Live: BC Hobbies: Model Railroading (HO): CP in the 70's in BC and logging in BC
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Posted by Tilden on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 3:54 PM

Trevor,

  If it was between the manager and another employee, it might have been an "I told you this stuff would sell" look.  A little payback to a doubting Thomas (sorry about that).  Laugh [(-D]

Tilden

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Posted by Tilden on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 3:46 PM

Brian,

   If it's the Bachmann loco there are no DCC plugs, you have to hardwire the decoder.  The motor is isolated from the frame though so that's a help.  Also, you don't need the circuit board that's in there, remove it.  I think you'll find the color of the motor wires are the exact opposite of NMRA standard for DCC plugs.  In an overly energetic moment I replaced them, for looks.  Also, if you convert Henry, you might want to drill a hole through the metal frame to allow direct routing of the motor wires into the cab area.  This will avoid the wires being pinched when you slide the body back on.

  Don't know the layout of the Hornby loco's.

Tilden

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 3:36 PM

LHS owners can be tempermental.  Perhaps many of them are in their business to start with because they're so "into" their hobbies and have strong feelings about them.

At a LHS around here, you get read the riot act if you call a non-operating unit a "dummy unit."  When I was younger, I got into trouble for calling a graphic novel a "comic book."

It's a wierd part of the hobby culture.  In general, I hear a lot of model train folks justifying themselves, as to why their layout is not "prototypical," or why they are using a fictitious line, etc.

In the end, we're all playing with toys.

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Posted by Shilshole on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:02 PM
Big Smile [:D]
If you visit them again, see if they can custom paint Thomas in Alco demonstrator colors.

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Posted by GearDrivenSteam on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:01 PM
 Railphotog wrote:

Well if you think of it, the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series seemes to be aimed at pre-school children.   Most of the material offered for sale is toys.  You tell them at the hobby shop that this is what you are modeling and they don't treat you with respect?    Perhaps if you were to emphasize that you are building with your young son it might make things more clear?

What if another adult said they were modeling a Sesame Street scene?   Would you show a lot of respect if you were in the scale modeling fraternity?  

That figures, coming from you, Bob. Fact is, your layout is just as make believe as Thomas or Sesame Street. They all are. I would have expected nothing less from you, though.

It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 1:43 PM
YesLaugh [(-D]...I suppose that's a possibilityLaugh [(-D]

Trevor
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Posted by Shilshole on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 12:40 PM
 TGG wrote:
On a time line, the Atlas S1 incident occurred first...


So it's equally likely that they were drooling ALCOphobes.


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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 12:13 PM
I think most of us are just trying to have a little fun with trains,  whether that's Thomas or a highly detailed diorama or something in between. 

But there is definitely a segment in the hobby that feels called upon to define model railroading correctness and to let you know when you are out of line.  These are the folks who complained several years ago when Walthers came out with Penn Central steam locomotive decals. 

Personally, I think if you're having fun you're doing it the right way.

Enjoy
Paul




If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 11:12 AM

Did you consider the possibility that the jocularity displayed by the owner and manager may have had absolutely nothing to do with your purchases, or with you at all?


Yes I have considered that, and I'd like to qualitfy my statements by saying, I'm not an overly sensitive, wilting flower.  In fact wife would even say I'm mostly blind to all things of a subtle nature.  That's why this really stood out to me. 

On a time line, the Atlas S1 incident occurred first, and I wrote this off just as you noted...as jocularity between employees/friends.  It is only since the Thomas purchases that I gave pause the earlier Atlas incident.

Trevor


   
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Posted by Shilshole on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:49 AM
 TGG wrote:
Wow!Shock [:O]  I was just venting a little frustration and didn't expect many replies.


Nice rant!

Sadly the "Hey Bob look at this..." winks and nods were from the owner to the manager, and I don't think I was supposed to notice.  It wasn't like they stood back and openly mocked me.  That would be suicide.  I just got the feeling that because I wasn't buying high end brass, BLI or Tower 55 that I was something less than a "real" model railroader.  It happened one other time as well, with the same two guys, and I was buying an Atlas S1 that was marked down in price.


So your experience wasn't limited to your Thomas purchase, as your thread title implies.

Did you consider the possibility that the jocularity displayed by the owner and manager may have had absolutely nothing to do with your purchases, or with you at all?
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:23 AM
Wow!Shock [:O]  I was just venting a little frustration and didn't expect many replies.  Sadly the "Hey Bob look at this..." winks and nods were from the owner to the manager, and I don't think I was supposed to notice.  It wasn't like they stood back and openly mocked me.  That would be suicide.  I just got the feeling that because I wasn't buying high end brass, BLI or Tower 55 that I was something less than a "real" model railroader.  It happened one other time as well, with the same two guys, and I was buying an Atlas S1 that was marked down in price.

Personally I model what I like.  I always have regardless of what the rivet counters and superdetailers say.   It's my passtime, for my  personal enjoyment.  And nobody's gonna wreck it for me.

To answer the common suggestion, I have ordered many of my Thomas loco's, coaches and wagons from online sources.  The Canadian Dollar is doing well versus the US dollar so ordering from Walthers or other online sources doesn't hurt as much as it used to.  In fact ordering online from the States ends up costing about the same as buying at the LHS.  In this instance, I needed a decoder and didn't want to wait the two weeks it takes to receive online orders.  While I was there I picked up a TAR car, a SODOR FUEL car and a Brake van as spontaneous purchases.  When I am planning a purchase I do order online.

The layout is in its infancy right now.  It's 14 x 9 around the room J shaped dog bone.  I have just finished laying the main line and the small yard.  I have been test running Thomas, Percy and Henry.  I discovered some minor track issues with Henry, and just last night ironed them out.  Currently all three of my Thomas loco's can run full throll, simultaneously, without issues...except that Henry catches up to Percy in a hurry!  I guess a 4-6-0 will do that to a 0-4-0!!!Laugh [(-D]

Thanks for all of your replies.  I look forward to reading more...if any.
Trevor 

 


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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:06 AM

I say Build Thomas!! I am lucky enough to have Cabbose hobbies in my backyard and they have a whole row devoted to Thomas!! It is great to see the kids there playing with the wood set. I am 24 and used to watch thomas on the local PBS station and loved it. I feel it is a very educational show that teaches kids today something that we lack as a country, and that is "IMAGEINATION" It is what this country was built on and our younger generations have less and less. But any ways off my rant now.

Curt

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:04 AM

Sodor rules, dogs drool!

If you return to the LHS you might share your impressions with the owner/manager to make them aware of a situation that is probably afflicting their business on other levels beyond your experience there. The Disney people addressed their public by stressing to the staff that the public were guests at the theme parks and that the staff was expected to treat them as guests. Your impressions may be a little over sensitive, but no less valid. Retention of a customer is the most expensive aspect of business and probably the most over looked. While they may spend large sums to advertise to attract new customers (ie. new $s) through the doors, little is spent in retaining those individuals once they have visited.

I terms of your modeling, I cannot think of a more rigid prototype to follow, or better reasons to pursue it. The inter action between a father and son is priceless. The learning aspects are innumerable. The reason railroads grew up and continued to exist was the need to move people and products from a point of origin to a logical destination. Gather up milk from the farm, take it to the dairy, pick up bottled milk and ice cream to be delivered to the camp grounds for the picnic which the trains had hauled passengers to attend. Sounds like an economic microcosim to me, and you thought you were just "playing trains" with your son!! I wonder if the snickerers at the LHS have as good a grasp of the "island" that they model?

I hate the "it's your railroad do what you want" theme. I don't expect that you will run a Big Boy or Challenger on your version of Sodor pulling a stack train of intermodal containers, but your son may develop an understanding of why those containers are going by in the real life trains he may see. What ever your course of action with regard to the LHS, continue to enjoy your time with your son!

 

Will

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Posted by usersatch on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 9:26 AM

Trevor,

Thomas the Train is a bit creepy for me!  A talking train?  Ranks up there with clowns!  Just kidding!  Anyways, who cares what those guys think.  It is great bonding time with your son and may perhaps get him turned onto modelling trains later in life.  Go for it and enjoy!

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Posted by CNJ831 on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:53 AM

 TGG wrote:
.

The funny thing is, (and the point of my post) when I go to my LHS, the staff give me the impression that I'm not as respected as other model railroaders because of my choice of "road".   I've seen the raised eyebrow, and heard the little snickers.  To be honest it seems a little immature to me.  I mean they had no issues when I was dropping big bucks on a HO scale, DCC/Sound equiped, CN F3A-B.  If the store wasn't so well stocked, I'd probably take my business elsewhere.  Am I being overly sensitive or do you think this is as wrong as I do?


Trevor - As pointed out upstream, your mistake was in not mentioning at the LHS that you are modeling with your young son whose interest is in Thomas. You have to appreciate that there are many hobbyists out there that are very serious about model railroading and to these folks, modeling with Thomas is considered basically an adult playing with toy (absolute fantasy, non-scale) trains intended strictly for children. For them, scale is scale, Thomas items are toys and the gulf separatng the two is miles wide. Thus, the response of the LHS guys is not the least bit surprising. To these folks it wouldn't matter if you laid out $10,000 for Thomas items, you will be glowered or snickered at and pigeonholed as a hobby outsider playing with kid's toys unless you offer an explanation.

The often quoted saying of, "It's your railroad and you can do as you please" may be true but in doing so, remember that at the same time it comes with the caveat that you can't expect your work to be taken seriously by everyone else either.

CNJ831

 

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Posted by inch53 on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 5:21 AM
Geussen I'm lucky , our LHS handles some Thomas stuff and is happy to order anything he doesn't have in stock, even to grandpa's like me. We've 5 grandkids that collect Thomas. Betwwen them, I think they have most every thing thats made. I even have some too.
When my layouts running again [rebuilding it], there'll be some running on it
At a swap meet, we went to last spring, one layout was running Thomas next a 2-6-0. And it wasn't just the little kids watching it
Run what you will, how you will. My layout doesn't meet a lot of people standerds, but it makes me and the kids smile.
Think I'll go play with trains now
inch

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DISCLAIMER-- This post does not clam anything posted here as fact or truth, but it may be just plain funny
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Posted by jon grant on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 4:51 AM

'My name is Jon, I'm 43 and I model Thomas the Tank Engine' (Thomas Anonymous) 

 

 

Model whatever you like. After all, we're all only 'playing with toy trains'. Those snickers will come from the non-modelling fraternity anyway.

Happy modelling,

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 3:05 AM

Next time you go to your LHS, ask them what they are laughing at?. Is it me or my dollars? No matter what they answer they lose. If they are laughing at you then you wont be bringing your dollars to them anymore. If they are laughing at your dollars, well you won't bring them back.

Many years ago, at a time when I had little funds to spend on my hobby, I came across a dealer who told his assistent at a train meet not to waste time on me as I had not much money to spend. Until then I had spent a few dollars at his shop. Now that my economic situation is so much different He does not get one cent from me. Best of all he knows why.

Anyway you do your own thing and enjoy this great hobby. Smile [:)]

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Monday, October 16, 2006 10:36 PM
 kchronister wrote:

twcenterprises comment about a 1:1 Thomas reminded me...

I've taken the kids to ride on the 1:1 Thomas twice now, over at Strasburg. I think I get more of a charge out of it than they do. They dig the ride, then want to know if we can go buy a new piece for their Brio-style Thomas wooden train set. I just want to go have another ride.

Let's hear it for "purists" everywhere!

Japan has its own Thomas knockoff, SL-man, part of a preschool superhero cartoon.  When the tourist-oriented Otaru Railway temporarily modified a C11 class 2-6-4 into SL-man, bright red paint, white wheels and "arms" growing out of the side tanks, the Japanese railfan community was incensed!  How DARE the owners desecrate a real, operating Japan National Railways locomotive, even temporarily?  (On the other hand, the kids and a lot of parents loved it.)

I remember when the 1:1 Thomas visited Nashville.  The base for the visit was the original Tennessee Central station, and it was wall-to-wall folks!  A lot of them took the opportunity to take a look at the club layout which was also on display.

I, too, have encountered a few individuals of questionable manners at shows and LHS.  Once, after I mentioned my choice of prototype, a parlor patriot sneered, "Watzamattuh?  America ain't good enough fer ya?"  When I flipped out my military ID and asked what branch he'd served in, he got VERY quiet.

So, for all the modelers who wish to get off (and well away from) the beaten track, more power to you, and good luck in creating your dream.

Illegitamati non carborundum!

Chuck (modeling central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 16, 2006 9:17 PM

twcenterprises comment about a 1:1 Thomas reminded me...

I've taken the kids to ride on the 1:1 Thomas twice now, over at Strasburg. I think I get more of a charge out of it than they do. They dig the ride, then want to know if we can go buy a new piece for their Brio-style Thomas wooden train set. I just want to go have another ride.

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Posted by ShadowNix on Monday, October 16, 2006 9:13 PM

Hey Trevor,

I am in the middle of converting a Thomas engine to DCC...and I just say PSHAW to those who snicker.  My son love two engines... Thomas and my lionel Challenger and heck, that is one  of the big reasons I model railroad... so I can have some fun with him!    Quick question, does the Bachman have a DCC plug or did you "wire it".  I have a lil cheapo thomas with a wire wound motor that I am having difficulty getting to work right... (the motor I think)...

Brian

"That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

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