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Channel 4 model railway challenge


Nearholmer
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Anyway with a bit of luck perhaps we could return to the topic and offer all involved our sincere congratulations for taking the tiem to be involved in it all and for putting up with appalling weather and midges.  I think it is a credit to those involved and if it interests others on the way then job well done.

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Just for fun, Hobby, do you think you could give us your definition of what a "model railway" is, and thereby define what doesn't constitute one?

 

The two chaps who effectively founded railway modelling as a hobby, Bassett-Lowke and Greenly, managed without a definition, so far as I can work out from reading their respective books on the topic (although it's pretty clear from what they wrote that they included things up to and including 15" gauge miniatures within the term "model railway"), so, who knows, you might be the first to provide an unarguably perfect drawing of the line that separates "us" from "them".

 

If you are successful with your endeavour, this will help enormously, by permitting a purging from RMWeb, then from all MRCs in the nation, the world perhaps, of those people who are not Real Railway Modellers. This could progress to a purging of inappropriate content from railway modelling magazines, a burning of books that purport to discuss railway modelling, but in fact don't, the smashing of the windows of shops that purport to sell model railways (if you can find any), but actually sell toy trains etc etc. Recalcitrants who continue to pursue Not Real Railway Modelling could be made to wear some sort of badge, to allow them to be identified easily, and excluded from exhibitions/meetings. In short, providing a definition should tidy things up splendidly.

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...you should see the reputation RMW has on other forums for just those things!

 

I spent a while a year or so ago (when RMWeb was down) Googling RMWeb. Not the forum itself, but other sites where it was mentioned.

Ex-members taking the p!ss out of current members, toxic comments directed at moderation, total bitterness bordering on outright hatred... etc etc...

If that's the calibre of other forums and their "members", it makes the current RMWeb look like some kind of glee club.

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If you offer a point of view it is only right that others that do not agree should have the opportunity to say so.  Some have and yet you seem unable to accept that and choose to then pick on the forum as a whole.  Perhaps now you will sulk and skulk off to one of  these other places to jin those that do not like RMWeb.  I for one would rather you didn't but rather that you learn that others have opinions that may not ine up with yours and learn to accept that.

 

I fully accept that but to start insulting me for doing so is still rather pathetic... I was accused of being elitist for simply pointing out that a load of track and a loco does not constitute a model railway and adding that we should not accept that it is. The general public's perception of model railways is adults playing with trains, hence why (as some on the programme admitted) many railway modellers don't admit to it unless they know the people they are with as the Hobby goes well beyond that simple view... This programme is also playing with trains but, I believe, bears no resemblance to the world we know other than it uses a couple of similar components... I do not believe that saying that it's not a model railway and we shouldn't accept that it is is in any way elitist, it's just pointing out the fact as I see it! I have no intention of leaving but I'd rather some of you accepted that others have different views and didn't slag people off for doing so... I didn't, others have.

 

You have asked me to accept the above, I already had, please also accept my views without insulting me... Thanks! :)

 

Now, back to the subject in hand? ;)

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My last word on this because it is detracting from what could be a interesting subject.

 

To the best of my knowlege I have not insulted you.  I have explained my view and if you feel that is insulting thenn so be it but I have certainly not set out with that intention.  Now it really is time to move on.

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Whether people class this as a 'proper' model railway or not, one thing it does have is better/more realistic scenery than I've ever seen, anywhere (including Pendon); Real canals, swing bridges, locks, plus big mountains !

 

So if they're using real scenery, the rest of it isn't a model.....?

 

:jester:

 

I'll get me coat.

 

Cheers,

Mick

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There's a little button on your remote, press either side and it will take you away to other more serious programmes that show how 'normal people' act . .

Big Brother, Come and Moan about my Dinner and I really can't be bothered to type the other 90% of tv.

If you don't like it why bother to waste more of the time you saved not watching it arguing about it? ;)

Ah well I like the presenters in other shows but it didn't really interest me so I gave up but I still thought the concept rather fun and nice it's made a series rather than a single show.

Everyone at work knows I play with trains, as they did at my previous job, and when I show them what I do they have all been nice if not always that interested.

It's only an embarrassment if you keep looking for some fashionable celeb to make it cool.

I'm quite happy with James May, Pete Waterman, Guy Martin and Clarkson occasionally mucking around with trains on tele and being enthusiastic about what they did and do and even like my friends taking the mic because it's that established ;)

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To clarify a point that (I think) was made earlier, part of the public's derision of railway modellers is not the playing with toy trains per se, but the often po-faced pedantry that accompanies such an essentially trivial activity. As such, I think the demonstration that model railway enthusiasts can have a bit of not-too-serious fun whilst indulging in an aspect of their hobby is much more likely to have a positive effect than having anyone, however technically accomplished and admirable, drone on about their exquisitely detailed and accurate P4 branch terminus.

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 That attracted my curiosity too. Since the first most popular hobby is defintely potentially making babies that's impressive if true.

I remember, many, many years ago, hearing (or reading) something to that effect. The second most popular hobby in the UK.

 

At that time, the most popular hobby was said to be angling.

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Everyone at work knows I play with trains, as they did at my previous job, and when I show them what I do they have all been nice if not always that interested.

It's only an embarrassment if you keep looking for some fashionable celeb to make it cool.

I'm quite happy with James May, Pete Waterman, Guy Martin and Clarkson occasionally mucking around with trains on tele and being enthusiastic about what they did and do and even like my friends taking the mic because it's that established ;)

What used to amuse me no end, when I used to work for the same organisation as Paul here, was the sheer number of senior (sometimes very senior) figures in the national railway industry who also liked model railways. In my job I got to meet some of the more local (to the 'Western') ones, and I would almost literally bump into some of them at exhibitions. Some would simply 'come clean', whereas one or two might try to 'explain themselves' by saying words to the effect that they've come along 'for their kids' sake' or the like!

 

I can also tell you that there are one or two senior figures in the rail industry who are Class 37 nutters.

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As regards to the hobby as a whole it is just toys to me always has been and always will be, i have no feelings of embarrassment talking to anyone about my hobby regardless of who and what they are, what is to be embarrassed about anyway, and anyone who wants to disagree about them being TOYS, have a google on the dictionary meaning of TOYS, or read this https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=_EdWWuahMsibkwX45IDgCA&q=dictionary&oq=dic&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i131k1l2j0l5j0i131k1j0l2.1752.3701.0.7158.3.3.0.0.0.0.166.439.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.436...0i131i46k1j46i131k1.0.CHUMoKdMkc0#dobs=toy

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"......That attracted my curiosity too. Since the first most popular hobby is defintely potentially making babies that's impressive if true....."

Would explain why railway modellers tend to be elderly then.

 

Also surprised at the assertation that modelling is the 2nd most popular hobby especially if so many of us do not admit to it.

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Hobby.............To be fair, I don't really give a toss what's said on other forums....and if RM Web is such a joke then that begs he question.......

 

What are you doing here?

 

In between stuff I'm not interested in there's some useful stuff (like all Forums, not just this one) that's why...

 

(Don't think I ever said the forum was a joke either...)

 

As i have said, and others, can we move on and just agree to differ?

 

Or is that too hard to do?!

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Without wishing to sully this fine morning with complete grumpiness, I'm of the opinion that Jason is totally correct.

What IS the point of some of these records? Take the tube challenge as an example. Why?

I remember growing up with the Guinness Book of Records when the records actually were quite impressive. Longest spacewalk. Solo ascents of various mountain peaks. Trans-Pacific and transatlantic adventures. Things to actually make you go "Wow".

What next? Messiest celebrity breakup? Largest amount of knots in a 300mm piece of string?

  

 

When you think about it - most records are pointless. Who has grown the biggest turnip? Why? Who swam the channel the quickest? What is the point?

 

I wonder if Guinness will be interested in recording how quickly someone threw their toys out the pram when Bachmann or Hornby announced their respective 2018 ranges?

 

 

No. Wait! You have a point. That is a worthwhile record. Bet it was a RMWeb member!!!

 

 

I fully accept that but to start insulting me for doing so is still rather pathetic... I was accused of being elitist for simply pointing out that a load of track and a loco does not constitute a model railway and adding that we should not accept that it is. The general public's perception of model railways is adults playing with trains, hence why (as some on the programme admitted) many railway modellers don't admit to it unless they know the people they are with as the Hobby goes well beyond that simple view... This programme is also playing with trains but, I believe, bears no resemblance to the world we know other than it uses a couple of similar components... I do not believe that saying that it's not a model railway and we shouldn't accept that it is is in any way elitist, it's just pointing out the fact as I see it! I have no intention of leaving but I'd rather some of you accepted that others have different views and didn't slag people off for doing so... I didn't, others have.

 

You have asked me to accept the above, I already had, please also accept my views without insulting me... Thanks! :)

 

Now, back to the subject in hand? ;)

I reckon I can end this futile argument once and for all. With some simple criteria.

 

Does the program use a model of a locomotive? Yes!

Does it run on some kind of model railway track? Yes (the make and look does not matter).

 

Therefore it is a model railway. Case closed!

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Let's just call it a big garden railway. Many of those who use the garden have plants that are out of scale.

 

We should be grateful if the number of people increases who want to play with trains. This could help the manufacturing industry as they will have more customers.

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I would rather think that most of the world believes that the British prefer angling, to making babies...

Is making babies a hobby? I thought hobbies were supposed to pleasurable. Not a few minutes of pleasure followed by eighteen+ years of hassle and hardship.

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They say Google is your friend, so I Googled the most popular hobbies in the UK.  Pages of stuff came up and I must have opened 20 sites and railway modelling was not mentioned once.

 

Another PR headline without substance?....... :D

 

It's like the "what is a model railway" discussion, it depends on who you speak to what an "Hobby" is! On several of the searches (you probably saw them as well!) things like watching TV was defined as a hobby... If that's the case then it wins hands down and will be closely followed by reading I'd have thought... Though I doubt there's been any proper research into it...

 

After the hassle I've had I'll leave the definition of what a hobby is to the rest of you, I can't be bothered! :)

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