The Society Heritage Collection

[JulienW]

Thanks from me too John.

John, I don't want anyone to think I am getting my big wooden spoon out to stir things (further?) but might it be worth those of us who have contributed to this thread summing up our thoughts about the collection and putting them down on paper (as it where) and sending something to Charlie Insley for (formal) consideration at the Committee meeting?  I wonder if that may be easier than someone (you?) trying to submit the 6(!) pages of this thread or summarizing the same...?

edit: now 7 pages - sorry guys! :'(

[Turin 60]

Sounds like a plan Julien, do you want to take that on?

John.

[Hobby]

Mine's quite simple, I think they should adopt Julien's original suggestion of the Flight Boxes and they should be circulated amongst the various Groups who have Society display cases so they can be viewed by more people and they should be returned every so often to the "Curator" for any maintenance required (every 12 months?). I have no strong feeling about running them, I tend to feel that being able to view them (even static) is more important than whether they can run, especially if they are not original in the mechanics side of things.

That's all from me you'll be pleased to hear. I can email that to Charlie if you want and I'm sure that others will want their (different) views heard as well...

[Malcolm]

All, I have today sent an E-mail to David our society Chairman asking that time be given to discussing the collection at the committee meeting in January.
John Bruce No7.

Thanks from me too John.

John, I don't want anyone to think I am getting my big wooden spoon out to stir things (further?) but might it be worth those of us who have contributed to this thread summing up our thoughts about the collection and putting them down on paper (as it where) and sending something to Charlie Insley for (formal) consideration at the Committee meeting?  I wonder if that may be easier than someone (you?) trying to submit the 6(!) pages of this thread or summarizing the same...?
edit: now 7 pages - sorry guys! :'(

Firstly just to say I have not yet heard back from Charlie re the decisions taken in 2008/9 regarding a] the then collection disposal programme and b] heritage collection policy.  In one respect this is now academic as we have now moved the discussion forward however I think it would be helpful to learn just what did [not] happen if for no other reason it may help bring a degree of closure for Julian and Mick and hopefully inform us their past efforts were not in vain.

I for one, would be very disappointed if the Directors have not logged in and kept abreast of this discussion on the forum and, have not realised that this matter has rapidly climbed up the agenda and no matter whatever more [supposedly?] important matters are on the January agenda adequate time is allocated to make meaningful progress with this matter.  I think they ought to be well aware of our thoughts over policy, access and maintenance but, I agree, it may make their job easier if the 7 pages could be summarized, even a cut and paste of the various arguments cutting out the froth would be helpful.  A few days ago I sat down to sumarise them and gave up after a couple of hours with a very sore arthritic typing finger, so I will pass if you don't mind!  However quite happy to e-mail Charlie direct if that is regarded as the best way forward.

Malcolm

[B.Meldon]

I agree that some conclusions are needed.

21 members of this forum have posted on this thread so far.
There are 94 posts, but 22 of those are from one person!

Also not all the posters on here want any kind of change in the way the collection is managed, kept or maintained but some do.

However what would appear to be almost universal is a desire to have a record that is available to members of what is in the collection, its historical importance and background including a photo or photos of the models.

I suggest that this record made available to all members is what is given priority first.

The issue of how the collection is managed, kept and maintained is not going to be effected by the production of this record.

The society

[danny]

Would it also be worth having a section entitled 'Heritage Collection' on this forum, both for announcements of the collection's presence at exhibitions and also for general discussion about historical aspects of 009? This might also get more people interested in this side of the hobby.

[JulienW]

Sounds like a plan Julien, do you want to take that on?

John.

Hmmm... if you mean trying to summarise everything then maybe not!

I'll get something off to Charlie and suggest that other contributors do the same as there may be more weight in 21 individual members making their own submissions to the Committee rather than me trying to work out who you are and what exactly was meant in your posts (I wouldn't want anyone to feel I had left anything out, or put words into your mouths). It may also give all of you chance to expand on your points, or decide not to bother after all...

[Turin 60]

Sound idea Julien, if all participants in this discussion so far would be so kind as to E-mail Charlie and or David (sorry guys) then all being well we can make a little progress at the meeting in January, although I do realize that 21 out of the total Society membership is quite a small number, silent majority and all that!

John.

Sounds like a plan Julien, do you want to take that on?

John.

Hmmm... if you mean trying to summarise everything then maybe not!

I'll get something off to Charlie and suggest that other contributors do the same as there may be more weight in 21 individual members making their own submissions to the Committee rather than me trying to work out who you are and what exactly was meant in your posts (I wouldn't want anyone to feel I had left anything out, or put words into your mouths). It may also give all of you chance to expand on your points, or decide not to bother after all...

[Rodney S]

I agree that 21 out of the Society membership is a very small number which is probably why Rod thinks there is very little interest in the collection.

A list of the items would be very interesting.  If there is no space or desire to put this in the 009 News then perhaps it could be a loose sheet.

I think we are lucky to have Rod looking after the collection.  Not only is he an accomplished modeller but he has the interest to restore and maintain the items.  Personally I am not worried if the new Forney truck is not exactly the same as the original.  It looks alright and is better than nothing at all. I am sure that if someone produced an exact replica with cardboard side frames then Rod could fit it.  However it would still not be the original one.
The motor in Anne was only replaced because Rod thought that the loco would be shown running. 

Modelling was very different in the 1950s and 60s.  A friend of mine built some freelance EM layouts and two were featured in various magazines at the time.  Locos and stock were built ''because it was fun'' and if they were no longer required or didn't work properly they were taken apart and scrapped.  Change seemed to be continuous, so I think that repairs to models in the collection are just carrying on with this tradition.

Rodney Stenning

[clayliner]

However what would appear to be almost universal is a desire to have a record that is available to members of what is in the collection, its historical importance and background including a photo or photos of the models.
I suggest that this record made available to all members is what is given priority first

If I may just remind folk of one of my other original suggestions, which was of a photo gallery on the Society website, using the photos and information already available. That would be 'available to all members' at any time, to access and refer to as and when required.

David.

[Malcolm]

Rodney
I would not be too worried that ONLY 21 members are interested in the Heritage Collection.  If you look at the list of members on this Forum I would suggest there no more than about 100 members who contribute to this Forum and even if there are more who pop in for a quick read and who do not contribute to the debates etc that leaves say some 1,400 members [assuming membership 1,600] who are not even aware the Heritage Collection is being discussed.  Now if we had access to all Society members and only had 21 interested in the collection I would be worried but we are looking at say 21 members out of 200 so pro rata that should mean something in the region of 160 members will have an interest in the collection.  Still only about 10% of the membership but large enough a percentage for the Directors to have to take notice.
I realise this all somewhat tenuous / smoke and mirrors / damned statistics etc. but I cannot accept there are only 21 members interested in the Heritage Collection [especially as there may be a substantial percentage of the membership who are not aware there even is a collection!]
Malcolm   

[Rodney S]

David

Something like this?

Rodney

http://www.s-scale.org.uk/history.htm

[Graeme Dunbar]

In view of recent comments I

[Hobby]

Let's leave the numbers out of things, folks, Statistics can be made to prove anything as we see every day on shows with politicians on them... I could quite easily prove that those 21 (22?!) provide a majority with a little double speak!!

It's worth saying, though, that these models can be used as a marketing tool to get more members if we do things right, it's not just Members we should be showing them to...

[gtmspyder]

I have sent an Email to Charles giving my views, previously aired in this thread:-

Pictures and a short description stating what it is, and why society members would be interested or in what context or magazine article was it first brought to the attention of members, to be printed in the 009 Magazine.

This gets the information to every member once only, will consume a lot of magazine space, and therefore take several editions of the magazine to get all the information out to the membership.  It and will require several further editions when or if, further items are added to the collection.

Pictures, posted in the members layout pictures, or another similar section created as the "Heritage section".  Or some other title, again with a descriptor of where or what context it was first seen in.

The second proposal is probably the best solution, as it is instantly available to all forum members, forever, and can easily be expanded in the future when more items join the current batch.  But looking at the membership list, an awful lot of members do not seem to avail themselves of the delights of this forum, so to be fair to all members, both options will probably have to be adopted.

As I said in an earlier post, both options require some member input, in the photography department, the caption writing department, and in the editorship department, which all requires some time consuming volunteering and cross referencing between those that know things, those that can photograph things, and our current magazine editor, bless him.

As several forum members know, well those that have followed the Glen Ogle thread anyway, some of those tasks I can do, but, others have demonstrated on these pages, they can do better.

Whilst I am willing to help in whatever capacity I can, I am a volunteer, But I would need help.

My demonstrably poor memory would be of little use in the "What I Know", department, the editors chair is occupied, that only leaves the caption department, and I suppose this little homily has probably demonstrated that short and pithy captions do not come readily to my typing fingers.

So get back to me if you think I can contribute.

As yet, I have had no reply from Charles.

Kind regards,

BrianT.