Travel question, which show??

[Jim Flynn]

Hobby, I am going to try to work it so we are over for at least 2 weeks, if not 3 or longer. We have a good friend who lives in London, insisting we stay there so as not to have to pay for hotels, allowing us to extend our stay. Still some 'Ifs' factors in the equation.

So, going to one or more other events may be do-able. I do want to get a visit in to the Bluebell Railway, as the SECR and LBSCR are my standard gauge interests, though I don't do any modelling of them.

Rod, I think you are correct. I am not a 'club' person, more because my interests, as I stated earlier, are usually pretty specific. Being overseas, I don't feel I am so much a part of a 'clu', belonging to the 009 Society, as much a member of a group who shares info and experiences. My primary benefit is the News, each month, thouh I will most likely take advantage of the sales function at some point.

Jim

[rod335]

 Oh dear Jim! My comment was not intended to be about you in any sense. Please accept my apologies if it offended you. If you make it to the AGM please do make contact.

[Jim Flynn]

Rod, no, I didn't take it that way for a instant. I was just saying that I am like some of those folks who you quoted.

Reading back, I can see where you might have thought I felt you meant me. Not at all.

One of the pitfalls of just text, verses the spoken word :)

Jim

[Hobby]

I think it depends on the club... I was an active member of the Preston MRC in my younger days, even at one point on the Committee! However when I went into NG I found that the vast majority of "local" model railway clubs held little interest and, although I tried several, I never stayed with them. However as far as Societies such as ours (and several others) are concerned I've been an active member of several for many years and have even rejoined the WLLR with the intention of volunteering again! Horses for courses...

BTW Jim, if you are not already a member of NGRM-Online Forum I'd suggest you join it, it's a lot more active than this forum due to it covering all aspects of NG Modelling!

[danny]

when I went into NG I found that the vast majority of "local" model railway clubs held little interest

I've found this as well every time I've considered joining a club. It probably does not help that there is more variation within NG modelling than there typically seems to be in SG (because there's less RTR?) so NG groups seem to work better if they cover a larger area than a 'traditional' model railway club (like the 009 Society area groups) and have less focus on building group layouts. I know there have been some very good 009 'club layouts' (Evaleight springs to mind) and I am not criticising these in any way, just observing that in narrow gauge it might be even harder to accommodate everyone's modelling interests than it already is generally, especially within a more general model railway club. I once listened to a committee member at a (mainly standard gauge) club explaining the incredibly complex and convoluted fictitious history he had had to produce to justify a layout on which stock from all of the big four companies could be run (there were I think more specific requirements as well). I think given that narrow gauge railways (at least in Britain) were unconnected and of different gauges this would be made even more complex. This is assuming there are enough NG modellers in the average local group to even consider an NG layout.

Getting back to the original question, I would probably agree that NG South would fit Jim's interests. In the past it has been mainly (though not entirely) 009 with a reasonable number of 7mm NG layouts as well. I like Expo just as much since it shows the variety of narrow gauge modelling (including the layouts that have visited from overseas). In the end I think which is 'best' is up to the individual modeller's tastes, but hopefully with more information about what to expect at each show it is possible to make an informed choice.

[Jim Flynn]

Back again..Looking forward to a little less 'busy' time here at the house.

Hobby, I am signed on with the NGRM-Online forum, as well as RMWeb, for it's NG content. I also am in the FB groups, 009 Modellers and HOn30, 009 and HOe Modelers. The last 2, I only look at maybe one a week or 2. To me, FB groups are more about 'Hey, look what I (did, made, bought, etc..)' so people will tell you how wonderful it is, almost instantly. A form of instant gratification. Mind, I think that applies to most, if not all, FB groups/pages.

With so many forums, groups, etc.., it just seems that info is now more difficult to find, being scattered all over. With NGRM-Online, I usually just look at the 4mm and 7mm sections under scale specific. The same with RMWeb, though it's not broken out.

I did note, the other day, that the Society Chairman left the FB group, after folks got very negative about something he said regarding RTR items.

To be honest, I have gleaned more from the Society News, in many cases, than from hopping around from forums/groups, spending time I'd rather not, looking for info.

Just me, I suppose.

Jim

[Hobby]

With NGRM I just open the "new content" page, look through the list, open the ones I am interested in on another tab (looking at scale specific I'd miss all the prototype stuff amongst other things such as scenery tips, etc.) and then "mark all read" so i know where to start next time I visit...

I hate FB for these sorts of discussions so don't tend to post...

With RMWeb I just look at the NG section every so often as it's not that busy...