Volume 49 Issue 8 - May 2022

[Stuart Taylor]

Everyone

The May issue has gone to the printers. You can look forward to 3 layout articles, 2 stock articles and 4 other articles.

This month also sees a change to Branchlines. I hope you like it!

As always, if you have comments or suggestions for 009 news then do email me at contents@009society.com

The current stash of articles stands at

Layouts           9
Motive Power   4
Buildings         1
Prototypes       1
Stock               1
Techniques       1

I'd love to have more so do please think what you could contribute!

Stuart

[Stuart Taylor]

So what's the view on Branchlines in the May issue? Are fewer, longer, entries the way forward compared to lots of small entries? Is there going to be a happy middle ground?

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Stuart

[cp.409067]

Stuart

The publication of a simple list of groups and contact details is excellent. That constitutes a service to members. As you have shown this occupies less than a full page.

However, that is all in the normal run of events that is needed. The removal of lots of small entries is to be welcomed and is long overdue. As to the provision of fewer longer entries that is unnecessary.

The resulting space saved can then be used for interesting articles about modelling.

*****

That I realise raises a crucial point.

I suspect that over the years some of your predecessors have welcomed the branchlines reports as a way of filling space when there may otherwise have been a dearth of articles. Dare one hope than that those who were formally the enthusiastic group scribes, might in the future (a) become the zealous authors of descriptions of modelling, and (b) encourage their group members to do the same?

*****

One more point if I may. Can the authors of layout articles please be encouraged to provide track plans?



Christopher Payne

[clayliner]

I'd tend to agree with Christopher. Goings-on in one group are generally of little or no great interest to members elsewhere; if people really want to find out what happened at the last meeting of any other Group, or when the next meeting might be, they only have to email the contact printed in the News. Ditto for their own Group (unless they were actually at the last meeting, of course). Though it would still be possible just to include the details of the next meeting under each Group, though the lead time for publishing the News does make this rather complicated.

If Group meetings' affairs are worth disseminating generally then I'd suggest this forum is the ideal medium for doing that - as the W. Mids. folk have realised.

Otherwise it looks like a good issue, though I'm still working my way through it... Graham Kean's excellent article makes me wonder whether there would be any interest in a Purbeck SIG?

David.

[Stan Williams]

It would appear that it is best to put details on the 009 Railway Modellers Facebook, as there are more 009 society members
on there, than on here.
The question is why ?

Stan.

[JulienW]

As someone who writes the reports for the West Mids Group (for some time now) it was getting harder to edit the 300-500 words I would generate to the 150 or less for 009 News.  With the recent increase in the number of Local Area Groups (LAGs) to 30, and more of them submitting reports (keeping in touch during COVID lock downs?) Stuart was faced with the dilemma of either reducing the word count to the point where other than details of the next meeting there would be nothing else, or cutting the number of reports printed each month.

In consultation with those writing/ submitting reports it was decided that each month 3 or 4 groups would have the opportunity to submit a longer piece to 'showcase' what they do as a group, if only to remind the the membership as a whole that they still exist!

However, I would take issue with those who feel that Branchlines is "unnecessary" or "of little or no interest to members elsewhere"

In the first instance this Society started out as a postal society, and often the only contact members had with one another was our newsletter 009 News. Admittedly times have changed and more and more is being done online, but surely a monthly printed newsletter still has a place in the modern world (if only because if you drop your paper copy in the bath whilst reading it you can just dry it out - try that with a smartphone or tablet computer!). Note my italics- if you want a magazine then there are other alternatives out there...

In the second instance our local area groups are, I feel, one of our biggest selling points. Given the dearth of narrow gauge railway modelling (let alone 009 modelling) found in the average model railway club how are our members going to meet up with like (narrow?) minded modellers to chat about their projects, overcome problems and get inspiration? And whilst there may be a list of area groups on the website comparatively few of those have their own websites. How will a new member (particularly one who is not IT savvy) find out if they have an active LAG and what that LAG gets up to in order to make an informed decision regarding whether to get involved or not?

As as to the contents of reports not being of interest to others not in the group, several times I have received emails from (non West Mids) members asking for further information about things that West Mids members have done that I've mentioned in the reports that have been read in 009 News.

I know full well that Branchlines is a bit 'marmite', but just because a vocal minority don't like it that is not a reason to deny access to those of us who do enjoy reading about what our area groups get up to.

And knowing the effort that goes in to running a group, arranging meetings and writing regular reports (probably getting on for 20 years by now) it's somewhat disappointing to see my efforts and those who coordinate the other area groups seemingly dismissed...

[David Weber]

I am pleased with the new Branchlines format. Providing a list gets round the problem of some groups not being represented because they did not send in reports. Including details of next meeting or usual meeting patterns (eg; second Saturday of the month) in the list is a good idea but inconsistent at the moment with only some entries providing this information. I do not agree with the idea that it should be just a list. Knowing nothing about a group beyond a name and a contact address is going to be offputting for new people, especially in the case of groups with no website. The 'showcase' pieces describing and promoting each group provide a useful insight into what each group does without all the obscure in-group references of the traditional reports.

Concerning trackplans, I think the importance should not be overstated. An article on a large or complex layout is much more insightful with a plan included as it provides a perspective that photographs cannot, showing the 'method behind the madness'. For instance a rabbit warren can be very difficult to figure out without a plan. However. if the layout is small and/or a simple , a plan is hardly necessary as it is obvious from a sentence and a picture or two, how everything goes together. I do not think for example that my layout, a passing station with one siding, really needs explanatory diagrams.

[Frank]

Regarding Branchlines, I have not yet got back to regularly attending local groups, due to other commitments, and so like to follow what is going on in the reports, but I also have friends in more distant groups so like to see what they have been doing in the other reports.  However, all these would be covered by putting the reports on the Website.

Regarding track plans, I always look for the track plan first when reading a piece on a layout as it allows me to understand the relative position of the parts of the model described and shown in the photos as well as understand the operational possibilities.  So I find them very useful and am disappointed if there is no plan, unless the layout is very simple or there is a general overview photo which to some extent provides the same information.

Frank

[Hugh Norwood]

Track plans were always difficult to extract from authors way back when I edited the NEWS - and then when they did arrive I would often have to re-jig them to produce a print-acceptable format, which is time consuming. I shouldn't think much has changed.

As some have commented, a bird's-eye view photo of the layout would suffice in most cases, but that can be problematic, too.

[Hugh Norwood]

As to Branchlines - the SIGs report on this forum, so the groups could, too. Some do already

It may encourage more members to join the forum! <grin>

[clayliner]

And knowing the effort that goes in to running a group, arranging meetings and writing regular reports (probably getting on for 20 years by now) it's somewhat disappointing to see my efforts and those who coordinate the other area groups seemingly dismissed...

Not by me, Julien, as hopefully you appreciated! Indeed I held up the W Mids Group as an example to all!

David.

[Stan Williams]

Lets not get carried away with the thought that everyone is on the internet, they are not.

We have a regular attendance of between 55 to 65 coming to Rainford, but I have to contact five members of the 009 society
by phone to keep them up to date. They have also missed out on the newsletters produced over the last couple of years by the
North West Groups.
I am certain that Brian Elsmore could also point out a large number of society members who are not on the internet from around the UK.
So the question is,  why should they miss out ?

As for track plans for layouts, ask any exhibition manager in the UK and they will tell you, its like getting blood out of a stone !!
Normal answer is,  I am rubbish at drawing and don t want to make a fool of myself.

You maybe able to do it, but many cannot or just do not need the hastle and its all about everyone not just what a handful would like.

Stan.

[David Weber]

Indeed, the 'just put groups stuff on the internet' argument seems like a slippery slope to 'just put the whole news on the internet and have no magazine'. Which would be bad. Magazines and other publications have the advantage of being properly curated and edited so give you more and higher quality information in less time than unregulated digital media.

[clayliner]

David, I'd be the last person to suggest doing away with a 'proper' magazine. However, it seems (1) the issue here is that there is a perceived need (which might be challenged by some!) to reduce the space occupied by Branchlines in the 009 News and (2) the area/group coordinator would still have as much control over information posted (by them, anyway) as they would in the print edition, so would still be in a position to regulate and curate such information, I'd have thought.

David.

[cp.409067]

*

It is because there is the desire for a "proper" magazine that some feel the branchlines reports to be an inappropriate use of space.

Some like the idea of such reports moving to this forum. Others object that they should remain available to those who do not use the internet.

There is a solution to this that ought I suggest be widely acceptable and avoid the bad feeling that this matter has previously generated.

*****

Why does not the Society emulate the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association and provide both a magazine and separate leaflet in printed form?

(i)   The leaflet could contain the group reports and perhaps information from the Sales Team. It might work to its own shorter deadlines.

(ii)   This leaflet would be simply produced in black and white on plain (non-glossy) paper.

(iii)   As with the 7mm NG Association the leaflet would have its own editor. This person would obviously be an enthusiast for the group reports and might want to style the leaflet the "OO9 NEWSLETTER".

(iv)   This would free space in "OO9 NEWS" for modelling articles and allow our worthy editor to get on with the work of producing the magazine we all want.

(v)   The material published in the "OO9 NEWSLETTER" could also be put on this forum. This would be to the convenience of many, whilst those dependent on paper copies would not be disadvantaged.

Obviously there would need to be an investigation as to the costs of production and distribution, but given that the 7mm NG Association has been doing this for many years (granted on a bi-monthly basis) surely it is worth considering such an idea.


Christopher Payne