RADICAL REVISIONS in THINKING and PLANNING are REQUIRED

 

In my opinion, as a person who has the luxury of being able to stand back and view the situation dispassionately, it requires a major revision of the program on a few fronts. The first one --- Watch 'em, don't ride 'em --- is so radical that it goes against the very grain of the name chosen [Riding RailKits] by Rod Johnston for his one-inch-to-the-foot models (RJ Scale) , now sadly Out-Of-Production.

Why do we demean our interest by spending (sometimes) years on a model, researching details, fabricating intricate parts, then spoil it irretrievably by perching on top of them and hauling hugely oversize, out-of-scale "real people" around an endless circle of sand and shrubbery, while friends, strangers , and casual onlookers gawk, chat unconcernedly, and never get close enough to even see the workmanship?

If we're trying to capture railroad history, if we're trying to persuade others to join us in this complex and demanding hobby, we have chosen a medium which is the complete reverse of what is required.

Scale-compatible scenery to critically necessary to lend an air of realism to the scene . BUT no scale-correct human figures populate this landscape; there are no models of the magnificent automobiles of the era (think Packard, classic Buicks and Cadillacs the almost universally present Model A Fords) ; no houses, no business district to justify the endless parade of rail traffic . If you or your railway friends are modeling electrically-propelled rail models --- the prime subject of these blogs --- there is no overhead, no intricate web of catenary, nothing but that endless circle of track; any scenery in place would be swept to the ground as riders went racing by. In the icionic words of Dr. Phil "How has that been working for you ?"

Of all practitioners of this hobby, only the British tram enthusiasts, modeling in 1:16 scale, that is,       (3/4ths inch = one foot) have made the transition to a believable viewscape, and have done it extremely well, primarily --- in my opinion --- because they don't --- actually can't --- ride the little rascals AND they spend as much effort on their cityscapes as they do on their model trams .

More rants to follow in this simple and attractive solution, which the more perceptive among you can probably already anticipate. 

N.B. Have you noticed that "G Scale" track is .334 inches high ?  That translates --- when we multiply it by One-Inch scale's "Magic Multipler" of twelve --- into four prototype inches high, OR scaled down 75 pound rail, an excellent all-around useful and accurate prototype . It serves everything from historical, even pre-1900, steam to light rail to trolleys and trams, to RDC-compatible trackage. For Two-Inch scale (PS scale / Gauge) , one-inch high rail available from live steam suppliers scales out to six-inch prototype, a really robust prototype size that will handle anything.

If we do the same for one-sixth scale (1:6, 2 inches = one foot) , the one inch rail used for live stem operation scales out to a six inch high prototype, which is AREA 100 pound rail, a good healthy standard . 

Doesn't all this make a small model manufacturing business sound like a more exciting and interesting activity as a potential small business earning a modest income --- instead of the current earned bank interest rate of less than one percent on money market accounts or Certificates of Deposit ? 

At some point in these blogs, we'll cover one of the most critically important --- but most frequently ignored --aspects of these home businesses, namely, marketing .  Two demerits if you think that means advertising ; that's equivalent to buying an automobile because you like the color !

 

CREATION : The First Thing is to NAME Them

Just so we can all begin to agree on what constitutes the Mega Scales, we need to identify them and name them, so we know what we're referring to --- OK, if we're going to be persnickety about grammar --- so we know to what we're referring .

My proposal ( for all to use without fear of copyright violation ) :

1 inch to the foot --- RJ Scale, for Rod Johnston, who actually produced a commercial line of one inch scale models , before retreating from the model railroad world to his dental practice in Northern Ontario . That works out to one-twelfth full size . This was also made famous as a secondary product line by Little Engines, whose advertisements in popular (non-hobby) publications claiming "Just bolt 'em together"  probably lured as many people into the live steam hobby under (let's be honest) false pretenses as any other print material . The best claim to fame for one inch scale currently is that it is utilized extensively in the dollhouse hobby --- both a good point (lots of material for lineside scenery) AND a bad point for its identification with artsy-craftsy miniatures .

1.5 inches to the foot --- LS  Scale , for Live Steam, whose one-eighth full size railroad models are --- arguably --- the most popular and widely utilized Mega - Scale  . Here's an example of one-eighth scale traction by Bruce Moffatt : 

2 inches to the foot --- PS Scale,   one-sixth scale,  because Mattel , manufacturers of Barbie (Aaaaagh ! ), has established a huge marketing line of toys and dolls in that scale and has undoubtedly copyrighted the name PlayScale, OR DisPlayScale as a takeoff on Mattel's name and on the fact that it makes a spectacular display, if one takes advantage of the benefits conferred by Forced Perspective, O scale background flats, and the wide variety of trackside accessories .


Mr. Parry of the U.K., inventor of Parry's People Movers (PPM), a local transportation medium intended for rural areas and almost-forgotten passenger stops, sitting next to his one-sixth model of a PPM at an industrial exhibition .


and finally ,

3 inches to the foot --- GH Scale , one-fourth scale , named for Gordon Hatch, whose extraordinary models in that size model trolleys (trams)  are now located in a museum in Central Saanich, British Columbia, Canada :

Why "Mega-Scale" ?  Because everywhere I go in print or on line, so-called G scale (more properly G Gauge) is referred to as "Large Scale" . A pox on what our Scottish cousins might call "wee sma' toys " ! 

The other restriction that I would like to strongly recommend --- even though it may seem like an imposition on our Live Steam friends who enjoy riding around their giant railway layouts ... and around, and around, and around , is that we stop riding on top of our models in the mega-scales, as it diminishes (in every way) their appeal to most non-hobbyists .

Think amusement park rides .

Think restricted tunnel and bridge heights and clearances .

Think reducing the viewscape of the audience so much as to eliminate any chance of  reality ;

Think eliminating the possibility of placing scale rooftop details on any (true) trolley, tram,  or   heavy-service box cab equipment . Can you spell "CRUNCH" ?   and finally,

Eliminate the possibility of utilizing the currently underutilized art (literally) of Forced Perspective  which might become a truly saving grace of realism in model railways .

Nowhere is it etched in stone that the only significant model railroad scales run from N to G scale, with a brief nod to live steam's inch-and-a-half to the foot . 

• Let's consider Live Steam first, and try to figure out why its demographics are heading into Old Age . Premises based on observation, experience, and common sense :          
• There are many fewer skilled craftsmen and machine-literate people than there used to be

·       If automobiles were marketed like live steam locomotives--- sold in unfinished parts to be machined and assembled by the purchaser --- most of us would still be riding horses

·       Locomotive prices now equal or exceed those for luxury automobiles; they often exceed $30,000, and some mega-scale ready-to-run locos are priced at $80,000, the price of a nice Mercedes.

·       Very few people write a check for the full amount of a car; yet, live steam locomotive manufacturers expect to be paid in full at the time of purchase .Would you own an automobile if you had to pay cash for it up front ?

·       The car-leasing and -rental system opened the doors for a widely expanded market for cars

·       In these days of instant gratification, people want to have their purchases available right now

·       Auto buyers are reasonably sure that they will be driving their cars for some time, and therefore don't hesitate to stretch the purchase cost and assembly over a significant period of time; new buyers of live steam and mega-scale models can't be confident that they will still be in the hobby in five years.

·       Dr. Albert Einstein's definition of insanity : Doing the same things over and over again, and expecting different results.

·       The cost of liability insurance will increase at the same rate as (or faster than) legal fees and inane jury verdicts.

·       I just read a Letter to the Editor of the BRMNA Journal, the newsletter of the British Railway Modellers of North America, that "... many young people are unable to use simple tools; they hold a hammer at the top [Ed.: I can't even picture that, as even young chimpanzees know how to use a hammer] , that many Grade 11 students [age approx. 16] do not know which way to turn a screwdriver [to] tighten a screw; and many have never used a portable power tool". GOOD LUCK in preserving the model railroad hobby with entry-level folks like that !