Page 3 - May June 1999

CUPOLA
...FROM THE EDITOR
publicity and recruitment, if properly organ- ised. It isn’t a case of better or worse, it is simply totally different, and you can’t com- pare roast beef with a Michelin tyre (well, maybe some roast beef you can!) How- ever, one answer to the “better-different layouts” problem would be quite simple. Those of you who visit shows and see these quality US outline layouts could easily ap- proach the owner, ask if they are interested in exhibiting at our conventions, and if so take a few brief details (e.g. owner’s con- tact phone number, locality, layout scale, size and theme maybe. Details can be padded out later). Send this info. to Keith Webb for his database. When any conven- tion bid is accepted, Keith could give a printout to the organiser, who can then pick and choose. This could equally apply to clinic givers, and demonstrators. But re- member the old saying about leading horses to water....
In a similar vein, and perhaps with unfortu- nate coincidental timing, there is a deal of feedback relating to Geoff Meek’s Black Di- amonds meet report. These replies too are crammed into this issue. On both subjects, those members who replied tended to send several pages of closely worded comment. Obviously while trying to maintain the sense of the replies, I have had to cut and trim much of the verbiage.
I now feel that both sides, of both subjects, have been sufficiently aired for the rest of us to get the point, and I really don’t feel much more space can be devoted to either topic. Of course, members should feel able to corresponded directly with each other if they feel strongly enough. Never let the facts stand in the way of a good debate! (Please remember that duels are now illegal in this country!)
Been there - done that!
I think members will find Robert Varley’s ar- ticle on changing scales not only interesting but in many cases nostalgic. Most of us have “been there/done that” and have our own collection of reminiscences of the “whys and wherefores”. Not only does this apply to scale changes, but the more major upheavals of any type - those which involve demolishing and rebuilding layouts, or even just rehashing collections of models.
On the subject of big changes, the nagging and recurring thought I find always present is that old chestnut “what would you do differently/better (hopefully) given the en- ergy and inspiration - not to mention the improved skills that come with age and ex- perience (we hope), reaching that peak of our ability just in time to be ferried off to the geriatrics ward, or worse. What would YOU try most to improve “next time”?
Catch the DataTrain...
Peter Thompson is now overseeing DATA- TRAIN, and his e-mail address is:
THOMPSONPE@aol.com
Martin Boyask
John Wright’s letter about
Region Conventions (Feb. issue) stirred quite a response, as both he and I expected! I have gathered together a distillation
of comments in this issue - unfortunately it wasn’t possible
to do most of this in time for the April issue so I suggest you re- read his February letter before perusing, in this issue, the replies received. As a background to this dialogue, I should perhaps
explain that, after originally receiving John’s viewpoints, I wrote to him to try to clarify certain points about our Conventions, and which it
seemed to me had been a little misunderstood. However John requested his letter still be published pretty much in full, which it was.
The points I had particularly tried to stress in my reply were the differences between our (private) Region Convention and a typ- ical public show. I felt that the registration fee, apparently seen as a bone of con- tention, could not be compared to a show entrance charge, in terms of “value re- ceived”. Few visitors to a public exhibition stay there for the best part of three days. There seems to be a mistaken belief that any member visiting for a few hours must pay the full registration fee, whereas they are only charged a much lesser day fee. It is interesting that no complaints about reg- istration cost have been received from any member who has attended full conven- tions, and it seems to me it would be unfair to waive that charge for members who sleep outside of the hotel but otherwise at- tend the full event.
Several of John’s ideas for altering the con- vention would simply convert it into a pub- lic show. Such an event could be very enjoyable (members might remember my February editorial, where I suggested just such a show to mark the Millennium year) but, if staged, it should be additional to the Convention, not replace it, nor masquerade as it.
John admitted right at the outset that he has never taken part in a Convention, so he will have little conception of the traditional social atmosphere involved, and the way in which the Convention cannot be compared to a public MRE of any description. Conventions as such are not suitable vehi- cles for large-scale public admission-recruit- ment or whatever. I doubt that any form of society treats its annual (in-hotel social) convention in this way. It is also the only NMRA BR function in which members’ spouses or partners can enjoy full partici- pation. A (non-residential) show or open house certainly would be a good vehicle for
ROUNDHOUSE JUNE 1999
CONSIST...
CUPOLA 3
PRESIDENT’S CAR 4
POPULAR VOTE CONTEST 4
Les Herriot
GOLDEN SPIKE AWARDS 4
Steve Park
LETTERS SPECIAL 4
Ian Wheeler
BASEBOARD SPECIAL 8
Dick Ganderton & Ken O’Shea
BEANERY 10
UNCOUPLED CARS 10
TIMETABLE 11
WHAT’S ON & WHERE 12
HEY THERE! Info from John Hey 14
HALF YEAR MINUTES 14
From Brunel Meet - Steve Park
NMRA(BR) AUTHORS AWARD 15 6 MONTHS “PROGRESS” IN P87 16
John Wright
THE VIRTUAL RAILFAN TREK 18
Mike Arnold
NON RAIL NEWS Carol Webb 20
REGISTRAR NEWS 20
LOGGING MODULES 20
Alan Rogers
RAILROAD REVIEW 17 CONSTRUCTORS' CORNER 18
Moving to N Scale • Modelling Tips
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