Page 9 - January February 2012

C A R S
(all items by the Editor unless otherwise credited)
PIKE REGISTRY
See this year’s Directory for details of how to make submissions to our new Pike Registry and how to use it.
From Brian Moore
Dear Editor,
I read, with increasing depression, John Spratley’s Cyder Belt/Claverton Modular Club Annual Report 2011 in the Decem- ber 2011 Roundhouse. He relates, “The last year has been very disappointing . . . due mainly to apathy from members in the southwest area. It seems that there is little or no interest in group or club activities.”
He tells us that his groups have “experi- enced a large fall in attendances”, and that “the small hard core of members . . . are becoming increasingly pessimistic about seeing any renewal of support.”
This isn’t the first time that Mr Spratley has regaled us with similar tales of woe; I ask myself, “When will he wake up to the suspicion that his ideas to attract new
members, no matter how commendable, are simply NOT attractive to anyone else?” They may be to him, but they obviously are anything but, to potential new members. The obvious lesson from this is: it is YOU who has to change, Mr Spratley. However, he seems to expect, despite his strenuous efforts never paying any dividends, that his stuck record will eventually be attractive. I think not.
It is my experience, both personally and professionally, that the people who say in a crisis, “I’m doing it right, and it’s everyone else who is wrong,” are the very ones who need to change the most. Mr Spratley’s continuing lack of ability to attract new members should surely provide him with this lesson. I wonder if it will.
It also surprises me that Mr Spratley is unaware of the existence of the NMRA(BR) Western Union group, located in Plymouth, many miles to the SOUTH WEST of his own failing efforts in the “southwest”; we take exception to being
included in his sweeping statement of failure. Perhaps he’s also blind to the existence of the Exeter-based RS Tower group, which has done so much to promote US model railroading across the whole of England? Mr Spratley’s report is based on his observations of (non) happenings in Bath, Gloucestershire and elsewhere, 130–150 miles to the north- east of Plymouth. Our membership re- mains constant-to-slightly-growing, thank you very much, and we have plans and funds to commence a new 36’ state-of-the- art layout, with an attachable modular branch line; perhaps it’s because we’re just that much closer to North America than he is? Or is it because we have adapted our ideas and aspirations, and don’t give the constant impression to potential members that we are fully stuck in the past, and have a “can’t change, won’t change” mentality?
YARD LIMIT
Steve Scott and Nigel Bowyer at the Warley show with the NMRA-BR Publicity Stand Photo: Pat Grace
Harking back to my long gone Western Virginia Railroad steam era layout, which ran mainly C&O, the PFM/United K4 Kanawha showed up recently for a coat of paint.
Though one of the earlier runs, the chunky loco is typical of the “layout friendly” brass loco of years gone by, well detailed but solidly built, like its prototype.
Some research can be needed – these were built by both Lima and Alco, in several groups with varying detail But Stauffer’s “C&O Power” book, and excellent websites, solve the problems
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