Interested in your opinions.

WHERE ?

Joules

UK based, Wales.

In message , Robert Wilson writes

What scale/track gauge?

Well I was thinking both 5 inch and 7.25. That would capture most audience I think.

Rob.

In message , Robert Wilson writes

How will your project fit alongside the GL5 Society and GL5 complexes such as Gilling?

Well what I am proposing is different to a club track. I would be offering on site high quality accomodation so that it is a holiday venue.

Well i'll ask the question differently. Would you be interested in a holiday location like this? There is nothing else on offer like this and I would personally do something like this.

Regards,

Rob.

Are you planning just to provide the track (BYO loco/rolling stock) or will you have locos etc. that the punters can play with too? I would have thought the latter would broaden the market a bit to those that haven't access to models/track but fancy having a go. You could offer training (pun not intended) etc...

Regards, Tony

I wish you well but regret to say that the answer is no for at least three main reasons...

1, To my mind, getting thoroughly dirty, smeared with sooty oil, and smelling of burnt anthracite is somehow incompatible with, and likely to be unpopular with, "on site high quality accommodation". 2, If I am to take my loco elsewhere it is likely to be a rally, competition or event hosted by another club. This is because the social aspect is a factor in my choice. Which is why I shall probably attend the Northern Association NGLEC at Oswestry this year but not the Southern Federation IMLEC. The former has no pretensions to being anything other than a fun event, in the latter the participants take themselves too seriously. 3, My primary interest (all scales and gauges) leans toward narrow gauge.

Not sure about that. There are probably many good reasons why that is impossible to do. Insurance and competence for a kick off. How do you know know when someone turns up they have not idea how to fire a loco, or i they know anything about signalling and so forth. I suppose you could limit visitors without their own traction to a battery electric locomotive. Would be cheaper as well.

Rob.

You point about the high quality accomodation being affected by smelly and sooty locomotive enthusiasts is a fair one. I would have thought that being able to meet up with other Model engineers in this kind of environment would be a good thing.

Obviously setting up something like this would take an enormous amount of investment.

I may be driven towards setting up an online questionnaire. Or turning up a an exhibition and asking people questions as they go in. I don't like being harried by people with clipboards. Perhaps some nice young women would get a better response from attendees?

Cheers for your thoughts anyway, they are useful.

Regards,

Rob.

It sounds like an interesting and fun holiday, but probably only for a couple of days. Worth pursuing I think tho, or doing more market research.

Good luck!

Zed

I know it's not really related, but I'm sure I've heard guys at work talking about similar kind of set-ups around commercial fishing ponds. It might be worth having a look at what those type of venues offer as regards accomodation and amenities, plus activities for non- participants. A bar would be a good idea;).

Stu G

On or around Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:04:14 +0100, Robert Wilson enlightened us thusly:

whereabouts?

Mid Wales, near Newtown.

Rob.

I suppose it depends on the individual. If there are enough changes of locomotive then someone may want to stay for a while. There's lots to do round these parts with all the narrow gauge Railways etc etc.

This is only the start of the Market research. banks won't want to touch me unless there is a thoroughly research business plan.

Cheers,

Rob.