Some of you may recall that last year I hosted a meet, for anybody interested in RPM, at the Central NY Rail Fair. The organizers sent me the forms again this year but due to a potential conflict and only
3 participants last year I had been leaning toward not doing it this year. However, I am willing to do it again if I can get a few to commit to participating. All that is required is an interest in modeling-to-scale a specific railroad-related prototype. You are the judge of how far to go with the detailing etc. In-process models are encouraged (Last year most of mine fit that category and this year will be the same, though I've made significant progress on my D&H Challenger). So how about it? Any takers?
I found out this weekend that I have no conflict on this day so it looks like this is a go. I'd appreciate hearing from you if you are interested in participating.
I've also received an offer of a donated prize, criteria of winning it as yet to be determined. There again, I'd welcome suggestions. So far I've thought of three: participant who comes the farthest; participant who brings the most models; or randon drawing. Based on last year's participation you have an excellent chance of winning as I feel I should disqualify myself and any of my relatives who might participate.
snipped-for-privacy@Courant.com (David Owens) tickled the keyboard:
Well, now you have an opportunity to come and judge for yourself if what Dave wrote is true. I received confirmation this weekend that we have space at the Central NY Train Fair on Saturday, November 1, for a short RPM meet. We will be displaying from 1-4pm as we did last year. I can't predict where we will be (there are 2 buildings) but requested space near the dealer who has offered to donate a prize for a yet-to-be-determined criterion. He is usually set up in the Horticulture building, as were we last year. There are 2 things I'd appreciate. One is suggestions on what would be the best standard on which to award the prize. Suggestions I've had are longest distance traveled and most models displayed. I want to stay away from things that require actual judgment of model and want to use the prize to encourage participation by somebody who might need just a little extra incentive. The other thing I'd like is for anybody who plans on attending to let me know that so I can better plan. Even if you aren't participating, if you are there, please look us up and stop by to say hello. I plan on wearing my D&H hat again as an identifier.
For your further information, I'd like to let you know that the dealer who has generously offered the incentives is none other than our own Peter King. You can check his web site at
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. Better yet, bring a model and participate and be eligible to win a gift certificate.
If you're referring to Andy Harman and others who share his desire to produce accurate models, you are very wrong. These prototype meets, as has been repeated numerous times in numerous forums, are opportunities for people of all skill ranges to get together to learn, enjoy each other's work and get inspired to do better.
To suggest that someone's model would be criticized because it is not as advanced as the one next to it shows a real ignorance of what prototype meets are about. There is no competition or judging.
It's simply people who enjoy model trains getting together to enjoy each others company, view a range of models and sometimes attend clinics.
I am wrong about nothing. Go ahead, dare to say ANYTHING other than RPM and King Andy are the greatest ever and see what happens! You are the one who is ignorant or part of the cult if you think they don't treat anyone not praising them as the enemy.
I haven't seen anything where the RPM folks require anything like the dittohead obeisance you pay to your prophets. What specific criticism do you have of their existence?
No one should reply to this troll. It's obvious he hasn't been within a thousand miles of a RPM meeting or if he was he brought his Lionel/whatever and was hurt when nicely told it wasn't a scale model.
Surprised your keyboard works with all the Koolaid you have spilled on it while lacing up the jack boots. You guys are the most angry bunch of rivet counting detail snobs ever. No wonder the hobby is shrinking if you guys are the kings of it. All hail us, if not, we craw out of the wood work and go for blood!
Well this rivit count don't care what others think.
If you are not a rivit counter the only question I have is "Are you happy doing what you're doing?" If so, welcome to my world. A model railroader is a model railroader is a model railroader. We live under a very big tent and there is room for us all.
And from the originator of this thread, a hearty amen. Personally, right now my main enjoyment of the hobby is accepting the challenge of trying to see how closely I can model a specific prototype in HO scale. If your enjoyment is running a Life Like F7 around an oval of track nailed to a plain 4x8 sheet of plywood, great! Have fun fellow model railroader.
Also, just for the record, Dave Owens and some friends hosted a 3-day RPM last spring, which I attended. I observed no put-downs or criticisms of models. Not even the well-done Reading RR-painted F40PH, which is definitely outside the concept of RPM.
What the ???? Coward? Hiding on his board? What the heck are you babbling about now? Andy has been on this newsgroup for a long time so. Matter of fact I've know of him since the old BBS on Genie. It was about 10 years until I actually met him in person at the Chicago Hobby Expo. Yes he has his own board. It's a Diesel List. I see no problem with him keeping folks out who wonder way off the beaten path and into politics and spouting venom.
I certainly fail to see why you have to spout these personal attacks all the time. Andy certainly doesn't need me to defend him as he has exhibited more credibility over time then your ever likely to share with the group. Just my opinion. Take it or leave it although I suspect I'll get some form of huffy off the cuff reply. If so have at it.
That's an interesting statement. Assuming you are talking about the diesel list, or perhaps the RPM list. In the 4.5 years the diesel list has been up and running, and in the 2 years the RPM list has been up and running, I have never "filtered" anything. I have never banned anyone, nor deleted a posting. I don't place people on moderated mode because I don't even have such an option in my software and haven't seen a need for it.
I know you don't believe me, so think what you want. I'm only posting this because I still consider this news group to be of value. Putting up with you is just part of the price of admission. I know you hate RPM, and me, but just in case I forget, keep reminding me every so often.
I first went on line in November of 1988, on Compuserve's ModelNet forum... at the time all of model railroading was one section of ModelNet, sysop was the late Jeff Kucsma. Sometime in 1989 the train section was spun off into TrainNet, a separate Compuserve forum. During the TrainNet war of 1992* I left for a time as did Jeff and a number of others and we went to the Fidonet TRAINS echo. I continued on there for several years, and then back to TrainNet in 1994 or so for a while, joined rec.models.railroad in the late summer or early fall of 1995.
I know a few vets of Fido Trains, Trainnet, and even the War of 92 are still around here - Don Dellman, Ken Freeman, Steve Edwards, Byron Ellett, and of course John Sheridan who may stick his head in the door once in a while here.
For those of you who think you've been in a flame war, the TrainNet war of 1992 was kind of the war to end all wars. It lasted more than four *months*. I ended up meeting many of the people (from both sides) in person, and I think long ago most of the hostility has been forgotten. The TrainNet war was unique in that it escalated - most of them fizzle out in a couple of weeks. This one escalated all the way to Compuserve's top management. It was sort of like WWI - ended in a stalemate. Everybody went separate ways, and one of the principals has since passed on. But I think everybody involved was affected in some way - and everybody learned something to take with them, about both war and peace. I learned two things mainly: Stick by your friends, and put things in perspective. It's possible to rigorously defend in an online war, and go about the rest of your life normally at the same time.
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