George Sellios' layout

Mexico is in America - North America to be a bit more precise.

"Gregory Procter" <

No, Mexico is not in America, period. "America" = U.S.A.

It is however, in North America, just like Canada, Cuba and the Caribbean Islands.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

Since when does America = U.S.A. ? Does Europe = Germany? Does Asia = China? The U.S.A. is not the only country in America. America means everything from Northernmost Canada/Greenland to Southernmost Chile/Argentina Mexico is certainly included therein. Mexicans are Americans Canadians are Americans Just the same as Germans and Italians are Europeans, and Siberians and Malaysians are Asians.

« I » always say "North America" when I want to be sure that everyone knows that I mean the entire northern continent and not South America or just the USA., but it is not really neccessary. All of us that reside on this particular group of plates are Americans, not just the USA.

.................F>

Georgia, USA

OK, I'll give it a try.

and what is not within the scope of our concept of model railroading. What actually constitutes a viable, workable, interesting replication in miniature of a real-world railroad and its workings.

I'm inclined to recognize three "types" of model railraoding effort. (There may be more but this is my simplified list)

Plywood Pacific--a test track or circle of track with no "environment". For me this is not a model railroad. But it can be an important first learning step leading to a model railroad.

Diorama--anything from a test track with environment to a huge room with many fully developed scenes. This is, in my opinion, a model railroad. It will have some or many elements of a real railroad--yards, terminals, industries, etc.

Model of a Railroad--This is a diorama (and therefore model railroad) that is also conceived as a fully realized economic entity with all the elements of a real railroad. It is probably operated like a real railroad, and can accommodate several operators functioning in the positions (dispatcher, engineer, etc.) of a real railroad.

The hobbiests who build any of the three are model railroaders IMHO.

Most scenicked layouts are probably of the second variety, but deserve to be considered model railroads. Perhaps because that is the level achieved, happily, by the majority of model railroaders.

Froggy I think uses the term "Model Railroad" to describe what I would consider a "Model OF A Railroad".

That's my opinion and I'm a stickin' to it. :-))

Bruce West Main Street Heritage Models

Toss "wospam" to e-mail

That's stupid - America is the two continents. We subdivide them into North and South. The USA is "the United States" of America.

Only if you don't mention Monty's Python in the same breath!

Jay It's a family show, WI

Right; "America" is _two_ continents, "North" and "South".

I'd guess your dictionary comes from the USA - it is defining common US misusage. Does it define adjectives and nouns, and how they are used in the english language?

It depends upon who they're talking to - they know you lot misuse the language so they talk down to your level.

It is seldom difficult to annoy an American from Canada when this is the subject.

Calling only those from the USA "Americans" is not correct even if some USA originated dictionary gives it as a definition. Think of it as a semi-improper use of the term. Everyone who lives on the continent is an American. Part of the problem is that there is no collective name for the denizens of the USA, so "American" got hung there by default. I am from Georgia, USA, therefore I am a Georgian. There are fifty-one other "countries" that make up the United States, each of which does have a nomenclature for describing its residents: Georgian, New Yorker, Illini, etc. Mexicans and Canadians have the advantage of having an additional step in their national identity, since an Albertan is also a Canadian is also an American. The exception to that is Quebec. Thay do not have any identity since even they do not seem to know who they are. Many of them mistakenly believe that they are Europeans. Perhaps if geography was better taught in the northernmost country in America, they might realize who and where they are.

...............F>

Nomex, GA.

Canadians are North Americans.

The U.S.A. should be correctly named the U.S.N.A. {United States of North America}.

Blame it on their founding fathers for not getting it right in their declaration & constitution. They did know at the time that there was and still is, 2 'Americas.'

Keith Laing

I'm Free!!

David.

Doesn't matter if an American from Canada agrees or not. He still lives on the American Continent, thus is an American, like it or not. He does have an option, however. You can move to Quebec where it is fashionable to pretend that you don't know where in the world you live, and that you don't know how to play baseball.

...................Froggy D'Expo>

A Brave American in Georgia.

Monty claims a python, but it is really just a pocket moccasin.

.............F>

Maybe for Terry Thompson and Russ Larson those charges ought to be felonies, lol.

Dieter Zakas

What do you mean by that? Are you claiming that Canada is NOT in America? What?

It would seem to me that « you » are the one that deserves the award. Claiming that people who live on the American continent are something other than Americans.

They may « also » be Canadians in addition to being Americans, but we are all Americans who live here between these longitudes. What do you have against being American? Are you from Canada? Well then how about Canadian-American if you don't object to hyphenated labels. Personally, I do and do not want to be known as a US-American. Just plain Georgian or American will do for me. North American is OK too, I guess. But, I don't really see any need to differentiate between north and south unless I'm giving directions. The only thing I really hate is "Yank" That one really pi * * es me off. I'm not from "Nooo Yawk" and I don' live in New England, so I'm not a Yank. But I do live in the geographic area of America, so................................. Besides, nobody has any grudge against Canadians. Not that I know of.

VBG. You don't need my agreement for anything. Just state your position and whatever anyone has to say will be said. This whole thing started when I asked for your opinion after giving mine. I don't want to know whether you agree with me or not, I want to know what you think. If your ideas are different from mine it doesn't mean that either one of us is wrong. You need to stop looking at it that way. It is not a contest of will or a struggle to establish rule of semantics. I simply wondered what others thought about what makes a model of a railroad "work" for them and what misses the mark.

It isn't rocket science and it isn't a drill in psychology. It's a simple question asked out of curiosity. If this thing really irritates you then take some time away from it like I did the windbag marathon on the Toronto Convention diatribe thread.

Cheers....................F>

After seeing the gross parody on the cover of the Sept issue (and inside), I don't want to hear any complaints about the F&SM not being realistic. Furlow strikes again!

True, it's part of NORTH America.

Southernmost

There are two contients, North and South America.

Yes, it's part of NORTH America.

No, they're North Americans.

Canadians are Americans

We bloody well are not!

We are, if anything NORTH Americans.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

"Jim Hill" <

Not true. Europeans will also try to convince you that there is one "American" continent instead of two, North and South. Europeans will also try to argue that Canadians, Mexicans et al are all "Americans".

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

<

Right. Canada is NOT in America. Canada is in NORTH America.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway