I Love Competition

I've seen many races where the fastest pit crew won the race, not the driver.

NASCAR guys always say "the race is 90% set-up, 10% driving", meaning if the car isn't dialed in just right, the driver can't do a thing with it. I've played Papyrus' NASCAR simulator, and they're right. If your set up isn't right, the car won't turn worth anything. The set up also has to match your driving style; do you go gradually into a turn or do you throw the car into the turn at the last second? Decelerate through the turn, or accelerate out? All that plays a part.

Jay Modeling the North Shore & North Western C&NW/CNS&M in 1940-1955 Due to spam, all e-mails except those from selected addresses will be refused. Thanks for your understanding.

It was never illegal to my knowledge, but 50 years ago if Joseph McCarthy heard about it, he'd have you over to a pig roast, and you'd be the pig. It's never been illegal AFAIK, but at some times more than others, extremely frowned upon.

Jay Modeling the North Shore & North Western C&NW/CNS&M in 1940-1955 Due to spam, all e-mails except those from selected addresses will be refused. Thanks for your understanding.

That fits nicely with my analogy, because the pit crew is as much a part of race day performance as is the driver. In line with true competition, it's a very much head-to-head, in-the-moment kind of thing. A creative "competition" such as a model contest, the creator isn't even a participant on the day of the actual "event".

Andy

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Exactly. I still fight an uphill battle against the attitude that I would compete in model contests if only the terms were to my liking, or in other words, if I could win. The truth is, if they had a contest for building an EL SDP45 from Cannon parts, tile styrene, Kato drives, and RPP roof parts and the rules explicitly stated that Zygmunt, Orth, Ryan, Hussey, Banna, and Rutherford weren't allowed to enter, I _still_ wouldn't enter the contest.

The NMRA is an organization that is capable of acting blind, deaf and dumb both individually and collectively. You need only need search the usenet archives for threads like this:

NMRA official: Why does everyone hate the NMRA?

Usenet chorus:

NMRA official: That's not it. You internet guys are all negative. I'll ask somewhere else.

Sometimes I am a pretty reasonable guy. After all, I am still an NMRA member. And you know, these NMRA officials come and ask *me* "Why does everybody hate the NMRA?". They are usually dissapointed in my answer, which is a question: Why don't you ask them, or pay attention to what they are saying? They expect me to be Randy Lee, and come up with a reason that puts the blame on the NMRA dropouts, by labeling them cowards or negative whiners or whatever. If the NMRA is willing to label 90% of model railroaders as negative whining cowards, they will continue to have a membership representative of only 10% of the hobby. You keep doing what you did, you'll keep getting what you got.

Andy

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Thank you for the information. This sounds interesting.

When you exhibit instead of compete, you encourage many modelers to show their skills who would otherwise opt out. Model railroading is, among other things, an art form. The enjoyment of art is not enhanced by using it as a bludgeon in competition. It is enhanced by allowing those of all skill levels and areas of interest to show what they have done. Many models that would be adjudicated as unworthy in a NMRA sanctioned contest are actually extremely interesting and enjoyable.

Going to a model contest such as the annual NMRA event can be a discouraging experience rather than an uplifting one. In that venue you tend to see the work of people who live for competition. Often, the only thing they do in the way of the hobby is build models for competition. Much of the time they are not really model railroaders, they are unpaid professional model builders. I know of cases where the person actually was a professional model maker (machinist) and design engineer with a million-dollar machine shop at his disposal. It is impossible to compete against these people. It is like sending the Detroit Tigers to play in a professional baseball game. Hell. man, they don't stand a chance. Neither do you. As a result, there are fewer and fewer models every year.

I would much rather go to a meet where everyone is encouraged to show their work without threat of judgment. This is one instance where quantity truly is better than "quality". I put quality in quotes because I cannot think of a better word to use at the moment, but I hope you know how I mean it. I would rather see the work of twenty-five different people that to see ONE textbook-perfect model of some obscure, boring (to me) composite construction stock car. I don't care if it has the correct widget-crossaxle trucks, its not interesting. What's worse is that I can't find anything that interests me in the extremely limited field of choices.

I do not live very far from Savannah. I may just go to the next meet there and take some of my models to show

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

The Savannah meet is very laid back, and I love the town, one of my favorite Southern towns. Too bad he moved it up to April, on the heels of my annual CA trip... but I guess he decided it was too hot in June.

Andy

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I read the mag today. I think many people are like me, they are not into competing because it is a hobby. I get enough competition at work etc. Why would I want to do it on the weekend. Reminds me of the golfers who want to bet everything. Shutup and hit the ball and relax. Save your money for the 19th hole.