Heljan plans for 2010 onwards

Err, you don't 'join' the LMS Society I'm afraid - you wait till you are 'invited'. This only happens if you have a contribution to make to the research and modelling activities. The LMSS realised on day one that there were too many people who just want to take what they can get and put nothing in but their subs so we made it a 'closed' society to that group. On the other hand if you have a genuine contribution to make to the recording and modelling of the LMS (doing research, writing articles, books, producing kits etc) you will be welcomed into the group. At the moment we have about

50+ members and it looks like staying around that number. We justify this behaviour by giving out information and advice to any outsiders who ask questions or need to see drawings, photographs, etc. We have a website which gives details of our services. Members have published hundreds of books and thousands of articles in the 46 year history of the LMS Society. We meet as a society twice a year in LMS locations usually for a weekend of talks and data exchange.

Alistair Wright LMS Soc Coaching stock archivist

In article , simon writes

Not on any of the London commuter trains I have been on! Unless you travel very much off-peak, you are lucky to get a seat.

David

Even Inter-city trains, Nuneaton - Euston ? Just visited Nuneaton station for first time in 8 years, what the heck is the new bit for - not a straight line in the structures, was that intentional.

Cheers, Simon

This is exactly how it should be in the others I described, like it. One day may qualify, who knows. If they dont let me in then will start my own :-) But I do support the society by buying the journal - absolutely wonderful publication.

Cheers, Simon

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Well I doubt any of the other outfits can, or would, operate like the LMSS. BTW you can 'ask' to join and if you do you will be invited to make your case, and if it's good enough, get a chance to attend a meeting where you will be 'looked at' by the members. Sounds a bit elitist (what's wrong with that?) but it keeps the Society at the forefront of railway societies. That's how I joined. Only one person has ever been black-balled and he was a known notorious troublemaker in the S4 Society. Glad you like the Journal - it makes my point - all these guys are 'contributors' to the hobby not passive collectors of magazines and box emptiers.

Maybe see you sometime,

Alistair

Thanks, absolutely nothing wrong with the apparent elitist slant or the aims of the group. Maybe one day in many years time might be ready to consider. In the meantime will continue to obtain and make use of the output.

Cheers, Simon

Yet this is the very thing that many of the finescale societies are accused of, where it is deemed to be A Bad Thing.

Double standards, methinks.

Can understand why that seems so but it isnt the same. Difficult to explain, but heres a start on my opinion. They dont give the impression that they are doing something that makes them better than anyone else. They are happy to share the end result of their researches with anyone else. Anyone who is willing able to put in the same effort is wellcome. The numbers are kept low so that they dont get swamped. They are open and honest about these aims.

Cheers, Simon

Make yourself a "travelling workbench" needs only to be long enough to carry a 150mm rule, 2-3 files, a craft knife, pinvice, a few drill bits etc and a few film cannisters for small components. Ohh, an engineers square. The box needs a top that can be cut on (plywood with one of those green uncutable surfaces glued on with contact cement. A small rigid chocolate box for your models and some photocopies of plans/articles. When it's boiled down you really don't need much to do 95% of your modelling :-)

Greg.P.

: > Yet this is the very thing that many of the finescale societies are : > accused of, where it is deemed to be A Bad Thing. : >

: > Double standards, methinks. : >

Chalk and cheese more like...

: : Can understand why that seems so but it isnt the same. Difficult to explain, : but heres a start on my opinion. They dont give the impression that they are : doing something that makes them better than anyone else. They are happy to : share the end result of their researches with anyone else. Anyone who is : willing able to put in the same effort is wellcome. The numbers are kept low : so that they dont get swamped. They are open and honest about these aims. :

Indeed, the LMSS is a society that (at least originally) was set up to **Promote the LMS** (in the face of overwhelming support of all things Swindon and the west country) - someone more interested in the GWR would not have been very welcome, in a similar vain, the EM and P4 societies were set up to **promote fine scale modelling** - someone more interested in clipping together Triang 'Super4' track on the carpet and playing trains with stock using road-roller style wheels and ploughs for flanges would not have been made very welcome either. any of the above societies need to be 'elitist', if they were not they could soon become swamped and diluted in their aims, it could also be said that both the Triang and the Hornby(-Duble0) societies are elitist in their own ways too...

"John Turner" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@supernews.com:

The other problem with not joining societies because you don't feel knowledgeable enough to contribute is the risk of noone for the group to pass knowledge onto and therefore the risk of such knowledge dying with the members of the group. Whilst it's dangerous to assume, I would speculate based on model railway groups I've seen or been involved with is that the majority of such groups tend to be older members. I would also suspect the knowledgeable chaps in groups specialising in pre grouping or even grouping would be people who were closer to the time specialised in than most of the rest of us. Whilst the web has made it easier to share and publish knowledge cheaply for posterity, most people of all age groups seem unaware of how easy it really is and get scared off. Given how difficult it is to publish on paper, the best way of ensuring continuance of knowledge is word of mouth - to people willing to soak up as much info as possible. Even better if it's someone who can then publish the knowledge for everyone's benefit!

Seriously, if you're interested in the area, then I would strongly suggest letting your lack of knowledge be a strength to the group in being willing to learn as much of your chosen interest as possible and willing to pass on.

Best of luck!

Nice idea, plant to do some of fiddly, time consuming, none critical jobs like making loco steps out of brass. Make mess then can start again. Succeed and its a bonus.

Cheers, Simon

That sums up most S4 Society and EMGS members, except that you don't need to put in the same effort as others to be welcome! Most of us are more than willing to show others how to do things and share research - that's what it's all about! I think in the past there were people who just liked to show off rather than educate and pass on skills, but those days have long gone. Perhaps the stigma has remained.

To take Jerry's point, would the LMSS really make a GWR enthusiast unwelcome? What about someone who wants to learn more about the LMS? It sounds like you need to know enough to contribute before you're allowed to even join. That can't be right, surely? The societies I mentioned above would be more than welcoming to someone who just wanted to clip Super-4 track together, or even OO modellers :-)

: > They dont give the impression : > that they are doing something that makes them better than anyone else. : > They are happy to share the end result of their researches with anyone : > else. Anyone who is willing able to put in the same effort is wellcome. : : That sums up most S4 Society and EMGS members, except that you don't : need to put in the same effort as others to be welcome! Most of us are : more than willing to show others how to do things and share research - : that's what it's all about!

Not all, I well remember talking to a EMGS member who I had been directed towards (at a EXPO EM meeting), with the suggestion that he would be more than welcome to share his research (reasonable expenses paid, postage etc, and all that) on a specific station, only to be told by him that he would never share his research because he might one day want to exhibit his layout - sorry to say that I walked away muttering things that perhaps I should not have, but it did leave a bitter taste in the mouth, I went on to join the P4 society rather than renew my subs - and no I did not join the EMGS to be a 'research leach'...

I think in the past there were people who : just liked to show off rather than educate and pass on skills, but those : days have long gone. Perhaps the stigma has remained.

Hmm, perhaps I was just unlucky!

: : To take Jerry's point, would the LMSS really make a GWR enthusiast : unwelcome? What about someone who wants to learn more about the LMS?

I did say *more interested*, obviously if someone was as (or becoming) interested in the LMS as the GWR I'm sure that they would be more than welcome, especially if the person already had a proven ability to contribute - how ever that might be.

: It sounds like you need to know enough to contribute before you're : allowed to even join. That can't be right, surely?

Why, if that is what the society is about?!

The societies I : mentioned above would be more than welcoming to someone who just wanted : to clip Super-4 track together, or even OO modellers :-) :

But not if they then tried to steer the society in a different direction, which by definition they would do if they started to become the majority within a *specialist* society, obviously there are more general societies that one could become members of (such as "The Model Railway Club" or the HMRS etc.) were one would add to the scope of the society regardless of interests.

But they publish journals that are the output from their research and available to anyone that wishes to buy them. They are no different to any professional society who requires a minimum education standard or experience.

Cheers, Simon