Is this group for 32mmNG, or just for toy trains such as Hornby, etc?

The group is for model railways, any scale, any gauge.

Up to and including 16mm to the foot. So basically yes.

Paul

It technically covers that, but you might be better served by one of the specialist narrow gauge forums...

...especially as you dismissed the vast majority of contributors' passionate interest as "toys" :-)

"Paul Boyd" wrote

I class my motorbike & sports car as toys, so why would I be offended when someone else calls my small scale (4mm & 7mm) trains as toys. ;-)

John.

I don't take offence, that's what they are. But there was a look-down-at-the-plebs tone in the OP's post.

My track is 45mm .... ;)

Why shouldn't it be?

Anyhow, they're all toys..... ;-)

But what scale?

Paul

Agree and wonder why 32mmNG arent toys ? This is definately a fun loving group of sensitive people so no more undelicate comments please.

Cheers, Simon

Lots ... OK

1:19 Live steam 1:20.3 Accucraft Isle of Man Series 1:29 American stock But I'll play with anything that will run on it ;)

Honesty is the best policy.

Even the bods who are neurotic about exact scale in some aspect of their toys are widely inaccurate in other aspects.

In modelling and artistic terminology, I believe that you are correct in introducing the term, "plebs".

Is this your favourite book?

Fred X

I'd say he's never heard of it but it's one he surely needs.

Best to ignore him as he is merely trolling for reaction.

Krypsis

Why introduce childish remarks?

There is no doubt, and never has been, that toys along the Hornby line are not models.

That's really rather a daft remark. While there are some definitions of both "toy" and "model" that would put the products of Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol etc into the first category and not the latter, neither would be the usual usage of the terms. Hornby certainly make models by the most common usage of the word in relevent sense[1]:

"A small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object."

Source:

Now, you can argue about the quality of the models made by Hornby or any of the other RTR or kit manufacturers, but saying that they're not models at all is a distinctly non-standard use of language. And, in the context of a Usenet group, using your own private definitions of words doesn't tend to make for effective communication.

As to whether Hornby makes toys, that too depends on the meaning of the word "toy". There are three relevent[2] meanings here:

"An object for children to play with." "Something of little importance; a trifle." "An amusement; a pastime"

Source

Now, some of Hornby's products are certainly aimed primarily at children and fit the first of these definitions. Others, however, do not - a large part of Hornby's output is aimed at adult collectors and modellers. All of their product range, however, falls within the third meaning, of being an amusement or pastime (or hobby). So it's entirely reasonable to say that Hornby makes toys, in this sense. But, in this sense, any form of railway modeling is about toys - it's no less a hobby to scratchbuild to P4 standards (or whatever floats your boat) than it is to use RTR OO products.

[1] As opposed to the sense used when referring to Kate Moss et al. [2] As opposed to the sense used when referring to, for example, "toy dogs", when it means "small".

Mark

Have you actually seen the current standard of Hornby and Bachmann models? They're a far cry from even 10 years ago and frankly better than most finescale people can produce. Certainly a darn sight more realistic than freelance Mamod stuff trundling around a circle in the garden.

As an 0 gauge finescale modeller I might feel, personally, that 32mmNG is for those who can't cope with real railway modelling. I'd be too polite to say so in public though. And I might be playing devils advocate - who knows ;-)

Cheers Richard

You may well be playing Devil's Advocate / trolling but I was not.