A BIG market being overlooked?

Gary, I'm sure you are right about space restricted layouts being in the vast majority and probably right in saying that most accessories get used unmodified.
I think that your magazine would have to include N gauge though, as this is very popular and ideally suited to small spaces.
As for a forum dedicated to small layouts, I don't see a problem with that, except to say that perhaps the people it would appeal to most (small RTR layouts) are probably the people least likely to participate in a forum of any kind.

I'm the opposite, I want to see large layouts, less GWR inspired planks with two road terminus to selector plate or traverser, I want main line running. I'd make it manditory for every railway modeller to read at least one of Edward Beal's books. Then you'll appreciate size of a large layout !

Yes I do admire the skill in many of these layouts. Yes I do appreciate not everyone has the space. I want continious running, a selection of routes, and intresting operations. So were going to need a seperate magazine for me too. Clearly this increase in specialist railway modelling magazines isn't sustainable, so you'll have to make a plan and go up into the loft.

No Gary, I'm not saying anything like that!
What I am saying is that your active participation in the forum is an exception that proves the rule. I would think that many of the modellers you are alluding to have no interest in our type of forum, because they are happy where they are in the hobby now. Good luck to them I say.
Incidentally, I am not aware of any sniggering at set track on this forum and would be the first to decry such an attitude if I saw it posted.
Our hobby is unique in that it can be enjoyed at whatever level you choose to participate, from huge P4 layouts, based on a real location, to an oval of set track on the carpet. Whatever you're happy with, just do it and enjoy. Even better if you want to participate in this forum as well.
Now I'll climb off my soapbox and say that I still believe that no single interest group in UK railway modelling has enough devotees to sustain a commercially sucessful monthly magazine.

QUOTE I still believe that no single interest group in UK railway modelling has enough devotees to sustain a commercially sucessful monthly magazine. thumbsup.gif

100% correct and well said. I'd more more slag off anyone for using set track than being a collector for instance, both are part of this highly varied hobby.

Nice one Dennis. You've turned a no hope magazine into an ideal tool to encourage the new / novice modeller.
Now linking this thread back to the current one running about magazines, how do you fancy a job located in Beer, South Devon?

QUOTE (CeeDeeI @ 26 Jul 2006, 04:12)Given the opening post, very small layouts, set track, no modifications, no scratchbuilding, no detailing, doesn't leave much to talk about I would have thought, from a modelling point of view that is.

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 28 Jul 2006, 17:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>agreed

Seconded !

QUOTE (Gary @ 25 Jul 2006, 13:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hornby have 14000 club members and produce a magazine full of set track modeller articles. The interest is there.

GaryGary, I think most of the Hornby club members are children; you know, just like the "Tufty club"?
In addition, some "serious" modellers have admitted their membership (and disalusionment) in online forums.

Compare the Hornby collector club magazine with the Bachmann club one and it's obvious where the Hornby publication is aimed.

Oh, I thought you were going to ask which one of us are adults and which are children.

Some will stay as "train setters" all their modelling lives and there's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand some young ones are very proficient indeed! As has already been said it is what makes our hobby so appealing. I use a combination of settrack and flexi with the former generally on curves. Is there a case nowdays for a fourth radius I am reluctant to use flexi on tight cuves. The 'Y' return curve is close to eighth radius but is small in length.

Oh and I'm a member of the Hornby club. Nothing against Bachmann but Hornby brought me into the hobby and I'm loyally returning the favour.

I think the big thing being overlooked is that this hobby, not a profession and not the be all of end alls. Many magazines dedicate their pages to these large club layouts becuase many modellers in the UK just don't have the space to build a large layout but can at least dream about it. Even in the US the numbers of large layouts being built is falling due to the change in housing, smaller homes more tightly packed in and no basements is changing how people build their layouts. I was hunting through some old books and magazines the other day and I found a copy of Peco's " 60 Plans for small layouts". I think the biggest in this book, it's a 1966 copy, is 12' x 8' for an average bedroom. These sizes are perfect for the RTR modeller who can produce with out of the catlogue items a layout that is just as good as some of the ones I remember from the 1960's. when I came to Oz in 1974 you couldn't buy a RTR model of anything Australian not even a wagon. Everthing had to either built from kits or scratch built. The kits produced by cottage industries were extremley poor, were either in resin, plastic or for locos white metal. If what you wanted was not available you had to scratch build. I switched to US models then because they easily obtainable, cheap, well detailed, ran well and you had build very little. Opps got off the subject again. There is room in this hobby for everyone to do his or her thing be that P4 modeller, oo modeller, HO modeller, RTR modeller, arm chair modeller or Thomas the Tank. It doesen't matter so long as you are having fun and maybe if your lucky your kids. wife, girlfriend, grandkids might take an interest and not think your a looney who plays with his train set.

Ozzie21

Maybe that's the reason that garden railways are becoming so popular these days. Even in a modest garden you can assemble a pretty good run and no one can accuse you of depriving a child of a bedroom!

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