ARE RAILWAY MODELLERS "ODD" ?

3625 Views 36 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Dave c, Mar 30, 2007

Brian Considine

Discussion Starter · Mar 24, 2007

A statistic that cropped up in another topic yielded the fact that a large proportion of the population regarded Railway Modellers as "odd".

This got me thinking (not good on a Saturday morning !) about other hobbies that we may see as odd.

So, let's have a light hearted look at some other hobbies (some of us here may even "indulge").

I'll start off with one of mine ;
Fire Preservation - I have 1 preserved fully operational 35 year old Landrover Fire Engine. I also have a 20 year old Dodge Fire engine fully operational & working for a living.

A couple of others :
The Pill Box Society (they have an interest in the Pill Boxes left over from WWII, mostly on the south & eastern coasts (a friend of mine is a member).
Morris Men (no comment).

Anyone care to add and/or comment to the list ?

21 - 37 of 37 Posts

Doug

· #21 · Mar 27, 2007

I have a hard time explaining away model railways and Scalextric cars to people here in France. Few French people are into hobbies. They are more sport and club orientated. Those that I do show the layouts are impressed.

I enjoy railway modelling, slot scars & RC planes. Photography links them all to the PC and playing with websites and forums ties up all the various hobbies.

I do get out and swim 3 evenings a week. In the summer I do a bit of sailing.

Makemineadouble

· #22 · Mar 27, 2007

2

I shoot clay pigeon have done for years, it's a great sport, it needs timing, concentration, good eye, and you get some healthy fresh air.

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ME 26-06

· #23 · Mar 27, 2007

I have to admit a certain prefernce for JPop music. Unfortunately, whenever I play it when I´m not home alone, everybody checks their watches and leaves in a polite yet hurried manner...

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alastairq

· #24 · Mar 27, 2007

whats' WRONG with ''odd?''

It's ''odd' that makes the world an interesting place?

'Odd' stands out from the crowd?

which may be confusing to those who inanely follow a herding instinct?

In the US of A...isn't 'model railroading' a hobby right up there with the huntinshootinfishin brigade?
(in terms of numbers?)

Bigdog

· #25 · Mar 28, 2007

2

Another word for odd is 'peculiar'

which the Encarta Dictionary defines as "belonging exclusively to or identified distinctly with somebody or something". So my peculiarities or oddities actually distinguish me from the crowd... help me to stand out as a person of character, someone not easily swayed by the whims of public opinion.

I'm a railway modeller!

I also support Wolverhampton Wanderers... now that is weird!!!

Bigdog

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Bigdog

· #26 · Mar 28, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

And now it seems...

I'm a TICKET COLLECTOR!!

Bigdog

Gary

· #27 · Mar 28, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

I watched a box of over 1000 Southern Railways Dorchester to Weymouth freight bills sell at auction a few months ago. They did catch my eye as being an unusual thing for somebody to want to buy.

I asked the purchaser why he had bought them.

"I collect railway freight bills!! was the answer.

He had a whole room full of railway freight bills from the 19th and 20th centuary. What would his wife and family think?

In fact he is probably the countries leading historian on freight bills and no doubt if ever somebody in the media needs a selection of freight bills or information on freight bills for whatever reason he would be approached.

So if you want to become the top expert in the the whole land on a subject think of something to do as a hobby that is a little different and ODD!

Happy modelling
Gary

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44/45/46's

· #28 · Mar 28, 2007

i collect ship in bottles every one looks and says it marvellous how they do it then i show them my n gauge railway and its just a mmmmm sod em i say

neil_s_wood

· #29 · Mar 29, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

3

QUOTE (pedromorgan @ 27 Mar 2007, 21:52) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>i think all hobbies are concidered odd by many people. anyone who does anything out of the ordinary is concidered a freak.

I personally do mosaics and stained glass lamps as well as collecting stamps and model railways.

Peter
Is that lamp for sale?

Very nice

I am also into Scalextric whenever we get thye chance to set it up. I also do boats as well, wooden ones.

I'm not going to get this into a bottle in a hurry though.

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44/45/46's

· #30 · Mar 29, 2007

6

yes you would certainly need a large bottle ha ha

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5696Arethusa

· #31 · Mar 29, 2007

I'm A railway modeller and proud of it, I get no ridicule over this at work because I have the respect of the staff and they are a small number of people anway which makes the herding instinct less prominant.
I also have an unhealthy interest in Star Trek, have built models of the Enterprise NCC-1701-E, Voyager, Defiant, Excelcior, Excalibur, Rio Grande, a Marquis Raider and a Klingon Bird of Prey (FYI Gary my favourites are ST

S9 and ST:NF, supprised you haven't commented on my "location" The United Federation of Planets)
Have a complete addiction to Formula 1(Thank heavens it's back) and have followed DC from the start of his F1 carear.
A music form that the unwashed masses call "Heavy Metal"( Up the Irons). A term that has no use for those who like that kind of music.

Things others do that I realy can't understand, the insane desire to get absolutly wasted on a Friday and Saturday night and then deem it not to have been good night if you can remember the night the following morning.
Skate boarding? As far as I can tell for the majority of practitioners this involves trying to jump your board onto a railing, seperating from said board and damaging yourself in the wedding tackle.
Police officers, now I have a great deal of respect for the Police, however with the namby pamby do-gooders that have eroded most of their powers it's not a job I would want to do, no respect from the youth of today and little if no help from the CPS which our local Bobbies call the Criminal Protection Service.

If we railway modellers are ODD, then that's fine with me. I can think of no greater insult than to be called Normal or Average.

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7113

· #32 · Mar 29, 2007

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 29 Mar 2007, 06:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I also do boats as well, wooden ones.

I'm not going to get this into a bottle in a hurry though.

Truly awe inspiring models there Neil, when do you ever find time to go to work??!

Regards

John

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Gary

· #33 · Mar 29, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

What Neil doesn't tell you that is even more awe inspring is that the boats are Z scale!

QUOTE I also have an unhealthy interest in Star Trek, have built models of the Enterprise NCC-1701-E, Voyager, Defiant, Excelcior, Excalibur, Rio Grande, a Marquis Raider and a Klingon Bird of Prey (FYI Gary my favourites are ST

S9 and ST:NF, supprised you haven't commented on my "location" The United Federation of Planets)

Watched "The Return of the Archons" today. My favourites are the original series and Voyager. Enterprise the 3rd season was good. They couldn't really top that so it fizzled out in season 4. ST:NG 2nd season was the worst. Could never get into DS9.

Happy modelling
Gary

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neil_s_wood

· #34 · Mar 29, 2007

DS-9 was really Cheers in Space I thought. the original series was the best, Voyager second. I never watched the new versionof Star Trek other than the films as I never thought they would be a patch on the original.

The boat in the picture is 1/75 by the way. I used to have my Hornby Princess Elizabeth next to it but no-one would believe that they were the same scale.

John, I built it and the others before I had kids.

pedromorgan

· #35 · Mar 30, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

2

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 29 Mar 2007, 06:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is that lamp for sale?

Very nice

I am also into Scalextric whenever we get thye chance to set it up. I also do boats as well, wooden ones.

I'm not going to get this into a bottle in a hurry though.

Hello neil.

Technically the lamp is not for sale but i can always make another one if someone makes me an offer. like my other craft things, i make things that i like for my own flat but sometimes someone comes over and likes a lamp or a mosaic and they end up walking out with it!

Your ship is fantastic. i really admire people who can do things in wood. i have tried several times but it always seems to split or snap or splinter or the nails dont hold or the glue goes funny........
Mabye i will try again one day. i have this little plan for making about 6 train cabinates along the lines of picture pride. i figure for the cost i could buy all the tools and materials and still have quite alot left over.

Out of interest, what ship is it?

Peter

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neil_s_wood

· #36 · Mar 30, 2007

It's the San Felipe. 17th century Spanish Galleon. It took eight months to build. It's no easy undertaking.

I actually think the same about the brass kits you build. I'd like to do that but I haven't learnt to solder all that well. Wood is hard to model. You need to know a bit about the characteristics of the various wood types and what they will and wont do in terms of pliability.

There are two layers of wood, one cheaper thicker layer of pine for rigidity and a thinner layer of expensive hardwood for a good finish.

There is an awesome kit of the Royal Sovereign which I am dying to do. I just don't have any surfaces available to put it on.

Your lamp is very nice. I like tiffany lamps and to be honest if I was living at home I probably would make you a serious offer on that one. I really like the colours. Unfortunately it is not something that ships well.

Dave c

· #37 · Mar 30, 2007

QUOTE (5696Arethusa @ 29 Mar 2007, 16:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Things others do that I realy can't understand, the insane desire to get absolutly wasted on a Friday and Saturday night and then deem it not to have been good night if you can remember the night the following morning.
Skate boarding? As far as I can tell for the majority of practitioners this involves trying to jump your board onto a railing, seperating from said board and damaging yourself in the wedding tackle.
Police officers, now I have a great deal of respect for the Police, however with the namby pamby do-gooders that have eroded most of their powers it's not a job I would want to do, no respect from the youth of today and little if no help from the CPS which our local Bobbies call the Criminal Protection Service.

If we railway modellers are ODD, then that's fine with me. I can think of no greater insult than to be called Normal or Average.

Along the same lines, and I apologise to anyone who has one, personalised number plates, now I find some quite funny, B15 NOB for instance, but those who buy registrations with BMW and stick it on a BMW, WHY ?? for a start it has a badge on the car saying BMW, just in case you weren't sure. Also those who get reg's to show who they support, M7FFC for example, i'd always be worried if you were parked by a ground some Chelsea thug would key the car just because of that ! anyway, rant over.

Just for info, a few of you have said you are also into Scalextric, I acually race at a local club, we're always looking for new people, we race on a wood track every monday, website @ www.pinewoodraceway.co.uk

Cheers
Dave.

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21 - 37 of 37 Posts

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