Does sex belong in model rail?

If I knew how to organise a poll on this forum I would.
In On30 it seems you hide the odd nude here and there, a few hookers and the favourite spot on the top of the water tower. I've no idea if it has a place on model railways, but sex is more friendly than murder, so I'll go with sex.

Neil - if nothing else the title of this post should guarantee some views
Seriously though, this is an interesting question.
I can't help feeling it's all a bit tacky and grubby - someone's voyeuristic fantasy - and believe me, I'm no prude.
Anyway, I get the feeling that the novelty of such items would wear off pretty fast.
Mike

Why not? After all if it wasn't for sex, then none of us would be here

Seriously though, it just shows how far advanced the hobby as developed and I would buy some for my layout but they would be positioned discreetly.

Cheers PS

I can't really decide myself. On one hand I think it's funny but on the other hand a lot of kids look at my layout and I don't want to be the one explaining this to them. I guess if they are put somewhere discrete, say in a room which has a light which can be turned on and off you can cut the light so the kids can't see.

What gets me is the sheer size and range of whats available in Germany in this category. I might put something like this in at some point, probably the guy sitting on the bog as everybody can laugh at that.

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 19 Feb 2007, 23:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I can't really decide myself. On one hand I think it's funny but on the other hand a lot of kids look at my layout and I don't want to be the one explaining this to them. I guess if they are put somewhere discrete, say in a room which has a light which can be turned on and off you can cut the light so the kids can't see.

What gets me is the sheer size and range of whats available in Germany in this category. I might put something like this in at some point, probably the guy sitting on the bog as everybody can laugh at that.

It's about time this subject was veiwed !

Judging by the amount of Noch "Sexy Scenes" (& the Viessmann motorised version of one of them) we sold when first introduced they are very popular, although sales have now well & truly leveled out, so the novelty factor has now gone. (I've had to be very careful with my wording in this post ! )
One of the other popular Noch figure sets is the "Toilet Scenes" (other good sellers include the "Sexy Ladies" & "Tombstones".)

We have the VN scene in a house in "St Lauren" - it is behind some tinted patio doors & only visible when switched on (it's backlit) so we are discrete with it, however, we did get "caught out" once so we are even more dilligent now (if in any doubt it stays off) ;
8 YO boy to older sister - "Look ****** that's what you do with your boyfriend when mum & dad are out"
Exit red-faced sister dragging off little brother.

I think the word here is discretion - it's all down to personal taste, but if on a "public" layout, discretion is a must.

At least all the packaging is fairly discreete.

QUOTE (Peter_Harvey @ 20 Feb 2007, 07:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sex doesn't but having a sense of humor dose and adding something like that into a model if done correctly (hidden away in the bushes or in a wood so that its seen only if by accident) can just add something that someone remembers a layout for, and thats important.

Pete

I agree with you Pete. When I have friends around they like to go up and "play with the train set" they always find something new. One of them found it funny when they noticed this man in his under ware giving a police office the middle finger.

I do have plans to add some sort of sex scene put where the kids can't find it, like behind a building in the garden.

Great title for a post!

There was a letter in Model Rail not so long back, wasn't there, where a woman was complaining about keeping smut out of model railways having seen something at an exhibition (I think her wording was something like that). The following month there was a single reply from a modeller who basically said "chill out, don't be a prude." But offensiveness is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

My own view is - why not? It does depend where and how the layout is to be viewed, and I'm sure there are some things that it would be irresponsible or offensive to depict, especially where children are concerned.

But for the kinds of cheeky cameos available from Preiser or Viessmann or Express Models, for example - why not?

I wouldn't rule it out. Part of the fun would be making it unobtrusive and seeing who noticed...

There again, I'm someone who would also contemplate having Express Model's "railway rabbit" just for a laugh, so...

QUOTE (Paxman @ 20 Feb 2007, 12:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>But for the kinds of cheeky cameos available from Preiser or Viessmann or Express Models, for example - why not?

I wouldn't rule it out. Part of the fun would be making it unobtrusive and seeing who noticed...

There again, I'm someone who would also contemplate having Express Model's "railway rabbit" just for a laugh, so...

It's an emotive subject is this, but I have seen sex added to a number of layouts, most recently dbclass50's St. Laurent, very succesfully. In fact in this case I believe the kit in which the scene is displayed is the solicitors house from the MKD range, so there's a nice double joke there.

As Paxman and others have said it is all down to being discreet and using taste when positioning this sort of thing. I think I would probably draw the line at the seesaw though.

There's nothing wrong with the railway rabbit by the way, now if you buy two and position them correctly you could...............................

Regards

John

"There's nothing wrong with the railway rabbit by the way, now if you buy two and position them correctly you could...............................

Regards

John"


I guess you'd only need to buy two.

QUOTE (mikelhh @ 20 Feb 2007, 22:37) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I guess you'd only need to buy two.

& then sell on the results ?

QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 21 Feb 2007, 07:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>& then sell on the results ?

My God, it could get completely out of hand...!!

My hobby is....Rabbit Modelling....

QUOTE (Paxman @ 21 Feb 2007, 13:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>My God, it could get completely out of hand...!!

My hobby is....Rabbit Modelling....

I am starting to worry about some of our members here............

What scale?

Regards

John

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 21 Feb 2007, 13:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am starting to worry about some of our members here............

What scale?

Regards

John

I'll just head over to the "illnesses" thread....

QUOTE (Paxman @ 22 Feb 2007, 07:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'll just head over to the "illnesses" thread....

Myxamatosis? That normally sorts out rabbits!!

Regards

John

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 22 Feb 2007, 13:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Myxamatosis? That normally sorts out rabbits!!

Regards

John

<Gently closes door and tip-toes away from thread.....>

Since the "slight" divergence on this thread I have thought a bit deeper about the whole subject of sex and humour as applied to railway modelling. I have now come to the conclusion that sex scenes etc do have a place, but, and it's a large but, not centre stage, and certainly not voyeuristic.

Over the years I have always tried to inject humour into my modelling from the lost motorist with the policeman down to "Miss Whiplash" in a hotel bedroom. In a way all these are doing is imitating life, and representing fairly common occurences.

Again if you are modelling a dockyard or run down part of any city there would certainly be ladies of doubtful virtue there in real life - so why not in model form?

As I said earlier I personally would draw the line at the nudes on the seesaw as I don't feel it has any relevance, unless you are modelling a naturist camp, and how many of us are going to do that?

I suppose my bottom line is - if you feel comfortable with something include it, if you don't exclude it.

Regards

John

>my bottom line is
I'm not sure we really wanted to know that in this context

David