Is railway modelling green and healthy?

3338 Views 34 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Brian Considine, Mar 23, 2007

Gary

Discussion Starter · Feb 28, 2007

With Prince Charles having a bit of a downer on McDonalds and lots of talk of carbon emissions right now its time for Model Rail Forum to have its own debate on green and healthy issues.

Is railway modelling a green pastime?

Is is healthy for you?

On the green side it has to be said that from a recycling point of view it is probably one of the top pastimes. You can model a whole layout from the contents of the refuse sac. And old models last forever and are constantly recycled on eBay and elsewhere. On the other hand the amount of metal and plastic and packaging utilised in ready to run new model production probably has the effect of making it ungreen overall if you only buy new models.

On the healthy side you do have to stretch and twist and cut and lift and run up and down stairs if you have a loft layout and it does take your mind off food and other digestive perils so it clearly it is better to be a railway modeller than not if you are seeking a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand it is all too easy to slump in your chair and watch your trains pass by if there is no ongoing project and your doctor might be alarmed at this practice.

As it is clearly in the interests of any hobby to promote its greeness and health giving properties could any of you provide examples of what you have done that you consider either to be a green or healthy practice.

Having to rush over to the end of a layout every 30 seconds to sort out Hornby Pullman coaches that keep derailing might be an example of excercise as you need to be nimble. And using the polystyrene packaging of your latest electrical goods to create an embankment would be an example of being green.

Really what we are looking for are the best examples of being green and burning calories that you can provide.

Happy modelling
Gary

See less See more

Save

1 - 3 of 35 Posts

pedromorgan

· #17 · Mar 17, 2007

QUOTE (Gary @ 17 Mar 2007, 10:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As has already been mentioned the reason for going "green" and turn things off is to keep your energy bills down. There is no other reason.

Sorry Gary but that really does drive me crazy. regardless of weather it effects global warming or not wouldnt the world be so much nicer if the cities didnt have cars and busses belching soot and smoke in your face. woudnt it be nicer if we had gracefull clean turbines greating our electricity instead of coar fired powerstations.

Weather or not global warming is real or not, why cant we give the environmentalists the benifit of the doubt and use this opertunity to improve the quality of life for the countless generations that will follow us.

People are actually compalining about having to use CFL's insttead of incandescent lightbulbs. modern CFL's get up to brightness in about 4 seconds, they are brighter last longer and are cheaper to run.

sorry i realise this was off subject. but its something that really gets my heart racing.

Peter

See less See more

Save

pedromorgan

· #21 · Mar 17, 2007

QUOTE (alastairq @ 17 Mar 2007, 12:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>But, go to a third world nation, where their own simple ambition is to provide electricity to their poverty-stricken population...and hear THEIR tales of woe, about so-callled 'environmentally-concerned' first world nations telling these folk, they CAN have power, but it has to be of the 'wind-turbine' variety, or not at all?
Then see the truth about how costly this approach is, in order to deliver their needs?

In my view, supporting the Environmental lobby in cleaning up the results of our own selfish materialistic nightmare is admirable....but we need to be aware that in doing so, we are also supporting those who have hijacked the whole environmentalist lobby for their own,'personal' and political gain, to the detriment of other less fortunate folk.

Actually the cleaner varieties of fuel are ideally suited to third world nations. particularly africa. they tend to be far more localised forms of power than fossil fuel variaties.

as to supporting people who have hijacked the environmental loby, would you trather support them or the oil companies?

QUOTE (alastairq @ 17 Mar 2007, 12:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>to go one further......do 'smoke' units emit fumes that eat the ozone layer?

No you are basically boiling oil not burning it. it will condense on your walls and ceiling.

Peter

See less See more

Save

pedromorgan

· #32 · Mar 21, 2007

Gary i think you just solved the child obesity problem!!

Peter

Save

1 - 3 of 35 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month