[7113]

I've just been thinking (don't say it BC just don't),

Are there any other railway forums where in the space of a few days members have discussed cats, cooks, quotations and, most recently cartoon characters. Does this mean we are erudite and educated or just mad?

Regards

 

[poliss]

I used to be erudite but a short course of antibiotics cured it.

 

[Mike Button]

Personally I'm quite happy to fall in to the mad category, now if only I can convince my boss of that so they'll let me go and spend more time with my railway.....

 

[goedel]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 13 Dec 2007, 16:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Does this mean we are erudite and educated or just mad?
It means we are all three at the same time:

QUOTE (Willy Wonka)"A little bit of madness now and then is cherished by the wisest men."

 

[John Webb]

Despite the tendency of those outside the hobby to consider us "nerds" and thus stuck in a rut, I think it shows that we have a wide range of interests, possible bigger than many of those who criticise us.
It always irked me at school (a "Technical comprehensive") where most of us were studying the sciences, engineering or construction, that we were expected to broaden our interests by doing economics and history to 'O'Level standard. The few who went in eventually for economics, history etc., because they had found the technical side was not for them, were not compelled even to do basic science to broaden their horizons. One or two couldn't even change the fuse in a 13A plug and to know why there were different fuse sizes.
(Gets off one of my hobby-horses!)

Regards,
John

 

[Madkitten]

TRAINS ................. TRAINS .......................TRAINS................ ( weird odd high pitched Laugh followed by cackles ) ..... Personally think i definatly fit into the mad catagory. I think im startin early - I have the collection of cats !!!

 

[Robert Stokes]

What John said just now really struck a chord with me. I am a retired mathematics teacher and it has always annoyed me that some quite well-educated people are actually proud of the fact that they know little of maths or science. On the other hand you try convincing someone that you are well-educated even though classical literature and history leave you cold. And as for poetry . . . well don't get me started.

Shall we get back to model railways?

Cheers, Robert

 

[Jennings]

We are all mad ... Just some more than others.

As for me ... Well ... I'm doing a degree in quantity surveying - Need i say anymore

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 13 Dec 2007, 19:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>TRAINS ................. TRAINS .......................TRAINS................ ( weird odd high pitched Laugh followed by cackles ) ..... Personally think i definatly fit into the mad catagory. I think im startin early - I have the collection of cats !!!

Cackling laughter, cats.....................Hmmm, methinks the witching hour is nigh!

QUOTE (Jennings @ 13 Dec 2007, 20:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As for me ... Well ... I'm doing a degree in quantity surveying - Need i say anymore

Probably not.....

I attended a grammar school (single sex) and really suffered for my interests. But, don't forget locomotives taught us geography, royalty, stately homes, history and horseracing, and that's just some of the major classes.

Regards

 

[bike2steam]

It just goes to proove we aint got a one track mind - sorry. My avatar shows one of my other interests.
Paul M.

 

[pedromorgan]

I actually really like it when we venture into slightly deeper subjects like the "when does a train set become a model railway" thread. i really dont get the chance to conduct inteligant discussions very often and its nice to dust off the ethical and philosophical cells.

I cant think of another forum where you can do that. i left the model railroader forum because we were either discussing how to put a chip in a particular loco or the thread was turning into an anti war, anti bush bunfight. i just got fed up with it.

but i do think we are all at least mildly eccentric!

Peter

 

[Robert Stokes]

You may be interested in something I read a long time ago that I think is relevant to this discussion. It may have been written by Cyril freezer but I'm not sure. He explained that, about the middle of the last century, if you wanted to get on in your profession you kept secret the fact that you were a railway modeller (I'm not sure why, perhaps you were regarded as too eccentric) which is why so many wrote under pseudoyns such as 'the padre'. He then went on to say that well into the second half of the century the situation actually reversed. It became something to include in your C.V. as it showed that you were someone who was reliable and multi-talented.

Cheers, Robert

 

[55 going on 5]

Hello
Theres no doubt I am mad and my Doctor agrees with me. So I should fit in well then??
Just bought a train set from Argos as a treat for Christmas, but my wife wont let me have it until Christmas day may as well be 5 again.

 

[Madkitten]

QUOTE (Robert Stokes @ 14 Dec 2007, 13:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You may be interested in something I read a long time ago that I think is relevant to this discussion. It may have been written by Cyril freezer but I'm not sure. He explained that, about the middle of the last century, if you wanted to get on in your profession you kept secret the fact that you were a railway modeller (I'm not sure why, perhaps you were regarded as too eccentric) which is why so many wrote under pseudoyns such as 'the padre'. He then went on to say that well into the second half of the century the situation actually reversed. It became something to include in your C.V. as it showed that you were someone who was reliable and multi-talented.

Cheers, Robert

Saying that - my husband went for a job with Southern recently and he passed everything with flying colours --- untill they found out he was also involved with railway preservation... Then mysteriously they made all the excuses they could to not employ him. After speaking to a freind of ours we found out they have a name for railway preservationists and Railway Modellers and try not to employ them........... Personally i think its a bit wrong - but what do you do about it !! So it is still happenening!

 

[Dinwiddy]

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 14 Dec 2007, 18:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Saying that - my husband went for a job with Southern recently and he passed everything with flying colours --- untill they found out he was also involved with railway preservation... Then mysteriously they made all the excuses they could to not employ him. After speaking to a freind of ours we found out they have a name for railway preservationists and Railway Modellers and try not to employ them...........

Too right - a friend of mine applied to Virgin, and at one of their sessions it was admitted that they didn't want to employ anyone with any existing railway knowledge, that they preferred to employ drivers who extensivly use Gameboys, X-box, Playstations etc and had no mechanical knowledge. Ie if the train breaks, just sit and wait for someone else to sort it - not that there is much else that you can do. He left the course pretty disgusted and now works on the safety side (and has some pretty 'hairy' tales of the Contractors as used by RailTrack!)

David Y

 

[alastairq]

railway companies need to be careful on these issues if they are to avoid falling foul of Discrimination laws????

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Dinwiddy @ 14 Dec 2007, 20:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Too right - a friend of mine applied to Virgin, and at one of their sessions it was admitted that they didn't want to employ anyone with any existing railway knowledge,

This is quite common across industry in general. Many companies only want people to do the job "their way".

Bit of a contrast to Switzerland where their train drivers have to be qualified electrical engineers & are expected to, at least find out what the problem is in the unlikely event of a Swiss locomotive breaking down.

 

[dwb]

QUOTE railway companies need to be careful on these issues if they are to avoid falling foul of Discrimination laws????

Railway enthusiasts are probably "fair game" as long as their enthusiasm is not classed as a recognised religion, sect or race.

David

 

[5696Arethusa]

QUOTE (dwb @ 15 Dec 2007, 09:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Railway enthusiasts are probably "fair game" as long as their enthusiasm is not classed as a recognised religion, sect or race.

David

Easily sorted, next census we all put down "Railway Enthusiasm" as our religion, if we get 20,000 of our closest friends to do the same we'll have a bonefide religion

 

[bike2steam]

On heritage railways it is 'preferred' that prospective signalmen don't have knowledge of S&T, or engineering background - but because of lack of volunteers, a discreet blind eye is turned.
Paul M.