Harlequin's Blog

OK so I can stop going to “box openers anonymous” and get back to melting my credit card on Hatton.co.uk.

 

Thanks for curing me!

I shall endeavour to continue taking short cuts via the credit card happily.

A valid point I'm sure but resorting to the credit card is not an option when you're as foolish as I am in choosing to model the mid 1840s! Oh well, slowly , slowly catchy monkey!

But when the chequebook leads you into compromises of buying what is available rather than what you would have made ......

 

Don

I expect he bought his own sausages.

I expect he bought his own sausages.

A real sausagist would make his own.

It is entirely possible to achieve an operating layout relying 99% (some of the coaches use etched zinc sides and ends from the late Trevor Charlton) on your own resources:

http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery9.htm

I think the point is it's a trade off between what you have the time/skill to do, and what you can afford to buy. Most of us buy ready-made track for example, both to save time, and - particularly where pointwork is concerned, to ensure reliability.

 

But I'm not sure CJF really envisaged the situation we have now of ready-to-plant buildings and ultra-detailed locos straight from the box.

I take it to mean that every modeller has the right to decide for him/herself where he or she draws the line between making things and buying things.

 

In fact, that could be seen as one of the "Rules", and might be useful in defusing a few arguments!

I get the point; like many of Cyril’s aphorisms there is a starting point for debate.

 

However, having met him a small number of times (and had my perception of him confirmed by others who knew him far better than I, such as his son) I know that Cyril wasn’t trying to start a debate, or suggest that every modeller has the “right” (whatever that means) where to draw the line. No, Cyril was being dogmatic. If you disagreed with his point of view, he simply talked over you and simply refused to accept a counter argument.

 

This is a shame, as he had some cracking ideas and was an exceptional journalist.

One of the things about Cyril was he knew his job. For Railway Modeller to be a success it needed to appeal to a broad church and to attract the trade advertisers. He succeeded in both. However Cyril was always happy to put finescale layouts in RM what he really didn't like was people looking down their nose at people using proprietry stuff and telling them what they ought to do. Professional or personal view a bit of both I think.

In the 50s and 60s people built there own because so little was available today there is an awful lot and less need to build your own. Indeed in 0 gauge if you have deep pockets you can buy stuff that only the most skilled builders can match. In my view this is a hobby so doing what you enjoy makes sense. I do wish though that people would have a go too often they think ' I couldn't do that'. If you try and find it is not for you fair enough.

Don

I agree, Don, but in the quote provided, Cyril was dogmatically making a distinction between Model engineering and railway modelling which isn’t necessarily true. It is possible to build everything and achieve a comprehensive working layout that is operated in accordance with prototype practice.

I don’t disagree with his opening statement: we all need to find our own fulcrum for the balance between enjoying the building and enjoying the operating, but in my mind, if he had ended with, “...short cuts... ...may have considerable validity” then it would be a different story. Better still, Don, to also point out that this does not mean that some modification to the purchases won’t be required.