Robert MacKinnon

Railway modelers – ‘Atmosphere modelers?’ I have been thinking recently about what makes the practice of railway modeling special and undoubtedly like many others I think ‘atmosphere’ is perhaps one of the most important elements to railway modeling certainly many of my interviewees have said so and is something that railway modellers’ think about a lot, both designing and experiencing them. For instance, to quote Barry Norman in his book ‘Designing a layout’ (1997, p.1) ‘(w)hen I modelled Lydham Heath I was attracted by the atmosphere of the station (…) something about the neglect and sadness of this frail railway struggling to exist in a beautiful part of Shropshire’. For Norman here, signs of ‘neglect’, and personal musings on its ‘struggling’ situation – coming together in a feeling of ‘sadness’ - created an ‘atmosphere’ that just had to be modelled - this model was to capture and arouse feeling, as he goes onto say - ‘I wasn’t just trying to model the station as it may have been; I wanted more than that. I also wanted to encapsulate the atmosphere of the place’ (ibid, p.1). Through my interview research I have had some difficultly in trying to explore this issue about model railways some of it my fault really but nonetheless atmosphere is so difficult to locate (fills a space with a certain tone of feeling like a haze), difficult to define and ultimately difficult to express on the spot. Creating atmosphere is fundamental to modeling, like many other things such as interior decoration. I am interested to hear how; You may have been personally ‘caught up’ by an atmosphere that beckoned the inspiration, motivation for the model. This may be through experiencing the site first hand but also coming from looking at photographs which tell or suggest an atmosphere (I see MRJ have a ‘Real Atmosphere’ photograph in every issue) and personal memories and imaginations. Probably it is a medley of all these. If you had in mind an idea of a kind of ‘atmosphere’ that you wanted to create, for instance a gloomy loco scrapyard how did you go about trying to ‘capture’ or ‘engineer’ the atmosphere that you wanted to create/were inspired and motivated by. What kinds of modeling decisions essentially were related to atmosphere? For instance speaking with one modeler who had a loco scrapyard a feeling of sadness was exacerbated by a very gloomy sky that he painted specially to add to the sadness. If you have thought about atmosphere, what kind of atmosphere your layout give for you, this atmosphere might be for example a bringing back of memories of or imaginations of a hot summers day by the line side, peaceful and everything going ok.

Many thanks for the considerable amount of comment this first blog and post got, if you are reading from the blog and from ‘modelling musings and miscellaneous’ I will be talking here to commentators on both my blog and modelling. Another post later will deal with some critical thoughts on some of the conceptual issues that posters have highlighted, i.e what is modelling, but this post discusses in particular what I am going to be doing from here although I want to start this post with some issues that more recent posters have raised; Principally this project was developed by myself, although initial ideas for a research project revolved around the emergence of Road Safety in Britain from the 1900’s to the present day, how road space has, since the 20th century been a focus of technologies, experiments and general governmental concern. In particular the model railway bit of my project emerged from a general lack within the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences of attention to the hobbyist modelling community, which can be thought of of course as not only railway modellers but military/battlefield modellers and wargamers, ship, aircraft and car modellers, and these come under the idea of the ‘craft consumer’ and we can include many more things too including making and engaging with dollshouses, cooking, making clothes, decorating. I will be engaging with military/battlefield modellers and wargamers, ship, aircraft and car modellers over the course of my research if only to be able to develop some broader arguments. The conceptual framework of ‘model’ and ‘modelling’ emerged generally though the potential for a novel but important line of attack from which to explore these concepts and I will come onto what we can think of modelling is a bit later. The project should not be seen as simply a means to an end for a qualification. Whilst the project may earn a qualification I would hope to build on this research throughout a potential academic career. I am viewing this project as the stepping stone to developing some research themes that have the potential to stay with me for the rest of my life. This project as I highlighted in the previous post is taxpayer funded (and most good academic research is whether at my early career level or through mid and late career), there a various hoops to have to go through (quite rightly) to get it, including relevance and impact (often either one or both). I note some debate around relevance and that this project should not be funded by the taxpayer. I don’t want to get into hot water by commenting on this debate and this goes right through into government and indeed even with academia. My first post was too long, as some commentators have suggested, and I have to agree with them. Furthermore it was not as grounded in practical substance as it should have been which would have also made some of the conceptual ideas a bit more clearer and thus accessible, as one commentator helpfully suggested I ought to place some forum discussion links that nicely fit with each of the conceptual themes that I am interested in i.e ‘space of the home’ ‘illusion’ etc. Others have suggested I edit the piece; I will have a go at doing this when I get the chance. On a final point to this section, I have been very impressed by the response that my project has got and will try and reply to as many posters as I can. For the Second part now I note comments by Weston Sunset and Coombe barton; Weston Sunset Now that Rob MacKinnon has launched his ideas on us, it'd be nice to get some feedback from him as to how he's going to further pursue his research. Coombe barton "What do you require from us immediately?" I think we'd all like some guidance to see if we can help. Whilst I have perhaps regrettably spewed everything out all at once, it is my intention to use my blog on the forum to talk about things that I will be writing about in my research and ask questions relating for instance to your own practice of the hobby. I intend to talk in more detail and less academically about some of the conceptual themes I highlighted in the first post as well as some that seem to emerge. I am currently sorting out interviews with modellers, I have already undertaken a 3hr one with a garden railway modeller. The current state of the research project is that at the moment modellers are contacting me and I am either visiting them or, in some cases, I am undertaking correspondence via e-mail with them. Indeed in some cases, for instance with the garden railway modeller I interviewed I will also be corresponding with him via e-mail to ask further questions that I had not thought about at the time or wanting to clarify things. Some modellers I am just corresponding with, principally through a questionnaire (c100 questions or so) which I am in the process of drawing up. If you are interested in taking part in the questionnaire then please e-mail me, at rjm11@aber.ac.uk I will have to give you an ethics form for you to look over first and sign (electronically) which basically details what I will and will not do with the research (i.e kept anonymous in all discussions about the research and will not be given to 3rd parties). After looking through the response from the questionnaire I will ask further probing questions to the respondents whether through another formal questionnaire or just through e-mail. I will also, as I highlighted in the original piece be seeking to go to some model railway exhibitions within the Wales and West Midland’s areas. Several or so modellers have got back to me and have invited me to attend some of their club shows which will be a great experience. I will also be in contact with manufacturers either formally through interview/questionnaire or informally at trade fares. So, as to Weston Sunset’s point that; Now that Rob MacKinnon has launched his ideas on us, it'd be nice to get some feedback from him as to how he's going to further pursue his research. I hope to have answered this, I also hope I have been able to answer Coombe Barton’s point that "What do you require from us immediately?" I think we'd all like some guidance to see if we can help. A number of modellers who have got into contact with me have been very helpful and have offered to critique my first post. I understand there are some problems with it as posters have here highlighted and people have e-mailed me too about this. Despite these problems over length and legibility I would welcome modellers to contact me at rjm11@aber.ac.uk and I will send over a word document of the first post where I very much welcome modellers to suggest different angles, ideas, links and so on and very welcome to include your own ideas and knowledges and practices about these matters, particularly in the research themes section although for those of you are interested in participating via questionnaires some of this will emerge there instead so you don’t have to do this. As modellers have done so far, they have written (via the computer) underneath or within my text either highlighting their writing from mine or using a red font. I have very little practical and emotional knowledge of the hobby and welcome critical eyes to look over it to help make the research stronger.

Many thanks for the considerable amount of comment this first blog and post got, if you are reading from the blog and from ‘modelling musings and miscellaneous’ I will be talking here to commentators on both my blog and modelling. Another post later will deal with some critical thoughts on some of the conceptual issues that posters have highlighted, i.e what is modelling, but this post discusses in particular what I am going to be doing from here although I want to start this post with some issues that more recent posters have raised; Principally this project was developed by myself, although initial ideas for a research project revolved around the emergence of Road Safety in Britain from the 1900’s to the present day, how road space has, since the 20th century been a focus of technologies, experiments and general governmental concern. In particular the model railway bit of my project emerged from a general lack within the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences of attention to the hobbyist modelling community, which can be thought of of course as not only railway modellers but military/battlefield modellers and wargamers, ship, aircraft and car modellers, and these come under the idea of the ‘craft consumer’ and we can include many more things too including making and engaging with dollshouses, cooking, making clothes, decorating. I will be engaging with military/battlefield modellers and wargamers, ship, aircraft and car modellers over the course of my research if only to be able to develop some broader arguments. The conceptual framework of ‘model’ and ‘modelling’ emerged generally though the potential for a novel but important line of attack from which to explore these concepts and I will come onto what we can think of modelling is a bit later. The project should not be seen as simply a means to an end for a qualification. Whilst the project may earn a qualification I would hope to build on this research throughout a potential academic career. I am viewing this project as the stepping stone to developing some research themes that have the potential to stay with me for the rest of my life. This project as I highlighted in the previous post is taxpayer funded (and most good academic research is whether at my early career level or through mid and late career), there a various hoops to have to go through (quite rightly) to get it, including relevance and impact (often either one or both). I note some debate around relevance and that this project should not be funded by the taxpayer. I don’t want to get into hot water by commenting on this debate and this goes right through into government and indeed even with academia. My first post was too long, as some commentators have suggested, and I have to agree with them. Furthermore it was not as grounded in practical substance as it should have been which would have also made some of the conceptual ideas a bit more clearer and thus accessible, as one commentator helpfully suggested I ought to place some forum discussion links that nicely fit with each of the conceptual themes that I am interested in i.e ‘space of the home’ ‘illusion’ etc. Others have suggested I edit the piece; I will have a go at doing this when I get the chance. On a final point to this section, I have been very impressed by the response that my project has got and will try and reply to as many posters as I can. For the Second part now I note comments by Weston Sunset and Coombe barton; Weston Sunset Now that Rob MacKinnon has launched his ideas on us, it'd be nice to get some feedback from him as to how he's going to further pursue his research. Coombe barton "What do you require from us immediately?" I think we'd all like some guidance to see if we can help. Whilst I have perhaps regrettably spewed everything out all at once, it is my intention to use my blog on the forum to talk about things that I will be writing about in my research and ask questions relating for instance to your own practice of the hobby. I intend to talk in more detail and less academically about some of the conceptual themes I highlighted in the first post as well as some that seem to emerge. I am currently sorting out interviews with modellers, I have already undertaken a 3hr one with a garden railway modeller. The current state of the research project is that at the moment modellers are contacting me and I am either visiting them or, in some cases, I am undertaking correspondence via e-mail with them. Indeed in some cases, for instance with the garden railway modeller I interviewed I will also be corresponding with him via e-mail to ask further questions that I had not thought about at the time or wanting to clarify things. Some modellers I am just corresponding with, principally through a questionnaire (c100 questions or so) which I am in the process of drawing up. If you are interested in taking part in the questionnaire then please e-mail me, at rjm11@aber.ac.uk I will have to give you an ethics form for you to look over first and sign (electronically) which basically details what I will and will not do with the research (i.e kept anonymous in all discussions about the research and will not be given to 3rd parties). After looking through the response from the questionnaire I will ask further probing questions to the respondents whether through another formal questionnaire or just through e-mail. I will also, as I highlighted in the original piece be seeking to go to some model railway exhibitions within the Wales and West Midland’s areas. Several or so modellers have got back to me and have invited me to attend some of their club shows which will be a great experience. I will also be in contact with manufacturers either formally through interview/questionnaire or informally at trade fares. So, as to Weston Sunset’s point that; Now that Rob MacKinnon has launched his ideas on us, it'd be nice to get some feedback from him as to how he's going to further pursue his research. I hope to have answered this, I also hope I have been able to answer Coombe Barton’s point that "What do you require from us immediately?" I think we'd all like some guidance to see if we can help. A number of modellers who have got into contact with me have been very helpful and have offered to critique my first post. I understand there are some problems with it as posters have here highlighted and people have e-mailed me too about this. Despite these problems over length and legibility I would welcome modellers to contact me at rjm11@aber.ac.uk and I will send over a word document of the first post where I very much welcome modellers to suggest different angles, ideas, links and so on and very welcome to include your own ideas and knowledges and practices about these matters, particularly in the research themes section although for those of you are interested in participating via questionnaires some of this will emerge there instead so you don’t have to do this. As modellers have done so far, they have written (via the computer) underneath or within my text either highlighting their writing from mine or using a red font. I have very little practical and emotional knowledge of the hobby and welcome critical eyes to look over it to help make the research stronger.

Thank you Phil Bax, indeed I was talking to a modeller today who was worried about the hobby in a few years time, he said that in his day people were at school creating things which he felt was lacking of our more recent generations (including my own) and thus modellers were not being as creative with their hands as in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Indeed looking at some of the school syllabuses at the time, carpentry and engineering were practised at the Sec Moderns (they still are but optional and watered down content I think?). I guess perhaps in a society that is now heavily consumer focused as you seem to suggest buying may have taken over from making. This may be a dangerous overgeneralisation, it may not even be true, and I am not in any position of knowledge to make such a statement, however this is something that I will ask modellers when I interview them, their feelings about the directions that the hobby is going in, how it has changed over time and their hopes or even despairs for the future. So I thank you for you comment, cheers Rob

Hi Phil, thanks, this sounds brilliant which check this out, cheers Rob

Thank you Chard for your post, would very much like to hear your thoughts and comments on the project, lots of criticism/other concepts/areas of research/links between things(!) since this will only help. cheers Rob

Hi Andy, many thanks for your really extensive and insightful comments I am really grateful, interesting as you say to look at why modellers buy or don't buy magazines or choose particular magazines (some may buy many tho). For those who do, to quote the title of one of your online publications it may be for 'modelling inspiration' (as well as gaining knowledge, product news etc). These are some discussions I will take up with modellers when I talk to them, as well as at exhibitions

Dear Dazzler Fan, Many thanks for your comment. Am I right in thinking that you see some problems in the sense of looking at model railway and material experimental/scientific models? I am not so much concerned just with similarities as with differences. In terms of

Dear Bodmin16 You make a very good point re railway modelling is a broad and very diverse hobby. Whether or not one is stratchbuild things you are still, as you say, making a world (modelling a world) by,planning it, imagining it, playing with it. I notice in journals such as the MRJ for many modellers everything has to be strachbuilt in part because they are probably modelling things where nothing is avaliable and/or to a desired 'quality' or 'accuracy'. You mention that there is some snobbery, I have noticed this, and will look into this aspect. Although I am interested in visiting modellers face to face I would be more than happy to send you a questionaire at some point. cheers Rob

Hi Jonte, I think I might have put a bit to much up actually , a bit to detailed and long winded, esp my bit on concepts. In later posts I will hopefully develop some interesting issues and will be more accessible (ie talking less academically) so do keep with me if you are still interested. Sorry about the spelling of 'practising', probably a habit that has gone uncheked through all my work that has't been proofread by someone else.

Hi the Nth Degree, thanks for the good luck wishes, I am sorry about all the ect (etc) mistakes.

Hi Jaakko, no, but have just bought it off Amazon, thanks for pointing it out to me cheers Rob

Introducing myself I would like to introduce myself, my name is Robert MacKinnon and I am a PhD Researcher from the Institute of Geography & Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, undertaking a three year Aberystwyth University funded research project that includes taking a look at model railways. I have to say first off I have not been a practicing modeller for about a decade or so, my object of being with RMweb is to engage with the hobbyist community about my research work and I would like to thank Andy York (RMweb editor) for agreeing to me setting up a blog with open arms.I am interested in both indoor and outdoor model railways, looking at the identities, spaces, motivations and practices (doings) bound up with making and engaging with them. My research project is not entirely take up with looking at model railways, I focus on two other case studies in an attempt to take a look at why and how we make, use and encounter material ‘models’. These other case studies being a historical and archival based study on the work of Britain’s Hydraulics Research Station from c1945-1970 (modelling coasts, rivers and harbours) (anyone with experience in physical hydraulic modelling are welcome to contact me) and then a historical/contemporary study on the tourists’ miniature model village (Babbacombe, Bekonscot ect). Questions as to what ties all these three together conceptually is most important, I have no definite answer at the moment, ‘abstraction’ is an obvious one of sorts but I really need to focus on this. Research outputs A lot of academic research is a ‘closed shop’ to people from beyond the academy. This is not really a problem to place at the feet of scholars, certainly within my discipline of geography scholars want to bring their research to a wider audience and geographers have sought creative ways of doing this. Rather, the space in which scholars in geography as in a number of other disciplines have to publish or otherwise peril – international academic journal articles and these are published by a handful of huge academic publishers -can only be accessed through a hefty subscription payments for people not in University (a great deal of a University’s expenditure goes on journal access). My blog seeks to do one thing. I want to post questions and my thoughts (works-in-progress) about things that I am doing. Comments are sought after. Some of the research findings that will come out of the project will hopefully be turned into some features from 2014-15 within British Railway Modelling Magazine. How am I going to undertake the research? A variety of ‘research methods’. Firstly, looking through texts (i.e looking through magazines such as British Railway Modeller, railway books ie books like Ian Rice and Barry Norman’s excellent stuff, blogs, websites and forums like this). Secondly, unstructured interviews with modellers through a visit to their home and layout talking about their hobby and layout (if you live in S.Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffs, Wolves and 'Brum', please get in contact if you are interested in talking to me about the hobby and showing me your layout) as well as talking with exhibitors. Thirdly, observant participation at several or so model railway clubs and at exhibitions. I should say that over the past six or some months here on the forum I have seen some absolutely fascinating and conceptually infused debates. For instance ‘Does something get lost as the scale gets bigger?’; ‘How to get lynched at a model railway show’, ‘Modelling railway accidents’, ‘How do you arrange your book collection?’, ‘Why are some of us obsessed with nostalgia?’, ‘What is "nitpicking" and how to "be constructive”’, and ‘Watching the (model) trains go by - with binoculars’ among many others. Looking through magazines on issues that I am interested in (see the extensive ‘word’ list with descriptions way below) is important and have spent most of the past few months doing this kind of research and such textual research actually allows for a really developed discussion on issues relating to my research questions (below) and naturally my extensive ‘word’ list (see way below). Someone asked me why do I need to talk with people, in lieu of the fact that some pretty good stuff is coming out just passively looking through magazines and forums such as RMweb in particular. Textual research is crucial but needs I think to be supplemented by visiting modellers. For instance, part of a recent paper that I wrote for my supervisors focused on some ‘motivations of a layout theme’ for modellers and used books, videos, magazines and forums which was set around issues of ‘memory’, ‘challenge’, ‘rythmn’, ‘nostalgia’, ‘the didactic’, ‘landscape’ and ‘atmosphere’. Because I could only read what the writer had felt important to say, I often could not engage with them in the sense of drawing-out some of what they were talking about or clarifying certain issues. Research Questions for the project Core Research questions for the project on all three case studies (these may well develop and change); • Why model and what is modelled? What are the motivations and identities? • How is modelling practiced? What are the decisions, contexts, materials, knowledges, techniques, and constraints? • What are the affectual qualities of modelling as practice? Modelling as ‘pain-staking’ and ‘meticulous’, modelling as consuming, tedious, fantastic and exhilarating. • How do we play with, use, and engage with model worlds/look after (if at all) and change/encounter their environments? • What are the affectual qualities of them, including issues of the miniature? • In what ways are issues of power, control and discipline bound up with modelling and model worlds? • In what ways are models and practices of modelling debated and contested? • What are the spaces in which modelling is practiced and models encountered? As I briefly mentioned earlier, I will be looking at outdoor railways as well. This I find interesting in the sense of a gardening-modelling nexus (planting and landscaping ect), issues of materials and weathering. Both indoor and outdoor modelling have their differences as well as similarities, I cannot start a blog on a garden railway forum so some musings on outdoor modelling particularly when contrasting with indoor modelling with find themselves here. I have a very busy schedule of things to do but intend to write at least one blog post a week or so, sometimes more depending on what I am doing and they will not be as long as this one! Besides commenting on postings, modellers are most welcome to message me here on RMweb and also contact with me through e-mail (rjm11@aber.ac.uk ) about postings, issues for me to consider, critiquing’s ect. I used to be a railway modeller some time ago but even so in a relatively short space of time I have had to become familiar with the hobby again and in particular get an overview of the hobby. I claim absolutely no ‘special knowledge’ on anything whatsoever, merely all I do is write about what you think and do and try and shape these into the slipstream of academic debate. Do visit my webpage at Aberystwyth University http://www.aber.ac.u...taff/phd/rjm11/ , my Academia.edu page at http://aber.academia...RobertMacKinnon and I have thought about creating a dedicated website for the whole research project although I am loathed to part with the money at the moment (c100 pounds) I will at some point have to get something going since everyone else doing other research projects is doing this. If you have got this far then thank you for taking an interest. From here I want to draw attention to what I understand to be ‘model’ and ‘modelling’ before then discussing my research questions on model railways and then some ‘words’ important to the model railway project in alphabetical order. I assure you none no other posts on my blog with be this long! Before I go on, my research focuses really on the modeller’s making of a layout including in this the practical making and/or placing of things for a layout, encountering and engaging with a layout (layout does not have to be finished btw, of course most are never really) and the modeller and the space and spaces of modelling. There is much to be said for exploring for instance the relational dynamics between modellers and producers (Woodland Scenic’s, Bachmann ect), magazine and book publishers and their editors (BRM, Hornby Mag ect) including online forums such as RMweb, stockists (Hatton’s and independents) and traders (stockists and/or online traders). The idea and the modelling of the ‘model railway’ emerged (and continues to evolve) through a network of personalities, clubs and societies and from publishers in creating dialogue spaces in print or online, disseminating ideas and knowledges, to finally manufacturers and firms catering for modellers needs. Through my research I want to explore modellers engagements with magazines, books and online-spaces related to the hobby, however from another angle I think it would be a good idea to explore the ‘production’ of these texts from a current editorial or even perhaps archival perspective. For instance, in what ways are debates and ideas in modelling shaping/shaped by the content of in magazines, what is BRM’s, Hornby’s, and the MRJ’s idea of its audience, and how this shapes editorial content. How do editors/moderators have a particular hand in shaping either online or in print a text’s passage into this world? As geographers Withers and Keighren (2010) in their study of narratives of travel and exploration in the 19th century assert, ‘publishers acting as editors could and did alter their author’s works in order to serve different demands’ (p.561). Interesting to hear for instance from people who have undertaken writing in magazines or writing for a book on their publishing experiences and vice versa from editors. In RMweb where it is quicker and easier to publish than in print does BRM use RMweb as a tool to keep in contact with modellers, do people from Hornby, Bachmann ect look at this forum (and magazines) in particular looking at topics under the ‘products’ section? Why has Bachmann decided to produce a replica of Highley station, why has Woodland’s Scenic’s gone for that particular texture of mimetic grass or that particular material spatiality to an Oak or why do we not see black or fat people in any of Hornby’s figures? Research Questions for the Model Railway project From here I want to outline the research questions to the model railway part of the project (as of Oct 2012!); What are the motivations and feelings for and in the practice of modelling, how does modelling fit around family life, where is modelling practiced in the sense of the space or spaces? What are the affectual qualities of modelling as practice? Modelling as ‘pain-staking’ and ‘meticulous’, modelling as consuming, tedious, fantastic and exhilarating. What are one’s modelling techniques, how are materials worked with or used, what are one’s kinds of tools used/use and products used liked. What are the motivations, knowledges and practices that went into/go into making/maintaining/displaying a layout (through particular things to do with it/on it)? From inspiration, planning, to actually making it, and looking at imaginations, memories, photographs, drawings, jottings and research files and collection of articles, magazines and books. How are layouts displayed, worked on, cleaned, maintained, altered, broken-up, recycled and stored? In what way are layouts brought to life? Through movement and rhythm’s, through stories and histories. How do we encounter layouts and the life what are the stories and histories that may weave a narrative (from parked cars, people in the street to the history of the town/station ect). What are the feelings/experiences in operating a layout? What are the spaces in which models are located? How have some spaces been altered, specially designed or I am interested in the space that your layout may be located, looking at how you have perhaps altered your home for a layout or built a shed, how you have decorated it and what you have in there and what this place means to you? How is modelling being held together through a ‘community of expertise’ (e.g. fellow model-makers, collectors, manufacturing companies), via modelling clubs, fairs, exhibitions and magazines? Some Research Themes for the Model Railway Project (these are not all of them) Affective Atmospheres – ‘Affective Atmospheres’ is a particularly fashionable concept to look at within human geography at the moment and the term is basically about atmosphere-as-feeling, i.e to quote Barry Norman on one of his layouts for instance; ‘(w)hen I modelled Lydham Heath I was attracted by the atmosphere of the station (…) something about the neglect and sadness of this frail railway struggling to exist in a beautiful part of Shropshire’ (Norman, 1997, p.1). For Norman here, signs of ‘neglect’, and personal musings on its ‘struggling’ situation – coming together in a feeling of ‘sadness’ - created an affective ‘atmosphere’ that just had to be modelled - this model was to capture and arouse feeling, as he goes onto say - ‘I wasn’t just trying to model the station as it may have been; I wanted more than that. I also wanted to encapsulate the atmosphere of the place’ (ibid, p.1). As human geographer Ben Anderson (2009, p.80) has noted ‘atmospheres are ambiguous with regard to their location. It is difficult to say ‘where’ an atmosphere is since “(t)hey seem to fill the space with a certain tone of feeling like a haze” (Böhme, 1993: 113–114)’. Creating atmosphere is fundamental to modelling, like many other things such as interior decoration ect. I am interested in how modellers are caught up and think with affective atmospheres, how they are ‘engineered’ through modelling practices and how affective atmospheres are intrinsic to in engaging with layouts, at home, in the garden, at exhibitions. Authenticity – The idea of ‘authenticity’ is important to the hobby. Ideas of authenticity can find themselves within debates on the ‘unprototypical’, the ’wrong’, ‘prototypical’ and the ‘right’. Modellers are often keen on being ‘appropriate’ in terms of place and time, as well as of course on a variety of other issues such as colour. Debates over these things are very much bound up with personal judgement often based on knowledge. Of course being ‘authentic’ is not the be all and end all for many modellers, or manufactures and essentially I am interested in the personal decisions modellers went/go through in what to include/exclude on their layouts, why are they are there essentially. Challenge – The idea of ‘modelling challenge’ - something challenging to one’s conceived ‘skill’ and inclination - is a particularly interesting idea to look from two related perspectives. Firstly, the perspective of the motivations to undertake ‘challenging’ work (and of course this is subjective), such as personal satisfaction both in making and showing to people and a desire to impress modelling-peers, giving status within a club, society and/or within the hobbyist community. Secondly and related to the earlier, to explore how modellers perceive certain things, ideas and spaces as challenging to model, perhaps requiring certain skills with tools, knowledges about materials and how to get a desired effect, issues of time and size, and practiced dexterity for detail and precision and suchlike. For one modeller; ‘I enjoy the feeling of achievement at having completed something that I have never successfully done before - but that does not mean that there has not been a considerable amount of carpet chewing frustration along the way. For me, part of the pleasure is in problem solving - figuring out how to make something work and possibly learning a new skill or technique along the way.’ Copying – Copying is a vital performance of model making practice - thinking about choosing and replicating or imitating material and spatial forms and also the importance of colour and colouring. Exploring the materialities, observational practices and performances bound up with the act of copying are a major element to this study. Display – I am interested in how layouts are displayed, by ‘display’ I mean a number of things. I am interested in backscenes (painted, photos ect) and the idea of the ‘diorama’ which ameliorate the harsh boundaries between the ‘model world’ and the ‘real’ world giving the illusion of its non-finality working alongside a variety of other ‘staging’ effects (forced perspective ect, I will talk more about dioramas and illusion under the word ‘illusion’). Obviously a lot of indoor layouts don’t have any backscenes which is interesting in itself neither are there illusions of distance such as forced perspective. ‘Display’ in the dioramic sense with outdoor layouts in an interesting one. Whilst some of the small plants and their scenes may be bound up (if there are any) in a ‘model world’ (I tentatively posit this as something that performs in the imagination (a layout, length of track or a track and a cutting for instance) resting on real space in some way full of things that hold-out for something else) judicious background (wherever this may be) illusionistic practices (again if there are any) can include particular plantings and other kinds of camouflaging’s. This is by no means to suggest that I am interested just in illusionistic practices, I am also interested in how whether outside when ‘playing’ with the layout one apprehends buildings, conifers, tall trees (blocked out to an extent in the imagination?) or inside maybe wooden beams and of course even the room. Beyond issues of the indoor diorama and testing some of these issues in the outdoor context I am interested in some of the elements involved in positioning layouts in terms of height (issues to do with perspective and many other things, in the outdoor context higher easier to get to) and also related to the diorama, if not a part of it, the materialities (glass/plastic screen, cloth (hiding the storage area beneath the layout), information, maps, photos, railwayana) at the front of the layout especially at an exhibition alongside issues such as positioning the lighting. I am also interested in how a layout is primed for ‘display’ such as at an exhibition or having friends practices such as cleaning, tidying, inspecting, testing, experimenting, fiddling, patching-up, repairing and suchlike. Exhibiting - Tying into some discussions on ‘display’, I am particularly keen - through talking with exhibitors and hopefully modellers who exhibit - the motivations and practices that go into putting a layout into an exhibition. I read an article in a 1980’s Railway Modeller some months back, but don’t have access to it at the time of writing this, that looked at ‘how’ a layout should be exhibited and some of the ‘rules’ ie no coffee cups in view, no touching or leaning on the backscene and many other things that I have forgotten about. This is an aspect I am interested in as well as some of the rules or general etiquette expected of viewers as well as looking at how they more generally engage with the layouts on display, watch them, chat about them and ask queries or maybe sometimes more charged questions sometimes to elicit debate. Of course, some layouts will be planned with the exhibition circuit in mind with modellers motivated to produce work of certain kinds and demonstrative of somekind of high effort or skill which is another interesting aspect. Experiment/Experimentation - A core practice in modelling (as life more generally). Straightforwardly, I am interested in thinking about how and why modellers undertake experiments. The practice of experimentation requires curiosity and particular knowledges, methods, and observations. Family and the space of the home (outdoor railway could be family and the space of the garden) – Basically I am interested in where and when modelling is practiced. I am Interested in how modellers may work their hobby into their family/everyday life, their daily time-space routines perhaps (if one even lives with relatives) and your life more generally. I am very interested in the specialised use of particular spaces in the home for modelling and the layout, if modellers have set up a dedicated space or number of spaces, and this can include the garage, shed, loft, spare bedroom, cellar, whatever. I am interested to learn how the space may have been adapted specifically for spending time modelling and hosting the layout and collections (better insulation against damp, heating ect, maybe sound proofed) and so on and how it has been decorated and what is in there (tools, posters, notebooks and scraps of paper, research files, computer, magazines, books, stock collection ect). On the family’s time-space routines, I mean for instance how modellers may fit their activities into the spatial and temporal activities of other family members maybe engaging in modelling or ‘playing’ (I don’t mean this is a derogatory sense) with layouts and even reading RMweb and right now this blog when other members of the family are out of the house or doing their personal and sometimes privatised activities such as watching the tv, kids upstairs in their bedrooms on their PlayStation ect. I am also interested in how modellers may actually take their modelling from the private and into the very social within the home, maybe for added company amongst many other reasons. What do other family members, relatives or non-modelling friends think about one’s hobby and layout? Do they take an active interest in it, furthermore who has charge of these modelling spaces, are they entirely one’s own dominion? I am also interested in what these spaces – which are places - mean and how they are experienced, perhaps bolt holes from the vaster world of reality? Illusion - Arguably everything about a railway layout, especially one that is at an exhibition is about hiding or camouflaging certain things from a certain perspective. I am extremely interested in issues of creating the illusion of distance, layered backgrounds, low relief buildings and forced perspective modelling. Beyond this I am interested in how certain things are hidden from a viewing perspective such as the layout’s lighting as well as issues such as the ‘entry and exit points’ of a layout, the stage on, stage off, where the entry and exit points are to be ideally be hidden. Some of the same points can be made with regards to the outdoors, especially relating to decisions on planting. Knowledge – On the one hand, I am interested in what modellers do to actively seek ‘explicit knowledge’ about what they are modelling. Whether this be field-visits with sketchpad, camera and note-book, drawings, maps and plans, talking with people, using photographs, particular books such as old timetables and rule books, Google Earth and websites and archival material. I am also of course interested in the ways in which modellers may use personal memories and experiences as a basis for knowledge or a basis for more information. Knowledges can also of course be acquired through ‘experimentation’. I am very interested in whether you may have a personal archive of reference material (which will include magazine collections) where and how it is stored (computer, bookcase, files) and how things are catalogued if at all. Materiality (of objects) – Materiality of objects (whether a leaf, tree, bit of gravel, road surface) is very important to this research project. I am interested in how modellers think and work with materials in the pursuance of ‘mimesis’, in the sense of thinking about for instance what kinds of materials and their textures best give a desired effect and/or how are they malleable. Furthermore and related to this how do modellers mess about with materials to get a desired effect. The issue of scale is centrally important in the sense of choosing, making and altering materialities. Although not often related to physical materiality of object, modellers often attempt to depict ‘weathering’ effects of objects through painting although materials are of course used as well and I am interested in this. On materiality and weathering I am interested in the knowledges, practices and techniques that go into weathering objects, whether a train carriage or a road surface. I am also interested in how indoor models may suffer from extremes of heat, cold and light and am interested in how you may mitigate this which relates back to my query under ‘Family and the space of the home’ on how you may adapt or design space, if you don’t this is interesting in its own right. On the out-doors scene to some extents a lot of weathering does not have to be simulated, since weathering of materials such as stone can occur ‘naturally’ (although whether this is ‘realistic’ in the sense of scale is debatable but subjective) and am interested in how modellers and manufacturers think and work with materials for the outdoor model railway. Memory and the Past - The past as perpetual coming into being – I am interested in what modellers think about ‘the past’ i.e what the ‘past’ is that they are trying to recreate (if the layout is set in the past). As the title suggests through I am interested in thinking about how ‘the past’ is inherently constructed in the present so in other words I want to look at how modeller’s perceptions of the past (which can also include personal memories) are influenced by the here and now. Some of this will have links in with ‘nostalgia’. On the one hand, I am interested in how ‘the past’ arrives in our encountering and engaging with layouts. Joseph Martin in his 1960 book ‘The world of model railways’ - which was aimed at young boys - suggested; ‘I particularly like the idea of (modelling) a holiday railway (…).Throughout the winter when we give most attention to our railway, we are still re-living that wonderful week or fortnight when we felt as free as the sea-wind’ (p.29). In Railway Modeller, Andrew Bartlett (I have lost the reference to it) writes of his layout that ‘as with many other people, my model railway provides me with a means of delving into the past, and reliving those fond memories of years gone by’. So, on the one hand I am interested in how engaging with models and layouts may animate memories or imaginations of the past perhaps enabling a comforting, utopic experience. On the other hand, but of presence in my previous discussion, I am interested in talking with modellers about how the past is bound up with the present as to refer to Urry (1996, p.48); ‘each moment of the past is constructed anew. There is only the present in the context of which the past is continually being recreated’. For instance, Alan Turner in the introduction to an article on his layout in the ‘Model Railway Journal’ mused of his layout as ‘an attempt to recreate a scene from the past, of something long gone and of the life which we shall never see again’(2011, p.243). For Hugh Dougherty, talking about his Victorian timed layout in a 1977 edition of ‘Railway Modeller’ the layout ‘recreates for me the peace and quiet of County Donegal and brings me back into an ever more peaceful era before the internal combustion engine began to make in-roads into this last haven of solitude’ (1977, p.23). Or another layout, ‘Abbotsford’, where for Bury St Edmunds Model Railway Club in a 1978 edition of ‘Railway Modeller’ the layout ‘as a whole represents an East Anglian railway system at a time when diesels had not obtained a stranglehold in the area’ (1978, p.138). In these vignettes the past is related with the future or present. Movement – Movement, things actually in motion (not represented as in motion) is a key part of the model railway. In a world that is for the most part completely still, I am interested in how modellers may prize movement and movements, especially train movements as a visual focus for the layout but I am also interested in movements whether real or not (simulated) that envelope this, in this latter aspect of simulated movement in the still, I am interested in the modelling practices that go into trying to depict movement such as waves or rippled water. I am also interested in modellers’ sensibilities towards simulated movement in the still (cars on the middle of roads, figures posed in-between movements, stormy seas ect) and modelling practices bound up with these sensibilities. Debates on this have been had in books and in RMweb but I am interested in hearing a broad range of personal sensibilities on this matter since there is no right or wrong answer only different sensibilities to these things. Other issues include Story and narrative, scale, and rhythm besides many others, I will write about what I mean by these 3 in a later post. ipb.blog.maxCats = 50; ipb.blog.canPostDraft = 1; ipb.blog.canPublish = 1; ipb.blog.defStatus = ""; ipb.blog.defStatusGlobal = "published"; ipb.templates['cat_entry'] = new Template("<li>#{cat}"); ipb.blog.currentCats = $H( {"0":{"category_title":"Uncategorized","category_title_seo":"uncategorized","_selected":"0"}} );

Introducing myself I would like to introduce myself, my name is Robert MacKinnon and I am a PhD Researcher from the Institute of Geography & Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, undertaking a three year Aberystwyth University funded research project that includes taking a look at model railways. I have to say first off I have not been a practicing modeller for about a decade or so, my object of being with RMweb is to engage with the hobbyist community about my research work and I would like to thank Andy York (RMweb editor) for agreeing to me setting up a blog with open arms.I am interested in both indoor and outdoor model railways, looking at the identities, spaces, motivations and practices (doings) bound up with making and engaging with them. My research project is not entirely take up with looking at model railways, I focus on two other case studies in an attempt to take a look at why and how we make, use and encounter material ‘models’. These other case studies being a historical and archival based study on the work of Britain’s Hydraulics Research Station from c1945-1970 (modelling coasts, rivers and harbours) (anyone with experience in physical hydraulic modelling are welcome to contact me) and then a historical/contemporary study on the tourists’ miniature model village (Babbacombe, Bekonscot ect). Questions as to what ties all these three together conceptually is most important, I have no definite answer at the moment, ‘abstraction’ is an obvious one of sorts but I really need to focus on this. Research outputs A lot of academic research is a ‘closed shop’ to people from beyond the academy. This is not really a problem to place at the feet of scholars, certainly within my discipline of geography scholars want to bring their research to a wider audience and geographers have sought creative ways of doing this. Rather, the space in which scholars in geography as in a number of other disciplines have to publish or otherwise peril – international academic journal articles and these are published by a handful of huge academic publishers -can only be accessed through a hefty subscription payments for people not in University (a great deal of a University’s expenditure goes on journal access). My blog seeks to do one thing. I want to post questions and my thoughts (works-in-progress) about things that I am doing. Comments are sought after. Some of the research findings that will come out of the project will hopefully be turned into some features from 2014-15 within British Railway Modelling Magazine. How am I going to undertake the research? A variety of ‘research methods’. Firstly, looking through texts (i.e looking through magazines such as British Railway Modeller, railway books ie books like Ian Rice and Barry Norman’s excellent stuff, blogs, websites and forums like this). Secondly, unstructured interviews with modellers through a visit to their home and layout talking about their hobby and layout (if you live in S.Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffs, Wolves and 'Brum', please get in contact if you are interested in talking to me about the hobby and showing me your layout) as well as talking with exhibitors. Thirdly, observant participation at several or so model railway clubs and at exhibitions. I should say that over the past six or some months here on the forum I have seen some absolutely fascinating and conceptually infused debates. For instance ‘Does something get lost as the scale gets bigger?’; ‘How to get lynched at a model railway show’, ‘Modelling railway accidents’, ‘How do you arrange your book collection?’, ‘Why are some of us obsessed with nostalgia?’, ‘What is "nitpicking" and how to "be constructive”’, and ‘Watching the (model) trains go by - with binoculars’ among many others. Looking through magazines on issues that I am interested in (see the extensive ‘word’ list with descriptions way below) is important and have spent most of the past few months doing this kind of research and such textual research actually allows for a really developed discussion on issues relating to my research questions (below) and naturally my extensive ‘word’ list (see way below). Someone asked me why do I need to talk with people, in lieu of the fact that some pretty good stuff is coming out just passively looking through magazines and forums such as RMweb in particular. Textual research is crucial but needs I think to be supplemented by visiting modellers. For instance, part of a recent paper that I wrote for my supervisors focused on some ‘motivations of a layout theme’ for modellers and used books, videos, magazines and forums which was set around issues of ‘memory’, ‘challenge’, ‘rythmn’, ‘nostalgia’, ‘the didactic’, ‘landscape’ and ‘atmosphere’. Because I could only read what the writer had felt important to say, I often could not engage with them in the sense of drawing-out some of what they were talking about or clarifying certain issues. Research Questions for the project Core Research questions for the project on all three case studies (these may well develop and change); • Why model and what is modelled? What are the motivations and identities? • How is modelling practiced? What are the decisions, contexts, materials, knowledges, techniques, and constraints? • What are the affectual qualities of modelling as practice? Modelling as ‘pain-staking’ and ‘meticulous’, modelling as consuming, tedious, fantastic and exhilarating. • How do we play with, use, and engage with model worlds/look after (if at all) and change/encounter their environments? • What are the affectual qualities of them, including issues of the miniature? • In what ways are issues of power, control and discipline bound up with modelling and model worlds? • In what ways are models and practices of modelling debated and contested? • What are the spaces in which modelling is practiced and models encountered? As I briefly mentioned earlier, I will be looking at outdoor railways as well. This I find interesting in the sense of a gardening-modelling nexus (planting and landscaping ect), issues of materials and weathering. Both indoor and outdoor modelling have their differences as well as similarities, I cannot start a blog on a garden railway forum so some musings on outdoor modelling particularly when contrasting with indoor modelling with find themselves here. I have a very busy schedule of things to do but intend to write at least one blog post a week or so, sometimes more depending on what I am doing and they will not be as long as this one! Besides commenting on postings, modellers are most welcome to message me here on RMweb and also contact with me through e-mail (rjm11@aber.ac.uk ) about postings, issues for me to consider, critiquing’s ect. I used to be a railway modeller some time ago but even so in a relatively short space of time I have had to become familiar with the hobby again and in particular get an overview of the hobby. I claim absolutely no ‘special knowledge’ on anything whatsoever, merely all I do is write about what you think and do and try and shape these into the slipstream of academic debate. Do visit my webpage at Aberystwyth University http://www.aber.ac.u...taff/phd/rjm11/ , my Academia.edu page at http://aber.academia...RobertMacKinnon and I have thought about creating a dedicated website for the whole research project although I am loathed to part with the money at the moment (c100 pounds) I will at some point have to get something going since everyone else doing other research projects is doing this. If you have got this far then thank you for taking an interest. From here I want to draw attention to what I understand to be ‘model’ and ‘modelling’ before then discussing my research questions on model railways and then some ‘words’ important to the model railway project in alphabetical order. I assure you none no other posts on my blog with be this long! Before I go on, my research focuses really on the modeller’s making of a layout including in this the practical making and/or placing of things for a layout, encountering and engaging with a layout (layout does not have to be finished btw, of course most are never really) and the modeller and the space and spaces of modelling. There is much to be said for exploring for instance the relational dynamics between modellers and producers (Woodland Scenic’s, Bachmann ect), magazine and book publishers and their editors (BRM, Hornby Mag ect) including online forums such as RMweb, stockists (Hatton’s and independents) and traders (stockists and/or online traders). The idea and the modelling of the ‘model railway’ emerged (and continues to evolve) through a network of personalities, clubs and societies and from publishers in creating dialogue spaces in print or online, disseminating ideas and knowledges, to finally manufacturers and firms catering for modellers needs. Through my research I want to explore modellers engagements with magazines, books and online-spaces related to the hobby, however from another angle I think it would be a good idea to explore the ‘production’ of these texts from a current editorial or even perhaps archival perspective. For instance, in what ways are debates and ideas in modelling shaping/shaped by the content of in magazines, what is BRM’s, Hornby’s, and the MRJ’s idea of its audience, and how this shapes editorial content. How do editors/moderators have a particular hand in shaping either online or in print a text’s passage into this world? As geographers Withers and Keighren (2010) in their study of narratives of travel and exploration in the 19th century assert, ‘publishers acting as editors could and did alter their author’s works in order to serve different demands’ (p.561). Interesting to hear for instance from people who have undertaken writing in magazines or writing for a book on their publishing experiences and vice versa from editors. In RMweb where it is quicker and easier to publish than in print does BRM use RMweb as a tool to keep in contact with modellers, do people from Hornby, Bachmann ect look at this forum (and magazines) in particular looking at topics under the ‘products’ section? Why has Bachmann decided to produce a replica of Highley station, why has Woodland’s Scenic’s gone for that particular texture of mimetic grass or that particular material spatiality to an Oak or why do we not see black or fat people in any of Hornby’s figures? Research Questions for the Model Railway project From here I want to outline the research questions to the model railway part of the project (as of Oct 2012!); What are the motivations and feelings for and in the practice of modelling, how does modelling fit around family life, where is modelling practiced in the sense of the space or spaces? What are the affectual qualities of modelling as practice? Modelling as ‘pain-staking’ and ‘meticulous’, modelling as consuming, tedious, fantastic and exhilarating. What are one’s modelling techniques, how are materials worked with or used, what are one’s kinds of tools used/use and products used liked. What are the motivations, knowledges and practices that went into/go into making/maintaining/displaying a layout (through particular things to do with it/on it)? From inspiration, planning, to actually making it, and looking at imaginations, memories, photographs, drawings, jottings and research files and collection of articles, magazines and books. How are layouts displayed, worked on, cleaned, maintained, altered, broken-up, recycled and stored? In what way are layouts brought to life? Through movement and rhythm’s, through stories and histories. How do we encounter layouts and the life what are the stories and histories that may weave a narrative (from parked cars, people in the street to the history of the town/station ect). What are the feelings/experiences in operating a layout? What are the spaces in which models are located? How have some spaces been altered, specially designed or I am interested in the space that your layout may be located, looking at how you have perhaps altered your home for a layout or built a shed, how you have decorated it and what you have in there and what this place means to you? How is modelling being held together through a ‘community of expertise’ (e.g. fellow model-makers, collectors, manufacturing companies), via modelling clubs, fairs, exhibitions and magazines? Some Research Themes for the Model Railway Project (these are not all of them) Affective Atmospheres – ‘Affective Atmospheres’ is a particularly fashionable concept to look at within human geography at the moment and the term is basically about atmosphere-as-feeling, i.e to quote Barry Norman on one of his layouts for instance; ‘(w)hen I modelled Lydham Heath I was attracted by the atmosphere of the station (…) something about the neglect and sadness of this frail railway struggling to exist in a beautiful part of Shropshire’ (Norman, 1997, p.1). For Norman here, signs of ‘neglect’, and personal musings on its ‘struggling’ situation – coming together in a feeling of ‘sadness’ - created an affective ‘atmosphere’ that just had to be modelled - this model was to capture and arouse feeling, as he goes onto say - ‘I wasn’t just trying to model the station as it may have been; I wanted more than that. I also wanted to encapsulate the atmosphere of the place’ (ibid, p.1). As human geographer Ben Anderson (2009, p.80) has noted ‘atmospheres are ambiguous with regard to their location. It is difficult to say ‘where’ an atmosphere is since “(t)hey seem to fill the space with a certain tone of feeling like a haze” (Böhme, 1993: 113–114)’. Creating atmosphere is fundamental to modelling, like many other things such as interior decoration ect. I am interested in how modellers are caught up and think with affective atmospheres, how they are ‘engineered’ through modelling practices and how affective atmospheres are intrinsic to in engaging with layouts, at home, in the garden, at exhibitions. Authenticity – The idea of ‘authenticity’ is important to the hobby. Ideas of authenticity can find themselves within debates on the ‘unprototypical’, the ’wrong’, ‘prototypical’ and the ‘right’. Modellers are often keen on being ‘appropriate’ in terms of place and time, as well as of course on a variety of other issues such as colour. Debates over these things are very much bound up with personal judgement often based on knowledge. Of course being ‘authentic’ is not the be all and end all for many modellers, or manufactures and essentially I am interested in the personal decisions modellers went/go through in what to include/exclude on their layouts, why are they are there essentially. Challenge – The idea of ‘modelling challenge’ - something challenging to one’s conceived ‘skill’ and inclination - is a particularly interesting idea to look from two related perspectives. Firstly, the perspective of the motivations to undertake ‘challenging’ work (and of course this is subjective), such as personal satisfaction both in making and showing to people and a desire to impress modelling-peers, giving status within a club, society and/or within the hobbyist community. Secondly and related to the earlier, to explore how modellers perceive certain things, ideas and spaces as challenging to model, perhaps requiring certain skills with tools, knowledges about materials and how to get a desired effect, issues of time and size, and practiced dexterity for detail and precision and suchlike. For one modeller; ‘I enjoy the feeling of achievement at having completed something that I have never successfully done before - but that does not mean that there has not been a considerable amount of carpet chewing frustration along the way. For me, part of the pleasure is in problem solving - figuring out how to make something work and possibly learning a new skill or technique along the way.’ Copying – Copying is a vital performance of model making practice - thinking about choosing and replicating or imitating material and spatial forms and also the importance of colour and colouring. Exploring the materialities, observational practices and performances bound up with the act of copying are a major element to this study. Display – I am interested in how layouts are displayed, by ‘display’ I mean a number of things. I am interested in backscenes (painted, photos ect) and the idea of the ‘diorama’ which ameliorate the harsh boundaries between the ‘model world’ and the ‘real’ world giving the illusion of its non-finality working alongside a variety of other ‘staging’ effects (forced perspective ect, I will talk more about dioramas and illusion under the word ‘illusion’). Obviously a lot of indoor layouts don’t have any backscenes which is interesting in itself neither are there illusions of distance such as forced perspective. ‘Display’ in the dioramic sense with outdoor layouts in an interesting one. Whilst some of the small plants and their scenes may be bound up (if there are any) in a ‘model world’ (I tentatively posit this as something that performs in the imagination (a layout, length of track or a track and a cutting for instance) resting on real space in some way full of things that hold-out for something else) judicious background (wherever this may be) illusionistic practices (again if there are any) can include particular plantings and other kinds of camouflaging’s. This is by no means to suggest that I am interested just in illusionistic practices, I am also interested in how whether outside when ‘playing’ with the layout one apprehends buildings, conifers, tall trees (blocked out to an extent in the imagination?) or inside maybe wooden beams and of course even the room. Beyond issues of the indoor diorama and testing some of these issues in the outdoor context I am interested in some of the elements involved in positioning layouts in terms of height (issues to do with perspective and many other things, in the outdoor context higher easier to get to) and also related to the diorama, if not a part of it, the materialities (glass/plastic screen, cloth (hiding the storage area beneath the layout), information, maps, photos, railwayana) at the front of the layout especially at an exhibition alongside issues such as positioning the lighting. I am also interested in how a layout is primed for ‘display’ such as at an exhibition or having friends practices such as cleaning, tidying, inspecting, testing, experimenting, fiddling, patching-up, repairing and suchlike. Exhibiting - Tying into some discussions on ‘display’, I am particularly keen - through talking with exhibitors and hopefully modellers who exhibit - the motivations and practices that go into putting a layout into an exhibition. I read an article in a 1980’s Railway Modeller some months back, but don’t have access to it at the time of writing this, that looked at ‘how’ a layout should be exhibited and some of the ‘rules’ ie no coffee cups in view, no touching or leaning on the backscene and many other things that I have forgotten about. This is an aspect I am interested in as well as some of the rules or general etiquette expected of viewers as well as looking at how they more generally engage with the layouts on display, watch them, chat about them and ask queries or maybe sometimes more charged questions sometimes to elicit debate. Of course, some layouts will be planned with the exhibition circuit in mind with modellers motivated to produce work of certain kinds and demonstrative of somekind of high effort or skill which is another interesting aspect. Experiment/Experimentation - A core practice in modelling (as life more generally). Straightforwardly, I am interested in thinking about how and why modellers undertake experiments. The practice of experimentation requires curiosity and particular knowledges, methods, and observations. Family and the space of the home (outdoor railway could be family and the space of the garden) – Basically I am interested in where and when modelling is practiced. I am Interested in how modellers may work their hobby into their family/everyday life, their daily time-space routines perhaps (if one even lives with relatives) and your life more generally. I am very interested in the specialised use of particular spaces in the home for modelling and the layout, if modellers have set up a dedicated space or number of spaces, and this can include the garage, shed, loft, spare bedroom, cellar, whatever. I am interested to learn how the space may have been adapted specifically for spending time modelling and hosting the layout and collections (better insulation against damp, heating ect, maybe sound proofed) and so on and how it has been decorated and what is in there (tools, posters, notebooks and scraps of paper, research files, computer, magazines, books, stock collection ect). On the family’s time-space routines, I mean for instance how modellers may fit their activities into the spatial and temporal activities of other family members maybe engaging in modelling or ‘playing’ (I don’t mean this is a derogatory sense) with layouts and even reading RMweb and right now this blog when other members of the family are out of the house or doing their personal and sometimes privatised activities such as watching the tv, kids upstairs in their bedrooms on their PlayStation ect. I am also interested in how modellers may actually take their modelling from the private and into the very social within the home, maybe for added company amongst many other reasons. What do other family members, relatives or non-modelling friends think about one’s hobby and layout? Do they take an active interest in it, furthermore who has charge of these modelling spaces, are they entirely one’s own dominion? I am also interested in what these spaces – which are places - mean and how they are experienced, perhaps bolt holes from the vaster world of reality? Illusion - Arguably everything about a railway layout, especially one that is at an exhibition is about hiding or camouflaging certain things from a certain perspective. I am extremely interested in issues of creating the illusion of distance, layered backgrounds, low relief buildings and forced perspective modelling. Beyond this I am interested in how certain things are hidden from a viewing perspective such as the layout’s lighting as well as issues such as the ‘entry and exit points’ of a layout, the stage on, stage off, where the entry and exit points are to be ideally be hidden. Some of the same points can be made with regards to the outdoors, especially relating to decisions on planting. Knowledge – On the one hand, I am interested in what modellers do to actively seek ‘explicit knowledge’ about what they are modelling. Whether this be field-visits with sketchpad, camera and note-book, drawings, maps and plans, talking with people, using photographs, particular books such as old timetables and rule books, Google Earth and websites and archival material. I am also of course interested in the ways in which modellers may use personal memories and experiences as a basis for knowledge or a basis for more information. Knowledges can also of course be acquired through ‘experimentation’. I am very interested in whether you may have a personal archive of reference material (which will include magazine collections) where and how it is stored (computer, bookcase, files) and how things are catalogued if at all. Materiality (of objects) – Materiality of objects (whether a leaf, tree, bit of gravel, road surface) is very important to this research project. I am interested in how modellers think and work with materials in the pursuance of ‘mimesis’, in the sense of thinking about for instance what kinds of materials and their textures best give a desired effect and/or how are they malleable. Furthermore and related to this how do modellers mess about with materials to get a desired effect. The issue of scale is centrally important in the sense of choosing, making and altering materialities. Although not often related to physical materiality of object, modellers often attempt to depict ‘weathering’ effects of objects through painting although materials are of course used as well and I am interested in this. On materiality and weathering I am interested in the knowledges, practices and techniques that go into weathering objects, whether a train carriage or a road surface. I am also interested in how indoor models may suffer from extremes of heat, cold and light and am interested in how you may mitigate this which relates back to my query under ‘Family and the space of the home’ on how you may adapt or design space, if you don’t this is interesting in its own right. On the out-doors scene to some extents a lot of weathering does not have to be simulated, since weathering of materials such as stone can occur ‘naturally’ (although whether this is ‘realistic’ in the sense of scale is debatable but subjective) and am interested in how modellers and manufacturers think and work with materials for the outdoor model railway. Memory and the Past - The past as perpetual coming into being – I am interested in what modellers think about ‘the past’ i.e what the ‘past’ is that they are trying to recreate (if the layout is set in the past). As the title suggests through I am interested in thinking about how ‘the past’ is inherently constructed in the present so in other words I want to look at how modeller’s perceptions of the past (which can also include personal memories) are influenced by the here and now. Some of this will have links in with ‘nostalgia’. On the one hand, I am interested in how ‘the past’ arrives in our encountering and engaging with layouts. Joseph Martin in his 1960 book ‘The world of model railways’ - which was aimed at young boys - suggested; ‘I particularly like the idea of (modelling) a holiday railway (…).Throughout the winter when we give most attention to our railway, we are still re-living that wonderful week or fortnight when we felt as free as the sea-wind’ (p.29). In Railway Modeller, Andrew Bartlett (I have lost the reference to it) writes of his layout that ‘as with many other people, my model railway provides me with a means of delving into the past, and reliving those fond memories of years gone by’. So, on the one hand I am interested in how engaging with models and layouts may animate memories or imaginations of the past perhaps enabling a comforting, utopic experience. On the other hand, but of presence in my previous discussion, I am interested in talking with modellers about how the past is bound up with the present as to refer to Urry (1996, p.48); ‘each moment of the past is constructed anew. There is only the present in the context of which the past is continually being recreated’. For instance, Alan Turner in the introduction to an article on his layout in the ‘Model Railway Journal’ mused of his layout as ‘an attempt to recreate a scene from the past, of something long gone and of the life which we shall never see again’(2011, p.243). For Hugh Dougherty, talking about his Victorian timed layout in a 1977 edition of ‘Railway Modeller’ the layout ‘recreates for me the peace and quiet of County Donegal and brings me back into an ever more peaceful era before the internal combustion engine began to make in-roads into this last haven of solitude’ (1977, p.23). Or another layout, ‘Abbotsford’, where for Bury St Edmunds Model Railway Club in a 1978 edition of ‘Railway Modeller’ the layout ‘as a whole represents an East Anglian railway system at a time when diesels had not obtained a stranglehold in the area’ (1978, p.138). In these vignettes the past is related with the future or present. Movement – Movement, things actually in motion (not represented as in motion) is a key part of the model railway. In a world that is for the most part completely still, I am interested in how modellers may prize movement and movements, especially train movements as a visual focus for the layout but I am also interested in movements whether real or not (simulated) that envelope this, in this latter aspect of simulated movement in the still, I am interested in the modelling practices that go into trying to depict movement such as waves or rippled water. I am also interested in modellers’ sensibilities towards simulated movement in the still (cars on the middle of roads, figures posed in-between movements, stormy seas ect) and modelling practices bound up with these sensibilities. Debates on this have been had in books and in RMweb but I am interested in hearing a broad range of personal sensibilities on this matter since there is no right or wrong answer only different sensibilities to these things. Other issues include Story and narrative, scale, and rhythm besides many others, I will write about what I mean by these 3 in a later post.