The Double O Gauge Association?

[JimF51]

I posted the following a few days ago, on another forum. 86 views, but only one response. Perhaps that answers my question, but I thought I would try here, anyway.

 

I come across references to many Associations and Guilds, for the different scales and gauges, regarding plus and minuses of joining, but I can't recall any similar for the DOGA. I do find quite a few references to track standards and such.

Does it have a large member base, if their publication worth the cost of joining?

Being in the US, the only plus for me joining any UK guild or association is the publication, and possibly, any member only shops feature.

Thanks.

 

 

[Suddaby]

They still have a website:-

 

http://www.doubleogauge.com/index.htm

 

Kevin

[Ravenser]

As an active member I'm biassed I suppose, but you get 4 magazines a year with a craft modelling emphasis, and there's an email message list, both of which would be relevant to you. . I think the membership is currently a little under 400. The website should give you a reasonable flavour.

 

As far as standards are concerned, historically Britain has lacked any equivalent of the NMRA, and in OO , for many years, the result was an anarchic jungle. Don't under-estimate the benefits of someone clearly saying what is properly compatible with what , at least in a British context  (eg the fact that Peco code 75 is not to NMRA standards isn't exactly something they trumpet)

[JimF51]

Suddubay, thanks. I was aware of the website, it was my perceived lack of any mention in forums and such that prompted my question. I see constant mention of other Guilds and Associations, as well as the fine scale sub genres, but no references to DOGA.

 

Ravenser, as OO is the largest share of UK rail modelling, I thought it would be a much larger organization. Perhaps the fact that there is more about OO, generally, in the model press makes joining a less pressing thing?

 

Thank you both for your replies.

 

Jim F

[Brit70053]

Apologies for possible thread drift, but as an aside to this discussion:

Whatever the merits of their objectives and the standards they espouse, DOGA supply what in my opinion is the best, in terms of value and performance, track cleaning rubber on the market.

 

Usual disclaimer, no commercial interest, not a member, but a customer well satisfied with this product.

 

Regards,

 

                John 

[Ravenser]

Suddubay, thanks. I was aware of the website, it was my perceived lack of any mention in forums and such that prompted my question. I see constant mention of other Guilds and Associations, as well as the fine scale sub genres, but no references to DOGA.

 

Ravenser, as OO is the largest share of UK rail modelling, I thought it would be a much larger organization. Perhaps the fact that there is more about OO, generally, in the model press makes joining a less pressing thing?

 

Thank you both for your replies.

 

Jim F

 

I think that it's probably to do with the nature of trade support. Scale societies - at least in Britain - tend to fall into 2 groups : lifeboats (launched as a mutual support group when commercial support runs into trouble) , under which heading you can group Gauge O Guild, G1Association and the 3mm Society; and societies for the propagation of the gospel , under which heading you can probably group almost all the finescale societies.

 

OO has overwhelming commercial support, so it doesn't need a lifeboat ; and it's not a fledgling novelty, so neither category applies... Added to which there does seem to a bit of an attitude in Britain that "I'll only bother joining when you've already got X members", where X is a 4 or 5 figure number. DOGA is much younger than pretty well all the others so has had less time to build up numbers

 

As a practical issue it might well be worth you considering joining them, because I suspect there won't be many other British 4mm modellers in North Carolina , and ploughing a lonely furrow can be fairly hard. On the whole clubs over here tend to be dominated by the exhibition circuit, and a great deal of the focus is on mounting the club show and building and exhibiting club exhibition layouts at other people's shows. A scale society doesn't have that exhibition circuit focus , and therefore can offer more support to the "home modeller"

[C.A.T.Ford]

Jim,

      I feel I should point out that, as an overseas member, if you chose to have the D.O.G.A. journal sent to you in PDF format rather than as a hard copy your membership would cost you the same as a UK membership. This is a way of passing on the postal cost saving.

 

CAT

[Phil Parker]

Also, DOGA has its own active e-mail based members only forum for specific questions. I've found it very useful and entertaining over the years.

[Grovenor]

As a practical issue it might well be worth you considering joining them, because I suspect there won't be many other British 4mm modellers in North Carolina , and ploughing a lonely furrow can be fairly hard.

I would expect the BRMNA to provide a more appropriately focussed support.

Keith

[Anthony]

The great joy of DOGA is that it is such a broad church and is open to such a wide range of modellers and modelling styles, that it never criticises unless criticism is invited, that it is not dogmatic (sorry) except in its attempts to encourage and promote common standards, that its website chat is unfailingly good-humoured, helpful and informative - and yes, the track rubber is a cracker!

 

From a totally biased member,

 

 

Anthony

[Ashley Bridge]

I joined last year and cannot believe how much communal support is available. There is never any pressure to participate,but any questions, and someone will respond. And 00 gauge covers such a broad church, it's up to the individual how many rivets are on display.

 

Ashley

[JimF51]

Cat, thanks for that reminder about digital. Perhaps I'll go that route.

 

Keith, I was a member of the BRMNA, for a year, about 6 or 7 years ago. It wasn't much more useful than joining a society in the UK. It's still close to 1k miles, to the area the majority of members are located in, from me. The newsletter was mainly about club doings, again, in their 'home ' area. And covering members who model all scales and gauges, thee seemed less info available than from more specialized UK groups. Having said that, they also now offer a less expensive digital option, so may give it a try again.

 

Jim