Modelling Pet Hates

[wiggoforgold]

Over the years we've had threads on things like best model, inspirational layouts and so forth. Years of modelling and reading modelling magazines has led me to discover a number of things that detract from my enjoyment of the hobby. Here's some of mine. What frustrates other modellers?

 

1. "How to" articles in the modelling press, which include a section on how construction was aided by the use of parts from a particular manufacturer. Attempts to purchase the parts are met by responses along the lines of "we've had them on back order for years and they never turn up" or "there's no demand for them". This is a subspecies of a type of article that used to be more common than it is now, thankfully, along the lines of How I built a model of X using simple tools, which then includes the phrase "I have a lathe". I didn't have one at 14 and I still don't.  The result was numerous constructional articles discarded in despair.

 

2. Kits, usually cast or etched, which include various small components manufactured in a totally unsuitable material, with no means of locating them on the finished model. I suspect that many of these are the result of kits of parts being sold, the manufacturer ever having attempted to actually build a model from the kit they are selling.  I've got one of these at the moment. Grrr...

[BR60103]

In construction articles:

reference to a drawing in a magazine at least 50 years old "which should be in your local library".

"I found a perfect dome in my spare parts box. I don't know where it's from."

[Jol Wilkinson]

"Praise" heaped upon badly built and painted models.

[Happy Hippo]

Any construction/conversion articles where placement of parts is critical, but conveniently omit dimensions to assist in such placement.

 

However, this may be an editor's decision.

 

An acquaintance once wrote an article about scratch building a  16 mm scale crane, where the detailed and dimensioned information about the lathe and mill work for the gearing work were completely edited out.

 

Since that was what everyone had been asking him about how he did it, and thus prompted the article in the first place, you have to marvel at the editorial discretion!

 

Regards

 

Richard

[The Fatadder]

Publishing drawings in 4mm scale with no dimensions...

In particular given that at least one major magazine and a society used to have a habit of changing the size of drawings (by different amounts in x and y) needing each dimension to be adjusted

At least putting on an overall length / width means you can check the accuracy of reproduction easily

[Neil]

Seeing as it appears that printed matter is the focus of our collective ire, might I nominate those step by step articles which would have us believe that building something big and complex with outside valve gear is a simple as sticking together an Airfix mineral wagon.

[Fat Controller]

Publishing drawings in 4mm scale with no dimensions...

In particular given that at least one major magazine and a society used to have a habit of changing the size of drawings (by different amounts in x and y) needing each dimension to be adjusted

At least putting on an overall length / width means you can check the accuracy of reproduction easily

Publishing any drawing without major dimensions. It is very easy for small changes in the physical size of the drawing to occur during the various stages of reproduction. My father spent the last few years of his working life as a draughtsman- the paper they worked on came with 'Do not scale from drawing' and 'If in doubt, ask' ready-printed on it.

[LH&JC]

Unpainted wheels, whether the model is straight from a box or built from scratch or a kit shiny wheels look out of place.

[newbryford]

Simply painting stuff yellow, putting Network Rail transfers on and then pretending it's prototypical and selling it on ebay................

 

Cheers,

Mick

p.s. you wouldn't expect anything else from me would you?

[bbishop]

No, I don't model my pet hate, and have no idea why anyone else would want to.  There were three perfectly decent post grouping railways (LMS, LNER, SR), plus German railways.

 

Bill

[The Stationmaster]

No, I don't model my pet hate, and have no idea why anyone else would want to.  There were three perfectly decent post grouping railways (LMS, LNER, SR), plus German railways.

 

Bill

I was going to click the 'Agree' button until I noticed a terrible major omission in the list of British railways and no mention of Switzerland or France   

[Poggy1165]

My pet hate is the term 'kettles' which all too many people use for steam locomotives, in the apparent belief it is witty or funny. It isn't. And by the way, I never refer to diesel locomotives as 'oil cans' either. Though in moments of exasperation, I will admit to referring to the current railway system as a glorified tramway. Apologies for that.

[bluebottle]

....  There were three perfectly decent post grouping railways (LMS, LNER, SR), plus German railways.

 

Bill

 

I was going to click the 'Agree' button until I noticed a terrible major omission in the list of British railways .......   

 

Oh, I don't know, 'master - those who do not tremble at the word of IKB might think it a reasonable statement, while those who do would consider "perfectly decent" a blasphemously inadequate honorific for His work.

[bbishop]

I was going to click the 'Agree' button until I noticed a terrible major omission in the list of British railways and no mention of Switzerland or France   

I'll give you Switzerland and France, plus Belgium, Holland, Austria and Hungary.

 

Bill

[Oldddudders]

My pet hate is the term 'kettles' which all too many people use for steam locomotives, in the apparent belief it is witty or funny. It isn't. And by the way, I never refer to diesel locomotives as 'oil cans' either. Though in moments of exasperation, I will admit to referring to the current railway system as a glorified tramway. Apologies for that.

"Kettles" only came to my notice about a decade ago - it was not in the lingo in my yoof. And being a Southern sort of chap, I got very used to managers from other Regions referring to it as the tram-track or similar. Mind, as I've posted before, some nearly cra**ed themselves at the thought of being responsible for operating bits of it. Perhaps we deride that which we fear.

[newbryford]

Pet hate number 2. The term "modern image" - encompassing everything diesel and electric after the 1955 modernisation plan, whilst clearly diesels in green carrying "D" prefixes are certainly not modern.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[The Stationmaster]

"Kettles" only came to my notice about a decade ago - it was not in the lingo in my yoof. And being a Southern sort of chap, I got very used to managers from other Regions referring to it as the tram-track or similar. Mind, as I've posted before, some nearly cra**ed themselves at the thought of being responsible for operating bits of it. Perhaps we deride that which we fear.

Nah, it was all right once we got there Ian (not that I liked that 3rd rail over much to be honest) although i did get fed up with folk going on about EDs as if they were the only locos in the world.

[uax6]

Not sure it's a modelling one, but there are certain publications that seem to get paid mega money to put quotation marks around everything, and to use nicknames for locos as often as it can. It seems that these publications think it is clever to treat everyone as though they are 12 years old....

 

One of my real hates is the modern trend for articles about layouts that go on something like this:

'I build the baseboards in the normal way, pinned down Peco track, connected my DCC controller and opened the boxes on my stock.'

 

What the h*ll happened to actually describing how you did it, and why do we need more photos than sentences in the article?

 

There is also a prescribed way of writing your 'how you built it' article, which doesn't allow you any scope for actually doing a decent article....... GRRR.

 

 

Andy G

[Welly]

Out of date advice on how to do something in modelling such as using a particular substance that is simply no longer available.

[Oldddudders]

Which leads me onto, home layouts. I think manufacturers of track and controllers should charge a 20% premium that is refunded once a layout is exhibited. Creating permanent layouts at home that cannot be easily moved might be fine at the time, but just creates problems for others or yourself if the layout has to be moved. I also think that there are a majority within the hobby who have forgotten or will never realise what it takes to seriously exhibit a layout, and think the pittance they pay for a day's entertainment at a show instantly turns them into "barrier-leaning critics". To me, building a layout and not exhibiting it (or even running it as it should) is like not catching a fish or putting a golf ball.

A little harsh, Andy. After all, this is supposed to be a hobby, a relaxation, a chance to exercise a fantasy or two. Many of us are simply not capable of/minded to present our models at the level an exhibition manager would accept, let alone his critical clientele. But that doesn't invalidate our pursual of this hobby, surely. I'm sure the exhibition circuit is a fine place to learn how to grind your teeth - just ask a 2mm FS exhibitor how often he's heard his layout described as N gauge! And the "barrier-leaning critics" are simply transplants from the football ground or the F1 grandstand. You build remarkable and unusual models, and your achievements have been noted on both sides of the Atlantic. Thus your models may indeed be Premier League, but some of us are simply stuck, not necessarily unhappily, in Third Division South.

[Alister_G]

Which leads me onto, home layouts. I think manufacturers of track and controllers should charge a 20% premium that is refunded once a layout is exhibited. Creating permanent layouts at home that cannot be easily moved might be fine at the time, but just creates problems for others or yourself if the layout has to be moved. I also think that there are a majority within the hobby who have forgotten or will never realise what it takes to seriously exhibit a layout, and think the pittance they pay for a day's entertainment at a show instantly turns them into "barrier-leaning critics". To me, building a layout and not exhibiting it (or even running it as it should) is like not catching a fish or putting a golf ball.

 

I agree with your first two points, however, I strongly disagree with your last one. "Railway modelling" does not equate to "Exhibiting a layout". An enormous number of people derive great pleasure from modelling railways without any thought of exhibiting it, and building a home layout allows for far more scope than having to design the layout in such a way as to be transportable. Some of the best layouts on this forum are built in lofts and railway rooms, and built to be permanent. I recognise that it is your opinion, but I find it offensive that you consider that those who model but don't exhibit are some how not doing it right.

 

Ian beat me to it...

 

Al

[Dunsignalling]

To me, building a layout and not exhibiting it (or even running it as it should) is like not catching a fish or putting a golf ball.

Unfortunately, in all too many cases, exhibiting a layout is the excuse for NOT running it as it should be. 

 

"Must keep something moving for the public". Even if said movement is meaningless?

 

John

[Donw]

I wonder how you expect a garden railway to be exhibited or Ken payne to take his layout out of a purpose built building just so it suits you. Many of the people who have large layouts like this do encourage friends to visit. However they probably wouldn't welcome the rude and ill mannered that you get at some exhibitions. It is funny but I used to find quite often that the mildly interested people who attend local shows were more polite and better behaved than some supposedly real modellers at big shows. There is no need to be rude if you think it is a pile of cr*p just walk by. If the audience is rude and over critical ask them what layouts they have exhibited usually they haven't.

Don

[Neil]

.... There is also a prescribed way of writing your 'how you built it' article, which doesn't allow you any scope for actually doing a decent article.......

 

I've not heard of editors prescribing the way they want an article written, but there are recognisable conventions which most/many authors seem to think they have to follow. For a bit of a wheeze I once wrote a layout article in reverse, starting with the thank you's then progressing through stock, structures, scenery and track before finishing on baseboard construction. To the best of my knowledge when it appeared in print no one noticed it was back to front.

 

.. To me, building a layout and not exhibiting it (or even running it as it should) is like not catching a fish or putting a golf ball.

 

I don't like fishing or golf.

[davefrk]

Kit manufacturers who don't update their instructions to say what motors have replaced the one suggested, ie D11, D13 etc. We all know now that they are too high revving for decent running and a good can motor is so much better and easier to get a hold of.

 

Dave Franks