The future of the Hobby
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LOL... not again!! This comes up about every 5 years. The problem is nobody in Cincinnati wants to go to Columbus or Cleveland. If they build it, we won't come. There's something about big G spending that says we can't walk before we run. How about putting some trains on the existing track and see if anybody rides them before committing billions?
I've been reading Gene Kranz' book about the early days (as in the beginning) of the U.S. manned space program. Each mission they added more goals, learned more, and began to build a system. If we had a "go to the moon" mandate today, it would take 20 years for the first monkey orbit. Oh no wait, we do, and it will.
Everything has to be a megaproject.
Andy
Attendance at an NMRA sanctioned show has never been and have never had a requirement that you be an NMRA member to attend. That's why NMRA conventions, meets etc. have a member and a non-member registration price. I have been both a volunteer and an official at the regional level with national tie ins and have assisted in putting on two nationals and worked four and have never heard of such. You should have called him on it. Now if you are talking about entering something, like a contest, and wasn't a member, then I can see that comment being made. Contests are limited to NMRA members, that's why they're called NMRA contests. If you're talking something else then they had no right to stipulate such.
Must be local yokels from the PCR or PNWR, (what ever they call themselves)! This was ridiculous! But then again anyone could have acted like this, just because they were NMRA doesn't mean they have an exclusive to being asinine.
Even if he was the floor manager he should have found out quietly from your club representative whose "POS" it was. Often times in a show of the magnitude of a National Convention, or even a Regional for that matter, there simply isn't room for any extra piece of layout in an area where there may not be any more room allotted, or can be allotted for pieces not on the plan provided by your club. Personally I wouldn't and haven't BTW allowed any other pieces on the layout other than what we had allowed room for. I wouldn't care whose module it was. Keep in mind that any extra room taken up by extra layout pieces could mean that someone else may not get to show their layout.
Also as far as you knew, he could have also just been chewed out by the fire marshall because,"this area is not what is on the plan you submitted to us and you have 5 minutes to correct this or we're shutting you down!" BTW this has almost happened at a couple of conventions.
I have never met anyone in the NMRA that has had that attitude, and soon didn't get ostrasized by the other members and if they had a position of responsibility, they soon lost it. Having someone like this is a position of dealing with the general public is just pure suicide for the local group. I have heard of things like this happening at a club level and such, but at a convention??? Any NMRA member knows from the get go that there is no, "my way or the hiway", for getting things done. To do so otherwise is simply asking for nothing to get done. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to attend one of our SER Conventions. We never do anything the same way twice. We have conventions that are a ball to attend as a convention attendee and as a convention host.
I don't deny that stuff like you describe doesn't happen, but there are way too many other members and "powers that be", (whoever they are. We have elections every two years here. You screw up and you'll never serve a second term!), that don't act like this, never have and never will. I've met fewer than ten that act like you describe since I first joined in 1980. I know of several of those who are no longer members, but I have met hundreds more that aren't. To base an entire national organization on the antics of a few out of control people is in my opinion, grossly unfair. You'll never change what you don't like about an organization from the outside. The only way to change it is join it and then work to change it from the inside. I bet you'll have more success. I bet you may even have some fun.
Man I'm really sorry that you have had this kind of experience. I can assure you that they ARE NOT representative of what the NMRA is nor do they represent the vast majority of the members. All volunteer orgs. seem to have a few bad apples. I guess that you seem to have a whole barrel in your area!
Since I'm in a very active division and region, and we pretty much know each other, I could never see this type of scenario happening here. All I can say is the situation will never improve there until people who want to see it change, get involved and change it themselves.
I'm going to forward this thread to the NMRA Pres, and see what he says. If all this stuff truely happened then he may be able to do something.
This is more or less the way I got into modeling, I had been part of the California High Speed Rail ballot referendum campaign last year. I'm 25 right now. I haven't been to any conventions though as my approach to modeling is not so much about realism but more a fanciful, artsy method.
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Larry, I've been at a few NMRA meets that had behavior that was more juvenile than I would have liked to see. It seems this hobby attracts a certain percentage social misfits and some of them end up as "powers that be" with the NMRA. I still pay my membership just so things like DCC standards get maintained but there will always be few irritating people in any organization.
blownoutcylinder
Active Member
I was at a University Senate Panel mtg as a sitting member---should have seen mtgs we had ---take all evening, finish at 6 am next day because 2/3 people would struggle with each other over a clause in a paper!! 
LOL!!
LOL!!LOL... not again!! This comes up about every 5 years. The problem is nobody in Cincinnati wants to go to Columbus or Cleveland. If they build it, we won't come. There's something about big G spending that says we can't walk before we run. How about putting some trains on the existing track and see if anybody rides them before committing billions?
I've been reading Gene Kranz' book about the early days (as in the beginning) of the U.S. manned space program. Each mission they added more goals, learned more, and began to build a system. If we had a "go to the moon" mandate today, it would take 20 years for the first monkey orbit. Oh no wait, we do, and it will.
Everything has to be a megaproject.
Andy
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Jim,LOL where do I begina few years ago they (NMRA)had a show here in Wa state great my club was all set to go one small catch,to be part of the show you had to belong to the NMRA ??
Attendance at an NMRA sanctioned show has never been and have never had a requirement that you be an NMRA member to attend. That's why NMRA conventions, meets etc. have a member and a non-member registration price. I have been both a volunteer and an official at the regional level with national tie ins and have assisted in putting on two nationals and worked four and have never heard of such. You should have called him on it. Now if you are talking about entering something, like a contest, and wasn't a member, then I can see that comment being made. Contests are limited to NMRA members, that's why they're called NMRA contests. If you're talking something else then they had no right to stipulate such.
Must be local yokels from the PCR or PNWR, (what ever they call themselves)! This was ridiculous! But then again anyone could have acted like this, just because they were NMRA doesn't mean they have an exclusive to being asinine.
Go back to the conventiuon they held here in Seattle,Wa I was helping my club set up I had switching layout hooked up to the main layout then one of the "NMRA powers to be" came by and not knowing who the owner was or were he was said" What is this piece of **** doing here
Even if he was the floor manager he should have found out quietly from your club representative whose "POS" it was. Often times in a show of the magnitude of a National Convention, or even a Regional for that matter, there simply isn't room for any extra piece of layout in an area where there may not be any more room allotted, or can be allotted for pieces not on the plan provided by your club. Personally I wouldn't and haven't BTW allowed any other pieces on the layout other than what we had allowed room for. I wouldn't care whose module it was. Keep in mind that any extra room taken up by extra layout pieces could mean that someone else may not get to show their layout.
Also as far as you knew, he could have also just been chewed out by the fire marshall because,"this area is not what is on the plan you submitted to us and you have 5 minutes to correct this or we're shutting you down!" BTW this has almost happened at a couple of conventions.
Then of coruse we there IT's our way your the highway Guess what pal they walk around like there **** does not stink I live life by my own rules and my terms in everything I do. I run what I want and do what I want alot of them take there so called JOB way to seriously so what if my road is 1/64 of an inch to big god man get a life its a HOBBY oh wait I'm an N scaler so they really don't care anyway
I have never met anyone in the NMRA that has had that attitude, and soon didn't get ostrasized by the other members and if they had a position of responsibility, they soon lost it. Having someone like this is a position of dealing with the general public is just pure suicide for the local group. I have heard of things like this happening at a club level and such, but at a convention??? Any NMRA member knows from the get go that there is no, "my way or the hiway", for getting things done. To do so otherwise is simply asking for nothing to get done. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to attend one of our SER Conventions. We never do anything the same way twice. We have conventions that are a ball to attend as a convention attendee and as a convention host.
I don't deny that stuff like you describe doesn't happen, but there are way too many other members and "powers that be", (whoever they are. We have elections every two years here. You screw up and you'll never serve a second term!), that don't act like this, never have and never will. I've met fewer than ten that act like you describe since I first joined in 1980. I know of several of those who are no longer members, but I have met hundreds more that aren't. To base an entire national organization on the antics of a few out of control people is in my opinion, grossly unfair. You'll never change what you don't like about an organization from the outside. The only way to change it is join it and then work to change it from the inside. I bet you'll have more success. I bet you may even have some fun.
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nmaniac
Member
Cjcrescent, The "powers to be" knew it was comming it was on there "floor plan" and still instead of walking around like the GODS they think they are they should have asked quielty which goes back to the "our way or the highway" !! LOL Maybe its the ones up here but they left a bad taste in my mouth and well you know they made there bed and now its time to sleep in it cut and dry,and yes anyone could have acted like that but then here you have the NMRA yelling at each other in front of famlies with kids,there is no middle ground with me either ppl either love me or hate me and "it is what it is"You know I could go on and on but I'm not going there what it boils down I would not cross the street to p*** on any of them if they were on fire enough said I'm done with this thread,oh the NMRA show that WAS going to happen this spring got shot down gee I wonder why
NYO&W
Member
There Is Still Hope
My son, Mark, 7 years old...The Next Generation.
Whenever I visit my LHS I usually only see older citizens checking out the train stuff while younger folks tend to be more interested in R/C tanks & cars. When I visit train shows too, the majority of the layouts have older chaps manning the throttles.
I realise that the world has an ageing population and a quick read of these forums (and others) makes me wonder if it is the older guys that are keeping the hobby alive. I won't retire for another 23 years and I know that my kids have an interest (which will probably fade for a while when they discover girls) but I sometimes wonder what will things be like when I get there, I just hope there is still an interest in the hobby, one that all the video games in the world won't destroy!
Apologies for the ramble, I'm just in kind of a thoughtful mood today!
My son, Mark, 7 years old...The Next Generation.
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Cjcrescent, The "powers to be" knew it was comming it was on there "floor plan" and still instead of walking around like the GODS they think they are they should have asked quielty which goes back to the "our way or the highway" !! LOL Maybe its the ones up here but they left a bad taste in my mouth and well you know they made there bed and now its time to sleep in it cut and dry,and yes anyone could have acted like that but then here you have the NMRA yelling at each other in front of famlies with kids,there is no middle ground with me either ppl either love me or hate me and "it is what it is"You know I could go on and on but I'm not going there what it boils down I would not cross the street to p*** on any of them if they were on fire enough said I'm done with this thread,oh the NMRA show that WAS going to happen this spring got shot down gee I wonder why
Man I'm really sorry that you have had this kind of experience. I can assure you that they ARE NOT representative of what the NMRA is nor do they represent the vast majority of the members. All volunteer orgs. seem to have a few bad apples. I guess that you seem to have a whole barrel in your area!
Since I'm in a very active division and region, and we pretty much know each other, I could never see this type of scenario happening here. All I can say is the situation will never improve there until people who want to see it change, get involved and change it themselves.
I'm going to forward this thread to the NMRA Pres, and see what he says. If all this stuff truely happened then he may be able to do something.
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i guess im one of the lucky ones im only fifteen and i already belong to a youth (8-18)module group and have an aspireing collection but untill i got on this form it was more of oooh look cool and such but now because of my ymrr guys and this form im turning out to be an aspireing model railroader thanks !!!
,dylan
,dylan
smiley
Member
This is more or less the way I got into modeling, I had been part of the California High Speed Rail ballot referendum campaign last year. I'm 25 right now. I haven't been to any conventions though as my approach to modeling is not so much about realism but more a fanciful, artsy method.
nateL
Engineer
Im only 17 and ive been into modelrailroading for a couple of years now...ill be 18 in October and i know what im buying already haha...i wonder the same thing sometimes too tho, if people will be as intereted in it as they are now; and im sure they will. With the raises in technology i bet locomotives and rolling stock become more realistic and detailed than ever before...i can guarentee ill be doing this my entire life, its an amazing hobby...im lucky to have found a girlfriend who doesnt mind my train addiction, but when she asks why im so addicted i say, "well i could be addicted to coccain or soemthing like that if youd like instead?" haha. I think model railroading is a good tool to keep people thinking and working their imagination.
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