Who decides what come's next??!

Bill/Rubery · Post by **Bill/Rubery** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:47 pm

Hello, Below is a topic about the latest offering from the 16mm Association...a guide to the Ffestinog Railway. I was wondering how...and who decides what topic is going to be done next?? As a freelance modeller of a agricultural tramway set in the middle of the country I have utterly no interest in North Wales slate railways. After ripping out a article about a explosives wagon scratch build I put the booklet? in the bin. Can anybody out there enlighten me about the above question at all??

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:01 pm

well im sure its down to the 16mm association editoral department , your never going to please everyone however it must be said it was a superb magazine and the history parts alone are interesting even if you dont model the railway. Also its quite nice to compare railway practices and designs. besides modelling an agricultural tramway is quite a rare thing to model where as the ffestiniog interests alot of people; its common sense to choose to write about a railway which many people find interesting and already model.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:02 pm

I somehow feel I may have initiated this line of inquiry when I mentioned that same question on receipt of my own copy of the guide.
Personally, I have great interest and much appreciation of the recorded history of all narrow gauge railways, including those termed as tramways, and I guess most other Association members would probably feel the same? Several modellers might like to include 'foreigners' to run on their own lines, similar to the way lots of prototype railways do today, so details and drawings from various sources are always useful.
If your interest is so severely limited it makes me wonder why you are an Association member in the first place?
Congratulations to the 16mm Association and on the production of a high quality and varied magazine..... may it long continue in its present form!

Post by **Andrew** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:06 pm

Fish it out of the bin quick Bill! There were some lovely photos of FR freight stock, including some of a pair of bolsters which would have looked great in 7/8ths - although I don't know what lengthy loads are associated with the jam-making industry?

Perhaps the Leighton Buzzard guide was more to your taste? Not agricultural of course, but a fascinating little system...

My "thing" is the Welsh Highland of the 20s, and none of the 16mm Association guides have ticked that box yet, but there's still plenty to enjoy I think.

Perhaps it would be nice to see the themed guides take a different direction, focussing on certain skills maybe, rather than individual railways? I'd love one on basic metalworking...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:09 pm

that isnt a bad idea Andrew however the like of books such as "steam trains in your garden" are quite good reading material for that but a more begginer friendly way of explaining things may be beneficial. Either way im sure the 16mm association will continue to produce very high quality magazines

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:18 pm

The simple answer is "what somebody's prepared to put the time and effort into researching / writing / finding illustrations for". If we get a volunteer, and if we think the idea is good, we'll run with it. Current thinking is that we may have a history of the Association to coincide with our 40th anniversary, but Bill doesn't go back that far so he won't be interested in that, either!

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:25 pm

I tend to be a little oddball in my interests. The most mainstream is probably the Isle of Man Railway, which I have been acquainted with for almost forty years, but then things go haywire. The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway in its Humberston days; peat and brickyard railways (abundant where I am from until 1990s), then Norwegian NG, Central/Eastern European 760mm gauge. OTOH, provided no-one gets hurt, it is all good clean fun!

Peter in AZ

sstjc · Post by **sstjc** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:37 pm

May have been better to scan the page's you want and sell the guide or give to someone who would appreciate it. It seems a very good publication to me.
Barry

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:48 pm

I'm just grateful to receive such a well researched piece of work as part of my membership and at no extra cost! The FR is not my first love, not even close (see Peters topic mentioned above) but that doesn't mean I don't find it interesting and informative. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

invicta280 · Post by **invicta280** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 9:53 pm

I find all the 16mm Assoc. mags interesting. In fact I'm amazed that such a small niche organisation can put together four high quality magazine packages in a year, never mind all the fascinating 'extra'
guides etc.

Post by **-steves-** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:34 am

invicta280:114009 wrote:I find all the 16mm Assoc. mags interesting. In fact I'm amazed that such a small niche organisation can put together four high quality magazine packages in a year, never mind all the fascinating 'extra'
guides etc.

Totally agree with that. You will never make everyone happy no matter what you publish, but covering such a wide audience with different interests will always be difficult. Lets be fair, people even have different gauge rail for starters and thats a pretty basic, level. I think the 16mm Association do an absolutely sterling job and my hats off to them. Just to confirm, I do not model the FR but I did find it a great magazine to read and digest and I shan't be selling or binning mine.

TTHLRMatt · Post by **TTHLRMatt** » Thu Oct 29, 2015 3:56 pm

The FR is by no means my prime interest but as a result, I have now got many more ideas for mamod bashing and have ideas for an open quarrymen's coach in the same style but hey ho, its no agricultural tramway. Brilliant publication.

listerboy · Post by **listerboy** » Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:14 pm

My main interest would be with the NG railways of Ireland, north & south, but I found the Festiniog guide fascinating! Although I'll admit that my railway has inspirations from a number of NG railways in the British Isles.

If ever there's a guide to the Clogher Valley Railway, there'll have to be a mention of Maggie Coulter's goat!

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:38 pm

I often wonder whether the goat was in the same category as the 'piss pot on a post' on the way into Birmingham Snow Hill - a test of marksmanship that yielded some free coal for the owner.

Peter in AZ

listerboy · Post by **listerboy** » Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:47 pm

IrishPeter:114046 wrote:I often wonder whether the goat was in the same category as the 'piss pot on a post' on the way into Birmingham Snow Hill - a test of marksmanship that yielded some free coal for the owner.

Peter in AZ

Peter, I'm not familiar with that one!

Bill/Rubery · Post by **Bill/Rubery** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:50 am

Thank you all for your comments. I was not moaning/complaining about the Ffestinog guide, I was mearly wondering how the guide was picked! Peter Butler.....I joined the Association around 1987 after very much thought and phone calls from the membership secretary! No internet then...or local association. Just SMT and a yearly convention. A hobby needs a bit of help sometimes hence joining the Association in those days. I understand my small article on my Mamod Brunel 7/8" scale conversion may appear in the November 2015 issue. When will we see your name appear in the magazine?!..........

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:54 am

Hi Bill, many thanks for your explanation about membership of the Association, it is good to hear you have been in for so long, 28 years is a very respectable time compared to my three!
I do have plans to offer articles for publication but there may be another 25 years to wait to match yours.
BTW Bill, your article on Mamod Brunel 7/8ths conversion will have no interest to me whatsoever, so please don't be offended if I tear it out and bin it!

Busted Bricks · Post by **Busted Bricks** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:11 pm

7/8ths in a 16mil magazine? Preposterous!! What has the World come to.

Bill/Rubery · Post by **Bill/Rubery** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:35 am

Hello Peter, Thanks for the kind reply. Yes of course, feel free to chuck my item in the bin! No worries. I too tear out the rare items that interest me in SMT then throw the magazine into the bin when the next one turns up. I used to have bound SMT's going back to 1986 but thought after a while they were old news so into the recycling bin they went.....'Busted Bricks', A page at the back for 7/8" scale might work, however if you look at a average photo of a engine how do you know what scale it is?? There is very little differance size wise when you stand the two scales side by side!

Busted Bricks · Post by **Busted Bricks** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:03 pm

Pure sarcasm on my part. I think it is great that 7/8ths has been included however I'm sure there are 16mill purists who are less than thrilled about it.

I lean towards 7/8ths myself now but I am not a stickler for scale. "Looks about right" does it for me. Still need to build a railway of course but that is some way off as long as I work abroad.

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