What's your Greatest Passion in this hobby?

[Hobby Dreamer]

What's your Greatest Passion in this hobby?

 

Are you modelling Japanese N scale because of some interest in Japan, perhaps a vacation and memorable rail trip or scenic spot. Or is it the rail modelling that is at the forefront and the Japanese side is just one era/country of interest, perhaps because of product availability.

 

Do you see your interests changing, growing or shrinking. If the former, where is your next focus?

 

My interests are probably unique. I don't see a track plan with structures but rather a diorama with working rails. Its about scenic vignettes - stories along the layout much like some of the tilt-shift photos posed here. I'd like to design my own urban scenes maybe even kit bash or scratch-build structures. I'd love to light the layout maybe even get a lamp with coloured coverings to help simulate sunrise and sunset. I'd love a fall/winter layout. And also to photograph the layout..

 

Trams are a particular interest! I'm not into the Japanese part, exactly, but enjoy the quality product, although some of the Japanese rail is especially cool !

 

Although I have never been, I enjoy European and British layouts because of the cohesion of products and use of levels and space. Unfortunately, N scale does not offer the versatility of different eras the ways HO does.. If it did I like the 1920s urban as well as steam! But I also like modern high speed rails and Japan is at the forefront there..

 

So, what is your passion?

 

 

Rick

[westfalen]

I'd have to say a bit of all of the above.

 

One aspect of why I model Japanese though is that although my main interest is the Santa Fe I like steam locos and I can get very good ready to run N scale models of practically every class of steam loco that ran on JNR in the late steam era but the number of Santa Fe steamers available = zero if you don't count the Bachmann 4-8-4 (which IMHO is not worth counting anyway), so my main steam era modelling is JNR in the 1960's.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

High Speed Rail is just an advantage in N Gauge.

 

I tell people when they ask; model trains gives me the opportunity to utilize all of my skills in one project.

 

I am asked this question at least once or twice an open house at the train museum from the women. I'm usually the youngest there.

 

N scale is truly not toy trains. Precision modeling at the least.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Hi Westfalen...

 

Years ago, who would have thought that steam was even possible in N scale!

 

 

@Webskipper

 

I always have to tell women that its not toy sex, its precision sex at the least...!

 

Rick

[Davo Dentetsu]

The best thing about my usual scale and area picks tends to be the interest generated.  Everyone has their favourites, the bygone eras of the LMS, LNER amd GWR, that sort of thing.  Maybe a few into the 60's and transition era of British modelling.

 

I however have never picked up on it simply because I don't know much about it to follow along. :P

 

So I picked up on 80's to present day Scotland stock, stuff I was very familiar with from the day I was born until my move to WA 10 years ago.  That had a few members going.  "Oh, we seen that/took a trip on that on our last holiday", is the phrase I hear the most.

 

But with my interest in anime series ever increasing, I was suddenly struck by how lovingly rendered and carefully animated the Japanese train system in the shows.  So the closer I looked into it, the further I fell into giving a good sized collection a go.  Even with local shop bought items, the cost of having a decent sized Japan N scale train is a heck of a lot better in my mind than a OO train could ever be.

 

As for the interest in the local AMRA members, I could say that there is always a bit of interest when I take my stuff along for a play.  A few folks dabble with it, but there's no dedicated layouts or built with it in mind.  I should like to think that, maybe not in the next year or two but hopefully soon enough, there will be sufficient interest in a club layout for the region.  Who knows how that will go, so for the meantime I just steadily grow my collection and plan my layout (which, being winter, hasn't progressed lately).

 

Thinking about whilst it's in my head, I would like to thank the AJMRG for my inclusion into their organisation as an honorary member, which does give me the motivation to keep up the interest.  I can't say I've done much more than tell people that there is such an organisation, but hopefully more will be interested in giving the club a go.

[Dani]

Hello,

 

In my case, passion for building things, better if they are "moving things" or "animated things" comes first. I have a terrible problem (for my pocket mostly), and this problem is I love all kind of hobbies: I build and paint plastic kits, like to repair everything at home DIY, woodwork (last year a did a 7x3mts pergola in my garden), electrical (also did all the electrical and domotic installation at home), electronics (I like to solder and build my own devices), my job is software developer and I have the great luck it's also like a hobby to me... may be a psychologist discovers a new mental illness called "hyperactive hobby addict disease" or similar     

 

And railroad modelling joins all that things I like focused in one point. To build a railroad model you have first to do plans, woodwork to create the infraestructure, electrical installation, electronic devices, lighting, digitalization, computer software, decoder programming, mount plastic kits for houses, painting, weathering, build trees, create scenes and dioramas ..... all in one!!!!!

 

After I was involved in the hobby in N scale (but with Spanish models) I started studying Japanese and followed my passion for the culture. And when I discovered Japanese are also fans of trains and N gauge, again everything leaded to the same point: railroad modelling.

 

That's my story!

 

Cheers,

Dani.

[Nick_Burman]

Traction, mostly...the fact that the interurban era never quite died in Japan. Elderly interurban cars, emitting LOUD traction motor noises, gently rocking from side to side over uneven (but tended) track and calling at out-of-the way platforms, sometimes even meeting freight drags (on selected systems) hauled by boxcab electrics. Plus the sheer variety per square mile...

 

Cheers NB

[Hobby Dreamer]

Thanks Dani...

 

You are quite correct, there are a lot of aspects to this hobby and a number of skills. The best part is that we can enjoy part of the hobby now and work toward another later..

 

 

Hi Nick..

 

Ahh Traction ...  You're right there is a great sound to it. Not bad even in N scale.

[Bernard]

The reason my passion for Japanese trains is that it was something unfamiliar to me. Living in the US I have seen stream engines in Museums or movies but nothing of Japanese rail....It was when I went to Japan, I saw first hand these unique design....it's like opening a box of Oreos you can't stop at one.

 

The added bonus of doing model rr is, doing home repairs... like fixing a lighting fixture in the kitchen....is a breeze it's in a larger scale and dont't need a magnifying glass. 

[Nick_Burman]

Now that I've read Rick's message properly, I say that my interest is deeper than what I stated in my previous answer. For starters real/trains are my gateway to the world, so to speak. Since age 5 (when I caught the bug from my father), trains were the starting point through which I learnt about the world in general. Through trains came a taste for learning, reading and research which were the entrance conduit through which Geography, History, a smattering of Economy and Politics, Social Science, Arts and other knowledge found their way into my mind. Even Languages came in this way - I can say that I learnt English not only from my parents but also from browsing father's train books (and from the pages of Model Railroader, Model Railway Craftsman, Railway Modeller, Continental Railway Modeller, etc... ). Trains also fomented my taste for travel and through travel, knowledge about foreign countries. So it was only natural that looking for something new to model after over a decade of doing US prototype trains, I decided to turn to Japanese trains for my next modelling project. Through research about Japanese trains, I came into contact with Japanese culture (manga, anime, arts), history, geography, society... it opened a new horizon, so to speak.

 

Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

Now that I've read Rick's message properly, I can say that my interest is deeper than what I stated in my previous answer. For starters real/trains are my gateway to the world, so to speak. Since age 5 (when I caught the bug from my father), trains were the starting point through which I learnt about the world in general. Through trains came a taste for learning, reading and research which were the entrance conduit through which Geography, History, a smattering of Economy and Politics, Social Science, Arts and other knowledge found their way into my mind. Even Languages came in this way - I can say that I learnt English not only from my parents but also from browsing father's train books (and from the pages of Model Railroader, Model Railway Craftsman, Railway Modeller, Continental Railway Modeller, etc... ). Trains also fomented my taste for travel and through travel, knowledge about foreign countries. So it was only natural that looking for something new to model after over a decade of doing US prototype trains, I decided to turn to Japanese trains for my next modelling project. Through research about Japanese trains, I came into contact with Japanese culture (manga, anime, arts), history, geography, society... it opened a new horizon, so to speak.

 

Cheers NB

[Hobby Dreamer]

I learnt English not only from my parents but also from browsing father's train books (and from the pages of Model Railroader, Model Railway Craftsman, Railway Modeller, Continental Railway Modeller, etc...

 

So Nick are you saying that when you drink beer you "chug" it! 

 

Choo Choo

[westfalen]

Hi Westfalen...

 

Years ago, who would have thought that steam was even possible in N scale!

 

 

@Webskipper

 

I always have to tell women that its not toy sex, its precision sex at the least...!

 

Rick

Kato first brought out the C50 2-6-0 in the mid 60's so steam has always been possible if you model Japan.

[Guest ___]

I do it for the women