Nostalgia - humbug

[scott]

I've been looking through book listings etc. for some rail topics, and I've realized that one of the reasons I prefer European and Japanese railways and modelling is that so much of the American stuff has labels like "nostalgia" and "old-time" and "remembering." Passenger-rail service is treated like a dead thing from the past. I normally love history and am skeptical of constant novelty, but I'd much rather ride or model something that seems vital than something cutesy and nostalgically old-fashioned.

 

</rant>

[Darren Jeffries]

I totally agree, I love modelling military aircraft, but i see nothing that interesting about civilian aircraft. For me, rail travel has always been more interesting, even with its obvious speed and direction limitations... its something about the look of them, the logistics of the big sprawling stations.

[Guest ___]

Never really thought of it that way. I just sorta burned out on American trains.

[CaptOblivious]

Never really thought of it that way. I just sorta burned out on American trains.

 

When you're a young 'un like me, and interested in model trains, this nostalgia thing hits you upside the head: I wasn't alive when rail travel in the US was big. Woodland Scenics line of n-scale people all live in the 1950s, an era I couldn't possibly have nostalgia for, because my parents were small children then. I don't share this nostalgia: I pine to model what I see, now. But I'm young blood in a dying breed, I guess.

 

The thing is: I'm not that young!

[Darren Jeffries]

The thing is: I'm not that young!

 

Up to this point, i was feeling your opinion.... made me feel quite young, but then you had to say that!!!! We are the same age arn't we?  :binkybaby:

[CaptOblivious]

The thing is: I'm not that young!

 

Up to this point, i was feeling your opinion.... made me feel quite young, but then you had to say that!!!! We are the same age arn't we?  :binkybaby:

 

 

 

I think so. 1976 give-or-take?

[Darren Jeffries]

The thing is: I'm not that young!

 

Up to this point, i was feeling your opinion.... made me feel quite young, but then you had to say that!!!! We are the same age arn't we?  :binkybaby:

 

 

 

I think so. 1976 give-or-take?

 

Yep... 1975.

[Guest ___]

Nov. 1974

[CaptOblivious]

Nov. 1974

 

So, we should be pining for old GP-whatever diesels and Amtrak MetroLiners, right?

[Darren Jeffries]

Nov. 1974

 

So, we should be pining for old GP-whatever diesels and Amtrak MetroLiners, right?

 

Class 110 DMU's or intercity 125 HST for me!!!!

[Guest ___]

Give your tired, your worn, and your Uboats.

[Tenorikuma]

I agree, American (and Canadian) railroad modelliing is mostly about nostalgia--the golden age of the fifties, dilapidated Midwest towns, old-fashioned mining railroads--and it turned me off to the hobby. But in Japan, the golden age of trains is today.

[bikkuri bahn]

I agree, American (and Canadian) railroad modelliing is mostly about nostalgia--the golden age of the fifties, dilapidated Midwest towns, old-fashioned mining railroads--and it turned me off to the hobby. But in Japan, the golden age of trains is today.

 

An interesting thread.  Actually for me, if I were to model American prototypes, I would choose the nostalgic 50's because of the variety of rolling stock, both freight and passenger.  Also, operations were just more interesting and complex then, with both intercity and local passenger, postal and express traffic, peddler freights, LCL traffic, small town stations, manned interlocking towers with levers, semaphores, etc.  For me, modeling is to recreate a bit of an ideal (yet realistic) world, and yes, a temporary escape from a sometimes less appealing modern society we live in.  Also, I studied history in college, so I find research and finding out how things were done in the past fascinating.  

 

However, I do (like some of you) have little recent interest in the North American scene (the post 9-11 paranoia and unfriendliness towards railfans didn't help).  To me, the modern scene in America (both model and prototype) is all about (diesel) locomotives, operations are boring exercises in corporate efficiency and cost cutting, and passenger operations, or what remains of them, are (to quote a well known blogger) "like Kazhakstan railways without the basic competence".  You may ask, why don't you model trains? Well, like Tenorikuma, I live in Japan, so I just step out of my door and do model railroading in 1:1 scale.  I spend my hobby money during holidays riding real trains around Japan, and go to Europe every three or four years to do the same.  I count myself as lucky in this respect.

[scott]

For me, modeling is to recreate a bit of an ideal (yet realistic) world, and yes, a temporary escape from a sometimes less appealing modern society we live in.  Also, I studied history in college, so I find research and finding out how things were done in the past fascinating.

 

I studied history, too, but the railway history of early-medieval Europe is really limiting. :-) I probably wouldn't object to modeling the 50s etc so much if it didn't seem like a whitewashing promotion effort.

 

When it comes to escaping modern society, I'm probably more likely to impose my own greeny ideas on a layout design than to look backwards; I can't be nostalgic about steam locomotives and block out thoughts of the coals mines, etc. But I can make a model with bike racks and green roofs and all that light-green stuff, and still make it look like there's a modern place with interesting rail travel. (You may now begin to bash my eco-weeniness; I'm used to it.    )

 

(to quote a well known blogger) "like Kazhakstan railways without the basic competence".

 

Ouch! Who said that?

 

I spend my hobby money during holidays riding real trains around Japan, and go to Europe every three or four years to do the same.  I count myself as lucky in this respect.

 

As well you should. Very lucky.

[bikkuri bahn]

I studied history, too, but the railway history of early-medieval Europe is really limiting. :-) I probably wouldn't object to modeling the 50s etc so much if it didn't seem like a whitewashing promotion effort.

 

Actually, I think you could do a little model RR  based on that era (or perhaps a little later)- I think railways have their origins in mines with coal carts being pushed or pulled on wooden "rails"- simple L girders

 

I think some of that whitewashing is an appeal to the customer demographic- old geezers who don't care about anything built after 1969, God forbid anything furrin'!!  Anyway, good knowledge of railroads of the era helps in cutting through the marketing BS and fluff.

 

As for the quote, it was James Kunstler who said that.  A bit harsh, but realize Kunstler is somewhat of a blowhard, though he does have some good ideas and points to make.

[scott]

As for the quote, it was James Kunstler who said that.  A bit harsh, but realize Kunstler is somewhat of a blowhard, though he does have some good ideas and points to make.

 

Oh, him. Yeah--his books were promising, but he seemed to really go over the edge when he started blogging; sort of made me lose interest.

[to2leo]

Here are my 3 obs with N. America model railroading's lack of modern offerings

 

1) Have you ridden or saw our modern passenger offerings lately?  Yuck and ugly due to lack of govn't funding and support.

2) N. American style of individual consumption (The American Dream) does not promote PUBLIC transports thus several generations are lost to the autos.

3) because of 2) N. American model railroad suppliers cater to the Golden Age generations of the 50s and 60s..

 

That's why you always see Japan and Europe keep on cranking out new models while US/Cdn are stuck with the 50s and 60s.

[Guest ___]

Here are my 3 obs with N. America model railroading's lack of modern offerings

 

1) Have you ridden or saw our modern passenger offerings lately?  Yuck and ugly due to lack of govn't funding and support.

2) N. American style of individual consumption (The American Dream) does not promote PUBLIC transports thus several generations are lost to the autos.

3) because of 2) N. American model railroad suppliers cater to the Golden Age generations of the 50s and 60s..

 

That's why you always see Japan and Europe keep on cranking out new models while US/Cdn are stuck with the 50s and 60s.

 

 

Yar, those be fighting words, ye ole' scally-lagomorph but I totally agree.

 

Emoticon by: http://www.emotty.com/

[to2leo]

Yar, those be fighting words, ye ole' scally-lagomorph but I totally agree.

 

Emoticon by: http://www.emotty.com/

 

Thanks for your support Shashinka Ichiban, I think it is times like this that I am glad I didn't become an urban planner.  I will probably lashes out and get fired for saying something like this.