Magazine .

John D

Western Thunderer
So there is or was the ALRSM and Migo, what happened to them?

I think Migo has sunk without trace but the ALSRM are still up and running with shows at Reading and a new venue in the Manchester area for next year...... journal's not up to much though.

We also seem to have become the Internet arm of the Provisional Scaleseven Brigade, which I have to confess seems out of shape with Cynric's original aims.

Here, here well said.........:thumbs:
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
What's the difference between demonstrating how to paint a figure in 0 gauge, Scale7, 4 or 2mm?
What's the difference between discussing ideas for working suspension in 0 Gauge, Scale7, 4 or 2mm?
What's the difference between generating highly realistic brickwork in (yes, you've got it)?

The only discussions possibly unique to S7 I perceive might be somewhat introverted discussions about clearances, frame spacing and available space to fit in scale working mechanisms - is there anything else setting the S7 brigade apart on here?

I had the opportunity this week to inspect some quite amazing 00 gauge hand-built track, where the builder is currently using his experience and skill attained whilst building Scale7 trackwork to create high fidelity permanent way using what might be considered an unrealistic gauge. The result? Nothing short of spectacular. A good example of modelling/model engineering morphing into art, and definitely a good potential article for the magazine formerly under discussion in this thread.
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
We also seem to have become the Internet arm of the Provisional Scaleseven Brigade, which I have to confess seems out of shape with Cynric's original aims.

Is it perhaps time you chaps set up your own place?

Simon


Would you deny asylum to a bunch of S7 refugees? We had an e-list thingie courtesy of Bill Bedford until he somehow managed to screw it up. So we sought sanctuary, and our own bit of space, here. Perhaps we should have a wall around it? ;)

BTW one of the leading lights in G3 is Ken Cottle, President of the S7 Group...


Richard
 

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
I'm scheduled to appear as the centrefold in Issue 3 (AM, not FRMR) and I had to sign a Confidentiality Agreement, so sorry but I cannot comment further.

Mate I have this image of Miss October in my head with your fisog on top of it, slap me and wake me up.
Any way I have been asked to be the center fold and the next 8 pages so there:p
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
As for WT, well that's another subject, but in all honesty it doesn't interest me in the same way that it did when Cynric drew me here, and I think what Steve Cook allude to on his earlier thread is something to do with it.

We also seem to have become the Internet arm of the Provisional Scaleseven Brigade, which I have to confess seems out of shape with Cynric's original aims.

Is it perhaps time you chaps set up your own place?

Sorry for sounding so out of sorts but that's just the way it feels this morning!

Simon

Your not alone there Simon, when Cynric passed & we (Jordan & myself) had a hell of a job keeping this forum going. I did wonder at the time if it was really worth it without Cynric's presence?

When I look at what this forum has become, I don't think it was worth it for me personally. It may say Western Thunder at the top of the page, but it isn't the place I knew & loved.

Phill
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I wasn't privileged enough to be around long enough to get to know the Guv properly, which is something I regret.

Perhaps you guys are visiting a different forum to me. I find WT to be an open, friendly, entertaining, educational and inspiring place to frequent. I don't care what scale or gauge anyone is modelling. I read pretty much all the threads, whatever they're about. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am a member of RMWeb, but I don't like it half as much as this place. RMW is the noisy place, WT is the place for like-minded folk to have a chinwag, a laugh or two, and to share in our enjoyment of modelling railways in all their myriad forms.

So, whether you're modelling Gauge 3 or T scale, obscure Australian branch lines or the main line out of Paddington, blue and grey, things with yellow ends or sky blue pink, it's all grist to the mill. We all share a passion for this hobby of railway modelling.

So a lot of S7 members have migrated here. WT is a natural fit for many of them, with the right mix of engineering and bodgery! I don't think there is a plan for a putsch. We're all just modellers, like everyone else here. I've yet to meet an S7 modeller who considers themselves superior to anyone else. In the end, it's just another wheel profile/track gauge, so what's the issue? I don't understand, but then it's getting late on a Saturday. Perhaps I should leave this post and sleep on it.
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Come on guys, this is very negative, and not something I recognise at all.

We were never going to replace Cynric, but I would remind you that he was a S7 modeller when WT started and actively encouraged S7 to this forum. The forum did survive Cynric's death and has grown and diversified, as all forums do if they are not to disappear. There are a lot of good threads which are worth following from all sources.

I don't believe S7 has skewed the forum much, and anyway, most of the S7 content is about construction, and the track gauge is irrelevant. Hell, I model in 31.5 gauge and that is very definitely a minority sport here or anywhere else.

In any event, isn't it better to encourage everyone else to post rather than criticise those that do? If you feel some content is missing, do something about it, but don't seek to cut down what is already there.

It reminds me more of the die-hards in the GOG or G1MRA who resist change.

I really didn't expect it here, and am sorry it has reared its head.

Richard
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I hesitate to join this discussion on several counts, not the least that I did not have the privilege of knowing Cynric and therefore don't have the history of the group ingrained in my being. However, of one thing I am absolutely certain: WT does not suffer the back biting and superiority of contributors which can be found on other groups to the extent that this is now the only one I either read (everything!) or to which I contribute. Neither do people take themselves too seriously and it's this lightness of touch which I truly value.

I'm not a S7 modeller either, but it's a part of life's rich wossname. In fact I'm very far from being at the front of the class but the help from members of this forum have most certainly improved my modelling during the course of the last year. Compared with others my contributions are positively lightweight but always met positively and with good grace.

Selfishly I hope that WT continues, and it's inevitable and possibly desirable that changes occur over time. However, the core values seem to be a constant and I hope that's the most important factor of all.

Brian
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
Come on guys, this is very negative, and not something I recognise at all.

We were never going to replace Cynric, but I would remind you that he was a S7 modeller when WT started and actively encouraged S7 to this forum. The forum did survive Cynric's death and has grown and diversified, as all forums do if they are not to disappear. There are a lot of good threads which are worth following from all sources.

I don't believe S7 has skewed the forum much, and anyway, most of the S7 content is about construction, and the track gauge is irrelevant. Hell, I model in 31.5 gauge and that is very definitely a minority sport here or anywhere else.

In any event, isn't it better to encourage everyone else to post rather than criticise those that do? If you feel some content is missing, do something about it, but don't seek to cut down what is already there.

It reminds me more of the die-hards in the GOG or G1MRA who resist change.

I really didn't expect it here, and am sorry it has reared its head.

Richard

Cynric was S7 when we started the forum, but he was moving back to finescale, not that has anything to with anything Richard!

Far from diversify, the forum has narrowed in the last two years in my view.

Phill
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
We're way off topic here, but if I might offer a couple of thoughts:

1/ Introspection rarely ends well.

but

2/ The forum has changed. Perhaps it would have done with Cynric at the helm, perhaps in a different way than it has the past two years. I can understand that there might be a sense of loss (the change in the forum) and a hope that by identifying the cause of the change a remedy can be applied.

When I joined (all of a massive four and a half years ago) it felt like I was meeting a group of people with different interests but a similar approach to the hobby. I could keep tabs on what everyone was making or planning and this increased the feeling that I was hanging out with a group of mates. These days there seems to be more members and more traffic, and if I'm brutally honest when I visit Thunder I look to see what my friends are doing, rather than take in the full breadth of content.

Now I wonder if the reason I do this is because of the sheer difficulty of keeping up with all the content or because I like a particular approach and seek this out?

This leads me to believe that there may be an optimum size for a forum, bigger not always being best, either to maintain that sense of connection with all that's going on or to better manage the membership/approach to the hobby. This size might be a good deal smaller than we would assume, and if we were to restrict membership this comes with its own dilemmas; how to keep things fresh, how to avoid the temptation of just one more, how do we judge entry, continued membership etc?
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
I don't know if I dare mention the magazine, but just in case anyone paying their subscription by Paypal did not notice - it appears to set up an automatic 'renew subscription' payment function without any prompting, which presumably you will then have to remember to cancel should you choose not to renew. Note in diary made.
 

lancer1027

Western Thunderer
Your not alone there Simon, when Cynric passed & we (Jordan & myself) had a hell of a job keeping this forum going. I did wonder at the time if it was really worth it without Cynric's presence?

When I look at what this forum has become, I don't think it was worth it for me personally. It may say Western Thunder at the top of the page, but it isn't the place I knew & loved.

Phill

I totally agree.

For me when Cynric started this forum it was mainly GWR/WR with a "Area 51" for other interests. Now im not saying that everyone should like/model GWR/WR far from it but from my point of view we seem to have become more a "special S7 " forum who just keep themselves to themselves. The problem is from where i see it is that S7 modellers only care about other S7 modellers and models, and frown upon anyone else that happens to model anything that is well lets just say "a model ".

There are some very nice people on this forum and i have made some great friends through this forum but i feel that Cynric wouldn't like the way it has become.

Rob
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Simon's diversion from the topic and responses are bringing up some interesting views and perceptions that I, as a relative newcomer, would not have foreseen but I think the discussion would be better moved to the members area.
 

djparkins

Western Thunderer
I don't know if I dare mention the magazine, but just in case anyone paying their subscription by Paypal did not notice - it appears to set up an automatic 'renew subscription' payment function without any prompting, which presumably you will then have to remember to cancel should you choose not to renew. Note in diary made.

Good Point - I noticed that too. A bit naughty I thought!
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
I The problem is from where i see it is that S7 modellers only care about other S7 modellers and models, and frown upon anyone else that happens to model anything that is well lets just say "a model ".



Rob
That's why i stopped waisting my time updating my Workbench & Layout threads. ..........
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
The problem is from where i see it is that S7 modellers only care about other S7 modellers and models, and frown upon anyone else that happens to model anything that is well lets just say "a model ".

Sorry not true in this case.

Things that I would miss:
A layout with a submarine (wish I had the imagination).
Bashed Mk 2s (wish I had the skill and patience).
G3 Goods van (well, it's sooo massive)
Train sets in the garden that take your breath away (too deeply committed excuse).
Skilful American modelling (so tempting).

Meanwhile, it's time for a cuppa and a biscuit.

Simon
 
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