Subject:
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Re: Why do we want to display?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.loc.us.ca.sf
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Date:
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Thu, 10 Aug 2000 17:33:08 GMT
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Viewed:
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887 times
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TRAINS, TRAINS, TRAINS!!!
Sorry - I just had to say that. I don't have a problem with having other
displays, but that just isn't where much of my interest is. I would like to
do a nice Star Wars display, like NELUG had, but I don't have time for both,
so SW loses and trains wins out. Mindstorms is cool, but beyond that MIBO
dog, I won't do much with Mindstorms that isn't in some way involved with my
train layout.
Sure, we could focus on better web presence, but 100% saturation on the web
won't get all the people informed. There are some people even in our group
that don't read Lugnet. Of those that do, we have 100% of them. So really,
we need to branch out in other directions. I want to do train shows because
that is the 2nd most likely place to find new members. There were at least
3 promising candidates for inclusion into our club.
I show because I want to expand our numbers with more train people. Not to
put it down, but I don't care at all about Space, classic or otherwise,
except as it applies to parts for my train layout. Same with Castle. If
people want to have a Space display, fine. More power to them, but I don't
have anything to contribute other than display tables and I wouldn't want to
make the trek up and back to deliver them. If people wanted to borrow them,
I don't have a problem with that.
As for attention, I don't really care for any. If given an opportunity to
be on TV or in the paper, I would pass. Been there, done that, it is way
over-rated. 15 minutes of fame is like 15 minutes of DirecTV. It isn't
enough - either have it all the time or not at all, I think. I also don't
really care much about being recognized by Lego. Sure, sponsorship would be
nice, but not at the expense of the freedom to make the layout I want to
make. Unlike many on Lugnet, I don't have any desire to work for Lego.
This is my hobby, not my job, even though at times it feels like a job.
I don't want any more high stress deadlines. I want to finish my layout
before I commit it to a show. I will do shows in the interim, as long as
others are also helping out, but I don't want to have a date set that my
Lego-Modular section must be completed by. Too many variables that I have
no control over can prevent me from making the deadline, which gives me more
stress than I want in a hobby.
I have gone back to sorting bricks and will continue to do so until I get my
collection back in line to where I know where my parts are and how many of
each item I have. When that is done, I will start building again. I still
have a lot of parts I need just to complete the two buildings I have started
right now. I also need a lot of other parts for the next items I have
coming down the line.
If people want to have another train display, I could commit what I had at
the NMRA, but I won't be further along in my other plans until December at
the earliest. I don't want to build any more 6 wide rolling stock, as I
want to run 8 wide. No offense to anyone's MOCs, but with the exception of
the Daylight Express, I thought our rolling stock was weak and not up to
snuff - my stuff included. Unfortunately, 8 wide and 6 wide don't really
look right next to each other. That puts me at odds with all others in the
group. Of course, I won't be building my rolling stock until my town is
closer to completion. I will finish 10 modules of the 14 before I start
with 8 wide rolling stock. At that point, we will have to address the
rolling stock size issues.
DCC will be another point that could be a problem. I think it is the way to
go, but it is an added cost that might drive away members. Although the
GMLTC could get away with it, as they all use one person's bricks (mostly)
we would not be so lucky. Even if I had a collection like Conan's, which I
don't, I am too far away from everyone to elicit help building.
I have a feeling that there are 2 levels of interest/committment in our
group. There is nothing wrong with that, but it should be noted that as our
goals and aspirations get higher, it will start to cause problems. I went
through this with our paintball team. Some people wanted a club to just
hang out and play. Others, myself included, wanted to compete at the
national and professional level. One group cannot serve both goals forever.
As it stands, I see that it would likely be a year before these issues
become a problem, if they ever do.
I don't want to take Lego trains to that level. I don't think anyone in our
group really does, so what do we want? I want to build trains and run a
layout. I would like to go to some train shows. I would like to have some
show we could go to every year and compete head to head against another LEGO
train group in a form of friendly rivalry. Perhaps SoCal will get an LTC
together that can put up a challenge to us. Perhaps we will duke it out
against the PNLTC. I think it would be cool for some big train show to see
more than just one LTC at a show. Imagine what it would have been like if
the NMRA we were at had the PNLTC and the GMLTC there as well. The kids
would have spent only one third their time destroying Tom Stangl's boats!
;-)
I suppose that when I get my layout done, we can revisit the 6 vs. 8 wide
issue, but until then, it isn't even an issue right now. More of an issue
is where and when should we have another show. The NMRA was the big deal
for me. I don't really have another show that I am dying to do. Maybe GATS
in Fresno next year. With luck, I could have my town section done by then.
If not, then it is back to tabletops. From what I saw there last year,
there is only one layout that isn't a joke, which was the Canfiled Family
Circus layout that was at the NMRA.
Harvest season starts in 3 weeks, so I won't be at the next BayLUG meeting,
but I will be there for the winter meeting. I have a few parts to return to
people:
Paul Sinasohn - one 6x6 black plate
Zoker - 10 1x4x6 White Town Jr. Windows & how many dock pieces?
If anyone has some of the follwing parts for trade/sale, please let me know,
as I am short on finishing my buildings:
1x5x4 White half arches
1x3x2 White Freestyle Arches
2x2 White Radar Dishes
16x16x2 Train Station Platforms in Light Gray (I need a LOT of them)
Overall, I am really pleased at how well we were received at the NMRA show
and I am happy to know that we can continue to improve, as we have a lot of
upward potential in our display.
Mike
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: Why do we want to display?
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| "Mike Poindexter" <lego@poindexter.cc> wrote in message news:Fz37Aw.Jz7@lugnet.com... (...) to (...) both, (...) my (...) It won't hurt you...its only a daggit!! :-) I'll say, seeing peoples' reactions as we carried that sucker around Legoland was (...) (24 years ago, 10-Aug-00, to lugnet.loc.us.ca.sf)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Why do we want to display?
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| (Here he goes again...) No, seriously! The first/last show was a train display. But, most of the BayLTC members are also BayLUG members. In fact, a significant percentage of our BayLUG members are BayLTC members. But are we only interested in doing (...) (24 years ago, 10-Aug-00, to lugnet.loc.us.ca.sf) !
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