The comments section on my journal magazine review raised some interesting questions, namely 'why doesn't someone write some articles on the scale'. I submitted an article on the history of Nz120 about 5-6 months ago now, with pictures and have yet to see it in print (2 issues). I have even considered updating it over the break with all that's been happening in the last 6 months. It was also suggested that this be published on line at Nz120.org.
I'm rather reluctant to do this, as we need to start casting the net a bit wider searching for converts. From what I can tell we maybe have 20 active modelers in the scale (if the comments sections here and the users at Nz120.org are correct) plus another 60-70 odd lurkers. The guild has a membership of 500 ish ( I think its remained reasonably static over the last 10 years or so) plus whoever picks it up in shops. the real unknown is Internet searches. My stats tell me I'm getting about 30 hints a day from first time visitors. I'm not sure if we are attracting any of these people or if they were expecting to be somewhere else (I must try to create a title containing 'red', 'hot' and 'throbbing' in the title). I'm also not sure if the scale has ever shaken off its 'toy train' tag, where people were quite happy repainting foreign locos etc. It might also have a historical bent (I've had discussions with people who believe that Athearn locos are better than Kato)
So, apart from shows, how does one attract new blood to the scale (or to NZR modeling for that matter)
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6 comments:
I think that if you are interested in the NZR scene you will either go towards NZ120 or S guage, myself I chose NZ120 because I was introduced to it by one of the manawatu n guage club members, also means I still can run my brit rolling stock on my NZR layout. American n scale modellers don't tend towards NZR scence, not sure why.
"Shake the box" kits, and RTR rolling stock that does not require a second mortgage.
I (like many I suspect) once owned a great hoard of Athearn blue box wagons. Why?? because they were A: cheap, B: easy to put together - 2 screws and two coupler pockets...
Why dont more people model NZR??
Because there is nothing RTR in this country, especially in NZ120, and every kit that is out there in any scale has a chassis derived from oddly shapped pieces of brass and white metal that potential modellers have to square up, straighten, cut, fillet, notch, align and solder to get the wagon rolling.
And what NZR locomotives are out there ready to run, sitting on a shelf??
3/16th's stuff with $800.00 or greater prices tags advertised as "professionally assembled?? Maybe South American produced generic "almost looks like a DX" plastic locos painted in NZ schemes??
$800.00 can buy three HO locos, each one ready to go, highly detailed and equipped with DCC decoders... Some even with sound!!
A model railway virgin (oh my!) can cruise into any hobby shop and walk out with a very realistic, ready to run slice of Britan, Germany, America (or even Oz) under his arm for mere bum hairs compared to the cash outlay required to get the same amount NZR gear in any scale.
And what reading material is there to help inspire and support our hapless virgin? The Journal??
Trackside and Hutt Valley Car and Wagon (with their laser gun) are making fine inroads into heping the NZ120 modeller establish a rollingstock base, but untill someone produces a SIMPLE wagon kit that anyone can assemble, I dont think there is any hope in hades of attracting more people to the NZR Modelling hobby.
When someone figures out how to bankroll and manage a line of NZR plastic injected athearn-esque "shake the box" kits and RTR rolling stock and locos, that anyone can buy, assemble and run, then you will see an increase in interested modellers.
Sermon over.
Drew
(ps, Thanks to the Head Druff for the very plesant company over lunch on sunday.)
I think Drew has hit the nail on the head. I'm constantly tempted by the ready to run American stuff. I could just slap down the cash and I'd have some stock to run. As it is, I'm going to have to sit down soon and invest some serious time in building some kits. This is part of the attraction of NZ120 to me of course, but it has to be an impediment to newcomers.
I personally think that the scale is moving in the right direction, at least on the web and with the Trackgang stuff. People just need to see that the scale is viable, and hence the more modelers making stuff, and posting it up on NZ120.ORG is bound to be good.
Grant
Nicely stated piece by Drew ! His comments remind me of the old favourite from a while ago - the beginners NZ120 set ! Cheap to buy, but no takers to bankroll the big bucks it would take to get them made, in say China, and then to lose a large wad of cash because the NZ market is too small and tight fisted. Anyone remember some of Kiwibonds fine NZ120 models being sold on Trademe ? Due to the astounding lack of interest by punters I don't think that exercise is one he'll be in a hurry to repeat.
Maybe one piece loco shells and wagons that fit onto Peco chassis is the way to go. Or maybe there are other ways, some of which I stated in my ramble that I posted on the NZ120 forum.
starter kit is still a good idea but could be expensive when you add all the seperate componets together. ie.about $80 for off the shelve transformer and controller (DC). Chassis for the locomotive, microtrains/Kadee couplers and then some track, though I belive I may still be able to get some code 80 for $1 or $2 a piece for set track.
There's a heck of a lot of 3'6", metre and 3' gauge in the world, but it's got to be said that a lot of it's in poor countries or places where they just don't see trains as anything to enthuse over.
One thing that might help NZ120 is seeking common cause with TT scale. There's a very good new forum TTnut.com, created precisely because existing forums seemed moribund or perhaps just not exciting enough for younger enthusiasts. Admittedly a goodly portion of it is US guys buying Tilligs and Rocos, but there's a bit of scratchbuilding and some good ideas there too, and more than a few Europeans and even a Russian or two who are chipping in ideas.
Compared to the average US forum, the TTers there are unique because they do look overseas; perhaps from lack of choice, but it's a healthy trend I think.
Starting off from a low base, I think it's become a very lively forum in less than a year.
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