Neat this Week” column or
our “Yes, it’s a Model” photo
feature to see the stunning
realism in the modeling
being done today.
We at MRH don’t lament
the “good old days” of the
hobby, frankly. We’re more
excited than ever about the
fabulous modeling being
done today. When looking
through back issues of the
hobby magazines from the
“good old days of hobby
craftsmanship” – we find
the general quality of the
modeling back then was
pretty crude in comparison
to today.
Buying your way
into the hobby?
So what about those who
don’t really build anything
themselves but instead buy
everything? Are they any
less a model railroader?
We feel the ranks of those
who take the buy everything
approach to the hobby are few in number. Most will at least
do some building.
But even so, what’s wrong with selecting the best the hobby
has to offer, and paying those who are good at what they do
to do it for you?
Somebody built it. It didn’t just magically appear out of thin
air, right? There’s something to be said about someone who
can assemble an awesome collection of modeling done by
others and pull it together into an integrated whole.
The western (European and North American) mindset focuses
a lot on being impressed by “self-made-men” and “self-made-
women”. If you can do it yourself, then you’re a hero. If you
have to get help from others, then you’re a wimp.
The eastern mindset, however, appreciates the work achieved
by a community of people and considers the self-made atti-
tude to be somewhat arrogant. Perhaps another way to look
at those who “buy their layout” is that they’ve got the means
to pull together a community to achieve a fun goal and they’re
willing (and able) to compensate others for their efforts. The
eastern mindset considers such “crowd-created” achievements
to be noble ones.
If we westerners truly believe the rhetoric about “diversity”
as being a good thing, then “doing it all yourself” (aka, being a
“craftsman”) is not the only way to be a good railroad modeler.
MRH $500 Starter Layout Contest
The $500 Starter Layout Contest is complete and we’re judg-
ing the entries. We expect to announce the winners in the
March issue. Stay tuned!
MRH staff notes - 4
