Re: this from Flimsies.. Styrofoam locomotive caricatures for sale in Topeka as a fundraising device for depot restoration. On one hand, they sort of demean the project and our field of interest as childish. Certainly nothing I'd put in my front yard. On the other hand, like Thomas, they might create some exposure, and bring some outside interest and funding. For the cost, one could probably get a nice brass UP 4-8-4 and really have something of quality and value.

Where I live in Saratoga, NY, noted for its famous racetrack that brings in 1 million tourists a year in its short season, they decorate fiberglass horses in wild colors each year and display them in our beautifully restored downtown. The public seems to like them well enough to pay good money at an auction to acquire them, and in the classiest little town in the state to boot.

What's your opinion of this kind of fundraising?

Puffy sculptures
ryarger@rypn.org

I dont mean any disrespect to any groups who are benefiting from these, but i think they look stupid and detrack from real preservation goals. Kids that grow up seeing Thomas are going to see a real steam locomotive and say, thats not a real choo choo, Mommy where is his eyes and why is it leaking?! But at least Thomas is not so distorted, like these fiberglass models.

If they want to do this, make the models accurate!
That would be interesting.

adofmsu@aol.com

If it raises funds it is successful, if not, a waste. If it is successful I like it. I don't think I would pay for one however.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Kids that grow up seeing
> Thomas are going to see a real steam
> locomotive and say, thats not a real choo
> choo, Mommy where is his eyes and why is it
> leaking?! But at least Thomas is not so
> distorted, like these fiberglass models.

Actually, I'll rise to speak in defense of Thomas. Once you get past the smiley face you'll find Rev. Awdry's original stories and most of the Britt Alcroft tapes are full of fairley realistic operating aracana--the danger of running past signals, the need to give way to a superior train, helper engines for grades, the difference between mainline and shunting engines, and on and on. Really, it's not bad stuff at all.

eledbetter@rypn.org

Sorta Disney but with no detail. Much superior (IMHO) then the fiberglass pigs that were such a hit in a certain unnamed city! Any bets that within 6 months one is powered and running around someones back yard ???


lamontdc@adelphia.net

These things seem to work at raising awareness. I have heard mixed reviews of their fund raising appeal. My wife and I still discuss the fiberglass lobsters Rockland, ME had up last year.

As for anyone wanting the "Big Thing" to be something a purst would appreciate, forget it. Pop culture embraces things larger than life. The pretty 2-8-0 running a branchline mixed would my heart beat faster, but it won't do a lick for kids cmpared to a blue tank engine.

The "Big Thing" is the hook, not the end game.

Look at me... I abuse my eyes putting mini details on HO models with each rivet counted, yet my first HO set was a Tyco Bicentennial oval.

A good showman gets people in the door, a good entertainer gets them to come back. We have some great entertainers, but a dearth of showmen in historic railroading.

Rob


trains@robertjohndavis.com

2 Maxims that seem to get lost in the railroad hobby (yes it is a real profession to a few, but it is still just a hobby to most) whether model, or full size, are "Use whatever works", and "Hobbies are supposed to be FUN". To me it just seens like we get so bogged down with details, that we forget about the BIG picture.

Even back in the heyday of real steam railroading an "artistic impression" of a steam engine and the "real thing" were not exactly on the same plane. Tootle, the Fisher Price circus thingy, and good old Thomas are still with us, while the NYC Hudsons, and Great Western Dukes, grand as they were, are not.

Now, I'm going to tell a little story here, trying to make a point, but it takes a bit of background explaination, so please bear with me.

Some of you know, but most probably don't- I have this little business, and I sell (or try to, anyway) live steam locomotives, in sizes from O scale up through 1/3 size (ones you can ride on). Now, that business involves dealing with the general public, AND railfans one on one, and en masse at various shows.

During the course of my business I deal with a volume of criticisms from "experts" who never hesitate to tell me where the manufacturer's made "mistakes". And this is the reason they give for not purchasing. Now, usually the manufacturer is well aware of these "errors", and often they WERE done on purpose, either because they chose function over form, or to try keeping the costs reasonable. Rather interesting that the very SAME fellows who complained about the inaccuracy of an affordable mass produced loco will usually ALSO complain about version.

Also, some friends of my family are in the model train show business (Lionel, HO, etc) To help them out I will also set up and run gauge 1 displays at various malls each winter. - I have found that if I put up a really expensive live steam loco with prototypical consist, 10 old men will look at it, and at LEAST one of them will start picking it apart - "this is wrong", and "they wouldn't have done it like that", and "why didn't they make it specific as #_?", and etc... NOW, if I instead put a "cartoon" train, on the same line, on the same day (Thomas or James work very well, of course, but so does circus, teddy bears, or even "out of scale" toy characters riding on a "regular" train) THEN I will get 30-60 kids WITH their parents looking in the same time period. I will also get MORE questions about the live steam locos that we sell.

My questions to you are:
WHICH ONE makes more of a lasting impression? WHICH ONE has the greatest potential to reach someone who never considered railroading (model or otherwise) as a hobby before?
WHICH ONE has the greater potential to spark something in the next generation- so there is someone to care about all the old rusty junque after we have gone?
WHICH ONE "works"?

If you want to attract a LOT more attention to an expensive gauge 1 live steam loco, then you put a Lehmann bubble car and a gon full of cookies (with cookie monster) behind it (It also rather distracts the rivet counters, they are so upset over your "lack of decorum", that they forget to nit-pick) Now, scale it upwards-Do you want to attract more people to your museum, and have them come BACK? THEN make it FUN as well as educational. To steal from the food service biz "Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle"

What does all this have to do with the loco that they are selling? IMO, you don't be afraid to buy one-- Just go ahead, paint it up nice, AND stick a big ole teddy bear in the cab, too. There's absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed of.

But then, I also actually PREFER a cute little Welsh NG teakettle to a big mainline Northern, so take that for what it is worth.

> What's your opinion of this kind of
> fundraising?

Its effectiveness CAN be way out of proportion to its size or cost.

I have not examined the exact specifics of this particular project, but it sounds quite similar to a project we had here in Baltimore, where sponsors fell over each other to sponsor artists to decorate fiberglass fish sculptures in a variety of thematic ways by individuals or teams (everything from an armor-plated fish to a heavily-made-up fish to a butchered fish, with every variation in between). Between the sponsorship, the crafting, the short-term public display, and the final charity auction of the actual sculptures, the project was a runaway success for the causes of art, publicity, short-term tourism (guides to the sculpture locations in the newspapers), and fundraising (for the arts and for the nature foundation that inspired the fish to begin with).

Again, I have to see thje specifics of the project. But I would no more chide away from this than I would from Thomas the Tank Engine. We might grimace in the short term, but we may rejoice in the long term as many more people are aware of railroads and steam locomotives than before.

lner4472@bcpl.net

Rather interesting that the very SAME fellows who complained about the inaccuracy of an affordable mass produced loco will usually ALSO complain about -THE "EXHORBITANT PRICE" OF A MORE ACCURATE- version.

IMO, you don't -HAVE TO- be afraid to buy one--

Something hiccuped--maybe it was the proof reader.

I think they're great! Hopefully, we'll be able to follow the progress of the project.
Reminds me of the Bears in Be(a)rlin. They're cool- act as photo props for tourists and a reminder of pronunciation. It seems like an effective and fun way to keep the project in the publics' face!

... the pelicans that were sold by the Acadiana Arts Council and the Lafayette Parish School System to raise funds. Like the fish, each pelican was then decorated by artists, and placed in a public location somewhere around Lafayette, Louisiana.

Notice there is a booklet mentioned that serves as a guide to them -- who bought them, who decorated them, where they are. One has since been damaged, another stolen. But besides being a good fundraiser, it provides good advertising for the the city and the university.

If they don't look realistic now, wait till you see them decorated...

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Pelicans On Parade
james1@pernet.net

I come from a generation of railway preservationists who got their start at age 5 sending 2-6-4 wheel arrangement steamers hurtling around 45 degree curves at 600 scale mph on shamelessly 3-rail track. I might well have wound up rracing automobiles or something if scale (read delicate/expensive) models had been all that was available that first Christmas. If Puffy is the catalyst to get people to become aware of railways and preservation more power to it.

Thomas has done more for our industry than the Mickey Mouse Handcar did for Lionel back during the depression. One just has to remember to view his contribution through a child's eyes. The 261 will become Gordon, the 820 "Lord Nelson" Henry, etc. in the child's imagination. And before we can turn around those kids will be taking the rules test.

Good theatre brings people (and donations) through our turnstiles. An enjoyable time and perceived value for money spent brings them back. And living history interpreted through the world of Thomas makes it relevant to our future customers and enthusiasts/steam mechanics.



onestrummer@hotmail.com