This is a post about scale modelling – but also about railway modelling. (And about other hobbies – but let’s start with those two.)
Scale modelling and railway modelling are related – at least as far as the building of models goes. Yet railway modelling has long been carved out as a separate pursuit. Each has its own media, manufacturers, dealers/distributors, and conventions. Each has separate sections in the hobby shop. And each has its own community of (I hate the term but it’s appropriate), “hobby influencers”.
That’s a shame because – as many railway modellers have discovered – we have a lot to learn from the scale modelling hobby. Many of the advances we’ve enjoyed have come from the people who build tanks, aircraft, sci-fi, ships, autos, and other non-train subjects – from the widespread adoption of photo-etched details in kits and on RTR models, to the incredible advances in painting and finishing techniques. And while I don’t know enough about the plastic modelling hobby, I hope some of the advances on that side of the fence have come from our own efforts.
But, as my friend Steve Lee noted late last year on his excellent Sprue Pie With Frets website, the scale modelling hobby has been suffering from some major infighting – similar to what sometimes plagues railway modelling and the largest “official” organization for North American railway modelling, the NMRA.
I’m a member of the NMRA but I know many modellers who are not. They’re typically past members who had a bad experience and won’t renew. Sometimes, the problem has been a class of personalities or a falling out between sub-groups: An example of the latter was the friction between the NMRA and the local organizers for the 2003 National Convention in Toronto, which prompted those on the ground to form the Canadian Association of Railway Modellers.
Other times, the modeller has a philosophical aversion to some aspect of the organization – usually, the judging around models at conventions. Now I’ve been to enough NMRA events to know that people can display models without having them judged – one specifically applies to have one’s work assessed for credit towards achieving Master Model Railroader status. But many people just don’t like that vibe, period.
Interestingly, the vast majority of the people I know who shun the NMRA are enthusiastic members of another group – the Railroad Prototype Modelers (RPM) movement. They attend several RPM shows each year, where they meet up with hundreds of like-minded enthusiasts.
(Interestingly, this movement doesn’t even have an official organization – because it’s never needed one. The best I could find online is a calendar of events, which is maintained by a modeller as part of his own website.)
One of the things people love about RPM events is that, while there are hundreds of examples of top-quality modelling on display, nothing is being judged. It completely changes the dynamic. These events are about enjoying the modelling – not about outshining others. Now, the success of the RPM movement is partly what’s driving an attempt at change in the scale modelling world.
Many of the attendees at this week’s IPMS National Convention are finding a poker chip placed next to their models. As the image that leads this story shows, it has a nice positive message and an invitation to find out more about an alternative to the IPMS called Modellers Without Borders. This is a new organization that recognizes the lines have blurred between various modelling genres – that the things in common outweigh the differences between our various interests. It also recognizes that we have much to learn from hobbies that are not part of the traditional basket but still include a modelling component.
As the group’s website states:
The hobby has evolved beyond the traditional scale modelling genres – planes, tanks, cars, trains, and science fiction – and now includes 3D printing, Gunpla, wargaming minis, and a host of other subjects. It’s our belief that everyone who creates small versions of bigger things has a lot in common and will welcome an opportunity to share their passion with others genres within the hobby.
That sounds like a great idea to me. And there’s no reason why one can’t be a member of multiple organizations. So I’ve hit the “subscribe” button on the MWB home page. I encourage you to have a look and if you like what you ready, sign up. At this early stage, all the organizers are asking for is an expression of interest.
I’m looking forward to seeing where this leads.
The Model Railway Show 