One person posting often about N scale and the NMRA on this thread appears to have many facts incorrect.

There were about a dozen N scale layouts on the layout tours at the most recent NMRA convention. I'm sure there would have been more if they had been available in the area, but organizers can only choose from among the relatively finished layouts that exist in a particular area. If your contention is that there were good N scale layouts kept off the layout tours by a sinister band of HO-centric NMRA'ers, that's just ridiculous.

There are thousands of N scalers active in the NMRA. I've never personally felt slighted or put down by the NMRA because my primary personal modeling scale is N -- and I have been to lots of NMRA meets and conventions.

NMRA N scale standards and recommended practices are virtually as complete as the HO scale versions.

A large portion of the floor space at the NMRA's National Train Show in Milwaukee was set aside for a substantial N scale modular set-up. So the NMRA did bring in NTrak (as has been true at every NMRA trainshow I've ever seen).

The fact that Japanese manufacturers use 1/150 proportioned models on 9mm track to represent their own (often) narrow gauge prototypes has nothing to do with the NMRA.

Hey, you don't want to join the NMRA, no problem. But don't seek to justify that decision by creating bogeymen that don't exist.

I am always surprised that so many people sitting behind $1000 (and up!) computers and connecting to forums on high speed connections that cost $25 or more per month don't avail themselves of the $9.95 (for six months) Railpass trial membership of the NMRA. This would give folks a chance to sample the magazine, regional and division meetings, etc., and then make their own choice about continuing. (By the way, even though the NMRA magazine is much improved, I choose the non-magazine option, so my full membership is $39 per year).

Everyone in the hobby benefits from the efforts of the NMRA in compatibility, standards-setting such as DCC, and more. Not everyone belongs to the NMRA, and that's fine. The NMRA is not perfect, no organization made up of people ever is. But have your facts straight before you criticize.

The NMRA may not be to blame but someone is.

Irv

I have never felt the need to defend myself here until now. I am a member of the NMRA for years and I would not drop my membership. However I do have some complaints because my local division doesn't seem to be interested in doing anything with N-Scale. In addirion to that the division is far from here being in Suffolk County which is 1 1/2 hours away on a good day. They also seem to hold theit meetings on days when I am unable to go. It wasn't like hat back in the 1980s when the conventions weren't only on Saturdays.

Irv

Does someone always have to be at fault?

Does someone always have to be at fault?

--

Jeff Shultz

So it would seem, in Feldman's case anyway. [wink]

But I completely concur!

This thread as it now stands, is going nowhere.

To get it back on track though, I personally am not an current NMRA member because I think the local "powers that be" are a bunch of noobs, but thats just my opinion. I'd rather spend my dues money on the OpSIG, but of course, all the "cool" activites are in conjunction with NMRA meets, so when conventions come around (and there won't be one until I MAYBE go to the 2012 Grand Rapids con), I'll join up again.

Tony is both a personal quiantance and a member of "my" local division, so I have heard some of the "new ideas" for a while now. I hope that they do come to fruition,as many of my friends feel the same way - what does the NMRA do for us besides get us a chance to see and operate layouts across the country, as well as get the change to network and see old friends? Maybe all this will help change our minds. Until then, I will be happy organizing and attending local Northeastern RPM meets, that while are sponsored by a local NMRA chapter or division for insurance reasons, aren't NMRA-specific or membership-required events (and don't have all the "baggage" that comes with one).

RAH

My current field is in incident tracking, investigations, and corrective and preventive actions.  Part of what we deal with is the human desire to blame someone when things don't go as desired or people actually make mistakes.  The reality is, sometimes things just don't go the way we want or intend for various reasons and, as humans, we are fallible and prone to mistakes.  Read many of the postings on this board, including Joe's article on his experience with the shorts in his staging area.  Blaming people for making mistakes or for circumstances like a local division doesn't "seem interested" in doing anything with N scale solves nothing and only causes more issues in the future.  Human performance experts teach that you need to eliminate blame and instead do self-examination.  What could I have done better to prevent the bad thing from happening?  What can I take away from this experience to make things better in the future?  What can I do to improve the situation? 

The reality is, there are most certainly very good reasons why the local division doesn't "seem interested" in anything N scale and why the meetings on days when you are unable to attend.  Have you ever initiated an "N scale" event or get together?  Have you approached them about taking the lead on an N scale-centered initiative?  Organizations such as the NMRA only function when people step up to do the work.  Would you organize an HO specific event?  Not likely, because you are in N scale, so why would you expect HO people to initiate an N scale specific event?  If N scalers aren't stepping up to the plate, it isn't going to happen.  And if I recall, Irv, your schedule is what conflicts with when most others are available.  But there is nothing wrong with that.  Those are the choices you make and how you live your life and you just have to live with them.  For most others, the "free" day is Saturday so you will have those conflicts. 

I work a 7 days in/7 days out schedule at a remote mine site.  This causes me to not be able to do a number of things that I want to, like going to regular club meetings that are scheduled every other week when I'm at work, I miss the odd birthday and anniversary, I'd like to join a local stage band, but they need members who will commit to every week and I can't.  This is my reality and I can either accept it or find a new job.  I can't blame the club for holding their meetings when its most convenient for the majority of the members but not at all convenient for me, or blame the band leader for insisting people need to be there (almost) every week.  I understand their position and accept it as part of life.

Sorry for hijacking this thread a bit, but this is a subject that hits very close to home for me.

Go to an nmra convention and see just how much HOn3 you'll see or any other Narrow Gauge at an NMRA convention you can usually count them on 1 finger or less. I believe that's why Narrow gauge has it's own convention.

I believe you'll find quite a lot more "Nn3" at that convention then Standard Gauge "N" at any nmra convention.

It seems that "N" needs it's own convention that is if they don't already.

I go to as many Greenberg Train shows and others every year and there is usually 2 maybe 3 "HO" club Mod set ups and 4 to 6 "N" Mod clubs set up at every one. Then you find Maybe 1 "S" scale Club at 60% of the shows and 2 or three small Lionel Train set ups and maybe 1 in the larger scale garden railroad set ups made by a vendor.

I had considered building my new Railroad in "S" Gauge before deciding on the HOn3 world and I couldn't find enough product that was newer than 20 years old. I have always considered "S" Scale to be the best but not enough of the world vendors seemed to support it and those that do seemed to over price everything pertaining to it.

I found The "O" narrow gauge was less expensive but I considered it just too big for my purposes. I Then looked at "N" and there was almost no way I could see half the details due to my age and the HO equipment cost almost the same as "N".

Five and 1/2 years ago I spent a lot of time checking all the different scales from "O" down to "N" and for the most part "HO" has close to 80% more product with a much wider variety mainly do to Manufacturing not because of the NMRA but because of availability of manufacturing, Promotion and $$$$$$$ put "HO" up in first place and everyone else trailing behind.

I think "N" and all the other Scales will always trail behind HO but the only ones that can be blamed is the general public and the majority of Model railroaders that buy what they find easiest to attain and what has the most to offer the least expensive end of the Hobby or what can you get the most of for the least amount of money.

Dan

Most likely not.

Irv

I have to agree with you that it's my prblem and not someone else's. But it is very frustrating at times and during those times I have to vent because punching out the wife isn't somwthing that is going to solve anything. Neither is punching the wall. So I vent and sometimes it creates a controversy (even a useless one such as this one.) But it does help me work out my frustrations in such a way that no is really harmed.

My club has meetings once a month usually on Sundays but I haven't been able to attend good many of them due to other obligations (usually created by the Mrs.) Besides I haven't gotten a chance to run trains in a while partly because the club doesn't have the space to set up its N-Trak modules and I haven't gotten a chnace to lay any track on my own layout and one of the reasons for that is that I'ld like to get a chance to operate but I can't seem to come up wit workable track plan.

Irv