Good Idea and Expand on it???

[Bob Collins]

After you have finished with your new MR which arrived this week, go back to your December issue and open it to page 106 and read the article and look at the pictures.

Neat idea. I may need to adjust my medications but why couldn't we do something along those lines right here on the Gauge. I guess we would most likely need the approval of the Gauge Board or maybe Shamus is empowered to allow it to happen, but I think it would be really neat to be able to expand on the idea in the article from a train club to the world wide web.

Now, now, I can already hear someone saying if you think I'm going to compete with Shamus doing something like that you are truly out of your mind! I don't think so and I'm the guy who has yet to put together one structure on my layout.

The idea would be to have a single theme that carried through all of our efforts. Now you remember seeing the article about the Polar Bear Club, right?

We'd have to decide on what that theme would be. I think we would need to be sensitive to the differences we represent from our various parts of the world. I also think that we would not want to repeat the polar bear, but other than that there would seem to be a lot of possibilities to discover what we have in common and the fun we could have with that alone.

I think we eliminate any sort of rolling stock from the list of possibilities. Don't know if you could do the same as the article with another animal or not. Scale makes no difference I would think.

I'd like to be able to do something that would eventually fit on my layout, but no faster than I'm progressing on that just about anything would be okay as I'll have time to change my plans and finish the layout around whatever is decided upon.

Many of us have digital cameras which will help get your entry on the Gauge. If that makes it more difficult for those who would like to play and don't have a digital we might have to figure out something else (send a regular pix to someone with a scanner).

How long would the "contest" run ( I hate contest because that isn't the idea, the idea is to get people to participate)? Six months, a year (my choice!)

Anyway, I'd love to hear (I think) what others think. As I like to say, I am always open to suggestions and mild forms of criticsm!!

Bob

 

[billk]

I assume this was the article where each club member was provided with a little Polar bear and then he used it in a model diner that he placed on his layout, right (if my fading memory serves)? I thought it was a neat idea too.
As far as applying it to The Gauge, I think the way to do it is to come up with a similar item that members could download off this site. (Kinda of eliminates the little bears.) How about inventing a business/industry and coming up with a sign for it? After downloading the sign, one could resize it as needed for his scale and usage.

I agree that the point would be to establish something in common, rather than a contest. But we could have a contest for the best idea for the sign and the best story behind the business/ industry. This would make it open to pretty much everyone, regardless of the state (or existance) of their layout or what kind of camera they have.
Bill K

 

[YakkoWarner]

It's a great idea. The obvious choice is a shipping company.

I propose: FedEx.

Oh, right, that's been used.

"Global Parcels" or somesuch.

 

[Bob Collins]

How about

"Gauge Industries" or "Gauge Manufacturing" or
"Gauge Shipping" or "Gauge ___________"

Bob

 

[Bob Collins]

Or "Gauge Global Enterprises"

If we were to do this in stages as suggested, would you have to participate in the signage design to take part in your intrepretation of an application (build a building or whatever)?

Bob

 

[Bob Collins]

Too many messages from me, but everytime I push the send button I think of something else. For those of you not familiar with how this happens it is a combination of a single track mind and old age

Something that I thought of that really makes me like the sign idea is that you can then use your imagination to apply it. You could do it on a building of any kind, or a special piece of rolling stock. You could also do it as many times as you wish.

Bob

 

[IMRL393]

Hey!

How about a Rock Island car on every road!

Ok, ok - I'll never get THAT one ...

... but what about a "custom" car built for GAUGE members only ???

Athearn and several other makers do this for "clubs" - why not us ???

- George

 

[Bob Collins]

George;

I think it is an excellent idea and maybe an offshoot of what we are talking about here. It would be fun to have such a car or cars. How would you propose to use the funds it would generate? Maybe an ad in MR and/or RMC extolling the virtues of The Gauge, or possibly something special to promote model railroading in general.

But back to the original idea of developing a project with a central theme for a sign board or whatever.

Bob

 

[IMRL393]

Ok -

How about "The Gauge" chain of hotels and/or motels ???
With some distinctive sign ....

- George

 

[rockislandmike]

Yep, I remember. I thought it was pretty kewl too. Considered (and haven't ruled it out yet) making same Polar Bear Club on my layout.

Would definitely consider doing a Gauge one instead. Doesn't even have to be a building though, perhaps a Gauge boxcar???

 

[rockislandmike]

Rock Island cars

As for the Rock Island car . . . done. And considerably more than one.

 

[roryglasgow]

I like the car idea. Gauge Manufacturing... Or, how about something like "Acme Gauge Company." Or perhaps sneak the web address in somewhere (on a car or billboard). It may not be period for some of us to say (www.the-gauge.com), but what the hey?

-Rory

 

[Bob Collins]

All great ideas. But I have a bit of a problem with the car becoming the central focus of the project. I definitely think we should do a car, but what I had in mind here was to be able take advantage of your skills in kitbashing, or just constructing "something" that first showed off your skills and second would carry the central theme of The Gauge. If you wanted to do a car as your entry that's great, but I don't think the creation of a Gauge car ought to be the central idea of this project.

I would suggest that the idea of a sign or logo is an excellent start. When folks who wish to design something have submitted their entries we can all vote a winner and then begin the phase where everyone can use all their brain cells to apply the "sign" to something they would like to have on their railroad. A question I have is: would the winner be commercially made into a decal or whatever so those of us who are not at all skilled in decal making can also have access to it to use on our "creations?"

I think that as an added project someone who is familiar with the process might contact one or more of the companies who might be interested in doing a "club" car for us and see where that might go. I certainly wouldn't want to restrict purchase of the car to members of the Gauge. Maybe we get first shot at it to purchase as many as we want, but I would think you would want to get it recognized on the MR News pages of Model Railroader and whatever the equivilent pages are in RMC.

Bob

 

[Dave Flinn]

Hey, I like the ideas expressed so far, especially the freight car one. As I have no "active" railroad yet, and have not built anything, except to throw together some car kits, I'm not sure just what I would favor in terms of something other than rolling stock; but I will be watching here with interest.

That presents a problem, though. My wife and I are leaving in another week for a month-long trip to New Zealand and I don't know if, when or how I'l be getting on line while away (although I will take a computer and plan to do it as much as possible)

 

[Bob Collins]

Dave;

I'm not sure if your message was meant to let us know you will be out of the loop for a month or to make us drool that you are going to be in New Zealand

I guess I see this whole idea going much as I described in my last note here. Not that I want it to be "my" way, but it seems to be the most logical way for everyone who wants to take part to do so. For instance. I may want to be in on the logo design and do a "building", but not do a car. I will definitely want to purchase a car or cars with the Gauge logo though if the decision is to approach a manufacturer about producing the car commercially.

Bob

If all of you who have comments and the others too arew serious about trying to get something up and running, I think we need to figure out how to get it started. Do we need the permission of the Board of the Gauge? I'm sure we will at some point before we take off plastering logos on everything in sight!!

Bob

 

[Dave Flinn]

Originally posted by Bob Collins
Dave;

I'm not sure if your message was meant to let us know you will be out of the loop for a month or to make us drool that you are going to be in New Zealand

Either or both!

I may want to be in on the logo design and do a "building"

Me, too.

I will definitely want to purchase a car or cars with the Gauge logo though if the decision is to approach a manufacturer about producing the car commercially.

Ditto.

 

[gibbs]

This sounds like a good idea.

The industry/building being modelled could be linked with an appropriate type of rolling stock both using the common logo. (I'm thinking of maybe a brewery Think of the slogans!) As for the "contest" part you could have a separate category for buildings and another for rolling stock.

Just my two cents!

 

[Bob Collins]

Thanks Scott. That is an excellent idea worthy of comment by the others who might be interested in playing our game.

I had thought the idea of a "building" and the car would be tied together by the common logo, but the idea of tying it to an industry also peaks my interest even more.

Comments anyone??

Bob

 

[Drew1125]

A Great Idea!

Definitely count me in Bob!
May I make a suggestion?
I like the idea of using the name "Gauge", but how about we leave everyone free to come up with their own device for using it?
That way, if someone wants to build a stucture, or rolling stock, or maybe just a billboard...I think it would be great to plant the name of our wonderful site here, somewhere on our layouts &/or models!
It would be great fun to see the variety of ways this could be done!
Let's get together on a plan & do it!

 

[Catt]

Ok guys, here's my two cents worth.I go along with the building part.

First we need to decide what the building is used for.

Then we need to design the sign. By comittee?? (shudder)

Rolling stock? Tied in with the building? Seems reasonble.

Reporting marks. TGSX??

More like a quarters worth ain't it?