We don’t get no respect do we Rodney?

[Chaparral]

That berns my c’booze !

We MRRs spend a whack of money on our mini empires!

We lead the pack in the pursuit of precise (aka rivet-counting) detailing of locos, stock
and all manner and type of rail road associated stuff !

How come real rail roads don’t recognize ‘The World’s Greatest Hobby’ and unload
some tax deductible dollars into our non profit hobby societies?

Maybe sponsor something.

A couple bucks in a pot from each of them would support MRR sites like this.
I’m pretty sure a couple rail road MBAs could be trusted to manage it.

 

[Gil Finn]

Oddly my real name is Rodney and I totaly agree with you.

It's hard being me I tell 'ya!

 

[bigsteel]

if there were sponsorships for model railroading,th EVERYBODY would do it,and take ll the fun out of it!but could you imagine how weird it would look with all the rolling stock with sponsors on it! it would look like a nascar race!--josh

 

[Chaparral]

That’s not what I meant.
Why can’t the RRs sponsor sites like The Gauge and the others?
Why not sponsor national regional and local kitbashing, scratchbuilding or layout design contests, etc., etc.?
How about dropping a caboose on the world’s largest retailer’s lot for a club layout?

I'm too much of a romantic and dreamer I guess.

 

[Renovo PPR]

I'm not even sure I see a slight connection. What financial interest would any RR Company have in helping out a model rail road club or web site? If any thing they should charge or be able to recover a fee for every logo we freely use.

I'm sorry if I just don't see the connection.

 

[Chaparral]

every logo we freely use

Got any Harley T shirts, Coke coasters, Chevy desk pens?
Logos are ‘freely’ advertised in our homes on our backs and at work.
We should be charging them !!

 

[Ralph]

I wonder if there have been any cases of railroads donating builings for model railroad clubs; former station buildings, etc?
Ralph

 

[bigsteel]

OK,i see what your sayin now.a RR sponsoring a club.well i don't see that happening with CSX since i heard a lot of bad treatment in there.as for others i m not sure.there was a local RR here in OH that ran through sharonville which now has the depot and one of the cabooses as a piece of history.and i also though RR charge model company's for using there name? like when a company sells Chessie stuff you see "CSX licensed product" at the bottom of the page.same for UP's with the roads they acquired.--josh

 

[Triplex]

and i also though RR charge model company's for using there name? like when a company sells Chessie stuff you see "CSX licensed product" at the bottom of the page.same for UP's with the roads they acquired.

After a lawsuit by (IIRC) MTH, UP stopped charging licensing fees. CSX still does.

It wasn't always this way. Many modellers have nostalgia for the days when Santa Fe paid Lionel to model their eqipment.

 

[bigsteel]

i heard about that lawsuit but nevr heard the result.so i guess CSX is just waiting for a lawsuit of there own.--josh

 

[N Gauger]

3 words.... R O I (roy) Return Of Investment.....

In the 60's, this was a decent thing to do... Now?? It's TOO Expensive!!!!

Any and all businesses spend their money with one thing in mind.... ROI, what will any "dollar" I spend, make for the company??? -- A.K.A. "The Bottom Line"

If any web site had so many members that a company would decide it could make a profit from the site itself, they would more than likely contribute... until then -- we're on our own....

 

[IAIS 604]

The RRs have to justify any such expenditures to their stockholders - maybe we are lucky that the UP keeps their steamers going for railfans !!!