What Happened To Tinplate Times?

Good question!  I was wondering about that myself after a recent check of the site.

Come to think of it Jim hasn't posted much either. Hope everything is OK.

It's not just the Tinplate Times. I am the new editor for our club news letter and other than the normal monthly presidents message, and a few regular club status pieces, almost no one contributes. Same for the TTOS Bulletin. They all need articles. For our club, I have a total of one article in the file for future use. Come on guys, help your clubs etc.

Steve

Theres another aspect to the issue you raised on reader generated content in a magazine format as well as on the internet.I imagine that at times, this is a challenge for any editor, who, in effect, is organizing the material submitted by readers, as a conduit for other readers.I think model railroading is fairly unique in this.

Take away product reviews, editorials, tips and you have history on one hand and layouts on the other.

Having said that, tinplate in relation to it's history and those who have knowledge of it... is a comparatively very small pond, and access to reference materials is even smaller.How many people are similar to Greenburg? I have written published essays in magazines and in literary anthologies on another subject. Here's the problem..I don't have anything unique to contribute on this one. I respectfully submit that it is not just a matter of sloth.

Then you have layouts, and my suspicion is that there are far fewer tinplate layouts than other types.If this were not constricting enough the layouts that are passed along to readers are usually worthy of note. IE: You don't see articles about layouts on a ping pong table and I suspect this is the case more so with tinplate layouts. Then there is the "my layout is not good enough" reaction in readers when they compare whats published in relation to their own. I certain Allan could address this far better than I can.

So, these factors could be included in your dilemma as well as in Jims. I could send material on my own but..my layout is a hybrid of the trains being tinplate and the environment being hi-rail ( so I can run tinplate as well as other types). How many folks can relate to that, or, for that matter have done the same thing so it would be of interest? The concept came from Thor who called this "tinscale"

Heres the thing I find interesting..on this type of magazine (here) or at others and that are "photofun " threads. I tried to start one here and it pooped out, but none the less,I see "ping pong types" generated as much enthusiasm in comments as the most elaborate ones.

I think it's a very unique can of worms when you get into it.

One last factor..collections. I always look forward to seeing samples from yours, which seems comparatively extensive. Mine is smaller due to having other interests

and involvements such as railroad preservation.It seems a safe bet most collections are smaller than yours and have fewer unique items worthy of note.

Guys, thanks for asking about Tinplate Times. While it is sometimes difficult to get fresh content as my friend Ron M points out, it's also sometimes tough for me to do everything that I'd like to. My bench is the basement is overflowing with tinplate projects. Trains waiting to be repaired are everywhere. Work on my small but complex layout is never ending. I now have four levels from the floor up nearly to the ceiling. Summers I'm away at the cottage or travelling. As I age time and energy seem to get shorter in supply. Nevertheless, I hope to be able to add some new articles to Tinplate Times this fall. In the meantime, my friend and Tinplate Times partner has set up a Facebook page. Please drop by the page and have a look. 

Thanks for the response

The Ives Train Society recently sent out a plea to members for material for its newsletter - help! we have nothing to put in next month's edition!  

I felt bad - I really wanted to help, but I just don't have anything to contribute that other Ives Society members would be interested in looking at.  I love my motley collection of old Ives, but a bunch of 3241's and 184's in C-6 condition are pretty ho-hum to these guys.  I'm thrilled because I just did my first re-wheel after the wheels on a little 3257 Greyhound crumbled... but that's been done a thousand times by everyone else, even though it was a big deal for me.

And as Kirk pointed out in re. the same plea from the Society, I doubt they're much interested in photos of my MTH Ives repros.

In short, as Bruce says, it's not a question of laziness or not wanting to help.  It's just that most of the time, for most of us, we aren't dealing with highly newsworthy events, or unusual or scarce items that would warrant an article or write-up.

Under the circumstances I'm not sure how to "help your clubs etc.", in this respect, but would be interested in anyone's ideas.

Did the Ives Train Society ever run an article on the Osisek Shops circus train cars, including their reprodutions of Ives circus train cars as well as the Shop's unique original circus train cars?

Bob

Hojack, I wouldn't worry about the Ives readership and having to present a technical paper.  I am a member and I think most of those guys would welcome nearly any story so long as it included Ives trains.  I am considering send in an article or two, and the most technical thing included will be something about what I learned when acquiring an Ives Train.