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[captain bligh]

While shopping other day I walked down the magazine area and I picked up a Hornby magazine (don't know why not into trains . After reading through it I thought to myself my god us model boat boys seem streets behind or is it just me  but think I'll stick to the boats 

[dougal99]

In what way 'streets behind'? DCC has all but taken over but, apart from enhanced control and sound, Model railways seem pretty much as it was to me (and I am into model trains as well as boats).

[captain bligh]

As I said perhaps it was just me But I went on you tube and the DCC sound is amazing and the detailing is quite something on the layouts.l haven't really seen a really detailed harbour at the pool side,was just very impressed with it all really.But I would think a nice layout would be very expensive    but what hobbies ain't 

[Brian60]

Maybe its just UK boating ponds that are lagging behind? Here's a couple from Norway...........

[captain bligh]

Very nice maybe I should make one for our pool  but probably better to finish my boat first 

[Kipper]

I'm sorry to say, but here in the UK a lot of clubs don't own their waters, they sail on ponds & lakes that are open to the general public & vandalism being rather prevalent in the UK, restricts clubs to using only what can be put away each day. 

On our sailing venue, due to it being a council owned nature park, we are not even allowed to leave the buoys out that we use for yacht racing, we have to put them out & take them in every Saturday that we race.

[captain bligh]

Yes the council own our boating pool as you say sad part of life today is vandalism 

[phil_parker]

As a railway modeller who dabbles in boats, I'd say that railway equipment is streets ahead of boats. There is a mass of high quality RTR and the kits are generally easy to assemble and highly detailed. No equivalent of the non-symmetrical hull there!

BUT, this is simply because there are many more railway modellers than boaters. As an example, the 2nd best selling model railway mag sells 5 times as many copies as the second best selling model boat mag.

It's also easier to set up a railway at home. R/C boating needs a pond so you better join a club.

Does that mean railways are better? No. Each hobby is different. I enjoy the greater work required to build a model boat and the fresh air I get when sailing. It's nice to have the choice.

[Peter Fitness]

I'm a bit like Phil. I've been into railway modelling for over 50 years, but I only got into boats about 14 years ago. For me, railway modelling is a solo activity whereas marine modelling is quite social. There is no railway club nearby but our club lake is only 30 minutes away. My layout is analogue, simply because the cost of converting to DCC is quite high - the expense involved in fitting decoders to nearly 40 locos makes my bank manager nervous   I also enjoy boat building and sailing, and hope to continue doing so while I am able.


Peter.

[BrianB6]

Not sure if I agree with you Peter.
There are several Model Railway clubs in Melbourne where members can do lots of different things around the layout besides yakking!
I used to belong to a private group of enthusiasts operating a layout.   It took up to 18 of us to run it properly and there were two groups on different days.   Great fun and companionship.   
Also you don't have to belong to a club to sail a boat. (but it is more fun)

[BrianB6]

P.S.
How many boats are built in club rooms.
I suspect most are built at home by the builder alone.

[captain bligh]

As a railway modeller who dabbles in boats, I'd say that railway equipment is streets ahead of boats. There is a mass of high quality RTR and the kits are generally easy to assemble and highly detailed. No equivalent of the non-symmetrical hull there!

BUT, this is simply because there are many more railway modellers than boaters. As an example, the 2nd best selling model railway mag sells 5 times as many copies as the second best selling model boat mag.

It's also easier to set up a railway at home. R/C boating needs a pond so you better join a club.

Does that mean railways are better? No. Each hobby is different. I enjoy the greater work required to build a model boat and the fresh air I get when sailing. It's nice to have the choice.

The model railway magazine I bought has 161 pages in it for £4.20 a pose to the model boat magazine i subscribe to is £4.90 for 73 page's (if you buy them from the shop monthly). .So dose that mean the model railway following is massively bigger then our boats and they can sale there magazine's cheaper (pile them high sell em cheap so to speak) or is it just down to who produces the magazine? ?

[dougal99]

The Model railway magazine I currently get has approx 150 pages of which about 45% is advertising. From memory this was the case with the model rail magazine I used to get. The model boat mags have considerably less advertising by page count. This is probably due to the number of manufacturers/retailers involved. So for value I think they compare favourably. I also subscribe, as that way the publisher gets a better deal and, hopefully, will produce a better product.

[phil_parker]

The model railway magazine I bought has 161 pages in it for £4.20 a pose to the model boat magazine i subscribe to is £4.90 for 73 page's (if you buy them from the shop monthly). .So dose that mean the model railway following is massively bigger then our boats and they can sale there magazine's cheaper (pile them high sell em cheap so to speak) or is it just down to who produces the magazine? ?

Print runs get cheaper per copy the larger they are, so yes the model railway mags have it easier.

There is also distribution costs to consider. Delivering 10 mags to a shop costs the same as delivering 20. You'll get a better deal from WH Smith & the supermarkets for larger sales (you don't think either takes them for free do you?).

There are far more advertisers in railway modelling and much larger firms too so adverts offset quite dramatically the cover price. The advertising is an attraction to readers too with so many products on offer.

And railway mags pay the writers more than boat mags. Not much, but there is a difference.

Basically, railways is a much bigger hobby than boats. Both are price driven by consumers which means a lot less investment in boat kits. Just compare the quality of whitemetal castings between the two.

[U-33]

I always promised myself that I'd build a model railway when I retired...I've been retired since 2009, and still I haven't got round to it.
I live right at the end of the Cuckoo Line in deepest Sussex, in fact the line used to run within a hundred yards or so of my front door...my late Father was a railway worker for a few years, so I have plenty of photos and stories to go on.

One day soon I will make a start on a small section of the line..one day.

[Peter Fitness]

Not sure if I agree with you Peter.
There are several Model Railway clubs in Melbourne where members can do lots of different things around the layout besides yakking!
I used to belong to a private group of enthusiasts operating a layout.   It took up to 18 of us to run it properly and there were two groups on different days.   Great fun and companionship.   
Also you don't have to belong to a club to sail a boat. (but it is more fun)

What part of my post don't you agree with Brian? I live about 1500 km from Melbourne, a bit far to go to club meetings There used to be a model railroad club near us, but the club rooms were condemned as unsafe and the club seems to have dissolved. I was in Bundaberg a few weeks ago and attended the local railway modellers club open day. They have a magnificent building located on the Bundaberg showground, and seem to be a strong group of enthusiasts, if I lived near there I would certainly join the group. I will continue as a solo railway modeller, and enjoy the social gatherings of our marine modelling club


Peter.

[BrianB6]

Hi Peter, my apologies.
I should have read your post twice 

I took it to infer that you thought that railway modelling was a more solitary pastime than model boats.
Both can be as solitary or 'club' related as one wants.   After all, from other posts, you also run your layout with your family.
As I said in my second post, building boats can be very much a solitary occupation.

[Liverbudgie2]

Print runs get cheaper per copy the larger they are, so yes the model railway mags have it easier.

There is also distribution costs to consider. Delivering 10 mags to a shop costs the same as delivering 20. You'll get a better deal from WH Smith & the supermarkets for larger sales (you don't think either takes them for free do you?).

WH Smith wholesale take 45% of the cover price of all magazines and books sold in their shops and newsagents and probably supermarkets as well. This is why magazines push direct subscriptions so hard as the whole of the cover price goes directly to them.

LB