Why does diesel dominate on here ?

[dodger112958]

As a young child I was lucky enough to travel behind steam on days to the seaside. Hull to Withernsea and Hull to Hornsea. Sadly those lines went under Beeching, but DMU's had taken over by then. I did all my railway journeys up and down the East Coast Mainline in the 60's and 70's behind big growling Deltics, can still hear and smell them, a vision of total power so I love them as well. Not ridden on the railway since then so can't speak of modern stuff though often see EWS livery freight and find them impressive.  I would happily model any era I suppose.

[Skyline2uk]

At 28 its not just case of not growing up with them, its a case of not being born within about 20 years of Steam Loco's being in service in the UK.

I can't quite remember when I knew I preferred Diesels, but it must have been young as I was more excited when I got to ride on a train powered by an 08 at the "Great Cockrow Railway" than the many steam engines. If I go back even further I used to look forward to episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine that had "Diesel" in them (hold on a tick, there is a Gronk theme here... )

May just have been that I didn't ever see steam being used. Now, like others on here, with me being a fan of fast noisy things (cars, jets, HSTs) my taste in ingrained and unlikely to change.

That's not to say I actively dislike steam (though the steam fleet on the SNBR seem to dislike me, burning me and / or acting up when I am near  ).

I have huge respect for Scotsman/A3's, Mallard/A4s and Castles, but they were always exotic specials that were being pampered and preened in my lifetime (I suppose they have earned a nice retirement) .

Maybe I just like the "dirty" Diesels (especially freight types) earning a living, grafting away.

Skyline2uk

[bluedepot]

another why of looking at it is why can't diesel dominate here?

of course I don't want any form of traction to dominate over any other... and people can make posts about whatever they like.

i wasn't born when steam finished on british rail. therefore it's pretty obvious why i prefer to model diesel as this is all i can remember.

i do like steam and electric, and i take an interest in them both, but i prefer diesels.

in a few decades time i suspect that the vast majority of modellers will be diesel or electric as those who remember steam in everyday operation will be deceased. of course some will still model preserved steam or just model an era they don't personally remember, but i should think this will be a minority.


tim

[Dorsetmike]

I think it's what we grew up with that is probably the main influence; I was trainspotting in the mid to late 1940s, there were a few diesel shunters on the SR and LMS but we never saw them in Dorset in those days. What supports that influence theory is that probably 90% or more of my "spotting" was in East Dorset, ex LSWR territory with some LMS via the Somerset and Dorset, and that's what you will find on my layout or in my stock box.

I'm still waiting for my S&D 7F in N.... 

Bought my 7F kit on Saturday at TINGS, Lytchett Manor Models now own GEM and Fleetline and are reintroducing those ranges, I also got the SR Z class 0-8-0T, found I'm nearly out of 70º solder so I'm off to Ebay to find some.

[OwL]

Another way to look at it is this, Music:

In the 1960's the Beatles and the rolling stones were popular+mainstream.
In the 1970's Dave Bowie, the Sex pistols and ABBA were popular+mainstream.
In the 1980's Prince, Duran Duran,INXS,Madness were popular+mainstream.
In the 1990's Spice Girls, Blur, Oasis, Nirvana, U2 were popular+mainstream.
In the 2000's Eminem, Britney Spears, Westlife, were popular+mainstream.
In the 2010+ era, Katy Perry,lady GaGa,Bruno Mars are very popular.

My point is that model railways are the same. People will model what is trendy and popular now more so. Much like what we listen to now. However like the Beatles, Bowie, Duran Duran, Blur and Britney Spears we still play stuff from the near past with great fondness and admiration just the same as we run A3's, Deltics, Blue 25's and RfD Class 47's from the near past, just not as much as we did............

[4x2]

I think it's what we grew up with that is probably the main influence; I was trainspotting in the mid to late 1940s, there were a few diesel shunters on the SR and LMS but we never saw them in Dorset in those days. What supports that influence theory is that probably 90% or more of my "spotting" was in East Dorset, ex LSWR territory with some LMS via the Somerset and Dorset, and that's what you will find on my layout or in my stock box.

I'm still waiting for my S&D 7F in N.... 

Bought my 7F kit on Saturday at TINGS, Lytchett Manor Models now own GEM and Fleetline and are reintroducing those ranges, I also got the SR Z class 0-8-0T, found I'm nearly out of 70º solder so I'm off to Ebay to find some.

I have a shrine which is a Farish box with a photo of 7F No 88 taped to it... 
I live in hope that one day Mr farish will make my beloved 7F - A kit will just simply won't do...

[Cooper]

I like just about anything that runs on two rails and have modelled BR in steam in O gauge for twenty years. Starting in N allowed me to model something completely different and as it involved my son we started off modelling the current scene he saw out in the world.

As he's become more interested his tastes have gone back twenty years. Still interested in diesels, just louder ones (and when there was more variety), but not exactly derived from his experience, other than at the odd diesel gala. Having said that, I never saw BR steam, having been born the month it left the scene, although my Dad indoctrinated me well!

I personally feel that N gauge models favour diesels, as they generally look more realistic than the steam models. I think it's because the valve gear lacks the 'heft' in this scale, although there are some exquisite models that come close these days! Diesels don't have this difficulty and look 'right' more easily.

I think these are the reasons we personally ended up modelling Diesels in N.

[Norfolkrover]

Apologies H my non complimentary remark re diesels was for sake of brevity but i also live next to the north norfolk railway and the general public do seem turned on by steam and seem dissapointed when diesels are used.I said TINGS was predominatley diesel because the high value stands for the conniseur eg mercig studio and CJM models were all diesel.No steam to be seen. I agree I lack appreciation and understanding of diesels but I do think Most ordinary people share my views.

[PostModN66]

A point here...

NorfolkRover is quite possibly right that ordinary people prefer to see steam, as it is different to what they see every day on current railways (the same with most tourist-oriented attractions, usually historical, such as stately homes and preserved mills).  I wonder what proportion of attendees at shows are ordinary people vs. modellers, and to what extent should shows aim to satisfy each group.

Cheers   Jon   

[H]

i also live next to the north norfolk railway and the general public do seem turned on by steam and seem dissapointed when diesels are used. . . . (snip) . . . . I agree I lack appreciation and understanding of diesels but I do think Most ordinary people share my views.

People generally go to 'heritage' and 'preserved' railways to see steam locos - it just about the only place you can see them - so they're bound to be a little upset when they break down and are replaced with other traction types. If you want to see diesels and modern trains then you don't need to go to such places and can see them on the 'real' network. That means that 'most' people at those preserved lines will be 'steam' enthusiasts and I don't think you can then extrapolate that as holding true for the rest of the population.

Preserved lines do also hold diesel galas for heritage diesels and at those time the lines are thronging with diesel enthusiasts - not kettle only fan to be seen. So should I then assume that most people prefer diesels because those type of people are all that have turned up and are all that can be seen at those events. Obviously not and therefore obviously not for seeing lots of people at steam events on preserved lines to assume most people prefer steam.

However, I can understand a large percentage of the population liking to reminisce and remember how things once were and longing for a simpler, easier life that they believe it once was. Steam is obviously part of that fanciful and idyllic past, but if you put steam locos on public services today they'd soon get fed up with the slow service, frequent breakdowns, and dirty smoke and smuts on their clothes - especially when they just want to get to work quickly, comfortably and cleanly.

Steam is nice in small doses such as at events on preserved lines - that why people go to them - but you do have to get back to the current real world (and sometimes that is also nice).

H.

[EtchedPixels]

Even in heritage you see the pattern (and quite intentionally). The percentage of coaches in GWR, C&C and Maroon liveries changes and its a clear pattern as to what is going on.

I do remember BR steam, but only because I was a student at Aberystwyth just before the witch made them sell off the VoR.

Alan

[H]

I do remember BR steam,

I remember it quite well. I recall once, as a child, being lifted up on to the footplate of a kettle that had stopped at a station and the abiding memory was how hot, dirty, noisy and unpleasant it was. I preferred modern swish things and found electrics quiet, clean and fast by comparison - and to me the sliding doors and smooth profile design of the underground trains were the future (and before the sliding doors on Star Trek were seen).

H.

[Lawrence]

I look at it slightly differently (yeah, no surprises I know  ) but purely from a modelling perspective if you run a steamer through an even moderately complex set of points there is a fair chance that the pilot wheels, front bogie, call it what you will, will bounce all over resulting in a derailment, run a diesel through the same bit of track and it just keeps going, or maybe that is just my track laying.  Either that or you stick to running 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 kettles 

Apart from that there is nothing (for me) that appeals as much as those sleek 50's US diesels 

[Dorsetmike]

If you insist on referring to Steam locos as Kettles, then I will respond with diseasels, there are also multi coloured toothpaste tubes or caterpillars crawling around the tracks of Notwork Fail.

[4x2]

If you insist on referring to Steam locos as Kettles, then I will respond with diseasels, there are also multi coloured toothpaste tubes or caterpillars crawling around the tracks of Notwork Fail.

Coughs and Sneezzels spread diseasels !

Classic Thomas the Tank !