What Kills Rallies?

[Triton]

Originally Posted by BUNGLE

Is that with wet film, or digital ????

Hi Bruce, very droll................. probably digital as my wife gave me a new digital camera for my 60th birthday earlier this year and to be honest, it is a panasonic which is no bigger than a fag packet and it has a 14MP sensor and I am getting some really cracking photos from it. My 1971 Praktica LTL is on it's last legs. The frame counter has just packed up and the shutter has become very noisy and when you depress the shutter release it feels like the shutter is going to come through the base of the camera. I think that this one will soon become a static exhibit.

[C.M.FANCE]

Can there really be any excuse for owners not providing information, if only for the commentator, or for the rally organizers only producing a one page programme which merely gives maker, owner, type and date?

[1882]

As much as it loathes me to agree with him, Bob the convertions officer is right for once, if we are not having fun then we are not going to make the punters as happy as we could, I took Fossy to a tiny little do at Moira furnace last weekend, the atmosphere was superb, no irritating or bossy organisers, no silly rules just a nice relaxed do.

I'm sure that this was the reason why all the engines owners seemed to communicate more with the public.

[sparkright]

Chris I agree 100%. We have been called antisocial and miserable because we don't go to many rallies with the engines! Well perhaps we are just picky. We try and do one "big" rally a year but plenty of smaller events or working demos which are loads of fun.

I too have done an information board this year and it has gone down a treat, often striking up conversations from people after they have had a read through.

[Timothy Hackworth Jr]

Increasingly it is about telling stories and explaining what and why. I've said before that I have to switch off at certain rallies where there is no programme, no movement, engines lumped together and fathers saying to their children "look at that train, it's called Louise".

The info sheet/board/display when well done is a big step in the right direction, I have one for the wee Wallis and it does make people stop and look.

Education and entertainment are where it's at.

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Oh dear. I'll be at a train event next weekend.

Watching them start the Dorman 4JO's should be fun. I noticed when last at Boston lodge (where I bumped into Mr Daniels) that standard practice there was to light a steamer. Then when i had enough puff they bump started the infernal combustion thing. Ha ha

[Timothy Hackworth Jr]

I'll see you there - we are going mob handed on the Friday. As for bump starting, we've done it on the TR with Ruston No.5 being shoved down the yard by Talyllyn No.1

[frequentflyer]

Mostly people find it easier to sit behind a computer and moan about rallies here or on soicial media or write squit in the rear end of some of the better publications than get on with things either running rallies or clubs. There was a time when people just leaned into things a bit.

[4040]

Originally Posted by frequentflyer

Mostly people find it easier to sit behind a computer and moan about rallies here or on soicial media or write squit in the rear end of some of the better publications than get on with things either running rallies or clubs. There was a time when people just leaned into things a bit.

I have the misfortune to know a few of these type of people, i call them 'The keyboard warriors' The funniest thing is that in the real world there isn't one of them that would say boo to a goose

It's a shame they don't put some real world effort in to help out, they might actually find they enjoy it

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by M4tty69

From a public point of view I have found that very few owners, both full size or miniature, seem willing to chat about their engines, most people I tried to talk to about their engine and the show and the scene in general just seemd annoyed at the fact I was bothering them ...........

I know what you mean ........

.....but as a relative newcomer to miniature traction scene, compared to the tracked option, I am happy to say I'm one of the chatty ones, I do wonder if I bore the hind legs off folks sometimes

I've only really done one small rally so far and that was, what I thought, going to be a total failure due to my own stupidity which meant I was unable to be in steam over the whole weekend however it did mean as the engine was stone cold it meant folks could get hands on with it and I encouraged folks to turn, push, pull and fiddle with bits as it was safe to do so, this meant I had my hands full most of the weekend showing folks around it, so all was not lost and I really enjoyed it and I think they did too.
Although a lot of caution has to be explained to the younger folks (and sometimes the older ones too) that you cant touch one's in steam.