The Model Railway Village

I'm not one for the social side of model railways. I follow a few blogs, and I see a few individuals I say hello to at shows. I've never been in a club, though that is about to change, and although I'm in societies, it is purely for knowledge and access to products.

I do engage with some Facebook groups linked to model and miniature railways. Most are very good, and nice places to spend some time. There is the occasional person who lets a nasty mix of far right politics, prejudice and conspiracy theories intrude, but they are easily blocked.

But many of you will be aware that in the last week the YouTube aspect of model railways has got poisonous.

Now, I'm several steps removed from it. With one exception, I don't know any of the people involved. But at the same time I've noticed an increase in a certain kind of SocMed comment.

I try to be honest about my skill level, that my aspirations don't always match my capabilities, but i admire those who can achieve incredible results.

But there seem to be a bunch of people out there who not only don't aspire to much beyond playing trains, but actively and vocally denigrate those who do. Any sensible advice or information about real railways is attacked, The mythical Rule One is constantly invoked, but it only seems to apply to them, not to others,. Sadly this seems to be happening most often in groups aimed at beginners. People have begun to delete pictures of their work and posts asking legitimate questions because of the nasty comments they receive.

It is as if some people want to keep everybody at their level, perhaps so their own shortcomings can be presented as strengths, and all this comes with a whiff of that toxic mix I mentioned earlier. 

It isn't healthy, and it isn't good for the hobby. Yes, it is just a hobby, and why should we care what other people think? Because it harms people, with real world consequences.