You just might get it!
I didn't campaign for this, but since a forum has been created I'll throw my hat into the ring. Live steaming (or more specifcally Model Engineering) is the reason why I came to be a hobby machinist. It was a means to my desired end. For many years my interest has been British locomotives and stationary steam engines and that's kind of an odd thing for an American boy from the South to be interested in. Stranger interests have happened though, and metal is metal whether the engine be British, American, or Lower Slobovian, they are all made the same way, using the same techniques, with the same tools.
What is the difference between Live Steaming vs. Model Engineering?
Live Steaming tends to be an American term, for building and running steam powered miniature trains and model boats. The steam equipment may range from being bought RTR in its entirety, or built bit by bit by the owner, or from a mixture of bought and made parts. You can be a live steamer no matter where your equipment comes from or who made it. American live steamers tend to be primarily interested in running, and as long as the equipment runs and pulls the appearance and faithfulness to scale is often secondary. The current tendency in US live steam is to build large equipment for 7.5" gauge track for its passenger hauling capacity, however several suppliers offer castings and drawings for what can be built up into not only strong haulers but very fine-scale locomotives where appearence and adherance to scale is not secondary.
Model engineering on the other hand is a British concept which is not limited to trains but which includes the building of operating models from almost any industrial, agricultural, marine, aeronautical, or transportation origin. While models are certainly bought and sold, British model engineers have traditionally endeavored to make everything possible themselves on whatever modest workshop equipment they possess and take some pride in that. There is also a great deal more value placed upon scale and faithfulness to prototype by the British, and it's been said of many builders of "award winning" models they frequently sacrifice the ability to run well (or at all) in order to be faithful to scale, but that notion is incorrect and has been disproven many times in trials and exhibitions.
I have a broad range of steam interests, almost exclusively British, so I consider myself a model engineer rather than a live steamer. There are also "builders and "runners." Some folks derive their enjoyment from building and don't care whether they run very much. Some folks love to run and do whatever gets them on the track quickest and longest. I consider myself to be in the "builder" category but there's a little of both in every live steamer.
In describing what is common to both pursuits and countries nowadays I can say this, in both countries the overall number of live steam hobbyists is on the rise, however on a per capita basis, the number of skilled builders, or those with the desire and patience to become skilled builders, is on the decline. In other words, the increase in the overall number of live steamers does not carry with it a proportional increase in the number of skilled builders. That being said however the complexity, level of workmanship, appearance, and operation achieved in projects by the most skilled builders of both countries has risen to spectacular levels never seen before. In addition the rise in the numbers of unskilled builders, or those without tools, and equipment buyers has made feasible an increase in commercial product offerings and RTR equipment. And costs across the board have risen to new heights.
I have seen glimpses of work fom France, Germany, and Switzerland and it easily holds its own against work from the US or UK, however the person who is arguably acknowldged as the world's most accomplished model engineer is a woman . . . . Mrs. Cherry Hall, MBE, British subject, currently residing in Florida.
So what's my point here . . . well, I guess my point is that live steaming (or model engineering) encompasses more things and more people than just old guys running small trains around on a track and it most certainly encompasses what this board is about. When folks get together to talk live steam, metals and machine work as often as not will occupy as much as half of the conversation.
I didn't campaign for this, but since a forum has been created I'll throw my hat into the ring. Live steaming (or more specifcally Model Engineering) is the reason why I came to be a hobby machinist. It was a means to my desired end. For many years my interest has been British locomotives and stationary steam engines and that's kind of an odd thing for an American boy from the South to be interested in. Stranger interests have happened though, and metal is metal whether the engine be British, American, or Lower Slobovian, they are all made the same way, using the same techniques, with the same tools.
What is the difference between Live Steaming vs. Model Engineering?
Live Steaming tends to be an American term, for building and running steam powered miniature trains and model boats. The steam equipment may range from being bought RTR in its entirety, or built bit by bit by the owner, or from a mixture of bought and made parts. You can be a live steamer no matter where your equipment comes from or who made it. American live steamers tend to be primarily interested in running, and as long as the equipment runs and pulls the appearance and faithfulness to scale is often secondary. The current tendency in US live steam is to build large equipment for 7.5" gauge track for its passenger hauling capacity, however several suppliers offer castings and drawings for what can be built up into not only strong haulers but very fine-scale locomotives where appearence and adherance to scale is not secondary.
Model engineering on the other hand is a British concept which is not limited to trains but which includes the building of operating models from almost any industrial, agricultural, marine, aeronautical, or transportation origin. While models are certainly bought and sold, British model engineers have traditionally endeavored to make everything possible themselves on whatever modest workshop equipment they possess and take some pride in that. There is also a great deal more value placed upon scale and faithfulness to prototype by the British, and it's been said of many builders of "award winning" models they frequently sacrifice the ability to run well (or at all) in order to be faithful to scale, but that notion is incorrect and has been disproven many times in trials and exhibitions.
I have a broad range of steam interests, almost exclusively British, so I consider myself a model engineer rather than a live steamer. There are also "builders and "runners." Some folks derive their enjoyment from building and don't care whether they run very much. Some folks love to run and do whatever gets them on the track quickest and longest. I consider myself to be in the "builder" category but there's a little of both in every live steamer.
In describing what is common to both pursuits and countries nowadays I can say this, in both countries the overall number of live steam hobbyists is on the rise, however on a per capita basis, the number of skilled builders, or those with the desire and patience to become skilled builders, is on the decline. In other words, the increase in the overall number of live steamers does not carry with it a proportional increase in the number of skilled builders. That being said however the complexity, level of workmanship, appearance, and operation achieved in projects by the most skilled builders of both countries has risen to spectacular levels never seen before. In addition the rise in the numbers of unskilled builders, or those without tools, and equipment buyers has made feasible an increase in commercial product offerings and RTR equipment. And costs across the board have risen to new heights.
I have seen glimpses of work fom France, Germany, and Switzerland and it easily holds its own against work from the US or UK, however the person who is arguably acknowldged as the world's most accomplished model engineer is a woman . . . . Mrs. Cherry Hall, MBE, British subject, currently residing in Florida.
So what's my point here . . . well, I guess my point is that live steaming (or model engineering) encompasses more things and more people than just old guys running small trains around on a track and it most certainly encompasses what this board is about. When folks get together to talk live steam, metals and machine work as often as not will occupy as much as half of the conversation.
