The barcoola Facebook site is an adjunct to the barcoola blog site, it's a way for me to better interact with the followers of the blog and if possible give real time responses. This is not to suggest that there will be less on the blog but there will be additional material, there is the possibility of videos, etc.
The blog site is like a magazine and is fairly one way in communication, like media today it all about the interaction.
I would like the Facebook site to be a source of information and reference that will add to the blog, I am not sure about the indexing on Facebook, at the moment it just seems to be random with the most popular appearing first. However if there is a link on the blog it will ensure that you can click directly on to the link, without have to scroll endlessly through the Facebook group to get what you want.
Other advantages I see is that I can offer exclusive custom models especially for the group. The aim here is to grow a following, and share the passion of my prototype.
If I had to work out what time I spent on models vs return it going to be very low, so it's not a get rich quick scheme.
But if it means that little Barcoola style layout start springing up at exhibitions, or on blogs, yippy. It means I have inspired others and that can only be a good thing.
The hobby is changing, magazines like Model Railroad Hobbyist have come leaps and bounds with blogs attached. The problem is that to find tips and inspiration it's just a lot of time wasting searching.
There is still a big gap between what is available for North American and European modellers, I would like to close that gap.
The availability of detailed models from china have definitely changes the way we model. What this means is that say 15 to 20 years ago, modelling AN was all about scratch building, and a long term dedication to the cause. Now you can get a lot of rolling stock RTR. Thus that need to accomplish scratch building as dramatically reduced. That is not to say it is totally gone. It seems to me that traditional kit type manufacture have found a neish in what the big manufactures won't do. But this also is improving, casting are almost obtaining the quality of very early plastic castings.
The internet has enabled two more types of manufactures to exist.
One
The most obvious is passionate, creative types that have accomplished 3D printing masters that can be available to others simply by doing an order through the applicable website.
Two
The short quantity manufacture, these people do a couple of extras and will sell them on the web, usually you only pick these up by knowing someone who knows someone, these may be casting or even finished 3D printed models.
what this means is that if you are after a model that the big guys are not going to touch, you can finally see the time when you can have more than one of what you are after rather than toiling away on one model, great bang for your modelling time.
Anyway, next steps I have to create a data sources, links etc so that you can get all that you need to build a great Barcoola style model railway. So check out Barcoola Model Railway on facebook, it's just a shell but give me time.
