RPM practitioners have strength in numbers, too, and making model railroading more of a group, shared
activity is a good thing. A bunch of folks modelling prototypes, particularly the same prototype, have a
significant number of interests and things in common. How many folks are modelling the Tehachapi
Loop, or the Union Pacific in the transition era, for example? And doesn’t that give them a lot in
common? But highly freelanced modelers are more likely to be out there on their own, working on a
personal vision with whatever degree of fidelity to prototype they are happy with, and potentially less of
a focus on operations than the average RPM practitioner. That individual vision doesn’t easily foster
group activities because the layout owner has to have a strong and detailed enough vision, and the
passion and communication skills to get others to share the vision, to get and keep a group effort going.
It’s easier to generate excitement for operation over Cajon Pass, for example, than a major grade on a
highly freelanced pike based on the owner’s imagination.
Again, without meaning any insult, RPM is more accessible to more people. It’s easier in a sense. Many
articles on RPM make this very point. With RPM it is a shorter path to actually having fun running trains.
And that is a good thing assuming running trains and operations are the prime objectives. But the
unintended consequences of the rise of RPM are the decline of overtly freelanced modeling, reduction
of the joy of the journey of building a model railroad as we rush to running trains, and depletion of the
resources that support freelancing. I was called a dinosaur more than ten years ago when I walked into
a shop and asked for undecorated equipment. If you want undecorated equipment today (which is
easier to freelance), you better get in on the first run by the manufacturer (if they offer an undecorated
option at all) or you risk spending time stripping paint. Not impossible, but one more obstacle in the
overtly freelancing modeler’s path.
The artistic creativity and imagination necessary for highly freelanced modelling is not encouraged, and
so is not well-developed, in most cultures, including our own. Therefore, it may be less common than it
could be. The emphasis, instead, is on developing skills and abilities which translate into efficiency and
mass-production, which are some of the skills needed in RPM such as researching and the ability to
follow a historical template. Therefore, the creativity necessary for highly freelanced modeling may be
less common than the talents necessary for RPM. This may be aiding the rise of RPM and explain why
RPM is considered “easier” by some.
The example of the present state of photography may be illustrative. The advent of digital photography
and cell phone cameras has opened photography up to many more people. The number of photographs
being taken is increasing exponentially. And the ability to apply quick filters gives many of these images
the patina of originality, creativity and art, which they often lack or are not. Serious photographers are
still out there, but they have to work harder to stand out. However, many more people are participating
in and enjoying photography every day, and the digital tools available now are leading to many different
and beautiful types of images which could not be produced in the dark room. So, while it is easy to
bemoan the changes in photography, as one might bemoan RPM, both are actually good things.
Another analogy with photography is the allure of capturing reality as a goal. Most amateur
photographers are attracted to what they perceive as the amazing ability, and apparent goal, of
photographers to capture unaltered moments in time. News photographers are more like factual
