LMS forum

[Hatfield Shed]

There was a remark about the sad demise of the LMS forum. It seems strange that it has no such online facility, or have I missed something? If there really is nothing could it have a section here, and 'wait and see' if any turn up in sufficient numbers: for them to then declare UDI and get going on their own?

[richard]

It is a thought.

I wouldn't be up for adding all the static pages - that is a lot of work. The advertising income from the existing pages help to offset costs but no more.

The original forum was on a free site and using a free Nauru domain, so they were always at the mercy of those. It also didn't have a static site to slowly build traffic. Even with my static pages, these forums were pretty quiet for the first year.


Richard

[kudu]

I'd certainly be interested in such a forum, having tried and failed to join the old LMS forum some years ago. But I would need a new name.

Kudu

[richard]

If I did add the LMS, it would be as a 'folder' under "Railway Chat". You're probably better off keeping the existing user name!

[Hatfield Shed]

If I did add the LMS, it would be as a 'folder' under "Railway Chat"...

Richard,
Thanks for considering the idea. That proposal sounds good to me; might be enough to find a few of their team, get some discussion going among them and bingo! they get an independent forum underway...

[Pyewipe Junction]

My advice would be the steer well clear of incorporating any LMS-related material formally into this forum. This isn't because I have anything against the LMS or its constituents, but because the implications of such a move are unknown. It probably isn't for no reason that the LMS Forum failed. I remember when it was still 'active' (if such a word can ever have really described it), you were bombarded with gratuitous (and often tasteless) advertising and the Forum seemed to be propped up by a few keen members, including one chap who seemed to put an inordinate amount of effort into his researches. By creating an LMS folder you are introducing a Trojan horse into the Forum, which could, conceivably develop into a mini-forum in its own right. Is this what people want?

[kudu]

What I want is a forum like this on LMS matters. Maybe Richard's idea would be a good launchpad, but obviously others would have to take over and establish a separate website if it is to fly. (There must be a railway, or equine, metaphor here.)

Kudu

[Pyewipe Junction]

What I want is a forum like this on LMS matters. Maybe Richard's idea would be a good launchpad, but obviously others would have to take over and establish a separate website if it is to fly. (There must be a railway, or equine, metaphor here.)

Kudu

So do I, but I don't think it's the responsibility of the LNER Encyclopedia Forum to do it. That is the responsibility of LMS enthusiasts. I noticed yesterday that the LMS Forum home/front page still exists, with the latest posts shown as some time in 2007 (ie: when the Forum was set up), but you can't access any of them. Presumably, some keen person could resurrect it. As an aside, it seems that the LNER is the only one of the 'big four 'blessed with an online discussion forum, which surprises me. I would have thought that the GWR at least would have had one. On second thoughts, perhaps that's not so surprising. We're all getting on a bit, aren't we and the number of people with actual experience and/or memories of steam days will be starting to decline increasingly rapidly.

[Quicksilver95]

We're all getting on a bit, aren't we and the number of people with actual experience and/or memories of steam days will be starting to decline increasingly rapidly.

Hang on one second, I'm only 23!! But you're right that there's no memories of steam days to attract me or bias me. I grew interested in the LNER mostly because of the designs of the great man HNG and it went from there. I suppose we may see more of a return to interest in Big-Four or pre-grouping eras when the current bias of "I model BR era because I remember it" passes.

[Hatfield Shed]

So do I, but I don't think it's the responsibility of the LNER Encyclopedia Forum to do it. That is the responsibility of LMS enthusiasts. I noticed yesterday that the LMS Forum home/front page still exists, with the latest posts shown as some time in 2007 (ie: when the Forum was set up), but you can't access any of them. Presumably, some keen person could resurrect it. As an aside, it seems that the LNER is the only one of the 'big four 'blessed with an online discussion forum, which surprises me. I would have thought that the GWR at least would have had one...

There are a couple of good GWR sites, mainly modelling oriented; and for the Southern, SEMG is a great resource. (None of them as good as the LNER Encyclopedia; but there it is, the quality will always out.)

On the responsibility front, I see this as the grit that stimulates the production of a pearl. There full well should be an LMS site, got underway and managed by some suitably knowledgable folk. (Cannot help but feel that had the late David Jenkinson made it into the internet age, an equivalent to this site for LMS matters would be available.)

[lu4472ke]

I definitely think an LMS forum is a good idea, either on here under an LMS folder or a completely new website.