Prototype modeling - how far can you take it?

[nkp_174]

Just out of curiousity, how far do you have to go to become a "rivet counter", and when does it stop being a hobby and become an obsession? :?

I think that being a "rivet counter" is about as well defined as the line between prototype and freelance modeling...an extreme opposite a "toy train" person. Both are insults, but sometimes accepted.

I for one, won't accept a D&RGW anything lettered up for C&S...nor will I accept any of the B-man items lettered up for DSP&P. Same thing with USRA light 4-6-2s lettered up for NKP. Some may call me a rivet counter, but a casual examination of any photo with the models makes it clear that they are not models of those prototypes. For that matter, if I accept a USRA light 4-6-2 for an NKP 4-6-2, why stop there? Why not accept a USRA heavy 4-6-2, or an IHC hudson?
Tiny pic of NKP pacific: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://nkphts.org/store/catpics/2010/nov.jpg">http://nkphts.org/store/catpics/2010/nov.jpg</a><!-- m -->
The same holds for just about any other locomotive you an think of.

The reality is, most modelers prefer better detailed models that are close to their prototype...but they don't like to be reminded of the inaccuracies of their own models/standards. I do care very much about the rivets on my models...as they are part of accurate modeling...but it is nearly impossible to know exactly how many rivets were used on an NKP K-1a pacific (or even some surviving locomotives that have been overhauled)...and so the term "rivet counting" illustrates some of the limitations that exist. I can't tell you how many complaints I've heard about the MMI D&RGW mikes...and most of them are about trivial matters that never would even be noticed on any other class of locomotives.

Modeling is about recreating, in miniature, real railroads...whether following a specific railroad as a prototype (prototype modeling), following no specific railroad (freelance modeling), or some measured following of a real prototype (proto-(free)lance modeling). If I spend an extra week adding working brake, I'm compromising in some other area (time not spent elsewhere). Rivet counting with your own models, or to put it differently, paying attention to details that others never notice, can be a very enjoyable aspect of modeling. To non-railfans, most modelers come across at rivet counters...it is a relative term. I really enjoy adding extra details that no one will notice...for it enriches the experience for me. I suspect that many others feel the same way. On the other hand, I don't care as much about my scenery or trackwork and so they frequently are neglected.

I like the South Park and NKP for the traits that made them what they were. In order to gain the same satisfaction from my models as from the real thing, I have to recreate them. I'm interested in car construction (more so than locomotive construction), and so I enjoy the extra effort in that area. The better I capture both of those roads, the more enjoyment I'll receive from my projects. You may call it rivet counting, you may not, but I call it fun.