Trains.com

Readers Deserve Better!

2686 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2010
  • 383 posts
Posted by Billwiz on Sunday, December 29, 2019 8:17 PM

Ummm.  Toy Trains.  None of this is real.  We create our own little worlds with our own three rail trains (except for A.F. S Gauge), we put up our Plasticville houses and trees, we create miniature landscapes.  Some are more realistic than others but in the end, its all fantasy. 

 

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, December 29, 2019 8:14 PM

Now, I did  add a whistle to my 221, when I bought it it was a "whistle-less" version.

No problem, I replaced the tender's rear truck with a post-war truck with pick-up, installed a Williams steam sound package in the tender, and 'voila!  Whistle and bell sounds!  

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • 392 posts
Posted by phrankenstign on Sunday, December 29, 2019 7:46 PM

Penny Trains
Me.

on Mars!   Wink

Truly a history making moment!!!

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: Parma Heights Ohio
  • 3,442 posts
Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, December 29, 2019 6:20 PM

Me.

 

 

 

 

 

on Mars!   Wink

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 49 posts
Posted by tarheeltracks on Sunday, December 29, 2019 5:45 PM

I swear the whistle blew while looking at the picture!! Whistling

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, December 29, 2019 5:02 PM

Did someone add a smoke unit to that 221?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  The smoke in the photo looks like what Lucius Beebe used to call a "Burning of Rome" effect, way beyond what most smoke units are capable of, even MTH's, and some of them could put a yard fogger to shame!  I'm sure it's "prop" smoke.

Mind you, I've had the shell off my 221 just to see if I could  get a smoke unit in there!  I don't see how it can be done, there's just not a lot of room "under the hood" of a 221.  

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Sunday, December 29, 2019 4:38 PM

Flintlock76

 I wonder if maybe some one added smoke to it. I have seen it done with outher engines.

 
lionelsoni

You mean it wasn't fired "to ward off an attack from neighboring Nevada"?  I am shocked--shocked!

 

 

 

If I were him I'd have saved that missile for the Russian paratroopers!  I've been ready for 'em since "Red Dawn!"  

But let me bring everyone's attention to another picture...

On page 13 there's a nice head-on shot of a vintage Lionel 221.  See the smoke coming out of the stack?  Well, the 221 didn't come with a smoke unit, I know, I've got one, so we're looking at prop smoke here.  But you don't hear me complaining about fakeroos, I know dramatic license when I see it.  Without the "smoke" the shot would be dead, just like a shot of a real steamer's dead without smoke.  There's nothing to imply "life" or movement.   

There's more important things to worry about than photos in CTT.  Just enjoy 'em for what they are.

 

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, December 29, 2019 1:18 PM

lionelsoni

You mean it wasn't fired "to ward off an attack from neighboring Nevada"?  I am shocked--shocked!

 

If I were him I'd have saved that missile for the Russian paratroopers!  I've been ready for 'em since "Red Dawn!"  

But let me bring everyone's attention to another picture...

On page 13 there's a nice head-on shot of a vintage Lionel 221.  See the smoke coming out of the stack?  Well, the 221 didn't come with a smoke unit, I know, I've got one, so we're looking at prop smoke here.  But you don't hear me complaining about fakeroos, I know dramatic license when I see it.  Without the "smoke" the shot would be dead, just like a shot of a real steamer's dead without smoke.  There's nothing to imply "life" or movement.   

There's more important things to worry about than photos in CTT.  Just enjoy 'em for what they are.

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • 635 posts
Posted by Nationwidelines on Sunday, December 29, 2019 8:02 AM

CNW Lover

The one post admitted that the shot was staged.  Not taken by a "startled" photographer who remained "calm".   It was set up after the missle was fired the first time so that the photographer could capture the motion.  Why wasn't that information in the photo caption? 

None of us will convince the other that we're right.  So be it.

 

 

 

 

Does not matter if shot was staged or not, your original post labels the missle as "digitally inserted" which is incorrect, and yet you still have not apologized.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Posted by lionelsoni on Saturday, December 28, 2019 4:30 PM

You mean it wasn't fired "to ward off an attack from neighboring Nevada"?  I am shocked--shocked!

Bob Nelson

  • Member since
    May 2019
  • 17 posts
Posted by CNW Lover on Saturday, December 28, 2019 3:38 PM

The one post admitted that the shot was staged.  Not taken by a "startled" photographer who remained "calm".   It was set up after the missle was fired the first time so that the photographer could capture the motion.  Why wasn't that information in the photo caption? 

None of us will convince the other that we're right.  So be it.

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Saturday, December 21, 2019 9:57 AM

lionelsoni

It would be nice if this thread were to end with an apology. 

Yes or maybe at least a Oops - Sign

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Florida
  • 2,238 posts
Posted by traindaddy1 on Friday, December 20, 2019 1:03 PM

Lionelsoni, Northwoods Flyer, Buckeye Riveter, Flintlock76:  Thumbs Up

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 10:21 AM

Well, some threads end that began with the original poster asking for advice on "this or that" and then never responding with a "thank you" to all the replys.

It is what it is. 

By the way, Rogers response should be a clear indication that the CTT staffers DO look in on the Forum.  I kind of wish they were active participants (would make things more fun!) but I'm sure they have more important things to do. 

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Jelloway Creek, OH - Elv. 1100
  • 7,578 posts
Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 6:48 AM

DITTO.

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..

Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR

TCA 09-64284

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Duluth, Minnesota
  • 1,963 posts
Posted by Northwoods Flyer on Monday, December 16, 2019 8:24 PM

Thumbs Up  I agree.  One small step toward civility.

The Northwoods Flyer Collection

of

American Flyer Trains

"The Toy For the Boy"

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Posted by lionelsoni on Monday, December 16, 2019 7:54 PM

It would be nice if this thread were to end with an apology.

Bob Nelson

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: Parma Heights Ohio
  • 3,442 posts
Posted by Penny Trains on Monday, December 16, 2019 6:26 PM

Not that Roger needs any backing up, but here's an unaltered photo I took today showing the motion blur of my Lionel Lone Ranger General:

And that's with a point and shoot DSLR, not a professional grade camera like Steve Crise uses.  Poin t being he could have stopped the blur if he wanted to but opted for a more artistic choice.

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • 199 posts
Posted by Roger Carp on Monday, December 16, 2019 10:01 AM

To CNW Lover and the other Forum Members who have addresssed this issue:

 

I was with Steve Crise to photograph Jack Lantz's S gauge layout. Steve has contributed to CTT and Model Railroader among other magazines for many years. He has worked in the entertainment industry and for prototype railroads. He is, to put it simply, one of the best photographers around when it comes to taking dramatic and exciting pictures of trains of every and any size.

 

When Steve and I were composing the photos at Jack's, we were excited to see the rocket car Jack had coupled to a train. Jack offered to demonstrate the launching, which we all enjoyed. 

 

Steve then asked if I would be interested in a sequence of shots showing the rocket being launched and flying through the air and then hitting its target. I was fascinated and told Steve to go ahead.

 

The image used in Photo Album is one of the four or five shots Steve snapped to capture the sequence. There is nothing added, changed, of manipulated. There is no need to enhance the outstanding images Steve took. We at CTT relate to our readers and contributors with honesty and integrity--and have for more than 30 years.

 

Roger Carp

Senior editor 

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: US
  • 32 posts
Posted by Rescuedtrains on Sunday, December 15, 2019 5:36 PM

Lets not forget one of the largest components of a toy train layout is IMAGINATION. In context the picture looks great to me.

Steve

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, December 15, 2019 12:22 PM

Looks fine to me as well.

Remember, what the "finished product" photograph is going to look like depends on a number of variables such as  shutter speed, f-stop, film stock used, lighting (either ambient or flash) and so forth.  And that's with a traditional camera!  Digital cameras are a whole 'nother animal!

It's not worth worrying about.  

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Posted by lionelsoni on Sunday, December 15, 2019 12:06 PM

The picture looks very plausible to me.

The rocket is blurred, and parts of it, like the ends of the body and the fins, appear transparent because the rocket moved during the camera exposure, causing those parts to obscure whatever was behind them only during part of the time.  The middle of the rocket body however completely blocked the view of anything behind it.  Look at the light on the lamppost, which the rocket body completely obscures, because that cylindrical space was fully occupied by the long moving cylindrical rocket body during the entire exposure.

Bob Nelson

  • Member since
    May 2019
  • 17 posts
Readers Deserve Better!
Posted by CNW Lover on Sunday, December 15, 2019 11:06 AM

To the editors of Classic Toy Trains Magazine:

I realize that, in this digital age, many feel the need to "PhotoShop" their pictures to (supposedly) enhance them.  HOWEVER, to try to pass off an altered photo as the real thing, isn't fair to the readers of Classic Toy Trains!

Case in point...in the January, 2020, issue, there is a picture on page 11 of part of Jack Lantz's S Gauge Layout.  It shows the 25046 rocket launcher car (among other things), but the caption is written to try to fool the reader into believing that the photographer actually snapped the picture of the rocket flying through the air while being "startled", but remaining "calm".   

Come on, who are you editors trying to kid?  Anyone with even the remotest amount of eyesight can see that the rocket in the picture was digitally inserted.  Take a good look for yourself! 

All of the other accessories are totally opaque.  However, the rocket is so transparent that we can see the tan of the Union Station on the left through the red tip of the rocket.  We can also see the wording above the opening for the Frank and Beans refreshment stand through the blue fin of the rocket. 

IF you are going to digitally alter a photo in the magazine, the least you could do is admit it and not write a caption that is filled with bilge water to mask the truth.   

Classic Toy Trains readers deserve better!!

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month