This forum has a total of 712 posts where the other MR forums have tens of thousands. If an entire forum is to be dedicated it could at least be a major topic of interest that would draw many more modelers. While I think our forums are among the most viewed on the internet the headings are rather broad and arbitrary and really not followed. Example: Many layout buildings posts are asked on the "General Discussion" forum; wiring questions asked on "Layout Building" forum, etc.
More and better defined forum categories would make information easier to find and perhaps avoid so much repetition of the same questions asked my multiple posters in the wrong categories.
Just a suggestion. Not trying to start a flame on anything.
Hmmm, what's your point?
Don't you like the "Where is the MR anniversary boxcar?" forum?
I believe that it fufills a socially redeeming purpose.
Rich
Alton Junction
I look at it as our hosts way of following their rolling 1:1 advertising. If they want to devote a section of the forums to it, that is their priviledge. They are providing us with a great place to discuss, ask questions, make comments, all in the process of learning about model railroading. It's their little "thing", it's fine by me, I've never seen the car (I seldom see a 1:1 train), but I'd be glad to report it if I saw it.
Have fun, (Let them have theirs)
Richard
It is something to keep your eyes open for. Our railfan group was quite pleased when we found it on a siding, and later on a moving train. And in a sense, there is useful prototype information to be gleaned from the travels of a particular car as it travels its home road and then on foreign roads.
Dave Nelson
dknelson It is something to keep your eyes open for. Our railfan group was quite pleased when we found it on a siding, and later on a moving train. And in a sense, there is useful prototype information to be gleaned from the travels of a particular car as it travels its home road and then on foreign roads. Dave Nelson
That said, it would be great if the MR staff were to build an animation showing the cars moving around the country. Ideally, it would be in proportional time, so one could get a sense of the fits and starts of car movement. Fer that matter, don't these cars have some sort of locator thingys on them? Using that info, a fascinating reproduction of car movement could be shown. The info could be time lagged a month or so, so that turrurrists can't do damage.
Ed
7j43k That said, it would be great if the MR staff were to build an animation showing the cars moving around the country. Ideally, it would be in proportional time, so one could get a sense of the fits and starts of car movement.
That said, it would be great if the MR staff were to build an animation showing the cars moving around the country. Ideally, it would be in proportional time, so one could get a sense of the fits and starts of car movement.
It would be interesting but maybe not as interesting as one would imagine. Since its a specially equipped car it spends most of its time in an assigned pool on a few select routes. Up side is it moves more frequently, down side it doesn go as many places.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
In order to drum up business on that forum, since the MR car has been heavily tagged, maybe MR would want to move any discussion of tagging down to that forum. Then they could discuss how "cool" it is that the anniversary heralds are being covered up by tagger's "art".
They should put a GPS type tracker are the cars so they can be followed in real time around the country.
Joe Staten Island West
OK. I guess the title I chose was not the best. I understand the purpose is to track the car as it moves. My lager point as Cedarwoodron also expanded upon was that the forums could be better organized. As a subscriber to the magazine I have a right to express opinions and suggestions on things my subscription dollars go to supporting.
If we designed and built our layouts as haphazardly as the forums sometimes become, we would not have much success. Myself and others have expressed how much better the old search function was for finding already posted information. Have changes been made back in that direction? Not that I can see. If MR wants folks to utilize the forums to the maximum, buy the products they advertise and continue to say good things about them I would think they would be responsive to consumer complaints and suggestions.
AGAIN, I mostly enjoy and feel the forums are good and a great source of information. However, they can and should be improved as customers give constructive criticism and input.
eaglescout, sorry, but I'm not sure that your latest post adds any clarity to your initial post.
Do you want the MR Anniversary Boxcars forum eliminated?
How would you improve the format and content of the MR forums?
Your latest post seems to be running off in several different directions.
I honestly haven't even gone there. I thought the topic was somehow about the plastic HO model railroader collectors box car! I've never been into collector stuff so I just didn't even bother to look! Now I know there is a whole forum dedicated to following a box car around the country.
It does seem to be odd to have a whole section under the model forums that tracks a real box car?!?! Which is why I didn't go in and look, and thought it was a topc about a model! Totally unintuitive and misplaced
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
eaglescoutWhile I think our forums are among the most viewed on the internet the headings are rather broad and arbitrary and really not followed. Example: Many layout buildings posts are asked on the "General Discussion" forum; wiring questions asked on "Layout Building" forum, etc. More and better defined forum categories would make information easier to find and perhaps avoid so much repetition of the same questions asked my multiple posters in the wrong categories.
Heh, the entire MR Anniversery Boxcar forum has 712 posts as of writing, and TomKats' thread - "Yes, MORE! signs for your layout" in "Layouts and Layout Building" forum has 810 posts as of writing.
chutton01 I see your point, but some forums are where questions go to die - for example, most anything in the trains.com forums (the trains.com General Discussion forum there sometimes goes days without a response, and that's the busiest trains.com forum) - I can't figure why those forums could not be merged into either MR or Trains.
I see your point, but some forums are where questions go to die - for example, most anything in the trains.com forums (the trains.com General Discussion forum there sometimes goes days without a response, and that's the busiest trains.com forum) - I can't figure why those forums could not be merged into either MR or Trains.
eaglescout This forum has a total of 712 posts where the other MR forums have tens of thousands. If an entire forum is to be dedicated it could at least be a major topic of interest that would draw many more modelers. While I think our forums are among the most viewed on the internet the headings are rather broad and arbitrary and really not followed. Example: Many layout buildings posts are asked on the "General Discussion" forum; wiring questions asked on "Layout Building" forum, etc. More and better defined forum categories would make information easier to find and perhaps avoid so much repetition of the same questions asked my multiple posters in the wrong categories. Just a suggestion. Not trying to start a flame on anything.
eagle,
Increased partitions of the main 4 categories of the MR forum would increase the need for greater mod activity and policing to keep on top of things. Keeping the categories specific yet broad enough allows for some leeway and crossover between those categories.
As far as folks posting things in the wrong forum, that would still happen - even if you increased the number of categories to make them more specific. That's why there are librarians in libraries and moderators in forums.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I personally think that having many finite categories isn't as useful as one might imagine. The more choices, the more chances to put something in the "wrong" category. For example the question : Which HO scale switch is the most prototypical and electrically reliable? Does it go in HO, track, electrical, prototype or general? A case for any of those categories could be made.The worst is to have a categories for each scale (N, HO, O, S, etc) AND function (design, operations, track, electrical, etc) or to have multiple postings of the same question by the same person in different categories. People might think it would speed things up by weeding out posts you have to sort through, but I think it becomes more time consuming to have to check more categories.
I am more likely to miss an interesting thread because it was pigeon holded in a category I don't normally look at, plus if you divide up the readers into smaller groups you are less likely to find a person who can answer your questions. If a N scaler asks a question on the N scale forum, I might be the only person who posts on the list that has that specific answer. If I only frequent the HO forums because I model in HO, I might never see the question to answer it. One of the primary functions of a forum like this is to help people with questions find people with answers.
I guess the argument can be made either way: too many or not enough forum categories. I do know other forums have less participation but the specific topic is easier to locate. I don't have to sift through 100 posts to find two or three that are of interest to me. Nothing will be perfect but that is not an excuse to try to make it better like bringing back the former search function.
I've always thought that Layouts should have been "Benchwork and Scenery." Layout building always felt...vague.
Being on the left coast, I have wonder about MR car too!