What's going on on the MR forum?

[vsmith]

Why if there was a problem in the MR forum has the GR forum been locked?

The CCT forum?

Why are the Classic trains forum, this, and the Trains.com forum still up?

Surely the trolling here has been as bad as anywhere else? We've had no real problems like this on the GR forum.

I wonder if the Troll problem is REALLY the issue or if Klambake is pondering dropping or severly revising the forums. Maybe a fee, or revising the registration process to assure only one person can register thru any giving ISP?

If they drop the GR forums, kiss my backside goodbye!

A little feedback from the landlord would be appreciated.....[V]

[Anonymous]

Again with this post you bring up some valid points.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Paul3
Agreed. There are too many free discussion areas to actually pay to talk trains. Besides the Yahoo! groups and other freebies, you also have newsgroups like rec.models.rail and misc.transport.rail.americas (these can be accessed via Google.com if you don't have NNTP access). Sure, the discussion would be more tightly moderated if there was a pay service, but it would also tend to stifle free speech. For an example, I give you Trainorders.com. When they were free, it was a little wild, but very popular discussion forum. Now that it's a pay site, forum postings are way down, and the conversation (at least in the MR section) is pretty bland..

Agreed. As far as free places to talk model trains. MR Forum is not the only show in town. Its just the most well known and the most active one I can find.

QUOTE:
IMHO, beginner's articles are necessary. Not every one who buys an MR has been a model railroader for 10 years or more, and you have to attract new readers and modelers by having easy and introductory articles frequently...IMHO at least one in every issue. Do they evenutally go over the same ground? Yes. I mean, how many times has an article been printed in MR on how to lay track or carve plaster or wire a layout? Probably dozens (each) over the last 60-odd years. Eliminating these "beginners" articles would be a serious mistake, IMHO..

True again, Getting rid of the beginners articles would be a mistake. But the way they have redone them seems stale. Like no new twist could be thought up. Compare the "ABC's of Model Railroading" series with its immediate Follow up "Basic Model Railroaidng" Both are very good Series (And both have been reprinted in book form so it is very easy to compare) And you get a totally different style. Working on the Railroad, and Step By Step are written in completly the same style as Basic Model Railroading. Surely the talented staff at Kalmbach could have put a fre***wist on it?

QUOTE:
Tthe problem with RMC is that while they have a very clear focus on what they want to publish, they are outsold by MR by something like 4 to 1. Clearly, if RMC was what the people wanted, they would be the Number 1 magazine. They aren't, not even close. So why should MR try to be RMC? If MR became a "Craftsman" magazine like RMC, they'd soon have the same readership as RMC...and no magazine is going to willingly cut it's own throat like that..

Quite True, but Model Railroader doesn't have to become RMC. They need to find a direction. Terry Thompson has been editor for like 4 years now. And his issiues seem to have gotten mushy. The issiues under his tenure have become schitsophrenic (SP?) and all over the board. Every issiue it seems that I have from when Andy Sperandeo was edditor seems to habe been read to pieces. When Andy was editor, I would read and reread the thing for two weeks. Terry's issiues have become saturday afternoon fare read in two hours and wonder whats gonna be in next months issiue. I am not saying that Terry needs to morph into Andy, or that Andy needs to return, I just want Terry to find a focus as to what the magazine should be and stick to it. And he doesn't have to morph it into RMC iether.

QUOTE:
Ha! Have you picked up those other magazines??? Take Action Pursuit Games (a paintballer magazine). Back when I was playing, they showed what all the top players were using...AutoMags, Angels, etc., plus all the gear like nitrous systems, etc. These cost a fortune to outfit for top of the line equipment. Model Railroader is no different. No magazine is going to show the bottom of the economic scale as the "state of the art". It doesn't sell. An remember, MR and RMC aren't publishing magazines for the good of the hobby. They are trying to make as much money as possible..

No I have not picked up those other magazines. One I do not have the time, and two Im not really interested in paint ball. My private armory of firearms is quite adaquate eneugh. Hopefully I will have no cause to play an "Action Pursuit Game" with them. As for state of the art. That is fine and dandy and should be done. But can't they do it in a way that doesn't show off the fact that these layouts are sitting under $500,000 dollar homes. And thats just what they would cost in Wyoming. Probably $2 Million in a place like California.

QUOTE:
Not to me. It comes off as "this is what you could have if you work hard enough on improving your skills", just like it did when I was 15 years old. But to each their own..

And that there illistrates the paradox that Model Railroading has worked itself into. What skills to improve upon. There was a post about a year ago if a gentlemen complaining of a clicking noise coming from his locomotive. Been that way out of the box, which caused me to think that there was flash in the drive train. (I believe it was a P2K GP9) So I told him how to disasemble it look for the flash and put it back together. And the Response was, oh well thats to hard. I will go pay the repair man. And I bet the repair man was some Retired 70 year old guy which statistics say he might not be around for very much longer.) So there will probably be lots of fancy glitsy model railroads being built. Their owners will be in MR. And they would have simply paid to have it all done for them. So we are back to "SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE MORE MONEY THAN GOD!"

Then when all the guys that know how to repair and make the stuff because they read MR during Andy's tenurship as editor die off. Then even this Model train running hobby will die and being of the last generation that will probably model railroad. When I am 60 years old or so, I can get my repair parts cheap. Probably be a lot of scrapped BLI locomotives in the workbench though. making stuff out of brass sheet like the good old days.

QUOTE: The main problem is that there just isn't that much interest by model railroaders in custom painting anything, really. So what would be the point, economically? Take a look at the model railroad shows in your area, and I bet you can't find any custom painters anymore. 15 years ago, it was possible to see multiple custom painters. Now? A rare thing to find. The reason for that is that the manufacturers are painting all the items in the correct schemes for you, and only the best custom painters can match a factory job. The beginning of the end was when brass started coming in factory paint. After that, it was only a matter of time..

Unfortunatly I live in Wyoming. Wyoming is the model railroad wasteland. There are no model railroad shows in my area. For a model railroad show I have to go to Salt Lake City or Denver. And with today's gas prices that probably isn't going to happen unless the 4 other model railroaders in this town want to go to. And that is highly doubtful. 3 of them are in their 70s. And the one other that isn't retired is in his mid 40s. If we go county wide there are probably close to 15 model railroaders total. Again most of them in their 70s. So chances are there will be a day when I am the last model railroader in Wyoming. Maybe my brother Justin will take it up again. (Chances are good that he will, Model building is something he enjoys) But between college, trying to sort out whats going on with girlfriends (He has two competing for his affections) And then Having to hold down a job on top of that. No time for models. As for the Market for custom painted stuff. You may be right. But we are paying out the noze for it too. Unfortunatly while they have been increacing the accuracy of their paint schemes, they have been cutting undecorated as a roadname option. Given the Era I model and the Railroad I model, I really need undecorated models. Because The paint shceme I need isn't produced that often. Intermountain makes F Units in Big Sky Blue. And Athearn Released an AB set. Atlas did their Latest run of GP-7s in GN BSB, and Stewart just released U25Bs in BSB. But for BSB right now thats all thats available. I can probably scrounge and find some older Atlas U33Cs as they made those in BSB as well. But that is what we are looking at for availability. Athearn stopped making the F-45 and FP45. So It looks like I will have to get the quite common AHM FP-45 and chop it down. No SD45s are produced in Big Sky Blue. GP 30s GP35s SD 7s and SD9S also no Big Sky Blue. At least Bachmann released their GP30 and 35 Models at a decent price with a good drive. And Optionally DCC equiped as well. But again, no undecorated. Time to pull out the old paint stripper.

James

[Anonymous]

Whoa, is it just me, or was this moved from the TRAINS Magazine forum?

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by uspscsx

Whoa, is it just me, or was this moved from the TRAINS Magazine forum?

No, It's not just you. Maybe they didn't want the "likes" of model railroaders on "their"
forum. You know what they say..."there goes the neighborhood"[:D] Dave

[Anonymous]

This kind of thing happened at a forum I visit regularly. The mods cleaned it up and it was back up within 2 days. But still, it's disturbing.

[AggroJones]

Do you think it was thats Troll that cause the total lock down or was there some other system problem? How can one FOOL have that much effect?

[Anonymous]

I haven't heard form Bergie (who doesn't work round the cloack or weekends), but it sounds like the one fool got some friends and it was one big brawl friday afternoon. So it was shut down to replace the damaged furntiure and glass, hopefully things will be back on track (pun intended) when Bergie gets back on Monday or Tuesday.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

I haven't heard form Bergie (who doesn't work round the cloack or weekends), but it sounds like the one fool got some friends and it was one big brawl friday afternoon. So it was shut down to replace the damaged furntiure and glass, hopefully things will be back on track (pun intended) when Bergie gets back on Monday or Tuesday.

Let's hope he's not going on vacation this week![:0]

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

QUOTE: Originally posted by uspscsx

Whoa, is it just me, or was this moved from the TRAINS Magazine forum?

No, It's not just you. Maybe they didn't want the "likes" of model railroaders on "their"
forum. You know what they say..."there goes the neighborhood"[:D] Dave

I was wondering, as I thought that I posted it on the trains forum. It was just the first place I went after the lockdown.
Matthew

[pedromorgan]

i wonder if it would be possible for us to have to pay a tokan sum of say $1/£1. maybe the simple act of having to pay to use the forum would put off the trolls whilst the people who use the forum for its intended purpous would have no problem with paying such a tokan sum.
i think that would be better than having to pay a propper fee which would almost certainatly kill the forum outright.

what do you think?

Peter

[Anonymous]

Peter,

I wonder how many of us subscribe to any magazines, I subscribe to both Model Railroader and Trains, and perhaps all that is needed is proof of your subscription. I don't think however you should be limited to just the magazines you subscribe to I like all sections of the forum. I think you would loose a lot of people by charging just on the principle of charging money; some might not because of the hassle. Another idea is to have different status levels like people who subscribe or pay a small fee get the right to post anytime, but those that don't are restricted slightly, maybe needing to get a post approved by a commentator before posting.

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainboyH16-44

QUOTE: Originally posted by dthurman

I think they are still getting flooded by the trolls from last night. Let's just say they posted some rather nasty things in regard to model railroading.

I guess this means more actual model train time, and learn some more about the real thing. Be patient Matthew, everything happens for a reason. Have faith [tup]

But I'm at school!
Guess I'll get back to working on that track plan for ereimer.
Matthew

don't work too hard on it Matt , re-surveying of the space available has shown a fatal flaw .... i can't stand up in the middle of the room due to heating ducts . [:(] my current thought is to do a 2 x 8 version of the gumstump and snowshoe plan and us it as a branchline sometime in the future . of course other folks might be interested in what you come up with for my small space

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

He'll be back. With another username.
Allan.

i wonder if these forums can do IP locking . that usually gets rid of trolls . it's possible to get around IP locking but most trolls either aren't smart enough or motivated enough to bother

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

QUOTE: Originally posted by uspscsx
I do wish we'd get an explaination from one of the Mod's or Admin's about what really is going on.

We did get an explanation ...

Basically, it said: "This forum has been badly hosed and we need to clean up the mess. Don't be surprised if the forum gets locked, etc."

Shortly after that, the forum was locked.

I think they're trying to figure out what they are going to do, since the trolls posted garbage all over the place. They don't want to crawl through every thread looking for troll debris, for obvious reasons. You can just delete all the threads and start over, but then there's the future of the forum.

At times like this, you get the soul-searching question that since the forum is free anyway and your good graces are being abused, maybe it's just not worth the hassle?

I don't envy their position right now, but I hope they decide that with some changes to tighten security, the forum will continue.

it's pretty easy to trace all the posts by a user , however it is a lot of work and i'd be sad but not surprised if Bergie decided to nuke all our old messages rather than trace down every post from these goofs .

on one of the everquest forums i used to frequent there was one guy who made it his mission to hunt down and destroy trolls . he'd use various techniques to trace the troll and either hound the tech support people at his ISP or take other more drastic measures , end result was the trolls ended up having to find a new ISP , some probably also had some hard explaining to do to their parents as to why their internet account had been cancelled [:D] kind of wi***hat guy was a model railroader [}:)]

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainboyH16-44

Funny story,
Today I finally got internet at home! (YAY!) And now my favorite place to spend internet time is locked! Good luck to Bergie on fixing it up quick.
Matthew, finally at home

is your luck always this good ? [:D]