Not to be negitive but.....

[bfskinner]

Brutus (Jim?F.) said:

I take it from your statement/question that these other forums are on what you think is "full throttle" while you feel that this forum is running slow right now...  So, what do you think is going on bfskinner? 

Jim, I'm not at all certain. Before I joined this forum I had heard that too much of the "business" on this forum was conducted "in camera;" that is, via email rather than by postings, but I have no way to confirm or measure this.

Also, to the best of my knowledge there is no ongoing "Coffee Pot" type of thread on the OGR forum. Here on the CTT forum, a lot of energy is expended daily by 15 or so in-group members chatting back and forth about the war-between-the-states, the weather, and grits. They seem to enjoy it, so more power to them, although to me it often sounds like a morning version of the Waltons saying good-night to the entire clan. One wonders whether they sometimes expend their daily allowance of chatter and have little left for train matters.

I have tried to find out what the relative memberships are on the two major forums. The only numbers I have been able to locate are 43,023 for CTT versus 5,819 for OGR, but I have little confidence in these figures and they may very well be comparing apples to figs. Does anyone know? If there is any truth in them, one would think the CTT forum would out-post the OGR one by a long shot, but it doesn't seem to be happening.

The surfeit of bitter lawsuits and rising prices may be having a chilling effect on the hobby as a whole, but I can't find a reason that it should affect the CTT forum more than OGR.

Finally, there seems to be greater interest in high-end equipment over on the OGR forum. If so, one might expect that to be where "the action" is. Since my personal interest is limited to postwar trains, I quit the OGR forum in favor of this one, but it does seem unusually slow lately.

Perhaps this forum is the victim of its own success. That is, maybe it has already answered so many questions there is little new ground to plow. Some people have suggested that the hobby is dying, and that new blood is not coming in. I don't know whether that is true, but what does seem to be true is that hobby shops seem to be dying right and left.

What I do know for sure is that I have fooled around with toy trains since 1946. As I am now on a fixed income there isn't much spare change with which to buy more trains. In any event, it won't be long before I shuffle off this mortal coil -- or to Buffalo -- whichever comes first, and that means there will soon be one less horse's patoot on this forum.

I sure hope things pick up as we approach the holidays. Other thoughts, anyone?

 

"Panty hose are the work of the devil! So is TMCC."

 

Note: This post has been edited in the light of day 9/15 to correct a couple of spelling errors and to clarify the intended meaning of paragraph three -- the revised text is underlined. Based on some comments below, let me state "for the record" that while I am a long-term resident of Maryland I am a midwesterner at heart. My wife of 44 years is from North Carolina, however, and makes the best grits in the world. In an earlier thread, one of the esteemed members from that area referred to me as an "ignorant person." I can't help but wonder whether this conclusion was reached soley on the basis of my posts on this Forum, or whether that person was one of my students at Duke University where I taught briefly?

 

[rogruth]

I think many read and do not post because of not wantig to sound dumb.Do you remember in school when the teacher ask if there were any questions and you had no idea what the teach had been talking about but would not ask a question becaue you thought everyone would think you were stupid? They didn't get it either but wouldn't let anyone know.

Boy ,thats an awful sentence.

I read on several forums for some time before I got enough nerve to post.A little encouragement from the "regulars" for others to take part may help get more involved. 

[Brutus]

Brutus (Jim F.),

You suggested:

It's the weather, schools starting up, school functions, last minute vacations, and boxes for ducks - it really cuts into the train talk.  Give it a few weeks and it will be back to "Normal"!

Isn't it September 14th on the other forum too? Do they have different weather over there?

(And yes, I did read Joe Hohmann's post. Interesting, but I didn't find it terribly persuasive.)

  Guess you got me there.  I don't go on any other train forums, so I don't know what's going on there.  I do visit a few dvd/movie forums (daily/weekly) and a woodworking/tool forum (not very often right now).  I visited OGR when this forum was offline during the great upgrade and didn't like it or a lot of the folks.  Maybe there is some other reason.  I do notice a cycle here and also on the dvd forums.  I take it from your statement/question that these other forums are on what you think is "full throttle" while you feel that this forum is running slow right now...  So, what do you think is going on bfskinner? 

[ChiefEagles]

Excuse me while I complicate matters and confuse some beginners.  I think it's reasonable to assume that someone who asks a question on the forum, about ZWs or anything else, may be having a problem with setting up, wiring, repairing, and thus enjoying his trains and may actually want somebody to answer him.  If I can help that person, I intend to.

I often skip topics that do not interest me, like which train manufacturer walks on water and which is the Antichrist.  Likewise, those who don't like the "complex technical talk" that results when the answers to technical questions are not so simple are not compelled to read it.

You sure have helped me a lot.  If I don't understand, I say so and he will break it down so I can.  Several other great helpers on electronics are Roy M, Dewey T and John F.  Somemore so excuse me if I missed your names.  Its not "dumb" to say you don't understand.  

[Blueberryhill RR]

Now on the subject of GRITS.  Think that everyone on the froum should have to eat them every morning for breakfast.  

I would derail the Dining Car first..........

[laz 57]

Heck, I remember when I first joined the forum, Bigboy (remeber him?) and I would be the only one on it for days.

Now on the subject of GRITS.  Think that everyone on the froum should have to eat them every morning for breakfast.  

 

  I think Ill pass on the grits

 

I'll eat GRITS again when pigs fly back to the SOUTH.

laz57

[lionelsoni]

Excuse me while I complicate matters and confuse some beginners.  I think it's reasonable to assume that someone who asks a question on the forum, about ZWs or anything else, may be having a problem with setting up, wiring, repairing, and thus enjoying his trains and may actually want somebody to answer him.  If I can help that person, I intend to.

I often skip topics that do not interest me, like which train manufacturer walks on water and which is the Antichrist.  Likewise, those who don't like the "complex technical talk" that results when the answers to technical questions are not so simple are not compelled to read it.

[sir james I]

It seems that there are not as many people posting here  but for those that do..there is more respect for others. WE may not agree, we may not always be right,but you won't find aggressive arguing here. There are a few duels and glove slaps but on a much friendly bases. I read that other forum but I avoid the arguements. Once they start I just step out of the way and let it go.              Sir James

[alexweiihman]

Heck, I remember when I first joined the forum, Bigboy (remeber him?) and I would be the only one on it for days.

Now on the subject of GRITS.  Think that everyone on the froum should have to eat them every morning for breakfast.  

 

  I think Ill pass on the grits

[bfskinner]

jprampolla wrote:

In my opinion, the issue with this forum is that just a few voices dominate most discussions, complicating matters and confusing beginners.  You don't have to be an electrical engineer to set up, wire, repair, and enjoy trains.  Just look at the 2 recent threads about the old ZW.  If I were a beginner, all this complex technical talk would have me running in the opposite direction, perhaps to the other forum. 

Very insightful!

[ChiefEagles]

Heck, I remember when I first joined the forum, Bigboy (remeber him?) and I would be the only one on it for days.

Yes and Buckeye and I fell in here some where.  We all use to post to each other to keep the forum going.  Now we email each other.  Then some had a falling out with OGR management and there was a rush.  That got settled and it was back to the foursome.  Sure is good to all the people here now.   

Now on the subject of GRITS.  Think that everyone on the froum should have to eat them every morning for breakfast.  

[trigtrax]

Maybe it's not the forum, or the weather.. Maybe there just isn't that much to post about..

I could tell you about the new stuff I'm making.. but there's no advertising allowed

[jprampolla]

Hi Folks,      

     In my opinion, the issue with this forum is that just a few voices dominate most discussions, complicating matters and confusing beginners.  You don't have to be an electrical engineer to set up, wire, repair, and enjoy trains.  Just look at the 2 recent threads about the old ZW.  If I were a beginner, all this complex technical talk would have me running in the opposite direction, perhaps to the other forum.      

 Take care, Joe.

[cnw1995]

Here I am doing more than my share of contributing to the forum. . . As Bob says, the forum is regularly advertised in the mag. I think as we've discussed before; there is a significant number of toy train hobbyists who do not partake of forums (forii, forumes?)

[Wes Whitmore]

It will take off again.  Fall is coming up, then Christmas.  It's the 6 months that I get super excited about trains.  It slows in the Spring and summer because I'm doing summer stuff with the family.  I get loaded up with tasks and projects, and no money to spend on trains that time of the year.  Christmas is a different story.  My son Jack is getting loaded up this year!

But if it wasn't for the regulars, there wouldn't be so much for me to get caught up on, so keep postin'!

Wes

[spankybird]

Heck, I remember when I first joined the forum, Bigboy (remeber him?) and I would be the only one on it for days.

[rogruth]

Joe.

What is the "other" three rail forum?

[bfskinner]

Brutus (Jim F.),

You suggested:

It's the weather, schools starting up, school functions, last minute vacations, and boxes for ducks - it really cuts into the train talk.  Give it a few weeks and it will be back to "Normal"!

Isn't it September 14th on the other forum too? Do they have different weather over there?

(And yes, I did read Joe Hohmann's post. Interesting, but I didn't find it terribly persuasive.)

[Bob Keller]

I believe that we do advertise the forum in just about every issue - the Nov issue has the ad on p. 127.

[BMRR]

GRITS.................sounds good to me.

Stan.

 

 

[Dr. John]

Mmmmmm. Grits!

I built a small On30 diorama a couple of years ago with a "Grits Mine," as a joke. I had ore cars filled with grits. I discovered that it didn't take much humidity to make the grits as hard as a rock!

As to the forum, a mention in CTT would seem appropriate (it may be there and I haven't noticed). But I also agree that the forum tends to be seasonal. It is for me! I post much more in the fall and winter than in the spring or summer. 

[Bob Keller]

Grits throwing?

Man, I'm thinking some sort of operating grits loader!!!

Nah, it'd be messier than the postwar coal loader and when those grits dry out, they're almost impossible to remove from whatever they attached themselves to.

Another great idea killed by the dawning light of reality.

[Blueberryhill RR]

We could always have a GRITS throwing contest.

What should we use as a target ????

[Buckeye Riveter]

Newbies ask this same question every year.  Isn't that right Honorable Chief?

[Joe Hohmann]

The "other" 3-Rail "O" forum tends to be slower in the summer as well. In the "cold months" it can have 120+ people on at a given time. In Summer, it's down to about 70 at a given time. Joe

[rtraincollector]

Like the others said let things calm down some everybody is going 3 different direction right now. 

[anjdevil2]

And maybe a lot more head cases....oh, sorry I shouldn't talk about me that way.....

[alexweiihman]

Well I guess it's just the season.  But I think If CTT advertised the forum in the magizine, their would be a lot more traffic.

 

Alex

[sir james I]

Maybe most are doing the HO thing.

[ChiefEagles]

Wait till it turns cold and wet.  Especially snohio in Ohizo.  Gets real busy.