Got my CTT today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blueberryhill RR]

I got mine today. I agree with Dr. John on the intrigue of the attic
railroad. Just goes to show that a guy will build a railroad almost
anywhere. He did a good job in the available space.
Chuck

[ChiefEagles]

Mine was waiting on the kitchen island when I got home. Have not had time to look at it. Wish it had come Thursday so I could have carried it on my trip. Long flight from RDU to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Especially when it cloudy most of the way.

[laz 57]

LOVE IT JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER ISSUES.
Keep up uhr good work GIZ.
laz57

[cheapclassics]

To all,

I really enjoyed the new issue. The attic article and the snow articles were really good. I like the reviews as well. As I mentioned in another thread, the product announcement pages had a picture of a Lehigh Valley 400E. The catalog does not do it justice. Wow!! Even though I probably won't ever have one, just knowing they exist is sometimes enough for me.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[prewardude]

Mine showed up today, too. That Lionel showroom layout was very impressive looking! I haven't had time to do a thorough reading of this issue, but it looks interesting.

I see that next month's issue is going to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Standard gauge. I can't wait for that one! [:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Allan Miller

I understand there's an article in there about adding "snow" to holiday layouts. That's one I'll definitely be interested in, and will pick-up a copy at the local B&N as soon as they're in.

What was really great about this article was that 3 ways of doing snow were shown, then the pros and cons of each method was explained. I thought this would be a great format for future "how to" articles.

[Anonymous]

No need, TMCC Man! Wouldn't want to ruin the fun for others who will also enjoy reading that article along with the rest of the magazine. There's still plenty of time before the holidays, and I've always been one who can patiently await the arrival of new reading material. I enjoy browsing the aisles at the bookstore; picking up a favorite magazine or two; and sometimes even buying a new book about railroading or Civil War history.

[tmcc man]

Allan
I will probably read that article soon because i am creating a small village under our tree this year. You want me to tell you about the article?

[Anonymous]

I understand there's an article in there about adding "snow" to holiday layouts. That's one I'll definitely be interested in, and will pick-up a copy at the local B&N as soon as they're in.

[tmcc man]

I just finished the article on Lionel's forgotten '45 layout. I liked the pictures, and it was very realistic looking. The showroom was also very modern looking from looking at the first photo on the first page of the article. My favorite photo is the first one across the two pages. I wish i had enough space for something like that in my house.

[Dr. John]

I thought it was a very good issue. I was intrigued with the attic layout (probably not feasible in the deep south during the summer) and the article on hiding the bases of accessories.

[cnw1995]

Reading, I'm sure it's not Kalmbach's idea -- the more advertising the better - I'm eyeballing it to Dec copies from the last two years and it doesn't loo appreciably thinner. I wonder how they got everything in that attic [:)]

OK, I pulled out last Dec :138 pp.v. this year's 122 - same amount of editorial

[Anonymous]

I doubt that they're going out of their way to make this or any issue thinner (I haven't seen it yet, so don't really have an accurate basis for comparison). My guess, though, is that if this or any other magazine has fewer pages, it's primarily the result of less advertising. Advertising pays the bills in publishing a general circulation magazine, and the overall amount of content is directly linked to the amount of advertising purchased for a given issue--there's a basic formula they follow for this.

Face it, folks, the toy train segment of the hobby--not to mention other segments--is in a bit of a consolidation phase, for a variety of reasons. For example, there's an oversupply of product, coupled with a market that has not grown sufficiently in recent years, or which has become more finnicky and demanding in some cases. This has made it tough on the manufacturers and especially tough on the dealers. Legal difficulties among some manufacturers also have not helped the situation. And lots of folks are simply wary about other things that are going on in our economy, not the least of which is rising fuel prices which will invariably lead to a rise in the cost of everything else (we're already seeing that). This kind of consumer uncertainty (which is on the rise according to the University of Michigan survey of such things) does not bode particularly well for any area of the economy, including hobby pursuits.

But my own feeling is that most of the blame for what is happening in O gauge, in particular, rests with us hobbyists. We gripe and complain about what we see happening (you see that all the time on the various hobby forums), but precious few are really willing to get involved and do anything to really expose more people to the fun and creativity of model railroading--to really get out and sell it as a great leisure-time activity. Most folks would rather place that "burden" on the industry, or let someone else do it. That, in my opinion, is just a recipe for continued decline.

As I see it, this period of retrenchment was somewhat inevitable, and was predictable--and predicted--some years ago. It's really just a somewhat natural and expected part of the evolution of the hobby that could be anticipated--or should have been anticipated--back when the hobby grew at a faster rate than could logically and realistically be maintained. The manufacturers should have seen it coming; the dealers should have seen it coming; and we hobbyists ourselves should have recognized the impending problems and tapered back on our often unrealistic demands for more and more "stuff" at less and less cost. As I've said before: We made our bed; now we must sleep in it.

But this is not a doom-and-gloom forecast for the future of the hobby, and it should not be construed as such. The hobby will go on regardless of what happens in the industry, and no matter how many of today's hobbyists fall by the wayside because their self-centered interests are not being met. There are still plenty of folks who are perfectly content with what they have, or with what is being offered, and there will always be new faces drawn to the hobby by the creative opportunities it offers, by the thrill of having a train around their Christmas tree, and by the long-standing interest in American railroading that transcends time and generations.

[Anonymous]

A little thin, this issue. It is thje December issue too, the one most likely to be seen as the holiday shoppers go to the hobby shops en masse. Wonder why they are making the issue so thin these days?

[tmcc man]

Just got finished reading about the attic layout. It is a pretty nice layout. That would not work for me. The entrance to the attic is located in my parents bedroom. I like the idea of the "hidden rolling stock." I think i lke the track plan on pg 74. it looks like a great layout.

[tmcc man]

I just went to the mail, and CTT is now here. Who else got theirs? Lets keep this topic going so we can discuss the articles.