Misleading Magazine Title

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxt30

It's not uncommon for a lot of our fellow O-gauge guys to mention how they get magazines like Model Railroader, an HO magazine, for great reading & ideas. If I was into S-gauge, I surely would be picking a copy of CTT & others now & then to see what I could build, or get ideas or help with mountain building, etc. Well Indian, It's good you came over & told us your problem, cause now we can counsel you on it . I've noticed a lot of very highly educated people here & not too many rivet counters ! I will continue to enjoy my clumsy, unrealistic Toy trains ! Thanks, John

I'm with you, John. Guess Indian isn't in tune with his imagination and inner child like the 3-railers are......playing with my trains takes me back to when imagination is about all it took to have fun, gasoline was 33 cents a gallon and most of us in the South could leave home all day for a trip to town with the doors open and unlocked, etc......

[Bob Keller]

Hey ogage, asking a premium price for a train made with worn-out, 50-year old tooling is one thing. Producing a model of the same thing, but from new tooling, is notable.

You will note that when Lionel re-issued the F3 (Lead review, May 2003, title "There's a new sheriff in Lionelville") I wrote "I quickly turned my eyes because the new F3 made my beloved postwar model look - well - shabby and toy-like."

I gave credit where it was due. [:D]

[palallin]

"Shabby and toy-like." What a pair! Gee, Bob: isn't "toy" trains what this segment of the hobby is all about? You make it sound like a problem.

Mild sarcasm aside, I do not understand that review. Of course the engine is "toy-like": it's a toy!

[Bob Keller]

Envision a rather beat up (if loved) 2344.

Set it next to a scale model like Lionel's newer F3.

You will see a difference between the two. In spite of the loving glow I project around the 2344, it doesn't look as good as a new one. The vintage 2344 is never going to look as good as the brand new product.

And yes, they are all toys. Some look more like childrens playthings than others. I don't have a problem with that - my default brand of choice is Williams.

[Frank53]

I don't have the issue before me, but the one with Lyin-el (or some derivative thereof emblazoned on the cover didn't exactly lead me to believe there was no anti-Lionel bias, even though the "article" was about correct pronounciation.

[Anonymous]

And in 50 years the 100 year old F-3 will still run and you will be trying to figure out how to retro fit a different motor into your modern model and also trying to figure out if you can make your TMCC board work when the technology is 49 years long gone (BTW I do like TMCC and Railsounds). Of course that is providing we are both still around in another 50 years..............

Bob, since you picked my reply to comment on(this is a form after all) maybe you could answer a question............... Is the John Anderson Layout from Dec 99 the only article on a real 40's/50's layout really the only one you have ever recieved? I seem to recall there were letters posted in the next few issues that complimented the article suggesting that it was indeed popular=> suggesting more such articles would also be popular? Doh I forgot about the other similar story about the kid who had his layout on the cover of Toy Trains in 54 or something..........................

Come on, DIG up some stories like that! Come back??

[Bob Keller]

And what would your cover blurb for the story have been, Frank?

And to ogage, the Anderson story (in the Jan 99 issue) worked because his dad, who took the photos, was a professional photographer. While we've received a few snapshots of people's vintage layouts, none have been as complete a view of their layout, and most are typical (me included) over/under exposed, out of focus, bad depth of field and aren't really publishable.

[Frank53]

I probably wouldn't have wasted the space on such a story, but that's just me.

I remember seeing the cover in the hobby shop and immediately thinking it was about some under handed dealings by Lionel, which seemed pretty edgy.

[ben10ben]

I don't know...I found the story about the correct pronunciation of Lionel to be one of my favorite CTT articles so far. Mostly because I've had plenty of good natured debate about that very topic with several people, and the article gave some more fuel to both sides of the fire.

[Anonymous]

I think the breakdown by participation/volume of sales is

HO-80+%
N -is second and is as large or slightly larger than everthing else that is left combined, i.e. N is larger than O plus three rail O, plus S, plus Garden, plus Z, TT, ... etc.

[Anonymous]

So O.........lord, would a new layout built to "model builder" standards maybe even with b&w photos be interesting enough to find its way into your pages???

[Bob Keller]

ogage - my world consists of the product departments of the magazine. Feature stories above my pay grade. Send your ideas and images to Neil at [e-mail]

[3railguy]

CTT covers more O gauge than Lionel. S Gaugian is a good mag to subscribe to if you're into S gauge. It seems half is dedicated to Flyer hi rail and toy.

For some reason S gauge isn't as popular and plentiful as O gauge. Maybe because O gauge was first, or O gauge is larger. I don't know.

[prewardude]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ogage

...You don't see any standard gauge articles do you?...

While it is true that there aren't many Standard gauge articles in CTT anymore, there are some - at least a few every year (including in the upcoming January issue, from what I understand). I think that CTT does a pretty good job balancing the content of the mag with the interests of its readers. O gauge hi-rail just happens to be the most popular aspect of the hobby right now. I'm sure that if Standard gauge (my personal favorite) or S gauge were the most popular interest among the readers, Neil Besougloff and company would shift the content of the magazine to reflect that.

Just my [2c]

Regards,
Clint

[laz 57]

The thing that gets me is that the majority of the GIZ on this forum like the articles in CTT. But because one or two people don't like whats in it , they complain that "oh your magazine should change its name", why do we caiter to them? This magazine was created to give the hobbiest ideas and make reviews on the latest merchadise out there in the industry. This is and is done VERY GOOD by the people in chargefor the past 18 years. And with each and every year it gets better. So why do we caiter to these few?
Just my two cents?
laz57

[jonadel]

Laz--

No matter how good things are there ALWAYS a few people that have to impose their interpretations and views on the rest of us, they are sad and unhappy people who are only looking for attention. I only hope that the powers at CTT file those folks in the out basket, they are not worth the time of day. I can't imagine dealing with the deadlines that go with running a fine publication like CTT, in every issue I can find something of great value to me. One only has to open his/her eyes to see what a wonderful resource we have in a toy train magazine.

Jon

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

I think S is the sleeping giant in toy trains. There is a potential waiting in that size that I find hard to believe no manufacturer has not exploited. With all the 1/64 cars and buildings that are available in the general marketplace, I find it odd no train maker has moved into a ready-made selling arena. If and when that event happens, I am sure CTT will be ready to report on those stories. I would encourage all those fans of S to submit articles to CTT as that is one way to get more items in the magazine.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[laz 57]

JON,
I agree with you 100%.
The neat thing about this magazine is that you might not need the information they are writing about till sometime down the road. Then all you have to do is go into your archive collection look it up and you have the article at hand to aid you on what your looking for. I have done this countless times.
YUZ GIZ at CTT are the best a BIG THANK YOU!!!!
laz57

[Anonymous]

Geez I seem to have contributed to waking a few of you up! Golly Don't read to much into my words, I have been a subscriber since 90 or 91 and still have all those issues (reference don't ya know) to peruse. I pertty much find something interesting in each and every issue, at the same time, there are things in each issue I end up ignoring..... many people do that........Its just due to my own personal interest in the train content. Amusingly since I can't focus, I have train stuff from most all eras and scales, but I do have fun and that is all that really matters............................................

PS, I still think CTT are anti Lionel (I also think Lionel is fairly stupid right now)
:)

[Buckeye Riveter]

If S Gauge had the selection of engines, cars, accessories, track, control options, whimsical products and a multitude of dealers with good prices, I believe I would be building my layout in S. It is a great scale, but too limited for mainstream.

[Anonymous]

Guess it depends on what you consider a "Classic Toy Train."
I think CTT has done all right with thier "American Flyer" articles myself.
S guage just isn't as popular as 3 rail 0. So, less coverage. Those who write stuff for publication will generally look towards "S Guage Magazine." I would love to see some early HO stuff myself.

[Bob Keller]

There are really quite a few ready-to-run, Flyer compatible locomotives out there.

American Models currently offers:
Alco FA A-B, PA-1 A-B-A, RS-3
Baldwin S-12, GG-1
EMD FP-7 A-B, E-8, GP-9/18, GP35, F40, SD60
Fairbanks-Morse Train Master
GE U25B

Recent steam has included a Pennsy streamlined K4, a streamlined J3 Hudson, a USRA Pacific, and coming soon, a 4-8-4

S-Helper offers SW-1, SW7/9, an F3 and coming soon is a 2-8-0.

While I've often said that "Flyer guys" are stuck in 1965, and that there is a lack of modern motive power, you can't say there isn't a great variety of Flyer-compatible diesel power available.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by indian river

I am a long time S-gauger. Classic Toy Trains treated my gauge as almost non-existant. Yes, an occasional article would appear in the magazine, but not enough to keep my interest and desire to subscribe.

I'm a bit surprised a "S person" would expect to find ANYTHING in a magazine with "toy" in the title. Gilbert advertised them as "scale length" and referred to 3-rail track as "toy-like". Maybe you should be mad they are in CTT at all.

[IRONROOSTER]

A good site to for what's available these days in S is http://www.trainweb.org/crocon/sscale.html Most products are either offered in both scale and hi rail versions or have the parts included to make the conversion from hi rail to scale. S scale has come into its own and has enough to support either hirail or scale. It doesn't have the range of steam locomotives that O has, but it is improving every year.
Enjoy
Paul

[tdetmer]

Well guys,

This has been fun reading, I think... I am a devoted S gauge operator and collector. I also respect the other gauges and what they have to offer. My best friend is an O gauge guy. I also like G scale. The bottom line is I like diversity and different opinions and mainly I just appreciate a lot of interest in model railroading.

I started out with Flyer but now only buy the occasional piece. More often I buy S Helper and American Models stuff, which is really terrific. S is a lot more than what it used to be, just like O is a lot more than the older models of Lionel, not that they were bad.

I also subscribe to CTT, S Gaugian and The Dispatch. The latter two are both S gauge magazines that are quite good. I also just started reading the Garden Railroading magazine that I find fun to read.

So S gaugers have a lot more choice now than they used to and we can also find really good things in CTT as well. Yes, I do find good things in non-S gauge articles in CTT! [:D]

Why am I saying all of this? Mainly because I want the O gaugers to know that S gaugers are a good group and we do like to enjoy trains of all sorts. S gauge is a great scale to run, just like O gauge is. When I go to train shows I enjoy all the different scales of trains, not just S gauge (although I admit to the soft spot for S). There are too many problems facing our hobby for us to get into an internal squabble about whose gauge is better and whose magazine is best. I say, the more the merrier!

Tom

[Anonymous]

Darn it! I just finished my last issue of Classic Toy Trains & didn't see nothing in there on garden railroads. Ouch guys stop throwing stuff,just kiddin. Easter

[laz 57]

Garden Railways what's that, just kidding?
laz57

[Anonymous]

Here are the figures that Kalmbach publishes.

HO-78%
N-28%
O (3rail) 11%
G-11%
S-3%
z-6%

[Bob Keller]

Are those figures for the hobby as a whole? They don't reflect CTT's readership.

[Anonymous]

Gotta be for the hobby as a whole, assuming it's a fairly recent survey (past five years or so). Actually, the numbers look like they are probably fairly representative since that's how I imagine most would assume the hobby lines up.

I can remember when Z was down below one percent, but that scale has seen tremendous growth in recent years (both in terms of suppliers and enthusiasts) and Z got another shot in the arm when Micro-Trains released a GP-35 a couple of months ago. I also understand that Z took "Best in Show" at the recent Trainfest in Milwaukee, which says a lot for how that scale is coming along.