rlandry6 wrote: How about something besides an article that appeared years ago that the editors think no one will remember...
Putting out the same material in different media is one way to make sure information for folks with different experience levels to get what they need, plus there are so many different ways of doing the same things in the hobby that what might appear repetitive on the surface (like several articles / video segments on ballasting track, for example) may be very different down in the details.
The Information Station article sets are probably a really good way to get information out at varying experience levels, since you can buy only those specific topics you're in which you have an interest, and don't have to get all the unrelated (and perhaps uninteresting) magazine or DVD content you don't really want. I just wish the cost wasn't so steep.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
I would like to clarify that I have nerve had any other problems with Kalmbach and have always received excellent customer service in every other dealing including lost and damaged issues and other dealing over the past dozen or so years. I would not let this one bad experience to turn me against an entire company.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
Check out the TC&WRy on at https://www.facebook.com/TCWRy
Check out my MRR How-To YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RonsTrainsNThings
TheK4Kid wrote:I was not impressed with the way I was treated on the phone.Almost thought about cancelling my subscription to MR, but decided against it because I really do enjoy the magazine.
Unexpected. But i appreciated it.
rlandry6 wrote:I kept the first one because I felt the price was acceptable relative to the material it contained. I sent back the next two because I didn't think they were worth $25 each, and I was removed from the mailing list. So it goes..First, I'm a noobi and I'm an information sponge. I'm constantly searching for material that will improve my construction skills. If I want to observe visits to model railroad empires accompanied by dry interviews, and that I will never be able to build in this lifetime, there are numerous ones to be had already available. Same goes with videos of real trains going around curves, up grades, and over bridges. And, I don't care how tank cars are manufactured. By #3, I was totally turned off with the series. I wanted articles and segments that would give me the information and skills I needed to make my layout the best I can make it. My first impression after subscribing to MRR for 4-5 years, downloading several of their on-line products, and finally reviewing three of their DVD's is that they make a lot of money recycling articles between magazine issues, selling PDF downloads and using them as fillers on DVD's. How many ways can material be marketed before it "runs out of steam"? Pun intended..Were some the segments informative and helpful? Absolutely.. Were some of them useless to someone wanting to build a model railroad? Yes on that one also.. If Kalmbach decides to do another series, I hope it will be comprised of articles pertaining to projects, how-to's, how not too's, and in general information that is actually useful to a modeler. I'm willing to look at it, but if it's the same type of information, presented in the same format those will be going back also. How about something besides an article that appeared years ago that the editors think no one will remember...For what it's worth, Kalmbach isn't the only guilty one. I purchased a Woodland Scenics DVD at a train show that turned out to be little more than a $25 video promotion of all their products. I've learned more from friends than I have from any of these videos.. You can buy a pretty nice kit for $25..
I kept the first one because I felt the price was acceptable relative to the material it contained. I sent back the next two because I didn't think they were worth $25 each, and I was removed from the mailing list. So it goes..
First, I'm a noobi and I'm an information sponge. I'm constantly searching for material that will improve my construction skills. If I want to observe visits to model railroad empires accompanied by dry interviews, and that I will never be able to build in this lifetime, there are numerous ones to be had already available. Same goes with videos of real trains going around curves, up grades, and over bridges. And, I don't care how tank cars are manufactured. By #3, I was totally turned off with the series. I wanted articles and segments that would give me the information and skills I needed to make my layout the best I can make it. My first impression after subscribing to MRR for 4-5 years, downloading several of their on-line products, and finally reviewing three of their DVD's is that they make a lot of money recycling articles between magazine issues, selling PDF downloads and using them as fillers on DVD's. How many ways can material be marketed before it "runs out of steam"? Pun intended..Were some the segments informative and helpful? Absolutely.. Were some of them useless to someone wanting to build a model railroad? Yes on that one also.. If Kalmbach decides to do another series, I hope it will be comprised of articles pertaining to projects, how-to's, how not too's, and in general information that is actually useful to a modeler. I'm willing to look at it, but if it's the same type of information, presented in the same format those will be going back also. How about something besides an article that appeared years ago that the editors think no one will remember...
For what it's worth, Kalmbach isn't the only guilty one. I purchased a Woodland Scenics DVD at a train show that turned out to be little more than a $25 video promotion of all their products. I've learned more from friends than I have from any of these videos.. You can buy a pretty nice kit for $25..
I saw two of the DPB DVDs (not these, earlier ones) that I picked up at a garage sale for one buck. Since I'm familiar with a lot of past articles in MR, I noticed the content of those two were nothing but recycled material with some sugar coating and not very informative to me - certainly not to the tune of $25. For those who like to see large layouts showcased and their owners glorified (nothing wrong with praising someone for their modeling) they are probably worth it but if you want in-depth instruction on how to actually build or improve your model railroad forget it. Although I would never subscribe to the series or pay to download material that is available elsewhere for free or in back issues, I believe these DPB DVDs should focus on in depth instruction on issues such as building projects, scenery, weathering, operation, kit assembly, benchwork, maintenance, layout design, ect.- after all the series is called Design Plan Build.
Well Brunton if you have never seen Family Guy then that is your bad not mine. That may be what you are missing. While on the subject Peter actually looks JUST LIKE YOU. That is not a joke but it is true. He looks like your photo but a cartoon character of you. Thats gotta be funny there. LOL Hey you could try to grow a sense of humor by turning your TV to Fox tonight from 6pm-7pm and wath Family Guy.
If you dont get a joke that does not mean it isnt funny. In fact I was watching Family Guy Yesterday and it took Peter two full days standing in the same spot staring at a cartoon in the Wallstreet Journal before he figured it out and began to laugh. Maybe in two days from now you will reply with LMAO or LOL good one.
Was Peter drawn to resemble Brunton? Hmmm...
Railroadrunner wrote: Well Brunton if you have never seen Family Guy then that is your bad not mine.
Well Brunton if you have never seen Family Guy then that is your bad not mine.
Midnight Railroader wrote: TheK4Kid wrote:I was not impressed with the way I was treated on the phone.Almost thought about cancelling my subscription to MR, but decided against it because I really do enjoy the magazine.I gotta tell you, when I cancelled my MR subscription a while back (the reasons for which were detailed in a thread the moderators felt compelled to delete), I received a personal call from a very polite person in Customer Service, asking me what the problem was and what specific complaints I had.Unexpected. But i appreciated it.
Well perhaps we spoke to different people. The person was polite but kept "pushing" on the issue of what it cost them, etc and also asked me to start back up with the video I had just returned. I returned because I wasn't interested in it, and did not want that particular video again, but the person I spoke to insisted upon it. So I politely said, well thankyou, but no thankyou, could you please send me another one?
They replied, "Sir, we have to have you start back up with the one you just returned."I felt like they simply weren't interested in gainingme back as a customer.I said look, I don't know what your rules and regulations are, but I am not interested in that video, and I would like something else.The reply I got back was I HAD TO start with this video again.It was USELESS, but I gave it one more try, I said would you please reconsider and just send me a different video, and if I like it I'll send payment and keep it. ONCE AGAIN I got the YOU HAVE TO start with the one I had just sent back.THIS IS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE??? However I have had an issue of MR arrive damaged , all bent up, ripped and rain soaked. I called MR and they sent me another brand new one all special wrapped within a couple days. I was a HAPPY MRR'er.But my experience with DPB was a good one until I got the video on "Big Power" about diesels which I have no interest in.I agree with Brunton, they should advertise them on their website, along with the contents and let us choose which one we want.Anyone agree with me?
Kalmbach and MR, are you monitoring this thread?
Would you please come forward and give us your views on this issue, and are there rules governing what happens if we send a video back?Why do some of us get "kicked off" and others don't?"Can you explain this please?How can we get started back up again please?
I am not anti-MR or anti Kalmbach, I just feel there is a problem here that needs addressed.Let's see if we can fix it and move on.
My fellow forum members, am I being fair enough?
Personally I like the first four videos, and payed for them and kept them.Now I am perhaps 10 to 12 videos behind?Wish I had some idea what they contained, I'd probably like the majority of them, but Kalmbach and MR seem to have no interest in resolving this matter.
Once again, would the DPB and Kalmbach and MR people PLEASE come forward and speak to us, we eagerly await your reply.
Thankyou,
TheK4Kid
T
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
Railroadrunner wrote:Was Peter drawn to resemble Brunton? Hmmm...
Hmmmm, Let's see if you put a cap on this cartoon character and the suspenders, gosh Brunton, he does RESEMBLE YOU!!!
Wonder if he likes trains???? LOL!
GAPPLEG wrote:I have received up to number 12 I think it is , and many of the Rail ones , coal , big power and bunches of others , I have returned at least 4 that didn't interest me , and I still receive new ones. I really don't know what's going on with you guys getting dropped like that.
Hi Jerry,
Wish I knew why we got dropped, and others didn't.Well, if the MR and DPB and Kalmbach folks are monitoring or reading any parts of this thread, I am politely asking them to come forward and address this issue. Can we fix it and move on?Maybe they will, maybe they won't.
Wishing everyone a great day and Happy MRR'ing!
Well to get this back ontrack, they do need to look at ways to improve the subject matter.Taking a look at the many subjects and problems addressed on the forums, and think about making more "HOW-TO" videos, going into greater length on the subject rather than a brief overview and explanation.Consider pricing the videos in special discount packages, let's say buy 3, get a discount on a 4th, or buy 5 and get a larger discount, buy 6 and get a really decent deal pricewise.Advertise them on their website with the contents of each video, and let us decide what we want.It would almost eliminate videos being sent back, and you could buy whatever you're interested in.Also buying them in packaged bundles should reduce shipping costsI think it would be much better than what's happening now.It seems so many guys get ones they aren't interested in and send them back, then like me get kicked off.
I'd much rather be able to pick and choose what I want, buy several at a time in a package deal.
My otherhobby is model aviation, and many of the DVD's on various subjects are sold this way.
Welltime to go back to work on the Pennsy!
Update To An Earlier Post
I had commented earlier about the way Kalmbach recycles articles in as many ways as possible.. Well, I just opened the January issue and lo and behold... the "Bonus" booklet is a reprint from a not too far back issue of MMR on modeling streets and roads.. I guess old habits are just too hard to break...
I'm really surprised that someone from Kalmbach/MMR hasn't jumped in here and at least defended themselves/ justified/explained/ commented on any of the posts here. Surely someone is reading this thread.. It's their forum, for Christ's sake...
rlandry6 wrote:Update To An Earlier Post I had commented earlier about the way Kalmbach recycles articles in as many ways as possible.. Well, I just opened the January issue and lo and behold... the "Bonus" booklet is a reprint from a not too far back issue of MMR on modeling streets and roads.. I guess old habits are just too hard to break...<snip>
<snip>
What "Bonus booklet"? I don't seem to have one of these in my January issue. Are we starting to get different treatment on our MR print subscriptions now, too?
FT
First, let me say that I enjoy the DPB series. I own volumes 1-12 and both the DCC and Operations installments. Personally, I do prefer the single topic approach because the DVD then either does or does not interest me as a whole. For example, I found items of interest on volumes 1-12, but also just as many (or more) that did not interest me. Still, I purchased them all anyway. However, many of the single-topic DVDs I sent back (i.e. Big Power, Tehachapi, Coal) because I have no interest in those specific subjects at all.
I will add that the chapters that held no interest for me on Volumes 1-12 tended to be the Toy Train (CTT) and prototype ones. However, almost every layout visit and how-to did. I have particularly enjoyed Tony Koester's in-depth demonstrations...some of these were 20 minutes long!
I guess my suggestion would be to create compilations geared to a specific audience based on subscribership.....toy trains (CTT) , contemporary prototype (Trains), classic prototype (CT), garden (GR), or scale modeling (MR). With me, for example, Kalmbach would target a DPB which dealt specifically with scale modeling or layout visits.
In closing, I will mention that yesterday I received my first installment in the new DPB "Great American Layouts Edition". It features Doug Tagsold's D&RGW Silverton Branch as seen in GMR 2007. I loved it! Now bear in mind that I neither model Colorado, narrow gauge, or O scale, but I will purchase it for sure. Personally, I get more inspiration out of viewing a beautiful layout than watching a demonstration. This new series seems to be in direct competition with Allen Keller's Great Model Railroads series. Although the format is paced differently, it similarly features a tour of the layout, operation and several demonstrations. While the sound and close-up camera work is far superior on the Keller DVDs, you can't beat the $19.99 price point of the Kalmbach offerings.
As the owner of all 57 Allen Keller tapes/DVDs (including Volume 56 of my MA&G - shameless plug ), I plan on collecting all of the DPB layout tours as well. For the record, I also own and enjoy all of the original 1980's-era Kalmbach VHS tapes, all of Joe Fugate's Siskiyou series, all of Dave Fray's how-to's and both of Paul Scoles' scenery DVDs. I guess I'm a model railroad video junkie.
Lastly, I think the suggestion to make the DPB DVDs available by title on this website is an awesome one. From a business stand point, it seems like a no-brainer to me. I will be interested to hear MR's response to this.
In the meantime, I will continue to collect the series as it is made available to me.
I enjoy it.
Cliff Powers
www.magnoliaroute.com
Hello all, I thought that I should throw my thoughts into the mix as well, with the hope that it will help make the DPB series better for all of us, which I think is all of our goals here.
I received the first 4 DVD's, and was forced to stop getting them because of the cost. My wife thinks the money could be better used in other ways for my hobby. She doesn't quite understand the whole learning aspect of the hobby. She does scrapbooking and with that hobby you just jump right in and go, which is what she thinks I should do. I am still in the planning stage, and unfortunately have been in this stage for nearly 4 years now. I don't want to begin anything until I am satisfied with my track plan, so getting as much knowledge as I get in the interim works well for me.
I digress, I really enjoyed the 4 that I got, but I have to agree with several of you that there isn't enough of the good stuff and too much of the unwanted material for my liking. I don't mind learning about the Prototypes because that can help my be a better modeler, in that it will help me understand why I should or shouldn't do certain things. However the toy trains stuff (Lionel history, and layouts) didn't do anything for me at all, either did the garden railroad stuff. Those subjects can be interesting, but I would rather just have to videos be geared towards the scale models.
I would like to see more time spent on each subject and/or each how to so that any questions that I did come of with wasn't because something was glossed over and I wasn't able to connect the dots because some of them were missing.
I question their justification of the price of each DVD, each disk is about the same as a years subscription. I too would like to see an al la cart type of purchasing from their online store so that you can get the ones that interest you, and get them when you are ready to get the next one, or somebody could get it for you as a gift for your birthday or a holliday like hmmm maybe Christmas. This feels strange to say when I am in my mid 30's, but my dad asked me what I would like this year for X-mas and those DVD's were one of the first things that popped into my head, too bad though.
My last thought is that the production quality didn't bother me at all in fact didn't pay attention to whether it was poor or not. Also the presenters lack of screen presence didn't bother me much, I understand that it can be difficult to either talk while you are doing something and try to remember to say exactly what you are doing, as well as putting some enthusiasm in your voice while being in front of a camera wondering if you look or sound stupid, can be very overwhelming.
I would like to start getting them, but I am affraid that at the moment I will have to wait until there are some changes. Either the price is going to have to come down, or I will have to be able to purchase only the ones that I want, when I want.
Railroadrunner wrote: Was Peter drawn to resemble Brunton? Hmmm...
In response to Joe F's questions....
Over all I like the DPB series. Yes, some of the content is keyed to the very beginning, beginner (as it well should be) but they also cover a lot of information that I have found helpful even with my MANY years of modeling.
I'm sure that if I were taking a critical eye to the production of these DVD's I may find some flaws...But I haven't, viewing / using them at face value. Over all I feel they are pretty darn good.
I do find that they come a bit too often and I feel the price is also a bit too high. But, it is my choice to either keep of return them as I wish.
I haven't gotten #12 yet, but I do have the eleven of the series and four of the additional. As my "extra" money situation has gotten tighter, I have sent back a number of them. I haven't been dropped from the mailings yet.
As a producer of hobby how-to videos myself, I'd like to comment on the DPB video series.
First, I applaud Kalmbach/Model Railroader for producing a long-running how-to video series. I think the hobby needs more modern media material, especially if we're to capture more interest in the hobby among the younger generations.
As to production values, the videos are fairly good, but at times I find the video presentation comes up a little short to my professional eye -- depth of field is too shallow on a closeup shot, the presenter comes across too stiff, or a how-to segment uses too many medium length shots making it hard to see the detail of the process. At times, they give the steps of the process, but then don't give me a long lingering closeup look so I can study the final result -- when that happens, I go away from the how-to segment feeling a bit cheated.
But let me say, the above criticisms are nit-picky level criticisms of another video producer and most people, especially newcomers to the hobby, will never notice them -- or if they do notice them, they probably won't care.
Overall, the DPB series is excellent, and as far as price, at $25 each they are priced slightly under the $30 price point of most niche and specialty hobby videos. You can't use the typical $9.95 price point of million-copy run Hollywood videos. Even if MR could sell a copy of these videos to every subscriber (150,000 copies), the Hollywood guys would consider such a sales volume a tiny dismal failure and not worth their time because the return on investment is just not there.
I expect the DPB series, and any other multimedia work that MR produces to simply get better over time as they gain experience with the medium! Hooray for Kalmbach, and keep it up!
Joe Fugate Modeling the 1980s SP Siskiyou Line in southern Oregon
I like the series. My only problem is that they come too often. After the first 6 or so, I had to start getting picky. Now I keep about half of them. I don't argue that $25 is too much, only that my hobby dollars are limited right now, so I can't afford them all.
Enjoy
Paul
Brunton wrote: Railroadrunner wrote: Was Peter drawn to resemble Brunton? Hmmm...Maybe so! Certinly he's handsome enough to be me!
Well played, sir.