I think this thread has run its course, folks. Let's move on to other topics...
Thanks,
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Random_Idea_Poster_6263 I think that the first thing I should have done when joining the forums and before making any posts should have written a little about myself, my interests etc. I will in due time as I am working one something to write up, other then a blank bio. Before I joined the forums I joined a few model railroad facebook pages and I have enjoyed being on these groups as a contribtuing member. However I decided to make my information other than my name anonymous as, I am conerned that being that many posts show modellers projects, layouts and progress on building them, new locomotives and bought purchases etc. I am concerned that by putting too much about yourself and what equipment you own, a skilled theif or robber could choose a next target to pick.I am not suggesting that this could happen to you, but I am stuck between giving information about myself and interests to help others understand where I am coming from, while keeping anonymous. What could I do?
I think that the first thing I should have done when joining the forums and before making any posts should have written a little about myself, my interests etc. I will in due time as I am working one something to write up, other then a blank bio. Before I joined the forums I joined a few model railroad facebook pages and I have enjoyed being on these groups as a contribtuing member. However I decided to make my information other than my name anonymous as, I am conerned that being that many posts show modellers projects, layouts and progress on building them, new locomotives and bought purchases etc. I am concerned that by putting too much about yourself and what equipment you own, a skilled theif or robber could choose a next target to pick.I am not suggesting that this could happen to you, but I am stuck between giving information about myself and interests to help others understand where I am coming from, while keeping anonymous. What could I do?
IRONROOSTERI never mind these type of threads, some of it's thinking outside the box, some of it is just talking through ideas as many people do when having a conversation.
The "talking through ideas" is always interesting. I remember a thread where someone proposed building a ridiculous locomotive with 16 or 18 drivers, a 4-16-6 if I remember correctly. The subject was pointless, but some of the discussion was wonderful.
I sometimes cringe when I post some of my questions wondering if I will get a reaction a-la Ulrich to my querie.
I actually know very little about prototype railroads, and the STRATTON AND GILLETTE has had its history changed so many times that I have now given up.
However, I do get questions about prototype practices, but I know my questions probably seem very basic to most people in here.
I am happy that (at least) 95% of the people in here are very friendly and helpful.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Personally, I have no problem with this thread. It's a legitmate subject that all of us need to make reasoned decisions about.
Personally, I have no bio. This is mainly to avoid information harvesting which goes on all the time on the internet. I have no idea how strong Kalmbach's site is at resisting such, but nothing is 100% effective over time.
As for displaying modeling - I'd just as soon skip the negative comments, so I rarely post pictures. Although I do believe that this forum has mellowed somewhat from the first years I was a member.
Tinplate Toddlera ridiculous discussion about a bil-level caboose, that would not be able to pass under a bridge, questioning John Armstrong´s authority on track planning, a master wish list for a locomotive roster, which will never become realized, and the printing of the built-date on a model´s packaging.
I never mind these type of threads, some of it's thinking outside the box, some of it is just talking through ideas as many people do when having a conversation. I see this and other forums as asynchronous conversations. With the big advantage that I can just skip those threads that don't interest me.
Paul
Crandell - I am in my better days! I am German, I am supposed to be rude, because I am a straight forward, no-nonsense person and I don´t beat around the bush!
If you care to take a look at the OP´s contributions, it was a ridiculous discussion about a bil-level caboose, that would not be able to pass under a bridge, questioning John Armstrong´s authority on track planning, a master wish list for a locomotive roster, which will never become realized, and the printing of the built-date on a model´s packaging. Like the OP´s nickname implies, this guy posts random ideas like children poke into an ants colony with a stick, just to watch us swarm about. He admits he has no time for model railroading, i.e. any type of model railroad related work on a project, but he has the time to think of silly questions? If that´s the future direction of this forum, I will have to rethink its value for me.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Brent, thank-you for your comment. I did try to be even-handed and to help more than I hurt. I wasn't perfect, but I did try to improve our forum for Bergie's sake, and for all of us. That you are still here is a measure of my success, and of the success of all moderators. We have good people, even Ulrich on his better days...which I don't think was today. Maybe one of us who knows him well and exchanges PMs with him should ask him what's happening in his life. He didn't use to be that way.
-Crandell
Random_Idea_Poster_6263However I decided to make my information other than my name anonymous as, I am conerned that being that many posts show modellers projects, layouts and progress on building them, new locomotives and bought purchases etc. I am concerned that by putting too much about yourself and what equipment you own, a skilled theif or robber could choose a next target to pick.
Hi R_I_P 6263,
Personally I think that getting targeted by thieves who want your model train stuff is a pretty remote possibility. Even if you are sitting on dozens of rare brass pieces, the opportunity for a thief to move those stolen pieces is limited.
Having said that, it is prudent to limit what personal information that you do reveal. For example, posting your email address risks having all sorts of nefarious low lifes attack you.
I have posted my full name on the forums on occassion, and my profile tells everyone where I am from. Anyone could find my address in a few seconds using that information. Am I worried? No. I refuse to let the low lifes rule my life. That is very much a personal decision. You have to decide your own comfort level, and if you are not comfortable then stay anonymous!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
This is not an anonymous group at all. At least 30 people on this forum have my home address, I have met a dozen or more face-to-face, visited the homes of four, and a couple have my cell phone number.
I think around 10 of my real-life friends have posted in here, but they only stop by rarely.
The only thing I kept pretty tight-lipped about was exactly what I did for a career. A few people in here know, but I have a binding non-disclosure agreement, and would rather just keep that to myself.
There is one member on here who is very secretive. I visited his house when I went out West last year, and he is very famous. If he used his real name it would cause problems.
Other than that one example, I think we are all pretty honest about who we are.
I have included all anyone really needs to know about my model railroading in my signature line. Some people love what I am trying to do, some people think I am weird, and some others think my goals are just a silly waste of time. So it is in model railroading.
I am 52, married for 32 years, have three adult daughters, live in Cape Coral, Florida, and love my life.
My avatar picture shows a photo op of Amtrak's 40th Anniversary locomotives. I really love Amtrak. Then the signature tells you that I model New York Central, Conrail, and Amtrak including my fictional railroad.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Darth Santa Fe There's a lot to this hobby, and sometimes it's easier to ask others in the hobby directly instead of trying to figure out how to sort through 1,329,566 Google results.
There's a lot to this hobby, and sometimes it's easier to ask others in the hobby directly instead of trying to figure out how to sort through 1,329,566 Google results.
I expect this thread to be locked or deleted, but I will share a story. Someone who I know quite well, who is intelligent got a call on his government cell phone by someone who knew his daughters name and claimed to have kidnapped her. Add sounds of a woman screaming in the background. He was duped into sending money. I don't have the heart to ask how much. It was a scam.
The police think the perps figured out the connection from his and her Facebook posts.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Darth Santa Fe(Also, you're not required to read the post or leave an answer, so the only one wasting your own time is you.)
Hear! Hear!
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Randy, what really sold me on caulk was pulling a layout up for the first time. The one biggie I helped on the track just lifted off like a fridge magnet coming off and was clean to reuse. We just snipped out the soldered joiners, lost half an inch of track per piece of flex but the whole thing was lifted and boxed in minutes and it was several hundred feet of track.
The owner of the layout had some of it ballasted but did like Lion and let gravity hold it in place. He then vacuumed the ballast up with his shopvac that he had lined with a clean plastic bag. That was also reused on the rebuild.
Cutting up and/or dismantling the benchwork was another thing, that took long enough to require lots of beer breaks.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I prefer to keep my personal info private. I've heard too many stories of people who had just enough info about themselves online for someone to start harrassing them in real life. Only a small number of people around here have learned my real name through private messages, and I like to keep it that way.
These don't seem like troll posts to me. There's a lot to this hobby, and sometimes it's easier to ask others in the hobby directly instead of trying to figure out how to sort through 1,329,566 Google results. Isn't turning someone away or shunning them because they have a lot of questions kind of the opposite of how a forum is supposed to work?
I've actually been labeled as a troll before (off-topic of MRRing, by the way). I was having problems with a graphics card, so I joined the card manufacturer's forum to get some help and suggestions. My posts kept disappearing for some reason, so I was getting frustrated and asked why my posts were getting deleted. As it turns out, there was an actual troll flagging all of my posts and others for removal, and once that was cleared up and my posts were restored, I put up an apology for my frustration. The response from the members? It was essentially "Whatever, we won't miss you. Idiot." That, and they never even answered my question.
So please, to the ones criticizing all the questions and saying "stop wasting our time," try not to come off as angry elitists looking down on those who may know less than yourselves about the hobby and haven't yet been able to make grand accomplishments. I don't want this forum to become like that other one that gave me the boot. For some, a forum like this is the only social interaction they can get for this hobby.
(Also, you're not required to read the post or leave an answer, so the only one wasting your own time is you.)
_________________________________________________________________
Brent - my first foam layout was started in 2004. I was planning to use foam well before that, after reading the articles by Bill Darnaby.
I may be using plywood for subroadbed this time, but I'm sticking with the caulk, it's just so much faster and easier.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
selectorDont worry, I will in due time, and that will prove I'm serious about the hobby and contributing to this forum. Just you wait, you wont be disapointed selector. Tinplate Toddler Random_Idea_Poster_6263 What could I do? Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club! Yes SIR!!! Right away....SIR!!!
Tinplate Toddler Random_Idea_Poster_6263 What could I do? Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club!
Random_Idea_Poster_6263 What could I do?
Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club!
Yes SIR!!! Right away....SIR!!!
selector Tinplate Toddler Random_Idea_Poster_6263 What could I do? Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club! Yes SIR!!! Right away....SIR!!!
Crandell, back in 2006 when I joined this forum, it was the first social media platform I had tried and was somewhat intimidated to the point where I was stumbling a bit (with the etiquette) as I tried out the social media waters. I needed help with some things I was unsure about and you offered kindness and encouragement. Also, you did the title as moderator proud. Thankyou.
Personally, I hate the whole foam/caulk method of tracklaying. Tried it, went back to homasote and spikes.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
rrinker I never got any real nasties for using foam
That was way back in 2006 and I don't think it had still settled in for some as a product that should be used. I had read about it becoming a little more popular in mags and some MRR sites and thought why not? But then I always like to try new things.
I still like it, but the only change I would make is to put something more solid like spline or ply under the mainline. If you look at my pic below, if I were doing it over the spline would have carried on instead of butting up against the foam. The foam is great for yards and a spur line as it ads a little rock and roll to the track, but for the main, nyet.
doctorwayne Tinplate Toddler Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club! That comes across, at least to me, as unnecessarily harsh..lots of folks here are here to ask questions and gain knowledge. We can choose to offer answers or ignore the request, but there's no need to rebuke someone for their input or their questions. And, if you think about it, yes, this is a version of social media, hopefully one that's sociable, but also mostly interested in this hobby, in whatever part of the hobby which appeals to each individual. If you're not interested in hearing what someone wants to say, simply look away. I'm no Billy-Goat-Gruff, but I doan see no steenkin' troll. Wayne
Tinplate Toddler Do some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club!
That comes across, at least to me, as unnecessarily harsh..lots of folks here are here to ask questions and gain knowledge. We can choose to offer answers or ignore the request, but there's no need to rebuke someone for their input or their questions.
And, if you think about it, yes, this is a version of social media, hopefully one that's sociable, but also mostly interested in this hobby, in whatever part of the hobby which appeals to each individual. If you're not interested in hearing what someone wants to say, simply look away.
I'm no Billy-Goat-Gruff, but I doan see no steenkin' troll.
Wayne
I see this reply the same way Wayne does. In fact, I would urge everyone who agrees with that post to educate themselves on what an 'ad hominem' is. I suggest this course of action because that's exactly what the replying post constitutes. It's the reason Wayne replied the way he did to that earlier post because that earlier post is neither warranted nor appropriate on our forum.
Just because someone's ideas or offerings don't meet with your favour isn't a reason to attack the person. If you disagree, state your case in the form of a counter-argument where you point out how their facts are incorrect or how their results disagree with your own experience, not as a personal attack.
I'm not afraid to have my real name known here. What's that actually going to get someone?
My best friend, whom I've been friends with for 40 years, doesn;t know my SSN or bank account information, it's not like I'd put that anywhere public. I've posted pictures of the inside of my basement, and one upstairs room where my workbench is - again, what is that going to get someone? I'm just not that paranoid, I guess. I don't have a bio, but that's because I hate talking about myself.
I have my web site linked (which has barely been updated, I've been posting all my construction updates here) and the email address I registered with is the one I use to sign up for anything that requires an email - I have a different one for friends and family.
Some may consider my method of just asking for something bad to happen - well, the ONLY time my credit card was ever compromised were both from physical in-person use - one I traced to a restaurant I went to, and the other to a taxi while I was in Vegas for work. Nothing ever through an online purchase, and I buy a LOT of stuff online.
Interesting I never got any real nasties for using foam - TWICE now. Maybe the first time, there were some out there fire concerns, but that was a long time ago that I started that layout. Just not doing it this time mainly due to needing to keep the deck thickness down, but I'll still use plenty of it for landforms.
Hey Random, don't sweat the grumpy old men. If you are legit and I have been nice I can be proud of my behavior, If you are a troll, I have tried to treat you with respect and kindness and there is no skin off my nose if doing so didn't work out, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I am a heathen through and through but some people really need to go to church!
I would post little about myself online if you want an opinion. Having RCMP members in the family and hearing their stories of how info is gathered means a low profile on that front for me.
My wife has in the past invited friends that she thought she new well through social media to stay with us when there has been a big dog show in town. After the third and final bad experience of having these people in our home, never again.
The RCMP speak to our school kids about Facebook and suggest that a friend is someone that has been to your home for a social visit, an aquaintance is just that and should warrant some caution as to what they should know about you and how much access they be given to your life until you get to know them. Its not perfect but a good starting point.
We get a pretty good idea of each of our interest on this forum by what gets said over a period of time and I don't think many of us have a Bio posted. We all like to see pics of what people are doing both with the hobby or other matters that may be posted in the diner thread.
I suffered through the nasties like you are doing now when I joined because I decided to try out using foam for the first time (for me) you should see some of the PMs I got! Most of these guys are dead now and for some reason I only remember how nasty they were and not their great work.
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
Mark Twain
In an answer to the OP's question...
My avatar says everything that my username doesn't. I model BNSF, UP, and the related roads represented in my avatar as well. And anything else you wanted to know you can pick up from my various posts. I'm an absurd rivet counter and I'm a big proponent of 3d printing in model railroading.
And I like scaletrains products.
Pretty simple!
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
Tinplate ToddlerDo some serious model work and present it to us, instead of wasting your and our time with asking useless questions. Remember, this is a hobby forum and not a blabla social media club!
My bio section had stuff like my occupation and the name of the parakeet. My modeling is posted in the forum itself.
My biggest inspiration was Weekend Photo Fun. It made me a better modeler, as I posted stuff that I thought was "good enough" but then looked at the work of others and realized mine really wasn't good enough, so I spent more time, learned and made it better.
I don't post my real name, address, phone number or email. That's common sense online these days.
I think targeted forums are just that, and social media are something different. I avoid Facebook and Twitter and those platforms.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The crowd is edgy today. We have experience with other members who started off, full of ideas, without any follow through. First it was a heavyweight business car, a week later a layout in a shed (that didn't exist) then with was something else.Your bio states that your interests span the 1920's to the present and 17 railroads. You're not exactly a specialist.I do belong to a forum, whose subject cannot be mention in this forum, where an introductory post is amost mandatory. No one uses their real name or address, but they are not hesitant to display pictures of what they own or what county they live in.
However there is no requirement for that, in this forum. People are free to post as much or as little as they want in their biography. I don't think I have a bio and rarely look at the bio of others.
We have two people who are famous in the model railroad community and they post under their real names. Multiple others have youtube videos or blogs with extensive pictures of their collections.It's not something that people in this forum agonize over.
I would think layout tours and sales that post addresses on line have the most potential for theft.
I would simply post some areas of interest in your bio, if you wish--railroad, era, scale--and show pictures of your work or comment on threads as it suits you.
Gary
DON’T FEED THE TROLLMel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.