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 Posted - November 26 2007 : 11:27:40 AM
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Guys, at the urging of some of the members and my own newfound enthusiasm, I sent off an email to Model Railroader expressing an interest in doing an article on the TYCO pre-production collection I have acquired. They were not interested in it and passed the email along to Classic Toy Trains, a sister publication. Roger Carp, an editor there, called me to say that they do not do HO and they did not think there was enough interest in a story on TYCO's contribution to the world of HO model railroading. I guess we will have to stay in our own little 1/87th world assuming there are more of us out there when in reality we are but a few interested souls. -Bob
Bob the Slot Car Guy
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 Posted - November 26 2007 : 12:19:31 PM
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I'm sorry... you really MUST be new to the hobby after all [:D].
Yes indeed, MR has absolutely no use whatsoever for the lowly, the affordable, the forgotten parts of the hobby. You have egotisitc "operations" blowhards like Tony Koester and the same cast of good-ol-boy rivetcounter cronies (who get the umpteenth little feature on their layouts published separately from their photo-contest winning entries, within the same issue no less) to thank for that.
The tagline on MR, on the front cover, used to be "Model Railroading is Fun". That's been gone for a few years now. Replaced by "Dream it. Plan it. Build it" (but if it doesn't fill a basement or take a 6-figure salary, we're not interested).
But in fairness, aside from MR... you need to know that a general consensus survey in any train show or club meeting will return similar results: Tyco IS junk. Powertorques were garbage, BN boxcars were a dime a dozen and horribly painted, the cars were not realistic at all in later years and for all intents and purposes they were just mere toys.
Which is fine. And true.
Yet the double-standard for Lionel collectors to enjoy such fluff and diversions is particularly aggravating. Oh, but "Lionel is worth Money". [:P]
I'll take the cheap Tycos and have fun on the floor with Bethany thank you. That's where another level of the fun lies...
And MR has forgotten: without Tyco from the past, they would have no readership today. Any wonder their circulation umbers are dwindling....
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 12:43:10 PM
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Good commentary, Tony. I appreciate it and understand a little better.
-Bob
Bob the Slot Car Guy
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 12:55:00 PM
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It is always a treat to see the Tyco ads from years gone by in my back issues of MR...I stopped buying them long ago in favor of an affordable, down to earth hobby like it used to be, preferring to read and remember the hobby the way I grew up with it. You keep posting those pics...you'll always have an appreciative audience here.
BTW...you wouldn't happen to have the ever elusive 2-10-4 they offered in ads back in 1966 but never released...at least none that anyone I know has ever seen it.
Edited by - shaygetz on November 26 2007 12:57:23 PM
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 1:44:51 PM
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The Texas 2-10-4 appears to have eluded this collection as well. -Bob
Bob the Slot Car Guy
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 1:49:29 PM
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Ahhhh! Piss on MR , if it doesnt have to do with Union Pacific , Burlington Northern , Santa Fe or Southern Pacific they dont want anything to do with it. I cancelled my subscription MANY years ago because of what goingincircles was saying about Tony Koester and all the other articles they put out that just really have no intrest to most people. Their best issues were always geared toward the beginers such as the SOO redwing division layout. In todays market most people cant afford a 80$ locomotive and 15$ freight cars and when a beginner looks at MR with the intentions to start a project they probably see how MR portrays it so he or she just says forget it due to the complications of todays digital decoders , money , and the arrogance of their writers.
Model Railroader wasnt good enough though when they took TYCO`s money for advertising in their magazine. Modelers from our age groups and to this day all started with " RTR " trains such as TYCO , Bachmann , Life-Like , and Lionel HO. Some of the cars TYCO produced would even be politicaly incorrect in todays times such as the Mail Pouch tobacco car for instance. TYCO would be sued due to little johnny getting into his dads chewing tobacco and Tyco was to blame for promoting it on his train set. I personally think video games like the PS3 , XBOX, and others is part of the reason ho trains have fallen by the wayside.
It really ticks me off that MR just doesnt want to have anything to do with that because they shouldnt forget where their roots came from.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 2:11:06 PM
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| Hello All--Good to read a nice "spirited" discussion here. I'm not totally anti-MR, but I do agree with the comment about mostly liking articles like the Red-Wing Division, or any of the "---Central" projects. This month, however, I did find a very good use for the Dec. MR. I cut out an ad and left it in my wife's purse (an obvious Christmas hint!). It's for Model Power, who now is reproducing some of the Mantua line--If I'm good, hopefully Santa will bring me the 2-6-6-2 with tender in SP livery!
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 2:35:06 PM
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Actually I don't have so much of a problem with MR not catering to beginners... I find I have the opposite problem, in that I've gone beyond most of what they offer, in the space alloted to me.
What I DO have a problem with is their methods and presentation. Given a couple years,you will see the same articles and contributors over and over and over; very rarely is someone new presented and if so, it's only because it's some mega-layout, celebrity, or a friend of one of the good-ol'-boys.
Their product reviews are worthless: "The new Double-D Belchfire locomotive is a fine model with a few minor nitpicks and we are only too happy to take their advertising money."
What does an issue of MR really offer? There is little to no reader feedback anymore. No upcoming shows. "Because the internet provides this" is what they claim.
No more "Student Fare" column from beginning kids (I was published there in Nov '93). No more Electronics column. No more automation column. No DCC column. No "model of the month". All of these were regular features as recently as 10 years ago.
Look at the people whose layouts are featured: Doctors, lawyers, executives. Half the time, they construct entire buildings just for their layouts. What happened to all the blue-collar guys who made this hobby fun in their basements?
Do you think any of us here could get personal help from Walthers and Bachmann if we wanted a rare or out-of-production kit? No, of course not - because our names are not Rod Stewart. We plebs get to fight the mases on Ebay.
Occasionally there's a big article of rare interest, detailing deifferences in F-units or a kitbash of some fortitude for example, but it's generally all off-the-shelf pandering and rehashing. Some of Lionel Strang's columns border on idiotic. (But so do I so I guess I won't throw stones at him, lol).
I thumbed through last year's "Build this layout" issue, only to find a laundry supply list of off-the-shelf, high-price RTR and pre-decorated buildings, benchwork, and scenery. Yeah... like the family who just bought a Bachmann HO set at Target for their kid is really going to plunk $3000+ plus to do all that....
You can't grow on a piece of plywood anymore. Not unless you have a mentor to show you the way in person. Admittedly, you can;t tell a new beginner to "go find some cheap stuff on ebay"... holy crap that's a minefield.
MR really needs to get back-to-basics in fun for true beginners, at least with some regular columns. They could expand the magazine and cater to all tastes if they wanted. The could offer a "retro-fun" column and a more advanced section (like what the NMRA's suddenly superior Scale Rails has become). But they won't. They'd rather sell their old, better issues and articles as PDFs online, catering to the same aging reader base. And that's a shame.
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 3:29:32 PM
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Hey Gic:
Opinion on RMC? which I've always preffered... Also on MR; they do publish Iain Rice's stuff at least in the Annual planner and I really admire his work...
-G
Edited by - romcat on November 26 2007 3:49:29 PM
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 4:40:01 PM
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I've always enjoyed RMC in the past but, alas, there is a certain snobbery creeping in their publication, too.
I don't mean to appear so harsh...I guess the reality of how I enjoy the hobby and how the hobby is practiced today was driven home with a vengeance a year ago this month. A small group of gentlemen in the club I used to be a member of essentially remarked to the president, "Why don't he get a job so he can run real stuff and not that junk he brings?" That was in reference to my BB Athearns and Rivarossi steamers I had converted to DCC just to run on the club layout. That reminded me too much of that clique caste I put up with in high school, it cut to the heart and so I quietly ended my membership.
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 5:11:54 PM
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I don't have a subscription to any train magazines, but I have bought a few at chapters to read on trips. I can't remember which ones I got, but I found they had way to many ads in them....the first 10 pages were ads for trains...the last 20 pages were ads for trains. I also found the actual articles were incredibly boring...I just liked looking at the pictures[:I]
-cheez
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 6:14:05 PM
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Bob,
Thanks for going to bat for us. If you look at Ebay there's a bunch of guys interested in Tyco and other HO Tinplate. Lou Palumbo in CTT said in the Dec issue that he sees guys at his shop who used to come with their dads now coming with with their kids to buy trains. I think that is probably true with HO and Tyco. MRC still does an article on old HO trains in the back.
Thanks again
I look forward to seeing more of your collection
A Tyco Fan
Alco Fan
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 6:51:23 PM
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You guys sound like a passionate group truly concerned about the trains. As in any hobby, it takes people from all walks of life to make it grow. Some guys have jobs, some guys are young, some are old, some are educated and some are not. Those that do not give something a chance and don't see benefits unless they are monetary are the ones that lose out in the end. You see, I have the products but do not have the knowledge to describe them historically correct, you guys do. This forum is perhaps the best place for them where they ALL can be displayed and ALL can benefit from becoming aware that they exist. I need you guys to tell or add to the stories. I don't have the TYCO knowledge - yet! -Bob
Bob the Slot Car Guy
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 7:37:39 PM
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| Hey all--enjoyed reading the comments on this post and agree--MR needs to get back to the roots in some form. As Tony stated-there membership has been declining and there rates keep soaring. As DACHEEZ stated-MR is nothing but advertising and very little layouts or other aticles of interest to most of us. One thing i do not like about MR is they do not cover the average layout that most of have as Tony stated-Us who have them in a basement-a utility bldg or mini barn. I currently have a subscription but am tired of advertisements that is 80% or more of Model Railroader. While Tyco may not be popular to many-all in this forum know differently. To bad the magazine publishers are missing out on possible increasing of memeberships by covering some of the vintage ho that we here enjoy. For the time period of Tyco compared to athearn and others-it really is not that bad other than fictional rr themes they produced versis real rr. Amazing today that Tyco is as popular now as back then.
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 9:05:12 PM
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| Never mind that the only reason I order MR is because I'm a model railroader, and forget the fact that I wouldn't be a model railroader if it wasn't for Tyco. Shows you how little the "experts" know.
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 Posted - November 26 2007 : 9:24:39 PM
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Hi All,
I agree about the MR mag. A little grass roots would be nice. I must admit though that I will be getting a subscription for Christmas. As far as Tyco goes, It is pure garbage and I am opening a Tyco landfill. So send all of your Tyco trash to me for proper disposal[;)] [:P] [:D]. Just kidding of course, I LOVE MY TYCO TRAINS!!!
Mike
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midmo1
Little Six
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 9:55:13 PM
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Well,well,well........I though I was the ONLY one....I was just thinking today..as in many other days.....what the model rr industry is going to do...Worlds greaterst hobby?....Yep...for the rich and famous...because its easy to RTR....hook up and go....plug and play.....I got junk too...but its good junk and I know how to make it work if I have to or want to...but how do they expect a new young model rr'er to enjoy the hobby (unless of course pops has done it all his life)...if he cant afford the DCC engines.. the 15 to 50 dollar cars...the trackwork...etc etc....it will end up being the worlds' worst frustration...(til he grows up of course) and I think the hobby will suffer...but I will woble along...I just put a TYCO switcher together...mounted some knuckles on it..and will RUN it on my cheap brass evil-bay track in my MOBILE HOME!....My first train set was a Tyco..and got me involed in this....its the reason you're reading THIS...right now....
Thanx for letting me yap
Ageed to all!!
Mid-MO
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 10:14:17 PM
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Fire that bad boy up Mid ! Just dont enhale too many of those ozone fumes, it is known to cause cancer in the state of California.
But you`re right about most people`s first train being a TYCO. A childhood freind of mine was always amazed by my trains and told his dad he wanted a train so for xmas one year he got the Santa Fe 72 with the GP-20. I remember it well because it came with the Tycoscene and we couldnt get the track to stay together so we taped it down.
I liked the posts in the train set section that everyone told their stories of their first set. Reading through those makes one wonder whats up MR`s butt. MaGAC`s post was heart warming.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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Posted - November 26 2007 : 10:38:20 PM
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Good evening...
All the reasons as to why I let my MR subscription run out about 10 years ago have already been mentioned. The rivet counters, Tony K's self-boasting, the museum sized layouts (while some are amazing...who can afford to triple mortgage their home just to build the benchwork), and the one sided pat-on-the back readers' letter section ("Last month's edition was your best ever"..."I was amazed"..."beautiful work guys")...and whatnot. It's really a shame, as the written media is a powerful form of promotion...in this case the promotion of model railroads. MR seems to have forgotten the "bread and butter" support of the hobby....the everyday man, and kids. But I saw hope yesterday at nonother than Toys R Us.
While doing some shopping, we came across a stack of train sets stacked up under some Hot Wheels tracks. It was a basic Life Like set with a Union Pacific F40PH, a few cars, and a circle of track. The price tag of $19.99 was too much to resist...I grabbed one for myself, and my friend grabbed one as a fun gift for her father. I kind of was amazed that an honest to goodness Ho train set was still being sold at a big toy place...loaded with "FADS" and video games....but I was even more amazed that there were at least 8 or 9 other customers was the same set in their carts waiting to check out.....many new model railroaders will be made a few weeks from now! No video games...trains!
As for the Tyco trains....I have my share of high end stuff such as Katos and Protos....I'm still trying to figure out how to work the basic DCC system I got last year.....(I just mastered a cell phone....but I have yet to pick up an IPOD)....but after rediscovering the old "toys" at a garage sale this past year...I find them just as good...if not better than the expensive stuff. Heavy, solid, inexpensive...and a great starting base to create a custom "kitbashed" piece...not to mention a little part of my childhood has been rediscovered.
Can't wait for the next train show....I want to build a fleet of Chessie Alco 630's!!!
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 Posted - November 27 2007 : 12:53:45 AM
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Wow... this topic touched a nerve! Nice to see so many comments so quickly... wish the whole board was like this sometimes.
It's interesting how often the Red Wing Division is cited as an axample of the "good" MR. And I must wholeheartedly agree, as that is what sparked my own renaissance into the hobby.
Anyone starting out really NEEDS to get the second edition of Small Railroads You Can Build (blue photo cover), which consolidates that whole project layout in one place.
But in addition, there are excellent sidebars on building kits, benchwork, simple DCC, and superdetailing locomotives. Everything is based on apporachable modeling skill - no break-the-bank RTR or top-shelf rivetcounting - and really encourages you to do the work yourself.
My own Saint Canard Midland is based on that project, keeping the track plan but modifying the scenery.
The more recent "Turtle Creek Central" from I think 2003 was another good layout, but the presentation started getting more snobbish about "the scenery needs to be this way and the locos should only be this big and yadda yadda yadda"...
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Posted - November 27 2007 : 1:01:41 PM
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GIC,
Any chance you can post/send more photos of your layout? I had thought to use that same plan. I do need to lengthen it to allow 2 complete loops so my 2 oldest can play at the same time. I would love to see how you altered the plan. I am currently working on the plan found in "HO Railroad from Set to Scenery" by Rick Selby. I will latter add the altered "Red Wing" to it via an extension similiar to that from the "Turtle Creek branch".
I do agree with what has been mentioned regarding MR and even RMC. However, keep in mind that beginners are really NOT the target audience of these mags. These are aimed squarely at the more advanced model railroaders. Why is that you may ask. Well, most, if not all, model-type hobbies are a dying thing. I build 1/35 scale armour models, and all the mags for that hobby are also tageted at non-beginners. Why target a dying audience? There is no money in that.
Alas, fewer and fewer beginners are coming into the hobby. Those who do come in, tend to want instant gratification! As such, RTR type stuff sells better then items that require building. Likewise, there is a growing group that are willing to pay to have a layout made for them. Did any of you know that you can now buy a 1/35 scale Tiger tank, pre-made, pre-painted and even pre-weathered, from the factory? This seems to be the way all modeling related hobbies are going. "Beginners" no longer have the patience to learn how to model. Why build when you can get it done for you?
Edited by - Hypoponera on November 27 2007 3:05:28 PM
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Posted - November 27 2007 : 1:07:39 PM
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hey Hypo:
I have the "...Set to scenery" book as well. I plan to scan my copy of the "Blue Book" article on the Red Wing that GIC refers to if you want a copy.
You must have plenty of room!?
Cheers,
G.
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Posted - November 27 2007 : 3:03:45 PM
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Hey romcat,
Thanks for the offer! Fortunately, I already have the "Blue Book" that GIC refered to. I want to see how he altered the scenery. I can see that he choose several different structures and just want to see his "take" on the original idea. I like how he replaced the single engine house with that cool looking tower! Those are the alterations I want to see. Looks like the actual track plan isn't altered.
As for room, well, I have some. I can use the family room which is about 15'X20'. But the layout will need to remain mobile due to family get togethers, birthday parties ect! So I like the idea of 4X8 layouts. I can attach 2 together in the allowed space, but be easily able to remove and store them as needed. Besides, I can build several and switch them out whenever I want a "new" layout! The only real requirement is that each must have 2 completely seperate loops. That eliminates the arguement of who gets to play first! Each loop has it's own powerpack. If I put 2 4X8's together, I might even get a chance to play!
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Posted - November 27 2007 : 4:07:08 PM
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| I will round up some photos later on and post them. It occurs to me I haven't taken any in a long time.
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Posted - November 27 2007 : 9:23:14 PM
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| Methinks Railroad Model Craftsman would be more receptive to your article. With Keith Wills' "Collector Consist" column, your article would be a natural...
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Posted - November 29 2007 : 01:15:42 AM
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| In defense of Tony Koester, didn't the "Collector Consist" column begin during Tony's time as an editor at Railroad Model Craftsman?
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Posted - November 29 2007 : 01:27:26 AM
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Anyone see the supplement on beginning MRR in RMC this month!?
Comments????
-G
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 9:21:26 PM
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Follow on to GIC's observations about Lionel collectors sense of self-import!
1) A Tyco C-430 PT in CN paint, no box, good but not perfect condition just sold on Ebay for $100.00+
2) What part of a feature car showing Uncle Sam chasing Saddam Hussein, or Osama Bin Labden is prototypical again!? Btw, Get `im SAM!
That generation of lionel collectors is dying out and most of the guys here didn't play with Lionel though perhaps their older brothers, Uncles and dad's did. They had Bing Crosby and Frank and Patti Page; all great and my Gen had the Rolling Stones (before the were embalmed alive!)
Tyco and Hot wheels was us. So were Mustangs and Cuda's. To each Gen their own. They don't like my stuff, go home.
I's rather one Little "B" (GIC's Bethany) yell "...make it go faster!" than listen to a solliquiy about the eternal Lionel flame. Btw; I had a Lionel NW2 CNJ Switcher I played with as a boy. preferred my Hot Wheels, till my Mom brought home some slightly abused Tyco train stuff from the department store she worked at "Eaton's".
OK, I'll get off my soap box now...
-Gareth
Edited by - romcat on April 21 2008 9:26:37 PM
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 9:32:31 PM
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Ok, I'll jump on my soapbox...
I have American Flyer S from when I was 5, until 1967 when I got a Tyco/Mantua HO set.
I have and still collect the "cool" cars from Hot Wheels.
I have a huge collection of HO engines, alot of Tyco.
I have respect for others that collect Lionel or whatever, because that is what makes them happy!
By the way, he who dies with the most toys wins!!!
Mike
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 10:03:14 PM
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Yuppie crud! [:D] [:D] [:D] [:D]
-Gareth
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:01:35 PM
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Gareth wrote....
That generation of lionel collectors is dying out and most of the guys here didn't play with Lionel though perhaps their older brothers, Uncles and dad's did.
WOW !!!
Give that man a award for the understatement of the year !!!
Gareth you hit it square on the head !
I just got back from the semi annual York TCA Show and Postwar Lionel
is dying on the tables .
Some of the stuff I see there has been there for the last 10 or 12 years
and will never move because of the high prices that the owners think there worth and add the fact in the last 5 years or so you see more walkers wheelchairs and scooters in the trading halls tells me that
the toy train hobby is getting old.
My last 2 trips to this venue I have not purchased one piece of O gauge it has all been HO. Just this weekend I bought 6 TYCO red box sets two of them being mint.
When I was carrying them back to my truck people had a look on there face that was like "what are you doing with that crap"
BT
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:14:54 PM
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"Yuppie crud! "
-Gareth
Hello Gareth, what does this mean or what are you referring to?
Mike
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:22:13 PM
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Mike:
You must remember that was the Yuppie Creed, back when!? Hence my remark!
Yup, I checked; 4 smiley faces after the remark.
-Gareth
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:31:19 PM
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Sorry you've got me wrong, I'm a Hippie, Woodstock and all, and I don't know this yuppie crap...
I do know I am a happy collector and runner of trains, with no attitude.
Mike
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:32:42 PM
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Hey Mike:
Well as we used to say in the day:
"Power to the People!"
-Gareth
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:35:40 PM
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A famous Beatle, "Give Peace a Chance"
Mike
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Posted - April 21 2008 : 11:42:30 PM
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| LOL this topic did it again... somebody touches it and POW! 10 users logged on for the first time in how long?!
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Posted - April 22 2008 : 04:25:02 AM
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quote:Ok, I'll jump on my soapbox...
"...By the way, he who dies with the most toys wins!!!"
Mike
Originally posted by Mike - April 22 2008 : 02:32:31 AM
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Sorta depends on when you die... I figure, to die with the most toys...
Sorta like this: In the car races, 2nd place is the first loser.
okay, just my speculative observation.
z
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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v8vega
Switcher
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 12:57:34 AM
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On the Classic Toy Trains forum I suggested the magazine might include HO toy type trains. That was a non starter. modeltrainjournal.com is primarly a O 3 rail site. They had a thread titled Some Vintage HO. It's 17 pages with a lot of pictures and mostly Tyco, Mantua and others. You have to type in the title in search to find it. I have read on ogaugerr.com that they have quite a few train shows or meets in the eastern states. In the Los Angeles CA area its dead. There is still some but most are small compared to several years ago and not near as frequent.
Dennis
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 06:41:22 AM
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quote:| They had a thread titled Some Vintage HO. It's 17 pages with a lot of pictures and mostly Tyco, Mantua and others. |
Its still there back about 6 pages but still there....I know this because I started it.
The thread generated some interest surprisingly from a "primarily O gauge community" over there but after a while I think people where getting bored of it...so I stopped adding to it.
BT
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Helm
Little Six
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 07:26:24 AM
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I viewed MR's Building Your First Model Railroad with Michael Gross. I viewed it because my local library had a copy - so it was free to borrow.
It was interesting, but as other people have said, MR matter of factly describes a "simple" 4X8 using the expensive Atlas True Track with the built in roadbed, ready made Walthers buildings, and of course DCC!
For beginners? I don't think so. There's a disconnect between MR and reality.
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 09:02:05 AM
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that a shame Heck Toys "R" Us is where I found my TYCO Coca-Cola tanker years ago Probably when Tyco was out of the train biz
The prices of cars & locos is the reason I like to buy used such as these
Yes I do admit Tyco loco motors are JUNK But look what some of us do in here We replace the motors with nice smooth running modern motors 
Edited by - microbusss on November 10 2010 09:03:48 AM
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 10:25:09 AM
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| RMC was running collector guides to early trains in the 1960s - of course then you were talking 1900-1930 or so of all sizes and brands - but they've always had a spot for that sort of thing.
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 3:18:29 PM
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Honestly - and as a "collector" of both HO and O "toy" trains - I'm not overly surprised by MR's attitude, or "Classic" Toy Trains for that matter (who isn't really concerned with old or "toy" trains now, just the newest and most expensive O from Lionel/MTH and the "Hi-Rail" hobbyist - how exactly is something imported last month a "classic"??).
I have always appreciated RMC's view of the hobby (at least as long as Hal Carstens was still with us) and inclusion of the "Collectors Consist" column every month, but, yeah, there's a bit of scale pretension there too.
Maybe try directing your work toward a more generalized vintage toy magazine like Toy Collector?
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Posted - November 10 2010 : 10:09:59 PM
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quote:I viewed MR's Building Your First Model Railroad with Michael Gross. I viewed it because my local library had a copy - so it was free to borrow.
It was interesting, but as other people have said, MR matter of factly describes a "simple" 4X8 using the expensive Atlas True Track with the built in roadbed, ready made Walthers buildings, and of course DCC!
For beginners? I don't think so. There's a disconnect between MR and reality.
Originally posted by Helm - November 10 2010 : 07:26:24 AM
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For anyone curious, that video is also available on YouTube. That's where I watched it. And you're absolutely right--there is a total disconnect between MR and reality. The hobby is killing itself. Somewhere on here, we had an idea for a new magazine called "Multi-Scale Out-of-Scale Monthly" to highlight the fun side of model railroading. Somebody should start that one. Of course, magazines in general are dying, so that won't happen.
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Posted - November 12 2010 : 5:17:21 PM
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http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=7793&REPLY_ID=25613
Here is the link to that 'magazine'.
Unspoken expectations are premeditated failures.
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Posted - November 12 2010 : 5:57:33 PM
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Most commenters here would agree that TYCO was junk to operate. Maybe so. I think when we were youngsters it didn't matter. We were playing with trains. But, I don't think they all were junk.
My sister had an 0-4-0 Booster that ran like the proverbial sewing machine. Still runs o.k. , 35 years later. Cleaning wheels and track, giving your loco the occasional nudge was part of the operation. They were affordable, too.
By the way, I prefer a paper magazine. I can read it anywhere, anytime. I don't have to go to a computer terminal to read. All the pages are already "loaded" in a magazine. I can sit in my recliner or be places that don't even have electricity and read a paper magazine. I think we are being gypped with computers and dependent or maybe even enslaved with that "technology".
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Posted - November 12 2010 : 7:03:33 PM
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LikeI' ve have said before this is a great forum and I like reading all you have to say.
I got into Tyco by a friend of mine who gave me my first Tyco 638 Chatt. He said it does not work you can have it free. That word sounds good to me. I now have 9 638"s and love them all if they don't work make them work.I have with your help learned to repair them put new modern motors in them and they work great. i just got my first Royal Blue and it is mint. I have 2 638"s with new motors and they are a fine runner. I contacted Parts@ps2parts and have 10 new motors coming next week I will have a ball re motoring the rest of my TYCO. I know a few friends tell me my Tyco is junk but one came over to see my junk and could not belive how well my junk ran I think I made a beliver out of him. My layout is coming along great I will post some pictures next week for you to check and any comments would be great.
Thanks for all your help.
Ken
FIDDLEHEAD RAILWAY CO.
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