Kiz, I hope that "Dee" has lots of new material ready for when Atlas returns. I've almost had to wipe coffee from my monitor, on more than one occasion, thanks to your alter ego. Eric
Ms. Dee Rayle is getting a makeover and maybe a new friend or two. I'm sure the wisecracks will continue unabated.
Realize that Paul Graf has been kicked upstairs, so Atlas forumites can probably expect a new body wrangling the herd. Sounds like Trainboard will be keeping its critical mass. And when the maniacs start breaking the furniture over there, the short-timers can always run back here. [ 28. July 2004, 04:09: Message edited by: steamghost ]
I have to say being an administrator here makes this place number one but as most of you recall I do post on the Atlas forum as well but never get embroiled in any of the controversy. I do feel however once Atlas returns we will lose some members but hopefully keep the majority of the atlas members. As much as atlas has more postings i found that frustrating sometimes when a topic would be buried 5 pages back in the first day. Also some of the topics were pretty trivial or repetative. We have really enjoyed the extra activity here but we still like to maintain a friendly and close knit group of members. i think the other factor people forget is Charlie who has provided Rail images allows posting to other forums, this is a very costly excercise and we are talking $100's a month to run. I sometimes have to laugh when we used to occassionally get bashed on the Atlas site yet the same people didnt realise that TB was really supporting Atlas itself through the rail images site. looking forward to seeing you guys still posting here and at least we mightnt have the volume of Atals but you can post here without the fear of ridicule or reprisals
I'd just like to mention that when I posted that I'd be going back to the Atlas forum, I didn't mean to imply that I would be leaving Trainboard. I hope no one took my post in a negative way (which I certainly didn't intend). I'll definitely check in every so often.
I understood what you said perfectly- no offense taken. I post there now & then as well, and can kinda understand how you folks feel. Perhaps our forum may be a little too quiet for some, but you can find your posts easily here, you've got plenty of help when and if you need it, we have our affiliate Railimages site to post pics on, and we don't cotton too kindly to flame artists. Posting here and on Atlas is no big deal (we'd like you to post mre here than there, but hey, we understand:wink Is there a remote chance you can get your ourangutang to show up here? Some of the folks have no idea what you're talking about. It's all flanged wheels, so it's ALL good!
Strong possibillity, but not until August. For those who don't know, my pet orangutan is named Ms. Dee Rayle. I play second banana to her on the Atlas forum, and she provides the forum with her own unique perspective on model railroading and other topics... Usually I bear the brunt of her perspective...
IMHO there is a huge difference between Atlas and TB. The major difference being that Atlas' forum revolves a lot around a particular product, that product being their own. So, with one single product release, you get many, many dofferent posts, something like this: 1. "N-scale Whoziwhats hits Shelves!!" 2. "N-Scale Whoziwhats Performance notes?" 3. "Anyone have the N-scale Whoziwhats yet?" 4. "Problem with the N-scale Whoziwhats." 5. "Which Decoder for the N scale Whoziwhats?" 6. "Pics of the N-scale Whoziwhats!!!" 7. "Strange humming noise from the N-scale Whoziwhats." 8. "Humming noise fix for the Whoziwhats!" 9. "Whoziwhats missing Handrails, help!" 10. "N-scale Whoziwhats on Ebay!" 11. "Coupler Conversion for the Whoziwhats" 12. "Whoziwhats 2nd Release?" 13. "What Schemes for 2nd release?" 14. "My Whoziwhats is better than yours!" Etc., Etc..... Figure in all the many products that Atlas comes out with every year and times it by as many posts and you wind up with a lot of activity!!! TB is more like the great melting pot....."Give us your tired your poor, your armchair modelers yearning to run trains!" (Ok that is actually directed at myself but you get the idea.) Happy railroading! Russ
Russ, I never noticed that product discussions on the Atlas board were limited to Atlas products, nor even slanted toward Atlas products. As a matter of fact, several other manufacturers were regular posters on the Atlas N scale forum. The nearest hobby shop to me is over 125 miles and better than three hours in each direction away from me, so I certainly enjoyed the announcements and evaluation of new products that took place on the Atlas forum. When you live in the back of beyond like I do, and visit a hobby shop perhaps twice or three times a year, it's nice to have someplace where new products are evaluated by more than one or two purchasers or vendors. Each forum is from slightly to completely different from the others, and I cannot understand why so many seem determined to say "my favorite is better than any others". If everyone felt that way, there wouldn't be so many, would there?
Russ, I think that, well beyond Atlas products, the products of Kato, Life-Like, E-R Models, Bachmann, Model Power and many other manufacturers have been discussed at length on the Atlas Forum. Look at Steamguy's (Ken Willaman) thread on the original MP Pacific, for example. Well, you can't look at it, because the forum is down. Yours was, let's say, an interesting post about Whoziwhatis, especially since it came from someone who's been around at least one forum (1459 posts on this one) for a while. I could feel the venom coursing through it, but not quite understand the vein nor the path it was coursing through or toward.
Kiz, I certainly didnt implky my post to you and yes I understood that you will be coming back here. Gregg, I agree with you there are many forums that are visited by people and i never try and say TB is better than others. they are all different and suit different people.
Thirdrail, You are correct, there were other discussions as well, not just Atlas' products. I was merely demonstrating one of the reasons why they were a busier forum. Just like with everything in life, you do have diehards dedicated to certain brands (name brand recognition) and do not want anything to do with someone else's product. This is a good thing! You then create groups of dedicated experts on a product and when an amateur, like myself, has a problem he will certainly get an answer. In a nutshell, I guess what I am saying (though only my doctor knows for sure) is that Atlas is a forum mostly based on a few parameters such as modeling, O scale, HO scale and N-scale where as TB has a broader range of parameters that does not strictly revolve around modeling. Happy railroading!!! Russ
Way I saw it, it was a commentary on the many & various threads & posts in each thread over whatever release Atlas, Athearn, etc. has coming out. If you remember, some of those releases could really generate the posts, whether they be good, spirited, or nasty. (OK, he did mention just Atlas, but there are comments about stuff by other companies as well.) Over on HO, there's been cussing & discussing about Athearn- somebody is upset the company has been bought out by Horizon, someone makes the customary Athearn-bash (which, as a happy Athearn customer, I get a little riled up over but ignore), someone gripes about boycotting Athearn forever, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I guess it's a case of different strokes- if you like numerous posts on one particular item, then so be it. If, however, you're not into the vast volume, you're covered too. I don't expect a Consumer Reports-style review of any new item (well, actually, it WOULD be nice, because my nearest hobby shop is at least 60 miles distant), but a review that consists of more than *&^% is CRAP!! is welcome. It's whatever you're comfortable with reading. Like I said earlier, it's all about flanged wheels, so it's ALL good! Highball, y'all!
LMAO!!! Alan, Is this going to be a standard item with your depressed flats? Bob, 60 miles to the LHS?! Why, that's only "down the road a piece!" LOL Happy railroading! Russ
Maybe I read and type faster than many. I enjoy the velocity and volume of traffic on the Atlas forums. I miss it.
I have to move my lips while I type or read so I don't go so fast. I usually pic topics that interest me and probably miss a whole lot of stuff that would interest me but is wedged into a topic I don't open. Oh well, what I don't see won't hurt me I guess.
Hi, Alan No, Dee is still working on it. But she says that, technically speaking, it isn't really a "banana car." If you ask me, she just wants someone to offer her ANOTHER car loaded with bananas
