Large Scale Central

Horovitz No Longer Editor at GR

General Discussion
#61

" Rooster " said:

Jon Radder said:

Joe Paonessa said:

How come every time I click on the quote this tab, it now goes to a dead page?

Happened to me a few times too. If you try again it seems to work for me.

If you “thank” someone for their post then try to quote it goes to a dead page. After thanking someone you must refresh the page then go back and quote or respond. Has happened to me a few times as well before figuring it out.

Ahh, so I should have been more… ? rude???(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#62

As a fairly new to the hobby person, I was interested in a lot of the articles when I first subscribed, but in the last year or 2 it has gone too much(for me) narrow gauge and away from the modern 1:29 scale/gauge/size I am modeling, while how to articles are adaptable, building a 100yr old car sure doesn’t assimilate to my era of railroading.

Bruce, to your comments aboutMarc not liking 3d printing as it was not “made by hand”, he sure missed out when he published the article on your Acrylic Car storage building, since it was mostly cut by Tap Plastics, he missed the mark on that one. And related to that it was great to be able to ask you here about a couple of questions I had about the build, and thanks for the answers.

This Forum has mostly replaced GR as my source for information as I build my layout and am really glad I found this. My humble .02$

#63

I’ve been the hobby for 12 years and have learned an awful lot from all of you as well as articles in GR magazine and other publications. I’m finally feeling I’m at the point where I can help others in certain areas in the hobby instead of always asking the questions myself. And even though I feel this way I do plan to renew my subscription both print and digital. To me, the demise of small businesses that deal in this realm are suffering from little support from those that are invested in the hobby. I hate that my local “model train” specific store closed down a few years ago making me have to order off of eBay or go through one of the several websites. Or the very least travel 2 1/2 hours away from my home to visit a store. I’m one who likes to go in and look and touch and feel the stuff.

As far as GR goes I wonder how many of the reasons for dropping a subscription that I’ve read have been communicated to the company? I have no clue…but I think in order to be part of the solution and improving a product…the purchaser of that product needs to be heard by providing feedback. Of course if feedback is given and the company does nothing about it, then shame on them. Suffer a dwindling readership and subscription base and having to cut back. But if no feedback is given then what is the company to do?? Sure, the mag makes money off of business ads. But I would imagine they make good money from subscriptions too. However, if hobby businesses are shutting the doors?? Well you know…

So I don’t have an answer, but I do think as I read from a lot of you there is concern about a dwindling interest in this hobby. What are each of us doing to help promote this hobby?? For the past 12 years I’ve done nothing…not real proud of that. But I’ve kicked the building of my layout into hyper-drive, joined a local club and (With this thread) am getting more bold with my opinions on this site. I plan to have open houses a few times each year with the hopes of introducing others to the hobby…and root for this hobby and get the younger people involved…

Ok…off my soap box…

Richard

#64

I just received an email from Garden Railways today. Saying:” confirm your renewal today and you’ll get 6 more issues ( 1 year ) of Garden Railways at our Early Renewal Rate.” Isn’t this misleading and clearly false advertising knowing their intentions to reduce production to quarterly? Ugh.

i have had a suspicion that Marc H was pulling back as he has not responded to ANY of my submissions since November. He could have at least said curtly, not interested, or no thanks. I have sent him photos of layout, projects and topics which I could illustrate and develop; but no response. I guess he has been winding down?

Our club is gearing up for a big convention here in Portland next year and he has been silent. GR accepted our club’s money for expensive advertising for issues that now may not appear till after our August convention and tours. I’ve been a big supporter of GR, published and a cover in years past. My current layout, Bearspaw Southern, is just one of many up here that have a lot to share. I like Marc and admire his work, but this is not cool.

I will miss the bi-monthly hands on magazine, but I’m back here at LSC And other connected sites with much more frequency now.

#65

I just renewed a month or two ago. Shortly after renewing I started receiving emails soliciting me to renew. Must be hard times at Kalmbach.

#66

The email and snail mail advertising has always been out of sync with reality…

#67

I hate to hear about GR going quarterly. Much will be lost in fewer articles. I have asked a number of questions from articles over the years and have received answers from article authors It would be nice if the authors were members of LSC. It would be nice access to questions.

#68

Warner Swarner said:

I just received an email from Garden Railways today. Saying:” confirm your renewal today and you’ll get 6 more issues ( 1 year ) of Garden Railways at our Early Renewal Rate.” Isn’t this misleading and clearly false advertising knowing their intentions to reduce production to quarterly?

I would bet dollars to donuts that the marketing side of the building hasn’t gotten the updated memo about the changes yet. The paint is still wet on this, and to my knowledge, there’s been no mention of any of this “officially” from Kalmbach. I don’t know that they read the forums with any regularity to know that the proverbial cat has already been let out of the bag.

Later,

K

#69

oh they do… there’s a person who does read the forums, I can tell you the number of seconds between TOC’s post and a phone call/email

#70

That is certainly sad news. I have subscribed to GR since I got into large scale in 07 and I looked forward to the magazine especially when one of my articles or ideas were in it. I always liked seeing and dreaming of the advertised trains, reviews and of course the terrific photos of projects and RR’s that were featured.

I liked that I could send Marc an email with a few photos of what I just built to ask him if he would be interested in my project. If he said yes I got busy writing the text. I wonder if my snow shed article will ever be published? I guess I won’t bother with the engine tote article.

GR mag recently celebrated its 30th year so I guess that is a good run for a magazine in the modern day.

I’m sure Marc will land on his feet and be happy to have more time to run his trains.

#71

Kevin Strong said:

Fact is, ad revenues are down everywhere. Print, TV, Radio… the money isn’t there the way it used to be. And we’re an industry that lives and dies by ad revenues. Social Media has completely changed the way information is shared. It’s a brave new world, and the traditional media outlets are still looking for ways to adapt. Remember the Trainworld ads that ran for 6 - 8 pages in MR and GR? Trainworld’s still there, but they’ve got 1, maybe 2 pages of advertising. One or two pages is all that’s needed to drive readers to the web site where they see everything else much more easily and prices can be adjusted faster. Direct e-mail marketing to existing customers drives them back to your site with the click of a mouse button. The major manufacturers aren’t buying ads like they used to, either. LGB, Bachmann, USA, Piko… one page each? Used to be 3 or 4 pages spread throughout the magazine. The smaller manufacturers aren’t buying large ads in magazines. Manufacturers who have new products aren’t calling attention to them in their magazine ads, opting instead for word-of-mouth and Facebook shares. If the ad revenue isn’t there, the money to pay folks and print the magazine isn’t there. Without going into specifics, it’s safe to say that GR is not the only magazine in Kalmbach’s line-up feeling the pinch. It’s as across the board at their offices as it is across the entire industry. Media is changing.

What does the future hold? Who knows. Shake-ups like this can revitalize a business or kill it. I’ve seen both.

Later,

K

That makes sense.

And speaking of losses, just a little bit ago this was on a Google Plus Model Railroading Group, (I’m not on FB) https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ErhardBaltrusch/posts/jRht45SYb1L

Erhard Baltrusch
Owner

Discussion (everything else)

46m

From my other feed:

Intermountain (and some other brands) lost their manufacturing source in China.

#72

One of the major Z scale “manufacturers” - AZL, has lost their manufacturing source in China too…

(by the way, brass locos in Z scale cost as much as large diecasts in G, don’t ask me how I know)

The company is AFFA Technology, they make Bowser, Intermountain, AZL (American Z lines) and more…

Greg

#73

Greg Elmassian said:

One of the major Z scale “manufacturers” - AZL, has lost their manufacturing source in China too…

(by the way, brass locos in Z scale cost as much as large diecasts in G, don’t ask me how I know)

>>>The company is AFFA Technology, they make Bowser, Intermountain, AZL (American Z lines) and more…<<<

Greg

I thought this happened several years ago, when Kader kicked everyone else to the curb.

#74

Yes, Kader did it years ago, and AFFA did it this year… two different companies, but probably different. Kader bought Sanda Kan, but instead of having a company equal to the size of both companies, they laid off people, reduced plant capacity and dumped the less profitable customers.

No clue on the full story of AFFA except they have been around for a long time too, found an article from 2008 where people toured Sanda Kan and AFFA … http://www.trolleyville.com/tv/times/may2008/headline04.html

It seems the director now is the same as in 2008… K. K. Ku …

Greg

#75

Things are sure changing in the hobby. Some good, others not so good.

#76

I just wrote about this in my column for the club newsletter. I was comparing an issue from 1993 to 2017 and the number of pages was way down in 2017 as well as advertisers, but the quality of articles and columns that dont appear anymore is what really struck me. I see 2 scenarios for GR…A)…They are planning something big for the December issue (their words, not mine)…December 2018 35th Anniversary Issue…and their last. Go out with a bang. B) Limp along for a couple of years and go to a strictly online distribution model.

I ended my subscription years ago, I would occasionally pick up a copy at the newstand, the quality just wasnt there.

Sorry to see Marc go…I wish him the best and thank him for everything he did for the hobby.

#77

Vic Smith said:

Boomer K MOGWAI said:

Could it be that GR is not the entity that has run its course but Kalmbach as a whole that is headed for the dinosaur graveyard?

Considering that MR, ToyTrains, Trains and Classic Trains all seem to be very healthy, I don’t think that’s the case. Classic Trains costs almost nothing to put out as its mostly historical. Trains is well supported by foamer submittals, and both MR and ToyTrains also appear to have healthy submissions and readership. I can only surmise that its the overall drop in participation in garden scales since the recession and the loss and near loss of two of the biggest manufacturers, Aristo and LGB, and the loss of traditional brick and mortar stores which were the backbone of ad revenue, that’s hurting the magazine.

Funny how Britain’s Garden rail magazine seems to be thriving…what are they doing right that Kalmbach isn’t?

I think Britain’s Garden Rail does much better because they don’t have the same mentality as us. It seems in America we won’t big and if we can’t have it big then I don’t want it. Overseas the gardens are smaller, they run on small dia curves. It seems like the have more fun. When I compare the FB train pages in the US vs UK. The content is different. Seems like you see more people running trains, building stuff and having fun. In the US it’s more about look what came in the mail and look at this collection but I have no time to build my layout . The other one is no one is producing ABC so I’m getting out of the hobby.

I also find it suprising that Garden Rail is monthly but yet Garden Railways is every other but they clearly have a back log of articles .I sent in an article months ago and Mark said it will be a while cause he had so much ahead. I even had to shorten it cause they dont allow articles on railways to be asong as they use to. I had to cut it in half. I’ve done articles for steam in the garden and they get published by the next issue .

Social media and forums have replaced the magazines. You can’t beat getting questions answered for free almost instantly.

#78
Double post. 
#79

A self-imposed downwards spiral… costs too much to make the magazine (because they aren’t profitable enough)… so cut costs by making the mag smaller… oops… now readership and advertising is down (probably because the mag is smaller)…

OK, how to fix? Oh make fewer issues… cut costs… oops… now readership and advertising is down more…

OK, next make even fewer issues, fewer pages, less current information… that will SURELY increase profits and readership…

Logical… but doomed…

Greg

#80

Downward spiral, yes. Hopefully, some remnant can emerge, but its not very hopeful as a big money making project. Lucky for them that Kalmbach has other pockets to dip into. Astronomy mag is a big line up of merchandise. Journals, magazines, newsletters, in the past, have defined the health and vigor of a hobby segment. I hope from this current reorganization, a true leader can emerge. I don’t imagine that could happen with a quarterly publication from Kalmbach, but I will keep subscribing. Russ Reinberg tried to keep things going after Outdoor Railroader didnt flourish, with Finescale Railroader Quarterlies and then Modeler’s Annuals (Westlake Publishing) and then gave up (b.t.w. it had great super detailed articles ). Does anybody know what happened to Reinberg or to the crew that worked often with him? Or did he completely retire? Where did the contributors go? Were they mostly Southern California modelers? Those were awesome, mostly large scale models done in mind-blowing detail. I would sure like to see more like that. But, there again, that is just a fragment, not representative of the entire hobby And the name of the game is Green.

Keep digging, it’s a great hobby.

Warner