Large Scale Central

Other "back in the day" G scale train forums

Reviews
#41

Interesting how so many folks follow the same or similar paths. In '06/'07 when I got back into model railroading, and in large scale, my first thought was to search and see what was on the web. LSOL was the recommended site by a couple folks in my locale. As was mentioned, early on one could surf LSOL without paying. That didn’t last long. So for a couple years I paid the yearly fee…until it went to monthly, and only with automatic deduction from your credit card. That was the straw for LSOL, not to mention I had found both MLS and LSC by that time. Why PAY to get information when the same or better level of information was/is offered free on both of these sites.

At that point I joined both MLS and LSC as a member. For whatever reason at that time, I favored MLS. Over time the flame wars and self proclaimed experts in subjects they really knew little about waned my interest there, combined with Shad’s lack of site maintenance, pushed me to again look for better pastures. Here was the logical path, and I have not looked back. The great folks here and their combined knowledge is equal to none elsewhere. Like me (not that I am a great modeler), there are a number of great modelers that migrated here after Shad sold to the commercial interests.

As was noted above, LSC seems to primarily be tuned to the sparkie set, where what is left at MLS seems to be mostly the Live Steam group. Yes, I still lurk on the MLS site, and sometimes there are some great threads there, even for sparkies. I also stay up on the Bachmann, and Garden Railways forums, along with Model Railroad Hobbyist and the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum. MRH forums (and online magazine) althought primarily aimed at the smaller scales, does have articles by our own Ray Dunakin. Techniques are always helpful regardless of scale. The NGDF is exactly what the name implies, with a smattering of standard and broad gauge tossed in for good measure. It is heavily Colorado narrow gauge flavored, but others are also discussed. Again good information can be gained for all.

FWIW…Bob C.

#42

Rooster whats MLS and LSOL? Never heard of him.

#43

Shawn Viggiano said:

Rooster whats MLS and LSOL? Never heard of him.

MLS = My Live Steam.

LSOL - i’m not sure. sounds like it is some cleaner or desinfectant…

#44

MSL is My Large Scale

LSOL was Large Scale On Line

#45

I never joined LSOL, never bothered…there was no reason to when MLS provided everything I needed in a Large Scale forum.

I joined MLS in 2001, and have been an active member there ever since! yeah, it had some rough patches over the years, but today it has calmed down a lot and now is actually a very nice forum…I never left it, and still post there.

In the “old days” it had quite the group of very opinionated and argumentative members…flame wars were common…but I learned to simply ignore them. sometimes I would read the flame threads just for amusement, but for the most part it was just 4 or 5 members fighting among themselves…eventually, most of them left! which was a good thing…Today only one of that original group remains, and since he no longer has anyone left who will bait him, he has actually mellowed a lot over the past few years! and he has settled down to actually become a productive member of the group. (mostly…occasionally he still “goes off”…but its hardly a problem at all anymore, most members have learned to simply not engage him.)

So MLS has settled down to be a nice group again…its quite a bit smaller than it once was, but that’s ok. I dont think its true that MLS is mostly live-steam now. yes, MLS is a good home for the live-steamers, but sparkie discussion is still alive and well there as well.

I actually avoided this forum, LSC, for many years simply because it had no “active topics” feature. I have always used MLS with “active topics”…which means when I click on my MLS bookmark, it opens the forum in active topics, where I can see every thread that has been updated since the last time I visited…then I can just open threads in a new tab, and not need to open every sub-forum individually to manually hunt for new posts. LSC did not have that option for many years, so I simply stayed away and only used MLS…but LSC does have “active topics” now, so I am hanging out here more often now…I would say im now using MLS and LSC about equally. I like them both about the same.

Scot

#46

David Maynard said:

MSL is My Large Scale

LSOL was Large Scale On Line

Hmmmm never heard of those…Rooster will understand lol

#47

a few years ago, I got introduced to the large scale hobby, I had a HO 4x8 layout in the 80’s, so after getting GR magazine joined their forum to learn more, someone mentioned MLS and LSC as “other forums”, MLS seemed more difficult to navigate, and here the information just flowed out where ever I looked, so for me I have tried to look on MLS not its not worth the bother, cannot get anything to load up to sign up, GR site doesnt have the information like here so I have been coming here as this is the best site to find things. And everyone is kind and friendly with newcomers.

#48

It was a long time ago, but I think my first trains forum was the Big Train List. At that time (the early 90’s) I was running a Bachmann Big Hauler. Aristo-Craft and USA Trains did not exist. Left there when two of the members talked about shooting each other. Rather silly for two elderly men who played with toy trains.

Became an active member on the Aristo-Craft Forum when they introduced standard gauge trains. All of my purchases at that time were their products, as USA Trains did not yet exist. I was there long enough to see three generations of radio control made. Faded away after Lewis retired the business.

I was an active member on MLS. It was great for an number of years, but a small clique of people spoiled it for others and many of us left.

Earned a free one year membership to LSOL for submitting an article. I did like the videos they produced advertising new USA Trains products, but never really became an active member.

As I was a subscriber to Garden Railways I had access to their web site. But most of the information I had already read in their magazines.

Joined LSC in October 2000 and have enjoyed it ever since. Bob does a wonderful job keeping this a friendly place were large scale enthusiasts can exchange information. I have travelled many miles over the years to operate on a number forum members’ railways, and have enjoyed their company during their visits to the Annual American Invasion of Ottawa.

Having operated our club web site for years, I can appreciate the work and expense that Bob has put into LSC so we can enjoy our visits and chats with friends here.

#49

Steve Featherkile said:

Ric Golding said:

I actually know how to use a rotary dial phone.

Shoot, that’s nuttin, I know how to ask Central for Normandy 4376.

Yep, I guess if we really go back, I remember my grandmother listening in on the party line out on the farm. The phone was hand crank and had a set of batteries hid behind the drapes. That phone made it from the farm in Oklahoma to our house in the suburbs of St. Louis, but as my Dad always said, “Don’t stand still too long or your Mom will throw you away”. I’m thinking that phone did not survive one of her “purges”. So much good stuff lost.

#50

Ric Golding said:

Steve Featherkile said:

Ric Golding said:

I actually know how to use a rotary dial phone.

Shoot, that’s nuttin, I know how to ask Central for Normandy 4376.

Yep, I guess if we really go back, I remember my grandmother listening in on the party line out on the farm. The phone was hand crank and had a set of batteries hid behind the drapes. That phone made it from the farm in Oklahoma to our house in the suburbs of St. Louis, but as my Dad always said, “Don’t stand still too long or your Mom will throw you away”. I’m thinking that phone did not survive one of her “purges”. So much good stuff lost.

We had the same phone. The earpiece was attached to the wooden body by a cord. The crank was on the right side, and you had to stand to use the phone. The mouthpiece projected out from the center of the box, and was adjustable to the individual.

#51

Hehe…I remember when I got started in HO - all I had was MR and RMC once a month. Bought the Walther’s catalog to see what was new. Of course, back then there were still some local hobby shops. Not so much anymore; but then I’m a lot more into scratch building now.

#52

Ric, Steve:

Perhaps one of these is similar to what you are describing. Might help those young whippersnappers among us (not me) understand previous technology. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#53

Steve Featherkile said:

Ric Golding said:

Steve Featherkile said:

Ric Golding said:

I actually know how to use a rotary dial phone.

Shoot, that’s nuttin, I know how to ask Central for Normandy 4376.

Yep, I guess if we really go back, I remember my grandmother listening in on the party line out on the farm. The phone was hand crank and had a set of batteries hid behind the drapes. That phone made it from the farm in Oklahoma to our house in the suburbs of St. Louis, but as my Dad always said, “Don’t stand still too long or your Mom will throw you away”. I’m thinking that phone did not survive one of her “purges”. So much good stuff lost.

We had the same phone. The earpiece was attached to the wooden body by a cord. The mouthpiece projected out from the center of the box, and was adjustable to the individual.

The mouthpiece was produced by Western Electric. They also made a tweeter of this “horn” as the 597A. Original samples of the 597A, not even working, can now fetch $10,000. HOWEVER… they now reproduce these for only $5,950/pair. But they do go up to 10kHz. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

BTW, that is just the tweeters. The pair of speakers is $50K. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)

#54

Steve Featherkile said:

Ric Golding said:

I actually know how to use a rotary dial phone.

Shoot, that’s nuttin, I know how to ask Central for Normandy 4376.

I can go one better than that I started work as a telephone operator, I was the guy who asked “Number Please?” the said "connecting after I had called the number and they answered.

Sad story; I went to a museum and in the front was a switchboard and now for the sad bit, I described to the museum people how to work it.

#55

Being relatively new to this hobby I only look at 2 G scale sites regularly, this one and G Scale Central I did look at LSOL and MLS but did not find them “user friendly”.

I look through the forums that interest me eg Battery Power, Scratchbuilding and Buildings/Structures to see what other modelers are doing and hopefully pick up a tip or 2.

I like the banter that goes on in the forums on both sites but being in the far flung reaches of the planet (Australia) sometimes the sayings/humour go right over my head, but then again my humour probably doesn’t resonate with others.

I have had no problems with anybody flaming me which is why I keep coming back.

I listen to everyone’s opinion and I hope they listen to mine because lets face we are all entitled to our opinions.

I have learned a few new techniques and when I ask a question I usually get an educated reply.

I hope the sites keep going, as they are my only source for information, there is no LHS near me ( closest is 3 hours drive away in a capital city and they do not do G scale well) so I will pick the brains of the experts/experienced modelers on here for as long as the sites are around.

1 Like
#56

Graeme Price said: … because lets face we are all entitled to our opinions.

all? the others too??

#57

Well, some people act like the rest of us are not entitled to any opinion but theirs.

#58

David Maynard said:

Well, some people act like the rest of us are not entitled to any opinion but theirs.

Well, of course. If even I’m able to agree with me, I think everybody should be able to agree with me. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)

#59

LSOL - Some cleaner or disinfectant… (Snicker) Pretty much sums it up.

#60

I’m ALWAYS correct, and can lead the best of “Them” astray, but I much prefer young, mature, buxom ladies…!!!

…oh…what was the subject…I’m lost…?