Ok what do you want?.  LOL, well said.

Amen!!!

MartyE, words well spoken, we are truly blessed to have this great OGR Forum to learn from others with similar interests in this wonderful hobby. It’s the best way to communicate with our friends, dealer sponsors, people in the know, it’s been a real life saver during this pandemic. Rich Melvin, Alan Arnold, and All the folks at OGR have made this hobby so much more fun. Thanks Marty. 

It took me long enough to find this forum but I'm glad to be here.  Thanks everybody!

Thanks for your posted remarks, MartyE. I pretty much feel the same way for the OGR Forum and the moderators.  Why just the other day  I thanked Alan Arnold for his role of "sheriff-ing the forum".  At times it must be ridiculous and tough....and at times I have been one of the admonished "outlaws".  Thanks OGR!

@redjimmy1955 posted:

and at times I have been one of the admonished "outlaws".  

We've all been there.  The secret is not to take it personally.  

MartyE, very well said. This forum gives us the opportunity to have somewhere to go to get away from all the trouble that is around us now. A great group of people to associate with and share this great hobby. Thank you OGR, Forum sponsors and all the people who make this forum what it is today. An Oasis in a desert where you can sit back, kick off your shoes and enjoy meeting new friends and the wealth of information given freely here......................Paul 2

It's also THE easiest forum on which to post pictures of any I'm aware of...a big plus. 

Mark in Oregon

If you want to see some true value of this forum's membership look at this thread.  I'm not aware of too many folks that will disassemble an engine and let you see the innards and describe what is happening.  I don't like to single folks out but Alex M, search for his posts, does this all the time for the benefit of us!

Marty, I agree with every word you wrote!  Thank you OGR staff, sponsors, and members!  This Forum has been a blessing to me the 8 years I have been here and especially this year!

Marty, well said once again. Coming on here really relieves the stress of my work day. Seeing all sorts of stuff go on here and there really tickles me pink most of the time. The best part of popping on here is that we all have had issues, questions or something that baffles us, and we get the best advice from those that have been there, read about it, or just know way too darn much. I may not comment on every single post my eyes come across, but a good portion of the time I have nothing I can add to it. Sometimes it is best to read and learn, than to chime in with, "Oh, okay". I love seeing upgrades, modifications and we'll just about everything. Gotta just love trains and be thankful for being lucky to be here.

Well said, MartyE. Well said.

I've been here a long time. I've been in/out of 3-rail a couple times. Back in the fold now, and I intend to keep any/all my 3-rail stuff I will be acquiring.

Over the couple decades I've hung out here, I have learned that OGR's forums have some of the best participants going. Also, the mods appear to make a sincere effort to be even-handed in their moderation. (Lands me, we must be like trying to heard cats sometimes!)

In all, I'm very thankful for OGR's forums and for all of you that participate.

Hm. Do I feel a group hug coming on?

Andre

No group hug from me...lol!

Just a fist bump and telling tall tales over beer, wine, scotch....whatever. Some salty sailor adjectives allowed!

I've been here only a year now (July 17 join date) but I agree with everything MartyE said. This forum is a great place to "hang out" and the OGR mag is, and has always been, a great read. I've been a subscriber since he old O Scale Railroading title days.

I've been a moderator on other newsgroups and know how tough that job is. The moderators, OGR Staff and owners of this forum do an absolutely fantastic job, so seamless that one would almost never notice that they are working so hard. Should they ever feel that they need some help, I'm there for them.

As respects to my fellow posters, I really feel like I've made a lot of friends here - thank you all

Agree with above sentiments.  Lots of helpful, kind, thoughtful people and great information.  Free.  Did I mention free? (although I do subscribe). 

I know there are reasons to debate moderation issues (there are at least three forums that formed in direct response to related unhappiness), but it's impossible to argue with success.  And when you don't pay the rent, you don't get to argue about how the property is maintained. Seriously. 

Although I've certainly gone walkabout in posts occasionally, I'm fine with my posts being deleted if deemed unrelated to the thread or counterproductive to the overall goals of the forum/owners.  Remind yourself that these folks are in business to do some good, but also need to survive as a company.  That means being concerned about how advertisers are going to feel about unreasonable or hostile comments.  There is no free speech in the private sector.

Marty, Well said. We all need to say thanks to the OGR staff, sponsors and members for making this forum a great place to hang out and learn.

Marty, what a great thread!

August 3 will mark 20 years from when I have joined the OGR Forum.  Where has the time gone?

This place remains the premier site for O Gauge information. I cannot imagine where I would be today with out the fun, the knowledge and the comradery that I have garnered from this group.  I hold the OGR management in the highest respect for providing this place for all of us to interact. I only can hope that I have imparted a little knowledge.  I have certainly gained  much more knowledge from others than I can even imagine.

Before the OGR Forum, I was a "lone wolf" O Gauger. I could never say that I had train friends all over the country that I may see only once or twice a year, but talk to them almost daily.  Now, I do not hesitate to say that.

My heartfelt thanks and respect go out to Rich, Alan, Allan, Ed and Jim.

Thank you sponsors for your continued support.

Lastly, thank you present and past members of the Forum.  Your willingness to share knowledge and information has made the Forum the great place it is.  

Peter

Marty E, very well said, I totally agree with everything that has been said.  I love this place and I'm so glad I found it.  It's one of the best sites that I'm a member of.

Thanks for starting it.

MartyE:

Thanks for starting this thread!

Like others above, I also agree 100% with all that you said!!

I'm going on 18 years membership here on the OGR Forum.

I also want to thank you for your participation over the years as well. I always make sure to read your posts with great interest.

Best regards,

Stan

"As a long time member, going on 20 years now, I would just like to take a few minutes to thank the OGR forum.  Members, Sponsors, and the OGR Magazine Staff that keep it going.  The last few months have been tough on a lot of people but coming here and being able to leave most of that behind has been a blessing.  While we couldn't ignore it all together because it does impact our hobby and the train shows and meets, for the most part the administrators have done a good job of keeping the conversation relevant when they needed to be and at the same time keeping the drama from getting out of hand the best they can."

Marty hit it on the head!

I'm approaching twenty years here, too.  It has been  great place to learn.  Thanks, OGR.

But, truthfully, the ONLY way to thank OGR for this Forum is to SUBSCRIBE to the OGR magazine & buy goodies from the OGR store.  And, while you're at it, re-up your subscription to CTT, too.  Subscribing to the mags is a minor, humble, yet important way to support this, our great hobby.

Anything less than a subscription is, well, just words.

I don't know .... I might pay extra for Alan and Rich to a PBS pledge style event.  

"If you commit at the $20 level you get an chance to win an OGR mug!" 

In all seriousness, this forum has done a lot for my hobby.  Any way we can support it is important.  It has been a wonderful distraction from my always eat at home, work from home, and drink from home days that now seem endless.   

Subscribe if you haven't to do your part.

I've been a member now for 7 years, it has been quick but packed with knowledge, fellowship and good will and love to all model railroaders.  I'm glad that I was able to discover this forum, I couldn't  have prospered without it.  Thanks to all of you, staff, members and enthusiasts.  -  MARSHELANGELO

Marty, as everyone else has said, words well spoken!..many thanks to the guys that run this program, and the sponsors who keep the lights on....and to the wealth of knowledge found on this forum, .....as a reformed OGR hardened criminal myself, thanks for my parole....I think Alan’s my parole officer, so thanks Alan!...I’ll do my best to behave!...

Pat

Dilly! Dilly!

Bob

@GG1 4877 posted:

I don't know .... I might pay extra for Alan and Rich to a PBS pledge style event.  

"If you commit at the $20 level you get an change to win an OGR mug!" 

 

LOL! Maybe that would be fun to watch.

I just found this thread and I have to say that your kind words about OGR are so very much appreciated!  First, thanks Marty for starting this thread....so kind of you to do so.  I want all of you to know that we realize how we "run" this forum may sometimes not make sense...or seem unfair to some of you.  I get it....decisions we have to make about posts get complicated under certain circumstances and so we do our best to weigh pros and cons and then make the best decision we can....and sometimes that decision is not the best one.  I have second guessed a lot of things since I took the helm.  In any case....this forum is possible because of everyone that is here....the members, the sponsors, the readers, and the "rest of us".  It has not been easy this year and as noted above in some of the posts, we have lost not only friends but relatives (my brother passed in March from this horrible virus).  We have also lost too many of our hobby shops and other outlets that supplied us with our train "fixes".  This makes it tough not only on the hobby but also on the individuals and businesses trying to make a living in this hobby.  In particular, publications are taking a big hit...just look at your bookstore magazine racks and even hobby shop magazine offerings.  Seriously, if you want forums like this to continue someone has to pay for the upkeep, bandwidth, etc.  Social media sites do this with commercials....take a look at Youtube and the ads that pop up while you watch a video...same for Facebook and other sites.  We try not to do that to you.....we have resisted advertising pop-ups and commercial interruptions like Youtube and others impose on you.  So....if you can, magazines in this hobby need your subscriptions.  You will be making an investment in the hobby for yourself because if you buy a subscription, you are doing your part to make sure that you and others will have forums and publications to enjoy in future years.  OK...I always go into my sales mode so please forgive me....  Again, thanks to all of you for your support and friendship over the years.  I hope that everyone will remain healthy and safe so that we all can enjoy the hobby and magazine for many more years to come....

Well said Marty. Alan, thank you for all the hard work you have done to keep the OGR Forum the best in our hobby.

What a wonderful tribute this thread is to this Forum, and its moderators, sponsors and members. It is heartwarming to hear the words of gratitude all of you folks have expressed here.

I will never forget that day in November 2017 when I called OGR Magazine and had my first conversation with Alan Arnold, who listened and spoke to me for 45 minutes and suggested that I visit this Forum. Little did I know that when I took Alan up on his suggestion, that it would dramatically change my life!

Like Peter, I had been a lone wolf as a model railroader, but unlike Peter, model railroading was one of several interests of mine, and well down the list of those interests. 

Alan, when you invited me to check out this Forum, you created a monster! LOL.

What does this Forum mean to me? Many wonderful things: a place to be creative taking photos and videos of the trains and layout and to share my passion for model railroading that has grown exponentially since that November 2017 day; a place to learn about all aspects of the hobby; a place to share the modest knowledge I have with others; a place to find out who can fix the beloved trains that I can't fix; and a place to visit the websites of our sponsors knowing that if I make a purchase, they will stand behind the product and treat me well and respectfully as their customer. 

However, what is most precious about this Forum is its members. This reminds me of a lyric from one of the songs of The Doors: I have "a feast of friends," thanks to this Forum.

Arnold

Alan, our posts on this thread crossed each other. I just read yours, and want to express my deepest sympathy for the loss of your brother. Arnold.

After reading this thread, I checked my own profile and saw that today, July 30, marks exactly twenty years since I joined.  When I joined, I could not have imagined the resources that I would be able to access over those twenty years.  As amazing as they were even at the beginning, they have just continued to multiply.  The most recent example is the digital archive - amazingly well done and useful in so many ways.  O scale may be a minority compared to HO and N scales but we have the best resources in the hobby in OGR and the OGR Forum. 

@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

............(my brother passed in March from this horrible virus............

Alan,

My condolences to you and your family, very sad.

I know what it is to loose a brother, my "baby" brother (10 years my junior) suddenly passed 2 years ago, and then his wife, my dear sister-in-law, passed this April at only 54. With the virus we couldn't even have a Mass or memorial for her. Could not even get out of the car at the cemetery. 

Again, my condolences to you and your family. Thoughts and prayers to everyone struggling, in one way or another, with this virus. I pray for a quick miracle therapeutic and vaccine to end it all.

This forum offers a small escape from all that is happening.

Alan, my sympathy for the loss of your brother!  It has been a tough year, indeed!  I do want to say that I took on the digital subscription in addition to the print subscription a couple years ago, just to show my support.  For all that I type here, I very rarely look at the digital subscription.  I'm an old fashioned (I guess that term is old fashioned now; I should say old school or retro) paper reader!  I've had a few posts deleted.  I right away realized I had gone off topic in each case.  I assist administering a fairly large Facebook group.  Moderating a group can be difficult.  We have discussions often about whether something should stay or go, and unfortunately if a belligerent member should stay or go.  I've even been guilty on perpetuating a thread that breaks the rules on that group.  As I do here, I confess my sin to the group, and know I am forgiven by them.  Thank you again to everyone !!!!!

@Lionelski posted:

Alan,

My condolences to you and your family, very sad.

I know what it is to loose a brother, my "baby" brother (10 years my junior) suddenly past 2 1/2 years ago, and then his wife, my dear sister-in-law, passed this April at only 54. With the virus we couldn't even have a Mass or memorial for her. Could not even get out of the car at the cemetery. 

 

Ski, In the risk of going off topic, My 94-year old aunt passed on in mid March, but it was from the aging process.  I couldn't get her nursing home pastor to officiate the funeral, the assistant funeral director officiated.  My wife and I, brother, sister and her husband, and one of my daughters and her husband were the only ones to attend.  Our Mum couldn't even attend her sister's funeral, though her memory is so bad, she can't remember her sister and brother passed on.  Maybe for the best.

Alan, I know it had to be difficult for you and your family!!

Thanks guys for the nice comments....  The purpose of my post was not to discuss the loss of a loved one to a virus..probably should not have mentioned it so to be fair, lets keep this discussion on Marty's topic....I liked it better...

Sorry Alan. Sometimes it is hard not to say things that you sort of need to share.

To get back on topic, why not share something that delights my Friday's and weekends. I don't remember when exactly it was(years ago I guess), but I stumbled upon Scott Smith's weekend photo fun thread. There is always plenty to see and it is all over trains(real or models) and fun. Have a look.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...c/148957538610983910

Very well stated, Marty!  Though I would find Alan on a PBS pledge style event hilarious (in a good way)! 

This forum is one of the few places available where one can go to get away from things and focus on something fun.  

I'm grateful for it and all of you!

-Greg

Good points Marty!

Imo,  this is still the forum with the easiest format to read and navigate, and most of all, its pop up free.

When you realize it's most of the same folks, posting the same topics, on other forums . You might as well hang out here.

I agree with you about that "Alex guy". One of the nicest, as well as most helpful, people in the hobby.

If he goes,I go.....lol!

I joined in 2009.  This is the best forum with the friendliest and most knowledgeable members.   I may not post much, but I visit multiple times everyday.

Thank you so much for providing the premier O Gauge forum.

Just bought a digital subscription. Been meaning too for a while. Well worth the price.

Bob

This coming early November will mark 20 years that I've been a Forum member.  I had hesitated at first to join way back then when I saw it being advertised the magazine.  Then I thought about it and took the plunge.  It's been a fun ride all this time and I truly enjoy reading the various topics on a daily basis.  

We musn't forget to mention Jim Barrett who in those early days was on the system constantly answering questions directly to the poster.   I remember well Jim answering a question I asked regarding how to setup a roundhouse and its radial track.  

Over the years we've had many great people who made up this forum answering questions daily who either passed away or for some reason simply dropped away.   They were on here so often throughout the day, I was starting to suspect that they were being paid to do this as no way they could have been holding a real job as well!  LOL.   

The Forum has been a great place to seek refuge from the world around us to simply enjoy one another's company while learning something new, solving a problem or watching a great video.  I've learned a lot during this time and I only wish to express my appreciation to the entire staff of the OGR forum for all of their hard work during these past 20 years.

Job well done!

Just re-upped my digital subscription. We need to support the hobby. OGR has always been a marking point in the hobby for me. I love looking back at the old issues for that reason. 

@RickO posted:

Good points Marty!

Imo,  this is still the forum with the easiest format to read and navigate, and most of all, its pop up free.

When you realize it's most of the same folks, posting the same topics, on other forums . You might as well hang out here.

I agree with you about that "Alex guy". One of the nicest, as well as most helpful, people in the hobby.

If he goes,I go.....lol!

Rick

I've seen the same thing across the forums I visit.  A lot of the topics that are posted here are also posted in other forums.  Not that it's a bad thing.  Some folks are not members here but most of them read OGR and often post things of interest on the other forums.  Great to see sharing of information but hands down the OGR forum has the most vast collection of information collected over 20 years.  

I belong to a few forums and they each offer something unique but OGR by far offers the most in volume and technical help.  

Marty and Rick, I agree with both of you.  I see many things posted here that are posted elsewhere.  However the format here and the wealth of information makes OGR my go-to place.

My Hats off to you Marty and others who’s been here for over 20 Years. The 26 of this month I’ve been here just 5 years and it’s been great best forum I’ve ever been on with great people. That should tell you something about a forum that can keep so many members for over 20 years and some of them have been post every week since day one I bet. I also want to thank OGR for having me and running a tight ship with a no nonsense attitude thanks.  

@Mark Boyce posted:

 However the format here and the wealth of information makes OGR my go-to place.

I feel the same way Mark, except that I don't even try to frequent any other 3-rail oriented forum. Everything I would ever need to learn/etc is found right here. I also feel like I "know" a lot of you here.

Been here nigh-on 20 years (20 years this November)... and I ain't goin' nowhere! (Ain't y'all lucky??)

I mean, I'm not of sayin' that "if it ain't OGR... it ain't poop!"... but yeah... I sort'a am.

Andre

I stopped participating in other on-line forums, even the two that I moderated, shortly after I joined this one. 

Everything I want is here, and without the drama and bickering.

Me too. This is my one and only Forum of any kind, except for occasionally visiting and posting on Facebook. However, I share nothing about model railroading or trains on Facebook.

Not that there is anything wrong with participating in another model train Forum. It's just that this Forum fills all my needs to share on-line with others about our hobby.  Arnold

I can’t think of any thing that hasn’t already been said, except for my personal experience that I have mentioned many times here. 

Joining this Forum has expanded my fun in this great hobby exponentially. I’ve met many friends here, a lot who have become like family. From this Forum I had joined the Northern Central High Railers, where we visit each other’s homes and layouts monthly and eat, drink, run trains and tell lies all night long. And it wasn’t just us guys either, our spouses and kids also joined in and we have a blast!  Unfortunately, Lynley and I moved across country but we miss everyone and stay in touch when we can. 

Also, the great Thursday night gatherings at York, breaking bread with the OGR Universe and magazine leadership, attending the New Jersey High Railers events and all the great friendships we’ve developed. 

All you guys have become a fun part of life and can’t wait to share my layout progress with you all, either here or in person!!

And for all that I say Thank You. To all the Forum members and OGR Magazine. 

Enough! I get the point!  

You all convinced me to get off my freeloading duff: I'm now a 2-year print/digital OGR subscriber. Better later than never(er).

- The Other Guy

Marty: A little late but you hit the nail square on the head with your comments and feelings about this forum. During the four year span that my trains were packed due to a move a basement finishing all I had was this forum. I have been here 10 years but learned so much and meet great folks and even hurt when we lost some of those folks and outside of this forum we never met. Thank you so very much for starting this thread. I forget who mentioned “Weekend Photo Fun Feast” and Scott. Several years back while visiting our daughter in Roanoke VA was in a friends store The Rail Yard and met Scott and his son Josh great kid and both great people. 

Alan and Rich and everyone else associated with O Gauge Magazine a Hats Off to all of you for a great magazine and forum. Like Mark I am a little old school and like paper but also have a digital subscription and never used it. May even be up for renewal right now and will renew. 

@redjimmy1955 posted:

No group hug from me...lol!

Just a fist bump and telling tall tales over beer, wine, scotch....whatever. Some salty sailor adjectives allowed!

Elbow bump is all we are allowed here😉 

We would all be in big trouble without the OGR Forum as a place to exchange problems, solutions, ideas, and much more. Was able to drop a member a note who was surprised. 

Unseen times in life and the hobby!

@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

I just found this thread and I have to say that your kind words about OGR are so very much appreciated!  First, thanks Marty for starting this thread....so kind of you to do so."  

"I hope that everyone will remain healthy and safe so that we all can enjoy the hobby and magazine for many more years to come...."

Oh no, the guy behind the curtain knows we're onto him! As he says, subscribe if you can so we continue to have this available to us.

With Thanksgiving upon us I thought this would be a good time to bump this thread and again say thanks to the OGR staff, forum sponsors, and most importantly my fellow members.  This tough year has been a wee bit smoother with a place to come to to read, see, and talk trains.

Stay safe everyone and have a...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amen!

Thank you!

Peter

Thanks to everyone on this forum!  Especially those who have answered my questions.  A big shout out to MartyE and Gunrunnerjohn!  I’m humbled by your patience and knowledge.

Glad to be here.  Thank you to the gang at OGR.

Thank you Marty for kicking us off again on thank you to OGR.

I am so thankful for so much even as we all struggle with new problems.  OGR magazine and Forum is a lifeblood to me.  I am thankful for all the staff and all members!  You mean more to me than I can express!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Yes, indeed. Agree with all of the sentiments posted above. The OGR Forum is truly a one-stop shop. I look at it as a place to expand knowledge, benefit from the fantastic how-to and other technical advice on fixing trains, and also learn about real railroading from some of the experts here. Add in the For Sale Forum which is a great bonus. And last but not least, simply a fun place to escape to from the daily grind.

So thanks to the OGR Team, the advertisers and of course the hundreds (thousands?) of posters who make this the single best O gauge resource to be found.

I have been a member for two years but have limited my participation to a few months per year due to other activities.  Without saying, this year has been an anomaly.  OGR has been a respite from the madness and I  am indebted to the staff and our members here.  THANK YOU!

I'm glad you resurrected this thread Marty, I somehow missed it before.  Excellent points made by all, and it's been a wild ride.  I'm somewhat of a "Johnny come lately", having been here about ten years, but they've been very good years.   I'm really missing the personal contacts from "way back then" when there were train shows, but seeing friends old and new here helps fill the void.

Thanks Marty

You said it well !  I agree 100% 

Thanks Marty for putting this up!

Its is people like you and many others here that make this a joy to visit and see what is going on and to get HELP! LOL I have been here just over 8 years now and when I came here I knew nothing about model trains just they went round and round. Boy was I wrong! Thanks to this forum and many of the members here I have learned so much, more then I ever knew went into the hobby. The funny thing with all the great people here nobody told me about the large amount of $$$$$ it takes.LOL

I really love this forum and the folks here that run it, all the wonderful advertisers, the post from which I learn from, But most of all the friendships I have built here.

Thanks again Alan and Marty for bring this to the front again!

Well said, Marty.

Thanks for bumping this one, Marty.

There’s no question that 2020 will go down in history as a lousy year. The China Virus, riots in many cities, political games being played on both sides to the detriment of all of us, and the final insult...Jim Barrett’s passing. Yet with all of that, this forum soldiers on, with new and interesting posts every day.

I’ve said this before, and it bears repeating: this forum enjoys the fellowship of a truly great group of people! And make no mistake...it is YOU FOLKS who make this forum such a great place to be. Alan, I, and a few other moderators have to do a little “housecleaning” once in a while, but that’s a small price to pay for enjoying the company of such a great group of folks.

Many thanks to all of you, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the reminder, Marty. This forum is as much a part of my day as going to the train room is. Most of my train room is the result of knowledge taken from the forum and applied there. I feel like I have a personal relationship with many members and all the staff, even though never having met them. My thanks to them all. The best way to really say thanks to OGR is to put one of those blue banners up next to your name. Let's get to it.

Everyone above me has said it all, this is the most fun place to be when time allows. There’s so many great folks here, so much knowledge, so much creativity, so much of simply everything related to our train hobby. Thank you Martye for bringing back this fun to read thread and thank you Rich Melvin for all of the hard work and years of service to this hobby, you are truly a leader and ambassador of the hobby, and to everyone at OGR for their time and contributions, you all are Amazing. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, we are truly blessed.

Well if nothing else, I'm bumping this thread again to thank the OGR Forum staff, sponsors, and especially the members for making this the Best Place on the Web to talk toy trains.  I think we can take for granted the shear number of participants here and the number of threads and replies a day that get posted.  I can only imagine what a huge task it is to keep everything running smoothly. 

This forum has the ears of the manufacturer's and retailers.  They actively participate and are a big part of what makes the forum chug, chug, chug along.

A lot has been written in the posts before this.  I encourage you to go back and read them.  I also encourage you to support the forum either through a subscription, being a supporting member, buying from the sponsors, or just letting folks know about it.

As we are hopefully coming out of a rough 2 years, trains and the OGR forum family has been a big help in passing the time.  Again thanks to all!

Well said Marty. Thanks for all your contributions to the forum over the years.

I've been a member since 2004. That says it all. Great place. Mark

i've been a member for about a year and a half, i've learned alot by asking questions and reading the posts and from the incredible photos by all the members. thanks to all

Well said, Marty.

(And, you're one of the good guys here)

Well said!

Peter

Marty well said!

This forum is the best , i call this my peaceful happy place.

Alex

My CAB2 was updated because of this forum after seeing your invitation on here a few years ago, @MartyE. 

Thanks again!

@MartyE posted:

Well if nothing else, I'm bumping this thread again to thank the OGR Forum staff, sponsors, and especially the members for making this the Best Place on the Web to talk toy trains. 

Not just "toy" trains, but scale stuff as well.  😊

The interest in vintage 2 rail seems very strong here, with lots of very knowledgeable people. 👍

Mark in Oregon

@Captain John posted:

Well said Marty. Thanks for all your contributions to the forum over the years.

@Larry Mullen posted:

My CAB2 was updated because of this forum after seeing your invitation on here a few years ago, @MartyE.

Thanks again!

Thanks.  The thing I like the best is there is no lack of willingness to help here from everyone.  The entire forum benefits from it's own membership.

Marty Thanks for the bump! we forget sometimes what we have here.

I checked and I just passed 15 years as a member! Even when I'm not active(no layout) I login to see what is going on and check out what the sponsors are doing always going to the sponsor sites from the banner.  I think I can safely say without this forum I would have left the hobby once again as I did as a kid. It has kept my interest going through good times and tough times.

I am actually retiring on April 15th. Working on building my crappy basement layout in my 107 year old house.

@MartyE, I couldn't agree more. Recently a bunch of us have been talking about gearbox issues on Lionel's K4 engines, and that it also seems there are others in that mix as well. H10's and Mikado's and probably also Pacific's. The gearbox seems to have play on the gears inside and will eventually lead to a messy end.

If I wasn't following one of those that I follow, this would have been noticed by me quite a while later, and probably would have been a major fix when that later would come. I plan on sending out my H10 along with one of the newest Pacific's to have it get looked at. The H10 will definitely need the fix as the gearbox is in the fail category since it is the old K-Line design like the K4'S.

This all has to do with these particular engines being of the old K-Line variety and a modified gearbox which allows slippage on the gears and such. Some models may be affected more than others depending on a lot of factors, mainly how much they turn on their perspective layouts as well as usage. Hopefully when mine gets down to where it is going, further assessments and updates will be noted and solutions put in place.

God I love this forum.

Interesting thread and I've returned to posting on the first O-scale forum I joined 8 years ago and it feels pretty good to be back. I just became a digital subscriber and find that this has become my go-to forum again. I'm involved in other activities, so don't spend quite as much time with the trains. But I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and the promptness of the responses here. The members and administrators are great! Thank you.

Super new to the forum. Trying to learn the navigation of it all. I need to take a few days off work and just dig thru this forum. lol

I've seen a few familiar faces and tons of new ones. Everybody has been great. You can have a huge layout, small layout or no layout. You can spend $ or $$$$$$. We are all train hobbyist at heart.

Meet OGR's newest digital and print subscriber. I better like it or I am coming to haunt all your layouts.

Thank you Marty for bumping this thread!  I've been on other forums, e-mail groups, and FaceBook groups; but this one surpasses them all by far.  A reflection: Shortly after this thread took a hiatus, I was invited to check out another forum.  Many of their members think that one is great, but I spend almost all my time here.  Great contributions OGR staff, forum members, and sponsors!!!

Mark glad you’re here. I like to think all forums have something to offer. I belong to a few and read even more. I get something from each but OGR by far has most in one place.

I have friends on others as well, many of them belong here too. It’s a big tent as Bearlead used to say.