Lately, I have been wanting to resubscribe to one of the popular train magazines but I am in a predicament. My predicament is that I can't decide which one I should choose. I know it is ironic that I am asking this question on the forum section of the O Gauge Trains magazine. Anyway, let me know how y'all feel about it and what y'all's opinions are on both CTT and O Gauge Trains magazines. Thanks and have a good day!
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Before this thread is SHUTDOWN; this is a decision you need to make for yourself.
Something of a crazy question ... buy a copy of each, read them and then decide.
I'm a long-term subscriber to both ... and have subs continuing well into the future. So, I think you should subscribe to both.
First of all, I am a two railer. I read, MR, RMC, Narrow Gauge Gazette, (in my opinion the best) OGR, and OST. My most humble opinion.
Dick
@AlanRail posted:Before this thread is SHUTDOWN; this is a decision you need to make for yourself.
May I ask, have I done something wrong or violated the forum rules by asking this question? I ask this so that in the future I can make sure to not make the same mistake.
Also, @rthomps I wish I could but currently, I am in a tight spot and cannot fully commit to doing something like that right now. I probably will when things die down and when I quit looking at Lionel catalogs.
I subscribe to both OGR and CTT
I subscribe to none. Gave up on CTT about 15 years ago when they told me that their readers were not interested in articles on prewar trains. I figured if they were not going to print articles that I am interested in, no reason to subscribe.
I like both they have interesting articles provide information.
Last month this was discussed in the thread titled MAGAZINES which began on 04/20/20. You may find some of those comments interesting. John
I always felt CTT had a bigger percentage of their concentration on the "TOY" aspect of the hobby, while OGRs coverage leaned more towards the "SCALE" side of the hobby where they originated. (For those who don't know, the magazine was originally entitled "O Scale Railroading" for over 100 issues. It then changed its name and scope to what it is now---"O Gauge Railroading" magazine.)
I've subscribed to both magazines over the years, although I'm not a subscriber at this time.
Many times I just buy whichever magazine has articles that interest me more as I peruse through them at the store. Sometimes I've bought one, but not the other. Sometimes I've bought them both. Sometimes neither interested me enough to earn a sale.
Thanks, everyone for giving me an idea of each magazine. I do have to confess that I have in the past subscribed to CTT but, in my opinion, got scammed because I lost all access to subscriber extras. I tried to contact them but since they go through a third party publisher there is not a direct way the contact CTT. From that, I am a bit sour about them but it has been a while since that incident. Thanks again for y'all's words of opinions and have a great day!
Trainmaster04, so since you already have a good idea as to what CTT is, you can certainly obtain a new, or recent, OGR to review and reach a decision.
@RadioRon posted:Trainmaster04, so since you already have a good idea as to what CTT is, you can certainly obtain a new, or recent, OGR to review and reach a decision.
That is true and I will probably go to my nearest book store and pick up a copy. Really why I made this post is to get an idea of what OGR provides, see if CTT has changed, and also see if there are any other good magazines available.
The one you read.
I answered this question a few months ago. This is the second time we have gone thru this Thread. If you are a collector or operator of pre & postwar trains 1900 to 1969 CTT is the better magazine for you. If are are into collecting and operating the modern trains, OGR is the better magazine for you. if you can afford it, subscribe to both. End of story.
I have subscribed to both OGR and CTT for about 30 years. My suggestion would be to purchase a subscription to OGR - your choice either print or digital.
Curt
The thread has been here for two hours, maybe a record. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:The thread has been here for two hours, maybe a record.
Yeah, John, I saw it a while ago and just couldn't help but smile. I can't be of much help to folks who have a problem determining their own reading preferences, particularly when they want advice related to two publications that compete at some level with the publication that sponsors this forum. I could just close/delete the thread, but perhaps my partner--the other Alan in the organization--might want to check it out first. He's the main honcho.
I was going to suggest buying them all to get the economy jump-started.
OGR is worth it for Alan's editing skills alone!
-Greg
I enjoy both but I do prefer one over the other. It has more of the things in it that I enjoy. If finances are a problem then pick and subscribe the one that meets your interest and put loose change aside for the other at a magazine shop each month.
Heck, there is a simple answer to your question. OGR is the best magazine for you. I say that as a strictly unbiased and neutral editorial "observer" of both magazines
On a more serious level, I strongly believe that O Gauge Railroading consistently comes through for the hobbyist with every issue
in terms of both education and entertainment value.
We can thank both Allan and Alan for that. Their blood, sweat and tears is an essential part of what makes this great magazine and the other things we do in service of the hobby happen on a regular basis.
Proud to be a part of it!
Ed Boyle
Subscribe to both.
.
Vanity Fair
If you are going to continue using this forum, I suggest that you subscribe to the magazine that makes the forum possible - OGR. This forum is the best thing in the O gauge/scale train world and should be supported by the people who use it. NH Joe
Wow! I just leave for over an hour and I find over 10 alerts for my post! Thanks again OGR faculty for not deleting my thread, since I have not seen the other thread on this topic, and thank you everyone for giving me y'all's honest opinions and reasoning. After reading y'all's posts I have concluded that it would be best to get both since I both collect and run modern era products. Thanks again and happy railroading!
Sounds like a sensible decision. That's what I do: subscribe to both. Sure there are issues of each that are more or less interesting to me, but supporting hobby journalism is something I consider worthwhile in and of itself. The hobby would be much the poorer without one or the other. Thus if you can afford it, by all means, subscribe to both as they serve overlapping but slightly different interests. I find at least one or two articles of interest in every single issue of each.
@Trainmaster04 posted:
Also, @rthomps I wish I could but currently, I am in a tight spot and cannot fully commit to doing something like that right now. I probably will when things die down and when I quit looking at Lionel catalogs.
If the cost of subscribing to 2 magazines tests your financial stability, you probably have more important things to take care of than model trains.
Only you can decide that, depends on what you are looking for. To me OGRR is more about building layouts of various kinds and equipment reviews, CTT tends to be more about collecting and nostalgia. I get both but if I had to do one, likely would be OGRR. I also read Model Railroader because I appreciate seeing what others do in other scales, plus the magazine is an old friend, been reading it for a long time.
I subscribed to 3 and appreciate them all. OCG, CCT, O Scale and read online O Scale Resources. Which is best is one owe taste. I do both 2 and 3 rail plus HO. I just try to enjoy my hobby.
@mwb posted:If the cost of subscribing to 2 magazines tests your financial stability, you probably have more important things to take care of than model trains.
I am 16 and work four jobs to get trains. Why I am in the "hole" is because I pre-ordered Lionel's U.P. 119, with the matching passenger cars, and since that is a big-ticket item, and me being 16, takes me a long time to reach that price. In other words, no worries I am not going to lose power or a roof. Probably not until 18-19.
I'm not sure about magazines but I can tell you for a fact that RC cola is better than Coke or Pepsi.
Coke is a bit to carmaly, Pepsi is a bit too sweet.
@New Haven Joe posted:If you are going to continue using this forum, I suggest that you subscribe to the magazine that makes the forum possible - OGR. This forum is the best thing in the O gauge/scale train world and should be supported by the people who use it. NH Joe
Best answer IMO. One needs to give consideration to the one who provides their "voice".
Being primarily a 2 railer, CToyT does not do anything for me.
OGR covers a broader 0 gauge/0 scale field.
Trainmaster-thanks for the great post!
Ed is right: "OGR is the best magazine for you" and Rick is right about RC Cola! 
Glad to have a 16 year old in the hobby!
If I could only have one, OGR would be it. Why? The people running it are down to earth decent people that sincerely try to do their best for the O gauge community. The quality of this forum is proof of that.
I don't care much for CTT, my interest is more to scale stuff and realistic layouts depicting believable places and scenes. OGR does that better than CTT by a long shot. but if you are a collector of odd old stuff, maybe CTT is for you.
Then too if you are serious modeler, you might want to consider one of the scale modeling magazines too.
I buy both. This clearly is the best forum.
Just curious, did you also post this on the CTT forum?
I didn't see it there just now, but maybe it was there and deleted already?
You would think you would get a better cross section by asking the same question on both.
-Dave
@Dave45681 posted:Just curious, did you also post this on the CTT forum?
I didn't see it there just now, but maybe it was there and deleted already?
You would think you would get a better cross section by asking the same question on both.
-Dave
No, I had no idea that CTT has a forum. I always knew about this great forum from Eric's Trains.
@Trainmaster04 posted:No, I had no idea that CTT has a forum. I always knew about this great forum from Eric's Trains.
Well there you go!!!!!! Why not subscribe to the the magazine that supports this forum, which is absolutely the best O Gauge Forum on the internet, and where you have been participating and getting so many answers? To answer your subject title; OGR! Period.
@Hot Water posted:Well there you go!!!!!! Why not subscribe to the the magazine that supports this forum, which is absolutely the best O Gauge Forum on the internet, and where you have been participating and getting so many answers? To answer your subject title; OGR! Period.
Thanks, I plan on subscribing to OGR first and then CTT when money prohibits.
@Trainmaster04 posted:Thanks, I plan on subscribing to OGR first and then CTT when money prohibits.
Just my personal opinion,,,,,,,I wouldn't bother with CTT, unless you are into the really old Lionel "collector stuff". In my opinion, OGR is more about MODELING.
@phrankenstign posted:I always felt CTT had a bigger percentage of their concentration on the "TOY" aspect of the hobby, while OGRs coverage leaned more towards the "SCALE" side of the hobby where they originated. (For those who don't know, the magazine was originally entitled "O Scale Railroading" for over 100 issues. It then changed its name and scope to what it is now---"O Gauge Railroading" magazine.)
I've subscribed to both magazines over the years, although I'm not a subscriber at this time.
Many times I just buy whichever magazine has articles that interest me more as I peruse through them at the store. Sometimes I've bought one, but not the other. Sometimes I've bought them both. Sometimes neither interested me enough to earn a sale.
I agree with phrankenstein. I subscribe to both for different reasons. CTT for the toy train aspect and O Gauge for the scale and layout articles. Depends on where you interests are. Both do reviews CTT started out as a mostly Lionel Postwar magazine with a lot of repair articles and like stated above O Gauge was a Scale magazine.
@RickO posted:I'm not sure about magazines but I can tell you for a fact that RC cola is better than Coke or Pepsi.
Coke is a bit to carmaly, Pepsi is a bit too sweet.
Especially with a Moon Pie! 😉
Curt
Just like the age-old dilemma of Ginger or Mary Ann. The correct answer is "both".
Old story here: Choose the one that best suits YOUR needs! End of story! Must admit though it was a little "cheeky" to ask that question on the forum sponsored by the OGR magazine!
@Tinplate Art posted:Old story here: Choose the one that best suits YOUR needs! End of story! Must admit though it was a little "cheeky" to ask that question on the OGR Forum!
I will admit that I was not trying to show any cheekiness when I made the post but instead was just asking a general question. Thanks for your input!
I guess I meant that more humorously than it came out! NO offense intended! :-)
Pepsi cola hits the spot. 12 full oz's that's a lot, twice as much for a nickel too, Pepsi Cola is the drink for you. Sorry, but I am a COKE drinker.
I find this amazing.
This is like going to the Chevy dealer and asking them what they think of Fords.
@eddie g posted:Pepsi cola hits the spot. 12 full oz's that's a lot, twice as much for a nickel too, Pepsi Cola is the drink for you. Sorry, but I am a COKE drinker.
Another heathen. All cola epicures know that Dr. Pepper is best 
Rich, We've been hold up in our homes too long. Me over 2 months now. We are all slowly going crazy.
Rich, it sounds like a silly put on to me. Don
This question has been asked and answered, by me..repeat...l dropped two because they no longer met my needs....MR was into modern diesels and electronics and no longer the construction articles l cared about, CTT was into the nuances of Lionel l didn't care about...l want new and different, but of steam era. As noted above, NG&SLG addresses the short/branch lines l try to model in 3 rail, OGR addresses a much broader spectrum of three rail, and into two rail that sometimes l can use. Fly before you buy. Read a couple of each before subscribing. I have picked up RMC occasionally because it seems closer to what MR once was. Oh, as a kid l drank enough RC to float a freight car...and haven't even seen it in a store in years..
@juniata guy posted:Especially with a Moon Pie! 😉
Curt
Yes what is an RC Cola without the Moon Pie/ Absolutely the best, shame that here in PA I cant find either must be a Southern thing. Breaking out of jail next week and heading to GA maybe I can find mea RC Cola and Moon Pie there.
Personalty I give high respect for this post to be continuing .. some company's pay 100's of thousand of dollars to know . why or why not .. or which one that a person prefers... daniel
@Allan Miller posted:Yeah, John, I saw it a while ago and just couldn't help but smile. I can't be of much help to folks who have a problem determining their own reading preferences, particularly when they want advice related to two publications that compete at some level with the publication that sponsors this forum. I could just close/delete the thread, but perhaps my partner--the other Alan in the organization--might want to check it out first. He's the main honcho.
I'm glad that Alan and you haven't deleted the thread. It shows that you're confident in the value of your product and that your subscribers will show their support by pointing out your product's superior virtues. Well done.
I subscribed to both. OGR provides more layout details than CTT. I received the latest CTT last week which was only 64 pages cover to cover. Sad to see both magazines dwindling in size, just a reflection of the state of our hobby. So what can we do, subscribe to both, read them then pass them along to your local barber shop, library or your local doctors office.
In my opinion OGR and this forum can't be beat.
@Hot Water posted:Just my personal opinion,,,,,,,I wouldn't bother with CTT, unless you are into the really old Lionel "collector stuff". In my opinion, OGR is more about MODELING.
I agree with a hot Water, I subscribe to both, but I don’t know how many more Lionel dealer layout articles or a recap of what was new in 1952 I can consume...well befor I was born.....and I am not young.
@RJT posted:Yes what is an RC Cola without the Moon Pie/ Absolutely the best, shame that here in PA I cant find either must be a Southern thing. Breaking out of jail next week and heading to GA maybe I can find mea RC Cola and Moon Pie there.
Rick:
A few years ago; I had a colleague from Sweden with me to attend a meeting at a production site just outside Mobile. While waiting in the airport for our flight back to Atlanta, I introduced him to Moon Pies. He liked them so much that when he got back home to Stockholm, he emailed me for the address of the company that bakes Moon Pies. He ended up ordering a case of the chocolate and another of the vanilla.
Couldn’t get RC Cola shipped to Sweden though.
Curt
@Tinplate Art posted:I guess I meant that more humorously than it came out! NO offense intended! :-)
None taken.
@juniata guy posted:Rick:
A few years ago; I had a colleague from Sweden with me to attend a meeting at a production site just outside Mobile. While waiting in the airport for our flight back to Atlanta, I introduced him to Moon Pies. He liked them so much that when he got back home to Stockholm, he emailed me for the address of the company that bakes Moon Pies. He ended up ordering a case of the chocolate and another of the vanilla.
Couldn’t get RC Cola shipped to Sweden though.
Curt
I guess you can say that instead of the Southern serves the South the Southern serves Sweeden! Cheers, y'all!
@RickO posted:I'm not sure about magazines but I can tell you for a fact that RC cola is better than Coke or Pepsi. Coke is a bit to carmaly, Pepsi is a bit too sweet.
They still brew that stuff??
First, let me state that I am primarily a scale "three-railer" running on only two rails, the third "rail" is about sixteen feet above and over the center of the track; in other words a trolley modeller. When I would visit a friend up north, I would read both as he subscribes to both. I am also a member of several model train forums, each good in their own way. So, to continue, I recently decided to subscribe to both the print and digital OGR magazine for two years, I will decide which I like better then and continue that one. Why OGR? Well, CTT, although an interesting casual read, did not really do anything for me as I have no real interest in the older "toy" trains. OGR, on the other hand, does . In run 311 there is a photo of a trolley (derailed, see if you can find it!) that is the same model as one that I started with. All-in-all, with what you have posted, I think that OGR will be the best for you. Oh, and welcome to hobby.
@Rich Melvin posted:I find this amazing.
This is like going to the Chevy dealer and asking them what they think of Fords.
You do realize the OP is 16 yrs old right? If so, it's perfectly understandable why he posited the question.
-Greg
@Greg Houser posted:You do realize the OP is 16 yrs old right? If so, it's perfectly understandable why he posited the question.
-Greg
Thanks for standing up for me and being understanding. Yes, thinking back this has not been one of my brightest threads. As they say, hindsight is 20 20 and I want to say sorry to the faculty of OGR if I have caused any problems. Truly I am sorry and if you want to end this thread then by all means. Thanks for not doing it by this point. Oh well, I am just glad that the thread was not taken over, some of you guys enjoyed it, and the discussion of trains flourished.
@Hot Water posted:Well there you go!!!!!! Why not subscribe to the the magazine that supports this forum, which is absolutely the best O Gauge Forum on the internet, and where you have been participating and getting so many answers? To answer your subject title; OGR! Period.
Boom. Here is the answer.
Honestly, my first opinion (and likely that of many others) was "how can you ask that question here?" However, asked honestly, and not to start some "us vs them" battle (as definitely seems the case), the answer to "how can you ask that question here?" should be "why not?" OGR certainly isn't going to lose any readership over it, and it allows many of their readers to express why it's THEIR choice. As someone else previously mentioned, many companies spend tons of dollars for this sort of insight into their customer base, and here it's being provided free of charge.
Different people get different things out of the hobby. What may be fascinating to one reader may be of no interest to another. Some folks just run out and buy whatever strikes their fancy from a manufacturer's new catalog, many of which may never see time out of their box, while others spend countless hours modifying things, building structures, wiring trackwork, etc... Some own nothing made this century, and delight in the ozone-laced air of their aged machines. Each takes away what THEY find enjoyable, and the hobby is big enough to encompass all of them.
Much good guidance has already been giving by others over what aspects of the hobby are covered more in-depth by each magazine, but Panico's Brick Oven Pizza in New Brunswick, NJ has both some excellent thin-crust pizza AND RC Cola on tap!
I enjoy both Magazines, Full Stop. However, the OGR digital subscription is by far the best value, Its bonus section provides additional pictures and content that is not included in the print edition, plus you have access to the entire back history of every OGR published. Lots of great content to read and learn from.
If you are having difficulty purchasing 2 subscriptions....ouch. It only gets more costly from there. I have both and will transfer the rest of one of them to you. I think I have 1 or 2 years on it. Send me your email and purchase the other subscription. FYI, my success in acquisition , design and execution is based on these magazines and forum. Tall buildings is my preference. Hint.
Seriously?
I have scripts to both and pick up tips and tricks from both they are priceless investments for our hobby.
@New Haven Joe posted:If you are going to continue using this forum, I suggest that you subscribe to the magazine that makes the forum possible - OGR. This forum is the best thing in the O gauge/scale train world and should be supported by the people who use it. NH Joe
I totally agree with New Haven Joe. Arnold
Again, thanks everyone for posting y'all's comments! Also, it is official, I subscribed to OGR last night and can't wait to get the first issues!
@Bryant Dunivan 111417 Thanks for the offer but no thanks. I appreciate the offer very much. I will say the only reason why I am in the "hole" is that I do not have a lot of "loose" change outside of me saving to pay for a pre-order from Lionel.
Everyone thanks again and, again, sorry to the faculty of OGR if I have offended y'all or caused any problems.
I no longer get either, but one thing is for sure, this forum is FAR more active and informative.
I find value in both CTT and OGR, and if it wasn't for Kalmbach and CTT back in the late '80s, I don't know if this hobby and OGR would have had the boost that have helped rocket them to success. I do miss the old Myron Biggar days of OGR, and honestly I treasure my issues from that era. It was an era of optimism and transition straddling the old and new eras of O gauge trains--and you heard a lot less about zinc pest and failing circuit boards!
CTT is more to my interest but I take both in paper form.
I don't think it's a question of which magazine is better. O Gauge Railroading, Classic Toy Trains, and O Scale Trains all serve different niches.
George
"What magazine should I subscribe to?"... posted to a forum hosted entirely by the magazine O Gauge Railroading.
Seriously? Do you really need to ask?
Let's look at the facts, m'am, just the facts:
Seeing as you're using THIS forum that's generously being financed by OGR for ALL of us to use, paid subscribers or not... and seeing as you're active in O gauge model railroading and you want a quality magazine to read...
You've found it: OGR!!
No brainer.
Andre
Well, actually, I get by fine without subscribing to any hobby magazines, with my O-Gauge trains and model cars, and my model shipbuilding. I go to the Barnes and Noble about once a month and look at all of them and will buy when there is an article I want to keep or an issue looks particularly appealing. I really don't see much difference between OGR and CTT frankly - both are good magazines staffed be people committed to the hobby, as are magazines like Fine Scale Modeler, but I don't subscribe to any.
@Trainmaster04 posted:Thanks, everyone for giving me an idea of each magazine. I do have to confess that I have in the past subscribed to CTT but, in my opinion, got scammed because I lost all access to subscriber extras. I tried to contact them but since they go through a third party publisher there is not a direct way the contact CTT. From that, I am a bit sour about them but it has been a while since that incident. Thanks again for y'all's words of opinions and have a great day!
Huh? Third-party publisher? CTT is published by Kalmbach. Always has been. There is no outside publisher. The company produces all of its magazines.
No way to contact CTT? On page 4 of every issue are the email addresses of staff.
Both magazines are pretty good, but the OGR forum wins for online presence, hands down!
Mitch
One compliments the other (not intentionally of course) and really a personal choice to only pick one. They are both great!
@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:Both magazines are pretty good, but the OGR forum wins for online presence, hands down!
Mitch
There is definitely a lot more traffic on this forum compared to the CTT one. There is a negative aspect to having such a large number of posts per day. New posts sometimes get wiped off the front page of the "RECENT POSTS" list on the right too quickly if nobody comments on them fairly frequently. Since CTT's forum has a much lower average post count per day, that doesn't tend to happen. Again, that's a double-edged sword. There's a bigger chance the majority of the members there will see most posts, but the number of people with helpful knowledge and/or experience is far more limited there.
BOTTOM LINES:
This is like asking which is healthier to eat, apples or oranges.
I'm getting tired of the Classic Toy Trains mantra that the trains are "toys." Considering what I'm paying for engines—shelled out $1,700 for a used engine from Ace Trains in the UK recently—I don't think of them as" toys". Thomas: toy. Others: not so much.
Also, I buy O Gauge trains, and CTT has now started running lots of articles about S Gauge. Not interested.
Bought these a coupla years ago:
Andrew: The toy vs model debate is another example of PERSONAL choice. I consider ALL the hundreds of trains in various gauges I have acquired over at least six decades at ANY price to be recreational TOYS! I also have a good friend who is a collector of fine firearms and he always calls to tell me about his latest TOY acquisition, most recently a Sig Sauer P-210 Target pistol at $1500. LOL!
@Andrew-Porter posted:I'm getting tired of the Classic Toy Trains mantra that the trains are "toys." Considering what I'm paying for engines—shelled out $1,700 for a used engine from Ace Trains in the UK recently—I don't think of them as" toys". Thomas: toy. Others: not so much.
Also, I buy O Gauge trains, and CTT has now started running lots of articles about S Gauge. Not interested.
Nice engines and train collection Andrew. I also like your British and American piston-engine airplanes. It's possible that CTT has recently expanded their coverage of S-gauge due to the demise of a major S-gauge publication. Like you, I consider my trains to be more accurately described as "scale models," not toys, and I do not read CTT. The OGR magazine and Forum are much better aligned with my particular interests and for me have much more to offer than any of the others.
MELGAR
I'm amazed by the number of hobbyists who continue to play the denial game. Unless you are creating diorama displays as art, curating history (in an academic sense, not as a casual fan) or involved in the manufacturing end of the product line, you are playing with toys.
In an overwhelming number of instances, it started when you were a kid and kept at it, becoming more sophisticated, but nonetheless still playing.
All the defenses -- they're too expensive to be toys (a $5,000 ATV is a toy, as is a $1,000 air hockey game), they’re scale models (that you play with just the same as traditional toy trains) and they're operated realistically to represent the real world (but in reality transport no real merchandise to feed, clothe or serve any living people in a make-believe world) -- reveal an insecurity of one's self.
This goes for all model railroaders who crack the throttle to get a thrill about moving trains around.
Accept it. You're just playing.
Possibly, to those adult friends and relatives who hear the words, "scale models", we do not become the target of jokes as we would if we said "toy trains"?
Personally, I see there being toy trains and then there are scale models. To me, I have both and they have their special places. I enjoy them both but it is hard for me not to like modern trains more than the toy collectibles.
@Jim R. posted:I'm amazed by the number of hobbyists who continue to play the denial game. Unless you are creating diorama displays as art, curating history (in an academic sense, not as a casual fan) or involved in the manufacturing end of the product line, you are playing with toys.
In an overwhelming number of instances, it started when you were a kid and kept at it, becoming more sophisticated, but nonetheless still playing.
''''''''''''
Accept it. You're just playing.
You can define your involvement with the hobby however you like, but please don't do it for me. If I build a layout that is realistic in scenery and structures rather than 1950s toy train, the layout is a scale model. If I don't run tinplate or traditionally-sized postwar locomotives and rolling stock, but do run only scale-sized and detailed models, they are scale models, and their cost has nothing to do with it. If I have no 1950s Lionel accessories on my layout, there are no toy accessories. If my trains and layout represent a particular era and railroad, they are realistic beyond just being toys. I couldn't care less about your opinion, but you need to apply it to yourself, not anyone else.
MELGAR
The definition of what we actually are doing with our hobby is indeed a personal choice and cannot be defined by anyone else but ourself.
A little perspective (IMO): In 2011 I traded in my car for a new Ford Raptor that I definitely didn’t need. It was my toy truck.
Then in 2015 I wanted a different toy. Mopar was putting a 707 horsepower motor in a sedan whose top speed is 204 mph. All of which I didn’t need. But it sure is a fun toy. I grin every time I get on it a little.
Some now let me tell you about my model railroad...
Perhaps "toys" are in the eyes of the beholder? My friend, the gun collector, who owns custom pistols costing multiple thousands, still refers to them as toys, yet they are in fact deadly weapons not fit for any child. Neither is a 707 HP auto, yet even my wife referred to her Porsche Boxster as her toy! Go figure!
@Joe Hohmann posted:I no longer get either, but one thing is for sure, this forum is FAR more active and informative.
OMG -Ii you use the form (which is a freebee) - supported by subs to the mag. I cannot believe anyone would be so cheap (& I qualify as cheap/cheap) as to use something the rest of us support by not subing to an excellent mag.
@SURFLINER posted:OMG -Ii you use the form (which is a freebee) - supported by subs to the mag. I cannot believe anyone would be so cheap (& I qualify as cheap/cheap) as to use something the rest of us support by not subing to an excellent mag.
I believe OGR uses vendor advertising income (as seen at the top of this page), OGR sales from newstands income, along with book & video sales income to provide this forum---not just subscription money.
@Rich Melvin posted:I find this amazing.
This is like going to the Chevy dealer and asking them what they think of Fords.
Rich, it may be more like going to the Chevy dealer sales floor and asking thecustomers shopping in the show room what they think of Fords.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit; just realized the OP is 16! I should be more welcoming. Mr. Trainmaster, Welcome to the land of arrested development where adults find enjoyment capturing the thrill of flanged wheel transportation at home in a variety of ways. All ways good!
I am happy for you to have found OGR, it can be a growing experience. Tons of resource, great buying opportunities in the "for sale" dept, encouraging photos, diverse experience. Thanks for hanging in with some of our rebuffing, mine included.
@phrankenstign posted:I believe OGR uses vendor advertising income (as seen at the top of this page), OGR sales from newstands income, along with book & video sales income to provide this forum---not just subscription money.
Yes. agree OGR uses form adv. money to support the form, but - I'll bet my first born & the cat that no mag = no form. "Us'ins" need to support both. I used to sub to CTT & OGR, but (for me) OGR has left CTT in the dust.
I have enjoyed both for decades, and personally feel fortunate that both magazines are available. For me, each frequently adds something different to my pursuit, or, simple enjoyment of the hobby. Sometimes, just learning one "tip" or "trick" can be useful for many, many years.
I've subscribed to both OGR and CTT for many years, almost since the beginning for CTT and since the Biggar/Saslo years for OGR. I also borrow Railroad Model Craftsman and Model Railroader from my library and read them. (As an aside, since I'm also into "real" trains [aren't we all, to at least some extent?], I also read both Classic Trains and Trains magazines, likewise borrowed from the library.)
Stay healthy.
Chris
I've subscribed to and read many different railroad magazines but always come back to OGR as my favorite month after month.
I call my hobby simply "My Layout"
OGR and CTT are both great. I subscribe to both.
Pat
@Tom Tee posted:Rich, it may be more like going to the Chevy dealer sales floor and asking thecustomers shopping in the show room what they think of Fords.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit; just realized the OP is 16! I should be more welcoming. Mr. Trainmaster, Welcome to the land of arrested development where adults find enjoyment capturing the thrill of flanged wheel transportation at home in a variety of ways. All ways good!
I am happy for you to have found OGR, it can be a growing experience. Tons of resource, great buying opportunities in the "for sale" dept, encouraging photos, diverse experience. Thanks for hanging in with some of our rebuffing, mine included.
Thank you for your kind words! I will say that I have been in the hobby a little longer than a lot of you may think. Also, that is the first time anyone has welcomed me into the OGR community for the two years I have been a forum member. Thanks!
OGR and its Forum have become a big part of my interest in model trains. Their positive impact on the O gauge hobby is huge. If you like the hobby and read (or post on) the Forum, it is important to help them out by subscribing to the magazine or digital. Although I don't subscribe to CTT, I have been a subscriber to MR, RMC and OST for quite a few years. OGR most closely reflects my interests and also gives me the opportunity to have my articles in print, which the others do not.
MELGAR
@Trainmaster04 posted:Thank you for your kind words! I will say that I have been in the hobby a little longer than a lot of you may think. Also, that is the first time anyone has welcomed me into the OGR community for the two years I have been a forum member. Thanks!
Then, as a simple suggestion, you might provide some, any, information about yourself, in your Forum Profile (which appears to be completely blank).
I Like both but prefer OGR and have to say OGR is a much better deal if you subscribe digital.
@Hot Water posted:Then, as a simple suggestion, you might provide some, any, information about yourself, in your Forum Profile (which appears to be completely blank).
Sorry I did not fill out my profile sooner. I just got it done and here is a copy of my biography from my profile:
I got started in the hobby when I was around three years old. That was when my dad gave his 1974-1976 Santa Fe Alco FA A-B diesel set where the railroad bug bit me hard, and I mean HARD! From there I was like a sponge soaking up anything and everything trains. That same year my parents got me the 2004 variation of the Polar Express but no passenger cars. When I got my Polar Express I found my love affair with steam and to me, it seemed I could not get enough of steam. Eventually, I got my first layout and I was thrilled with it! At the time, I had a bunk bed and so my dad built me a ceiling layout that ran around my room and the control panel was right by my pillow. As I grew I started to learn more and more, thanks to Eric's Trains, I started to think about expanding into a bigger layout. At the time my family and I had just moved into a house with a shed, which my dad used for storage, and I thought maybe I could convince my parents to help me build a layout in the shed. So I kept that thought in my head for a long time until I was around ten. When I turned ten my dad and I got some wood and built a small layout in that shed. That was when I started to experiment with track scenery and eventually Legacy. Since I started with Lionel trains I always looked towards them in awe and wonder. With that said, I always wanted to get into Legacy from a very young age. When I was around 13 I purchased my first Legacy locomotive. It was a Legacy Southern Pacific ten-wheeler but, at the time, I had nothing to run it with. Thankfully, a friend of mine, at my local hobby shop, gave me his Legacy command set. I was thrilled! So thrilled that I took my bed off of its platform and built a small oval on it just so that I could run that engine! I thought things could not be any better until... One night that year I lost three family members in a row. First, my grandfather, who I did not know but loved, then my great uncle, and, the closest, our family dog Stella who was in our family since I was five. Losing Stella took a toll on me because I blamed myself for her death but God always has a plan. The year was 2017 soon turning into 2018. At the end of 2017, my parents started looking for a bigger house for two reasons. One, my grandmother was reaching an age where she needs some minor help with things. The second, I was running out of space in the shed. Eventually, my parents found a house with four rooms and a big basement. From there my dad and I built the current layout that I have now and my collection has grown at a huge rate! Now I work for a man, who is another train nut, and every Saturday I go over and work on his 36' by 32' layout and catalog over 900 Legacy locomotives. I could have written more but I did not want to bore you out with a 5-page long paper. Thanks for reading and happy railroading!
As far as the blank profile for Mr. TM that may well be a parental encouragement for a rather young man when he would digitally socialize with many folks four times his age.
I would encourage my mid teen son to do the same.
Privacy can be a very wise consideration.
I believe Mr. TM and others like him are the future of our hobby and should be supported, mentored if you may, as best possible.
Ramblings:
In the broader overview we need untold multitudes of young folks to hop on board this choo-choo train to help in the dissolving of our estates. At the rate train collections are coming to market we presently do not have enough surviving modelers to support anticipated sale prices.
OTOH, the depressed resale market will be of great assist for younger folks to buy in.
So maybe in the long run, the dip in sale prices will help bump up the modeling family.
Anyone leaving their trains to younger folks in their will?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit, wow, the above was posted just b/4 mine. I wonder how many more folks like this are out there???
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit #2, check out TM's You Tube site in his profile. This guy has some nice locos and cars!!
Some people get the idea of supporting a business because they both value what it delivers and they want it to survive. The market for print media has turned totally brutal. I have gotten way more out of OGR, CTT and this forum than I can ever repay. The LEAST I can do is subscribe.
IMHO, OGR Forum should also join Patreon. I support several Youtubers who bust their tails to deliver great content. I don't see why OGR Forum shouldn't pull in some voluntary support in addition to the (what must be 100%) support of the magazine.
And finally, I make a point of using OGR forum advertisers. Yea, it's sometimes cheaper on Amazon, but as we learn about what "robber baron Bezos" is doing with Amazon, I hope we might not be so quick to buy there. (though, full dislosure, I do sometimes buy on Amazon).
Good discussion--an important discussion.Don
Don
@dkdkrd posted:BTW....
However, as a staff member (with one week away from retirement as such) of our Local Hobby Shop (LHS), I hope you'll purchase your reading material from your local LHS....Regardless, your LHS welcomes your magazine purchases. You know......the small business trying to survive in tough times....sometimes through no fault of their own?
KD
That is a good point. But an OGR digital subscription can only be delivered on line. And, the nearest train store to me is thirty miles away.
MELGAR
That's a good point, dkdkrd!
I've bought many of my OGR and CTT copies at hobby shops. That's one reason I brought up the fact that OGR used various types of income other than subscriptions to sustain this forum.
I've also bought videos and books at local hobby shops. The fact one can actually browse through the books has helped whet my appetite enough to purchase quite a few over the years. That's a big advantage over just seeing the cover on-line with a short summary of what's in it.
I am glad that you enjoy my YouTube videos! I am currently working on another running session and a product review of the new Menards Tide Soap Factory.
I subscribe to both OGR and CTT but my favorite is OGR. My all time favorite is Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition! Just sayin!
I am currently only subscribing to OGR. I have read it or subscribed to it since the 1980s. I was also a subscriber to CTT from the first issue. If you were a postwar collector, those ear!y issues were gold. But lately I find the magazine is predictable and seems to have lost it's focus
I have to agree with Will, I usually get a subscription to CCT as a gift from my kids. The earlier years were great, It seamed like the magazine used to be almost a half inch thick, but there just isn't as much content in it now to keep my interest like it used to.
Jeff
I have given up on CTT as it just isn't what it use to be. I understand there is just so much you can write about classic trains, but that is what I thought the magazine was suppose to be about, but really isn't but they sure come up with special issues/documentaries about classic trains that they want $12 - $30 a pop for that I feel should be in the magazine. Anyway I now buy OGR and like it better. Oh and they just recently cut another months edition out of the yearly subscription. And as been stated it's been getting on the thin side also. Just doesn't worth it to me anymore.
I might add that there is more info on this forum than you could get out of a couple of decades of reading both magazines. In truth, the ease of posting photos and the ability to post video are game changers for online forums. Take just tinplate for example, my current interest. The extensive photo documentation that forum members post of every conceivable variation by manufacturers I was barely aware of is impressive and couldn't be duplicated in a print magazine.
In fact, I could see OGR going to a digital magazine format in the future where video will be an integral part of every issue. The only thing keeping this from happening now is curating and organizing the material and adding writing and editing.
I subscribe to OGR as much as a payback for the forum as for any content in the magazine itself.
I've been a subscriber to CTT and OGR for a long time. I view CTT like Popular Science and OGR as Popular Mechanics. CTT feels slick and glitzy while OGR is more down to earth with a lot of project ideas! But, you know, I look forward to pouring over both magazines!
@Rich883 posted:I agree with a hot Water, I subscribe to both, but I don’t know how many more Lionel dealer layout articles or a recap of what was new in 1952 I can consume...well befor I was born.....and I am not young.
I actually disagree. CTT for me is an opportunity for the history of Lionel, much of which we will never know. I would rather read about old trains, construction techniques, in depth articles on the many different dealer displays etc. For operating go get your modelling magazines. I collect for the pure toy value and connection to past owners and culture. No interest in electronic sounds, digital control with the lionel stuff.
I gave up on CTT years ago, in disgust when an article pronounced that Lionel's Pacific was a 2-6-4. Settled in on OGR digital because I don't have an accumulation of paper, and because I feel I owe OGR Co. something for their underwriting of this forum, which I enjoy and I'm sure is a costly expenditure for them
@RJR posted:I gave up on CTT years ago, in disgust when an article pronounced that Lionel's Pacific was a 2-6-4. Settled in on OGR digital because I don't have an accumulation of paper, and because I feel I owe OGR Co. something for their underwriting of this forum, which I enjoy and I'm sure is a costly expenditure for them
Also, don't forget that you have the ability to access all past issues from OGR.
You're right, Trainmaster. Unfortunately, I can't search through them. I was trying to dig up an article I had published back when Myron Biggar ran OGR.
@RJR posted:You're right, Trainmaster. Unfortunately, I can't search through them. I was trying to dig up an article I had published back when Myron Biggar ran OGR.
That's a shame. Also, I am very surprised that my old post popped back up. I figured that the firestorm of comments was over but I am mistaken.
@RJR posted:I gave up on CTT years ago, in disgust when an article pronounced that Lionel's Pacific was a 2-6-4. Settled in on OGR digital because I don't have an accumulation of paper, and because I feel I owe OGR Co. something for their underwriting of this forum, which I enjoy and I'm sure is a costly expenditure for them
Gave up because of a typo/mistake? I'm positive they know what a Pacific is. 😀
No, it was not a typo. The Lionel loco to which they were referring was in fact a 2-6-4.
@RJR posted:No, it was not a typo. The Lionel loco to which they were referring was in fact a 2-6-4.
Ok, now that is odd. Very odd for CTT since they have multiple minds who know about Lionel history. It makes sense for you to give them up because I have noticed the same thing when I had a subscription with them.
In fairness to Kalmbach, this was MANY years ago.
I don’t think either is better. I’m totally relaxed reading either one while sitting in my easy chair. I wish both had enough followers to permit monthly offerings. I also enjoy model railroader to fill in the empty month.
@RJR posted:No, it was not a typo. The Lionel loco to which they were referring was in fact a 2-6-4.
Didn't Lionel refer to their 675 and similar postwar locos as Pacifics? That is my understanding. Incorrect, of course, but perhaps CTT was simply referring to the Lionel designation. CTT was always a collector magazine more interested in the history of Lionel than prototype trains.
I subscribe to both as they both are good resources. Which is my favorite? OGR, of course and for my own personal reasons!
Joe Gozzo
@RJR posted:I gave up on CTT years ago, in disgust when an article pronounced that Lionel's Pacific was a 2-6-4. Settled in on OGR digital because I don't have an accumulation of paper, and because I feel I owe OGR Co. something for their underwriting of this forum, which I enjoy and I'm sure is a costly expenditure for them
Prior to 1997, Lionel's post-war "pacifics" were 2-6-4s. I got back into the hobby in 1995 and the only current, accurate K4s was MTH's (a PS-1 locomotive). Lionel couldn't be bothered to produce an accurate K4s as they were too busy churning out Hudsons every 15 minutes. Weaver and Williams had made accurate ones in the past, but I was unaware of them.
Lionel made the 2025, 226E, 2035, 2037 - all 2-6-4s. Good grief, how many chances to get it right do you need? CTT called it correctly. Lionel didn't care - they sold. It was that inaccuracy and MTH's $700 price tag led to my discovery and purchase of my first Williams K4s.
George
No matter what Lionel said, a 2-6-4 was still an Adriatic. Some of those 2-axle trailing trucks looked lousy.
I think possibly why Lionel called their 2-6-4 a "Pacific" is because when they produced 2035 they loosely based it on a Pennsylvania k type locomotive. In order to save money, they used the same frame/wheel arrangement from their 2026 or 2036 locomotives. Instead of calling it an Adriatic they called it a Pacific since it has a Pacific styled body. Similar to their General. They called their 4-4-0 a General because that was what it was based on, instead of calling it an American class. On the situation of CTT, I think that why CTT called it a pacific is because that is what Lionel labeled it.
@RJR posted:No matter what Lionel said, a 2-6-4 was still an Adriatic. Some of those 2-axle trailing trucks looked lousy.
I think you and CTT were not a very good match, anyway. CTT is (or was) for collectors of prewar and postwar Lionel and Flyer. People who don't take the accuracy of their trains too seriously.
I agree, though, some of those trailing 4 wheel tracks with the different size wheels almost touching look pretty silly in retrospect.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
