June 2009 Newsletter

You don't want to miss this newsletter ... there's a surprise announcement in it that we're really excited about!

I've read it, but which announcement makes you excited?

Thanks for the newsletters!

The prime-time TV scoop - Live and in person!

Is that a TV show? I wasnt sure from the ad what that was all about.

I was excited to see that Yosemite Valley RR will be in the next issue..

Chris

You know what Extreme Trains is, right?

And yes, the Yosemite Valley will be in Issue 3, complete with video interview footage and a never-before published new scene on Jacks layout!

Yeah.. I liked the show. I know it got beat up on the boards but I enjoyed it. The guy is a doof (at least, he is on the show..) but an entertaining doof. I hadn't thought it got renewed.

Matt Brown (host of Extreme Trains) will be live and in person at the Hartford National Train Show, thanks to BLMA. As to the status of the Extreme Trains program, I think that's still up in the air.

Matt Brown is the closest thing to a prime-time TV face right now for trains - so I think it's great he'll be at the NTS and you can bet we'll get an exclusive interview on video and post it to MRH Theater ...

From the quantity and variety of new products mentioned in the June Newsletter it's hard to accept the view that the hobby is fading.  

Art

We're hearing from some hobby shop owners that sales are going through the roof on modeling supplies, tools, and detail parts. DCC systems sales are also up. Loco sales are down, as are other items that you might consider "collectables".

It appears duing this down economy people are taking inventory of what they have and deciding it's time to do some modeling that entails using the stuff already in their stash. Rather than increasing the size of their stash, they're now doing some real live modeling with what they've been collecting!

Gee, maybe the new technology so effectively used by MRH, and used with relish by the over 8600 MRH subscribers, will be showcased on Extreme Trains!

I'm glad to hear sales are up.  What is good for the hobby shop is good for the hobbyist too.

Is Extreme Trains available on Canadian TV yet?

I think The History Channel has a shop where you can buy the series on DVD. It's not sheap but if you want to see it, it's much better than trying to capture it from your TV set.

Irv

Joe,

I really like the format on pages 1-6.  Cleaner and less busy on the eyes.  It made for a very enjoyable read.

Grouping the news by scale would be my only request.  Not that I'm not interested in what other scales are doing, but I like having distinct sections that I can quickly shift to for the latest on my scale of choice.

Thanks again and keep up the excellent work!!

Joe B.

We've had the group by scales request before - the idea with the news is to organize the most significant announcements first, regardless of scale. We add the clear bolded and colored scale notation to each paragraph so you can glance quickly through the list for the scale you're interested in.

Also in the premium edition magazine when the news is posted there, you can click scale specific buttons to have it tag the paragraphs in color for that scale.

But to keep things simpler in the off-months, we're gone to a single lite edition format for the news - and that doesn't have the buttons.

At one point I was gonna write about modeling different kinds of fish for a seafood market. Figured I'd group them by scales. But Horace Fithers said I shouldn't do it, so sadly it never got done. Just as well, would've stunk up the whole basement most likely.

FWIW

Charlie

GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!

Yes, I'll be at the National and I'm giving a clinic on Thursday as part of the Steel Track.  You can tape it if you want, but people outside those interested in modeling the steel industry may not find it interesting.  I believe I'm on in the afternoon, but I wouldn't bet the mortage on it.  I haven't checked the schedule recently.

John Gallagher

Four out of three people have trouble with fractions.

Awesome, can't wait to see the interview with Matt! Maybe Craig will get him to WPM too so I can meet him.

In any case, Extreme trains DVD's are on netflix, so if you want to watch them, you can rent them there.

Yes I/We will be at the National Train Show with the Amherst Belt LInes Modular Railway System... Come video our operating layout with Through Freights, Way Freights, Passenger runs, an OPERATING Coal Flood loader and an OPERATING Coal Dumper and the live load trains operating between the loader and dumper. We also have two classification yards in operation during the show...

See what can be done with "operations" during a model railroad show.