I get it a Mark, love fest. Ok, I understand (This isn't about the Chinese 7, after all) so include me in the shout out and a big thanks to Mark, for all his hard work and an extremely helpful website. Keep it coming Mark. Thanks! That's got to cost a few pennies to buy one of each loco, tear it down, take pictures and then provide a critique.
Thank you, Spookie. Yes, your website has been a major help to me and I expect that it will continue to do so.
I often use Spookshow's site as a way of avoiding a costly mistake, or to evaluate whether to buy an out of production model. Thanks, Mark!
I would also like to submit the following Seriously though, have you thought about allowing a little advertising on your website?
Ewww, gnarly!!! Stop! Re-seriously, though... As far as "paid" advertising is concerned (if that's what you meant), nah. I have all sorts of good reasons not to dip my toes into that particular pool (not the least of which is that no one has actually made me any sort of offer). But beyond that, there's just a certain untainted purity, trustworthiness and freedom that comes from being "just some guy out there with a lot of opinions and a website" Having said that, I do actually advertise/promote businesses/websites that I personally like on my "links" page - these because I do like them, do use them, and/or do lots of business with them. Hell, I even put a direct link to Trainboard on my main "trainstuff" page (when I decided to set up shop here after the Atlas forum folded). Cheers, -Mark
I have wanted to thank you for some time. Awesome site for research and weeding out potential disaster buys.
Just well deserved recognition for a job executed above and beyond. My personal note, your review of the Hallmark brass E5s (C grade) kept me from pulling the trigger on a set that was on ebay that sold for over $500. Within 2 months, Kato announced their E5.
When first starting out in N scale I found Marks page and since then I have referred to it for his review of almost every loco I have purchased. I have found his analysis to be spot on on almost everything. By trusting his reviews I have been happy with everything I have purchased & have no doubt that I have dodged some bullets because of him. Thanx Mark
Mark, please accept my appreciation as well. Perhaps you can enlighten us with a few answers to some questions regarding the background of the site. What was the initial inspiration or impetuous for gathering the information? My guess is it began as a personal project. When did you get started and when did the site go up? Obviously, keeping it up to date has involved time and a considerable expense to acquire/borrow every model that has been featured. Do you keep most models you review, or do you immediately resell most of them? Has your review process/style changed over the years? Again, thanks so much. Glenn C.
I got into the hobby (or at least the N scale side of it) back in 1999 and, in addition to layout construction and all of the other "normal" stuff, found myself bitten by the collecting bug fairly early on. Eventually I decided to try to acquire one of every single N scale engine ever built (which actually seemed do-able, since N scale was a relative newcomer to the hobby and what older stuff there was was relatively easy to find and cheap to buy). Trouble was, there really wasn't any sort of up-to-date collector's reference to guide me. So, as I was perusing catalogs and browsing the web (eBay mostly), I started putting together my own list of what all was out there. However, being a total newb to the hobby (and railroading in general) I couldn't tell a C-This from an F-That to save my soul. So, I also started collecting pictures of said models so I could tell the difference between the stuff I did have and the stuff I didn't. Well, at some point that all became quite unwieldy, so I decided to sort it all out and put it on the web where I could access it any time I wanted. Then, just for the hell of it, I started adding commentary to some of the entries (being either moved by a given model's total wonderfulness or flabbergasted by its utter suckiness). Thanks to search engines, other modelers started stumbling across my nascent list fairly early on. Said modelers provided me with a lot of additional information, and pretty soon I found myself gathering a lot of historical trivia as well as writing full-blown reviews. After 6-7 years of this, the thing had really become a going concern, so I decided to go back and re-do all of the entries (IE reacquired all of the locomotives and then wrote up more rigorous and robust assessments). At one point I did literally have one of everything, but have since gotten rid of most of it (simply keeping the stuff that I actually use on my layouts). Currently I buy one instance of every new engine, and then either keep it if it fits my layout/era or eBay it if it doesn't. The latter is always a money-losing proposition, but so it goes. It's not anything I lose any sleep over. -Mark
Mark , I to would like to chime in here with a big thank you for your work/fun and thanks for allowing us to share a useful link to a great page from our site. Many Thanks , Mike & Robin
It's a testament to how helpful your site is that this many people post! Long before I knew you were on this forum, from the very beginning of my N scale adventures, I used your site to check every single locomotive I was about to purchase, and it's been a great help.
If you haven't taken the time to read Mark's modeling blogs, they are a great read. Very informational and a lot of humor & wit. Mark, I also keep up with your $100K TransAm blog.
I sold my $50,000 1986 Mustang...so no blog about that (yes, I really spent THAT much on it....it was in a magazine....) Mark, I know the pain of fast cars and N Scale trains.....
$100K?? Yikes, let's not start any unsubstantiated rumors here that my wife might read. I haven't totalled things up, but I'm pretty sure it's closer to $30K -Mark
I'm not sure whether I've already posted here, but it bears repeating. THANK YOU, Mark for all the work you've put into the locomotive list and the other more recent lists you've added. For a relative noob, and I'm sure for the grizzled veteran as well, they are PRICELESS references. Whenever I'm at a train show or hobby shop, I've got your site pulled up on my iPhone's browser, cross-checking things. I'm sure you've saved me quite a few $$ that would have otherwise been spent on "bargains", and for certain, your pages have helped me dig out some real gems I would have overlooked as well. Not to mention the advice on DCC conversion, shell removal and all that. Can't say thank you enough!
Now that was one thing I have always wondered about. I was worried you would max out and stop adding new locomotives to the database because you were overwhelmed with mountains of old stuff. Thanks for keeping the torch lit and moving forward.
Mark I want to ditto the posts on this thread, but please do NOT take these testimonials to be a precursor to some anticipated end of your life-- this tribute is an "along Life's path" appreciation for all of the hard work dedication and effort you have made and the intense contributions to this hobby. I never buy any locomotive without consulting to your website first, because I am fully confident in your methodology and integrity of your evaluation and reviews. I have been consulting your website for several years, and without exception, your reviews are without prejudice, bigotry, and based solely on your findings, and you consult us on occasion on historical or support matters. Just how much better can you get? as far as I am concerned no one is better. You make the word objective a real word in our dictionary. Thanks for your being in our hobby Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
