Model Train Journal

This stinks: O Scale Trains Transitions to Annual in 2024

Hmmm, I do not subscribe to OST, but if I did that would end it right there.

J. S. Bach wrote:Hmmm, I do not subscribe to OST, but if I did that would end it right there.

Well maybe you should and it wouldn’t be going to an annual publication

Video killed the radio man and the internet killed the printing man

I missed this, but thanks for raising it here.

I guess I'll only be renewing RMC in December and see what other's think about the annual OST publication before buying a copy. Maybe someone will sell me their copy of the final issue after they read it. Disappointing, but if the numbers don't support it, or even 4 issues/year, then it is what it is. I don't remember the advertisers list being that long. Competing with free options like OSR and facebook groups is tough. It's not like there are many avenues for selling copies to the masses anymore either. It was nice to have a dedicated paper magazine while it lasted.

Maybe the would-be OST articles that make it into RMC will help drive awareness of O scale to the other scales, resulting in some converts over time.

O Scale, sadly, can neither support a magazine nor a vibrant forum. I personally lament the lack of enthusiasm here, but you can see it on OGR as well. Maybe the Facebook folks are carrying on - I will never know.

I was working on an OST article with a couple forumites, but maybe it will just become an obscure and evanescent post here.

bob turner wrote:O Scale, sadly, can neither support a magazine nor a vibrant forum. I personally lament the lack of enthusiasm here, but you can see it on OGR as well. Maybe the Facebook folks are carrying on - I will never know.

I was working on an OST article with a couple forumites, but maybe it will just become an obscure and evanescent post here.

I don't think you'll get "left behind" so to speak with new product offerings, since there are plenty of outlets to hear of those. However, anyone who refuses to do just enough to join and read the primary facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2railoscale) is missing out a ton on what's currently going on with our hobby and a lot of inspiration on what other hobbyists are working on. You basically get a whole issue of OST (or RMC) in a matter of days. Sometimes its a little slower, but there are quite a few different people posting content now. I will admit, not a lot of doorstop/older content, which is primarily posted by Carey Williams. IMHO, with the imminent demise of OST, and lack of interest in 2R modelers posting on OGR, you will never see most of these projects anywhere else, but on FB. These folks for the most part, don't post on the O Scale groups.io groups either.

Just looking at content (most all of it with multiple photos/videos) from the last 24 hours:
1. someone showing off their journey into P48 track
2. someone showing off their big boy in pieces for airbrushing
3. Rev Byrd showing off a newly finished scratchbuilt CR N6A cab
4. Several other people showing off in-progress paint jobs including someone trying to sell 3D-printed passenger car kits
5. several posts on the new issue of OSR
6. some posts on projects from down under

Within last 4 days:
1. several sets of layout shots
2. someone working on adding operating roof fans on an FA unit
3. more projects on what looks like a steel mill from down under
4. scratchbuilt GP8 in-progress photos and description
5. several other questions/answers
6. several other resin kit builds, in-progress

Scroll slightly further and you'll even find someone who 3D-printed RS11 sideframes specifically for O-scale bearings and even provided the STL files for others to print them. Weathering. DCC installs, etc. There is starting to be more proliferation of for-sale items on this page, which I'd prefer they stay in the other FB group made for that, but I don't moderate nor have interest in moderating the page, so my opinion means nothing.

The content isn't removed automatically, so you could join and scroll back for years (or search for things) and stay busy catching up for probably a couple of months.

Bummer

OST has been on a downward spiral ever since Joe Giannoverio passed away....hard to believe it has been 10 years. The same happened to OSN after Greg Heier's death. Both guys were the driving force and inspiration behind their specific magazines. I'm sure White River is feeling the predictable pains of paper publications, but I'm glad they tried.

Hats off to Dan and Amy for bringing us O Scale Resources, one of the best O scale publications we've ever had.....right up there with OSN and OST when they were in their heyday.

My experiences with Facebook have been negative. They pestered me with incessant e-mails, with often dismaying content. I was never sure whether folks actually wanted to be my "friend" or maybe Facebook thought we would be a good match.

If there were a way to avoid that, maybe - I do have an account of sorts.

up148 wrote:OST has been on a downward spiral ever since Joe Giannoverio passed away....hard to believe it has been 10 years.

Why thank you, Butch.

I very much hope Jaini never sees that after she poured her soul and not an insignificant amount of her savings into bringing it back to life after Joe's death as both a service to the scale and a legacy, not to mention how Marty now knows his efforts were worthwhile as he tried his best under the White River ownership.

After all it would have been far easier to leave it dead on the ground at ten years old rather than investing the effort and self to double its lifespan.

I can't leave these people undefended. They cared, as did Jim D., the rest of the columnists, and a host of authors, all of whom put their stamp on the magazine.

Sarge, thank you for your kind remarks about OST. I've been a subscriber for years. Since before Joe's passing. After Joe passed, it was good to see that you stepped up to maintain a good quality publication under Jaini's ownership. And then Martin continued and continues under White River ownership.
My hat is off to all 3 of you, and White River!

Dan Weinhold

bob turner wrote:My experiences with Facebook have been negative. They pestered me with incessant e-mails, with often dismaying content. I was never sure whether folks actually wanted to be my "friend" or maybe Facebook thought we would be a good match.

If there were a way to avoid that, maybe - I do have an account of sorts.

I don't deal with anything you mention. On the website itself, you can ignore everything on the top, right, and bottom except for the content you wish to view. This includes friend requests, messages, alerts, etc. They're all in their own section on the screen. No one will be added as your friend unless you confirm them. There are definitely privacy settings to disable randoms from messaging you out of the blue.

On your welcome/home page, Facebook does put ads or related content, suggested groups, "people you may know", etc. inserted into the feed. They get paid through all this stuff, so you can use facebook for free. When directly in a group and viewing only a specific group's content, I don't see any of those things at all.

As for emails, I don't get any of those. Either I went through my FB privacy settings and disabled all that trash, or used my email client to filter those messages to spam/trash. Pretty sure it was the prior.

sarge wrote: ...snip...They cared, as did Jim D., the rest of the columnists, and a host of authors, all of whom put their stamp on the magazine.

Actually, I think that it was the mailing department that put the stamp on the magazine!

sarge wrote:

up148 wrote:OST has been on a downward spiral ever since Joe Giannoverio passed away....hard to believe it has been 10 years.

Why thank you, Butch.

I very much hope Jaini never sees that after she poured her soul and not an insignificant amount of her savings into bringing it back to life after Joe's death as both a service to the scale and a legacy, not to mention how Marty now knows his efforts were worthwhile as he tried his best under the White River ownership.

After all it would have been far easier to leave it dead on the ground at ten years old rather than investing the effort and self to double its lifespan.

I can't leave these people undefended. They cared, as did Jim D., the rest of the columnists, and a host of authors, all of whom put their stamp on the magazine.

Thanks to all involved who kept the magazine going. Clearly it was a labor of love, but much appreciated. Dan's OSR seems to be much the same.