I hope you notice how active the forum has become over the past few weeks. I am very happy to see all of the new activity and members that have recently joined us.
New contributors per day are up 10x compared to where the forums were in 2018-2024 and “daily engaged users” is also trending up exponentially. Growth and engagement are the lifeblood of a social network, so I am very encouraged with what I am seeing.
Thank you for your patience! Very excited about whats next at Firecrown!
It is amazing how the ‘ragged’ operation of the old forums as well as some ‘moderator’ and banning issues drug down the activity.
It’s shocking to me how bad the forum was and yet still had regular/engaged users.
I was concerned when we brought it to life that the community would be gone forever.
Highly encouraging that the community is returning and engaging is sharply increasing.
In Japanese, there is a metaphor for an octopus stuck in a deep pot and unable to come out. In English, there are expressions such as “form silos” and “echo chamber,” which made me laugh. This new forum system is exactly what breaks this. I am feeling more and more comfortable.
Now, the challenge is on the management side. How do you break down the barriers between multiple magazines?
I am happy to see this as well. I was confident when the sale was announced that the publications and related infrastructure (I.e. website, trains.com, forums) had a new lease on life. You purchased strong titles that were being mismanaged/neglected by the former owners. It is the strength of those titles and brands that kept them alive in spite of the neglect. With MR, making it 90 years says something. People have a connection to these titles whether they are current subscribers or not. I think it’s these connections that drew people back once it was demonstrated that this whole thing had legs (and specifically with the forum actually making it functional and ending the frustrating madness of the old one). Much like the Carstens publications when White River bought them, the Kalmbach titles needed fresh air so they could breathe. I think there is a lot of upside as you chart a new course forward. As far as the forums specifically, each forum has their own personality and for me, I like this one. I lurk in a few of the other model railroad forums but this is where I hang out the most. Everyone has their own opinion and I’m going to leave it at that as I don’t want to start a debate on why which forum is the best. I just like this one, that’s it. I’ve read MR so long that I really couldn’t imagine it not being around. I’m looking forward to 10 years from now to see how you celebrate 100 years. As long as I have a choice, I’m not going anywhere.
Jeff
The feeling I had as being one of the few members of the old forum who was still able to post after August was like being in a post apocalyptic world with just a few survivors left. The barrage of 504’s over the last year got me pretty close to giving up.
I do have a preference for the format of the old forum, but much prefer the functionality of the new forum - never did post a picture on the old forum.
I also hope to see MR reach its 100th year of publication, and hope to live long enough to see Trains reach 100 years.
Kudos to Firecrown and to you personally Craig. I had my doubts when the new version of the old forum opened up, and we are still missing some old timers in terms of participation. But they don’t know what they are missing.
Rich
Erik, I too was about to give up. Bob, overmod, advised me, don’t do that. I am sure proud of his advice. With so much so easily accessed I have really enjoyed the work of Craig and Firecrown staff. Wonderful job. endmrw0221250926
ref: 15 character…I posted two items and was shocked when told…slow down…you just posted…wait and then post. No problem, but it was an interesting feature of this slick new site.
I’m new here and I for one am glad you did the new forum , and glad I was able to get on it , lots of nice people, fun conversations , and am learning a lot so thank you Firecrown.
Chuck
MR has always been my favorite magazine and this my favorite forum. I feel that both cover the whole spectrum of the hobby.
Thank you for fixing it! The forum was deteriorating in performance year by year. I almost walked away, and not look back… It’s great now, though!
I have a question:
How does one post a video on the new forum? Does it still require a You Tube account first? I have never tried. Sorry for such a basic question.
Paul
Good question. I always feel like we are all doing the same thing, it doesn’t really matter the scale. I remember the days when MR covered EVERYTHING, even Live Steam. The variety was nice.It’s very niche with the magazines these days.
Paul
I’m just starting this journey, so im glad i found this forum. I keep searching for a beginners area.
I’m new as well, so I guess I missed all the trials and tribulations of the old forums. But I’m quite happy here, and learning a ton.
Thank YOU Firecrown for getting all the forum boards updated and running reliably! I imagine a few of us will have a slightly less dented forehead! 
I have found I am always learning about Model Railroading. Nearly every thread seems to make me a beginner.
David
I wasn’t a memeber of the old forums either, but the functionality of the new forum is awesome, and I enjoy being able to easily see all the topics folks are posting on across the various interests and magazines. It’s nice to have found an engaged, positive, and supportive community with shared interest in the hobby. Looking forward to seeing where Firecrown guides the publications.
I was on the MR Forum back in the late 1990’s, it was good but I eventually drifted off. Then I saw what was happening with this new forum starting up. Even better the software is the same as Two other forums I regularly post in - Animation & Audio - which brought a smile to my face. It’s fun now to follow the users as they explore and discover old & new friends.
Mark Gosdin
I was that way myself. The old Forums got to be close to a living zombie. I am very happy to see it back up. I model in a bit of an island so this is one of the few ways i can get accurate information.
@Road_Foreman_of_Engi
No, you don’t need a YouTube account to post a video. I’ve posted videos directly off my phone and i don’t have a YT account.
Just copy and paste… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIyDYq7MimI&t=1s
