I believe I saw someone recently ask about the E-book “Model Train Help by Robert Anderson”. I am not trying to knock the guy, but I must tell you the e-book is not as helpful as it claims to be. I am just getting into trains and I saw the e-book on the internet. It tells you it has all the secrets for everything you could ever want to know about model trains. While it does have some good info, it is really a lot of fluff. It has a lot of useless commentary just to bulk up the information and make it seem like your getting tons of info. Its like when your in highschool and you think that by writing this very long report you’ll automatically get a good grade; however, you are just spinning your wheels and writing the same crap over and over in a different way.
Sorry Robert Anderson, but your book is not worth $40. Luckily it had a 60 day money back guarentee and I do have to at least give them credit because I was able to get my money back. I have found that I can get all the info I need from books at the local library and from this very helpful forum.
You have all probably noticed that I ask a new question every hour and I appreciate you all putting up with me.
Thanks everyone for the help!!! I really appreciate you all taking the time to help a newcomer like me!
I fully agree with you smitty, about 2 years ago I was just getting into the train modeling thing and ordered his book. He seems to touch base on a lot of subjects but doesn’t go into detail on any one subject. He also stated that there would be another book out in the near future (1 year I think) and I was supposed to get a free copy with the purchase of his first book, I am still waiting on the second one. Because of this I am very skeptical of getting anything like that on like.
I am not knocking the man but I believe that he didn’t do what he promised. Mike
IIRC, this is the one that was advertised by e-mail, including the claim, “Tells all the secrets the experts don’t want you to know!”
Any time I see that, or an equivalent, I figure I’m dealing with a non-expert. In Model Railroading, almost everybody who comes up with a new/different/better way of doing something immediately climbs on a soapbox and announces it to the world. The number of, “Secrets the experts don’t want you to know about,” is a very close approximation of zero.
I’m not unwilling to wager that a newbie modeler could get more, and better, information by spending the same money on Kalmbach books. Experienced modelers already know those ‘secrets,’ many of which are of limited applicability (“How to Install a Decoder in an Early KTM Shinkansen Train,” won’t help anyone not modeling the Shinkansen or running analog DC.)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, no Shinkansen)
I have found that most of the ‘experts’ are pretty eager to share their experience and ‘secrets’. Here, and other furums, and on their own sites.
As far as books (skipping the E kind), the Kalmbach books often look pretty thin, but I have usually found them to be fairly full of useful information. Of course I tend towards the ‘vintage’ ones…Armstrong, Westcott… but Andy Sperandeo’s Freight Yard book was useful. And the Bridges and Trestles compilation has enough info to choke a horse. Those articles had incredible meat on them.
secrets? What secrets? Say Like taking a general math course, it isnt going to give you exact practical on the field experience, but gives you a base background in doing math. The hobby is too rich to sum it up in some teensy book. Theres one book I reccomend, thats the Complete Book of Model Railroading, covers a lot of ground. Prolly in a good library.
Just ask yer question here, we do our best to help.