Well, I’m not sure. I got it in today’s mail and they call it a “Special Real Rails Edition”, but it contains the 7th medallion. So, your guess is as good as mine. It’s all prototype, mostly big diesels, no steam. Nothing really modeling related. Very disappointing, at least to me.
Got mine, too. I purchased all six of the previous installments, but this one is going back. I was somewhat shocked that the content strictly focused on prototype modern diesels - no modeling clinics or layout tours at ALL! I believe this volume will only appeal to an extremely small percentage of their target audience. I’m not sure what the thinking was on this one, but I hope they return to their normal varied subject matter in future volumes…I’ll look forward to receiving and purchasing any that meet that criteria.
I’m in total agreement with you, maandg. I’ve bought them all so far, but not this one. I haven’t watched this one yet, and I’m not sure I will. I KNOW I don’t want it - I get the series for the modeling tips and the mix of layout tours and prototype snippets. Just from reading the case, this one looks like simple revenue enhancement for the producers.
Thank you all.
Mr. Thompson, how many volumes will there be, if there are more, will we get more coins and holders?
This is a sore subject with me. They advertised this series in the beginning as “no minimum purchase necessary,” but if you ever send two back they’ll drop you like a hot potatoe. That is what happened to me, and despite my insistence that this was against their printed policy as posted on the web site, they would only agree to reinstate me if i went back to the first one that I returned. When I reluctantly agreed to do so, I expected to see them begin to show up in my mailbox again withing a couple of months. That was in June and I still have yet to see another edition. I have always enjoyed a good relationship with Kalmbach and MR, and I know that no business is perfect, but this one really irks me. Just had to put in my [2c] + [2c].
Ron
This is the same business method with other places. Some years ago I signed up for a similar offer with Columbia House for a series of VHS tapes on World War II. Same offer - buy only the ones you want, return the others. I returned a few and was cut from the program. So it seems they really mean “if you keep on buying, we’ll keep on sending”.
I won’t even open mine, it’s going back!
MR are you listening?
TheK4Kid
I’ve heard from many modelers I know personally that the marketing approach taken with this video series has left a bad taste in their mouths. Apparently, many on this forum agree. One can only hope there’s a lesson in here somewhere for the marketing folks at MR. [swg]
In hopes that there would be something of value to me in this one, I played it… but I am afraid it is going back tomorrow. I have really been pleased with all the previous volumes, however. I hope they keep “those” coming.
Very dissapointing DVD. If nothing else a new release at the end of 2006 should have current locomotives and information from 2006, not the latest information dating from 2001. If you are into BNSF and UP power out west from five years ago, or Wisconsin Central SD45’s, this is a DVD for you. However, there is essentially nothing from railroads east of the Missisippi, nothing about the changing of EMD of GM to Electro Motive Diesel, nor is there anything on new modern power (SD70-2, GEVO, Tier II Compliant…). I am sure in real life Mark Hemphill is a nice guy, but in the video interviews he just came off as a pompus know it all buff. On the plus side, the shots are excellent of the featured trains, including a very dramatic thunder storm scene.
Had the video at least been up to date, I would have been pleased. Alas, It wasn’t. I would like to think that Kalmbach can do much better. This is the Dream-Plan-Build video series, not the 2001 UP/BNSF motive power review series.
It doesn’t take two returns to be dropped. I bought the first two and returned number three. Recvd letter demanding payment for number three to which I replied that it had been returned and no payment would be forthcoming. BTW, volume one was not accompanied by a coin and I had notified them of this. Obviously, this unsolicited product with its accompanying lax reporting and accounting practice is to be considered a favor done for us by Kalmbach. I don’t think so and, although I would have enjoyed receiving the successive releases, I have found other ways to spend my dollars with reputable firms offering both product and reliable service.
Don
I wasn’t too thrilled with the music but my daughter’s both loved it. The youngest is also train crazy (she makes us open the door to the van so she can see better when we are stopped at a crossing) so she likes it.
There are nuggets in the video and I did find it interesting. I was a little surprised that the 2 class 1s on the east coast (CSX and Norfolk Southern) are barely represented, mainly in shots out west. It was also interesting to see the GE test track and how they test locomotives.
It is also interesting that this seems to have been put together in 2003.
I don’t want to just come down hard on MR. I just think they need to advertise these things exactly the way they will truly work and then stick by their word. In this case they did not do that. Giving them the benefit of the doubt to say they made a mistake in the way it was advertised, they should then have stuck by their marketing policy as published.
Ron