I fail to see where Tony is not “up to date”. Because he models the 1950’s, like an awful lot of peopel do?
I have a fairly complete collection of MR goign back to that very first Trains of Thought column. If you don’t think Tony has changed witht he times - he was doing a proto-freelance railroad set in the 70’s when he started. Backdated it to the steam era. Then TOTALLY RIPPED IT DOWN and satrted over with a prototype layout. When you have a basement-size layout that supports many operators runnign prototypical operation and totally rip it out to do somethign different - I’d say there’s change right there. Remember also when the column started the AM wasn’t even ‘complete’ yet.
I think Koester does an decent job. Heck the guy’s layouts look awesome - he must know a thing or two. [;)] I agree that you don’t have to agree with every thing he says (that’s kinda the beauty of the hobby). I also find that words can be read and interpreted a thousand different ways by a thousand different people. What may be offensive and snobbish to you may not be to some. This seems to happen quite a bit on forums as well (people sometimes read too much into things). I take what info is useful to me and forget the rest.
Hi Everyone! I am in a poor position to comment on Tony’s columns, but here is what I have to say-I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone in this hobby would express such negative views about anyone’s writing. Please, if you disagree, do it in polite terms. I thought that we fellow modelers would at least be civil to each other. OK - there are different ways to do things, but does that justify vitriol? Why? There is so much conflict in the world today that I can’t understand why we as RR hobbiests can’t rise above that. Let’s all try a little harder to respect each other and be polite. If we can’t then that gives us precious little separation between us and the disidents and terrorists (dare I say that!). We have an obligation to be civil to each other! So please let’s try.
Why, oh why, would anyone find it necessary to take on Tony Koester or his monthly column.
It is good stuff, and I read it every month.
25 years of writing this column is more than admirable and provides a sense of continuity in a hobby that recreates the past as much as it promotes the future.
The two guys who took exception to Tony’s writing, as he noted in his most recent column, objected to his stance that staging yards are an important part of a layout. What is so objectionable about that view?
Tony, I hope that you are able to write the column for another 25 years.
When I was a young boy in the 1960s, it was Linn Wescott’s HO Model Railroad that Grows which I read religiously over and over to learn about the hobby. As an adult, still fascinated by the hobby, I enjoy all master practitioners’ articles, including Tony Koester’s. Their experiences and their opinions are valuable as resources for today and tomorrow, as each of us learns something new with each hour spent working on our railroads. Rather than nit-pick or opine from a fastidious standpoint, we should treasure the fact that some of us, who have the talent and ability, are able to write about many aspects of the hobby. These are not armchair modelers- they are doers. The growing body of literature that this hobby has maintained is a testament to the selfless efforts of all who share their perspectives. Less criticism and more discussion would be my view for all of us. Thanks, Tony- be assured that you will be read and re-read for years to come!!!
Cedarwoodron
Minnesota, Sioux Lake & Western Ry- serving the good folks of the north central farm belt
I feel pity for the guys that don’t appreciate the old school methods of MRRing. Some of the old school techniques will never go away, (for instance, zip texturing, or building a layout on cookie cutter plywood instead of the fairly recent techniques using foam board.) Personnally, I hate foam board, I find it hard to work with and a lot more messier than working with the old school techniques using plaster.)
Guys like Tony have kept this hobby alive for years . If you think his columns are great, You should see him in action on the Dream, Plan, Build how-to videos. Tony is nothing less than one of the “masters” at work to say the least…chuck
Fellas, trust me, I am entirely neutral on the topic as first posted. Don’t have enough history, so I can’t evaluate a person’s writing except in terms of grammar, logic, and such. So, I don’t mind seeing criticism. It should be delivered with some care and consideration, but it isn’t always going to be laudatory, and that is what we have here. Let’s just let the comment pass, take it for what it is, a dissenting opinion (and stated in general terms that he would like a more ‘modern’ approach to the hobby…not sure what or why, but that’s all we have to go on from voltronman).
Either Koester speaks to you, or he doesn’t. All can say how it goes for them. I just ask that we choose our words carefully.
It’s not that there are fewer contributors. It is that there are fewer model railroaders each year as kids aren’t into trains as much as they used to be. So guys like Tony are left to pick up the slack.
Tony happens to be a very talented model railroader and a talented writer and there are fewer of those each year. Why you might ask?
First of all model railroading isn’t an inexpensive hobby with the average locomotive costing $100 or more and teh average freight car costing in the $20 range it just isn’t within the average kids budget (allowance) to be able to spend that kind of money nowadays much less within the average adults budget. Add to that the amount of time one needs to devote to one’s school work, job, signofocan others and familes and you’ve got a situation where having a hobby is soething one has to leave until retirement. So where is the new blood any hobby needs to prosper and survive?
Yes & no to some extent. On a relative basis, cars & locomotives aren’t any more expensive than when I was a kid years ago. I would have to save for months to buy a single locomotive or a couple of cars. On the other hand, I didn’t need a dozen locomotives or 200 cars. A 4x8 or maybe self was great to have. Structures – we called it scratchbuilding with balsa, paper, and paint. A couple of dollars vs the hundred or so for a large structure today or even $30-$40 for an already completed, ready to run (oxymoron??) structure. In many ways I contend the bar has been set to high by the over representation of highly detailed mega layouts in the press combined with the need for instant results. I’m glad to see more smaller layouts shown in MR because it represents where most model railroaders actually are rather than the top 10%, of which Tony Koester is probably among.
For example, let’s take the staging yard argument that was discussed above. If you have plenty of room, it’s easy to devote a good space to hidden staging (or in another room or somewhere out of sight). On the other hand, if you have a very small room, it is much harder to give up that space from the visible railroad (as I recall, Tony has always been an advocate
Boy, nothing gets the ol’ blood pumping around here like another really good TK thread…
I wasn’t a TK fan for a long time. His emphasis on research and realistic operations was just something in which I had no interest. But after reading his stuff for a while, I came to realize 1) we’re both Purdue grads 2) the NKP he’s now modeling interchanged with my Monon and 3) many of the locations he describes in his stories are locations I recognize and know, which is pretty cool. Now I can work from the perspective of what I have in common with him instead of what I don’t, and as a result I’ve come to enjoy his columns very much.
That’s the point. Most of us do have soemthing in common with Tony Koester whether we realize it or not. We’re all model railroaders. The fact that we may not have the same loyouts or layout skills just means that we are different as well and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that because it makes the world alot more interesting.
Two guys influenced my train hobby. One of them is Tony Koester. The other is Allen McClellsnd snd both of them have one thing in common: They both had large layouts that were desighned for operarions. I have never operated on any layout even though I’ve dreamed abour it. The reason for that is that I until 2008 I didn’t belong to a club. I belong to one now but that club doesn’t operate. It’s an N-Trak club as is geared tyoward doing displays rather than operating.
I think it’s important that we realize that real trains are toys. They provide a necessary service that isn’t allways available as cheaply by other means of transportation. So if you want to get the true meaning of what modern freaight transportation is like, you really can’t find it in any other way than actually operating your layout. That doesn’t mean running you train around an oval of track because that gets old very quickly. Tomy got me to realize that long ago. But w
Irv,It was Tony Koester and Allen McClelland that got me thinking about a lot of things to include improving my understanding of designing a believable freelance railroad…I had the general idea from reading articles on short lines in Trains and Model Railroader but,wanted to smooth the rough edges.
Backing up a bit … what exactly must I do in order to get a free A&M car sent to me ?? I’m not a critic of Tonys by any means but perhaps I can fake it ??
I have read Tony’s columns on a number of occasions, and while I sometimes disagree with him, they have made for interesting reading, and I would not use this as an opportunity to bash him or his work.
However, after my 37 years in this hobby, and with the time and budget constraints of family and small children at home, I do things differently. I’m not seeking to emulate the degree of realism Tony’s layouts have provided, but am only trying to please myself and the one son who is still into trains.
I do believe, in general, the staff of MR and some related publications is growing more out of touch with some folks in this hobby. I generally only read MR for the New Product Reviews. Most of the articles just don’t do anything at all for me–they just are not writing about topics or railroads in which I have any interest at all. I don’t need DCC and get tired of hearing about it.
John
My current interest is modeling Lehigh Valley as well as what has happened to the Anthracite Railroads in the years since April 1, 1976–how operations have vanished or changed–and what still remains/what traffic remains on those rail lines today.
I love reading Tony’s columns. I often pull out old editions of MR just to re-read them from time-to-time. Somehow I invariably pull out one that has something relevant to what I’m thinking about or doing, so it just fits right in. I am very glad that Tony writes his column and will happily read them and absorb what I can, each time around!
The first thing that I read when my MR comes in is Tony’s column. Although there may be a one off article that provides great technical value or insight , IMO, Tony’s column is consistently, the most information rich part of the magazine.
It is so funny how I am labeled a TROLL just because I expressed I did not like him. Just because I did not jump on this LOVE WAGON with the rest of the people I am the OUTCAST. Whatever!
I am also free to express my personal opinion and I said I do not care for Tony Koester and I am not a fan. Had I said I did not care for Monsterrailroad everyone would agree with the statement and it would have been totally fine.
As I said He focuses on all old school and old era stuff and what he writes is of NO interest to me. I also feel that when a newcomer comes on IF he should be a New Yorker and a modern era guy we would see more of it in the magazine and then I would find it to be more of my personal taste. Tony Koester to me does come off as a MR KNOWITALL kind of model railroader that is given so much praise for it. Just look at Novembers MR magazine it is AGAIN just like every month full of steam era layouts and it just gets tiring thats all. Change the game a little bit MR and get a NEW guy in to contribute.
now if I am still labeled as a TROLL for saying this, well fine, so be it.
Like Larry I thought Tony was just another wacko expert but I still read his column. Usually they will make you think about things in a different light.
Oddly enogh, I am not a very big fan of TK’s column. It’s odd because I am such a huge fan of all his other work. I believe this is because most of his columns seem too philasophical to me rather than practical. That said, I consider his recent book on multi-level layouts to be a bible for my layout, and I have read his article in this month’s MR on the steel viaduct at least a dozen times so far. Jamie
