Show us your models!
Show us your layouts!
Show us your modules! (Please!)
***

For years, Model Railroader has been publishing Trackside Photos of model railroaders efforts. These photos not only demonstrated how many people are in modeling but also how good they are. They have done much to promote the model railroading hobby. These are always among many valid inputs into the decision for a manufacturer to make any specific product.

Let's do the same thing in traction here in the Trolleyville Times. Although many traction modelers know of the East Penn Traction Club, the Southern California Traction Club, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and groups in Milwaukee and Detroit, there are many, many more of you out there with really great models, modules and layouts. Send us the photos and a little about yourselves and we will show theme here. This will not only promote your skills but it just might entice more manufacturing like we have recently seen from Bachmann, Bowser and Con-Cor.

A now defunct traction publication used to state, "...Knowledge is of no value unless shared with others...". We belief modeling is of no value unless seen by others! So please jump in, its free!
__________________________________________

The Mission and Purpose of Trolleyville!

Trolleyville Editorial!

***

In the last few years, Trolleyville has been asked many times about our purpose and reason for existence. We always try to answer this question considering the time that it is asked because both the purpose and mission continue to change as the hobby changes.

So we should mention first what Trolleyville is not. Trolleyville is not now a commercial operation nor is it intended to be in the future. That is the main reason that we will not be selling advertising space. Once you do this, you are limited in what you can say. Do you think that a magazine could tell the complete story (warts and all) about a product whose manufacturer has just spent money for advertising space in that very same magazine?

Secondly, we will not be a mouthpiece for any particular political position in the hobby. We take no official position on the viability of hobby shops, or the existence of discount houses or garage operators. We will promote things that we determine to be good for the hobby, and we will point out issues we consider to be detrimental. Those determinations will be based solely on their impact on the hobby and its enthusiasts as a whole.

Those readers who take the time to peruse the lessons in the Trolleyville Schoolhouse or review the many hints, how-tos and news items that have been published in the 145 issues of the Trolleyville Times published since 1998, will realize that Trolleyville has done its part to promote the hobby, the people who participate in it and the bone fide suppliers who add to the enjoyment of the hobby with great products and great customer service. Readers should also be aware that the Trolleyville staff provided "tons" of data to Bowser for their F-line and traditional PCC cars. They also provided photos and data to Con-Cor for their PCC and did provide information to Bachmann for their trolleys, all at no charge to the supplier although considerable resources went into the gathering of the data.

Another thing we have always done, and will continue to do is to offer factual reviews of products and services offered within the traction modeling community. We will always tell you about products that either we or our associates have used. We will tell you who has good products and good customer service; we will tell you who have no-so-good products and/or bad customer service. In doing this, we will subject ourselves to criticism.

Sometime last summer, one of our harsher critics stated that "...we're also aware of the demonstrably negative tone it (the Trolleyville Times) has taken towards anyone with whom it is displeased...". The Trolleyville Times mission could not have been stated better. Our purpose is to tell traction modelers the good, bad and the ugly in the traction hobby. We currently seem to be the only regularly scheduled publication devoted entirely to electric railroads and model electric railways. So among other things, we definitely will take a "demonstrably negative tone" with those who have products with flaws, who do not graciously accept legitimate criticisms, who employ misleading or false advertising, who generally conduct business practices not in consonance with the rest of the hobby and in some cases are guilty of worse behavior. We are more than "displeased" with those people/products and will continue to be.

Fortunately, negative comments have only been required in rare cases. The overwhelming majority of our experiences with suppliers and manufacturers have been positive to excellent. In this economy, we feel that it is our duty to tell you what we experience both good and bad. There is a lot of good out there and we continuously report on those bona fide traction suppliers and products with which we have become familiar and in some cases have partnered with the best of them. But we will never shrink from identifying the outlaws. The same critic also went on to say in a statement reminiscent of Richard M. Nixon, "...It is no fun being the target of such a campaign, nor does it help any of those involved, the business, or the hobby as a whole. It should be stopped if the owners want the traction community to consider Trolleyville a serious source of traction information. If you say you are there to promote the hobby, then promote the hobby and nothing else...." The Trolleyville Times considers such silence to be both irresponsible and a disservice to the traction modeling community. Products and services which can accept constructive criticism tend to improve; and those which cannot tend to have a negative impact on the ability of modelers to enjoy the hobby. We feel that both promoting the good and identifying the bad only improves the hobby as a whole. .

This is where you can come in. Trolleyville is similar to those little jars of pennies that you see next to the cash register in some businesses. there is usually a sign that says something like "...Need a penny, take one, have an extra give one...." If you give an idea to the Times, you will certainly get at least one in return. This magazine depends on the ideas and inputs from good modelers and professional suppliers. Many modelers provided solid inputs during the development of the Bowser HO scale Ready-To-Run PCC first introduced in 2009. They all know who they are and they can be proud in their contributions to a fine product. Work with us and we will work with you! We depend on your inputs, opinions and ideas!

One last point! During October 2011, Trolleyville had it's 300,000th visitor so a lot of you read the site and agree with our objectives as our number of readers have been growing by 10% each year. Many of you have seen suggestions and inputs proffered on yahoo and other chat groups, only to have the suggestion or input either ridiculed or ignite a war of words so intense and insane that the original point was totally lost. That will NOT happen to your input in The Trolleyville Times. Help us promote our great hobby which in the long run only helps you!

Comments to this editorial are encouraged!

_________________________________________________

Trolleyville | Factory | Trolleyville Times | Info Center/Real Estate Office | School | Library | Clubhouse | Downtown

Copyright 2012 Custom Traxx