Lionel Service Center in the news

Just finished posting tonight's episode of Notch 6. You can have a listen and hear Mike explain in his own words exactly what his new role is and what if any changes are happening in Ohio. Great information and this should end the speculation. 

Yes, but sometimes it's easier to accept when it comes from the source and not a third party. That's what media should be about, a way to broadcast good information directly from those involved.

Sure thing.  Listen to the Podcast and let me know if I got anything wrong.  I did leave out some details which will appear in our Oct. issue (already in the works), but Mike himself can and will reveal those things if and when he cares to.

I produce the podcast and everything you've said is 100% true. I get the impression that I have somehow rubbed you the wrong way with my comments. If I have, I apologize. My goal with this podcast has always been to get the correct information out there in a timely manner. I know this is the same goal of the magazine. I love and respect the OGR family, I hope that you understand where my comments are coming from. They are not meant to offend, or tell anyone they are wrong. Just want to help put an end to speculation.

Good job on a very up to date podcast. Very interesting.

Such is the problems of printed media in this day and age. By the time the printed copy is delivered in the mail the electronic media has delivered it, analyzed it and its old news.

Such is the byproduct of the Information Age.

Not at all!  You can be absolutely certain I have not found fault with any of the comments you have made here--your participation is always welcome and strongly encouraged--and I very much enjoy listening to the podcasts you produce.

 

We're all doing, in our respective ways, the best we can to share and promote this great hobby.  That is what is most important.

 

I'm a print guy, of course...always have been and always will be because I like the permanence of the printed word, but I partake of all forms of media in various degrees.  The ability to get information is what matters most to me, not the form in which it is delivered.

 

I haven't yet had a chance to listen to the Podcast with Mike, but you can be sure I will do so.  He's a great guy and a good friend, and I wish him well in all his endeavors.  Lionel is VERY lucky to have him on their team!

 

Best of luck, too, with your future Podcasts!

Allan thanks for the reply. The last thing I want to do is step on toes. I grew up reading OGR and taking copies to school to read in my backpack.  The last thing I want to do is offend the crew that brought me so much information over the years. Thanks for all you guys do. 

Ah, yes, and it's also quickly lost and forgotten in the vastness of Cyberspace.  When it comes to a permanent record, all the disc storage space in the world (like that being compiled by the NSA ) doesn't mean much if it's lost in an ever-expanding ocean of bits and bytes.  For news, the electronic media, when it's functioning well, certainly has a decided advantage.  For other kinds of communication and for comprehensive or in-depth reporting, not so much.  And when it comes to "getting it right," even less so.

 

One example:  Someone here posts a photo to the Weekend Photo Fun thread.  It's seen and admired by a few thousand other folks for a couple of days and then quickly forgotten.  That same photo, published in the magazine, for example, not only provides some financial reward to the contributor, but it also becomes part of a permanent record that reaches a far larger audience in the near term and can be shared with family, friends, and others who may be interested for generations to come, even if it's just a clipping retained in a family scrapbook.

Question,

 

Did any of these guys working the Ohio service center come from Davis Trains? I had an engine repaired by Davis trains a year or so before thay closed. They had a great repair department.

 

Richard Gonzales

I just listened to the Notch 6 pod cast with Mike Regan, you did a good job and asked the right questions. 

 

It is my opinion that Mike will hopefully be able to fix problems in pre-production items.  I am sure he pointed out things that could have been done different after fixing all the issues while he was at the service center.

 

Mike and Phil ran TrainAmerica Studios until Lionel figured out that Mike and Phil were too great of talents to pass up. Jim Barrett was one of the main repair guys at Davis for a number of years if I remember correctly. He may have been the one who worked magic on your train.

They sure did work some magic - they replaced a chip on my Rail sounds board in my NYC Mohawk cab # 2793 The RS board started making non stop noise consisting of bells whistles and chuffing sounds. The engine came back sounding like new.

 

I have not bee following this post closely, but I have one more question - Will they repair engines long out of warranty? I have one of those Erie Pacifics that has never really ran right at all - poor signal reception, intermittent whistle and next to no smoke. Other then that it works just fine.  Maybe they could fix it for me.

 

Train America upgraded my MPC era IC F3's to TMCC and RS They did some great work.

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

It was probably Steve Rider that worked on your Mohawk.

Yes and the fees are reasonable but only back to about 1990.

There is an obvious benefit to today's ease of access to vast information that current technology provides.  But with such immediacy to sometimes an overload of data (some useful and some just created because it can be created) there is also a loss of appreciation for the background story behind the data and the reader's experienced joy of anticipation that came with some periodicals that many today can't comprehend.

 

I fondly recall when I was young(er) the joy of anticipation for that new weekly edition of Baseball, Basketball, Football or Hockey Digest to make it to the shelf of the corner store or library.  Once in hand, happily pouring over the statistics and stories that each issue would provide with very few photos and if I remember correctly, none in color except for the cover.  Today's "photo journalistic" style of a slideshow of a number of photos with little narrative detail at the expense of good story telling or writing is short changing and making the short attention span generation description a self fulfilling practice.

Thanks guys, I guess I will be sending that Erie Pacific off for a little TLC. I really do not like to have locomotives on my roster ony partially operational or set off on the dead track.

 

Richard