People have way too much free time........

There are far worse things on youtube. At least this doesn't need to be investigated.

LMAO, look at the likes and the pages views.  That will tell you all you need to know.   Have you noticed , YOUTUBE now hides how many dislikes a video gets?

As someone who made one of these videos, yea these videos do get lots of views, that is why everyone makes one. Plus, it helps some of us pick up some spare change to preorder things.

Sorry guys, but YouTube for trains is pretty awesome.

@RJ I posted:

As someone who made one of these videos, yea these videos do get lots of views, that is why everyone makes one. Plus, it helps some of us pick up some spare change to preorder things.

RJ I watched yours.  It wasn't bad.  You explain your opinion a bit and it's not just page flipping.  You kept it moving along and well paced.  There are some that are literally just page turnings.  I found one that was over 3 hours long yesterday. 

I know some of these are specifically made for subscribers and I think that's a plus.  It's good to see young blood in the hobby.

Agreed.  You actually had content in your content.

Jon

I’ll admit I made one of these for the first time. I’m not sure how these got started, but it’s like a party now and everyone does them. I enjoy hearing thoughts from others in the YouTube community. But if it’s not for you, hit “not interested” and move on. The YouTube community is a huge aspect for the young blood in this hobby.

@EricTrainMan posted:

I’ll admit I made one of these for the first time. I’m not sure how these got started, but it’s like a party now and everyone does them. I enjoy hearing thoughts from others in the YouTube community. But if it’s not for you, hit “not interested” and move on. The YouTube community is a huge aspect for the young blood in this hobby.

Eric again yours was fine to watch.  I think Jon is referring to the ones that literally flip the page and that's it.  And again yours was well paced.  You guys are providing a service for your subscribers.

@MartyE posted:

RJ I watched yours.  It wasn't bad.  You explain your opinion a bit and it's not just page flipping.  You kept it moving along and well paced.  There are some that are literally just page turnings.  I found one that was over 3 hours long yesterday. 

I know some of these are specifically made for subscribers and I think that's a plus.  It's good to see young blood in the hobby.

@KOOLjock1 posted:

Agreed.  You actually had content in your content.

Jon

Thank you guys, means a lot!

I haven't watched RJ's yet.  I don't do these type of videos as others have it covered.  No one wants to hear me talk anyway.

@superwarp1 posted:

No one wants to hear me talk anyway.

You say something Gary?

Spam, Really? The videos are the exact same content as the postings on the "Lionel 2022 Volume 1 is up! Whatcha Getting?" page of this forum only in a different medium.

Youtube and folks the o-gauge creators are revolutionizing this hobby. Why try and stifle that? I don't get the hate. If you don't want to watch folks paging through the catalogs, don't click on it. They will go away with time, I promise. If you watched it and though it was crap, dislike it and/or offer constructive criticism in the comments. Maybe message the creator. What does complaining on here accomplish other than boosting your own ego?

If I am misinterpreting the overarching message here, let me know and I will apologize. But if I am not, @KOOLjock1 and others comes off a bit like bullies with this post.

In response to the initial query; I live streamed the catalog on my small channel as soon as it dropped as a way for folks to discuss what we were all seeing together. We had a discussion in the chat and it was a lot of fun. Other than that, my video was exactly what your describing. "Oh that's cool" move on.

The stream stayed up after I finished recording is getting views and presently sits a 100% likes.

Sheesh "Until you know who you are, you will always be vulnerable to what other people say".

In the meantime Tony. How about a "go fund me" for less fortunate / forumites /children that have limited funds to afford a train. Instead of a retired engineer more than financially able to buy his own?

I'll watch the ones from popular youtube channels who are knowledgeable with trains.

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

Sorry guys, but YouTube for trains is pretty awesome.

The community on Youtube is AWESOME! Very inspiring and it's the next best thing when you don't have any friends locally that are into it.

Some of the catalog videos are great because they provide a different perspective on products. I don't know the production history of products very well but a lot of the people in the videos and comments do. That can be helpful. Some are a narration of the catalog and I don't care for that.

I live alone. The dog doesn't have much to say. So sometimes these videos are just great background noise haha

@RickO

”When you resort to attacking the messenger and not the message, you have lost the debate.”

@Jdjones24

that is exactly the point. Watch the videos you enjoy. Don’t watch the videos you don’t enjoy.

@KOOLjock1 posted:

Like many of you, I peruse YouTube on a daily basis.  And like many of you, I've noticed a huge uptick in a strange kind of home-made video production: "Paging Through the New Lionel Catalog... the motion picture".  If you've never seen one of these, its just a guy shooting a video of him paging through the new catalog, while telling us what he sees there... the very same thing WE can see there by simply going to LIONEL.com.  Except WE can take the time to actually READ the descriptions on the items that we're interested, while skipping past the junk we don't care about.

On these videos of which I speak, the host basically says:  "here's a train and another train and another train... that's kinda cool..."

What's the point?  Do people actually watch these?

If they had insider information on tooling or tech or offered any insights at all that can't be gleaned from reading the catalog that's already posted for free at Lionel.com that would be one thing...

Jon

I think the uptick in YouTube videos demonstrates a shift in the hobby itself. Often we hear people say that the hobby is dying. Stores are closing and clubs closing their doors. While this may be true, many of us have found more connections with fellow modelers in the last 12 months through YouTube than in the previous 5 years through shaking hands at swap meets.

When I started my YouTube channel in 2017 mentioned in my first video that the purpose was to inspire and help others see get into the hobby. If it weren't for Eric's Trains I would not have been as motivated to have the layout and collection that I currently do. If it weren't for my channel I wouldn't have the network of friends to chat with, take and give advice from, and simply enjoy the hobby with.

Catalog season is always crazy. As Tony points out above, the forum here is a hot bed of catalog topics every time a new one drops. Unfortunately, those same topics typically fall into a back and forth session of people complaining about prices.

YouTube catalog reviews aren't for everyone. Just like "What are you Buying?" threads on the forum aren't for everyone.

The younger generation tends to create and enjoys the YouTube catalog reviews the most.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I would think the consensus of this forum would be to promote and encourage the young generation of the hobby. Not deter them.

Many of those "Catalog Reviewers" and "YouTubers" come on the forum hoping to find a community of like minded hobbyists only to be belittled and discouraged by the veterans.

Keep in mind, the younger generation enjoys sharing the hobby in different ways. Do we want to welcome and foster them? Or start another thread about why the hobby is dying?

- Jason

@Cmontagna posted:

I think the uptick in YouTube videos demonstrates a shift in the hobby itself. Often we hear people say that the hobby is dying. Stores are closing and clubs closing their doors. While this may be true, many of us have found more connections with fellow modelers in the last 12 months through YouTube than in the previous 5 years through shaking hands at swap meets.

When I started my YouTube channel in 2017 mentioned in my first video that the purpose was to inspire and help others see get into the hobby. If it weren't for Eric's Trains I would not have been as motivated to have the layout and collection that I currently do. If it weren't for my channel I wouldn't have the network of friends to chat with, take and give advice from, and simply enjoy the hobby with.

Catalog season is always crazy. As Tony points out above, the forum here is a hot bed of catalog topics every time a new one drops. Unfortunately, those same topics typically fall into a back and forth session of people complaining about prices.

Man, I thought you were premiering your video yesterday but it was just a teaser lol

@TheRambles posted:

@RickO

”When you resort to attacking the messenger and not the message, you have lost the debate.”

No debate here. Just a quoted theory from a well known psychologist that can apply to dealing with others criticism.

No attack either. Just IMO better use of internet donations which is typically used for more dire circumstances than rewards.

Again, see the quote. Have a nice day Tony! Let's go run some trains!

The industry is evolving at a quick pace and social media right now is a huge part of where model railroading is headed. Folks want to not only have fun, but also express themselves in different ways. There is certainly going to be various tiers of content quality out there, but that doesn't diminish the message of the author. Seek first to understand before being understood.

I have been focused on my O Scale Podcast more than anything and I'm having an absolute blast with it.

Let's support everyone out there and make this the best darn hobby in the world.

I hate to say it, but your efforts tend to get a lot more views on Youtube. I used to like posting on the 3RS forum but have you guys looked at it lately? Talk about spam!

I really do enjoy seeing some of the younger generation posting their videos.

A lot of what is on YouTube is crap.  You can usually tell within the first 10-15 seconds - then click on something else.  It's the flip side of giving everyone a megaphone.

My personal pet peeves are the folks who umm and errr for a long time before making their point, or the folks who show a train running loops for 10 minutes - after the second time around, we've seen it all.  But again, I just click on something else.

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

I hate to say it, but your efforts tend to get a lot more views on Youtube. I used to like posting on the 3RS forum but have you guys looked at it lately? Talk about spam!

I really do enjoy seeing some of the younger generation posting their videos.

I'm with you Norm.  I really enjoy interacting with some of the younger guys who are doing some great things on Youtube.  I'm encouraged by what I see there in looking at what the future of the hobby looks like.

Mallard, haha, sounds like one of my vids!

@MichRR714 posted:

I'm with you Norm.  I really enjoy interacting with some of the younger guys who are doing some great things on Youtube.  I'm encouraged by what I see there in looking at what the future of the hobby looks like.

Those guys make me want to buy new stuff. They seem to be having too much fun. How dare they!

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

Mallard, haha, sounds like one of my vids!

I rewatch your old videos because the depth of your detail gives them replay value haha I gotta take notes so I know what I want to accomplish.

It was tough for me to meet other people into the hobby before the pandemic but now it's real tough. Youtube fills the gap until I get enough of a layout to post for open houses and join the local club, so I can meet people that way. Low-quality content aside, the model railroading Youtube community is very important. I've learned a ton from there.

Plus look how many people (Youtube visitors that aren't train people yet) were exposed to the existence of York thanks to a few Youtubers that turned it into a joint production. It's a good thing. No doubt about it.

Thanks Bill! Even 'crap' Youtubes are very informative. I found myself hunting for old TMCC engine videos to hear the sounds. One very rare sound set was the K4 5385 one. When I found the video I went ahead and ordered the boards from Lionel. It was just some guy running it on the floor from what I remember.

@TheRambles posted:

Spam, Really? The videos are the exact same content as the postings on the "Lionel 2022 Volume 1 is up! Whatcha Getting?" page of this forum only in a different medium.

Youtube and folks the o-gauge creators are revolutionizing this hobby. Why try and stifle that? I don't get the hate. If you don't want to watch folks paging through the catalogs, don't click on it. They will go away with time, I promise. If you watched it and though it was crap, dislike it and/or offer constructive criticism in the comments. Maybe message the creator. What does complaining on here accomplish other than boosting your own ego?

If I am misinterpreting the overarching message here, let me know and I will apologize. But if I am not, @KOOLjock1 and others comes off a bit like bullies with this post.

In response to the initial query; I live streamed the catalog on my small channel as soon as it dropped as a way for folks to discuss what we were all seeing together. We had a discussion in the chat and it was a lot of fun. Other than that, my video was exactly what your describing. "Oh that's cool" move on.

The stream stayed up after I finished recording is getting views and presently sits a 100% likes.

You know after considering this thread I will say I am wrong.  While not something I would watch a ton of, catalog reviews that is, it is good for the hobby to have so many folks interested enough to put a video out.  Just keep it under 3 hours.  LOL!

Young guys should be encouraged.  Thanks for changing my mind everyone.

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

Thanks Bill! Even 'crap' Youtubes are very informative. I found myself hunting for old TMCC engine videos to hear the sounds. One very rare sound set was the K4 5385 one. When I found the video I went ahead and ordered the boards from Lionel. It was just some guy running it on the floor from what I remember.

I agree. I rely a lot on Youtube to see how things look so I can decide what I want to replicate.

@Mallard4468 posted:

A lot of what is on YouTube is crap....My personal pet peeves are the folks who umm and errr for a long time before making their point, or the folks who show a train running loops for 10 minutes - after the second time around, we've seen it all.  But again, I just click on something else.

AMEN!

I spent my professional life producing good videos for various corporate clients like The Hoover Company, US Air, OGR, and many other corporate clients. The junk I see that passes for "good" video on YouTube today truly saddens me. Jump cuts, shaky camera work, improper use of microphones, audio loaded with room tone and echo instead of being clear, no attempt to script the video so it makes sense, poor or no editing, audio levels all over the map, and my biggest peeve, vertical video.

I am almost ashamed to say I'm a "video professional" these days, for fear of being lumped in with the people who produce the crap that passes for good video on YouTube today.

I understand there is some value in the hobby-related videos that are being produced, and I have found that most of them are OK. But some of the click-bait nonsense that is put up there is truly awful...and that includes the guy showing a train running around a loop for ten minutes. 

Ain't it funny how people are worried about new people joining the hobby, but meanwhile the older folks are raining on there parade. I'm an 19 year old who has made a pretty good name for himself. I repair trains for people, do upgrades, and have a successful YouTube channel I would say. I'm nothing special, but that's the point isn't it. Be yourself and make a video. I do agree some content is better than others. Social media in general has allowed lots of people to make videos and content that may not be interesting to a more sophisticated person. However, at the end of the day YouTube videos aren't meant to be world class productions. Rich I give you all the credit in the world. I watched tons of your videos as a kid especially the tmcc video. I will never be able to make high end productions with twelve cameras facing towards the same object. In all honesty nobody will do that on YouTube because that is not what it is about. Its not a documentary. Its young and older people sharing their views and life in the hobby. I'm sorry if some videos annoy you guys, but as a fellow train YouTuber with a good following, I just ask that you don't rain on our parade because of a few people who just don't have the right style of editing or video making. Hope this was insightful.

Hi Everyone,

It looks like another great day in the neighborhood. I was almost afraid to open this thread and start reading but...

Just about everything I thought I would read I have seen and read. First of all, for all of the YouTubers that have read and even commented in this thread, I want to thank you for helping to create another dimension to this hobby.

I agree that the hobby is being promoted in various ways on the platform. Some of it fits our fancy and some of it does not. There are some presenters who I await their next video and others not so much and that's ok. It is self expression and a way for an individual to show how they enjoy the hobby. Please correct me if I am wrong, but this hobby is meant for us to enjoy in our own way, correct?

It never fails that even in the best hobby in the world we have "negativity" as it relates to how an individual promotes and enjoys the hobby. If it's not someone stating that something isn't prototypical it's someone trashing a video post they have seen. Sad! From what I see, this negativity is not coming from the younger generation. This simply is not right guys and gals! For those who pass judgement and criticism, do you believe you are encouraging or helping the hobby?

YouTube was created for people to express themselves through whatever medium they choose. Some people may not have the skills to have the best production techniques. Some of the most popular YouTubers started off with less than desirable videos but over time and with positive encouragement they got better. When I first started watching YouTube and in particular, model railroad videos, I was not concerned with the quality of the video. I just wanted to see what the author was promoting, demonstrating, and so excited about that they put themselves out there to the world. Sometimes, I wanted to see a particular locomotive, other times it may have been for scenery, etc. Whatever it was I saw the video for the author's intent. There were certainly times when the author didn't have the best skills as it pertained to editing but sometimes a compliment and then a suggestion can be powerful. 

You may not like the content, you may not care for the editing or lack thereof, but think about how you express that. Are your words and attitudes encouraging or not?

Some things I have read on this thread are simply "ugly" and I certainly hope that newbies and the younger guys are strong enough to ignore it. Face it, we need them for the hobby to continue. That does not happen by only chiming in to say something negative especially if you can't offer something positive and uplifting.

Lastly, when I see someone open a box, in most cases I see someone excited about a product that they have gotten. How many boxes has Mr. Siegel opened? I can promise you that because he opened that box someone watching his video went out an purchased what he showed, demonstrated, and simply had shown excitement for. YouTubers are sales people in a certain right and I'm sure manufacturers are happy when their products are promoted by them. Again hobby promotion is the name of the game. Not to mention the presenters are simply having fun within the context of model railroading. Isn't that ultimately what it is about?

Dave

Well, if it shows anything, it shows that there are young people involved in the hobby and that they are using new ways of communicating. Too bad the Train Karens want to dump all over them.

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

Well, if it shows anything, it shows that there are young people involved in the hobby and that they are using new ways of communicating. Too bad the Train Karens want to dump all over them.

Norm, I resent being called a "Karen."

You are one of the finest modelers in the world. Your work is some of the best there is. How would you feel if sub-standard, shake-the-box kits on a piece of green felt were suddenly being hailed as “great” modeling work? How would you feel if the very thing you were so proud of, your exquisite modeling work, just didn't matter to anyone any more?

That's how I feel about the the declining standards of what now constitutes “good” video.

Rich,

As stated above, what you have done in the world of editing is top notch. I can probably speak for most in saying there is no comparison in your talents with production and that of most YouTubers. Your very job was to produce good videos and of course that comes with good editing. YouTube however is not necessarily that. We don't go to YouTube for a "finished product" as we would if we were purchasing one of your videos or a "Black Diamond Railway". When we say a YouTube video is good we are mostly speaking of the author's intent, what information we received from watching the video, and most importantly how fun it was to watch. The very idea of YouTube is for one to be themselves and we are hardly perfect. Frankly the "imperfection" for some is what keeps them coming back. It gives others the feeling that they can do it too. Not to mention IT'S FREE!

I believe you see the videos through the eyes of someone who has mastered the art of production but most of the content producers have not seen a day of edit training and production. They simply want to have their chance to be seen, heard, and get their chance at being in the limelight, even if it's only for 20 other people who watched their videos.

Dave

As a guy who will be 70 in 5 months, I am just excited to see the younger generation get interested in this hobby.  Kudos to them the way they are communicating!!   The you tube videos are not all pros, good thing they aren't.  To see the enthusiasm of this young generation makes me very happy.  Come on guys,  times are changing, keep up with them or be lost and forgotten.  I wish ALL the young generation great luck in the hobby.  Keep all those videos coming. 

Yep, YouTube is one of the main reasons why many folks in this business do not produce videos any longer.  Why pay for a professionally done video when you can go to YouTube and get a video for FREE regardless of the content and quality.