I know the whole world seems to be full of negative energy, and social media only makes it worse, but it seems like the current YouTuber volume is permanently set on "outraged" these days. The reaction to the recent catalog really, really turned me off to a bunch of people making those kinds of videos. I don't want your hot take on how much things cost, or how Lionel is ruining the hobby. I don't care about your product or catalog reviews where you regurgitate all negative points, just with your own face in the camera the whole time. Even the thumbnails screaming "terrible catalog" "buckle up $$$" "What have they done.!!!" "Thats not My Lionel" "The 2025 Lionel Catalog is a Disgrace" "Worst Ever" are painful, and none of that feels like sharing anything informative, original, or good for the hobby.
I'm interested to know who you go to for the positive side of all of this.
For me, @ericstrains.com is way up on the list. Even when things aren't perfect, he's always positive and it's hard not to see his love of the hobby come through in every video. He might be the only person I trust explicitly with product reviews at this point, mostly because his consistency over time has proven him trustworthy. Same with @MartyE, and Norm's Trains. I love learning the history and lore of a locomotive or set. I love seeing someone work through a project, or through an upgrade. I still reference Eric's original tutorial videos to this day, and some of those are going on 15 years old. Ben's Trains and Peachy's Trains are very different layouts than mine but always make me smile. It's folks like this that not only bring positive energy but who make ME want to go start a new project or share something that I'm working on. If I ever make a video to share, these are the folks who will be the bar I shoot for.
Who else is out there that is must-watch AND leaves you feeling good about the hobby we love? Drop me a link in a comment and I'll check them out.
https://www.youtube.com/@Ericstrains
https://www.youtube.com/@normstrains
https://www.youtube.com/@MartyE
