I think you have a misunderstanding about the issues in the MTH v. QSI lawsuit. You said that it isn’t QSI’s fault that they are being sued. That sounds like the fault is always of the party doing the suing. No doubt, law suits like those suing fast food chains because they made someone fat, are indeed frivolous. I believe the judge recognized that one as such and threw it out. But if QSI is infringing on MTH’s patent, then QSI deserves to be sued.
What is infringing on a patent? It is stealing intellectual property. The key words are stealing and property. We all know how we feel about having something of ours stolen. Lawsuits are the process by which patent infringement is settled.
As an engineer, I am paid to think up new ideas and make them a reality. The patent system is how my ideas are protected from theft. Why should I go through the effort of developing a new idea if someone could steal it and expect to keep it? Would a farmer be happy if after a summer of nurturing his crops someone stole them?
Most ideas take a lot of time and money to develop. It also takes a lot of money to get a patent. Why shouldn’t MTH be entitled to keep their property? Why is it right that you should ask that they give it to QSI?
There are a couple of ways this could be solved without any big losers. QSI could develop their own circuit that doesn’t infringe on the patent. MTH could also license their technology to QSI. I would think this is the smart thing to do for MTH since QSI is selling in markets MTH is not. This would bring in money to MTH that they would otherwise never see. This is a win-win for the companies as well as modelers. Rather than asking MTH to give away their intellectual property you should be asking both parties to sit down and work this out.
Allan Gartner
Thank you for allowing me to express my frustration with DCC several months ago. I’m still plugging away at it, having decided to keep on trying in spite of a frustrating experience. Now I have a question, which is probably a stupid one, but at least I know I’m ignorant about electronics!
Your reviews often have warnings to place a locomotive with a newly-installed decoder on a program track to prevent it from being fried if there is a short. How does this work? If you’re running power to the track in order to program the decoder, it’s going to fry if there’s a short. If you’re not running power to the track, you can’t program the decoder because the signals are carried to the decoder by the current. I thought there might be some voodoo involved, that maybe somehow the signals could reach the decoder without track power being applied, so I tried to do it by placing the throttle in program mode while not running power to the track. No success. Is this perhaps a feature of newer DCC systems? I am running an “old” Digitrax Big Boy with a DB100+ booster and a DT200 throttle — do newer systems have this “program track” capability? I would sure like to save decoders if my system can do this, but I sure haven’t figured out how yet! Thanks for your attention and for your great magazine.
Dave Woomer
Springfield, MO
Thought while I had some time I’d say hello and tell you how much I really enjoy your magazine and the way you all have run things. Something that I’ve noticed and would also like you to know about is your product reviews. I love the way everything is covered, but especially the full view of the locomotive that you run in the fold of the magazine. I’ve cut these out and put them up over my work bench in a line so it gives my work area a nice “railroady” feel to it!
I hope you keep putting the full shot of the steam locos in the fold, ‘cause then I’ll be able to sort of “wallpaper” my work area with steam engines! My original idea was to use the pictures as a border around my work area but since the photos looked so good I just started putting them up on the wall. Just looks so cool. Keep up the good work and keep those engines in the fold!
Marty Yaker
Baltimore, MD
Once again, in going through the most recent issue of MRN, I was impressed with the quality of your model photography. The photos in the review of the BLI Cab Forward, especially that fantastic broadside, are superbly exposed and contrasted to show maximum detail with wide depth-of-field and laser-sharp focus. The evenly exposed light blue background with no discernible texture is a marvel.
I consider myself a reasonably good photographer and I know the theory and technology involved in making the most of any subject or situation. However, there is nothing like being told exactly how a master achieves the desired effect. You would do a great service to me and many other modelers who would like to show off their work in the best light if you would do an article on your secrets and techniques, including type(s) of camera, medium (digital resolution or film type), exposure settings, lighting, background materials, exposure times, etc. (Anyone who visits internet auction sites sees plenty of examples of how not to take good model photographs.)
If you have already written about this in MRN, please direct me to the issue or to where I and others could get a reprint. If you haven’t written about this, I hope you won’t mind revealing some of your “trade secrets” to those of us who admire your work.
Sam Putney
Roanoke, VA
Images find their way into a Macintosh G5 and are beaten up in Adobe Photoshop. I set up on blue or beige seamless background paper and try to shoot the models as quickly as I can before they get dusty. Still, black locos attract white dust and print spotting is absolutely essential. I use a Pantone color reference book to compare the model’s colors with what Photoshop thinks they should be. Everything else is practice and experience (plus it’s nice to have top-notch printing and gorgeous models!) — John
I enjoy every issue Model Railroad News very much, I read your article in the last issue “The Retailers Complaint.” You state that all hobbyists are cheap at some level. That is not true!
I am 70 years old and this last October, my wife convinced me that I should try model railroading, of which I had no interest. She bought me an early Christmas present of a model train set, and now I have 5 running sets in my basement.
In your article, you state that retailers can count on dumb questions. If you would write at least one article each month for the beginner, like myself, explaining such things as the difference in sizes from N to HO and all the rest, and model numbers such as 4664 and 482, etc., the beginner wouldn’t have to ask such dumb stupid questions of the shop owner.
I’m glad my retailer doesn’t mind dumb stupid questions from the beginners. He’s very kind, understanding with a wealth of knowledge he’s willing to share. Also, very few railroad hobbyists are shoplifters.
John Grau
Lowville, NY
How about engines for the little guy? The guy that only has space for a 4 x 8 foot layout. I am a steam enthusiast, and love all the new steam locomotives that are being produced. These large locomotives regardless of gauge are great.
In my case, these large steam locomotives are too long to operate on an HO 4 x 8 foot layout. Which means that a locomotive larger than a 2-8-2 Mikado would look out of place with four or five cars on a 4 x 8 foot layout. Four or five cars would be a long train on a 4 x 8 foot layout. A locomotive of the more modern 4-6-0 ten wheeler type such as New York Central’s which was comparable to New Haven railroads G-4 class with a super heated cylinder and either Southern or Baker valve gear. For example, this type of locomotive would look more realistic than a 4-6-6-4. True, Spectrum made a 4-6-0 with a flat valve cylinder and small boiler but New York Central and New Havens were more modern looking.
A 4-4-2 Atlantic would be great on a 4 x 8 foot layout. I’m sure more friends would get into the model railroad hobby but are restricted by layout size. Just a suggestion.
Donald E. Penniman
Oviedo, FL
In reading Larger View (June 2004) talking about Steve Schaffan, a fellow Slovak, my dad grew up with Steve in Newark 60 years ago. In 1973, Dad and I paid Mr. Atlas a visit concerning my new business. Shortly after, I became the first small company to use resins in HO for our coal loads and later car kits.
I hope I’ll get the credit for that some day.
Ed Petras
Roller Bearing Models
Port Jervis, NY
Thanks for your review of the BLI AC-4/5s. I ordered mine in September 2003, paid for it November 2003, and took delivery on April 1, 2004.
Although the sound fascinates me, I was a bit disappointed to find out that it will pull just 20 cars up my 2.2 percent grade without stalling out and only 24 cars up the 1.8 percent grade. This makes it about equal to my Sunset (brass) AC-6, but neither comes close to what my four Akane ACs (AC-8, -9, -10, -12) will pull up the same grades. Each will pull 40-plus cars. It has to be the gearing.
To my AC-4 (#4108) I renumbered it, re-did the tender lettering (as delivered the SP name is too large; it belongs to the later rectangular tenders), added SP-type blow downs, a snow plow pilot, and a rear tender-top back-up light.
Adding a few more cars, I tried putting my Sunset F-5 in as a rear helper. Forget it. While the point AC was doing its thing huffing and chuffing preparatory to starting-up, the “F” was merrily spinning its drivers and going nowhere.
C.F. Colville
Moses Lake, WA
I am doing some research on the Littleburys, and if what I have discovered is correct, Cyril had a brother Arthur who may also have been a prolific photographer.
Arthur died in Vancouver BC in 1945; as for Cyril, I haven’t discovered where he lived at the time of his death, which could offer a clue to more photos.
I own a list of the photos taken by one or other of the Littleburys, which would indicate something approaching 10,000 photos were taken. This assumption is based upon the numbered photos reaching 4,000 and assuming there were at least as many that didn’t warrant numbering. I am hoping to discover the whereabouts of more of the photos.
If you have any information that may help, I would be grateful.
Dudley Booth
Port Moody, BC, Canada
Just got my first issue (June) and was impressed with the fact I knew right away what scale review/article was about, as scale was displayed at top of article/review. The same could be said for the ads in MRN, except for one prominent ad at back for TrainQuest. Photos of some nice-looking rolling stock caught my eye, but nowhere in the ad is the scale of items for sale displayed. I remember 20 years ago in MR reading of a similar gripe. Are we supposed to be mindreaders? I hope advertisers and publishers alike would be more vigilant about this.
Alfred J Daly
Oakland Gardens, NY
(This letter is in response to one in MRN, Vol. 10, No. 6.) The waiting was over when the N & W “A” 2-6-6-4 was placed into my hands. Headed to the Railroad Club; prepared for the “A” to “highball”; it highballed for about 50 feet and stopped dead on the rails. (A railroad strike was out, since nobody was in the cab.) Tried to reboot the steamer (according to BLI instructions — no way). Took the “A” home to the test track; not one problem; back to the club; same problem. The club uses an M.R.C. “Control Master 20,” with walk-around throttles. Somewhere in between, the E7s came out, and guess what happened? The Mars came on, lower headlamp came on, “Highball.” It stopped dead on the rails, started to back up again, and the lower headlamp looked like the Mars lamp.
Took them home and placed it on the shelf — time passed, and out came the Santa Fe 4-8-4. The Northern hit the curve and stopped, this time the headlamp stayed; reverse, no way; forward, no way. A close inspection of the fireman’s side revealed that the hex head bolt, “back-turned” itself just far enough to make the crank bend about 360 degrees, and lock the driver tight. Seems to be a pattern for disaster — wins 0, losses 3.
I contacted M.R.C. via phone. A spokesman told me that they do not recommend the “Control Master 20” for use with the BLI locos. The throttle has a relay which can be heard when changing directions, inside the transformer. This can cause an interruption, when using the horn/whistle or bell. The back of the transformer has 3 side switches — on/off, nudge, and a mode switch for large scale. Slide the “nudge” and “large scale” switches to the down position (this effect will deliver less voltage to the locos). M.R.C. recommends the Tech 4 series without pulse power.
Back to the railroad club, switches down, a flawless run. (When changing directions, I recommend turning the engine off first, then power up!) I tracked down a “Tech 4, MRC 260,” and took it home. It is unbelievable how the three locos run — perfect.
William G. Harris
Wagon Masters Railroad Club
Elmhurst, IL
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