KeithMacdonald Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Who agrees with Sam's Trains assessment (of his 2020 reviews)? Would you nominated something else as "worst of the year"? Sam's top five are: 5) The "Bank Breaker" Bachmann Hall class (Three pole motor, no flywell, no tender pickups, molding lines, etc, high RRP) 4) The "Gangrenous Infection" Bachmann N class (As above, plus suspect tender coupling) 3) "Mr Gubbins" Aliexpress 0-4-0 (Loose buffers, bent metal coupling, featureless cab, plastic connecting rods, exposed plastic gears) 2) "Friday Afternoon Bowel Movement" Heljan 1361 (High price, rough castings, loose moldings, loose running gear, poor power pickup) 1) The "Slurry Express" Mehano Western train (rough toy-grade molding, ) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Popular Post AY Mod Posted January 16, 2021 Moderators Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2021 Sorry, I just find it self-indulgent clickbait. Really can't abide it. 8 44 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 No Spur Null so not interested. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 The **** really needs to grow up, not every model will be perfect and to return for replacement faulty ones. 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Ar$ehole, but as Andy says, he's clickbait so just scroll on by. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted January 16, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2021 His reviews can be useful, provided you're aware of his prejudices (which isn't difficult, they're pretty obvious) in that you can at least see how well, or otherwise, models run — it's not always obvious in magazine reviews. And he reviews some models which are hard to find independent reviews of — not thinking of the cheap rubbish found in the above list, but those commissioned by Model Rail — by definition Model Rail can't do an independent review of these, and other magazines don't generally even mention them. The only model of these which I have is the N class. Not the same version as that above, and no problems. I wouldn't nominate any of the models I purchased in 2020 for such a list (some earlier years do have a candidate, though…) 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 He is doing it for the likes, subscriptions and views not for the betterment of railway modelling. There is a chap I follow on Youtube, his videos gave me the confidence to have a go with wiring in a speaker on my N gauge 50, but I was a little dismayed when it came to his aims for 2021 - getting more subscribers, more views and doing more videos. I also follow the chap who does 'Cruising the Cut', five years of his travails on the canal network from newbie to veteran, his content is interesting and he doesn't use clickbait titles or engineer situations, he just does the humdrum and it's a lovely relaxing watch. But 2021 will see a change, he's realised he had become driven by the need to create content, traipse around the country to make the videos varied and he's simply not enjoying it so much so he's going back to more documentary type videoing at a lower output. I'm pleased he has been honest to himself and to us that he recognises in the end being a face on a Youtube channel is not a be all and end all. 9 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Watched 5 mins of said channel..... Would rather planish my plums with a ball pein hammer than watch anymore.... So not really gonna take a look... 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Foden Posted January 16, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2021 (edited) Whilst I have no particular axe to grind with Sam'sTrains, I'm probably not his target audience, and I rarely give his content more than a fleeting 'just flicking through' view. It's all very subjective thought isn't it? One man's junk is another man's treasure, etc. It's difficult (for me) to argue against some valid points of poor value vs quality on some examples, but the rest, generally, I put down to taste, which of course differs wildly. Edited January 16, 2021 by Foden 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 20 minutes ago, Foden said: It's all very subjective thought isn't it? One man's junk is another man's treasure, etc. When I read that sentence I heard it in Sam's voice, even a simply flicking through his content has you writing like he talks, it's a slippery slope and soon you'll be giving us your top 10 axes to grind. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebell Model Railway Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Sadly it's a cry for attention... And very biased... Say he's only in it for money... And has no interest in this hobby. I'm mean he has to pay for subscriptions and viewers... Tells you everything. Waste of server space. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD85 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 (edited) Some very nasty comments on here. I do have my reservations about Sam's Trains (he should at least put his railway on boards on the floor and not directly on the carpet, and I'm also not entirely sure his reviews of Hatton's products are unbiased as he apparently acknowledges that he has some sort of arrangement with them, plus the El Cheapo 'character' he sometimes plays is... erm... questionable at best), and yeah there's the perennial issue that people on YT do tend to go down the clickbait route chasing subscribers, but his reviews are pretty thorough and do go into a lot of detail, plus they're quite good to just put on for half an hour or so to unwind to. I don't just use him for recommendations of particular models either, I tend to gather a wide range of reviews and opinions before purchasing, so his reviews are just a part of that. Edited January 16, 2021 by SD85 2 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 6 minutes ago, Bluebell Model Railway said: Sadly it's a cry for attention... And very biased... Say he's only in it for money... And has no interest in this hobby. I'm mean he has to pay for subscriptions and viewers... Tells you everything. Waste of server space. Exactly - there are plenty of people out there who do a decent job of selling themselves and the hobby - Everard Junction, New Junction - the latter taught me how to wire a DCC layout simply. Simon's shed is another one - nice style, gives you confidence to give things a go. 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Yeah. I just wrote a dissertation defending the Bachmann Hall then realised who we were talking about..... 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebell Model Railway Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 3 minutes ago, SD85 said: Some very nasty comments on here. I do have my reservations about Sam's Trains (he should at least put his railway on boards on the floor and not directly on the carpet, and I'm also not entirely sure his reviews of Hatton's products are unbiased as he apparently acknowledges he has some sort of arrangement with them), and yeah there's the perennial issue that people on YT do tend to go down the clickbait route chasing subscribers, but his reviews are pretty thorough and do go into a lot of detail, plus they're quite good to just put on for half an hour or so to unwind to. I don't just use him for recommendations of particular models either, I tend to gather a wide range of reviews and opinions before purchasing, so his reviews are just a part of that. You don't have to fix the models he's wrecked lol I do... Sadly his servicing and his recommendations is that of someone that has no idea what he's doing.. So much so I refuse to repair them so I told them to send the models back to Hornby... Seeing as they use him from time to time. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 17, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2021 I cannot take seriously anyone who runs locos on track laid on a carpet on the floor, and the way he handles the models sets my nerves a-jangling; it's a bit like watching a 2-year old let loose on a finescale layout, wth a hammer. Jenny Emily or SDJR88 are much more informative and reliable as reviewers, and I am completely confident that they know what they are talking about! I find the bloke himself a bit irritating as well, but that might be down to my prejudices as much as his fault to be fair. 2 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 17, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2021 Having never come across this chap I thought I'd have a look and give him the benefit of the doubt. I lasted 30 seconds, which I suspect is more than most! We have terms for people like him in Yorkshire, repeating even the milder ones would garner me a lifetime ban on here. I can only assume it's a joke channel and he is carrying on the tradition of the Reg Prescott character by the much missed Kenny Everett. Mike. 1 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted January 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2021 Is he what they call an Influencer? I have come across the term from time to time but my impression is my Grandmother shouting 'Turn that infernal machine off, go out and get a proper job!' 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted January 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2021 Err those are locomotives not trains.. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 15 hours ago, Bluebell Model Railway said: You don't have to fix the models he's wrecked lol I do... Sadly his servicing and his recommendations is that of someone that has no idea what he's doing.. So much so I refuse to repair them so I told them to send the models back to Hornby... Seeing as they use him from time to time. Is that because they are full of carpet fluff? Someone I work with once had great pleasure telling me they'd fallen into a YouTube wormhole and seen one of these videos. Sadly that now fitted their perception of a railway modeller and what they do instead of the hours of videos of finescale layouts, and worse still this level probably make up enough of a significant proportion that the manufacturers have to take note of. The two worlds probably require similar standards from a model (ie they work out of the box and don't need numerous parts refitting), but the two groups are otherwise worlds apart. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 (edited) Well Sam seems to appeal to a lot of people as he has the thick end of 100K subscribers and the video above got in excess of 70K views! He is certainly an "influencer" within the hobby based on these numbers. As to whether his reviews are "accurate", I would defer to people who are more expert in this area than me. Also, as with anything in life it is best not to base a decision on one source of information. For every dud that Sam buys (which I must say he seems to relish) there are people out there who have "good ones". Having said the above, I believe most of us have sunk our hard earned cash in to the odd "dud". My advice is to return it and request a replacement. This hopefully means the purchaser ends up with a "good one" and the manufacturer receives valuable feedback. Kind regards Paddy Edited January 17, 2021 by Paddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskra Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 I find Samstrains reviews useful in that he reviews some fairly obscure models, they are easily accessible (and free too), I can physically see the product from all angles, I can see it run and I get a preview of the build quality etc. It's a nice introduction to be used with other sources to help me to decided how to spend my hard-earned effectively, which can help me avoid older models that are being sold at new prices, total duds, the odd bargain, a loco I'd never have thought of myself or maybe just entertain me for 30 minutes. That doesn't mean I blindly follow everything that he says, and there are some clear recurring themes in terms of which brands he criticises and which get praised which I don't always agree with. You just need to filter the facts from the opinion and apply your own judgement. It's no different to reading the news, even when I read the BBC website, which is supposed to be neutral, I sometimes detect the odd agenda or bias, but I just use my own brain to sift through it and come to my own conclusions, which everyone is welcome to do. Whether you like these videos or not, I find some of the personal attacks on Sam on this thread distasteful; no doubt some of those responsible have their own agenda too. 2 6 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted January 17, 2021 Moderators Share Posted January 17, 2021 26 minutes ago, Paddy said: My advice is to return it and request a replacement. And miss out on whipping up your YouTube followers? It's like Electricnose for Generation Z. 2 2 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskra Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 1 minute ago, AY Mod said: And miss out on whipping up your YouTube followers? It's like Electricnose for Generation Z. The Times They Are a-Changin’ 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 (edited) 7 minutes ago, AY Mod said: And miss out on whipping up your YouTube followers? It's like Electricnose for Generation Z. Not in to social media Andy - I follow The N Gauge Forum, RMweb and some YouTube channels but that is about it. As for Facebook etc. - they all seem to be rapidly becoming a force for bad rather than good. Kind regards Paddy Edited January 17, 2021 by Paddy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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