Do youtubers contribute positively to railway modelling?

[Jol Wilkinson]

5 hours ago, HonestTom said:

 

See, people say things like this and then they wonder why it's so hard to attract young people to the hobby. I see this condescending attitude all over the place. The self-identified "real enthusiasts" and "serious modellers" patronising newcomers and younger enthusiasts, then blaming them when they decide they don't want to get involved in clubs and societies where they're clearly not wanted.

 

If that's the prevailing attitude among "real enthusiasts," then I think we have an answer to the question posed in the thread title. Yes, YouTubers, and social media in general, do contribute positively to the hobby. Because if the "real enthusiasts" don't want new blood, where else are the upcoming hobbyists to go?

 

It's odd that, having been a modeller about sixty years and a member of a Historical Railway Society and two 4mm gauge Societies for at least half that time, I have rarely found the things you describe. No doubt there are those that criticise others for not agreeing to join in their way of thinking/doing things but they are very much in the minority. Too often the "real enthusiasts" are people who talk the talk but haven't walked the walk.

 

Why people don't join this hobby is often something other than experiencing the condescending attitude you see all over the place, although the only places I have actually experienced that has been in a couple of local clubs, where the modelling was  quite average and any attempt to promote anything else/better was met with antagonism.

 

We live in a society where creative hobbies aren't as popular as they used to be. Busy lives with little recreational time, family responsibilities, time spent worrying about your social media rating, following Facebook, Twatter, Youtube, etc. all prevent people from thinking they have time to sit down, relax and do something creative. Thinking back to my yoof and early working years, life seemed more relaxed with time to spare.

 

Add to all that the lack of the local shop where you could go and get practical advise and the stuff that enabled you to do some modelling must have an impact. Through assisting a trader at a number of shows for over twenty years, I found that most people joining the hobby were in their forties+. They usually discovered model railways by taking their own children to local shows and,  when they were able to find the time/money to spend on themselves as the offspring went off to college or university, they started to look at railway modelling.

 

Whether Youtube is a force for good in all this I don't know. Clearly there will be those that think it is, but the few videos I have watched didn't seem at all inspirational or educational in a worthwhile way. But then, I have been at it for a long time and the Youtubers probably can't offer me anything I haven't already learned elsewhere, from books and videos by "series modellers", face to face conversations with friends and like minded modellers, demonstrators at shows, etc.

 

As for Sam, what little I have seen of his activities makes me think it seems like a model railway version of Top Gear. "Fun" if you are so inclined but not railway modelling as I have come to see it.

 

 

[westernviscount]

11 hours ago, HonestTom said:

Why not? If they're on YouTube, their work is already in the public arena. How many views would they need before they become suitable for criticism?

 

The form in general is suitable for criticism by virtue of its ubiquity. By virtue of how strong the support is for youtube and youtubers,  despite the suggestion of being hard done by from the choobers here. I can understand this as you folk have skin in the game, ambition and aspiration to perhaps make youtube a full time enterprise. I am not so inclined as you can tell. 

 

Monetised youtubers should expect criticism in lieu of there being little in terms of any regulation of content in terms of accuracy and quality. Hobbyist choobers should be braced for critique by virtue of them putting their work "out there". It is the same in mags (have you read the letters section of MRJ?...WOW!!). As for naming folk, nope, not going there. 

 

11 hours ago, HonestTom said:

Yes, but I didn't do that in a YouTube video, nor did I say that to the parents in question. I was simply explaining why I think hobbyists in general should be willing to accept those whose interest is apparently superficial.

 

Fair enough, but your attitude here has been one of providing a service and your comments most recently have been rather lofty in terms of the impact youtubers have on the hobby. Perhaps I envy the extent to which you value your own impact on the hobby. Have I inspired folk through my hobby? Nope, but my hobby has no utility which is the beauty of a hobby I feel this new approach fails to value. Everything is laced with the language of achievement and success and figures and aspiration which is anathema to me when applied to hobbying.

 

11 hours ago, HonestTom said:

So there is no "us," but at the same time you feel that Francis and Sam are not "us."

 

No, I say Sam and Francis are taken as being representative of an "us" which doesn't exist. They are what they are because of youtube, not because of trains. 

 

22 hours ago, Corbs said:

Your concerns about children wanting to be a YouTuber are shared by many, but is it that different to previous generations wanting to be a pop star/TV personality/football player/actor/socialite?

 

Yes, by a long way. Previous generations did of course want to be the things you list, but even these roles have more definition than "youtuber". It is ambiguous and generally meaningless and to be honest, I think contributory to the sense of unease kids feel today.

11 hours ago, HonestTom said:

Why? As Corbs observes above, kids have been wanting to be a musician or a movie star or similar for decades, this is just the latest iteration of that. Most of them will do it, realise it's harder than they thought and quit. Just like those kids who buy a guitar in the hope of becoming a musician

It just isn't though. Learning to play the guitar is not the same as filming yourself doing something.

 

I still like to think people want to do something for the desire to be excellent at something for it's own right and that satisfaction can be achieved without likes and "reach". 

 

4 hours ago, WestStandRam said:

I’d go one step further and argue that this attitude is one of the main reasons why model railways has such a stigma amongst younger audiences. Unless you’re a ‘rivet counter’, you aren’t a modeller.

 

Model railways does have a stigma but because of  years of media disdain for enthusiasm in general and trains specifically. It also has a stigma because of the apparent triviality of the hobby promoted by some of the above choobers mentioned and pounced upon by aforementioned media as proof.  

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by westernviscount

[Corbs]

32 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

 

Yes, by a long way. Previous generations did of course want to be the things you list, but even these roles have more definition than "youtuber". It is ambiguous and generally meaningless and to be honest, I think contributory to the sense of unease kids feel today.

It just isn't though. Learning to play the guitar is not the same as filming yourself doing something.

 

 

I disagree, because I think the parameter of 'youtuber' is equivalent to saying 'famous person' or 'professional sports player' rather than 'pop star/TV personality/football player/actor/socialite'. I'd reckon that most kids who say they want to be YouTubers actually have a particular genre in mind they would like to do. At least, the ones I have spoken to have generally had an area they preferred.

 

Think of it like this. 'Video games' are often considered by those who don't play them to be one large genre, but that hasn't been the case for decades. Uncharted bears very little similarity to Candy Crush. The first is an interactive feature film whilst the second is a shiny toy that makes noises. Both are video games.

Similarly, 'YouTuber' encompasses all manner of subjects, types etc.

A gaming streamer (one who plays video games live and provides commentary) is a world away from someone showing you how to creosote a fence efficiently, but both can be 'YouTubers'.

I think the biggest difference now is that far more than footballers or pop singers, young people who aspire to be YouTubers have a much greater chance of actually attaining it.

 

 

 

Separately, I should point out that Francis is more famous for TikTok than YouTube. Both are video apps but they do work differently.

[Corbs]

49 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

 

It also has a stigma because of the apparent triviality of the hobby promoted by some of the above choobers mentioned and pounced upon by aforementioned media as proof.  

 

 

I read an interesting post recently which pointed at a different trend in the news and media, especially around hobbyists of all kinds.

 

This is to present people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder* or stereotypical autistic traits as being 'cute'. Being hugely enthusiastic when you see a certain type of train is seen by many to be 'cute' behaviour. The news media and the crowd mentality in general seem to embrace and promote this behaviour because it is seen as endearing.

 

The problem with this is that when they turn out to be humans as well as people with ASD, they face a backlash like (this is exaggerated to make a point) "Hey! You're too normal, we thought you were a two-dimensional character whose behaviour is endearing".

 

This isn't the post I referred to but it points out how portrayals of ASD in popular culture have not been particularly accurate or helpful since the term 'Autistic' was expanded, which is likely a contributing factor.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/portrayals-autism-television-dont-showcase-full-spectrum/

 

This is another one about 'cute autism' in fiction.

https://www.theneurotypical.com/autism-is-not-cute.html

 

 

I know this is only tangentially relevant but I feel it is something to consider as Francis (and others) are so much in the media spotlight at the moment being 'flavour of the month' after Sea Shanties had their moment.

 

*Francis has not (to my knowledge) claimed or confirmed himself to be autistic but excitable and obsessive behaviour is similar to media portrayals of 'cute autism'.

 

[Clive Mortimore]

3 hours ago, njee20 said:

1) it seems the sarcasm was lost, I’m not the one who said this is a serious modelling forum

2) with 24 subscribers I’m not sure you count as “a YouTuber” in this context, you have just uploaded a few videos

Never realised I had that many subscribers.

 

Serious 'ead on for a mo, I did see what you were doing. I was just keeping it rolling.

[westernviscount]

5 hours ago, WestStandRam said:

Sam’s Trains makes model railways accessible to the average younger person, unlike the original poster’s attitude.

 

Sorry, this passed me by earlier. How do MY comments and attitude make the entire hobby of railway modelling inaccessible to young people? 

[big jim]

1 minute ago, westernviscount said:

 

Sorry, this passed me by earlier. How do MY comments and attitude make the entire hobby of railway modelling inaccessible to young people? 

yeah, I was thinking the same thing, I reread your original opening post and couldn’t see an ‘attitude’ merely a question

[Clive Mortimore]

3 hours ago, bradfordbuffer said:

Didn't know vocal cords where located in the nose!.....only done the first 12 seconds as used the pause button as wife asked what the chuff I was listening to.....as it didn't sound like the usual stuff I have on....class 56 on licky Bank...

on a wet day!

You don't like rock music from Indonesia, you don't seem keen on Spanish punk-pop so lets try something else

 

 

[Corbs]

1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

We live in a society where creative hobbies aren't as popular as they used to be. Busy lives with little recreational time

 

Hi Jol,

 

I don't believe this to be the case. Whilst creative hobbies may well have dipped in the 80s/90s and early 00s due to media stigma, across the board there is a huge resurgence in interest in creativity. Lockdown/Covid accelerated this further in many cases. Knitting, sewing, DIY, pottery, baking, model railways and more are all going through a boom and expansion.

One might even say that making videos is a creative hobby, it certainly was for me in my youth.

 

Our lives are 'busy' but we have so much leisure time, in the UK we may well have more leisure time than ever before (apart from historical upper classes).

 

I think that the problem of being simultaneously rushed off one's feet and bored out of one's mind is a much bigger societal problem than pointing the finger at a specific media platform and its users. YouTube is flawed and has deep problems but it is not the sole cause.

 

[westernviscount]

1 minute ago, big jim said:

yeah, I was thinking the same thing, I reread your original opening post and couldn’t see an ‘attitude’ merely a question

Cheers Jim. My attitude is certainly negative towards choobers but I don't think this discourages young folk. 

 

 

[Corbs]

2 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

Cheers Jim. My attitude is certainly negative towards choobers but I don't think this discourages young folk. 

 

 

 

Hello Western (Mr. Viscount?)

 

I'd be interested to read your opinion on my own channel. I would consider myself a YouTuber.

 

Here is a link to it:

https://www.youtube.com/c/railwaymanianet

 

I post tutorials, podcasts (some audio-only, some with video or pictures), and videos about my own modelling projects. In your opinion, does this come across as self-aggrandising/worthy etc.?

 

I am presenting myself as a bearer of knowledge so it could well do, but I'd like to know your honest thoughts.

[westernviscount]

17 minutes ago, Corbs said:

 

I read an interesting post recently which pointed at a different trend in the news and media, especially around hobbyists of all kinds.

 

This is to present people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder* or stereotypical autistic traits as being 'cute'. Being hugely enthusiastic when you see a certain type of train is seen by many to be 'cute' behaviour. The news media and the crowd mentality in general seem to embrace and promote this behaviour because it is seen as endearing.

 

The problem with this is that when they turn out to be humans as well as people with ASD, they face a backlash like (this is exaggerated to make a point) "Hey! You're too normal, we thought you were a two-dimensional character whose behaviour is endearing".

 

This isn't the post I referred to but it points out how portrayals of ASD in popular culture have not been particularly accurate or helpful since the term 'Autistic' was expanded, which is likely a contributing factor.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/portrayals-autism-television-dont-showcase-full-spectrum/

 

This is another one about 'cute autism' in fiction.

https://www.theneurotypical.com/autism-is-not-cute.html

 

 

I know this is only tangentially relevant but I feel it is something to consider as Francis (and others) are so much in the media spotlight at the moment being 'flavour of the month' after Sea Shanties had their moment.

 

*Francis has not (to my knowledge) claimed or confirmed himself to be autistic but excitable and obsessive behaviour is similar to media portrayals of 'cute autism'.

 

 

I agree. There is a propensity for crowds to cherry pick "fun, cute" bits of ASC and wider SEN in order to perhaps virtue signal an accepting attitude but in turn fail to recognise the whole person.

 

It is reasonable that lots of people have an incomplete understanding of various conditions. Many like to self diagnose OCD when they like to clean stuff which is a world away from just how debilitating it can manifest as. 

 

It isnt helped of course when assumptions are made about a person possibly or likely having ASC like Francis when they have not themselves said they are, based on their behaviours. 

[HonestTom]

1 hour ago, westernviscount said:

 

The form in general is suitable for criticism by virtue of its ubiquity. By virtue of how strong the support is for youtube and youtubers,  despite the suggestion of being hard done by from the choobers here. I can understand this as you folk have skin in the game, ambition and aspiration to perhaps make youtube a full time enterprise. I am not so inclined as you can tell. 

 

Monetised youtubers should expect criticism in lieu of there being little in terms of any regulation of content in terms of accuracy and quality. Hobbyist choobers should be braced for critique by virtue of them putting their work "out there". It is the same in mags (have you read the letters section of MRJ?...WOW!!). As for naming folk, nope, not going there. 

 

 

Fair enough, but your attitude here has been one of providing a service and your comments most recently have been rather lofty in terms of the impact youtubers have on the hobby. Perhaps I envy the extent to which you value your own impact on the hobby. Have I inspired folk through my hobby? Nope, but my hobby has no utility which is the beauty of a hobby I feel this new approach fails to value. Everything is laced with the language of achievement and success and figures and aspiration which is anathema to me when applied to hobbying.

 

 

No, I say Sam and Francis are taken as being representative of an "us" which doesn't exist. They are what they are because of youtube, not because of trains. 

 

 

Yes, by a long way. Previous generations did of course want to be the things you list, but even these roles have more definition than "youtuber". It is ambiguous and generally meaningless and to be honest, I think contributory to the sense of unease kids feel today.

It just isn't though. Learning to play the guitar is not the same as filming yourself doing something.

 

I still like to think people want to do something for the desire to be excellent at something for it's own right and that satisfaction can be achieved without likes and "reach". 

 

 

Model railways does have a stigma but because of  years of media disdain for enthusiasm in general and trains specifically. It also has a stigma because of the apparent triviality of the hobby promoted by some of the above choobers mentioned and pounced upon by aforementioned media as proof.  

 

 

 

Why did you actually start this thread?

[big jim]

10 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

Cheers Jim. My attitude is certainly negative towards choobers but I don't think this discourages young folk. 

 

 

Personally my attitude is not negative toward YouTubers but I’d say I’m indifferent, it’s certainly not a media channel I head for the latest news and reviews and informed (and uninformed) comment, that’s normally RMWebs job!

 

I do use YouTube to post clips of things I see out and about but that’s exactly what it is, short clips, no fancy edits, no commentary just a straight upload from the phone mainly so I can link to the video in my work thread, I’m not out for likes and views 

 

(please like and subscribe) 

 

 

[westernviscount]

6 minutes ago, HonestTom said:

Why did you actually start this thread?

Because it's a good question which i felt appears to have a definite answer of YES but I felt NO. Because as I grow older I see the hobby change and in truth, it appears less accessible because of the showcasing of vast spaces with loads of DCC sound locos. 

 

I think also I had recently watched the famed sam's trains paddling pool video and one of a kit being built to an objectively poor standard. 

[westernviscount]

27 minutes ago, Corbs said:

 

Hello Western (Mr. Viscount?)

 

I'd be interested to read your opinion on my own channel. I would consider myself a YouTuber.

 

Here is a link to it:

https://www.youtube.com/c/railwaymanianet

 

I post tutorials, podcasts (some audio-only, some with video or pictures), and videos about my own modelling projects. In your opinion, does this come across as self-aggrandising/worthy etc.?

 

I am presenting myself as a bearer of knowledge so it could well do, but I'd like to know your honest thoughts.

It will surprise you corbs but I am familar with your podcasts having enjoyed the Thompson episode and Mr Gravett although I prefer stuff about facts and method. 

 

I also bought 2 of your multi gauges, one gifted to my Dad. 

 

As I say, your podcasts in terms of your knowledge are great. The youtube ones are a little about mutual appreciation and the form so of less interest to me (but my thoughts are established there). 

 

In honesty corbs, i havent been near podcasts or youtube for a while now and am making decisions on how I consume stuff. If you were reliant on the likes of me there wouldnt be much hope but you make a strong case for there being a wide audience ripe for your stuff.  Youtube is becoming my new facebook (switch it off, dont go back;-)) As for your youtube stuff I have not dabbled. 

[HonestTom]

40 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

Because it's a good question which i felt appears to have a definite answer of YES but I felt NO. Because as I grow older I see the hobby change and in truth, it appears less accessible because of the showcasing of vast spaces with loads of DCC sound locos. 

 

I think also I had recently watched the famed sam's trains paddling pool video and one of a kit being built to an objectively poor standard. 

Okay, here’s what I’m getting at. You asked a question. By your own admission, you don’t watch YouTube or have much experience of it. For instance, you seem to think Francis is a YouTuber. You also admit to a negative bias against us.

Yet at the same time, you have strong opinions on YouTube and YouTubers. You stereotype us. You view us as being obsessed with numbers. You literally blame us for causing unease in children. I ask you to back a claim up and you refuse to name names. When I explain the work that goes into it or provide reasons why I think it does have a positive impact, you don’t address the point, but accuse me of being “lofty.” I’m trying to be civil here, but can you understand why I’m finding it difficult to assume good faith?

[colin smith]

Of course, producing material for YouTube, Facebook, and even Twitter, requires a lot of creativity, craft, and dedication if you intend to build an audience. In particular, producing material for YouTube is no more "filming yourself doing things" than writing a novel is typing.

 

That the material or the medium doesn't appeal to any one individual is besides the point. There's very little in this world that  does appeal to everyone. For example, I have no interest in opera or GWR 4-6-0s but I can appreciate that both are well made and each have their fans and I don't feel any need to denigrate them.

So don't use snarky terms like 'Choobers' and for heavens sake don't start a discussion on the value of something  if (a) you've already decided it doesn't have any value and (b) you don't know much about the subject.

 

As for the hobby, well of course it has changed and it will continue to change because everything changes: I have 2,800 albums of music on a hard drive the size of a pack of cards; I've written a million words every one of which only exists on a screen; almost all my friends I only know through social media; via Google street view I can visit anywhere on earth (a god-send for writing fiction); none of which I could even have imagined a mere thirty years ago. As for the future of the hobby, I wouldn't mind betting that in twenty years time craft-skills like soldering and painting will be as relevant to model railways as the starting handle is to a modern car because most of us will be modelling in virtual reality.

[bradfordbuffer]

I have a suggestion......

 

Can we re title thus thread to:-

 

'Do youtubers cause arguments on RM web'

 

Your thoughts please, 

 

I now feel guilty for putting my comments in earlier it's all got a bit ...Mmmm! Boys count to ten have a cup of tea, put YouTube on relax and kiss and make up!

 

[rob D2]

Some interesting points .

 

 One of my daughters quite fancied being a youtuber .

 

And by this she didn't mean changing the world or showing off her skills .

 

She meant sitting on an island , doing ... all, being paid £100k plus a year for wearing gucci . 

 

That's the definition ( and maybe stereotype ) of a youtuber , and certainly what i get from it .

 

certainly  not old Bob showing us how to fit dingham couplings to 1923 LN stock.

 

As for things like Sams trains , it does attract small children with his easy going camera style and that's a good thing fir survival of the hobby etc etc 

 

But the problem I have is often he seems to have no idea about the prototype - so how can you really hope to review a miniature version ?

And then people take it as accurate .

[big jim]

1 hour ago, bradfordbuffer said:

Boys count to ten have a cup of tea, put YouTube on relax and kiss and make up!

 

And fall into a ‘my name is Giovanni Giorgio’ wormhole for a while!

 

Putting modelling aside for a minute, but keeping with rail enthusiasm, as someone who sees the railway day in day out from the front, the likes of Francis Bourgeois, as much as I can’t abide his videos or ‘persona’ is a social media ‘star’ who has had a positive impact on the hobby in general, he’s somehow played a blinder to become this months ‘flavour of the month’ and appears to be making hay while the sun shines, and why not, like most things there is a lot of negativity against him, mostly it would appear from other enthusiasts who recon it should be them basking in the glory instead of him! 

 

His influence is certainly noticeable recently that there are a lot more youngsters out and about at stations giving my ‘create brake’ hand signals and I’ll most of the time give them some tonezzzzzzzzzz as I pass by

 

however I do worry about the ‘persona’ francis puts across in his videos, as much as it really (and I mean really, really) bugs me that a person with a Go-Pro strapped to his head is now GBRf ‘Brand ambassador’ not someone who has actual inside knowledge of the workings of the railway I’m hoping that going forward he can use his platform to promote the likes of rail safety, I’ve often seen youngsters excitedly running up and down platforms with their video camera on tripods to get to their next filming position, much as he does on some of his videos when he gets over excited, the ‘Dick Mabutt’ video being an example, so now with GB, network rail or whoever’s input I think it would be good for him to do a professional safety video aimed at his followers highlighting general Railway etiquette for those who want to venture to the lineside for the first time who maybe don’t quite understand the dangers of the real Railway

 

youngsters are far more likely to watch and listen to him and his delivery style than a random bloke in a suit talking at them, of course having GBRf as his plaform gets the message out across the media platforms he doesn’t use such as YouTube and Twitter spreading the safety message far and wide 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by big jim

[Robin Brasher]

I thought Sam's Trains did an excellent review of Rails' Caledonian 812,

[Jol Wilkinson]

7 hours ago, HonestTom said:

Okay, here’s what I’m getting at. You asked a question. By your own admission, you don’t watch YouTube or have much experience of it. For instance, you seem to think Francis is a YouTuber. You also admit to a negative bias against us.

Yet at the same time, you have strong opinions on YouTube and YouTubers. You stereotype us. You view us as being obsessed with numbers. You literally blame us for causing unease in children. I ask you to back a claim up and you refuse to name names. When I explain the work that goes into it or provide reasons why I think it does have a positive impact, you don’t address the point, but accuse me of being “lofty.” I’m trying to be civil here, but can you understand why I’m finding it difficult to assume good faith?

Much as you stereotype "serious enthusiasts" . As one that you would - possibly - consider of type because I make models to P4 standards of the LNWR railway set in 1907, I find that most unfair. Despite Simon Kohler's repeated statements on the recent Hornby tv programme that modellers want accurate detail (or words to that effect) there seems to be a not uncommon common desire  in this hobby to denigrate those who seek that in all aspects of their modelling activity.

 

You appear to believer that YouTube "presenters" contribute positively to this hobby. Well, perhaps that depends upon what they present and where you are in your modelling "journey". I know quite a few modellers, with different levels of experience, interests and time in this hobby, who haven't looked at YouTube videos (other than  old railway films posted on it).

 

Does it attract newcomers, who can definitely say? The statistics show that people follow/look at content but does it motivate them to visit a show, or local club, navigate their way to RMweb, visit a local model shop (if there is one)? I recognise that I am not qualified to answer these questions objectively - I expect very few are - and I have watched very little YouTube or other similar platform model railway content because I found it of little or no relevance. Some of what I have seen I thought facile, ill informed or misleading, although clearly the presenter felt otherwise. If it makes them popular and monetises their activities than I expect they will be very happy. However, I don't see it as relevant to the hobby as forums such as RMweb where there is more social interaction, genuine knowledge exchange, shared ideas and experience. 

 

 

[rob D2]

I'm sure some of his reviews are ok ... the diesel one i watched lacked a bit .

 

RE Francis - of course it's frowned upon to be enthusiastic about anything in the UK but he is excellent for general brand awareness - not the brand awareness where a quarry manager says " i saw tik tok , let's move 1500 tonnes of stone ..", but more in terms of maybe youngsters get interested in trains and maybe see it as a career to look at ?

 

I agree most of the negativity is from spotters who to be honest would be brand ambassadors for absolutely nothing 

 

 

[Legend]

26 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

I thought Sam's Trains did an excellent review of Rails' Caledonian 812,

 I thought so too . Gorgeous but expensive I think does sum it up . The interesting bit for me is when he tried to get the brake rigging off . I was going to do same with mine to oil the gear train , but on seeing it shatter easily I think I’ll leave for the moment . Very useful I thought . 
 

On the broader subject, of course YouTube is positive it’s bringing model railways to a wider audience . I get that serious modelers won’t tune into Sams Trains , fair enough , but don't denigrate those that do. It kind of reminds me of going into a model railway club where there was an inner clique that looked down on the rest of the club . My one and only time I went . So welcoming . 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Legend