2012 - 2013

[Andy Y]

Despite 2012 seeming to be a year of predicted cataclysmic doom prophesied with monotonous regularity both in global terms and RMweb we're still here with a world reasonably intact and a site that continues to thrive.

In RMweb terms there were predictions of the whole world falling in (from a minority, just like Mayanists) when RMweb became part of Warners Publications. We're ten months down the line with that now and RMweb has continued to grow (17% growth in visitor numbers and traffic since early March) and new members continue to arrive at sustained rates. To give an idea (according to Google Analytics) we get around 8,000 unique visitors a day from around the globe and we still rank (according to Alexa) as the fourth busiest site in the hobby in the world (behind Atlas, Kato and Model Railroader).

 

The site now has more features (after wearing out yet another keyboard over the holidays building changes), more content and more users and is a continued testament to those who participate whilst improving relationships with the commercial side of the hobby bring dividends to the site's users and readers.

 

Part of the evolution was a successful move to our new server hosts Dediserve who have delivered a solution which works for us, the costs for this are no longer borne by the members who regularly used to support the site over the years so users now have better facilities and performance without the financial burden. I'm also employed to manage the site as well as to contribute input into BRM and the fundamental issue is that if Warners had not made the approach that they did that RMweb could not have afforded to have moved to the new servers and it would have been a case of downsize or in the worst possible case close if I'd had to take a position which did not allow sufficient time to run the site. All the same facilities, access and opportunities have been made available and I can't say any of the predictions of abuse or demise have been anywhere near the mark but in retrospect it's actually quite a close call whether you'd have still had RMweb at all today but it's thanks to a magazine (sometimes RMweb was perceived as being a competitor to magazines by some users and even some magazines) that it still is.

 

The relationship, I believe, has also been beneficial to BRM as a magazine with new blood in the shape of some RMweb regulars featuring in the magazine with more to come and that has hopefully* played a part in the increased subscriptions and newsstand sales of the magazine. Looking at the whole I can (biaised) say that Warners give the best range of facilities within the hobby with BRM with added news, content and discussion through RMweb and MRL. Peterborough show saw the first RMweb Tuition Zone which was the busiest I've ever seen a demonstrator section at any show and will feature again at Doncaster in February and there's a commitment to projects through the Black Country Blues project which will see its first running at Doncaster too. There's lots of other ideas and content coming in the next year some of which are really going to push boundaries in terms of publishing within the hobby.

 

I'd like to thank all site users for their patience during upgrades or changes and I wish all of you a happy and peaceful New Year from me and the rest of the team at Warners.

 

Happy 2013!

 

* I say hopefully as no-one can ever absolutely say what effects different strategies have had.

[edcayton]

Thanks Andy and all of the team

 

Ed

[Allegheny1600]

I would like to say a great big "Thank you" Andy for all the work you and the mods and now, BRM have put into this site over the years.

Speaking personally the site generates such camaraderie, it helped keep me going earlier in the year and I know this is true for others too. Sometimes this is (much) more important than the trains themselves!

Friendships have been built, new ones continue to grow and old ones re-acquaint - it's the people on here who make it what it is and Andy's tutelage keeps it all going.

Long may it reign!

Thanks again,

John E. 

[trisonic]

It's a really good foundation for the members now. A cosmopolitan bunch, on the whole (!) from all over the World (and please don't forget that).

 

Best, Pete.

[shortliner]

Tae Andy, the Mods, and all o' ye that've put up wi' ma bad jokes, ma maunderings and ma postings thru' 2012 -

Wishing ye all a Happy Hogmanay, and a Grand Ne'er Day frae the Land o' the Midnight Haggis!

Slainte!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

This site is a good advertisement for new ways of doing business often emerging during times of financial stress. Generally those who find such a way then really reap rewards when the economy strenghtens. Bravo!

[backofanenvelope]

Happy New Year to all at RMweb, and looking forward to a new year of innovation, info and modelling from these pages.

T.

[Flying Pig]

... the fourth busiest site in the hobby in the world

... the fourth busiest site in the hobby in the world ... the fourth busiest site in the hobby in the world ...

 

No Golden Cleric for you then, Andy 

 

 

[gwrrob]

Golden balls more like. A big thankyou again and more likes. Wishing you a happy 2013 too.Good old RMweb. 

[Stubby47]

It's not all light and happiness....

 

Boris is still on the naughty step and Mod4 is still seriously depressed...

[Metr0Land]

Thanks Andy. I must say the year has been pretty much win-win all round with something for the users, something for Warners and something for those suppliers who are prepared to stick their heads above the parapet and talk to some very demanding customers!

[flapland]

Thanks Andy and all others involved in keeping this site up running and of course compelling.

[BlackRat]

To Andy, all the Mods, all at Warners, to the members, friends and posters you make the site what it is!

 

Happy New year one and all.

 

See some of you next week, some more at Taunton and most of the rest at Stafford!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[MJI]

If the following terms are allowed I am happy for BRM to run the site

 

Railway Modeller

Model Rail

 

BTW I tried joining a year or so ago and it would not accept new members.

[Hippo]

Happy new year Boss.

Hope 2013 is great to you, the Mods, Warners and every one else on Rmweb. There has been some fantastic threads on Rmweb this past year and I have really enjoyed reading them, even if I haven't contributed much.

 

Owen

[Guest Tom F]

Well done Andy and the Warners team. I'd say its been a very good year for RMweb. The presence of Andy and RMweb with BRM at the big shows has been a very good way at getting to the people who might not know of the forum.

 

Happy New Year and all the best for 2013!

[The Stationmaster]

Well said Andy - I think too that the 'new regime' has also had some positive benefits for the hobby as a whole and will continue to do so, probably to an even greater extent in the coming year as it continues to mature.

 

In the meanwhile thank you for 2012 and a continuing enjoyable and extremely useful and helpful site and trusting that you and the whole Warners team will have a happy and successful New Year. 

[Coombe Barton]

I think it's really a tribute to Andy's and the mods dedication over a number of years that Warners saw the value of this site (and not one of the others). We're seeing the end of a good year. We're seeing a future that's not dependent on 'other' demands on time, and I'm glad that it is so. Thinking back, for Andy six (or more) years of RMweb must be the longest interview process ever!

 

Have a good, one, everyone.

 

[EDIT] And where else would you be able to get such a sharing of expertise that embodies itself in the BCB project? The challenge now is 'follow that'.

[APOLLO]

Not just this site, the BRM mag is also great these days, I've even started occasionally buying it again !!

 

Time marches on for us all, and as the old saying goes "we have never had it so good". Not many purchases to be made by me this year, but alot to do. My modelling new year's resolution is to get all those small (and some not so small) jobs done I've been putting off, some for well over 10 years now !!!

 

A big thank you to Andy & the team, and indeed, to all members. Happy new year to one and all.

 

Brit15

[DaveF]

Happy New Year to all involved with RMWeb and BRM.

 

I'm always surprised at how many answers I find here to questions I'd never thought of asking - long may it continue.

 

David

[Ozexpatriate]

Andy,

 

Happy New Year and thank you for all you have done for all of us in sustaining RMweb.

 

Hopefully, it also being your employment doesn't reduce the passion you have for what you have created, and the patience you have to demonstrate when we behave like fractious children.

 

Your level, sensible, objectivity is a big part of what makes RMweb what it is.

 

I wish you, the RMweb moderating team and your colleagues at Warners a healthy, prosperous 2013.

[cheesysmith]

I can only say one thing about the RMWEB takeover, less SQL=

[PLD]

When the Warners buy-in was announced, it did seem to polarise opinion - everyone was either predicting the end of the world or worshiping Warners as some sort of deity… I said at the time that both extremes were unrealistic and it was too early to judge, so looking back with hindsight what do I think…

 

Well from a user perspective, there has been investment in the infrastructure - the site does seem much more stable and faster on the new servers.

There has been a noticeable increase in the amount of advertising banners and branding but it is entirely on-topic and therefore not unreasonable - far better than random and inappropriate Google generated ads seen on some other forums…

There has also been an increase in the Warners presence among the membership and at times quite a heavy volume of postings by those Warners representatives. Of course they have every right to use their forum to promote their other products but the delivery of the message was a little clumsy at times and perhaps a subtler approach would have got a better response.

 

It does also appear that Warners have listened to the feedback from the forum. This time last year BRM magazine was in my opinion struggling to stay in third place of the big 4 mags in terms of content and reproduction quality and I hadn’t bought one for almost a year. Now I think there has been a significant step up and over the last 6 months, my buying record is BRM 3; Railway Modeller 3; all others 1…

 

On the Shows, the Warners events have a reputation for variable quality of layouts and a dominance of larger trade stands. It is a bit early to properly judge if forum input has a lasting influence of improvement to the shows but the RM Web zone at Peterbrough was a promising start. It was an original concept with probably the busiest demonstration area I’ve seen in a long time and accessible, approachable magazine staff on hand. The only issue was that the cherry-picked top quality layouts included in the RM Web zone rather showed up the still variable quality of the rest of the show. What I think would be beneficial would be to have a model railway insider (an experienced exhibitor - I can think of a few candidates among the Forum membership) on the organising team to guide the professionals of the Warners Exhibitions Team on what is expected of the typical MR Show which is subtly different to the other events they are used to running.

 

We have also seen RM Web’s own publication ‘Modelling Inspiration’ emerge from the virtual world onto paper. I think Warners know they have something distinctive and with a lot of potential in their hands, but I’m not sure they have worked out exactly what to do with it yet… Is it to be just another item in the main BRM magazine or a separate product bundled with it. Should it blend in with the rest of the mag or deliberately be different and stand out? Does it even have the potential to become a stand-alone product sold separately??

 

Overall I’d say it’s been mostly positive. The relationship has been largely beneficial to both sides but there are a few areas where there is scope for more development for the advantage of all, and with progress so far there is no reason to believe that there won’t be further refinements and new developments in the coming year as the relationship matures…

 

Paul

[MJI]

This is one site I do not adblock as the adverts are VERY relevant. I went extreme when adverts appeared on another site and were related to different sites my wife looked at.

[Anglian]

A big thank you for making it all happen and continue to function in the smooth way that it does.