# Where Is Aristo Uncataloged database?



## Locolad (Aug 17, 2014)

All of a sudden I can not access the Aristo "Uncatologed" database. Has it been removed or is my IPad playing treats. The response I get is "unable to contact server". Any thoughts?


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## mjltuk (Jan 3, 2008)

Me too using bookmarks that worked before.

So much for the promises ..................


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

"So much for the promises .................."

The only promises that (i recall) was that Lewis stated he would keep the FORUM going as long as possible (read- utilized/affordable) 

And anyways, access to the U'C Db by the volunteer developer, was cut off at least 2 yrs before AC/Polk' closed their doors ! All Dbs have to be 'fed and policed', otherwise only a matter of time something will cause a crash ! 

http://www.aristocraftforum.com/vbulletinforums/showthread.php?p=195001#post195001

!


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## LGBFanatic (Mar 31, 2011)

It's funny, I had it bookmarked too and randomly clicked on it a month or so ago and thought it was nice that it was still up. The other day I went to actually look something up and now it's gone.


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## saintyohann (Jan 2, 2008)

It worked until a few days ago, when I needed it of course.

Here is what I posted on Aristo's forum the day after it disappeared:

"The database is no longer working, there is a problem with the SQL config file and I cannot access it to fix it.

If someone can get Lewis or Scott to give me back access, I'll fix it, otherwise it's dead. I do have an old backup of the SQL data, but I don't have all the images and web files. It took hundreds of hours to build it and while I do have an old backup of the SQL data, I don't have all the images and web files. It took hundreds of hours to build it and I'm not going to do it again."

* Brought to you by the Redundancy Department of Redundancy...


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

No, no. It's the "Department of Redundancy Department". 

JackM

(I still have the complete Firesign Theatre on LP.)
Now, back to the lost Aristo forum thread, which is already in progress.


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## Locolad (Aug 17, 2014)

saintyohann said:


> It worked until a few days ago, when I needed it of course.
> 
> Here is what I posted on Aristo's forum the day after it disappeared:
> 
> ...


You did a wonderful job creating the "Uncataloged" database and 
I appreciate your effort. I got much info on the NYC as I like the heavyweight passenger cars. Sorry I didn't take notes. It would be great if the database could be resurrected. Locolad in VA


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

If the data is still on the server that the forum is on, contact Johnathan Polk and try to get a dump of the pictures, before it all goes.

Greg


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## saintyohann (Jan 2, 2008)

From the good news/bad news department.

The Good:
- Jonathan Polk contacted me and put the files on his dropbox account for me, so thank you for doing that. 
- The web and database files all look complete.
- I found a server to host the site and uploaded everything I have.
- It "works"

The Bad:
- AT&T/sbcglobal is having a routing issue for data going in/out of San Diego, so I can't actually get to the server from home, so updates/fixes will take a while (I spent the day at Starbucks getting the site up).
- There were a few issues with the code (new server with different features enabled means finding new ways of doing old things). Some things may still be broken and I'm sure when the hosting company upgrades the server, it will break again.
- The images for the engines and cars may have been lost. 

I'll update again later when I know for sure the fate of the images.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

So much for the myth of stuff living forever on the internet ...unless its a celebrities topless pics.


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## Locolad (Aug 17, 2014)

This would be great if the "Uncataloged" data base can be restored. Thanks to you and Jonathan for making this a possibility hopefully with all images.


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## saintyohann (Jan 2, 2008)

Locolad said:


> This would be great if the "Uncataloged" data base can be restored. Thanks to you and Jonathan for making this a possibility hopefully with all images.


Ask and you shall receive:
http://aristodatabase.x10host.com/


A couple notes:
a) AT&T wasn't having an outage, they were intentionally blocking a range of servers and the host I was using was in that blacklist. So I had to move it all again somewhere else, requiring me to re-fix my fix for the not really broken functions that appear because of different versions of the same server software.
b) Since I thought the images were lost, I re-giggered the image upload to make larger thumbnails, and product shots. All new images added will be at the larger sizes, old images are small until replaced. New uploads also get a large JPEG view when their image is clicked in the individual product view (see here http://aristodatabase.x10host.com/?prodid=23376S2&year=2012).
c) Jonathan was able to retrieve the images. As far as I know, they're all there.
d) Ward Hutton was helping me maintain the database while we had access, and I hadn't spoken to him in years. Now that I have access again, I went looking for him and noted he hadn't posted in about 2.5 years. Has anyone seen him (In Real Life)?
e) There may be bugs, just let me know what you find.


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## Locolad (Aug 17, 2014)

Saintyohann,

Thank you, thank you I got back ALL this wonderful Aristo product information through your efforts. I will have a photo of a NYC heavyweight observation car not yet listed on the database site. Again, thank you for restoring this valuable data for all of us.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

DITTO!

Greg


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I lost my link to the old Aristo-Craft exploded parts diagrams. Anyone have the link?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't think they moved yet... which one do you want, I think I archived them.

Greg


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

I have, also, downloaded most files

-Ted


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I just want the link for future reference. At least I know who to go to in case I need one.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Paul, the old link does not work.

Changing the link to assume that the files are in the same named subdirectory does not work.

Johnathon replied on the Aristo forum that he has not put them up, and is not sure if he can, sort of implied that there might be a legal issue, he stated that it was not a storage space issue.

At least we got the uncatalogued data base back.

Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

Most recent working link; 

http://aristodatabase.x10host.com/

Thanks Jon !


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

When Aristocraft closed its doors we decided to make a concerted effort to add all of the Aristocraft locos and cars to the global Large Scale database at www.gbdb.info

Lewis Polk had given us written permission years ago to use all the information on the Aristocraft website for the database and was very supportive of that effort.

The gbdb database is a modified picture database and as such requires at least a picture and a picture title to upload anything.
Since we couldn't find enough picture contributors of Aristocraft rolling stock, even after asking at the Aristocraft forum, we decided to at least try to have one good, large picture contributed and then list all the different available road names in that entry.
To set that up logically, the picture was to be of the lowest product number of that item which usually meant the undecorated version except that pictures of the undecorated version are the hardest to find.
Our current "standard" for pictures is 1200 pixels width minimum, a 3/4 view and item sitting on a piece of track. That makes it even harder to find a suitable picture.

If I remember right, so far we managed to cover all Aristocraft locos, all passenger cars and freight cars up to the Art 41400 100 ton coal hoppers.
There are18 more freight car types to cover plus the Delton series and Aristocraft accessories.

If anyone wishes to contribute a photograph for the database that meets the above requirements please let me know. We are also very happy to replace existing photographs if you can contribute a better one (originally photographs in the database were only 640 pixels wide, so they still exist)
Also if anyone can contribute additional information about an item such as weight or anything else relevant that is not listed.

Knut


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

Knut; 

That's great, but could ya not have started your own thread for your own initative !? 

nite,
doug c


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

krs said:


> W
> Our current "standard" for pictures is 1200 pixels width minimum, a 3/4 view and item sitting on a piece of track. That makes it even harder to find a suitable picture.
> 
> Knut


Why do they need to be 1200 pixels when they are only 800 pixels on the webpage?
If you reduced your standard to 800, you could probably find more photos to use..

Scot


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Doug C said:


> Knut;
> 
> That's great, but could ya not have started your own thread for your own initative !?
> 
> ...


Hi Doug,

I'm not sure what you are getting at.

This isn't really my initiative.
That database was started back in 2007 as a result of LGB declaring bankruptcy in 2006 and LGBoA pulling off the existing LGB web-based database a short time after that.

Initially the database only covered LGB and everything was in German only.

The database has since evolved over the years and yes - I was pushing to make it bi-lingual, to add the download capability of the various documents relating to each entry, to get written permission from LGB, USA Trains, Aristocraft etc. to store their pictures, information and documentation on the database.
A few years ago we also moved the database from a server in Germany (that was often unavailable for days) to a server in Canada that is much more reliable.

The whole idea of that database is that the Large Scale community contribute with whatever info they have to the benefit of everyone.
Initially we had several hundred people who contributed but in the last few years that number has dwindled to only a few.

If anyone wishes to contribute they can either send me the pictures and info and I will add the entry or they can add the info to the database themselves but then they need to register so that we know where the information came from in case there are any questions.
No registration of any kind is required tu use the database.
If anyone notices any errors, and I'm sure there are many, or if anyone has a better picture to contribute, I would be happy to hear from them.

Happy train-ing
Knut


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Scottychaos said:


> Why do they need to be 1200 pixels when they are only 800 pixels on the webpage?
> If you reduced your standard to 800, you could probably find more photos to use..
> 
> Scot


Hi Scot,

Very good question.

As I mentioned above, that database goes back to 2007.
At that time pictures were typically 640 pixels across and many of those still exist in the database.
Then, as people started to use larger monitors, we received many requests asking for larger pictures to provide better details - we moved to 800 pixel pictures and then a few years ago to 1200 pixel pictures.
But of course there was always a group of people who still used smaller monitors with a lower resolution and they found the 1200 pixel size too big - forced them to have to scroll to see the whole picture.

So what we ended up is to upload 1200 pixel pictures as standard (for really long items like the Big Boy, we even went to 1600 pixels), but then have the GBDB software reduce the size to 800 pixels in the standard entry for people with smaller monitors and the capability to show the full sized picture, typically 1200 pixel, when you click on the picture.
That will work for most new entries - the exeption are very rare items where we are unlikely to get a larger picture, for those we use an 800 pixel picture to be able to input the data (no picture = no upload of data possible). If we get a better/larger picture later, we can always exchange it for the existing one.

Happy train-ing
Knut


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't have any heartburn about this being on the same thread, I believe it is helpful, and this database seems to be independent of a company going bust, i.e. we almost lost the Aristo database, and it's back, but for how long?

Regards, Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

LOL ... just that .. they are two different databases.

And figured both served best, presented via seperate threads 

So not to take away from the OPs original query, 
"where is the Aristo Uncataloged database ?..."


doug c


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ahh... understand, but it helps people to know there is an alternative, and I'll bet a much longer-lived one.

Greg


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

All right Doug, I will start a new thread for the www.gbdb.info database as soon as I get a chance.

Regards,
Knut


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