# Most F A Qs



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Some place here ,this subject came up .
Ive been thinking about it and it would be great to direct new folks to it.

say 
Battery power
sub topic A
B 
C etc.
Track power 
Sub A 

Maybe a retired guy can have many of us submit the topics and info.
some sub topics and refference good info threads to cover it.

I am a bad typer and don't have time.
I am willing to buy someones membership to MLS for a couple of years if they want to put in the time.
Its got to be worth something.

And only Dwight or a moderator can add to the list.
see it can be built upon.

Some of us see the questions and think, OH here we go again.

I know GRYs has hand outs, maybe folks can down load it IF they are members here.

Just some thoughts.
Or a couple of folks what to do it together and submit it to Shad


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Maybe the archives somewhat suit that need as in the archives I am sure that all the FAQs' are addressed maybe a "team" to filter through the archices is what is needed then placed in order, made easy to access.
Either way it would take some time to get it going.

But when someone did ask a question any member could direct them to the FAQ section to get their answers and if they did not find it there they could ask.

Only problem if the FAQ is TOO large many people will not read through all of it to find answers unless it was organized in a way that it was easy to use.
Then defaulting to asking the question anyway.

Just some thoughts.

Bubba


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

"Is dat wunna tham LBG thangs?" Honestly, that's the question most asked at public runs.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

An FAQ section is definitely a worthy goal _but..._ as evidenced by thread after thread of heated argument, what would be the definitive answer? Let's say that someone asks a question about battery operations _and whether it would be better than going DCC.... _Boy! If that wouldn't be a question that just _begged_ for Greg and some of the other DCC proponents to want to chime in I don't know what would! I just used that one instance as an example. Part of the allure of MLS is the give and take and the back and forth discussions on these topics! Yes, it sometimes seems as if we arer answering the same questions over and over but in reality we aren't! I like to think of it as giving back to the hobby what I originally needed back in 1999! 

Perhaps, rather than a FAQ section where there are answers to particular questions, there could be a directory that would link you to related topic threads in the archives! This is really what the newbies need anyway! Then, if they want clarification or more detailed instruction, they could then come back to the forum and ask. In essence, we would eliminate the need to re-invent the wheel each time someone new joins the forum!


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Bubba votes for Greg to handle the FAQ's!


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By Steve Stockham on 01 Dec 2010 04:27 PM 
An FAQ section is definitely a worthy goal _but..._ as evidenced by thread after thread of heated argument, what would be the definitive answer? Let's say that someone asks a question about battery operations _and whether it would be better than going DCC.... _Boy! If that wouldn't be a question that just _begged_ for Greg and some of the other DCC proponents to want to chime in I don't know what would! I just used that one instance as an example. Part of the allure of MLS is the give and take and the back and forth discussions on these topics! Yes, it sometimes seems as if we arer answering the same questions over and over but in reality we aren't! I like to think of it as giving back to the hobby what I originally needed back in 1999! 

Perhaps, rather than a FAQ section where there are answers to particular questions, there could be a directory that would link you to related topic threads in the archives! This is really what the newbies need anyway! Then, if they want clarification or more detailed instruction, they could then come back to the forum and ask. In essence, we would eliminate the need to re-invent the wheel each time someone new joins the forum!


Quote [ Part of the allure of MLS is the give and take and the back and forth discussions on these topics! Yes, it sometimes seems as if we arer answering the same questions over and over but in reality we aren't! I like to think of it as giving back to the hobby what I originally needed back in 1999! ]

I agree Steve,

I really dont think its a good ideal because the facts always change depending who's giving them and when.

Things change all the time and its great to see new answers to old questions

Even the old timers learn something new by new posts myself included

Also its great to spar with people over different ways of doing things

Thats what makes MLS the #1 site on line

The give and take and all the new ideals

While i like Martys ideal of taking care of the newbies from the git go

I myself think that a facts and questions, and beginners facts perminent thread arent a good ideal

Just my thoughts

You can beat me up if you can catch me WEE WEE heads................


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

OOOOOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAAAA..........Bubba for president.









HE HE HE..........


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Instead of Frequently Asked Questions, why doesn't anyone ever have Frequently Found Answers? Save everyone a lot of grief and just tell them what to do. For example: 

1) DCC (Massoth or Zimo) 
2) Flex track (LGB) 
3) RhB prototype 
4) 10'+ curve dia 
5) Ballasted free floating track 
6) Hillman rail clamps 
7) Manual switch stands (Thiel) 
8) LGB engines 

Life would be SO much simpler.  

Keith


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## Bighurt (Sep 15, 2009)

Sounds like you guys want to see a MLS wiki...


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats why I wanted to brake each subject down to sub catigorys, its its not to over whelming. 
Just something to talk about.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

I offered twice to put frequently asked question threads together for each specific forum. 

I was out of work for 16 months and had plenty of time at the time. 

Dwight was willing to post the threads as stickys and update them as I provided new information. 

Both times, my offer was rejected by Shad. 

Following is the basics of what I had in mind.

I have been thinking that MLS needs basic Info Threads for members to find information without having to post a question or search for an answer.

I have talked to Dwight Ennis and he has agreed to post the info threads for this project and set them up so they stay at the top of each forum.

My idea is to have a basic index thread in the Beginners Forum with links to other info post in the appropriate forums.

Example: Train guy goes to Beginners Forum. He wants to know what type of track he should buy. He opens the Basics Info thread and finds a link labeled Track Info. He clicks on the link and it takes him to the Track, Trestles, Bridges and Roadbed forum where he finds a thread labeled basic track facts. From here we can have one big thread with all the basic track info or we can have links to specific pages.

Track Brands:
Aristo Craft: Aluminum, Brass and Stainless Steel
Bachmann: Stamped Steel
USAT: Brass
LGB: Brass
Etc

Track type:
Brass: High conductivity may tarnish or corrode requiring cleaning
Stainless Steel: Good Conductivity: won’t rust, needs less cleaning
Aluminum: good conductivity, corrodes and bends easy if stepped on
Etc

Curve radius/dia

Straight length

Rail Size (250/332)

etc

All this info is strewn through out the website and some people are lucky enough to find them when searching, but for the most part a new thread is created every time and we all give the same answers every time.
[/b]
I think we want this put together by a group of well informed members of this site that are not dealers or manufactures. In saying this, we also want to state basic facts about the item with out showing any preference to one over another. For this reason, I have not invited Tony or Del Tapparo. I know both of you have a great wealth of info on your websites, but simply linking to your sites would most likely cause some people to think the site is indorsing your point of view.

If you know of someone else that would be good with helping us on this project, please let me know who it might be and I will see if they are interested.

There is no time line set to have this completed, but I would like to get everyone on board and what each person will be contributing

Track:[/b]
Brands
Types
Straights
Curves
Switches
Etc

Power Types:[/b]
AC (hooking AC to a DC motor will damage the motor)
DC
DCC
DCS
Battery
[/b]
Controls: [/b]
Transformers
RC

Sound:[/b]
Diesel
Steam
Phoenix
Dalle

Smoke Units:[/b]
MTH
Aristo

Locomotive and Rolling Stock Manufacturer
Aristo Craft 1/29
Bachmann 1/20.3 & 1/22
USAT
MTH
etc



Randy


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm....no beginners interested in live steam or 1:32? At least ensure that all current areas of interests are included in the index.


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Steve S 

In my mind a FAQ does not answer comparison questions like "IS A better than B?" 

It answers questions in the form of "What are the pros and cons of A?" and separately "What are the pros and cons of B?" 

As an example, on a subject I have too much experience in, "Construction and Maintenance of elevated tracks", I can probably describe at least a half dozen different construction methods, and provide very long lists as to the pros and cons of each. However, this would not answer "Which one of the six is best for me?" Why? Because there are too many variables that apply to a given situation like location, ground conditions, level of expenditure, personal preferences, requirements to fit into surroundings unobtrusively, planned life, etc, etc, etc. 

Pros and cons are subject to constraints too./ I remember when Mark H reviewed the Accucraft 1:32 PFE reefer, he listed as a CON the fact that the details were closer to scale and therefore fragile and prone to damage. For the typical outdoor railroader accustomed to handling trains a lot, this is true; to a person looking for a near scale model it was not. 

Gee, what a nice tight rope to be walking on... without a balance pole. 

Regards


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 01 Dec 2010 05:29 PM 
OOOOOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAAAA..........Bubba for president.









HE HE HE..........











I am! Damn good one too!

Did you forget to say that you kid because you care? OR does that not apply?


And a little advice..maybe you can use at your age...but it's not kissing as that's bad...it's kissing the WRONG ass that's bad! 

AND the most important.....listen......knowing which is which!









Bubba


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim
I thought that Steve did offer a concept that would be much more useful for anyone including a beginner:
Perhaps, rather than a FAQ section where there are answers to particular questions, there could be a directory that would link you to related topic threads in the archives! This is really what the newbies need anyway! Then, if they want clarification or more detailed instruction, they could then come back to the forum and ask. In essence, we would eliminate the need to re-invent the wheel each time someone new joins the forum!


The problem is having someone or persons responsible for correlating a topic with the various topic threads: lots of work and maintenance.


Maybe just a better search tool can do the job, one that uses tags that have been denoted in the posts


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Curmudgeon on 01 Dec 2010 04:40 PM 
Bubba votes for Greg to handle the FAQ's! 

Well at least your positive for a change!

Bubba


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

I'm always positive, just sometimes in a negatively charged way. 
Has to do with the way ions behave in the atmosphere of Phobos. 
Whatreya, new?


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Been away for awhile! 
Back..plan on staying.

Bubba


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't there would be any problem amassing the list of items. 

I personally like taking a topic and breaking it into subtopics as Marty suggested, of course that is how my site is organized too. I think it allows people to "find" the topic they want more quickly in general, rather than being overwhelmed with a long single list. 

The thought of using the archives or existing threads seems good at first glance, but there's too many threads on the same topic, too many distracting comments, and too many sacred cows for this to be useful to a beginner... a beginner needs it "distilled" to pros and cons of the various choices... actually they really want you to tell them which is best, but that would do them a disservice, they don't know it yet, but it's true. 

I would think that the steps would be: 

Poll on the topics for FAQS... simple, easy, and there can't be arguing over which need to be done, base it on the ones people put up... 

Then "commission" some poor fool to do some of them, many different people can be working on different ones all at the same time.... 

Now, post that poor fools hard work and let everyone comment on it, take pot shots at him, his lifestyle, his wife, etc.... 

The poor fool now revises his post and one more round of comments... 

Some even tempered person like Dwight gets the lucky job (read poor fool again) to review and approve for publication. 

Now you probably have a FAQ that is really good, and the only downside is for that poor fool that wrote it and Dwight getting a lifetime of scorn from the people that still don't agree... 

It could work, given enough volunteers... 

... my FAQ's - to the best of my ability to be objective - are on my site... 

Greg


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

it hurts, but i have to agree with Nick. 

for a newcomer there is nothing less inviting than the sentence: "Read the f...ing FAQs!"


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Will this help? http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gauge.html


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## sandbarn (Feb 13, 2010)

I am a Beginner (less than 1 year). The things I found most difficult to find help on were questions I needed to answer for myself. For example; should I try to build my layout on the ground or elevated? Do I want to stick to a specific scale or would I be okay mixing scales some? Which type of operation would interest me the most, continuous running or switching operation or both? How will my available “hobby money” effect my choices? Who makes what (not just locos but building, bridges, track, detail parts, etc.)? If I chose between ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ will that effect my choice of ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ later (i.e. If I chose to use Aluminum track will that effect my choice of power?)
These are just a few examples (there were many more including track/battery/steam) and each of these questions, in turn, lead to more questions. 
I think what I’m trying to say is that some form of FAQs that include pros and cons of each choice would be most helpful if it includes the restrictions of each choice (i.e. If I chose track power, if someone comes over and wants to run steam, I can’t run track power at the same time but I could run battery).
Greg’s site was helpful (although he seems to have a slight bias about power choices







). In many of the questions he addresses he does provide some pros and cons. I haven’t seen Randy's site but his post above sure looks like a good start. Mik's example is very good also. 
Randy, Greg, and Mik all have good starts for an extensive FAQ section. If I were voting, the three of them would get my vote for a working group to start this.
But I would like to make one other suggestion, don’t use acronyms! Don’t assume a beginner knows anything. Always spell out what you’re talking about followed by the acronym as in ‘Digital Command Control (DCC)’. I still don’t know what TOC means. 
One more thing. Pictures are worth a thousand words each. Use a lot, or at least links to them.
Marty, thanks for starting this. It’s a good way to get people really involved in MLS.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

The Old Curmudgeon (TOC).... nuff said!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sandbarn on 02 Dec 2010 06:03 AM 
I am a Beginner (less than 1 year). The things I found most difficult to find help on were questions I needed to answer for myself. For example; should I try to build my layout on the ground or elevated? Do I want to stick to a specific scale or would I be okay mixing scales some? Which type of operation would interest me the most, continuous running or switching operation or both? How will my available “hobby money” effect my choices? Who makes what (not just locos but building, bridges, track, detail parts, etc.)? If I chose between ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ will that effect my choice of ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ later (i.e. If I chose to use Aluminum track will that effect my choice of power?)
These are just a few examples (there were many more including track/battery/steam) and each of these questions, in turn, lead to more questions. 
I think what I’m trying to say is that some form of FAQs that include pros and cons of each choice would be most helpful if it includes the restrictions of each choice (i.e. If I chose track power, if someone comes over and wants to run steam, I can’t run track power at the same time but I could run battery).
Greg’s site was helpful (although he seems to have a slight bias about power choices







). In many of the questions he addresses he does provide some pros and cons. I haven’t seen Randy's site but his post above sure looks like a good start. Mik's example is very good also. 
Randy, Greg, and Mik all have good starts for an extensive FAQ section. If I were voting, the three of them would get my vote for a working group to start this.
But I would like to make one other suggestion, don’t use acronyms! Don’t assume a beginner knows anything. Always spell out what you’re talking about followed by the acronym as in ‘Digital Command Control (DCC)’. I still don’t know what TOC means. 
One more thing. Pictures are worth a thousand words each. Use a lot, or at least links to them.
Marty, thanks for starting this. It’s a good way to get people really involved in MLS.


Good comments.

Marty, this came up in another thread, where I commented that all previous attempts to create a FAQ were rejected. Shad indicated he was willing to create a FAQ Forum if someone volunteered to maintain it.

My issue is that creating and maintaining FAQs is work and gets out-of-date. I suggest a FAQ Forum which has "Topics" as you and everyone else suggest (duh) and the topics contain links to all related threads. If the Moderator wants to add comments enhacing the link that would be helpful, as some topic headings aren't exactly descriptive.

The advantage is that no-one has to go and work through thousands of threads, or has to put up with the second-guessing or complaints about bias. Existing discussions have lots of useful info in them. We could have a vote on which threads to include?

Surely a Frequently Asked Question section should have the Frequently Provided Answers, IMHO.


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

There isn't just one answer for any question.
Too many difference of opinions and expertise.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

There isn't just one answer for any question. 

...and there is a 'best' solution for each situation but it usually takes some probing & debating to get to it. As much as I like to kid that everyone should go DCC, the one thing I've learned is that every single layout is different and needs to be examined individually to get the most appropriate solution. Our hobby isn't quite like indoor HO where there are fewer variables....here we have location, climate, indoors/outdoors and more factors to consider. To make FAQ work it almost needs to be like a huge computer programming flowchart, where you keep making decisions and ultimately will arrive at the solution. We need to make a computer program I think--now that would be fun to work on! 

Keith


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

There isn't just one answer for any question 

No argument there, but if a Question has been asked here, then posting a link to the thread so the next guy can read it is at least a step in the right direction. 

Just bear in mind what FAQ stands for. 

To make FAQ work it almost needs to be like a huge computer programming flowchart 
That's one way, or you can just provide the Answers supplied by the members to the Questions that are asked. Why go to great lengths to try and produce something when you already have the discussions in various threads? The discussions themselves are what the Questioner needs to read, not a flowchart (imho.) 

I even thought of a way to implement this at minimum effort (Dwight - you around?) 
Let people volunteer to provide their favorite Answer threads to Questions they think are frequently asked. Then get the next volunteer to provide his favorites, and so on. 

When another thread comes along with a Question that hasn't been asked but the Answers are worth preserving, then tell the Moderator to add it to the list.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

One NEVER asked question: What does the 'search' button do? 

The trouble with FAQ pages is most folks don't or won't read 'em anyway. Less work for them to just ask again. Yes, when you get asked the same question twice in the same day it can get frustrating for those trying to help... but sometimes what folks really want is the human interaction more than the specific answer


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete,

The thing about replies in a thread is the original poster drives the thread with his/her questions, then gives replies (genereally). So, for a new guy with the same question, but different criteria, I think it will result in a new thread. At the end of the day, we'll end up with FAQ's that are really individual's process of elimination threads. 

It would be nice, but I think there are too many variables for it to work. 

Isn't this what the Beginner forum was created for in the first place?


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By markoles on 02 Dec 2010 10:03 AM 
Pete,

The thing about replies in a thread is the original poster drives the thread with his/her questions, then gives replies (genereally). So, for a new guy with the same question, but different criteria, I think it will result in a new thread. At the end of the day, we'll end up with FAQ's that are really individual's process of elimination threads. 

It would be nice, but I think there are too many variables for it to work. 

Isn't this what the Beginner forum was created for in the first place? [/b]

I still believe a simple solution is to utilize the beginner forum along with "tags" relative to categories as a search for a topic: DCC, electric, steam, diesel, events, landscape, track, etc. If set up there would be a "tag section" that would allow the member to click on the word related to the bases of a question opening a variety of related posts. BTW- the tags grow in size as they as to the frequency of connection to related information.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think the tags will still suffer from increasing "clutter" like the "signal to noise ratio" in threads. Also, since people would put the tags on the posts themselves, consistency would still be a problem. 

FAQ's should be short, specific, and clear to the beginner. 

I think it can be done, and a "team" working together sounds like a good idea. 

Regards, Greg


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg
That is why you put tags in place so that the beginners indicate what is important to them along with a simple denotation of how to seek information. A simple suggested listing can guide toward consistency for key tag labels. Also, the relevancy of importance is easily understood. So if hundreds of newbies are asking about DCC then one can easily understand that others have had the same interest. Seems to be a very good tool for a much larger forum: Youtube! Finally, FAQ as a whole can be complex and cumbersome with the given variables and numerous answers to each question; good luck to whoever volunteers to take this one on.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, this should be fun!! We can't even agree on a FAQ or its format! hehehe


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Just a FYI... If you look just below the 'Submit' & 'Cancel' buttons on the 'Create New Topic' version of the HTML editor page you'll find a 'Tags' drop down button, which has been there since MLS switched to the new software.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve
Never knew that....thanks. 


So, I tried it in this thread

Aristocraft Mikado repairs 


When I clicked on the various related words (during the input live steam was popped out) the results were: Error: Forums is not available. So the question is how are the tags linked?


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## reeveha (Jan 2, 2008)

When it gets large, unless it's indexed or searchable it will be unusable. Something like Bob's wiki on LSC might be more helpful to a beginner!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

My point exactly, plus again for Charles, I completely understand the mechanism of tags, I have been using and programming computers since 1969. 

The point was that the tags managed by individuals will not be consistent, and for people wanting to put their point over others, it will be a competition. 

But, again, backing out to the big picture, it is rare that a thread has a nicely condensed, completely objective discussion of the topic. 

And, as evidenced by the reticence of even seasoned members to use the search function (without addressing it's mechanical flaws), I will remain of the opinion that FAQ's cannot be assembled from links or indexes of threads. 

Again, a beginner needs a short, concise set of specific information. Our existing threads are not this at all. 

Regards, Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

The problem with FAQ's is more or less the same problem novice computer users face. 
The help files are always written by people for people who already know what they are doing. 
Meaning, you really need to know what the answer is in order to pose the question. 

I have absolutely no idea how to formulate a FAQ's page but I would be willing to contribute answers to specific questions.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

All right, how are you'll coming. ?? 
I had to work all day and came home and finished the first steam line and its ready for testing.. 
Plus wired up lights for the steam-up bay. 
Isn't it "fun" working as a team...???


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

This is what I had put together in Sept 2009 for the FAQ Track thread. 

Track Information 

Most common Brands of 45mm Gauge Track 

Aristo Craft: Brass, Stainless Steel and Aluminum 
Bachmann: Stamped Steel (Not solid rail) will not mate up with other brands of track without modifications 
LGB: Brass and Nickel Plated 
Lionel: rolled brass with guide pins for alignment. Cut off the pin and use a joiner to mate up with Aristo Craft, LGB and USA track. 
USA: Brass 

Type of track: 
Sectional: Most common track available in various lengths and radius/diameters 
Flex: Typically 5-6 foot sections of rail with 12 inch sections of ties. The rails have to be bent for curves and cut to fit. 
Hand laid: Typically 5-6 foot sections of rail typically spiked to wooden ties by the modeler. The ties are either purchased or home made. 

Type of rail: 
Brass: Moderate cost, best conductivity when clean but may require periodic cleaning 
Stainless Steel: High cost, Very good conductivity and requires very little cleaning 
Aluminum: Low cost, Good conductivity when clean but may corrode, also very soft and susceptible to bending when stepped on not only by people, but also large dogs and other wild life. Typically used on layouts where the locomotives are either live steam or battery powered. 
Nickel Plated: Highest costs, Very good conductivity, but being plated, the plating may wear off over time 
Stamped Steel: Low Cost, for indoor use only. Highly corrosive (Rust) if left out doors. 

Rail size: measured height in thousands of an inch 
Code 332: most common rail in G gauge. Also the most durable 
Code 250: 2nd most common rail used in G gauge. Shorter height looks more prototypical than code 332 
Code 215: & 197 have also been used by some modelers 

Curve Track: 
Curve track is measured by either the radius or diameter. 
European manufacturers (LGB) typically use radius as their measurement 
US manufacturers typically use diameter as their measurement. 

Radius to diameter 
2 foot radius equals 4 foot diameter 
4 foot radius equals 8 foot diameter 
And so on 

A circle made of 2’ radius / 4’ diameter curve track will not fit on a 48 inch wide sheet of plywood as the 2’ radius / 4’ diameter is measured at the centerline between the two rails. 

LGB Sectional Curve Track 
R1 = 2 foot radius / 4 foot diameter 
R2 = 2.5 foot radius / 5 foot diameter 
R3 = 4 foot radius / 8 foot diameter 

US Brands have Sectional Curve Track in the following diameters 
4’, 5’, 6.5’, 8’, 9’, 10’, 11.5’, 12.5’, 14’, 15’, 16.5’ and 20’ diameters 

Straight Track: 
Straight sections of US manufacturer’s track typically are sold by the foot, although they actually measure out in mm. Which means a 1 foot pc of straight track is actually a little shorter than 12 inches. 11.81 inches or 300mm as listed by LGB 

Switches: 
Switches are measured differently just as the curves are. 
European (LGB) manufacturers list switches as: 
R1: Curve is 30 degree which equals approx 4 foot diameter 
R3: Curve is 22.5 degree which equals 117.5cm or approx 8 foot diameter 
R5: Curve is 15 degree which equals 464cm or approx 15 foot diameter 

US manufacturers list common switches as: 
4 ft diameter 
Wide radius: 10 foot diameter 
#6: approx 20 ft diameter 

Ties: 
Ties: There are two common types of ties for sectional track. 
Euro Ties: 11 ties to a 12 inch section 
USA Type: 14 ties to a 12 inch section 
For narrow gauge (typically 1/20.3) there are manufacturers that provide prototypical ties 

Rail Joiners: 
Most common type of rail joiner is the slip on joiner. The rail slides in to the slip joiner and the joiner when adjusted right provides a tight grip. 
Aristo Craft has the same basic type slip joiner except that they use tiny screws to attach the slip joiner to each rail. 
Rail Clamps are another type of device to join two rails together. They are available as over the slip joiner type or direct against the rail clamps which require removing the joiner. 
Insulator track joiners are also available in both slip joiner or clamp style. Typically made of plastic, these are used with track powered layouts where you want to control the power for a specific section or area of track 

Understand, this was just a preliminary rough draft of what I had planned to use. 

Randy


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

Randy need to add AML track.


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## Dwayne (Jun 10, 2010)

What scale ratio is G scale? Lol!


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron 

If it was to be used, additions would have been made. 

But thanks for the suggestion. 

Suggestions like your is what would keep a FAQ thread up to date 

Randy


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Charles on 02 Dec 2010 01:07 PM 
Steve
Never knew that....thanks.

So, I tried it in this thread

Aristocraft Mikado repairs 

When I clicked on the various related words (during the input live steam was popped out) the results were: Error: Forums is not available. So the question is how are the tags linked?
So I see, don't have an answer for you, maybe because there's only one topic with the tags and you're already currently in that topic...???? Shad will have to answer this one. Sorry


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dwayne on 02 Dec 2010 05:44 PM 
What scale ratio is G scale? Lol! 
nobody knows, try here http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gauge.html


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

BibleGrove to Dispatch.... 
if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Beginners forum is just that, for newbies to ask the same old questions under different cicumstances. 
I thought I knew it all by investing WAY TOO MUCH $ on LGB / MTS when I started out. Not sure anyone's post would have pursuaded me different. It wasn't until I actually went to an ops session and visited other railroads until I asked relative questions and then made new decisions based upon others successes and failures. Randy has a great start listing all types and vendors for G scale stuff - Maybe we should get some poor fool (Garden Railway Mag) to compile this info and print a true G-scale Encyclopedia per say? 
Part of what I love about MLS is that you will get helpful answers to questions and healthy debates concering them. It's when you old farts get personal that it goes south, fast. And this is what scares off the newbs! 
Over....


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, Steve... I will continue to use tags and see if my future posts are referenced through tags.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By NTCGRR on 02 Dec 2010 03:49 PM 
All right, how are you'll coming. ?? 
....
Isn't it "fun" working as a team...??? 
I salvaged and re-did this, but it ain't really a faq..... http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/photography.html


No 'I' in team... but there is a 'M' and 'E' hehehehe


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Details/pros and cons/ opinions/ name calling. 
yep that covers it! 

John


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

The trouble with FAQ pages is most folks don't or won't read 'em anyway. Less work for them to just ask again. Yes, when you get asked the same question twice in the same day it can get frustrating for those trying to help... but sometimes what folks really want is the human interaction more than the specific answer

I have to disagree, Mik. Yes, some folk won't bother to go and read them, but a Forum by definition is somewhere you go to read! 

I'm sticking to my opinion, that we need a place to put links to various useful threads with a grouping of the topics. Trying to write FAQs is fine, but time consuming, and I think most of the Answers are already here. 

If the tags worked in the way I think you guys are suggesting, that would be another way to link existing threads back to a beginner question - but I don't see how you cut down the clutter. If someone asks (again) which is the best live steamer for a newcomer, you could get a gazillion unrelated threads tagged. 

Incidentally, Google Sites/Docs/etc have a neat 'help' system which is basically a FAQ: you put in a keyword or two and it finds threads relevant to your keywords. A good search function on MLS would solve a lot of problems, including the lack of a FAQ - many support organisations use the same scheme. The last time I answered the "how do you stop the fire going out on a Ruby" question, I inserted two links to prior threads which the questioner said were useful. I found them using Google with a "site:mylargescale.com . . " prefix, which I use a lot. (Then I had to go back and edit my post in HTML to make the links work. Is it any wonder I'm fed up of posting here? At least this thread is just text.)


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## Idraw4u (Aug 19, 2008)

From a newbie stand point – BibleGrove nailed it.
A lot of questions (IMHO) come from the answers given to an original question. The elaboration and additional info and potential alternate options to a question is where the value of a “forum” type venue comes from. So the same question over and over may in some instances answer other questions or take whole different direction at different times. Besides if a question could always be answered with a specific straight forward answer there would be no need to post or respond… just the need to access the site and read.

However I do think some of the confusion and redundancy for newbies like myself comes from being confused by the terminology and acronyms of the hobby. 
Again it is just my opinion, but I think a dictionary/thesaurus/glossary page would be a great addition to an FAQ and may help eliminate some of the more basic questions.
Most of the more experience guys throw acronyms around like they are candy because it is much easier to type and they know what they mean – but we newbies start seeing DCC, DC, DCS, LGB, MTH, Aristo, USA, Bachman, AML, Bridgeworks, Mike, Ruby, R/C, Decoder, receiver, transformer, power supply, booster, AMP, volt, watt, grade, scale, r4, #6, frog, pulse width, phase, pole… the list goes on and we almost immediately get lost. It would be GREAT to have a resource to refer to that defines things that are not opinions.

Even better would be to have some sort of feature that when a key word is typed in a question OR answer - it turns color and creates a link (roll over or click on) that would pop out to show the definition &/or synonym(s) for that word. I see this type of feature in news articles all the time…
If that option isn’t possible then maybe a link on the homepage that accesses a “terminology” page that would give a brief definition of a term or acronym, a photo if available and some links to: posts on the topic, more detailed external sites or vendors/advertisers sites.
I am sure that would take a lot of work– but it would be a tremendous help to newbies.

To those salty dawgs who are frustrated answering the same questions – thank you for your patience. If you answer the same question twice in a day thank you twice as much, your input and time are both valued and appreciated.. 








Todd


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## ShadsTrains (Dec 27, 2007)

Posted By Mik on 02 Dec 2010 10:01 AM 
One NEVER asked question: What does the 'search' button do? 

The trouble with FAQ pages is most folks don't or won't read 'em anyway. Less work for them to just ask again. Yes, when you get asked the same question twice in the same day it can get frustrating for those trying to help... but sometimes what folks really want is the human interaction more than the specific answer


This is exactly why I've been hesitant to created a LS train FAQ.. People rarely read FAQs, they really just want to talk to people and learn from experience.. And even if we post a FAQ, the topics will still come up in the forums.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The only way it works (and I personally think it works fine) is that when a FAQ is asked, everyone is on the same team, point the person to the FAQ. This is not rude. But until everyone agrees to be on the same team, then you will have divided camps. 

I personally think it's giving a newbie a "crap shoot" on whether they get a good answer or not, depending on who is in the mood to answer the question for the 1000th time. 

Also use of the search function is along the same route, it's not rude to ask people to research a bit before asking a question. But if we have a divided opinion as a group, then this very rich source of information is underutilized. 

I either "own" or moderate a number of forums. This is one of the few that do not have as a "culture" the "policy" to entreat newbies to use the search and read the FAQ's. 

That's cool, if it is what the majority "want", then it's fine. 

So, my final "take" is exactly what Shad said. 

Regards, Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd,
I can understand the frustration of a newcomer, even some old timers, when they see abbreviations they do not understand.
With respect we all had to learn somewhere, so, if you don't understand something ask.
Then store the answer somewhere you can remember it. 

If you GO HERE[/b] and scroll down you will see a list of abbreviations I have compiled that apply to my field of endeavour.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats good enough for me. 
I will drop the subject and go run trains.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Don't you mean go eat some worms?? hehehe

Bubba


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats good enough for me. 
I will drop the subject and go run trains. 
Marty, 
Before you do that, take a look at the existing "Helpful Threads Archive" on this site at Community/Forum Archives/Helpful Threads Archive. 
Here's the direct link: http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/ForumArchives/HelpfulThreadsArchive/tabid/110/Default.aspx 

It has a Printer-Friendly version of an old topic (another useful feature that got lost in the shuffle,) stored as a .PDF. Just like what a FAQ should be. I also note a lot of useful 'sticky threads' at the top of the old archive forums - they would be excellent fodder for a FAQ page and would not get lost when the archives finally die. (And printer-friendly still works on the old archives, so it is easy to produce a .PDF.)




This is exactly why I've been hesitant to created a LS train FAQ.. People rarely read FAQs, they really just want to talk to people and learn from experience.. And even if we post a FAQ, the topics will still come up in the forums. 
Shad, 
I'm afraid you don't get it - because you don't sit here all day answering the same question time after time. [No, I don't either, but collectively we, the members, do.] 

The objective is to cut down on our typing and searching for old threads. As Marty said in his opening paragraph, "Ive been thinking about it and it would be great to direct new folks to it." (It being the FAQ page.) I usually try to point a newcomer to either a Google search method or to a list of threads that address his question. It isn't rude to say "Good question - that came up last year and here's the discussion on FAQ 23". It doesn't stop someone else adding an opinion, nor does it stop the newcomer from coming back with "well, yes, but . . ".


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## Pterosaur (May 6, 2008)

Search function is not very useful...Try searching for something, like maybe "FAQ's"...Nothing. 
Tried searching for "Frequently asked questions"...Lot's of stuff, nothing too helpful (this thread does not even show up). Not even searching for "Most F A Qs" will find this thread. 
Maybe your search turns up more but mine did not. The newbie is at a disadvantage if all they have is the "search" feature.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe your search turns up more but mine did not 

I found a neat trick - a site-specific Google search: "site:mylargescale.com Frequently asked questions" [should be a FAQ answer here!] That produced lots of useful stuff, including this thread as #6. 

The search function here is not very useful, as you discovered. This will give you chapter and verse of the frustrations - do a Google search for "site:mylargescale.com search doesn't work". 
_Of course, all this search problem is doing is pushing traffic to Google and elsewhere._


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## Pterosaur (May 6, 2008)

That is a neat trick Pete. I was just pointing out that though some members express irritation with the newbie for being too lazy to use the forum search function...some may do...and not find an answer anyway.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

The difficulty in searching old topics is the reason I decided that I would add some generalized stuff to my AV pages. However, I purposely chose topics that other sites didn't always address. -- And ones that I felt I understood well enough to not look like a total idiot. Some of them were partially salvaged from old posts and expanded upon. At the moment the topics are:

1. The Gauge/Scale Mess Simplified: http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gauge.html
2. Tools and Tips for Beginning Scratchuilders: http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/tools.html
3. A few general tips on layout building theory: http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/tips2.html 

4. Guide to Photographing Models: http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/photography.html
5. Building a Timeline; http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/timeline2.html
6. Tips for bringing your layout to life; http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/details.html

7. Locomotives of the 1860s; http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/1850s.html
8 a link to my picture database of inside frame narrow gauge 2-8-0 details; http://www.the-ashpit.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=277

Greg already has an excellent selection of topics, George does as well. So I tried not to simply re-invent the wheel. Since I also do things... differently than many, it was never meant to set me up as an authority on anything. Just things I'd share if someone asked. The photography page is a bit of a camel, as I had a lot of input from good Narrow Gauge photographers (and great folks!) like John West, Richard Boulware, Roger Hogan, and Andrew Brandon.


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