Model Train Magazine Index is gone (and then came back)

Effective immediately, the Model Train Magazine index is no more.

To our readers:

The advancement in Internet browser technology has created an insurmountable problem for the Model Train Index, which has been a fixture on Trains.com for many years.

The information in the Model Train Index and its integrated software originally were written in MS-DOS language 20 years ago by a train hobbyist on his PC as a personal project. It was not designed for the Internet and the software is unique to the index.

Kalmbach Publishing Co. purchased the index and its software many years ago. We created a website interface for the index and made the index a featured part of the Trains.com website.

Today, the progression of technologies on the Internet and the antiquated software of the Model Train Index have intersected to the point that we can no longer offer the index to our website visitors because we can no longer keep the index free of viruses or other even more significant Internet security risks.

The index software cannot be rewritten to update its security level, nor is there any method of transferring the index text information to a more modern software platform since the design of the index software and the index text information are integral to each other.

Because of these issues, we have reluctantly removed the index from Trains.com.

Annoying, to say the least...

http://index.mrmag.com/

The plug was pulled a few days ago and since then there's been a lot of chatter "on other networks" about this including some thoughts about grass-roots efforts to start up an open-source successor to the index that isn't necessarily beholden to anyone.

However, what looks like the most likely scenario at this point is Kalmbach turning over the source code and data to the NMRA which would then be responsible for porting it and maintaining the data. Joe Fugate of Model Railroad Hobbyist and elsewhere got involved during the just concluded NMRA Convention. In my opinion, this isn't a done deal yet and I expect that courteous messages to Kalmbach encouraging their donation to another party would still be influential.

A coordinated effort across the various groups of folks who have expressed their interest in volunteering would go a long way to bring the index back, possibly better than before. (I will try to avoid channelling the opening of "The Six Million Dollar Man"...)

I mean... I understand their concern about the old database being prone to security issues... and how the data may not be portable (we ran into that problem here at RAILROAD.NET a number of years ago)... But no warning? I bet there's a few programmers out there who would have given it the old "college try" before throwing in the towel.

It was a great resource, and I'm glad Kalmbach kept it going for as long as they did.

-otto-

If you're looking for an article in an old issue of Railroad Model Craftsman, and you know the author's name, or the title of the article, the search function at the Carstens Book Store is fairly reliable...

http://carstensbookstore.com/ramocrbais.html

-otto-

Posted on the Model Railroad Hobbyist discussion board is the latest from Joe Fugate:

Okay, the next step is to solicit "resumes" for someone to lead this effort. I have the ability, but I don't have the time. I'm willing to help get the organization effort started and then hand it off to someone willing and able to lead the charge.

So consider this the official notice for resumes of those willing to lead this initiative. Use the "contact us" section on this site and notify us using the other option - and hand your resume to me. I will collect the resumes and decide on a lead for this effort and officially hand it off to them.

Please post to other boards and forums that we're looking for someone to lead this effort and that we're accepting resumes. This is a totally volunteer effort, and the idea is whether or not Kalmbach agrees to release the assets, we will stand up a comprehensive model railroading magazine index and turn it over to the NMRA.

The NMRA has agreed the resulting index will be publically available to all and not behind a login, which I believe is a key goal of this effort. The index must not be a propriety offering and it must remain forever freely available to all.

Here is the thread for the discussion (I hope this works...)

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/disc ... ment-23966

I'm glad to see that this continues to move forward. I'm optimistic that one way or the other, we will have a Model Railroad Magazine Index back and open to all users.

I personally don't have any more information than what I cross-posted above, so it would be better to direct any specific questions to Joe via the MRH contact page.

Glad to see Joe Fugate step in...

Any updates since July? Went to use it to try to save some trouble looking for a set of plans and poof, it's gone. Looked at a lot of stuff through Google but no signs of anything new up and running.

And the reasoning for it's demise is pretty weak IMHO; MS-DOS is so outdated it's hard to believe anyone trying to create a virus that could actually hurt something, would waste his time with it. What's the next step after that, using telnet to send it to people?

LVRR - It's looking more and more likely that the full recovery of material and re-posting of the Index will be a veeeeery longterm project. Already, I see way, way, too many people suggesting how it should be reconstructed, what it should include, and how it should be accessed, some of the most recent over the NMRA's forum. Too many cooks! From what I'm reading across the various model railroading forums, my guess would be that its return to hobbyist availability could be a minimum of 4-5 years away and perhaps much longer, depending on just who is involved in the final reconstruction project and whether they start over from scratch, or not. Similarly, if it should end up as a totally NMRA project, which seems quite likely, I'd have doubts of ever seeing it again, based on their standards committees' track-records!

CNJ999

Good news! 11/29/2010 update

We are pleased to announce that our online Model Train Magazine Index will return in January 2011.

The rebuilt index, with an updated interface, improved performance, and better search functionality, will allow you to identify information printed in more than two dozen magazines covering model railroading and prototype railroading from 2010 all the way back to 1933. Once you've found an article, you can also purchase back issues and other relevant Kalmbach Publishing Co. products from the index pages.

...

For print magazines not produced by Kalmbach Publishing Co., we're also developing an index tool that will allow the staffs of those print magazines to easily update their information as issues are published in 2011 and beyond. We hope to have this tool ready later in 2011.

Meanwhile, the open source effort is continuing as well. I have not checked into it lately but there was beginning to be some content available there as well.

http://www.rrmagindex.org/

or

http://www.olimpia.com:8084/magazine-index.html

more directly.

I should note that this beta version is just that, and I don't think it's available 24/7. The folks who created the site are looking for help "refilling" it with index information-- perhaps something to consider if you've got a few days off this Holiday Season.

The thought, or should I say intent? hope? is that the NMRA will take over the open-source index. I have my doubts, not at least because it will be seen as "competition" for what Kalmbach intends to restore in 2011.

Kalmbach has now restored the index to its website (www.trains.com). It's supposed to be an improved version. I am VERY glad to have it back.

There's been some chatter on other boards and lists... it seems to be a bit finicky in terms of search criteria at the moment, but perhaps that will change over time.

Example: I entered "BCOL" which are the reporting marks for British Columbia Railway and got a few hits; but entered "British Columbia" and got more, both related and unrelated to that particular railroad.

But yes, glad it's back. I just took possession of four boxes of Mainline Modeler for the UMTRR Research Library and having the index back will be quite useful... in fact, it already was.

Otto... maybe time to change the thread title?

As long as they continue to list the Carstens products, I'm happy!

I just found one of them, Otto, so it looks like you're OK on that.

I had to use "stencil" as the keyword to find an article on the Qualification Stencils on Tank Cars, since "tankcar" and "tank car" did not locate it. So I think the term "finicky" might still apply to search criteria.

Even the best search engine can be finicky as to wording.

I'm still in the index, so- another happy camper that this valuable and useful tool is back...