The AOL Boards and who has survived

[rogruth]

Alan Miller had a post somewhere that led me to believe that he was pro MTH and anti Lionel. If this is so I wonder why.
He wrote a rather nice book about Lionel that was IMO great for new 3 R modelers. There was a good explanation of TMCC.
This was before he went to OGR.

[Neil]

"Just kidding. That was almost 20 years ago. Maybe Rich Melvin is confused and thinks you started MTJ."

Apparently. He's also forgotten that he kicked me off the OGR Forum mostly because I was responding to the MTH homeboys and provocateurs like Fusco. A real sociopath and belligerent son of a gun. I guess he felt he had to throw both of us off . I've never engaged in personal insults except as a response to others. On AOL I shouldn't have sunk to the level of my critics, no doubt, but there were quite a collection of individuals who liked to provoke discussion by being over the line. The various homeboys who took MTH's side in the lawsuit and generally ran down those who liked Lionel are either dead or gone from the forums. It's all water over the dam at this point.

In response to Roger, I believe Allan Miller just took the MTH side of the argument because he enjoyed arguing and he found me provocative. I don't think he ever particularly was anti-Lionel, unlike Fusco, MTH Jim, MTH Sidney, MTHBob and Toytrains1 . These guys were on a mission to divide the hobby and justify their own tastes and/or psychopathology (Fusco).

[MartyE]

"Just kidding. That was almost 20 years ago. Maybe Rich Melvin is confused and thinks you started MTJ."

Apparently. He's also forgotten that he kicked me off the OGR Forum mostly because I was responding to the MTH homeboys and provocateurs like Fusco. A real sociopath and belligerent son of a gun. I guess he felt he had to throw both of us off . I've never engaged in personal insults except as a response to others. On AOL I shouldn't have sunk to the level of my critics, no doubt, but there were quite a collection of individuals who liked to provoke discussion by being over the line. The various homeboys who took MTH's side in the lawsuit and generally ran down those who liked Lionel are either dead or gone from the forums. It's all water over the dam at this point.

In response to Roger, I believe Allan Miller just took the MTH side of the argument because he enjoyed arguing and he found me provocative. I don't think he ever particularly was anti-Lionel, unlike Fusco, MTH Jim, MTH Sidney, MTHBob and Toytrains1 . These guys were on a mission to divide the hobby and justify their own tastes and/or psychopathology (Fusco).

Just Pay da money! LOL!

[Neil]

Tony Lash was one of the more reasonable and kind MTH fans on the AOL Boards. When we finally met, he couldn't have been more gracious, and I hope I responded in kind.

[rthomps]

Oh, my. What a drive down memory lane. I don't get to MTJ often - but that will change in the future. I'm coming back...at least to read, if not post.

AOL TrainBoards? Oh, yes. I joined the AOL Board some time in the spring/summer of 1994 when there were only a handful of members (certainly fewer than a dozen - and probably no more than six). I moved over from Prodigy - and the dial-up on AOL was clearly superior, if not still excruciating, at the time.

I've me some truly great gentlemen not to mention fantastic TrainHeads on AOL. The interaction set my train habits for the past 25+ years. Some really good friends remain ... Terry Smith, Ro, Neil, Bob Brubeck, Roger, David Cohen, Pat Calhoun, Jon Lane, Ted, Frank, Jim, Al & Barb, Ed, Tom, Pepi, et.al. The train wars divided some of us for awhile, but the crazy thing is that some of those who were "dead-set" in their opposing beliefs to mine have become pretty good friends over the past 10-15 years ... mainly because of York (and Facebook). Neil mentioned some of those AOL posters who have passed. I believe Robert Dobson should be added to that list.

Thanks to Neil for getting this thread going.

[Neil]

Thanks for the thanks RT . What Facebook groups do folks use? I notice someone mentioned that some of the old AOL group migrated there, but wasn't aware of the Facebook group(s) in question.

And yes, Robert Dobson did die in 2010. Just found his obituary. He and his young son (RAD) were frequent topics of discussion on AOL. Dobson(RADIVV) was a vigorous Lionel fan, who defended the original (incorrect, likely) light gray Commodore Hudson against all comers . As Norm Charbonneau stated, AOL was great in its way. The wild, wild west of toy trains. Did bring a lot of people together, as RT mentions above, although there were a few toxic relationships such as mine with TRex (Fusco). I should have known better, to be sure. But that sort of unbounded vitriol was the exception, not the rule.

[rthomps]

Thanks for the thanks RT . What Facebook groups do folks use? I notice someone mentioned that some of the old AOL group migrated there, but wasn't aware of the Facebook group(s) in question.

I'm "personal" friends with several of the old AOLers (for example, Terry Sh. - not Smith) - so that's how we keep in touch. (Of course, Terry Smith and I have been pretty good friends since around 1995 or so.) There are at least 5 or 6 O Gauge pages on FB that vary in quality and activity. I just added you to several. You can leave them any time you wish.

I don't know of any FB page that is for "old" AOLers, though.

[rthomps]

Did bring a lot of people together, as RT mentions above, although there were a few toxic relationships such as mine with TRex (Fusco).

Fusco was a pill. He threatened both Ted and me (together) with "getting beaten up" outside the Orange Hall at York around 2007 or so. Ted seems to have forgotten his anger; I've had a more difficult time forgetting what with being threatened with a beating over toy trains.

[rogruth]

Is that on the same level as a sporting event disagreement?

[Neil]

Saying Pat Fusco was volatile was akin to saying Vesuvius was a volcano . I know there are those who loved him, but he was the loosest of loose cannons at times, and prone to threats of violence when anyone gave him back some gas of the sort he put out, to continue with the volacanic metaphor. A deeply irascible and unpredictable individual. Had forgotten the story about him threatening RT and Ted B at York. He also liked to debate medical treatment with me, despite his utter lack of training and experience. Whatever he thought was right. There were two ways, his way and the wrong way. I should have ignored him, with the 100% wisdom of hindsight.

[J. S. Bach]

...snip... I should have ignored him, with the 100% wisdom of hindsight.

[rogruth]

Really want to know, why were they called boards?

[Big Jim]

Short for Bulletin Boards?

[E7]

I started looking at the OGR board sometime during the GREAT lawsuit. As a 2 railer, it was all fairly amusing, what with the orange box and purple box crowds. In 2 rail you bought stuff from all different kinds of vendors. There may have been derogatory discussions about certain things, but not so much brand names as a whole. I had never even heard of Ol' Mikey, only Lionel or American Flyer. The whole thing was amusing and a lot of the time silly. In 2 rail when another importer comes on the scene it's greeted as another option. In three rail it could be Civil (or maybe uncivil) war!

Rich

[E7]

Short for Bulletin Boards?

Jim, I think you got it!