12/31/09 - As 2009 comes to an end, I will be happy to see it go for many reasons, some of which have been chronicled in my news updates. I am very excited about what lies ahead in the new year; our existing projects, new technology and new projects promise to make 2010 a very interesting modeling year. The month of December has been our busiest web month since Kohs & Company was formed, with almost 30,000 web site visits and nearly 200,000 pages viewed in just one month. I hope to build on that level of interest by continuing to deliver projects and information of interest and by following the lead that has been offered through the many contacts that I have had with interested modelers and collectors. Our current project updates need to be brought up to date and there are new projects to announce so the coming weeks will be busier than ever, but I have to close this year out by thanking all of my active supporters for their loyalty and friendship in the past year. There have been many distractions in 2009, but my loyal supporters have been with me through it all for which I am very grateful! HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!

12/24/09 - I would like to wish all of our friends and web visitors around the world a very Merry Christmas!! Travel safely and enjoy what is for many, a very special time of year.

12/07/09 - It has taken the better part of a month to shake off the affects of being ill, but the wheels are finally turning again and progress is being made on a number of fronts. Unanswered E-mail messages are a priority and I will be getting to those of you that have left messages, comments and suggestions as quickly as possible. I certainly appreciate those of you that have offered get well wishes and I hope that any of you that have dealt with the H1N1 virus have made it through without the complications that hit me.

Just a brief side-note regarding one of the free services that Kohs & Company offers to our clients. With the recent sales acknowledged by several clients using our web site 'Roundhouse' page, we have officially surpassed $150,000.00 in sales for that service. This is a free service with no commissions or fees charged for listing our clients models for sale. If you are an existing customer and have items to sell, feel free to submit those items by E-mail or postal mail including the basic information shown on the 'Roundhouse' page, also include your preferred means of contact for inquiries.

The updating of individual project sites has also commenced, I hope to have the status of current projects up to date as quickly as possible. Check back often for the latest news!

11/25/09 - If you are one of the many that have been trying to contact me in the last few days, I wanted to advise that the reason you have not had success is that I am currently paying the price for frequently traveling during the flu season. I am currently on the mend from a bout with the H1N1 virus, all should be back to normal (what is normal for me) in the next couple of days. I would like to extend my best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday to all stateside visitors to this site.

11/13/09 - There has been so much going on in the last several weeks that it has been very difficult to take the time to write about it here on the web. Among other efforts, I have been reworking the Kohs & Company web site, updating page construction and trying to improve load times to make your visit easier and more enjoyable. The text size has been enlarged and should now be consistent on most pages of the site. If you have visited before, you'll also notice that this news update page has been broken into several pages, this was done simply to improve the load time since the original arrangement had grown so large and included so many images that it loaded very slowly on older and slower computers. All of the original information is still available, you just have to look on the correct page determined by the year of interest. The push now is to add more content, particularly to the technical pages.

In addition to the recent usual travel for shows and production inspection, one of the more interesting trips was to New Hampshire where Solidscape, Inc is located. Solidscape is a company that builds rapid prototyping equipment that is used in a variety of industries for product development. In short, rapid prototyping is a catch-all term that refers to a variety of different technologies all aimed at producing prototypes of products or components there of through the use of computer aided design and equipment that directly translates those designs into three-dimensional 'models'. I have been watching this technology develop since Kohs & Company started developing model trains, waiting for the day when we could employ this technology in our model development process. That day has come as the result of the work of Solidscape, Inc, their equipment produces 'models' of appropriate resolution and composition that makes them usable as master patterns for casting our model detail parts. The time at Solidscape was spent reviewing the process, hardware and software used in their technology and ultimately taking delivery of one of their machines. A more detailed explanation of the technology and the process will be provided for those interested in our technical pages. The bottom line to this effort is to develop master patterns for model parts as accurately, quickly and as economically as possible, this new technology holds great promise in that regard. If you are interested you can visit the Solidscape web site by clicking here.

It has been no secret for quite some time that I am always struggling to keep up with all aspects of the work load associated with our model production and likewise it has been no secret that I have had little success in finding an appropriate person to bring into the business to help. The workload in our custom support area (DCC decoder installations, etc...) has reached critical mass so I have been working with a local individual doing some training that will hopefully lead to having a regular resource for doing this type of work on a timely basis. The reports from customers about being gouged and having their models damaged has made this even more of a priority. I will advise further as we hopefully make progress.

I have received a great deal of feedback about the show in Switzerland and what people have seen in the photos and videos posted on web, the bottom line question has been, why isn't there a show of the same type here in the states? That's a great question and I believe that it is something worth looking at.

There will be new updates posted to several of the project sites in the next couple of days so be sure to check back for the lasted information.

11/04/09 - There are several issues that I have not addressed since my last posting related to the show in Switzerland. As a matter of interest, after discussing the UP Challenger sample that I had on display, the three most often asked questions related to when our 'Big Boy' will be produced, how soon will our cab-forward reservation process start and will I ever consider producing high-grade HO scale models?

Included in my display for the first time at the Swiss show was the roll-up banner shown below. Much to my surprise, a number of customers expressed interest in being able to purchase one of these units for their train rooms. The idea of offering large posters as wall decorations was also suggested. The banner was also used at the recent York TCA meet and again, there were requests to purchase units, so here are the details: the dimensions of the banner are 32-1/2" X 82", the banner retracts into the spring loaded unit at the base for storage and the cost was $300 inclusive, there was also a storage case included. If there are enough serious inquiries I'm sure that we can get the price down a bit. Let me know if you are interested and I will provide a further update. I will also be addressing the issue of offering posters showing enlarged views of some of our models, I will post proposed samples and pricing in the very near future.

I had intended posting a series of photos that I took while at the show in Switzerland, but since my return a number of photographers and videographers have posted links to the show site which offer a far greater coverage of the show than my few photos. If you are interested, visit the following link and enjoy. The photos below are several subjects that really caught my attention.

The photo above shows some backdrop detail included on a beautiful O scale switching layout from Paris. The side street perspective painting is the most effective use of backdrop painting I have ever seen, the area between the two building facades is part of the flat panel to which the facades are attached. The extra detail of the functional neon 'open' sign really enhances the overall affect.

The photo above shows a really interesting HO scale dioramas depicting the Higgins Boat Works, the company that built the famous landing craft style boats used in WWII. The gantry style crane is operational and can be used to load boats on the awaiting flat cars.

Shown above and below is an elaborate depiction of a Sierra snow shed used by the Southern Pacific. This diorama is actually standing on the floor and extends to more than six feet in height. The fact that the display included three cab-forward models definitely caught my attention.

The photo below shows a beautiful scratch-built model of the Union Pacific coaling facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of my customers is the builder of this model, Mr. Manfred Lengacher, he lives in Switzerland and this show provided my first opportunity to meet Mr. Lengacher in person. The extent of the detailing and wonderful weathering made this a very special site to be seen.

Another scratch-built structure on Mr. Lengacher's display was this beautiful elevated tank with wooden supports. Also note the texture and weathering on the backdrop.

10/14/09 - Having just returned from the American Railroad Fans in Switzerland show, I want to thank Werner Meer and the entire organization that makes that show possible for their great hospitality and assistance during my visit. I was greatly honored to speak at and to receive special recognition during the awards dinner on Saturday evening with more than 300 guests in attendance.

I was overwhelmed by the number of customers that made the effort to come and visit with me at the show, this was a rare opportunity to see many of the customers that seldom or ever visit the states. Customers came from: France, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Austria, The U.K., and of course, Switzerland. This was a great opportunity to share ideas and get feedback about project scheduling and general future planning. I will go into detail on some the ideas and suggestions that arose from these discussions in a future post.

The show was a very unique experience when compared to the typical show held in the United States, there were no tables full of models being offered for sale, they were all consigned to one area of the show and sold with great care and efficiency. The four buildings used for the show were filled with layouts, dioramas, custom models and workshops demonstrating modeling techniques. Many of the participants are highlighted in the show program for which I posted a download link on 8/29/09. The lack of social interaction about which I have lamented in the past regarding shows stateside was certainly not an issue at this show, that is basically all the show was, an opportunity for approximately 3,000 people to share ideas during the two days of the show. It would be great fun to organize a tour of modelers from the states to visit the next show in three years. This leads me to another interesting aspect of the show, that it is only held every three years. I was curious why such an extended schedule, but it was explained that it takes the participants approximately that long to develop new models, displays or workshops for presentation at the show. As a result, the show is always fresh and exciting to attend. There was another show in the Zurich area on this same weekend, a show strictly for brass and it also was a unique experience compared our typical shows. More on that in coming posts.

The trip was short and there was a lot to digest in just two days, much of what I experienced I am still processing. Let me know if the idea of organizing a tour for the next show is of interest to you.

9/28/09 - After a great deal of discussion in recent weeks regarding wheel gauging and profiles, it has been decided to push forward with the next evolution of Kohs & Company wheelsets. The input from P48 modelers has been very beneficial in formulating our further development. A new testing program is being started and I will be looking to run some new sample models on customer layouts to gain first-hand experience with our proposed new wheel profiles.

Over the last several years we have had a number of P48 modelers contact us about offering P48 versions of our models and I have written to some extent what the related issues are and have been. At the same time, once a number of these modelers have done a comparison of our wheelsets and profiles to what the P48 alternative would be, the determination was made that for the little difference, it really wasn't worth the trouble and financial hit to go the P48 route. The new effort will be to get what we are doing even closer to the P48 standards in terms of profiles, obviously there is little that can be done in terms of gauging. We are not likely to convert avid P48 modelers and that is not the intent of this effort, I recognize and admire the dedication those modelers have to what they are doing and I will try to support that dedication with some of our future efforts, primarily with P48 standard trucks and wheelsets.

As I have explained on numerous occasions, I certainly wish that the O scale segment of the hobby had gone the true-scale route, but that will not change any time soon due to the massive existent participation in O scale as we have come to know it. The big push now in the hobby to adopt standards essentially the same as what I have employed for going on twenty years is certainly interesting and long overdue. Our next evolution will be even better!

9/14/09 - I have big news to start this update; Kohs & Company has it's first super-dealer! Jim Hawk of Maryland is the first individual that has met the stringent criteria for becoming a Kohs & Company authorized dealer. Far from simply requiring a storefront to qualify for dealer status and all that comes with it, Kohs & Company has required a lighted exterior sign. Shown below is a photo that Mr. Hawk submitted with his application that shows his sign, he indicates that his neighbors really do not mind that he has the sign in his front yard. Some might say that the gauging of his lettering is off, but gee, it looks great to me. Congratulations Jim on a job well done!

Several weeks back I floated the idea of initiating a Kohs & Company forum where our enthusiasts could exchange thoughts and ideas. The response to the idea has been very positive, but many have recognized the potential hazard. Almost to a person, most everyone that has commented has suggested, recommended or implored that only real names be allowed for signing into the forum site. I am reviewing the best of the software available for the purpose and also consulting with our hosting provider to examine the technical side of the issue. I do anticipate moving forward with a forum once all of the details are worked out and I can be assured that the maintenance will not become an overwhelming distraction.

Also several weeks ago, I posted a list of potential new locomotive projects that generated a flood of feedback. In the last sixty days, we have averaged almost twenty-five thousand visitors a month to our web site which is our best average to date. At this point I can tell you several of the prototypes that are definite contenders as new projects for Kohs & Company, they are the: C&O K-4/Virginian BA, N&W 'M' class, UP 'S' class, Rio Grande K-36 and C&O 'J3/J3a' (including the mid-series locomotives). I am thrilled that we have the reference material available for all of these subjects. The other possibilities remain so and are subject to further consideration as the feedback continues to come in.

There has been a fantastic response to the posting regarding the PRR passenger cars and much to my surprise, there have been numerous requests for new production of the cars already correctly built for the NYC and PRR. The evaluation of the situation continues, but it seems that a logical plan is falling into place for finally pursuing our passenger car project.

In response to my request for feedback regarding the production of truck sets for sale, an overwhelming favorite has emerged. The PRR 2D-F8 truck has been the most requested by far and I have heard that since I opted not sell trucks separately several years ago when our PRR GLe cement car was produced. It should be understood that all trucks produced for sale separately will be built from unique tooling created expressly for that purpose, I will not part out components from production models. I will update further as this situation develops, if you have suggestions, let me hear from you!

I want to thank everyone again that has been waiting patiently for me to do 'something' for them as I have been working diligently to get all of our projects back up to speed following the circumstances earlier in the year. The surge of interest in our projects over the last several months has been extremely gratifying, but it has also required considerable time in response. My search for the right pair of hands to dig in and help goes on.

Please check back soon for further updates!

8/29/09 - As I have had posted on our show schedule, Kohs & Company will participate in the 14th American Railroad Fans in Switzerland Convention to be held this October in Zurich, Switzerland. The organizers of the show produce a fantastic 90+ page show program in a magazine format and they have made it available prior to the show in 'PDF' format, you may download a copy of the 15MB file to review by clicking here. This is an all-scale show with a focus on American prototype railroading and it is held once every three years. If you download the program, check out some of the very interesting subject matter that has been modeled on some the layouts featured, I can't wait to see them in person. If you are interested in attending the show, please let me know and I'll provide additional details.

Additional information regarding the Fine Art Models O scale passenger cars mentioned yesterday has been posted to a new page, please see the site index or click here to view it.

8/28/09 - During the last several years I have received numerous inquiries on the subject of the two series of Fine Art Models O scale Pullman Standard passenger cars that were produced in the New York Central 'Twentieth Century Limited' and Pennsylvania Railroad 'Broadway Limited' liveries. These remain the finest O scale passenger cars ever offered by far, but it is well known that the Broadway Limited sets were never completed and there were detail accuracy issues with a couple of the cars that were produced. I have been routinely asked whether I would ever consider producing the head-end cars that were not completed and also if I would consider redoing the cars that were not accurate for the Broadway Limited consist. Until now, I had only intended to do the heavy-weight style head-end cars to finish the train, but after discussions with my builder, we are now considering the production of the streamlined diners and also correct versions of the cars with detail inaccuracies. I will be posting a new page with more details on what has already been produced by Fine Art Models to clear up some misinformation that has persisted and also what we are considering for new production. The cars being considered for new production would be produced only on a reservation basis and they would obviously require adequate interest and support to move forward with the project. If you are one of the individuals that has expressed interest in this train, this is the opportunity that you have been asking for, so spread the word to other owners about this situation.

8/09/09 - It has been suggested by several people that a forum or interchange point be established that would provide an online location for Kohs customers to discuss subjects of mutual interest. I am willing to undertake the effort if in fact there is a level of interest to justify it. I am evaluating software now that would support such a site and I would be interested in hearing suggestions regarding the parameters for participation from those of you that are interested. Two certain goals would be to eliminate the use of multiple user accounts by the same participant and the use of false identities.

8/05/09 - I can confirm for those of you that have inquired, I am evaluating the possibility of developing some of our O scale projects in very limited quantities in other scales. That is all that I can confirm at this point unless additional details leak out! I am also restarting the truck development program that was started last year and in response to many inquiries, I will be willing to offer P-48 versions of the trucks that we produce if there is enough confirmed interest. A special project site will be developed within this web site to provide further details and from which to solicit feedback on potential projects.

8/02/09 - It has been brought to my attention that Joe Giannovario Editor-In-Chief/Publisher of O Scale Trains Magazine has responded on his web site to my comments posted her on 7/6/09. In my 'rant' or 'screed', whichever of Mr. Giannovario's characterizations you prefer, I attributed actions and comments to Mr. Giannovario that he disputes. I'm not going to waste much time in responding, I will simply document two of the three situations that I referred to, for those who care. The third situation was a verbal exchange between Mr. Giannovario and myself, so you'll have to decide based on your perception the validity of my comments in that instance.

In my 'rant' I raised the issue of Mr. Giannovario supplying a photo, produced by Get Real Productions, of his Kohs Y6b model to one of his frequent advertisers, Sunset 3rd Rail, to use in their project ad without proper attribution as a Kohs model. If you go to the following link, you will see the photo still in current use and the credit given to O Scale Trains Magazine with no mention of Kohs & Company (in case the web page is taken down view this screenshot and photo)(8/7/2009 - links removed at the request of Joe Giannovario, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of O Scale Trains Magazine), the original full-page ad ran in 2005 (the online version of the magazine has now been edited). I further attributed the following quote to Mr. Giannovario, 'I have to hang my head in shame. The problems I'm having with the Y's are due to bad track laying on my part', a screenshot of his original e-mail to me can be viewed here. The operating specification quoted to Mr. Giannovario was a 60" radius for curves which is reflected in his e-mail message, he had no difficulty in obtaining that specification, he asked the question and was given the answer. He later decided to attempt to operate his models with much smaller radius curves, so during the free repair of damage he caused, free adjustments which required altering prototypical detail were made to accommodate his new desire. Even though the adjustments made were outside of our quoted specification, that fact apparently got in the way of Mr. Giannovario trying to make his point (further e-maols will substantiate the facts). The point of my original 'rant' was that for Mr. Giannovario to be making public proclamations on the subject of standards and transparency was a bit much for me to stomach based on my experiences with Mr. Giannovario's standards and transparency. Is it a coincidence that of the two importers named and negatively mentioned by Mr. Giannovario, one is not an advertiser (Kohs & Company) and the other is deceased?

Going to the greater issue of providing pre-sale information to potential customers and post-sale support, Kohs & Company remains as the most accessible importer in the business. For more than one of my fellow importers it is not possible to find a phone or fax number or even an e-mail address to contact them for any reason, because they rely on dealer sales. My archive of over forty-one thousand e-mail messages is testament to my efforts of being accessible and Joe Giannovario knows that from personal experience, whether he wants to admit it or not.

7/31/09 - A special visitor leaves Michigan after participating in Train Festival 2009. In the sequence below, Southern Pacific 4449 pulls out of the yard after servicing in Durand, Michigan which was formerly a major stop and facility for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. She is heading east toward a 'wye' that will allow her to turn the entire train to head southwest out of town. In the second photo 4449 has already backed up the northbound leg of the 'wye' and is pulling into the Durand station to pick up passengers before heading toward Chicago on the first leg of her trip back to Oregon. In the third and fourth photos she has gained her legs and is running approximately 50mph heading into Bancroft, Michigan another small town located between Durand and Lansing along what is now the Amtrak mainline. The festival was a rare opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and smells of not just one classic locomotive, but more than eight thanks to the great efforts of the organizing committee.

7/23/09 - Just a general update of special interest; the 2009 Train Festival is being held this weekend in Owosso, Michigan which is less than an hour away from my shop so I ran out to take a quick look. The following are just a hand-full of sights to be seen at the event. The 'Daylight' was already out on the road and with so much work to be done, I couldn't wait for the excursion to return. In case you are interested, click HERE to view the event web site.

7/20/09 - A further update regarding the newly updated NMRA Standards and Recommended practices. After reviewing what I believe are the final documents, the net result with regards to Kohs & Company is that I will do as many of you have suggested and continue to use the standard that I developed almost twenty years ago. There were interim versions of the NMRA documents that actually showed some promise in terms of correcting a couple of problem areas, but apparently the documents did not correctly reflect the intent of the organization and they were 'corrected' prior to the final release. The new S-4.2 standard actually makes the situation worse for those interested in operating finely detailed O scale models. If the NMRA really wanted to accomplish something for the standard O scale hobbyist, they would have developed an actual 'wheel gage' standard as they have done for the 'Fine' and 'Proto' scales. Hopefully the next time the NMRA gets around to doing updates, they'll seek more validated input.

7/10/09 - The previous update generated a considerable amount of positive feedback and I sincerely thank those of you responsible. A number of additional questions were also raised, most of which I answered directly, but one question in particular was so common that I decided to respond here from the perspective of one importer. Generally speaking, the questions were along the lines of who or what governs what types of brass models are produced and imported, this question obviously emanates from the same source that was sited in the previous update. First of all, I would not be one that would classify any group as 'big buck', that carries a very negative connotation to my way of thinking. Although Kohs & Company sells high-end models, there are very few of our clients to whom money is no object. The vast majority of our clients are individuals that work hard to earn their money and have to carefully allocate what they spend on the hobby, I am honored that so many find our models worthy of such an expenditure. Is any group of modelers being held 'hostage' by the preferences of another in the O scale hobby, let me simply say no. As with any type of business in a free market place, demand will govern what products are produced and anyone that recognizes a demand that is not being met should be encouraged to attempt to meet that demand. Kohs & Company routinely solicits those interested in the hobby to provide feedback regarding potential projects and I will continue to follow that lead in selecting what I produce.

7/06/09 - The confusion revolving around the new updated NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices continues. After reviewing the documents for which I posted links on 6/30/09, I found mistakes or inaccuracies and have been further advised by the NMRA that there are problems with different versions of the documents that have been made available. As a result of this, I have taken down the links to all of the documents until the NMRA figures out which documents are correct. I can tell you that the new proposed 'standards' have been approved as of July 3rd. Although the revisions were under consideration for more than two years, Kohs & Company never heard a word from the NMRA committee considering the changes and I know that several other importers also did not. Apparently the experiences of an importer that has delivered more than four thousand brass models using a standard relevant to the new 145 standard were not important. As previously mentioned, once I have sorted through the correct documents, I will provide my thoughts regarding what the new standards mean for Kohs & Company customers, if anything.

I took the opportunity over the holiday weekend to catch up on the numerous e-mails that have accumulated in the last 3-4 weeks offering general observations about the O scale hobby and some of the things that have appeared on the Internet and in writing. Rather than responding individually to each message, I decided to offer my perspective below to save time.

Regarding the Internet forums and groups that disseminate misinformation, it's not worth the time or effort to respond to the typical uninformed ranting's or the lies that are told, that only draws attention to the individuals responsible which is exactly what they are seeking. Rather than responding to the lies online or in print, it has been a better experience to confront some of the individuals responsible for the lies in person and watch them waffle and quake like little boys, when asked to explain their lies (Ed the 'Brasman' knows). When these sites knowingly or otherwise allow the use of multiple names so 'contributors' can talk to themselves, what's the point in paying any attention.

Regarding the Internet distributed 'Photo Essay' concerning two of the C&O H-8 models that I produced, most everyone that I have heard from now recognizes that effort for what is was; a 'make-work' project that served as a smoke screen for the creator's own inept handling of the import project he was responsible for developing and prepping, that resulted in numerous models being returned. What I never did hear from anyone involved in that saga, including the model owners, was an explanation for why neither Kohs model was returned for 'repair' under the 'Limited Lifetime Warranty' if there were legitimate issues, curious, to say the least. The bottom line is that every original Kohs owner does have a warranty they can depend on and it is also interesting to note that an H-8 owner just sold one of his 'terribly deficient' extra models for $6,250.00 so it would seem that owners should not be too concerned about the assessment delivered in the 'Photo Essay'.

A more troubling situation is the writing of Joe Giannovario, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of O Scale Trains Magazine. I have read with great interest Mr. Giannovario's call for 'transparency' and 'standards' directed at manufacturers and importers and the hypocrisy is too great to ignore. Of particular interest was the 'Observations' page in issue #45 of OST where Mr. Giannovario alluded to having difficulty in operating his two Kohs models on the layout they were intended for, when he made reference to them requiring 'tinkering' for correct operation. What Mr. Giannovario didn't tell you was that he acknowledged to me in writing that the problems he was experiencing were of his own making, "I have to hang my head in shame. The problems I'm having with the Y's are due to bad track laying on my part", the facts apparently got in the way of trying to make his point. Not the first such lapse in credibility. Previously, Mr. Giannovarios produced photos of one of his Kohs Y6b models and supplied them to one of his advertisers for use in an ad for a project of the same type which he then published without proper photo attribution. When asked about the situation, the explanation was less than candid to put it politely. More recently, during a conversation at the April TCA Meet in York, Pennsylvania when asked about the intentions of an ad he published in OST that again was in direct competition with two of my projects, Mr. Giannovario acknowledged that he did not believe that the projects were ever intended to be completed and that he also believed that the sole purpose of the ad was to damage Kohs & Company, another shining example of OST's publishing 'standards' and 'transparency'. Is the sudden interest in NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices by OST coincidental to that same advertiser's efforts to discredit Kohs & Company, because we advanced beyond the outdated NMRA standards years ago? If it's a genuine concern, where were the articles highlighting the issues, explaining in depth the need for updates and exploring what factors the NMRA should have considered prior to the passage of the new standards on July 3rd? The NMRA has been reviewing the standards for more than two years without a mention by O Scale Trains Magazine until now, is this simply another advertiser support program, using, half-truths, disingenuous statements absent the Kohs photo this time? Kohs & Company provides a warranty to protect it's customers, what does O Scale Trains Magazine provide it's subscribers to ensure they are being given the true facts within it's pages?

I take no pleasure from calling into question the intentions or motivation of others in the hobby, but I do have an obligation to defend my customer's substantial investments from being jeopardized by misinformation and lies. My end goal through positive efforts is satisfied customers, as it should be for any businessperson. While I have yet to produce the perfect model and never will despite how hard everyone involved in the process tries, it would seem that Kohs & Company products have developed a niche in the O scale market that our competitors can only envy and attempt to tear apart. With every locomotive model produced thus far sold and the value appreciating an average 26%, based on secondary market sales in the last two years, I accept as a badge of honor the fact that Kohs & Company has not had to rely on advertising for several years to achieve this result. Return customers tell the whole story.

7/01/09 - It was reported to yesterday that there was a problem with the text size changing on portions of different pages making it difficult to read. I have re-inspected the most recent pages and I believe that the problem has been corrected so the text should be a uniform size throughout paragraphs. The text size used has not changed since the beginning of this site so there should not be any issues in adjusting it using your browser's text size control now that the recent technical issue has been resolved. Please let me know if you encounter any further issues with difficult to read pages.

6/30/09 - The following is a list of potential projects that has developed over the last several years based on my original business plan, personal preference and customer feedback. My experience to date with research has changed my project selection process, because all too often original sources of promised material have failed to deliver the necessary reference and I have been left hanging trying to locate alternate sources. The change in approach is to provide an idea of what I am actively working on without raising expectations to a fever pitch until we know for sure we can proceed. A couple of projects listed are definite with complete reference packages and simply have not been placed on the schedule pending the development of projects previously announced. Some on the list will be definite projects assuming that the remaining reference material can be assembled. The remainder are potential projects that I have been actively researching as a result of customer feedback and if support is strong enough they will move forward. A major reason for listing projects is to seek assistance in assembling the necessary research material to produce them, so I again stress that if you can offer assistance with material or guidance in locating reference material it would be greatly appreciated and your efforts will be rewarded appropriately.

There has always been a reluctance on the part of importers to show their hand by listing projects, for fear that some other importer will 'jump' the project, that's happened to me twice so far, but at this point I am confident enough about my support and ability to produce the best models that the potential benefits out weigh the risk. I'm not going to categorize the projects based on current status so if you are interested in a particular project, do not take anything for granted if the project has not been listed on the site index as an active project. I am aware that several of the projects listed below have also been listed by other importers and subsequently dropped due to a lack of support, I do need to hear from you to increase the likelihood that your project of interest moves forward in development. Keep in mind that a number of the listed projects are common or very similar prototypes shared by multiple railroads.

The proposed updated NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices for standard O scale railroading previously mentioned and provided for download on 6/10/09, were either not accurate and/or incomplete as provided by O Scale Trains Magazine. The correct and complete proposed updates are listed below and available for download for your evaluation. I will be offering my perspective on what these proposed changes will mean for Kohs & Company customers in a soon to be posted update. There will also be further reflection on the issue in my technical pages under both the 'Wheel Gauging' and 'Track' links.

Proposed Updated NMRA Standard: S-3.2 (Standards, Track, Standard Scale)