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Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive Comments |
The reviews are starting to come in! See what your fellow Lionel enthusiasts have to say about the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive:
The Lionel Catalog Digital Archive 1945 - 1969 arrived today. I was lucky enough to be the first person to order. I was pleased to immediately receive a confirming e-mail for the order and a second e-mail that the order had been shipped from John Holtmann.
The archive is a terrific product. At the click of a mouse you can look at any page in a catalog. I started with 1950, hoping to find the set my Berkshire was part of. You actually see two pages at a time so you can see the whole train(s) exactly as they would look if the catalog was open in your lap.
There is some set-up on your computer, but it was easy to do. The instructions included with the CD were right on for my Windows Vista machine. I was quickly through the user license, selection of the image size (you have a choice of large or small for every image). I chose the small images as my laptop has a 15 inch screen. From there, it is off to the table of contents where you can select the year you want, click on it and begin drifting off into pleasant nostalgia. You can also print pages if you like.
Considering what used catalogs in decent condition go for, I think this disc is a real bargain.
I haven't had time to go through the introduction article and some of the other features as we've moved into a new home and there are a zillion projects waiting, but I'm looking forward to getting lost in the archive for a few hours the first chance I get.
Trainfun, South Carolina
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/1/2008)
Hi John,
I just got the Lionel Catalog Archive today. The Toy Trains Digital Archive came last week. Thanks for the prompt deliveries.
WOW! What else needs to be said? These CD-Roms are time machines that, through today's technology, took me back to a simpler time. I'm a "baby boomer" and like countless other boomers, my dad got me my first Lionel, a 1954 2225WS "The Trouble Shooter" freight along with a TW transformer. He also brought home the yearly Lionel catalogs from which I made out many Christmas lists. To see these catalogs again, complete and in vibrant color, made me feel like a kid again. I only got a few of the "Toy Trains" magazines as a kid because they were not considered a necessity. To see these now is really a treat because I always felt like I missed out on something special. Now I get to look at ALL the "Toy Trains" magazines any time I want!
What an absolutely wonderful job you did with both CD-Roms. They are easy to navigate and a joy to look at. It does not get any better! Thanks for undertaking both projects. I wish you the best and great success with both of them.
Joey Piscitello, Illinois
John,
Thanks for your note. I received the Lionel Catalog Archive CD yesterday afternoon and popped it into my computer right away. I was very impressed with the large images, which have excellent color and resolution. I had no problem navigating, and quickly found the 1948 and 1949 catalog pages that displayed my two earliest sets...given to me by my Dad for Christmas 1950 and 1951. I had always been interested in seeing how these sets were presented in the catalogs. By the way, my 2333 Santa Fe F3 and 675 steam loco sets are fully functioning and entertaining new generations of Lionel enthusiasts (my grandchildren) on the layout upstairs.
Over the next few days I plan on exploring the archive more thoroughly to find other items in my collection and possibly identify some items for future acquisition. Thanks for delivering so well on your promises!
Steve Wood, Texas
I received my Digital Archives from John on Friday. It is everything he said it was and more. If you are a Post-War guy you really need to have one of these. Being able to search for sets and locos is really a big plus.
Jim Katz, Maine
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/6/2008)
I got mine Wednesday and look at it a little each day. Even if you're not a Post-War nut, it is still an amazing piece of work and worth every penny.
Chuck ("TrainPop"), Maryland
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/6/2008)
John,
Wow ... you certainly have done a good job! I like the size of the pages and the ability to read the text. Please continue the series and notify me of its availability.
Thank you again for this compilation.
Larry Nauman, Maryland
Hi John,
The catalog archive arrived early last week. It's great! I like the additional "bonus" section. Thanks for creating another cool product.
Thanks again.
Ron Sholand, Washington
Hi John,
Received the CD yesterday. Have not had a chance to give it a full test drive, however, so far I'm very impressed ......... one of the best $50 I've spent in a long time! I will be ordering your next one when released.
Thanks John for a nice product and a perfect and timely business transaction.
Dave Mondoux, Ontario CANADA
Dear John,
Thank you. I received the package yesterday. I have only had time to look at the 1945 and 1949 catalogues. So far very good. I have a few pages of the 1949 catalogue, so when I saw this part, I was able to see the complete 1949 catalogue for the first time in my life. I'm going to go and get my old Lionel catalogues that I have out and enjoy. Thank you again.
Now I will go and enjoy the evening looking through the Lionel Catalogue Archive 1945 - 1969.
I remain yours truly,
Bill Prince, Quebec CANADA
Re-Living the past ... Lionel Catalog Archive
In the early 70s when I was but a youngster, I remember every Christmas when Dad's trains went up I would pull out the old catalogs and pick out the trains I wanted. What I didn't know was these catalogs were 20 years old and everything in them hadn't been made in years.
Well today I bought the Lionel Catalog Archive from John Holtmann at the OGR booth. Now I haven't gone through it all as it is very large amount of info, I did get that same feeling again. Anyone that loves catalogs but doesn't have the money for the originals this is the ticket. All the catalogs from 1945-69. Really cool. I can't wait for the next set.
Nice product!
MartyE, Pennsylvania
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/19/2008)
Re-Living the past ... Lionel Catalog Archive (continued)
Might be my most treasured purchase at York this year. No more handling my old Lionel catalogs with the delicacy of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I can now examine all the fun of catalogs of yesteryear in great detail. Thanks John H. and OGR.
Chuck ("Alentown"), Pennsylvania
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/19/2008)
Re-Living the past ... Lionel Catalog Archive (continued)
WELL worth the money. John H. does tremendous, meticulous work -- and is a real asset to our hobby.
Robert Thompson ("RT"), California
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/19/2008)
Re-Living the past ... Lionel Catalog Archive (continued)
This thing is GREAT! Most of the catalogs that are in this CD-ROM I had never seen before. John has done an exceeding job on this one also. Thanks again John for taking your time and adding to this hobby.
Roger Wasson, Springfield, MO (home of the FRISCO!), TCA 03-55572
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/20/2008)
Re-Living the past ... Lionel Catalog Archive (continued)
... As others have mentioned, there's a wealth of information accessible on those CD-ROMs -- far beyond just the catalogs themselves.
Allan Miller, Editor-In-Chief, O Gauge Railroading magazine, Ohio
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/20/2008)
Hi John,
I have used the Lionel Catalog Archive, and I really love it! I have all the originals collected from my growing up years on. However, the digital archive allows me to research specific years without the need to handle valuable mint originals. The bonus sections of the archive are also great for capturing the feel for Lionel literature over the entire postwar period. Thank you so much for this monumental work!
Regards,
Ron Moyer
Hi John,
Yes I received it and I looked at it right of way. It is a fine piece of work! It is impossible to detect that you scanned old catalogs. It really is a great thing to see the history and helps me piece together what I am looking at with regard to the Post War items that interest me.
Best Regards and keep up the great work!
Andrew Gisonna, New Jersey
Hi John,
I got the disc on Friday, executed it and looked through it's entire contents. WOW the reproduction is actually better then the originals, all of which I have, and it's a breeze to navigate. I think you've got a real winner in this.
Thanks for a great product!
Joe Concodora, Virginia
New Lionel Catalog CD-ROM (in reply to a question on the OGR Forum)
Purchase it, you won't be disappointed. This is one of the items purchased at York from John Holtmann. Haven't had a chance to review the entire CD-ROM, but the portion I've viewed, he has done a jam up great job. Money well spent.
Several years ago, had a great friend who disposed of his Lionel collection and was able to obtain all the catalogs from the late thirties to the end of the postwar era. With this CD-ROM, I'm now able to store the originals in archival sheets and use the CD-ROM for my research.
In the near future, John will receive a follow up email and kudos for a project well done.
archdalecurve, North Carolina
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/26/2008)
New Lionel Catalog CD-ROM (in reply to a question on the OGR Forum -- continued)
This CD comes with two sets of images, one for higher screen resolutions (1280 x 1024 or higher) and a smaller set for smaller images (it recommends 1152 x 864, but if you don't mind scroll bars, smaller might work, too). I just received my copy today and just finished my initial browsing and all I can say is wow! It is gorgeous! For anyone interested in postwar Lionel or just the art or history of Lionel, this is truly a treasure. I can hardly wait for the CD of the modern era catalogs (and I'm hoping that a prewar CD is in the pipeline, as well, and while I'm dreaming, a pre-Lionel K-Line CD and an MTH CD and an Atlas O CD... Big Grin).
I can't wait to dig further into this CD.
Andy Hummell, Pennsylvania
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/26/2008)
New Lionel Catalog CD-ROM (in reply to a question on the OGR Forum -- continued)
John gave me a personal demonstration of the Lionel postwar catalogs on CD-ROM at York. I was quite impressed with the product and think it is a good value.
RadioRon, Delaware
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/26/2008)
New Lionel Catalog CD-ROM (in reply to a question on the OGR Forum -- continued)
Excellent product. Must have for any Lionel fan. I looked up the train sets my brother and I got for Hanukkah in 1958 and was surprised to find that my memory was not as good as I thought...big surprise. (Smile)
It was so ridiculously easy to find my train set. Just opened the Contents Page, then did a search for "Erie" and "FA" Then click the link and you're there. This is much better than (other reproductions) which cost on average three to four times as much.
Jim Katz, Maine
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/28/2008)
New Lionel Catalog CD-ROM (in reply to a question on the OGR Forum -- continued)
After returning from York, I have had--at last--the opportunity to look at John's latest work, the Lionel Catalog Digital Archive (www.hslinc.com). I'll be brief here:
1. It's complete. Far more complete that I expected. EVERYTHING is there.
2. Presentation and organization is OUTSTANDING.
3. Easy to find, easy to access.
4. I pulled out some of my P/W Lionel catalogs, and, sure enough, the colors and reproduction are RIGHT ON TARGET. (I have all years of the P/W Lionel consumer catalogs....)
5. PRICE is quite REASONABLE given what the old Greenberg books cost--not to mention what it costs to gather a collection of P/W catalogs from scratch.
This digital presentation is the best ever. AND, no more worrying about paper deterioration, color changes, or storage problems, etc.
Now, if John would just do the TCA and TTOS pubs! I need the info AND the space!
Thanks, John, for time and effort spent on an entirely useful and well-executed product. (Big Grin)
Robert Thompson ("RT"), California
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/28/2008)
John,
The CD works just fine and I am enjoying it very much. I keep playing with the programs and don't know where the time goes ... one, two, three hours go by and I'm still at it! GREAT, GREAT Program!
Your product sure beats beating up my expensive catalogs. Plus, it is easier paging through the disc, rather than the paper pages.
THANKS!
William "Buzzy" Serratelli, New Jersey
Hi John,
This is the best bargain I have seen in years. I bought the Greenberg's Catalog Volume IV years ago for $110.00 and only got ten catalogs. I highly recommend it to any Lionel collector.
Thanks for a great product!
Billy Wilson, Kentucky
Hi John,
The Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1945 - 1969 is fantastic. I can't get enough of it. What an excellent idea this was. It makes life so much easier now. You have got a major hit going here. Keep up the most excellent work.
Harold Lambert, Rhode Island
Hi John,
I hope you and your projects are doing well.
I've seen the announcement of the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1970 - 1995. I've enjoyed the 1945 - 1969 edition a lot (in fact, if they were paper instead of digital, they would be well worn out...) so I want to be, once more, your first overseas customer.
Regards,
Fernando Espana Baixeras, Spain
John,
The LCCDA 1970 - 1995 is easy to use. The features are all in proper order. The catalog pictures are of great clarity and detail. The description is easy to read on all pages.
John, I hope you and Lionel will put this digital catalog out more often because the size of the catalogs are getting bigger and reference material takes a lot of time. I use my digital archive and regular Lionel catalogs weekly (or at least twice a month). Thank You Very Much.
Great Work,
Pat Pace, Alabama
Hi John,
As far as I am concerned you have hit the ball out of the park yet again. The new release is just as fantastic as all the others you have done. The pictures of every page are just crystal clear. It's as if I had the catalog right in front of me. You have done a job that is no less than outstanding. Having bought the entire OGR set and the Lionel catalog archive 1945 - 1969, I can only imagine the amount of work you put into this project. I want to thank you for your dedication in saving these rare treasures to disk.
I have also just noticed that I am one disk short in your series. Could you please send me a copy of the Toy Trains Digital Archive? I will be looking forward to that copy.
My best regards to you and yours,
Larry Aguilar, Virginia
John,
I received my package the other day and John ................ I'VE BEEN PLAYING WITH IT EVER SINCE IT ARRIVED. Great job. I am waiting for your next endeavor. The graphics and format are top notch. I can't seem to put it away. I just keep going over all the pages and when I think I'm done I start again. Keep up the Great Work. You make 'em and I'll buy 'em!
William "Buzzy" Serratelli, New Jersey
Hi John,
I received the Lionel Catalog Digital Archive 1970 - 1995 and finally got to look it over. It is everything and more than I thought it would be. Back in September when hurricane Ike came calling I had lots of water damage to my house because the storm took off part of my roof. I lost a bunch of catalogs from 1970 - 2000. Now with the archive I have my catalogs back and it is great. I am looking forward to the next archive.
Thanks,
Milton Gaus, Texas
Hi John,
I just had a chance to "play" with the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1970 - 1995 CD. As with your previous postwar archive product, once I got the feeling of the CD contents, it is very easy to navigate between the pages and catalogs.
The colorful reproduction of the catalog pages is great. It's good to see the outfits and individual items as they appeared originally in the catalogs and reference them to the current guides that are available.
As with the postwar CD archive; so far, I really enjoy this product. Well done!
Best Regards,
Bob D'Ambrosi, Michigan
John,
I received the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1970 - 1995 CD in the mail yesterday. As always, this product was top quality. I have enjoyed all the products HSL has released so far. Hopefully, your next project will be the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive - The Prewar Years.
Milton Hilbrecht, Minnesota
John,
I have enjoyed the LCCDA 1970 - 1995 and think anyone interested in this hobby should have both Lionel Catalog Digital Archive products. I have used both of them for research and find them most useful. If you are planning future digital archive catalogs, please keep me on your mailing lists. Great Product.
Thank you,
Gene Davilla, California
John,
I received the 1970 - 1995 Lionel catalog archive last Thursday. Thank you.
I have been more than pleased with all that I have seen so far. Although I have almost all of the printed catalogs for those years I have always found it difficult to look for a specific item for a given year. The archive has simplified my searches and cut down what took hours to find to minutes. I was also surprised to find information that I had not seen or had skipped over. I hope that you have continued success with the 'Archive'. It is a great tool for collector/operators like myself.
I previously purchased the Lionel Consumer Catalog 1945 - 1969. I hope that you will be able to come out with a "Lionel Pre-War Catalog Archive" soon.
Once again congratulations on producing such a great research tool.
Regards,
Stephen Sorvetti, California
I was on vacation last week. I received this disk just before we left, so naturally had to take it with me. I truly enjoyed every minute that I spent looking at all of the items that LIONEL had made available to the hobby during these years. This makes a GREAT reference guide so that I can quickly look up the items and see the exact description. Also, I really enjoyed all of the fine artwork that made up these older catalogs. I cannot begin to find all of these catalogs at train meets ... it is so much easier having them at my finger tips on my computer.
John, once again, thanks for doing this for us. You are one of the many guys that make this great hobby so enjoyable. Hope to see your future projects soon.
Roger Wasson, Springfield, MO (home of the FRISCO!), TCA 03-55572
(as posted on the OGR Forum, 4/02/2009)
Hi John,
I received the LCCDA 1970 - 1995 last Monday. I have done some navigation and I've had the same good impression I had with the 1945 - 1969 compilation.
I can really appreciate the effort you have made scanning those catalogs, because, during my years with IBM, one of the departments I managed was involved in some social projects that included scanning of historic documents. In most cases, in very bad shape and with scanners far less sophisticated than the ones we now have. Of course, 100 documents an hour also was not our story!
The knowledgeable "Catalog Highlights" by Bill Schmeelk are, once more, a valuable help to follow the story. The choosing of covers of The Lionel Magazine for the beginning and ending are very appropriate. By the way, the various The Lionel Magazine issues could be your next project ...
You did it once more! Congratulations.
More to follow ...
I've done a deeper revision of the LCCDA 1970 - 1995 and I absolutely confirmed my first impression. You and Bill have done an excellent work. Reading Bill's text and looking at the catalogs at the same time has two contradictory effects. You have an enjoyable journey through the history of Lionel during the period and, at the same time, you feel sad for the long peregrination to the hell that Lionel did during those years. Fortunately, there is a "happy end".
So, I wish both of you encouragement to continue the high quality work with new projects.
Best regards,
Fernando Espana Baixeras, Spain
Hi John,
MOST EXCELLENT .... I'll say it again .... MOST EXCELLENT. You are on the right track with this format. It saves so much time and I've discovered a few things that I missed. What an excellent reference. My father (who is 79) loves the format and finds it so much easier to check out items that we have. He also has nothing but excellent things to say about it. Keep up the good work. I can't wait for the next project to come out, you guys are on the right track. I have placed this on the must have list for anyone who owns Lionel Trains.
Harold Lambert, Rhode Island
John,
I wanted to thank you and offer my compliments on the Lionel Digital Archive. I could have spent a lot of time and money to locate most of the materials, but the disc is far greater value -- it provides me with all this material in one place and in a format that won't degrade over time. Also, thank you for using a standard HTML format. I'm sure it took more effort to create the archive that way, but it will run in an HTML browser on any computer I have now or in the future. That's far better than PDF's with a run-time database to index and access them. In ten or fifteen years, I will still be able to use this resource on any computer that will accept the media. In any other format, that would probably not be the case! Thank you for creating such a fine reference that will continue to be useful for years to come. As a computer professional myself, I fully understand and appreciate all the work that goes into a project like this.
Eric Forsgren, New Hampshire
Hi John,
I received your new CD of the Lionel Catalog Archive 1925 - 1942 yesterday. You have really gone beyond the extra mile with this CD. The detail on every page is just extraordinary. This is a great example of your scanning and computer skills. Your compilation of these catalogs and flyers is just remarkable. I never thought that I could sit and view these old catalogs as if I had the original right in front of me. I spent hours last evening going through the catalogs. Lionel really went into great detail to let the customer know exactly what they were buying. John, you are giving all of us model railroaders the real history of Lionel with making these catalogs available to all of us. Your work on all of your projects goes above and beyond what one would normally expect. I hope that you will continue with all your future projects and find other fantastic projects to explore. Your talent is above reproach in every way and very much appreciated.
Thank you so much.
Regards,
Larry Aguilar, Virginia
Hi John,
I received the disk and went right to work on it to see what it contained. Everything I looked at was up to your superior presentation. The quality was superb.
Thanks for bringing this to the model railroad family.
Skip Freeman, Pennsylvania
Hi John,
I received the Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1925 - 1942. It is EXCELLENT!
Jim Deegan, Florida
John,
I received my copy of the 1925 - 1942 Digital Archive. I have already spent hours pouring over each of the catalogs. You have hit another homerun with this effort. Just being able to see first hand how Lionel marketed their trains in the early days is an eye opener. The language used is certainly geared to parents as much as a child. As important as the pictures are the use of color to enhance the look of the trains surprised me; I was expecting black & white. This entire collection of Digital Archives is worth the price of purchase. You should take pride in the effort you have expended. This is one of the greatest sources of information on Lionel trains I have ever seen.
You have provided me with one of the most enjoyable Lionel related items I own.
Stephen Sorvetti, Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) Member Number 17722
John,
I received all four digital archives (Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive 1925 - 1942, 1945 - 1969, and 1970 - 1995 and the Toy Trains Digital Archive) a little over a week ago, and have been spending many hours looking them over. I also own one volume of the OGR Digital Archive and intend to acquire the rest of them. They are incredible! Thank you for spending the time to scan these items and making them available on CD ... if it wasn't for you (and those that assisted you), I probably would never have set eyes on 85% of this material. Thank you very much for putting together these products! I'll definitely be acquiring The Lionel Magazine/Model Builder archives; I hope you have more archives planned for the future!
Thanks again!
Aric Peery, New York
John,
As with all the products I have purchased from you, I have been very satisfied with them. To me, the dollar value of the research you go through for these are worth far more than I paid. The idea I can have that amount of information in perfect condition all on a little disc is fantastic. No storage issues and instant gratification. What more could I ask for?
Keep 'em coming!
Timothey Marshbanks, Michigan
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your kind remarks in your e-mails and posts on public forums. Thank you also for your permission to use these e-mails on our web-site. Your comments and "word of mouth" referrals help spread the enthusiasm we all share for these great, old catalogs.
Sincerely,
John Holtmann
Lionel Consumer Catalog Digital Archive Product Author
