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MRJ 250 - Contents Only thread


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Cheers, Paul. Glad someone has had the moral fibre to start this thread!

 

I would certainly like to make an erudite comment here, and will do so, as soon as I can think of something to say. Unfortunately I haven't finished reading my copy yet, but I did very much like the style of Iain Rice's 'Cades Green' article.

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The historical redúx of Rices auld GWR locomotive is fascinating.

The original article was one of the reasons I bought that first issue all those years ago. It helped the penny drop...

My finescale adventures began there and onwards we go...

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I enjoyed this issue, but I have to say that while Iain Rice is easy to read I found the other articles had more Wow factor. Mind you, Iain's Cornish and East Anglian layouts were both important steps on my route to wanting to build better models - and making me feel that perhaps it was possible. And the old No 1 Shop was invaluable. But I suppose in a way cade's Green is a mirror of our own efforts - slow, changes of mind, gradual improvements, setbacks etc.

Lakebank I felt to be the best part of the issue. Such a project would eb a challenge in 4mm, but in 3mm it is really impressive. My only reservation is the flat cassettes. I would be having nightmares about stock falling off when they were moved. Cassettes without end protectors are bad enough.

Jonathan

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Would love to see a bit more about Churston from Trevor Potts. Alluded to in this issue with a short article in 247. Has there been a more comprehensive article in a previous issue that I may have missed ?

 

Rob.

 

Edit....it was issue 60...

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I enjoyed the Lakebank article, but I felt that the Swallows and Amazon link could have been played on more, without becoming gimmicky. Perhaps a Great Aunt arriving at the station, or a grog and pemmican supply expedition mooring up.

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I enjoyed the Lakebank article, but I felt that the Swallows and Amazon link could have been played on more, without becoming gimmicky. Perhaps a Great Aunt arriving at the station, or a grog and pemmican supply expedition mooring up.

Where was the cannon on the houseboat? I distinctly remember that Captain Flint fired on Swallow and Amazon during the attack on the houseboat.  Or perhaps there should be the Doctor (no, not HIM) driving to visit the GA - he did so every morning when she was terrorizing the Amazons.  I expect he would be driving a Trojan...

 

But otherwise, an interesting article!

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Where was the cannon on the houseboat? I distinctly remember that Captain Flint fired on Swallow and Amazon during the attack on the houseboat.  Or perhaps there should be the Doctor (no, not HIM) driving to visit the GA - he did so every morning when she was terrorizing the Amazons.  I expect he would be driving a Trojan...

 

But otherwise, an interesting article!

There was a cannon on the model houseboat (or the twin screw launch as owned by the wealthy Barrow industrialist). That and the cliff of Darien seemed the be the only S&A references, beyond the idea for the layout.

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I have to say I've been bored stiff by the last umpteen issues of MRJ.  Too much eye candy, not enough how to make  . .  The Small Suppliers Forum continues to be a disgrace - only one measly page when it could be telling us about so many good things available (and yes I can justify that statement - I've even sent in info about products that never got a mention.  I'm sure others must have done too). The problem started, I think, when we entered the age of guest editors and as a result(?) the magazine completely lost continuity and direction becoming a series of unconnected one-offs. The same-old same-old, in fact.

 

But I have to say I enjoyed this issue.  I've always liked  Iain Rice's approach to writing and model railways in general and his unique sense of interest and fun communicates well in this issue.  You also get the feeling he has a much wider idea of what is interesting than practically everyone else who has edited the magazine in recent issues.  Can he not be persuaded to take on the editorship permanently?

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I have to say I've been bored stiff by the last umpteen issues of MRJ.  Too much eye candy, not enough how to make  . .  The Small Suppliers Forum continues to be a disgrace - only one measly page when it could be telling us about so many good things available (and yes I can justify that statement - I've even sent in info about products that never got a mention.  I'm sure others must have done too). The problem started, I think, when we entered the age of guest editors and as a result(?) the magazine completely lost continuity and direction becoming a series of unconnected one-offs. The same-old same-old, in fact.

 

But I have to say I enjoyed this issue.  I've always liked  Iain Rice's approach to writing and model railways in general and his unique sense of interest and fun communicates well in this issue.  You also get the feeling he has a much wider idea of what is interesting than practically everyone else who has edited the magazine in recent issues.  Can he not be persuaded to take on the editorship permanently?

I can only agree. Previously the content has been very balanced but it now appears to be more polarised depending on who is in the chair.

This actually saves me money as I no longer blindly purchase MRJ preferring to scan the contents before hand.

 

Rob.

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Still trying to cope with the idea that the MRJ could produce anything other than an "Incredibly Serious Discussion".  No doubt entirely wrongly, on my part, but save for the inestimable Mr Rice, whenever I have delved into an old MRJ I have felt that I paid dearly for the knowledge gleaned; the price being an overwhelming sense of alienation!  Has the tone changed at all over the years?

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Still trying to cope with the idea that the MRJ could produce anything other than an "Incredibly Serious Discussion".

Have you never read an MRJ thread?

No doubt entirely wrongly, on my part, but save for the inestimable Mr Rice, whenever I have delved into an old MRJ I have felt that I paid dearly for the knowledge gleaned; the price being an overwhelming sense of alienation!  Has the tone changed at all over the years?

When I read MRJ I usually get a feeling of inspiration from at least one article. Admittedly more so in the early years but I find that other people doing great engineering or art wants me want to emulate rather than putting me off trying.

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I have to say I've been bored stiff by the last umpteen issues of MRJ.  Too much eye candy, not enough how to make  . .  ...

^^

100% this.

 

Still trying to cope with the idea that the MRJ could produce anything other than an "Incredibly Serious Discussion".  No doubt entirely wrongly, on my part, but save for the inestimable Mr Rice, whenever I have delved into an old MRJ I have felt that I paid dearly for the knowledge gleaned; the price being an overwhelming sense of alienation!  Has the tone changed at all over the years?

 

Not really. Nowadays you get more teasing. See 1ngram's comment.

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Have you never read an MRJ thread?

When I read MRJ I usually get a feeling of inspiration from at least one article. Admittedly more so in the early years but I find that other people doing great engineering or art wants me want to emulate rather than putting me off trying.

 

No.  Perhaps I should!

 

If I find the magazine inspirational, rather than an intrusion into a private conversation between the consciously superior, it may well mean that I have evolved somewhat!

 

Probably says more about my own inferiority complex than anything else, but, still, time to re-visit MRJ with an open mind, I suspect.

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I have to say I've been bored stiff by the last umpteen issues of MRJ.  Too much eye candy, not enough how to make  . .  The Small Suppliers Forum continues to be a disgrace - only one measly page when it could be telling us about so many good things available (and yes I can justify that statement - I've even sent in info about products that never got a mention.  I'm sure others must have done too). The problem started, I think, when we entered the age of guest editors and as a result(?) the magazine completely lost continuity and direction becoming a series of unconnected one-offs. The same-old same-old, in fact.

 

But I have to say I enjoyed this issue.  I've always liked  Iain Rice's approach to writing and model railways in general and his unique sense of interest and fun communicates well in this issue.  You also get the feeling he has a much wider idea of what is interesting than practically everyone else who has edited the magazine in recent issues.  Can he not be persuaded to take on the editorship permanently?

 

Perhaps this is fair comment: certainly that about the Small Suppliers' Forum which seems very thin and very 4mm dominated. Having no idea how it's compiled I couldn't comment as to why that is.

 

What are you referring to as 'the last few issues'? Certainly, the trend towards pretty pictures over 'doing' has not gone unnoticed (declaring an interest, the one article I've written, spread over 246-7, was definitely a doing piece; this was commissioned, I've relatively little idea about how it was received) but this is something of a trend across the railway modelling magazine genre as a whole. It's certainly true of Model Rail and to a lesser extent Railway Modeller. I can't comment about BRM or Hornby Magazine as I haven't picked up copies to do more than skim in several years: my impression is that, last time I did, like Model Rail, much of the model-making content is performed by a set of regulars (Phil Parker, George Dent, Tim Shackleton - all capable communicators and fine modellers). MRJ is not really in a position to do that I suspect and, like Have I got News for you, the rolling series of editors/hosts has positives and negatives; the lack of a continuous editorial voice/direction being the most significant one so far as I'm concerned and this may - again, speculation - partly account for the shifts in direction? I know from the day job how complicated it can be to get research-based, 'doing' material from authors and into print even with continuous editorial input.

 

The impression I had from Iain Rice's articles is that he has better things to do than editing MRJ full time and that's fair enough. Iain's style of writing (one of the few people ever to write about the hobby that well) may not be uniformly appreciated though I've not met anyone who has voiced extreme objections, but it is hard to emulate particularly if, like most MRJ authors, you are not used to writing for an audience wider than colleagues or family.

 

Adam

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I have to say I've been bored stiff by the last umpteen issues of MRJ. Too much eye candy, not enough how to make . .

This notion is thrown out from time to time but never with any evidence to back it up, just some loose notion that it was much better in the old days. My last issue for example, 249, which I think is fairly typical and by no means an exception, had articles in 2mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 7mm including an extensive article on building coaches, pt2 of a major piece on building a Brunel viaduct and an article on building a 7mm 9F. Which issues is it that are bereft of 'how to' articles? Perhaps if discussion on the MRJ thread was more about content and less about which Smith's has it and when we might not need to ask. Just a thought:-))

 

Jerry

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Can I just say that I am both flattered and honoured that my suggestion for the title of this thread has actually been adopted.

 

It's probably the closest I shall ever get to have something published in relation to the MRJ :-)

I was mentioned in issue 61, that's my 15 seconds of fame!
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Would love to see a bit more about Churston from Trevor Potts. Alluded to in this issue with a short article in 247. Has there been a more comprehensive article in a previous issue that I may have missed ?

 

Rob.

 

Edit....it was issue 60...

 

Many years ago during the early days of gwr.org.uk, Trevor sent in these photos: http://www.gwr.org.uk/layoutschurston1.html

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This notion is thrown out from time to time but never with any evidence to back it up, just some loose notion that it was much better in the old days. My last issue for example, 249, which I think is fairly typical and by no means an exception, had articles in 2mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 7mm including an extensive article on building coaches, pt2 of a major piece on building a Brunel viaduct and an article on building a 7mm 9F. Which issues is it that are bereft of 'how to' articles? Perhaps if discussion on the MRJ thread was more about content and less about which Smith's has it and when we might not need to ask. Just a thought:-))

 

Jerry

Well said Jerry!  And you mention the 'notion that it was better in the good old days' - you could well be talking about 'shush you know what!'  I confidently await the Daily Express campaign to bring back £sd, renationalise the railways and the return of steam traction!

 

Gerry

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This notion is thrown out from time to time but never with any evidence to back it up, just some loose notion that it was much better in the old days. My last issue for example, 249, which I think is fairly typical and by no means an exception, had articles in 2mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 7mm including an extensive article on building coaches, pt2 of a major piece on building a Brunel viaduct and an article on building a 7mm 9F. Which issues is it that are bereft of 'how to' articles? Perhaps if discussion on the MRJ thread was more about content and less about which Smith's has it and when we might not need to ask. Just a thought:-))

Jerry

Sorry Jerry.

On a personal level 249 was probably the most disappointing as of late and prompted my decision to read before I buy. The emphasis on 2mm finescale was both understandable but least attractive to me at least. The photos of Paul Stephens S&DJR locations were smashing, urban grot was exceptional. The timber viaduct article whilst superb modelling did nothing for me as did the aerial photograph article.

Churston was the undoubted highlight for me.

 

250 was a return to form.

 

You will never please everyone. We are a group with some very catholic tastes so therefore some of us are pleased some of the time. It's inevitable.

 

Rob.

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This notion is thrown out from time to time but never with any evidence to back it up, just some loose notion that it was much better in the old days. My last issue for example, 249, which I think is fairly typical and by no means an exception, had articles in 2mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm and 7mm including an extensive article on building coaches, pt2 of a major piece on building a Brunel viaduct and an article on building a 7mm 9F. Which issues is it that are bereft of 'how to' articles? Perhaps if discussion on the MRJ thread was more about content and less about which Smith's has it and when we might not need to ask. Just a thought:-))

 

Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,

 

If you want the exception which proves the rule, MRJ 224, Llanberis.

 

"I bought a big trailer, then waved a very large chequebook at [insert long list of highly regarded professional modellers] and they put it all together for me."

 

There's not a *single* mention of any modelling in the entire article by the bloke whose layout it is, but lots and lots of pictures of what he has built^H^H^H^bought.

 

Of course, the other 250 issues to date of MRJ make your point very well ;-)

 

Cheers,

Flymo

(off to read a load of the fascinating modelling articles discovered whilst looking for this example...)

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