MRJ 250 - Contents Only thread

[CloggyDog]

I don't know about earlier editions of MRJ but currently being a reasonably "slim" journal, with pages stapled together, it should be fairly easy to dissect each issue and scan it page by page, into your favourite computer and either leave it in the graphical image format of your choice (each page suitably named, eg: MRJ250_2275.jpg) or stitch the images back into a "magazine" pdf file for the issue. You might be able to store everyting on a single data dvd. If you want to keep the hard copy, then push the staples back in, or find a chum with a long-arm stapler!

 

Of course, with a library of 251 plus issues it might be a long, laborious task. One issue an evening would take less than a year, though it might cut into your modelling time......

 

hat, coat, etc.

 

As a long-time 'filletter' of magazine (yes, even MRJs) to save just the interesting* bits into a growing number of lever arch files, sorted by subject, I have recently considered digitising the lot and so looked at various document scanners for doing so. The higher-end ones will do 25 double-sided pages per minute (so 50 sides per min). Some even do A3. So you could probably do an issue in, say 5 minutes including save as $file name. 20 issues an hour. You'd be looking at c£300 for such a scanner.

 

Of course, such a digitised archive would need to be backed up (on 2 or 3 drives, ideally) to reduce the risk of IT failure, but copywrite would/should rightly prevent public sharing.

 

*other bits are available, YMMV, of course.

[sp1]

As a long-time 'filletter' of magazine (yes, even MRJs) to save just the interesting* bits into a growing number of lever arch files, sorted by subject, I have recently considered digitising the lot and so looked at various document scanners for doing so. The higher-end ones will do 25 double-sided pages per minute (so 50 sides per min). Some even do A3. So you could probably do an issue in, say 5 minutes including save as $file name. 20 issues an hour. You'd be looking at c£300 for such a scanner.

 

Of course, such a digitised archive would need to be backed up (on 2 or 3 drives, ideally) to reduce the risk of IT failure, but copywrite would/should rightly prevent public sharing.

 

*other bits are available, YMMV, of course.

Copyright doesn't prevent public sharing, it just means those caught doing so potentially face a legal penalty.

[queensquare]

I was being constructive Jerry. Just don't ever get on the wrong side of me when I am being destructive.I did not dismiss the article or the issue. I just remarked that I found it less interesting than many other recent issues.I do have a subscription, I have had a subscription for many years and do so as I believe it helps to keep a good cash flow for MRJ and in the early period this was important in keeping it on a steady footing. Without the support of people like me and others on here it would probably died long ago.Bernard

Bernard, I'm sure everyone at Wild Swan/Cygnet is eternally grateful for the selfless sacrifice you have made to keep them on a steady footing all these years. What would they have done without you and your broad minded support!

 

Jerry

[Zero Gravitas]

Bernard, I'm sure everyone at Wild Swan/Cygnet is eternally grateful for the selfless sacrifice you have made to keep them on a steady footing all these years. What would they have done without you and your broad minded support!

Jerry

**sigh** I would have thought that after the "MRJ 250" thread, you would have been one of the very last people to have posted something on the "MRJ 250 Incredibly Serious etc. etc." thread that was not directly related to the contents of MRJ 250...

 

Oh, hang on, now I've done it. It may be necessary to create an "Even More Serious Discussion Of The Contents" thread now this one has been tainted. Where will it all end?

[Hroth]

As a long-time 'filletter' of magazine (yes, even MRJs) to save just the interesting* bits into a growing number of lever arch files, sorted by subject, I have recently considered digitising the lot and so looked at various document scanners for doing so. The higher-end ones will do 25 double-sided pages per minute (so 50 sides per min). Some even do A3. So you could probably do an issue in, say 5 minutes including save as $file name. 20 issues an hour. You'd be looking at c£300 for such a scanner.

 

Of course, such a digitised archive would need to be backed up (on 2 or 3 drives, ideally) to reduce the risk of IT failure, but copywrite would/should rightly prevent public sharing.

 

*other bits are available, YMMV, of course.

Yes, its one way of getting the job done, but I like to think that the typical reader of MRJ would prefer to take a more craftsmanlike approach......

 

Of course, nowadays one would have at least one backup in the Cloud!

 

(of steam, smoke, verbiage - god knows who dreams up this marketspeak...)

[Phil Parker]

Copyright doesn't prevent public sharing, it just means those caught doing so potentially face a legal penalty.

In the same way laws against shoplifting don't stop any stealing the magazine from the newsagents, it just means that if caught they face legal penalty for doing so.

[lmsforever]

​Ok issue 250    I thoroughly enjoyed reading it a good spread of articles but the highlight for me Ian Rices ramblings on Cade Grn   a layout built in a way that many of us can identify with .and is still growing .His rolling stock  is inspirational and shows what can be done.The article on Kitehouses showed what can be achieved using RTR buildings modified to give an excellent layout.Ladybank very very good the buildings in particular especialy the ferry building  .MRJ is a curates egg as far as buying every issue some like the current one excellent others not so but this applies to many magazines.MRJ has its own unique style and long may it continue it is a vehicle for inspiring all modellers to do better and to innovate with everything applying to modelling.One last thing  Ian Rice alludes to an illness and I wish him well coping with i his modelling,and writing there are plenty of people out there Ian who can help you and your family in trying times good luck and thanks.

[BlackRat]

In the same way laws against shoplifting don't stop any stealing the magazine from the newsagents, it just means that if caught they face legal penalty for doing so.

Why steal it when you can read it freely at the Smiths library, there's a branch on most high streets.

[t-b-g]

**sigh** I would have thought that after the "MRJ 250" thread, you would have been one of the very last people to have posted something on the "MRJ 250 Incredibly Serious etc. etc." thread that was not directly related to the contents of MRJ 250...

 

Oh, hang on, now I've done it. It may be necessary to create an "Even More Serious Discussion Of The Contents" thread now this one has been tainted. Where will it all end?

 

As long as we avoid lists of branches of Smiths and random sausage references, I think we are OK.

[Adrian]

​Ok issue 250    ....

One last thing Ian Rice alludes to an illness ...

 

 

I think my view of issue 250 is very similar, however I wouldn't say he alludes to the illness, he states quite clearly onset of Parkinson's in his usual self deprecating way.

[NHY 581]

I think my view of issue 250 is very similar, however I wouldn't say he alludes to the illness, he states quite clearly onset of Parkinson's in his usual self deprecating way.

Indeed and without wishing to be intrusive, I pass on my thoughts and best wishes...

 

Rob.

[Porcy Mane]

As long as we avoid lists of branches of Smiths and random sausage references, I think we are OK.

 Well I dropped on bye to see how the serious discussion on MRJ 250 was going and I find you mentioning Smiths and sausages.   Oh dear, no Monopoly on seriousness here then!

 

Go to MRJail.

 

 

P

[Captain Kernow]

 Well I dropped on bye to see how the serious discussion on MRJ 250 was going and I find you mentioning Smiths and sausages.   Oh dear, no Monopoly on seriousness here then!

 

Go to MRJail.

 

GoToMRJail.jpg

 

P

Is that P4 track on the Community Chest card?

 

(That was an incredibly serious question).

[John_Hughes]

Out of my immediate circle of friends, there is one person who doesn't have a lathe and around half a dozen who have one, or more than one. One chap has lost count of how many he has.

 

There are only so many ways that people can write "I drew it in CAD and had it 3D printed/etched/laser cut" and make it sound fresh and interesting, no matter how good the finished articles are.

 

When it comes to more traditional methods, there are many different techniques that people have developed for themselves and those are my best MRJ moments, seeing a particular tool or material used in a way that I had never thought of, especially if it is used in a way that I can adopt for myself. Or when somebody has invented a new tool or jig to do a job that makes it so much easier or allows the modeller to get better results. It is those types of articles that MRJ carries that don't seem to appear anywhere else that make it the best magazine for me. 

 

Yes, those are the ones that make it the best for me too, though I'd suggest that your sample of friends is unusually high in the ownership of machine tools - I only personally know two people with lathes, for instance, of whom I am one, but I know an awful lot of people with computers, and there's not been very much in the mag on how they can be used for modelling.

 

Be that as it may, my mind was running on the excellent series of articles in Model Railroad Hobbyist (a US free-online mag) during 2015 on using Sketchup to create some quite stunning models; it's no more I drew it in CAD than I turned it on my lathe. And the threads here in RMWEB on CAD and so on would seem to support that contention.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Perhaps one of the difficulties with CAD/3D printing articles is knowing where to pitch it.

 

I use CorelDraw 2D for etch and laser artwork, but would have to assume that - if writing an article for publication on etch or laser artwork -  the reader would have to know how to use a suitable CAD programme. The same would apply to someone writing an introduction to or outline of 3D printing. So not knowing how to use 3D CAD would be a barrier, unless you were sufficiently inspired to want to do it.

 

MRJ has always included very good model making articles, although these tend to be based on established technology and practices. I am not sure if they see themselves in the vanguard of promoting new technologies and techniques, until they are sufficiently developed to appeal to the majority of their readers.

[t-b-g]

Yes, those are the ones that make it the best for me too, though I'd suggest that your sample of friends is unusually high in the ownership of machine tools - I only personally know two people with lathes, for instance, of whom I am one, but I know an awful lot of people with computers, and there's not been very much in the mag on how they can be used for modelling.

 

Be that as it may, my mind was running on the excellent series of articles in Model Railroad Hobbyist (a US free-online mag) during 2015 on using Sketchup to create some quite stunning models; it's no more I drew it in CAD than I turned it on my lathe. And the threads here in RMWEB on CAD and so on would seem to support that contention.

CAD design is something that is applied to many other fields other than model railways and is probably covered in its own magazines. I don't know for sure as I have little interest in it. I have tried it but I found it deeply unsatisfying compared to sitting at a workbench with my soldering iron, files etc.

 

The "I drew it in CAD and had it printed/cut" style of article has appeared in several British magazines including MRJ.

 

Computer skills, such as CAD design, are widely applied to fields other than model railways and a quick glance at Google suggests that there may be magazines and tutorials out there for those that are interested in developing such skills already. I would prefer model railway magazines to stick to specific model railway related matters

 

I know that many people do not agree with my views (and I am perfectly happy and at ease with that!) but CAD design is more "design for manufacturing" than "model making". It is more Hornby/Bachmann than Denny/Dyer, producing a design that could be mass produced and with a small workshop and a few people doing assembly and finishing, could produce a viable commercial product or at least a kit of parts.

 

The model making part comes in how you assemble those parts paint/finish them to make them look good on a model railway.

 

You wouldn't expect an article on how to build an etched kit to include a description of how the designer drew the artwork for the etch. At least I wouldn't.

 

As I say, my views are very much personal and I know many do not agree with me but I really don't want MRJ to carry article on how to design products. I want it to be about how individual modellers have used their individual skills to produce individual high quality models.

 

There have been articles in MRJ about how to create your own artwork for etching, showing how to avoid some common pitfalls. Even one about how to make your own etching tank! That is fine but in depth articles on using CAD programs are not for me.

 

If anybody does want to learn such skills, there are on line tutorials and courses, such as the ones at Missenden Abbey, that cater for such things and are far more "instant" and "interactive" than a printed magazine article, which could never cover the subject in enough detail and depth.

[clecklewyke]

the highlight for me Ian Rices ramblings on Cade Grn   a layout built in a way that many of us can identify with .and is still growing .

 

My highlight, too. Can there ever have been a longer article on a six-turnout, single-line BLT? But I loved every word and confess I cannot get enough of IAR's writings. I found myself laughing out loud at his self-depricating humour and I can't wait to get my copy of his new "Cameo Layouts" book from Wild Swan.

 

The man deserves a medal for his inspiration to us all.

 

Ian

[billbedford]

In the same way laws against shoplifting don't stop any stealing the magazine from the newsagents, it just means that if caught they face legal penalty for doing so.

 

 

Not even that:

 

The Copyright Act gives the copyright holder the right to sue for any loss due to an infringement.

[Porcy Mane]

Is that P4 track on the Community Chest card?

 

(That was an incredibly serious question).

 I was going to dimension up the "Gauge" in photoshop as "Universal Finescale" but as I had my serious head on at the time, thought better of it.

[New Haven Neil]

Hmm, a little wander off strict topic here, as usual for me... but as the owner of an entire set of MRJ, Compendiums and all the thought of binning it all bar cherry picked articles did occur to me a while ago.  Then I found myself off work for almost 6 months waiting for and recovering from some gruesome surgery, and I re-read the whole lot.  Articles that at the time did not interest me I now found of use, and vice versa.  Keep them, CK!

 

Oh, I model 1950's USA in HO, so the whole magazine 'has nothing of interest to me'...allegedly.  I love it, and will likely be buried in them!

[CloggyDog]

 Articles that at the time did not interest me I now found of use, and vice versa. 

 

Oh, I model 1950's USA in HO, so the whole magazine 'has nothing of interest to me'...allegedly.  I love it, and will likely be buried in them!

 

Indeed, not to mention that 'interest shift' is an ever-present risk for the filletter - I know that, having condensed my collection of RM/MRC/MRJ/etc down from a good dozen+ shelf feet down to 3 shelf feets-worth of lever arch files when moving out of my parent's house some years ago, I subsequently added a couple of subjects to the 'interesting' list, so had to re-obtain certain issues to fill a few (new) gaps.

 

So I would probably now scan the entire mag, then 'copy/save as' articles according to subject, but retain the master scan. 

 

As for saving stuff to the cloud - fine if you are assured of a internet connection, or as a back-up to a back-up, but I'd still prefer to rely on a physical hard drive.

[New Haven Neil]

Indeed - Southern Region 3rd rail is in my future.  I would NEVER have seen that coming!

[Talltim]

 

CAD design is something that is applied to many other fields other than model railways and is probably covered in its own magazines. I don't know for sure as I have little interest in it. I have tried it but I found it deeply unsatisfying compared to sitting at a workbench with my soldering iron, files etc.

 

The "I drew it in CAD and had it printed/cut" style of article has appeared in several British magazines including MRJ.

 

Computer skills, such as CAD design, are widely applied to fields other than model railways and a quick glance at Google suggests that there may be magazines and tutorials out there for those that are interested in developing such skills already. I would prefer model railway magazines to stick to specific model railway related matters

 

I know that many people do not agree with my views (and I am perfectly happy and at ease with that!) but CAD design is more "design for manufacturing" than "model making". It is more Hornby/Bachmann than Denny/Dyer, producing a design that could be mass produced and with a small workshop and a few people doing assembly and finishing, could produce a viable commercial product or at least a kit of parts.

 

The model making part comes in how you assemble those parts paint/finish them to make them look good on a model railway.

 

You wouldn't expect an article on how to build an etched kit to include a description of how the designer drew the artwork for the etch. At least I wouldn't.

 

As I say, my views are very much personal and I know many do not agree with me but I really don't want MRJ to carry article on how to design products. I want it to be about how individual modellers have used their individual skills to produce individual high quality models.

 

There have been articles in MRJ about how to create your own artwork for etching, showing how to avoid some common pitfalls. Even one about how to make your own etching tank! That is fine but in depth articles on using CAD programs are not for me.

 

If anybody does want to learn such skills, there are on line tutorials and courses, such as the ones at Missenden Abbey, that cater for such things and are far more "instant" and "interactive" than a printed magazine article, which could never cover the subject in enough detail and depth.

 

 

 

CAD design is something that is applied to many other fields other than model railways and is probably covered in its own magazines. I don't know for sure as I have little interest in it. I have tried it but I found it deeply unsatisfying compared to sitting at a workbench with my soldering iron, files etc.

 

The "I drew it in CAD and had it printed/cut" style of article has appeared in several British magazines including MRJ.

 

Computer skills, such as CAD design, are widely applied to fields other than model railways and a quick glance at Google suggests that there may be magazines and tutorials out there for those that are interested in developing such skills already. I would prefer model railway magazines to stick to specific model railway related matters

 

I know that many people do not agree with my views (and I am perfectly happy and at ease with that!) but CAD design is more "design for manufacturing" than "model making". It is more Hornby/Bachmann than Denny/Dyer, producing a design that could be mass produced and with a small workshop and a few people doing assembly and finishing, could produce a viable commercial product or at least a kit of parts.

 

The model making part comes in how you assemble those parts paint/finish them to make them look good on a model railway.

 

You wouldn't expect an article on how to build an etched kit to include a description of how the designer drew the artwork for the etch. At least I wouldn't.

 

As I say, my views are very much personal and I know many do not agree with me but I really don't want MRJ to carry article on how to design products. I want it to be about how individual modellers have used their individual skills to produce individual high quality models.

 

There have been articles in MRJ about how to create your own artwork for etching, showing how to avoid some common pitfalls. Even one about how to make your own etching tank! That is fine but in depth articles on using CAD programs are not for me.

 

If anybody does want to learn such skills, there are on line tutorials and courses, such as the ones at Missenden Abbey, that cater for such things and are far more "instant" and "interactive" than a printed magazine article, which could never cover the subject in enough detail and depth.

 

I agree with you that MRJ  isn't really the place for in-depth CAD tutorials, but for slightly different reasons. Lathes, for example aren't exclusively model making tool, for example you could read Home Shop Machinist or similar. However any useful article on CAD would be too long to be in MRJ.

However an article on what mediums are good for what purposes could be useful. 3D printing is great for some things, and useless for other, just like etching, casting and fabricating have their roles.

Oh, I model 1950's USA in HO, so the whole magazine 'has nothing of interest to me'...allegedly.  I love it, and will likely be buried in them!

Do you sleep under the letterbox?

[Talltim]

As for saving stuff to the cloud - fine if you are assured of a internet connection, or as a back-up to a back-up, but I'd still prefer to rely on a physical hard drive.

I use Onedrive (other providers are available). Stuff is stored on my computer and automatically synced to the cloud, from where I can access it from any internet connected computer. I also have it on my work laptop so have two hard copies of everything. Its also on my phone so any photos I take are also automatically backed up and again accessible anywhere.

[Talltim]

Indeed - Southern Region 3rd rail is in my future.  I would NEVER have seen that coming!

Dunno, the New Haven had 3rd rail