New Partwork "Mill Town"

[Mike Bellamy]

Www.milltownmodelrailway.com

 

 

 

http://www.milltownmodelrailway.com/

 

A very detailed website which is what many of the previous posters have been asking for

 

Modellers tool kit and an Oxford Diecast Jaguar and an Austin 7 van with subscriptions - pay £2 per issue extra to get the two Bachmann locos ( so that's an extra £240 )

 

I wonder who the authors are and if they are all fresh articles (or recycled from the Model Village magazine ? )

 

 

 

Edit Missed out the van !

 

.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Mike Bellamy

[rue_d_etropal]

Phil P did many of the modelling articles in other magazine.Hopefully it won't just be rehashed in new magazine. The deal on Bachmann locos is not bad, but you probably could get those two locos for less money, especially the Jinty. A deal just on the G2 might be more tempting, but then I prefer small locos at the moment.

Looks like it is ready for nationwide launch as website now there. Wonder if there is a TV advert!

 

Suspect there will be the usual negative comments posted, about cost and how you could build something similar with items bought in a model shop or fromyour rubbish tip, but the buildings are good, although I might look a designing better windows to fit in. At least it is doing something for those who want to build a layout rather than just collect models.Not just those who want to get back into the hobby. 

Also some do like card kits, or ones printed, but I prefer something in 3D, and these buildings are new, and different to anything more traditional companies have produced. I would rather see thes buildings being sold in shops than the endless collection of r2p ones available, especially as they are a good half way step between kit traditional kit and r2p. 

I am not keen on some of the trees, but have managed to use them in a jungle scene which will be in next issue of Continental Modeller. The track is steel, Mehano I think , but can be sold off . I probably won't have to buy any more flock though. I have set up a subscription, but think I mght look for additional copies if the gift looks worth while.

Edited January 28, 2017 by rue_d_etropal

[Talltim]

I quite like the composition of the canal quay/mill building area

[Hroth]

Looking at the layout "as illustrated" it seems to be a  good take on the oval trainset that actually makes more sense of elements like the level crossing and the positioning of the buildings than the last Hatchette effort, although one of the station platforms (which appears to be an excuse to include the footbridge) appears to be hanging over the edge of the baseboard....  Looks like the platforms, footbridge and fencing are good old Dapol/Airfix items, though I can't identify the signal box.   And if I were building the layout, I'd put the track behind the mill into a tunnel!

 

The layout is a bit small for a G2, though the 3F is ok.  Perhaps a Peckett might be fun?  Stick your pre-order in for the black one now!

 

There's no point in commenting about the economics of partwork magazines, that was done to death last time.

 

I'll have a look in the local newsagents this afternoon...

 

 

(edits for more mistakes than I'd care to enumerate...)

Edited January 28, 2017 by Hroth

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Well I was not that impressed with the origional My model railway village partwork, But I am quite impressed with what I have seen here. It is something different. Would love a proper trackdown view of this layout to see just what track you get.From what I can see you only get 5 points. So swapping tha track out for better quality would not be too much more. I wonder if you could attach the origional partwork on to the end of it. As id does not show the righthand side as finished, unless that area is supposed to be sand.

Hroth the signal box looks like the old Airfix/Dapol one with an updated paintjob.

http://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/images/Dapol/c006-signal-box.jpg

Edited January 28, 2017 by cypherman

[Hroth]

That was my original imprtession, then I had second thoughts!

 

But it IS Oakham, its just the paint job that had me flummoxed......

 

 

Apollo:  Your mill owner isn't a Lanky swine, that's Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire he's posing against!

[rue_d_etropal]

the signal box is very similar to the old Airfix/Dapol one, but has brick base, not wood. Odd thing about it is that the stairs has only one handrail. The windows are simpler as well, but could be changed. I think the original photos on other magazine made it look like they were using the Airfix/Dapol kits, and they may have. I would not be surprised to see a stone base on new one. The water tower looks like Peco one, but will probably be slightly different.

The thing is that you should look beyond the layout design, as I did with other magazine. Some items from each can be used together, especially the terraced housing, as both brick and stone can be found together up here, sometimes on opposite side of the same street. Even the brick work is correct as stretcher bond was the norm for brick built terraced houses up here.

 

The other stone industrial buildings are pretty typical of many areas. The school and chapel are more typically northern.

 

As with other magazine, the really creative ones amongst us will use it as a base, not religiously follow the instructions. I would also like to see at least one group take it up as a challenge to build something using the parts.

[modelpara]

the signal box is very similar to the old Airfix/Dapol one, but has brick base, not wood. Odd thing about it is that the stairs has only one handrail. The windows are simpler as well, but could be changed. I think the original photos on other magazine made it look like they were using the Airfix/Dapol kits, and they may have. I would not be surprised to see a stone base on new one. The water tower looks like Peco one, but will probably be slightly different.

The thing is that you should look beyond the layout design, as I did with other magazine. Some items from each can be used together, especially the terraced housing, as both brick and stone can be found together up here, sometimes on opposite side of the same street. Even the brick work is correct as stretcher bond was the norm for brick built terraced houses up here.

 

The other stone industrial buildings are pretty typical of many areas. The school and chapel are more typically northern.

 

As with other magazine, the really creative ones amongst us will use it as a base, not religiously follow the instructions. I would also like to see at least one group take it up as a challenge to build something using the parts.

Im planning on using all the bits in my main layout apart from the track which will form basis for a small test track to allow running in / programming to happen.

[kernowtim]

Nothing in WHSmiff of Camborne, girl behind counter hadn't heard of it!!!

[Phil Parker]

 Maybe Phil is going to be providing even more articles for it, especially if it involves a canal side railway.

 

 

Not so far. They mentioned it to me many months ago but I've heard nothing since then. The articles were gathered during the period it was being published so never say never. Mind you, I have a couple of model boat articles still outstanding first!

[Londontram]

I think if it brings more people into the hobby it can only be a good thing, its a shame about the canal its only ever going to be a train set with it with the canal is a tad to much for more experienced modelers to except.

 

   one solution would have been the canal basin with maybe a lock as it goes under the bridge giving the impression that the canal is dropping away. I think being a mill inspired layout the choice of the two locos is a good one. At the end of the day we can argue the pros and cons of this sort of thing but to be fair its not us there targeting but I hope in a few years time we'll see new members introducing them selves on here who had there roots in things like this.

 

                              Steve

[30801]

Nothing in WHSmiff of Camborne, girl behind counter hadn't heard of it!!!

 

It's a test so localised to a particular region.

If you go to the website http://www.milltownmodelrailway.com/ and subscribe they might send you an issue. When I subscribed on the website of the Mallard partwork when it was a test nothing happened for a while and then they said it was postponed and gave me a paper weight. The subscription resumed when the partwork proper launched. They didn't take any money up-front.

[cypherman]

Hi all.

I know it has been said that this may be a good introducer for getting people involved with model railways. But overall the cost may reduce the number of people who can afford it. Now I am not going on about the cost of each issue but the actual number of issues released per month. This is what they have said for the rate of publication in the QA section:

Your magazine will be published fortnightly up to issue 10, after which it will be published weekly.

Now once it goes weekly that will be a £40-£50 monthly bill depending on when the release dates fall. A lot of people cannot afford such an extra regular outgoing with the current financial uncertainty. And I am pretty sure most younger 13-16 year olds cannot afford it. I know I cannot. So in trying to reduce the lenght of time you have to wait to finish the layout they may have inadvertantly priced a lot of people out. Which is a shame.

[PhilJ W]

I just spotted a copy in my local Smiffs today so I had to buy one. The manager told me that they might not carry them for very long. I must say that the mill looked quite impressive.

[Chrisr40]

Has anybody in the south east seen a copy of the part work ? I have tried all my local newsagents, whsmiths but not a sniff.

 

Chris

Edited January 29, 2017 by Chrisr40

[PhilJ W]

Has anybody in the south east seen a copy of the part work ? I have tried all my local newsagents, whsmiths but not a sniff.

 

Chris

I found mine in the Basildon WH Smiths. Asda's and Tesco's stocked the last one locally.

[Steamport Southport]

They normally start having adverts on TV channels such as Dave when they go on general release.

 

 

There wasn't any in WH Smith in Liverpool One when I looked on Friday.

 

 

 

 

Jason

[rue_d_etropal]

I sometimes wonder if some undervalue our hobby. Compared to say buying a season ticket for top level football matches, when you could easily spend as much per week as this magazine will cost per month, and youngsters (or their parents) still find the cash, then model railways are not that expensive. Given that locos costing over £70 can sell out before they are en in the shops, and you don't need to buy that many, before you have spent more than the total cost of this magazine. Just look at the cost of computer games, and there are no shortage of youngsters buying them. Maybe we are selling ourselves too cheaply.

[Steamport Southport]

But this costs about £1200 for what is a glorified train set that doesn't even include the locomotives and controller. That costs an extra £240. Poor quality track as well. If you add up the parts then it's not very good value for money.

 

People were complaining about the £600 Hornby trainset not being good value. That was a bargain compared with this.

 

Buy a trainset for about £100. Buy a few building kits and half a dozen Oxford cars and you could do this for a quarter of the price. Plenty of "how to" books available. But if anyone wants to do it this way then that's their choice.

 

 

Like many, I admit I'm only interested in the copy of the Bachmann LMS Brake Van.

 

 

 

Jason

[rue_d_etropal]

£1000 would not buy 10 big locos now, and then you won't have a layout to run them on or  coaches or wagons to pull. You can always do it cheaper, many do, but if you actually add up the cost of your collection/layout, lake into account cost of going to a shop to buy stuff, then it would actually come to a lot more.If anyone thinks it costs too much, get together with friends and create a club, aimed at getting those youngsters who can not afford to get into the hobby and actually build a layout.

[Steamport Southport]

But you're not getting 10 locomotives. You're getting two that cost more than the RRP. That you have to buy separately.

 

You can currently get a Jinty for £72 and a LNWR G2 for £101. Other locomotives are available.

 

 

How much does a train set cost? A bit of wood, some extra track, a few buildings and you've got a layout. Then you can add to it as and when you've got money rather than have to pay out £40 a month. Which is a lot of money to many.

 

In this you don't even get the wood. I would like to see them putting that in the display in WH Smiths.

 

 

Maybe people like this approach and they see it as good value for money. Just be aware that you can do exactly the same for a fraction of the cost.

 

 

Jason

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Well I did not expect to put the cat among the pidgeons here. I was onl trying to point out that some may feel they cannot afford such a continued monthly out going. A mention of computer games as a similar price tag was stated, but these games are usually bought 3 or 4 times a year. Not every month. £40-£50 a month is a lot of money in any ones books. I think that as has been stated earlier that many of the people who build model railways are of an age where things like mortgauges are paid off and do not have such major expenses to worry about. Therefore that sort of sum of money is not so great. This is just a thought and not a statement of fact.

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[steve1]

Not in Yorkshire yet. My local newsagent hasn't heard of it but when it does come in he's promised to put 2 aside for me

 

steve

[Phil Parker]

Now once it goes weekly that will be a £40-£50 monthly bill depending on when the release dates fall. A lot of people cannot afford such an extra regular outgoing with the current financial uncertainty. And I am pretty sure most younger 13-16 year olds cannot afford it. I know I cannot. So in trying to reduce the lenght of time you have to wait to finish the layout they may have inadvertantly priced a lot of people out. Which is a shame.

 

If they have judged the market wrong, it won't sell and the publisher will lose out. These people do this a lot so I suspect they have got things about right. The job is to sell enough to make a profit NOT to do a favour for our hobby.

 

£40-£50 per month isn't much compared to smoking, drinking or going to football. A lot of people manage to afford these. If anyone can't, well it's not the only, or indeed cheepest, way into the hobby.