MODEL RAILWAYS ILLUSTRATED (MORILL)

[Craigw]

Somewhere I have both the last issue that Iain edited and the first non-Rice edition.

 

It seems that Irwell Press and IAR had fallen out, with reports of IAR's failure to meet deadlines etc. A sad end to a brilliant magazine. I didn't buy any more copies as the whole point of it was as a sshowcase for Iain's writings and drawings. Without them it lost its raison d'etre.

 

Many will know that I am a great fan of Iain. He's a brilliant, inspiring enthusiast and a really nice guy.

 

Ian

 I received the issue after IAR was abrubtly removed and then the issue after. I cancelled at that point as I thought it had really changed direction and was certainly not to my liking anymore. I liked the magazine and thought it complemented MRJ rather nicely especially as it really marked the first time that IAR started publising layout designs. Several that were published were very appealing indeed.

 

Craig W

Edited April 6, 2018 by Craigw

[LBRJ]

Somewhere I have both the last issue that Iain edited and the first non-Rice edition.

 

It seems that Irwell Press and IAR had fallen out, with reports of IAR's failure to meet deadlines etc. A sad end to a brilliant magazine. I didn't buy any more copies as the whole point of it was as a sshowcase for Iain's writings and drawings. Without them it lost its raison d'etre.

 

Many will know that I am a great fan of Iain. He's a brilliant, inspiring enthusiast and a really nice guy.

 

Ian

 

IAR wanted to write the right magazine, Irwell wanted it published bang on the dot like " the others" - But it was, and should have been for longer, much better than they were.

Shame Irwell did not realise not all good things are done to a timetable like that

[bike2steam]

Shame Irwell did not realise not all good things are done to a timetable like that

 

 You mean like Wild Swan Publications with MRJ, it used to get a little tedious when certain customers got irate that MRJ still hadn't turned up, as tho' it was the shop owners fault, a few times I felt like telling some ( a few) gobby customers to go away in jerky movements.

[Jim Martin]

I think I had a complete set of MORILL, but all I have now are the relatively few articles that I cut out to keep when I was weeding my collection. I definitely had the first issue, because I still have the HEA/HBA wagons article. Wasn't MORILL absorbed back into BRILL after it ceased publication? I seem to recall an editorial explaining how this was in no way a diminution of the modelling content: something which turned out to be, to use a technical term, "not true"

 

Jim

[kevinlms]

IAR wanted to write the right magazine, Irwell wanted it published bang on the dot like " the others" - But it was, and should have been for longer, much better than they were.

Shame Irwell did not realise not all good things are done to a timetable like that

But isn't the problem that retail outlets & major distributers, EXPECT it on a scheduled date?

[kevinlms]

Anyone else spotted that the thread title is incorrect? It was actually called

 

"Modelling Railways Illustrated".

[teaky]

Anyone else spotted that the thread title is incorrect? It was actually called

 

"Modelling Railways Illustrated".

Except on the pilot edition.

[Scottish Modeller]

This is most odd. I have all the issues except the last and the first issue. Well the first I have a dodgy photocopy of, but the cover is nothing like yours, nor the contents listing is the same.

 

My cover looks like this one, note the volume number is the same as yours, but the dates and title colour is totally different.

 

Edit to correct errors. I will post a list of the contents in mine, but basically only the Leintwardine layout is the same.

Hi all,

 

Having checked the box I find I have the version with the green cover.

 

The contents appearto be the same as the blue cover version.

[hmrspaul]

IIRC (and I hope I do!) Jim Woods died prematurely and the magazine was abandoned. He had planned an article about Shock open wagons and months later his wife came around to bring the slides I had lent him back.

 

Modellers Backtrack - brilliant magazine such a shame that the modelling world didn't realise what they had until it was gone. And if there are some of you who haven't seen it then get down the club library and have a good read.

 

Paul

[Ben Alder]

Interesting to read this thread, yesterday I was given a collection of unwanted magazines, this included a full set of Modelling Railways Illustrated, the 4 editions of Model Railway Review, and 3 editions of Finescale Railway Modelling Review (I understand that there was only 3) and about 15 copies of Modellers Backtrack - all make interesting reading (I am a fairly recent convert to railway modelling) and there is a lot of Modelling in these magazines. I realise it was a different world back then, but I prefer the d.i.y. approch, as opposed to ready to run/plonk.

 

You have a treasure trove of inspirational material there for anyone wanting to "DIY" rather than open boxes, although the choice of the latter was rather limited back then, but Morrill was a huge influence for me when I was making the transition from a glorified train set type to  ploughing the lonely furrow of a HR modeller, albeit with the cop out of doing it in the BR era; I'm not a complete masochist....

Seriously though, Morrill and MB were breaths of fresh air at the time and I am sure encouraged many to expand their abilities in the hobby. Still have my set of Ian's era in a folder.

[bike2steam]

But isn't the problem that retail outlets & major distributers, EXPECT it on a scheduled date?

 

With respect, may I just refer you to my post # 28