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Railway Modeller March 2018


Legend
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I browse mags in shops, if I find an article I must have, even a short one then I buy the mag. If I can't get into the mag as it's in a bag as so many of them are these days I don't bother and just move on, their loss. If someone running a shop expects me to buy before examining then I won't bother buying mags from their shop again, their loss.

The 'bag' issue has been done to death before and was once put off-limits by the mods.

 

The fact is that magazines sell more copies of bagged issues and there are many people who prefer a pristine copy and don't want to purchase a dog-eared, grubby and finger marked pawed copy with any inserts and free gift attachments tipped on the floor or ripped off. If you want to know what's inside it is usually plastered on the cover or content lists can be found on forums like this or the magazine publisher's website.

 

G

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There has to be  reason why this mag is still around after quite a long life. I suspect it is because it has an appeal to the generality of modellers showing layouts ideas and so on that are within reach of most of us. That combined with its being a little different and dare I say proper.

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If you want to know the contents then it's all freely available on the websites of most of the magazines. Many with screenshots of the actual pages.

 

Personally I would prefer all magazines to be provided in bags just to stop the dirty oiks putting their unwashed mitts on them. It's common knowledge about the amount of faecal matter found in bar snacks. Now imagine fifty middle aged blokes pawing over a magazine in WH Smiths. Doesn't even bare thinking about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do hope that was meant in a lighthearted manner, if I was so disposed I might take offence at some of the implications therein. I wonder how you deal with fresh fruit and veg in your nearest Tesco ? Just to prove my little point about buying cheap off markets today I bought the Jan 2018 Model Rail and the Nov Irwell Press branchlines for a £1 each unmarked as new. I could have also bought similar aged Modern Railways and Narrow gauge world if so desired. Why buy new when the publishers are eager to make something rather than pulp unsold stock ?

Edited by toffee
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The 'bag' issue has been done to death before and was once put off-limits by the mods.

The fact is that magazines sell more copies of bagged issues and there are many people who prefer a pristine copy and don't want to purchase a dog-eared, grubby and finger marked pawed copy with any inserts and free gift attachments tipped on the floor or ripped off. If you want to know what's inside it is usually plastered on the cover or content lists can be found on forums like this or the magazine publisher's website.

G

One small point, have you ever stood in a printers and watched magazines being bagged ? I have. Are you certain they are as pristine as you think ? In my experance probably not !

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I have always thought of the  Railway Modeller as being something like  The Times for our hobby- It is stately and keeps to its values, but keeps up to date at the same time.

Add to that the more technical matter found in the  the MRJ and that suits me.

 

The others are just brightly coloured passing reads, though that is not always a bad thing :)

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One small point, have you ever stood in a printers and watched magazines being bagged ? I have. Are you certain they are as pristine as you think ? In my experance probably not !

Yes I have.

 

These days modern bagging is done by auto equipment rather than handled manually, but regardless they are a lot cleaner than many un-bagged copies I see in shops. And it does help to keep together free inserts which tend to be dropped on the floor by browsers.

 

BTW you either peel and/or wash fruit and veg (advisable due to pesticides) - but rather more difficult to do with a magazine.

 

But I think enough of the 'bagging' issue. There's two sides to the story which everyone knows about and I doubt it's going to change soon.

 

G.

Edited by grahame
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I browse mags in shops, if I find an article I must have, even a short one then I buy the mag. If I can't get into the mag as it's in a bag as so many of them are these days I don't bother and just move on, their loss. If someone running a shop expects me to buy before examining then I won't bother buying mags from their shop again, their loss. At the end of the day I can usually buy/ read a mag at the next model show/swap meet or on a market stall near me that sell all kinds of mags a few months old for a quid.

 

We are probably going to lose one or two mags in the next few years sad but inevitable I suppose, 50 years ago we just had 3 magazines how many do we have now ?

I agree with all your points.

 

However one needs a bit of clarification, regarding examining the book/mag as to for suitability for purpose. I believe that is fair to do, what I do not agree with, is people standing there and reading all of the articles of interest, then putting them back on the shelf. Why should I have to buy a used copy?

 

A short flick through (I won't give a time limit) and read 3 or 4 paragraphs of items of interest, to find out if relevant ought to be enough, to judge if worth buying.

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Just to prove my little point about buying cheap off markets today I bought the Jan 2018 Model Rail and the Nov Irwell Press branchlines for a £1 each unmarked as new. I could have also bought similar aged Modern Railways and Narrow gauge world if so desired. Why buy new when the publishers are eager to make something rather than pulp unsold stock ?

 

B@LL@CKS 

 

The publishers are without exception NOT eager to make something rather than pulp stock by selling magazines cheaply, as you put it.

 

They want a proper return on their efforts which is achieved by decent folk purchasing their products when they come out at their proper prices from news stands and shops. Without this happening all magazines will/would cease to exist.

 

​You will be getting your "wonderfully cheap" copies from some idiot who thinks he is being clever by selling out of date copies cheaply, all he is doing is stopping people buying the magazines when they come out, as you so very well illustrate in your misinformed post. (It might be a she but I doubt it, only us blokes can be so utterly feckless and gormless)

 

I am heartily sick of so many ill informed folk expecting "everything for nothing" whilst still happily complaining about everything.

 

Jeremy

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I am heartily sick of so many ill informed folk expecting "everything for nothing" whilst still happily complaining about everything.

In my book that also includes those who enthusiastically buy from China (etc) to save a few pennies that might have sustained a job in Britain.

 

...R

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Just to prove my little point about buying cheap off markets today I bought the Jan 2018 Model Rail and the Nov Irwell Press branchlines for a £1 each unmarked as new. I could have also bought similar aged Modern Railways and Narrow gauge world if so desired. Why buy new when the publishers are eager to make something rather than pulp unsold stock ?

 

B@LL@CKS 

 

The publishers are without exception NOT eager to make something rather than pulp stock by selling magazines cheaply, as you put it.

 

They want a proper return on their efforts which is achieved by decent folk purchasing their products when they come out at their proper prices from news stands and shops. Without this happening all magazines will/would cease to exist.

 

​You will be getting your "wonderfully cheap" copies from some idiot who thinks he is being clever by selling out of date copies cheaply, all he is doing is stopping people buying the magazines when they come out, as you so very well illustrate in your misinformed post. (It might be a she but I doubt it, only us blokes can be so utterly feckless and gormless)

 

I am heartily sick of so many ill informed folk expecting "everything for nothing" whilst still happily complaining about everything.

 

Jeremy

Ouch ! Have I struck a nerve ? Don't think you quite get my point. I can go to at least 3 general markets in nearby towns which have stalls selling magazines by the hundred of all sorts for men, for women, for children, from the General to the specific these include aviation, cars, lots of cars and a few railway. These are being sold by traders who obviously have a supply from a legitimate seller in the trade NOT some back street back of a lorry idiot whoever that is. Now either these come from publishers or from distributors I honestly don't know. They probably are returns from high street shops which can still give some small return to the industry rather than be pulped at yet another cost, what on earth is wrong with that ?

 

If I wanted a particular copy of something then I would buy it from a paper shop, do I do that ? Yes I do, if I see copies of magazines on sale for a pound in good condition and they catch my eye and I buy them what on earth is wrong with that ? Who am I diddling out of his hard earned crust ? I bet you have gone into a remainder book shop and done likewise and felt quite pleased in the process, do you buy things via Amazon at reduced prices, I bet you do, what on earth is wrong with that ?

 

I reject your attack on presumably me for being " Ill informed folk expecting something for nothing " in what sense am I ill informed ? Neither do I expect something for nothing, do you go into smiths and spend £50 a month on magazines ? If you do well done, some of us don't spend so much. I would say I spend £12 a month on around 3 magazines, I don't buy certain ones every month only those with something I need, however like most people I can't resist a bargain and will pay the odd pound where I wouldn't spend £4-5. That sir is human nature and you won't change that. Why you feel you are intitled to attack me for that god only knows.

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I can go to at least 3 general markets in nearby towns which have stalls selling magazines by the hundred of all sorts for men, for women, for children, from the General to the specific these include aviation, cars, lots of cars and a few railway.

Isn't this the equivalent of suggesting that everyone should use a second-hand car?

 

...R

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Why you feel you are intitled to attack me for that god only knows.

You know what? Even within the context of this site he has more right to call time on "tightwadism" having supported RMweb events for numerous years, all part of keeping this place running over the years. Obviously you don't think much about the people who invest time and effort in the hobby if you want to pay the minimum you can. I've no idea what you do for a living but I am sure you would feel similarly if the customers of your employers felt you should do it for next to nothing.

 

To further clarify this IF a retailer is supplying unsold copies to a market trader the publisher will not have been paid for the magazines as they would be sale or pulp. The only beneficiaries would be the original retailer and your trader; you will not have made any contribution to the costs or wages of the people whose work you have read. Does it feel such a bargain now?

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At Swanage station people used to donate old railway magazines to the Railway and the Railway put them on a trolley. There was a donation box for 15p per magazine. If we did not sell them at Swanage we put them on a trolley at Corfe Castle station with a suggested donation of 10p. A senior citizen asked me why we were charging a 50% mark up on magazines at Swanage Station compared with Corfe Castle station. I told him that the labour costs were higher at Swanage.

 

We have stopped selling second hand railway magazines on the Swanage Railway and I think the Severn Valley Railway has as well because we got inundated with donated magazines and it took a lot of time to sort them out.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I find there is an endearing old world charm about the RM, I know this may sound patronising but there is something very appealing about a magazine that has preserved old fashioned decorum.

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I have been very pleased with them and Peco. When I sent articles or pictures to the Railway Modeller he editor used to send a cheque if they were accepted or a letter returning the article if they were rejected. He also used to send a copy of any magazine with my article in it.

 

The Railway Modeller rejected my article about the original Swanage station as he said too much had already been written about the Swanage Railway. I sent it to another magazine with a stamped addressed envelope and the correct amount of postage. About five years later the Royal Mail told me that I had to pay an excess charge on a large letter. I did not pay it. Eventually a Royal Mail sorting office in Ireland returned my article. During the five years the postage cost has gone up. This shows that the Royal Mail does eventually deliver items with inadequate postage.

 

The Purbeck Railway Circle is going to visit Pecorama this year.

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We have stopped selling Railway Modeller. Dwindling sales mean that we are also about to drop Hornby Mag.

 

We literally have a queue when the free Railway Modelling mag arrives. Have most people gone to digital editions or are we just an isolated case?

 

I have to say and agree with Legend that the above looks like a really good edition.

I have a couple of subscriptions for railway modelling monthly magazines because I prefer to have a printed version rather than read on screen. Too many screen activities these days! I also enjoy the free Railway Modelling Magazine when I can make the trip to my nearest model shop (35 miles away) - I have assumed this freebie is to encourage more folk to visit their local model shop? But I also find it quite sad that, generally, so many printed publications are disappearing.

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Isn't this the equivalent of suggesting that everyone should use a second-hand car?

 

...R

Obviously, somebody has to buy new ones but, for me, the maths just doesn't stack up.

 

Whilst I've been tempted, the logic of letting somebody else take the hit of the first three to four years depreciation and dealing with any warranty issues always prevails.  

 

There are always plenty of one owner jobs that age to pick from and I've never had to travel far to find just the model and spec I'm after.

 

What I save, finances my hobbies.

 

John

Edited by Dunsignalling
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I think there is still a future for printed magazines.  Everyone thought that when e-readers came in, printed books would disappear, but sales of printed books have actually gone up. I have also noticed that advertising in RM actually has boost my 3D printing business, and it does not cost that much for a small advert.

I prefer the printed copy, but do read the digital version , as it comes with subscription. A quick search of digital version, is easier than emptying out my storage shelfs(a bit full and cluttered to call the bookshelves!). I would like to see more back issues being available online.

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Obviously, somebody has to buy new ones but, for me, the maths just doesn't stack up.

I never bought a new car either. But my comment in Reply #36 was addressed to someone who seemed to be saying that anyone buying any magazine at the list price is a fool.

 

...R

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No one seems to write up the poor old Railway Modeller , so here goes.

 

March is traditionally the Scottish issue and this is no exception but also with lots of other articles to maintain balance.

 

On the Scottish side we have drawings for GSWR class 5 0-6-0T (the one in the Glasgow Riverside Museum). Whithorn , layout in 4mm. Crioch, the Highland Railway , a shed scene. Lovely pre grouping.

 

Railway of the Month is the spectacular Dent . Really lovely layout in LMS days , 2nd part of a three stage build. The next one will be Mallerstang .

 

A brush with steam:Eric Bottomleys O gauge layout Chadbury. My favourite in this months edition . Lots of large industrial buildings so reminiscent of the Chadderton/Oldham area . Beautiful layout just oozing charm . Eric is an Artist and I think you can see his artists eye in this , it all just blends together as opposed to being a collection of buildings planted for effect.

 

Denley Moor n gauge modern Derbyshire

 

Hillbrow 009

 

Plan of the month : Marks Tey

 

Hamworthy Junction. Visually a real treat. Beautiful double page spread on P219/220 showing the Station, part of a 5 page article on LSWR Junction in 1950s . Again really lovely

 

Other stuff:Building L&SWR H16, Building Peco 7mm box van,building a helix. The usual comments, letters and talking point , which this month is about Parkside kits in the Peco empire

 

A really good edition. When other mags seem to be looking at sound bites and limiting narrative because people attention span is short , this is really a contrast. A lot of reading in this mag. N to O, pre grouping to Franchising.

Sounds good. If I can get out to WH Smith before the April issue hits the shops, I will buy it.

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We have stopped selling Railway Modeller. Dwindling sales mean that we are also about to drop Hornby Mag.

 

We literally have a queue when the free Railway Modelling mag arrives. Have most people gone to digital editions or are we just an isolated case?

 

I have to say and agree with Legend that the above looks like a really good edition.

 

I didn't know that there was a free railway modelling magazine. Back in the day, when I was briefly associated with another modelling magazine, I did wonder whether it might actually have worked out better to have it free.

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I never bought a new car either. But my comment in Reply #36 was addressed to someone who seemed to be saying that anyone buying any magazine at the list price is a fool.

 

...R

Thanks, I see what you were getting at now.

 

I go the other way with the Railway Modeller. I "fillet" them after a year and file what I want to keep by subject. That means that when an issue is particularly good, I sometimes need a second copy to allow adjacent articles to be separated. That's what other peoples' cast-offs are for, I draw the line at paying full whack twice ..........

 

John

Edited by Dunsignalling
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  • 4 weeks later...

It's funny, regarding many of the folks who like to 'peruse" (aka read) a magazine at a model shop of news stand, then put it back without buying because "there was nothing of interest in it". They are more often than not the ones who will complain the loudest when said magazine dies off. Saw this happen with Model Railroad Craftsman, here in the states.

 

As much as I still prefer the printed versions of magazines (and I did as John does, with my US magazines, cutting out any and all content that I felt was worth keeping), the cost of UK modelling magazines here in the US is extreme. It's about double what the price of a copy in the UK is, either by single copy or subscription. So, digital is the lesser of 2 evils :)

 

One nice thing with the digital edition of RM, as a subscriber, one gets access to all the digital back issues from 2011 (when they 1st went digital) to current issue. And, as long as one subscribes, any articles in all those issues can be bookmarked. So that is one plus, at least.

 

As for magazine preference, RM is my primary choice, the sub I will keep. It seems to strike a decent balance between the different railway eras, and covers 009 better than others (granted, probably due to Peco producing 009 RTR items), but whatever the reason, it works for me. BRM has way less 009 coverage, and it, Hornby and Model Rail magazines seem to be much more focused on 'modern era' nowadays.

 

Just a view from this side of the puddle.

 

Jim F

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