RMweb Premium Neil Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 5, 2019 9 hours ago, Zero Gravitas said: But it is a Class A Controlled Model Railway Publication... It’s probably the crack cocaine of the magazines - allegedly. Does that make the Railway Modeller a gateway drug? 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 5, 2019 8 hours ago, grahame said: Does he supply it in a plain brown wrapper? Every time - and the dealer also delivers. A copy will appear in the Clubrooms in a day or two for a friend who I know is away on holiday so I get to read it first !! . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 5 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said: Every time - and the dealer also delivers. A copy will appear in the Clubrooms in a day or two for a friend who I know is away on holiday so I get to read it first !! . Will be delivered tomorrow. C Canner 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 3 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium RichardT Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 5, 2019 Glad to see that the traditional Christmas issue cover ornamentations are present and correct. Because - and I really don't like writing this - the contents list posted earlier looks a bit, well, dull for a Christmas MRJ. I used to look forward to the "out-of-the ordinary" Xmas articles - a bit of model railway history, a crossword or puzzle, some provocative think pieces or a seasonal model (e.g. Chris Pendleton's superb North Shields displayed in snow). All suitable for reading with a glass of port by the fire over the festive season. I hope to be pleasantly surprised when I pick my copy up in York on Saturday, but I'm a bit worried that, of six main articles, three pieces appear to be yet more Great Western minutiae, unbalancing the issue, and neither "Newton Heath" nor "LSWR carriages" of the others really get the juices flowing at first sight. Luckily I've got a full set (been buying it since issue 5), so I can always re-read some of the classic issues, but I'm wondering if MRJ is finally slowly fading away like an old soldier. Or perhaps it's me that's getting old and jaded... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 14 hours ago, Neil said: Does that make the Railway Modeller a gateway drug? No, Model Rail is the gateway, then someone gets confused over the titles, picks up a copy of MRJ by mischance and then its downhill all the way.... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Not in the Palmerston Rd Smiffs in Portsmouth drduncan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted December 6, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 6, 2019 Subscription copy received., along with renewal slip - so they reckon they're good until the summer, at least. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 15 hours ago, RichardT said: Glad to see that the traditional Christmas issue cover ornamentations are present and correct. Because - and I really don't like writing this - the contents list posted earlier looks a bit, well, dull for a Christmas MRJ. I have some sympathy with this view as I too felt that the posted list didn't provide the frisson of excitement and interest that the previous issue's content did, and appears a little dull. But I guess it's a lot is to do with what subjects and articles take ones fancy. Certainly the latest ones don't appear to float my boat. But, hey ho, there will be further issues. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 17 hours ago, RichardT said: Glad to see that the traditional Christmas issue cover ornamentations are present and correct. Because - and I really don't like writing this - the contents list posted earlier looks a bit, well, dull for a Christmas MRJ. I used to look forward to the "out-of-the ordinary" Xmas articles - a bit of model railway history, a crossword or puzzle, some provocative think pieces or a seasonal model (e.g. Chris Pendleton's superb North Shields displayed in snow). All suitable for reading with a glass of port by the fire over the festive season. I hope to be pleasantly surprised when I pick my copy up in York on Saturday, but I'm a bit worried that, of six main articles, three pieces appear to be yet more Great Western minutiae, unbalancing the issue, and neither "Newton Heath" nor "LSWR carriages" of the others really get the juices flowing at first sight. Luckily I've got a full set (been buying it since issue 5), so I can always re-read some of the classic issues, but I'm wondering if MRJ is finally slowly fading away like an old soldier. Or perhaps it's me that's getting old and jaded... GWR and SR yet again might be the problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted December 6, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 6, 2019 33 minutes ago, micklner said: GWR and SR yet again might be the problem. Lacking that festive splash of red? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Compound2632 said: Lacking that festive splash of red? Or a drop of Teak any time of the year !! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigw Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 6 hours ago, micklner said: GWR and SR yet again might be the problem. Would Sir like a cheese platter with his whine? 4 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted December 6, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 6, 2019 On 05/12/2019 at 07:56, Mike Bellamy said: Every time - and the dealer also delivers. A copy will appear in the Clubrooms in a day or two for a friend who I know is away on holiday so I get to read it first !! I collected my friends copy from the clubroom tonight and not only was it in the usual brown paper bag, the above mentioned dealer had even signed the bag with best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Cheaper than a card !! . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 On 05/12/2019 at 14:06, laurenceb said: MRJ in brown paper bag Good to know it's got the traditional Christmas decorations at the top. Now I can tell without getting further than the door of WHS whether the one peeking out from the back shelf is the new one or still the old... Still the old one, alas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stephen Williams Posted December 7, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted December 7, 2019 As a regular contributor to MRJ from the earliest days and as someone who has written widely in both a professional capacity and as a hobbyist (with 16 books and more than 80 published articles to my name), I have always understood that my work will only ever exert a selective appeal. I think that is an inevitable consequence of the diverse nature of any readership and, as a writer, it is not a problem for me. I am equally happy to hear constructive criticism, provided it is grounded in a careful consideration of what I have written and is reasoned. But to have a piece categorised as "dull" before it has been read is something of a new departure for me. We live in strange times indeed. What's that old maxim? Never judge a book by its' cover. Come on chaps; at least afford contributors the courtesy of looking at their work before forming a damning view! I think the notion that the Christmas MRJ always used to be a special issue is something of a myth and I wonder whether the "rose tinted" spectacles of our memory is playing tricks here. Yes, I remember some issues that did dress the content with Christmas themes or showcased classic layouts of the past with more than a hint of a nostalgic gaze, and the Christmas competition was always something I enjoyed and which I do miss. But if you actually look back through the many Christmas MRJs that have been published (and I happen to have several on my desk as I write), then I think you will find that the content is, for the most part, the normal MRJ "fare". So I really don't think MRJ 275 is atypical in this regard. I have always enjoyed reading MRJ because I feel it takes its' subject matter seriously and provides in depth explanation of modelling techniques combined with truly inspirational images that none of the other magazines come close to equalling. To that extent it doesn't matter to me whether a particular article reflects my specific interests or not; there are always lessons we can learn from the work of other good exponents of railway modelling, irrespective of company allegiance or modelling period. The "Station Road" series is a case in point, as whilst I suspect some of the contributors to this forum have mentally categorised the articles as "GWR" (because the scene I am describing is attached to a Great Western branch layout), the articles are actually dealing with scenic modelling techniques and are almost entirely generic in nature. Any publisher will tell you that they can only publish material that they receive, so for those forum contributors who are unhappy about perceived imbalances in recent content, the answer surely lies in your own hands. Write some articles around the themes and ideas that interest you and submit them to the editors. Just don't make them too dull, that's all... Stephen Williams 27 13 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 I have never considered the issue with holly on the front to be any different from any other in terms of information and content. They're all damned good. 3 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 (edited) I'm not somebody who would be classed as a fan of the GWR.....quite indifferent about it really. (Only one railway in the West Country and that had blue engines..oh and the other Western which had a much nicer shade of green) However, it matters not if the model is that of the Great Western . S&DJR ( God bless all) or the Madras Orbital Light Railway, good modelling is simply just that. To dismiss something as 'not for me' is just narrow minded. For what it's worth, looking over 'Station Road' was one of the highlights of Railwells this year for me. Therefore the latest MRJ will, as ever, provide inspiration and a nice accompaniment to a mince pie and a glass of port. Rob Edited December 7, 2019 by NHY 581 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 As an afterthought, what about a MRJ Christmas Annual in the style of the old compendium ? 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Argos Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 (edited) If I used the contents of MRJ as the basis of a decision whether to buy the magazine or not I would have purchased very few editions. Most contain very little of direct interest, but not buying them would have been my loss. There is always something new in the way of skills, interest and always an enjoyable read. I often find the articles I don't go to first (on the basis of the contents page and a quick flick through) are the more enjoyable ones. The sentiment "don't judge a book by its cover" quoted above rings true in many instances. Edited December 7, 2019 by Argos 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Not Jeremy Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 In stock at Titfield towers, I have written a brief summary on my website. https://www.titfield.co.uk/Wild-Swan/MRJ-Journal.htm Always a good read and refreshingly different to pretty much everything else. Simon 6 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Looks pretty good to me at first glance. An interesting letter about Mike Sharman. A plug for a house soon to be for sale. Very cryptic. Almost as good as the Christmas Quiz. Coach building , tree making and some superb vernacular architecture. Not to mention another favourite of mine, industrial grot. 274 was not a good seller to punters in the Hemel branch of Smiffs and not one of my favourites either. I find this to be an excellent issue. Bernard 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Zero Gravitas Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 (edited) And a splendid full-page advertisement for “Twilight of the Goods”*, the new Don Rowland book of wagons. Already ordered from that very nice publisher in Bath. *Or “Gottendammerwagen” in the original German, by Richard Wagener** ** Sorry. Edited December 7, 2019 by Zero Gravitas Very confused predictive text 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted December 7, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 7, 2019 @Zero Gravitas, I'm afraid you're late to that joke: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4109 Posted December 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2019 The opinions on issue 275 at least show we all have varying tastes. I thought 274 was a cracking issue and 275 promises to be equally as good. As an unashamed GW/BR(W) branch line addict I'm always interested in seeing anything on Faringdon, one of my fave depictions of the genre and anything from the pen of messrs Kazer and Gravett or Trevor Pott has me hooked. That said I do have those rose-tinted memories of Christmas issues containing articles on Norris, Ahern or Keen. I agree with Rob, it matters not what the subject matter is, good modelling is well worth admiring and reading about. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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