Model Rail #276 August 2020

[grahame]

The latest issue of Model Rail has arrived (yesterday). It's an unusual issue with the majority of articles being lists (top ten, five, etc) of various subjects (large locos, locations and associated layouts, ignored inspirational locations and so on). Here's the cover and contents pages:

 

 

 

[BlackRat]

Top five uses for wood......?

 

Hhhmmmmmmmm.

[grahame]

33 minutes ago, BlackRat said:

Top five uses for wood......?

 

Hhhmmmmmmmm.

 

Yep. I initially thought kindling, shuttering, chipping, ..... But then hang on. They meant uses in modelling.

 

I don't know if top ten (or whatever number is featured) lists work consistently well. There is an initial frisson of wondering where your favourite is in the chart but that can lead to disappointment. And some lists do provide options/ideas that you may not have thought of. But I guess it's all a personal choice thing, including how the lists are compiled. My mindset jury is out on it ATM.

 

 

 

 

[BlackRat]

I just got the feeling the mag was full of...,,,fillers.

 

Understandable I guess, but 5 uses of wood?

[Legend]

Model Rail seem to have a fixation on numbers .  I've never fully understood why . Do they think its punchy , will make people look see?  Top ten of this , top 5 of that .  And like Black Rat you do think here is a mag thats full of fillers with nothing really substantial in there .

 

There is now quite a contrast in styles between Model Rail which seems to go for these Top 5 articles , big pictures  ,not as much narrative  and mags like Railway Modeller and BRM which maybe feature 3 or 4 layouts , usually in a good bit more depth , I'm thinking here about the recent BRM article on Hornsey Broadway which was extensive, as an example . But there's also a lot of reading in good old Railway Modeller .

[grahame]

40 minutes ago, Legend said:

 

There is now quite a contrast in styles between Model Rail which seems to go for these Top 5 articles , big pictures  ,not as much narrative  and mags like Railway Modeller and BRM which maybe feature 3 or 4 layouts , usually in a good bit more depth , I'm thinking here about the recent BRM article on Hornsey Broadway which was extensive, as an example . But there's also a lot of reading in good old Railway Modeller .

 

I don't think that numbered list style articles is the sole preserve of Model Rail although this latest issue is rather heavy with it. I don't see a lot of contrast between titles these days. They all seem to have got brasher, more marketing led and possibly slicker. They're all trying to survive in an increasingly competitive environment.

 

I get the impression that most magazines, including the majority of model railways ones, have, over the years, effectively reduced reading content and word count for more and larger images. It's probably due to the reduced appetite for reading, a growing preference for sensational sound bites and simple headline articles, and an attention deficiency where everyone want quicker and more flitting experiences - the butterfly syndrome. 

 

Probably the only model railway magazine not to have succumbed is MRJ. 

 

 

[Chris M]

As there are two photos of my layout in this edition I think it is a great magazine!

 

I do rate Chris Nevard's photos. Steve Flint and Mike Wild are great photographers but I think Chris just about has the edge. I don't know who takes the photos for BRM so I can't include BRM.

 

In fact BRM is the only one of the "big four" magazines to not have photographed my old layout but I don't take it personally

[Butler Henderson]

Quite noticeable I believe this is the first ever issue without any model being reviewed.

[Chris M]

13 minutes ago, grahame said:

 

I don't think that numbered list style articles is the sole preserve of Model Rail although this latest issue is rather heavy with it. I don't see a lot of contrast between titles these days. They all seem to have got brasher, more marketing led and possibly slicker. They're all trying to survive in an increasingly competitive environment.

 

I get the impression that most magazines, including the majority of model railways ones, have, over the years, effectively reduced reading content and word count for more and larger images. It's probably due to the reduced appetite for reading, a growing preference for sensational sound bites and simple headline articles, and an attention deficiency where everyone want quicker and more flitting experiences - the butterfly syndrome. 

 

Probably the only model railway magazine not to have succumbed is MRJ. 

 

 

Maybe the photos are more prominent because the editor is also the main photographer for the magazine.

[grahame]

5 minutes ago, Chris M said:

 

I do rate Chris Nevard's photos. Steve Flint and Mike Wild are great photographers but I think Chris just about has the edge. I don't know who takes the photos for BRM so I can't include BRM.

 

 

Model photography in all the model railway magazines has, without doubt, improved over the years. But as well as the photographers skills and techniques so too has photographic and printing technology improved such digital capture, image stacking, computer enhancing, etc.

 

 

 

 

[AY Mod]

19 minutes ago, Chris M said:

I don't know who takes the photos for BRM

 

Pay attention at the back of the class. You didn't read any of the free layout article content we had at the weekend? 

[pirouets]

26 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

Pay attention at the back of the class

Ohhh, ain't that nice. After all these years he still thinks he control the class :-)

[Chris M]

29 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Pay attention at the back of the class. You didn't read any of the free layout article content we had at the weekend? 

Did something happen over the weekend then?

[AY Mod]

4 minutes ago, Chris M said:

Did something happen over the weekend then?

 

I trust that comment is in jest.

[Chris M]

8 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

I trust that comment is in jest.

 

Of course. Although I have to confess to not dipping in to it. I was tempted but somehow didn't get round to it. In a way I feel a bit guilty because I'm sure a vast amount of thought and effort went into it.

[Anadin Dogwalker]

Model rail does have an annoying habit of recycling articles, Paul Lunn's stuff in particular. Do they expect us not to notice?  I really like what he does but I'd like to see new plans. His plan's style of compression is as instantly recognisable as Chris Nevards layouts.  I've not got the new issue yet but recognise the Jones Goods from 2012ish. You'd have though they'd have more time on their hands.

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, Anadin Dogwalker said:

You'd have though they'd have more time on their hands.

 

That's poor form; everyone has had limitations as to what's been possible in the last four months.

[Guest Half-full]

1 hour ago, Anadin Dogwalker said:

Model rail does have an annoying habit of recycling articles, Paul Lunn's stuff in particular. Do they expect us not to notice?  I really like what he does but I'd like to see new plans. His plan's style of compression is as instantly recognisable as Chris Nevards layouts.  I've not got the new issue yet but recognise the Jones Goods from 2012ish. You'd have though they'd have more time on their hands.

DId you submit any articles for them to publish when you had more time on your hands?

[dibber25]

More time on our hands? Yes. But you can't do a lot with time if you can't pop out and buy the stuff you need, if you don't know whether review samples are stuck somewhere in the system because your post room is closed etc, if everything takes several times longer to do because you're working under unprecedented conditions. I find that comment deeply insulting, actually - a case of someone who has nothing to do with his time except snipe. This was the first - and only - issue produced totally under lockdown conditions. In all that spare time that I had I built a Scottish castle from scratch (had to wait a week for materials because even Amazon couldn't cope any quicker) and produced about 10 pages of content and my colleagues did similarly, from lock-down locations spread between Newcastle and Guildford. I also produced a 4pp review but due to having to post the model off for photography I couldn't turn that around in time. If you didn't enjoy the issue, fair enough, say so by all means but don't make smart remarks about people who did a difficult job under very exceptional circumstances. (CJL)

[4630]

Considering the lockdown conditions under which this issue of MR would have been prepared and gone to press, the fact that its been printed with pretty much the usual content and number of pages, and has been distributed on time is a great team effort.  I for one am grateful to have received my copy.

 

As it happens in my opinion, from my observation, both RM and BRM have also worked pretty darned hard to produce as normal a magazine as possible over the last couple of months. 

[Chris M]

That's an impressive castle made in a short time.

[bubbles2]

Model Rail is the only mag that our post person hands me ever month and the main reason I keep buying it is Chris Leigh or dibbers25 as he is on here, any articles with (CJL) at the end will be the first to be read, I know Chrises favourites will keep popping up, DMU bubbles cars, the Biddeford Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, the Lynton and Barnstaple the Staines branch....... the list goes on.  I have followed Chris in the model press since Model Railway Constructor days and have many of his books, even one he signed for me, so don’t retire Chris the model press would be so much poorer without your input.

[dibber25]

13 minutes ago, bubbles2 said:

Model Rail is the only mag that our post person hands me ever month and the main reason I keep buying it is Chris Leigh or dibbers25 as he is on here, any articles with (CJL) at the end will be the first to be read, I know Chrises favourites will keep popping up, DMU bubbles cars, the Biddeford Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, the Lynton and Barnstaple the Staines branch....... the list goes on.  I have followed Chris in the model press since Model Railway Constructor days and have many of his books, even one he signed for me, so don’t retire Chris the model press would be so much poorer without your input.

Thank you for those kind comments. The lockdown hasn't been kind to my health and the recent weather here in the east has stopped me getting enough exercise. One of the things which is happening because of lock-down (I'm 73 and vulnerable so I'm on my 16th week now) is that stuff happens in fits and starts. We had nothing to review, then I receive Bachmann's DMU (direct to my home from Bachmann) and since T4U opened again, I've been able to get hold of a Hornby Prairie and a Dapol 29 to review, and support our local retailer, too. I know other members of the team have locos to review, too. I read recently that 1.5million people have listed model-making as one of the things that has got them through lock-down. At least some of those will be railway modellers, no doubt, so it should be seen as encouraging news for all our magazines. We are rivals but we'll all have been facing similar problems. (CJL)

[swisspeat]

I would like to reiterate the comments made by bubbles2.

 

I have long admired Chris Leigh’s contribution to the hobby and long before 

I started to contribute to the magazine I bought both the MRC and Chris’s books on GWR stations.

 

The hobby would have been a lot poorer had not Chris recoded what was happening on GWR branchlines before most of them disappeared.

 

Chris has worked tirelessly for the hobby for decades.

 

Thank you Chris!

 

kind regards,

 

Peter

[dibber25]

You're very welcome, Peter. I've always enjoyed what I've done. We're still scheduled to have that contest over whose method of doing plaster sheet is best! (CJL)