Wright writes.....

[grahame]

10 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Now, in terms of constructional articles, I do find the modern picture-heavy style easier to follow than the text-heavy approach, in the sense that it is much easier to see what the words are meant to be describing - especially if there's a big helpful arrow pointing at the part being mentioned.  A nearly-all-words article that says "position the sprocket wangler carefully behind the widget futtock" is not much help to a modeller who doesn't explicitly know what either looks like, let alone what they do.  So some change is undoubtedly for the better!

 

Yep, agree, although annotating photos/diagrams, which is easy to do with digital images, is something model mags often fail to do. They have a caption, often short, for the image of the "sprocket wangler fitted to the widget futtock" but fail to have a couple of arrows or identification letters/numbers indicating which is which.

 

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

44 minutes ago, westerner said:

"Harlyn Junction" which inspired me to have a go at Railway modelling

And still one of the best in my opinion.

[cctransuk]

3 hours ago, PMP said:

Genuine Q., What articles do you actually want to read?

Please try and be specific and give an example of one that would make you part with a fiver for that one article.

 

Simple : -

 

i] a build of a loco kit - with particular reference to the deficiencies of the kit; and how to improve it to achieve better performance and detail;

 

ii] similar, with reference to coaching stock and NPCCS - with reference to adapting the kit to cover variants not specifically covered by the kit;

 

iii] similar, with reference to wagons.

 

I could go on - but that would do for starters.

 

Contrary to what is portrayed in the model railway press, kits are still widely available; indeed new ones are being introduced. It astonishes me that, whenever a new RTR item is announced, there is an outcry of "Well I won't be buying it because they haven't produced the one that had different windscreen wipers"; or some such inanity!

 

John Isherwood.

[Wheatley]

Articles I have enjoyed recently are Ian Nuttall's series in RM about his various train formations on Dentdale, and the origins of the models in them. Also pretty much anything about Trevor Potts' "Churston", usually in MRJ, despite my normally having no interest whatsoever in the Great Western. They are well written and well researched, and fun to read. 

[cctransuk]

3 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

I certainly would not get away with that! Fair play.

 

Your eye would water a some of the Prices I have been given, Worse now. €6.95 it will cost me per UK item at least even for a little bag of Brass Bearings or Say Southern Head code discs.

 

Not much different to here in the UK then - the answer is a bit of planned purchasing so that the P&P is spread over a number of items.

 

John Isherwood.

[Craigw]

3 hours ago, PMP said:

 

 

Genuine Q., What articles do you actually want to read?
Please try and be specific and give an example of one that would make you part with a fiver for that one article.

 

 

 

My favourite articles have always been the kit and scratchbuilding articles in MRJ by the Late Guy Williams and the Late John Hayes.  The articles on building the Slaters Toplight (GW) and building Colorado (Finney A3 by JH) are inspiring, informative and beautifully written.

 

Would that approach work in any of the mainstream magazines now? I doubt it though even MRJ does not quite have that approach anymore.

 

I subscribe to MRJ and NG&I in paper form and BRM in digital format - along with AFV modeller. I happen to think that the layout and approach of AFV modeller is better, more inspiring and informative.

 

Regards,

 

Craig W 

 

 

[johndon]

2 minutes ago, Craigw said:

along with AFV modeller. I happen to think that the layout and approach of AFV modeller is better, more inspiring and informative.

 

 

Agreed, when I took a rather long break from railway modelling, I built a number of AFVs and it was my magazine of choice.

[Paddy]

2 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Jol,

 

Haven't some people always tended to value themselves and others by what they buy/own, rather than what they actually do?

 

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my elder son always gets a bit fed up when he takes his scabby, 50 year old E-Type Jag to rallies (or did), only to have it stand alongside a mint example. And what has the owner of the prize specimen done? Paid someone else to restore it, yet Tom is rebuilding his from the ground up, by himself. 

 

I've come across the same thing in railway modelling. One visitor one day proudly announced he had 'more locos' than I had. I didn't dispute it, but every one, whether it be kit/scratch-built or modified RTR, was the work of others. My response was 'So what, I've made all mine!'. He didn't answer. More recently, he's expressed 'regret' that soon anyone will be able to have a BR W1, with Hornby's just on the horizon. Yet his has nothing of his work in it; it's just paid for. 

 

I accept that not all can build models to the standard they insist upon, and they're free to spend their money as they wish (in fairness, keeping professionals in business), but it came across as being boastful. Something I abhor. 

 

And, please don't get me going on golf (which I also abhor) or photographers......................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Hi Tony,

 

Your musings seem to indicate that you have some rather rude people visiting LB.  I am surprised you bother wasting your time on such folks.  Personally, I would have thought anyone would be honoured to see LB in the “flesh” and spend time in your company.

 

Kind regards

 

Paddy

[Clive Mortimore]

4 hours ago, PMP said:

 

 

Genuine Q., What articles do you actually want to read?
Please try and be specific and give an example of one that would make you part with a fiver for that one article.

 

 

Hi Paul

 

I will be honest and say I don't know.

 

Will magazines be a thing of the past very soon? Most people these days are familiar with the interweb and have found forums like this where people exchange ideas, information, modelling techniques etc. They update what they are doing (or not doing in my case) on their layouts, so we can all see it grow, from 1/2 inch chipboard on 2 by 1 timbers to in the builders eye looks like the railway they wanted to recreate. To me that is much better than a set of photos and a brief description of the layout. Thankfully many people are helpful if someone ask for help, something the letters page of a magazine has not always been useful.

 

In the past I use to like articles that related to what I was modelling at the time. I use to have my local news agent save a few titles every month. Unemployment back in 1980s meant I only purchased a magazine if there was article in it for me something, I still do.  To save space I use to remove them and place them into folders of the subject they related to. Adverts for cheap Tri-ang Brush Type Twos might be of sentimental value for some not me, so the rest of the magazine goes off to be recycled. For many years this has become something I rarely do as repeated information and not always as accurate as has been published before doesn't interest me, but new stuff on the railways of the 60s will eventually start to run out. May be that is where we are now is there less new stuff for the readership (or is it just me)? Very few layout articles are in my collection, and most of them are ones written by my mates.

 

It has been mentioned how many layout articles were written to the same formula. When I wrote an article of my first Pig Lane layout I went out of my way not to describe in detail how badly it was built, I even left out what size it was. At one show a chap turned up with a tape measure because he wanted to build something similar. I hope he did and enjoyed running it.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Clive Mortimore

[robmcg]

3 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

 

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my elder son always gets a bit fed up when he takes his scabby, 50 year old E-Type Jag to rallies (or did), only to have it stand alongside a mint example. And what has the owner of the prize specimen done? Paid someone else to restore it, yet Tom is rebuilding his from the ground up, by himself. 

 

 

I haven't had my Jaguar restorations compared to 'professionally-restored' examples, but I have rebuilt several, one from the ground up, of which I was rather proud because of being paralysed from the chest down, but completely physically independent, building my own benches and so on...   something of a parallel to the do it yourself modelling advocate around here!  FWIW I have been a T5 paraplegic since 1974 when I crashed a Triumph Daytona at speed, no Japanese bikes for me, and have since after a medical accident lost much of the use of my right arm and hand but am 'somewhat' independent in everyday things. 

 

For railway modelling however I simply prefer to open boxes and as many know, use photos of the models in fantasy digital pictures. This a what model railways have meant to me since I was 4. Fantasy...   suspension of disbelief, 

 

I assure you however that lifting a Jaguar Mk I 3.4 rear axle into position while lying on concrete is not impossible when you are paralysed, I have done it.

 

Yes the engine compartment should be body colour or black, and the engine bloch black...

 

 

 

 

 

but just to get back on track, everything the independent modeller avoids...  false smoke, edited pictures, ah well back to box-opening

 

 

Thank you RTR manufacturers.   Apologies for thread drift,  the reference to Tony's son  Tom's E type hit a nerve.

 

 

[john new]

10 hours ago, chrisf said:

The extent to which today's magazines set the agenda for or reflect the interests of their readers is a moot point.  For me, one unwelcome development is the addition of steam to photographs of model steam locomotives.   For goodness sake stop!  It is a waste of effort and an insult to the intelligence of the readership.

 

Chris

Fully concur.

[Steamport Southport]

15 hours ago, MikeTrice said:

It is not just magazines that have suffered this "dumbing down" (I think Your Model Railway started the trend). One of my pet hates is TV documentaries which start the episode telling you what is going to be covered for the rest of the program then when ad breaks occur have a "coming up" segment before the break, then a recap after the break and finally a "next time" at the end.

 

I quite liked YMR when I was a teenager just starting out in "proper" modelling. It was a bit more brash and modern. But I feel it was very 1980s style looking back. maybe it's a generational thing as I thought that quite a few of the others were very stale. Railway Modeller in particular.

 

Articles on subjects like building Ian Kirk coach kits and a very comprehensive build of a DJH Britannia over several issues.  It also still had the occasional old fashioned type of scratchbuilding article of the "Take one lathe" variety alongside the detailing Lima HST articles.

 

I don't know whether there was a change of editor but it suddenly started having a lot of articles about things such as garden railways, narrow gauge and a lot of foreign content. That's when I stopped buying it as there was very little of interest.

 

Some of the covers and list of contents here.

 

http://magazineexchange.co.uk/cw/Model-Railways-1985

 

 

Jason

[jrg1]

15 hours ago, Clearwater said:

 

The recent , and otherwise good, C5 Dan Snow documentary on the Dambusters did exactly that and drove even my 8 year old son barmy!  One of the advert breaks even promoted the programme we were actually watching which is, ahem, novel.

 

David

I thought it was just me becoming more and more annoyed at documentaries that are poorly produced, repetitive and Vacuous.  I am surprised that no-one mentioned my pet dislike-presenters who think they should get in the way of the subject taking up screen time with waffle, instead of staying in the background, and generally dumbing down.

I was looking forward to a documentary on Lincoln, and having watched most of it, gave up bored.  The TV documentaries of the sixties and seventies should be compulsive  viewing for presenters who feel they should give something of themselves.

[Ray Chessum]

21 hours ago, t-b-g said:

There ought to be a TV series about grumpy railway modellers moaning.

 

It could be called grumpy old gits but the Gauge O Guild might object to the use of their initials.

I think that you will find that the 'Grumpy Old Gits 'club is already in exisstance , it was formed by myself, Tony Wright and two other friends whilst operating LB a few years ago

[t-b-g]

28 minutes ago, Ray Chessum said:

I think that you will find that the 'Grumpy Old Gits 'club is already in exisstance , it was formed by myself, Tony Wright and two other friends whilst operating LB a few years ago

 

Sorry but Roy Jackson and the Retford mob were much earlier than that. We formed our grumpy old gits society when some us were still young!

[LNER4479]

Every generation blames the one before - when they're bright young things - and rubbishes the one that comes after - when they're grumpy old gits

 

'Twas ever thus

[St Enodoc]

4 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Every generation blames the one before - when they're bright young things - and rubbishes the one that comes after - when they're grumpy old gits

 

'Twas ever thus

You speak for yourself, you daft old booger...

[LNER4479]

26 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

You speak for yourself, you daft old booger...

Sorry - too busy modelling ...

[Jol Wilkinson]

11 hours ago, Craigw said:

 

My favourite articles have always been the kit and scratchbuilding articles in MRJ by the Late Guy Williams and the Late John Hayes.  The articles on building the Slaters Toplight (GW) and building Colorado (Finney A3 by JH) are inspiring, informative and beautifully written.

 

Would that approach work in any of the mainstream magazines now? I doubt it though even MRJ does not quite have that approach anymore.

 

I subscribe to MRJ and NG&I in paper form and BRM in digital format - along with AFV modeller. I happen to think that the layout and approach of AFV modeller is better, more inspiring and informative.

 

Regards,

 

Craig W 

 

 

 Craig,

 

I wonder whether the change in MRJ content may be due to a shortage of article writing volunteers putting themselves forward and the effect of guest editors.

 

The impact of social media may be that some potential writers choose to use forums or blogs to share their knowledge. They don't have to risk having their material edited of provide print quality photos and the number of "likes" they attract gives the ego a boost.

 

While different editors probably know and can invite modellers/writers form different "genres", I feel that MRJ  was at its best when it had a regular editor, such as Bob Barlow.

 

However MRJ remains my favorite magazine, I have the complete set in binders and find that picking out one and looking through it, no matter when published, invariably provides something to enlighten or inspire me.

 

Jol

[Compound2632]

22 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I wonder whether the change in MRJ content may be due to a shortage of article writing volunteers putting themselves forward and the effect of guest editors.

 

The impact of social media may be that some potential writers choose to use forums or blogs to share their knowledge. They don't have to risk having their material edited of provide print quality photos and the number of "likes" they attract gives the ego a boost.

 

Perhaps the editor(s) aren't looking widely enough? Scouring the forums looking for potentially interesting and appropriate material and inviting modellers to turn that material into magazine articles might prove rewarding.

[dibateg]

I fully concur with the comments regarding the annoying recapping  on documentaries - but the other thing that profoundly irritates me is the loud, dramatic and unnecessary music that often seems to drown out the narrator . Several times I've given up and turned over or off.....

 

I've though of a model one upmanship on Tony W - 'My engines are bigger than yours!' . Strange how people think..

 

My view is that there is room for everyone - from Hornby tinplate hurtling round to exquisitely detail models of the the highest standard. Not all model will interest me, but they all form some part of creative activity to a degree.

 

I was interested to see the discussion regarding Buckingham. I grew up when most of the layouts featured in the magazines were Great Western ( or it seemed to me ), there was very little North Eastern. The articles on Buckingham appeared, although it was not the era I am interested in, it was Great Central.... and I found it......wonderful. It was inspiring and still is and I'm so glad that Tony has custody of it. I have had opportunity to run it and that is something that I never would have though remotely possible in my youth.

 

Regards

Tony

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, dibateg said:

I've though of a model one upmanship on Tony W - 'My engines are bigger than yours!' . Strange how people think..

 

Sometimes "my engines are smaller than yours" is the bigger boast!

[APOLLO]

15 hours ago, PMP said:

Genuine Q., What articles do you actually want to read?
Please try and be specific and give an example of one that would make you part with a fiver for that one article.

 

For me I would like to read articles based on the following, as (fairly) regular features. (as well as featured layouts).

 

xxxxxxx (name location) A railway you could model. The American Model Railroader magazine  did this in many issues years ago (may still do). Picking either a location, stretch of line, or in the case of the USA an actual short line railroad (UK equivalent is a branch line) with photos / maps / track plans of the real thing followed by a suggested layout plan, relevant stock / structures etc. Articles like this have appeared in UK model railway press, Wigan central (in the Railway Modeler) some years ago had a very good article. The subject could be any time period, but the article specific to one. The way Model Railroader did it in the 60's & 70's was superb - some are up to a dozen pages long, most about 4 or 5. There is no shortage of interesting locations worth modelling in the UK.

 

Proprietary Modeler One for the box openers (sorry Tony !!) young (and not so young). This also was done quite well many moons ago by Railway Modeler. There were some very interesting layouts.

 

How to improve proprietary stock  Looking at visual, running, coupling etc  improvements. Both locos and stock, old and new. Lots to go at here.

 

Layout Operation Again lots to go at here. From simple operating themes / timetables to large ones with computerised operations etc. The Yanks are light years in advance of us in this aspect.

 

Real railway operation A complex subject, linked into the above, could be occasional article.

 

Bazzing around (Remember this series ? Model railway Constructor I think) - A particular subject (station, loco etc) was looked at photographically in great detail with sketches and ideas on how to reproduce it as a model. Perhaps a different name needed !

 

These from the top of my head, no doubt others can add more. Lets get the model press interesting again.

 

Brit15

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Anglian]

15 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my elder son always gets a bit fed up when he takes his scabby, 50 year old E-Type Jag to rallies (or did), only to have it stand alongside a mint example. And what has the owner of the prize specimen done? Paid someone else to restore it, yet Tom is rebuilding his from the ground up, by himself. 

 

I'm not sure that's really fair to other owners. 

 

My father and I are working through a painstaking total restoration of his classic that he has owned for 62 years. We've retained most of the original parts, only needing to replace five metal panels and part of the ash frame. It will be painted by a professional. The instruments are currently being recalibrated by a professional.

 

Once completed we'll take what will then appear to be a close to mint car to various shows and rallies. If somebody suggests that all we've done is gone out and bought it I will take great delight in telling them that they are very mistaken in their assumption. I'll also invite them to get under our car to see for themselves the level of detail that we've gone to.

 

In my experience of going to many classic car events I'd estimate about 1/3 of the owners I've spoken to have restored the car themselves, often to a high standard. Many more have owned and maintained their cars themselves for many years.

 

[resin001]

Tony - I look forward to your progress with the London Road Models J3 , I have just finished their N1 0-6-2T locomotive having started it back in March last year ! This was my first complete loco kit having only built loco chassis , comet coaches and MSE signals in the past . It was very challenging but i am very pleased with the end result and it runs very sweetly ( High Level Gearbox and Mitsumi motor )