don Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Well after 20 odd years of producing this excellent publication number 118 will be the last,as the editor Chris Ellis is hanging up his typewriter on health grounds. Chris has done a masterly job of keeping this limited production magazine on the shelves through its ups and downs and checkered history. It started as Airfix Modeler magazine,then became Scale Trains under Palitoy and finally rescued by Chris and published in limited numbers to just few model shops and a dedicated readership. The magazine was a haven for people with limited space and short pockets!!! After edition number 118 it will not be forgotten, i regularly bring my copies out for refferance and inspiration. MTI, RIP. Don. PS.i hope the forum carries on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Sad but true. The only UK magazine I have thought worth having a sub for and I shall miss it. I owe a huge debt to Chris Ellis for his influence on my modelling over the years. Have a good 'retirement' Chris! steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweasel Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 'tis a shame that. I haven't bought it on a regular basis,but it was always a useful reference for any off the wall projects. Good luck for the future Chris. You won't be forgotten. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Dickerson Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 That's sad news - it was a mixture of RM's article on Bredon and AM's and MT's Willow Valley Railway that inspired my first proper layout. MTI and its antecedents introduced me to micro-layouts, US shortlines and H0 generally, and was always a good read even when I was at my most British 00 obsessive. With wishes of good luck and many thanks... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbb Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Very sad indeed. Chris Ellis always showed in practical terms that you did not need big space,or big money to build an interesting and enjoyable model railway. In fact you did not need to be skilled either, nor did the trains have to go round in circles. What was important was that you had ago and enjoyed yourself. I certainly did partly due to the magazines that he edited so entertainingly. He will be missed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 It's all Chris Ellis's fault I am mainly interested in US Railroads. His modelling approach was the Antidote to huge "Railway of the Month" & American Basement Empire edifices, & his explanations of Short Lines, & introductions to American HO model loco standards, which 30 years ago were light-years ahead of British OO and very much cheaper, were total eye-openers, & never since then have I been able to understand the extremely blinkered view of many UK modellers who never even pass a glance at any model layout set beyond these shores. Thanks Chris, you have been inspirational. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadoak Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I agree wholeheartedly with everything Jordan has said. I'm sure I wouldn't have started in American short line modelling without Chris Ellis sowing the seeds of interest in the first place. Thanks Chris enjoy your retirement. Peter M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I don't want to be negative... But is this not just another example of one man's willpower and ingenuity keeping something alive which otherwise would have succumbed long ago. I wonder how many other products/journals/etc are also teetering on the brink of being discontinued? It is probably a natural process of us all getting older and things going in and out of fashion. If the market was there someone would be along to pick up the baton and fight on with it, perhaps there just isn't sufficient demand (internet, more corporate magazines, playing their part) niches just don't survive so well. Anyway I hope Chris Ellis's health improves or at least stabilises to enjoy many years of retirement and less worry and stress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted March 9, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2015 I don't want to be negative... But is this not just another example of one man's willpower and ingenuity keeping something alive which otherwise would have succumbed long ago. I wonder how many other products/journals/etc are also teetering on the brink of being discontinued? It is probably a natural process of us all getting older and things going in and out of fashion. If the market was there someone would be along to pick up the baton and fight on with it, perhaps there just isn't sufficient demand (internet, more corporate magazines, playing their part) niches just don't survive so well. Anyway I hope Chris Ellis's health improves or at least stabilises to enjoy many years of retirement and less worry and stress. A lot of truth there, Kenton. A large number of kit manufacturers have disappeared, seemingly forever. Some of them were not very good to say the least, but others were excellent kits, but the tooling has been lost or destroyed. An example of the latter is Three Aitch (3H) kits. Some of these suppliers hang around until the owner retires or worse, then gone forever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 It's all Chris Ellis's fault I am mainly interested in US Railroads. His modelling approach was the Antidote to huge "Railway of the Month" & American Basement Empire edifices, & his explanations of Short Lines, & introductions to American HO model loco standards, which 30 years ago were light-years ahead of British OO and very much cheaper, were total eye-openers, & never since then have I been able to understand the extremely blinkered view of many UK modellers who never even pass a glance at any model layout set beyond these shores. Thanks Chris, you have been inspirational. Hear hear! Sadly, that blinkered view is not only here to stay, I wonder if it is actually getting worse? I had one "friend" who more or less appreciated that Bachmann popped a US style mechanism into their early British diesel models, then actually fell out with me when I said "I'm doing American for a bit"! Obviously, I'm better off without "friends" like that but, how blinkered? Equally, the short length of this very topic is also indicative of this fact. Have a long and fulfilling retirement Chris, I really hope your health improves. John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Through it's various incarnations this magazine was the only one to fly the flag for British H0 and was largely responsible for a renewed interest in the scale which led to the formation of the British 1:87 Scale Society twenty-odd years ago. It is also the only magazine in which one of my pics has made the front cover! I actually stopped subscribing to the magazine some time ago but Chris has published some interesting articles on lesser-known prototype locations over the years as well as promoting various minority scales. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 This is sad though not unexpected news as Chris told me the last time I met him that he wasn't going to continue it for much longer. I've subscribed to MTI ever since Chris launched it after the closure of Scale Model Trains and have even written a few articles for it. The great thing about the magazine and its predecessors edited by Chris, has alway been its inclusiveness with layouts based on American, French and even mythical Caribbean island prototypes rubbing shoulders with Great Western branch lines. It also always embraced the idea of layouts that anyone could build rather than only admire from afar. MTI was refreshingly different from any of the other magazines, perhaps because it wasn't the glossy product of a major publishing house, and I hope there may be some way to keep its spirit alive via the internet, perhaps via the MTI website. I certainly join in wishing Chris a long and happy retirement and look forward to seeing him soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I don't want to be negative... But is this not just another example of one man's willpower and ingenuity keeping something alive which otherwise would have succumbed long ago. I wonder how many other products/journals/etc are also teetering on the brink of being discontinued? It is probably a natural process of us all getting older and things going in and out of fashion. If the market was there someone would be along to pick up the baton and fight on with it, perhaps there just isn't sufficient demand (internet, more corporate magazines, playing their part) niches just don't survive so well. . To some extent MTI was more than just a "one man show" - several people, who had worked on the previous incarnations, stayed with Chris to help produce it, & it was financed mainly by the subscriptions of it's readers, some of whom were also instrumental in getting it going after the takeover & demise of SMT. But yes Chris was the main driving force, and it is true that times change, & for now the printed magazine itself will stop, although the Forum - quiet as it is - will continue, & there is talk on there of doing something akin to MTI but online.Times change in the hobby too, & certain 'niches' MTI covered have altered, so it is true the 'gap' filled by MTI has closed to some extent, although as mentioned by others it did cover all - International - railway subjects. The 'blinkered' view of many is reflected in the 'big Four' UK mags; Chris Leigh has testified elsewhere to the howls of protest when Model Rail did some "Foreign" articles. But British model standards have finally caught up with American models, which in turn have moved on and there is no longer such a big price gap between the two either. The "Mainstream" mags have come around to the idea of small & 'micro' layouts now, & regularly publish stuff they would have scoffed at years ago. Some of Chris's techniques such as "bogus ballasting" are, to be honest, not that convincing, but it is only with his retirement announcement that I for one found out his general state of health. I only hope I can be anywhere near as active in the hobby as he is when/if I reach my late 70s. I own Chris's original Atlas O Plymouth Switcher, which he sold me a few years ago, lettered for his Fair Weather Railway temporary O in the garden. I am immensely proud to have it, & it now is DCC fitted, so still in use. My little bit of MT/SMT/MTI living history.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wintonian Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 As a subscriber for a few years, I felt sad at the forthcoming demise, when I read the announcment by Chris in the recently received MTI. Its like loosing an old friend. I felt the same about Meccano Magazine, Model Railway News and Model Railway Constructor when they went. Best Wishes to Chris for a long & happy retirement and many thanks for opening my mind to some wonderful ideas for simple,small, quick build layouts. I look forward to the forthcoming books that he intends to write. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcltel Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I remember Chris Ellis from the old Airfix Magazine days back in the 60s, he always plugged very many different types of modelling there. I wasn't aware of this mag as I am a fairly recent convert to railway modelling but I can see what a wide range of interest it would cover. I model LNER and American but I have an LMS Garratt as I love articulated locos and I can't understand the contempt some people have for foreign lines (or even British ones they don't model). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyboy Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I'm quite saddened to hear this, although I'm surprised that it has lasted this long to be honest. Even though the magazine may not have had as much content as most of its rivals, I always used to find more inspiration in most issues than I did in a years worth of Railway Modellers. They used to have proper reviews of models as well and not just the usual "it will improve with running in" rubbish that you'd get elsewhere. Also I liked the way that they covered interesting foreign prototypes and showed you exactly how you could recreate it using RTR products. In fact unlike it's rival, I always felt that the magazine truly was "for the average modeller". I think we'll all miss Chris's contribution to the modelling world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Just like to add my best wishes to Chris for the future. Way back when, he published some of my ramblings in Scale Model Trains. His help then was much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted March 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 21, 2015 Just like to add my best wishes to Chris for the future. Way back when, he published some of my ramblings in Scale Model Trains. His help then was much appreciated. Don't know about 'ramblings', but I always thought your articles (in various magazines) were well thought out & informative, especially as to regard workings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 21, 2015 I first came across Chris Ellis (& Michael Andress doing 009) with Airfix Magazine in the early 70s, then Scale Trains & MTI. what they did was show what you could do with plastic modeling, you didn't have to be an expert soldering complex brass kits etc, which I still find uninteresting to read about. Lots of ideas & inspirations, thanks. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 ..... I wonder how many other products/journals/etc are also teetering on the brink of being discontinued? .... Just ask Modelling Railways Illustrated and, er, RailModel Digest.....oh wait....hang on..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Can I just post Chris' thanks for the posts - I've been doing some work with him for many years , and will be sad to see the last issue - some model railway small layout books are being considered - card cover and around 40 pages -There is also a possibility of a version of the magazine continuing - see the Model Trains Interactive forum http://forum.mtimag.co.uk/index.php Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violets49 Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Sorry to hear that MTI has folded. Actually i thought it had folded years ago. I was a subscriber and had just renewed my subscription when the magazines stopped. I always meant to enquire but never got around to it as at the time I had other issues in my life. Anyway, what brought it to mind was that fed up waiting for the new Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-2Tanks with the revised chassis, and wanting to fit Kaydees, I happened to chance on a narticle in MTI 16 which gave instructions to fit Kaydees to British stock without NEM362 pockets. Problem solved and just one of the useful articles that were to be found in SMT and MTI. Best wishes to chris Ellis and hopes for a long retirement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcollyer Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Very sad, Chris did a wonderful job keeping the magazine going, read it going back to the Airfix days, still have the first edition of Scale Trains, subscribed to MTI for the final two years or so Enjoy your retirement Chris, you have done a Lot for the hobby over many years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 1st new book from Chris, "Small Layouts" is due from the printers tomorrow, 2nd on "Shortlines" is due in the fall.http://forum.mtimag.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1896 For further info see http://forum.mtimag.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1896 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted June 21, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2015 Afraid you can't access those links without a login.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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