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Model Rail No. 211 August 2015


dibber25

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Published on July 2

In this issue:

News: New product announcements from Bachmann and Hornby

'Model Rail's exclusive 'USA' 0-6-0T moves to tooling.

Reviews:

Farish 'N' 2-6-0 and Bachmann TPO

 

Layouts:

Lydgate (OO)

Paul Lunn colliery layout ideas

Olton Priors (Teddy Boston's OO layout is alive and well)

 

Features:

DRS resprays in 'O' gauge

DRS fleet profile

Behind colliery doors (prototype inspirations)

 

Workbench:

Build a coaling tower (Allan Downes)

Tony Kunzmann builds the High output ballast cleaner in OO

Cliff Thomas on how to make bespoke buildings

Steve Nall customises Cargowaggons

Build better scenery with Peter Marriott

 

All the regulars including Show & Tell and Q&A plus Backscene, but while the cat's away....

post-1062-0-34563800-1435764582_thumb.jpg

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Arrived today (not yet read - saving it for this evening as the colliery flavour articles look rather interesting)  but yet again not with Royal Mail but someone in a car; fascinating way of delivering the goods.

That reminds me. I need to get to the bottom of this.

CHRIS LEIGH

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Arrived today (not yet read - saving it for this evening as the colliery flavour articles look rather interesting)  but yet again not with Royal Mail but someone in a car; fascinating way of delivering the goods.

I've asked again but no one in our marketing department here knows anything about this. It may be something which either the Post Office or some other section of Bauer is trying out. If you receive any paperwork with the magazine, I'd be interested to see it. 

CHRIS LEIGH

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Slight variation between them I notice when taking the pics.  This is the one which came with the July issue - the mag plus this in a completely plain polybag

 

post-6859-0-87169100-1435936424_thumb.jpg

 

while this one came with the August issue, again a completely plain polybag but nothing about which issue it is on this one

 

post-6859-0-48784700-1435936439_thumb.jpg

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Slight variation between them I notice when taking the pics.  This is the one which came with the July issue - the mag plus this in a completely plain polybag

 

attachicon.gifDSCF8564.jpg

 

while this one came with the August issue, again a completely plain polybag but nothing about which issue it is on this one

 

attachicon.gifDSCF8565.JPG

Thanks, Mike. Right hand, left hand........

CHRIS LEIGH

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Steve Nall, Customises Cargowaggons

 

Steve poses a question in his article of,  " What are the rectangular bars,under the Cargowaggons' buffers' called ?",  Then let him know.

 

Published on July 2

In this issue:

News: New product announcements from Bachmann and Hornby

'Model Rail's exclusive 'USA' 0-6-0T moves to tooling.

Reviews:

Farish 'N' 2-6-0 and Bachmann TPO

 

Layouts:

Lydgate (OO)

Paul Lunn colliery layout ideas

Olton Priors (Teddy Boston's OO layout is alive and well)

 

Features:

DRS resprays in 'O' gauge

DRS fleet profile

Behind colliery doors (prototype inspirations)

 

Workbench:

Build a coaling tower (Allan Downes)

Tony Kunzmann builds the High output ballast cleaner in OO

Cliff Thomas on how to make bespoke buildings

Steve Nall customises Cargowaggons

Build better scenery with Peter Marriott

 

All the regulars including Show & Tell and Q&A plus Backscene, but while the cat's away....

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I'm told it is an alternative route to market which is being trialled in certain postcodes.

CHRIS LEIGH

Thanks Chris - perhaps in order to save you potential grief on here you could get the message to those trying the 'alternative route' that they need to match Royal Mail's standard of service as a minimum or this particular part of their 'market' will make sure that a very large potential market (i.e. those who read a certain website, albeit one sponsored by a competing mag) gets to hear about it.  Nowt wrong with change if it is for the better (for 'the market' that is).

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Thanks Chris - perhaps in order to save you potential grief on here you could get the message to those trying the 'alternative route' that they need to match Royal Mail's standard of service as a minimum or this particular part of their 'market' will make sure that a very large potential market (i.e. those who read a certain website, albeit one sponsored by a competing mag) gets to hear about it.  Nowt wrong with change if it is for the better (for 'the market' that is).

If it comes via this route, does it arrive before or after it would have arrived by Royal Mail? I'm assuming that if it proves to be as efficient as Royal Mail but cheaper, it'll be rolled out across all subscriptions, and if it doesn't, it won't. One things for certain - Model Rail won't be a special case. It'll either be all Bauer mags or none.

CHRIS LEIGH

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If it comes via this route, does it arrive before or after it would have arrived by Royal Mail? I'm assuming that if it proves to be as efficient as Royal Mail but cheaper, it'll be rolled out across all subscriptions, and if it doesn't, it won't. One things for certain - Model Rail won't be a special case. It'll either be all Bauer mags or none.

CHRIS LEIGH

The July issue was several days later than others were receiving their copies via Royal Mail (on the basis of what folk were posting on here about the contents).  But I get the impression (lack of other posts containing comments about the issue) that the August one was probably much more prompt and might even have beat Royal Mail.

 

I do appreciate however that it isn't entirely down to prompt (in my eyes) arrival but also 'quality'- i.e. delivered intact and with no damage.  As far as MR is concerned I have found that Royal Mail have always been spot on in that respect although 'Model Railroader' sometimes arrived in the past part opened. albeit undamaged.  Royal Mail are by no means perfect and we have had items go missing in the post including, quite recently, a CD of family photos but thus far all subscription magazines for any of the family have arrived in one piece irrespective of the method of packing (most come in polybags but one, which my daughter assists in editing, arrives in a plain envelope).

 

So basically fingers crossed to see if Royal Mail's standard and quality of service is maintained by the trial method?

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The July issue was several days later than others were receiving their copies via Royal Mail (on the basis of what folk were posting on here about the contents).  But I get the impression (lack of other posts containing comments about the issue) that the August one was probably much more prompt and might even have beat Royal Mail.

 

 

my august subs copy arrived via royal mail tuesday last week if that helps

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Theres something odd with the key to the colliery network plan, it only lists 32 features while the plan has 33. Seems that some feature on the plan numbered below 8 has been missed on the key with the result that thereafter all the items numbered on the plan are numbered one less on the key.

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Hi there, Many thanks for highlighting the problem.  I've checked the original script and it's ok on there.  Clearly something's gone wrong along the way as 'Yorkshire Tar Distillers' should be No. 1.  Readers should beware as this obviously puts all the numbers out of sync.  I'll mention it to Richard and see if we can put a note in the next issue.  Kind regards Paul

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I get mine delivered by the 'special route' (for some time now) and the impression is that it is a day or two later than it would have been by RM. It's difficult to ascertain for sure as I don't get two delivered (one by each method) to compare directly.

 

G

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Just read right through mine (delivered to France each 4 weeks with no problems at all) and one of the better editions - Lydgate hints and tips especially useful.

 

However....one of the articles symbolises much which has been criticised in the past. I was looking forward to the scratchbuild buldings article, as Cliff Thomas has serious skill in this field, but the article as presented just really gave some hints and tips, rather then serious step by step guidance, despite the sequential photos (some of which appear to be repeated). For example, the building he chose uses a complex roof construction, using an adjoining dormer roof for the 90 degs "extension" to the main. I searched in vain for how he works out how to do this, as I have a building to make with just such complications. Other significant steps were covered only fleetingly. I was thus was highly disappointed. I do have books on making buildings from scratch, but I was looking forward to Cliff's version. I realise such articles are limited by editorial space, but perhaps it is high time to review how such articles are dealt with - how much of the subject should they attempt to cover on one go? This one tried to cover too much in too little space.

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Just read right through mine (delivered to France each 4 weeks with no problems at all) and one of the better editions - Lydgate hints and tips especially useful.

 

However....one of the articles symbolises much which has been criticised in the past. I was looking forward to the scratchbuild buldings article, as Cliff Thomas has serious skill in this field, but the article as presented just really gave some hints and tips, rather then serious step by step guidance, despite the sequential photos (some of which appear to be repeated). For example, the building he chose uses a complex roof construction, using an adjoining dormer roof for the 90 degs "extension" to the main. I searched in vain for how he works out how to do this, as I have a building to make with just such complications. Other significant steps were covered only fleetingly. I was thus was highly disappointed. I do have books on making buildings from scratch, but I was looking forward to Cliff's version. I realise such articles are limited by editorial space, but perhaps it is high time to review how such articles are dealt with - how much of the subject should they attempt to cover on one go? This one tried to cover too much in too little space.

Comment forwarded to the Editor.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I am reluctant to criticise Model Rail, the magazine which I buy most frequently, and for which I feel great affection.  That said, I am becoming somewhat worried by the thinness of some of the articles.  Chris Leigh's piece on the 3D printed tram engine was a recent example - both enjoyable and useful, but not as useful as it could have been.  The lack of any mention of how the body and motor bogie went together was unfortunate, particularly for those like me who have found this problematic in other instances.

 

However, this article was positively encyclopaedic when compared to Allan Downes' piece on building a cenotaph tower in the last issue.  After advising the modeller to cut out four sides and glue on wooden legs it happily glossed over everything else in one sentence - 'the running rails, tub, cables and the like were scratch built from styrene sheet and Evergreen plastic sheet.'  Now Allan Downes is a great modeller, and most of his past articles in MR have been highly educative, but this 2-page piece was almost insulting in its brevity.

 

I don't want to pick on these two writers.  I merely want to make the argument that shortening explanatory articles to this degree is almost worse than useless, whether in Model Rail or any other magazine.  I suspect that editors are trying to pack too much into the available space, and would urge them to include fewer, more comprehensive pieces. 

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I am reluctant to criticise Model Rail, the magazine which I buy most frequently, and for which I feel great affection.  That said, I am becoming somewhat worried by the thinness of some of the articles.  Chris Leigh's piece on the 3D printed tram engine was a recent example - both enjoyable and useful, but not as useful as it could have been.  The lack of any mention of how the body and motor bogie went together was unfortunate, particularly for those like me who have found this problematic in other instances.

 

However, this article was positively encyclopaedic when compared to Allan Downes' piece on building a cenotaph tower in the last issue.  After advising the modeller to cut out four sides and glue on wooden legs it happily glossed over everything else in one sentence - 'the running rails, tub, cables and the like were scratch built from styrene sheet and Evergreen plastic sheet.'  Now Allan Downes is a great modeller, and most of his past articles in MR have been highly educative, but this 2-page piece was almost insulting in its brevity.

 

I don't want to pick on these two writers.  I merely want to make the argument that shortening explanatory articles to this degree is almost worse than useless, whether in Model Rail or any other magazine.  I suspect that editors are trying to pack too much into the available space, and would urge them to include fewer, more comprehensive pieces. 

Sorry, I didn't cover this because it was so simple. If you look at step 5 picture, there's a hole right in the middle. The motor bogie is supplied with a bogie pivot screw which goes through the hole and is tightened from the top. The toolbox (in Step 20) then plugs in on top of the screw. I think I did say that you need to be sparing with the glue on the roof incase you need to get the roof off to access the mounting screw. The article was thin because the job was so simple. The kit has very few parts and most of the work is required in painting and finishing.

CHRIS LEIGH

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 If you look at step 5 picture, there's a hole right in the middle. The motor bogie is supplied with a bogie pivot screw which goes through the hole and is tightened from the top. The toolbox (in Step 20) then plugs in on top of the screw. 

CHRIS LEIGH

 

Just including those three short sentences would have made all the difference Chris. It may be simple but you had the kit in front of you. I have been caught out at the motor bogie stage in the past on several kits where the instructions included were less than helpful (especially MTK kits), so, like Downer, I look for coverage of that in any such article. I can appreciate it is very hard to target the right level of info for an article - too much and you get criticised, too little and you get criticised. So please accept this as comment rather than critique!

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Just including those three short sentences would have made all the difference Chris. It may be simple but you had the kit in front of you. I have been caught out at the motor bogie stage in the past on several kits where the instructions included were less than helpful (especially MTK kits), so, like Downer, I look for coverage of that in any such article. I can appreciate it is very hard to target the right level of info for an article - too much and you get criticised, too little and you get criticised. So please accept this as comment rather than critique!

Sorry. I guess I got carried away by the simplicity of the whole job. I can understand that experience with MTK Kits might cause concern about this sort of thing but the kit in question is at the opposite end of the scale from MTK's efforts! It was difficult to know what to illustrate in the step-by-step because it's what we used to call a 'shake the box kit.' I'm willing to bet that if I describe and illustrate how to fit a motor bogie that mounts with one screw, someone on here will accuse me of dumbing down! Can't please all of the people all of the time. There's also a technical issue in that the step-by-step articles normally need to have 3,6,9, or 12 pictures for a page. If I go to a different quantity of pictures, I'll probably be asked by the designer to cut one out, so that the design fits the page. In that instance, the simplest step usually gets ditched. Anyway, next time, I'll try and include everything. 

CHRIS LEIGH

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