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Model Rail 213 September 2015


dibber25

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I have no objection to the number of items reviewed, just the amount of space for each. It seems the norm now to have more than 2 pages for any new loco, but it seems to be mainly the UK interest magazines. Almost as though, one does it so the others follow. This can make the magazines look a bit similar when you casually look through.

Apart from the lack of drawings, I think the mix is just about right, with plenty of 'how to do' articles.

One type of product I have not seen in the magazines is laser cut kits, in particular the LCUT ones. I bought a few pieces, and used the windows with my own brickwork (I needed a different brick bond), and they are a good middle ground between printed kits and plastic or resin kits. Being modular, they are also highly adaptable. I only recently discovered LCUT, so it is possible they have been written about before I started buying more UK magazines.

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I have no objection to the number of items reviewed, just the amount of space for each. It seems the norm now to have more than 2 pages for any new loco, but it seems to be mainly the UK interest magazines. Almost as though, one does it so the others follow. This can make the magazines look a bit similar when you casually look through.

Apart from the lack of drawings, I think the mix is just about right, with plenty of 'how to do' articles.

One type of product I have not seen in the magazines is laser cut kits, in particular the LCUT ones. I bought a few pieces, and used the windows with my own brickwork (I needed a different brick bond), and they are a good middle ground between printed kits and plastic or resin kits. Being modular, they are also highly adaptable. I only recently discovered LCUT, so it is possible they have been written about before I started buying more UK magazines.

Have not come across LCUT kits and I don't think we've ever seen anything for review. I have a couple of small laser cut items (Metcalfe and Ancorton) which I built and wrote up but I don't think I've ever put them through for publication. I'll investigate when I'm next in the office. I also have an 'O' gauge Tetbury station kit that I bought several years ago but it is stuck in the queue for building as it was a personal purchase and not a review item as such. Don't forget that some of the items covered by George and Peter in Workbench, in the 'Test' feature are also reviews. 

CHRIS LEIGH

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Chris, I feared that might be the case. I only discovered them because they advertised in BRM. Have only bought a few pieces, but service is very good. LCUT have been at some of the big shows as well, most recently the one at the Great Central Railway.  I have no connection with them apart from being a satified customer. Website here   http://www.lcut.co.uk/index.php?page=pages/main&title=Main  

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A very good issue indeed. The article on canals by CJL himself was very neat and crisp and much of it could be applied to urban railways generally. Richard Fosters

'Britains Great Hidden Railways' was excellent, first class, and should be a regular feature ...there are more of these than people realise and the Forest of Dean is popular

with many of us western diesel fans, and not quite as ' hidden'  as Richard thinks. Other good ones would be like the Kircaldy Harbour branch- great shot of an 05 Hunslet

in 'Diesel Days Scotland' on P.42

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A very good issue indeed. The article on canals by CJL himself was very neat and crisp and much of it could be applied to urban railways generally. Richard Fosters

'Britains Great Hidden Railways' was excellent, first class, and should be a regular feature ...there are more of these than people realise and the Forest of Dean is popular

with many of us western diesel fans, and not quite as ' hidden'  as Richard thinks. Other good ones would be like the Kircaldy Harbour branch- great shot of an 05 Hunslet

in 'Diesel Days Scotland' on P.42

I think we could have filled the whole mag with all the lines that we wanted to include. I always felt that this one would be for the folk who didn't appreciate the London issue and for those of us who liked both. We've got lots more different ideas up our sleeve yet - keep watching.

CHRIS LEIGH

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Chris, has there being any delays with subs issues going out as not had anything in the post yet over here in the IOM or do I need to get onto the office?

Thanks for any help.

Mike

I'm not aware of any subs problems - in fact some subscribers had their copies before we got ours! There does seem to have been a problem with shop copies in the West of Devon and Cornwall, however, and that is being investigated.

CHRIS LEIGH

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I really enjoyed MR again this month - particularly the Hidden Railways location photographs, "Going Green" the article about modelling overgrown lines and step by step photographic guide on building Salescenes' kits. 

 

The thing that now lets this publication down is the quality of the paper. It's very thin and wavy.  I have kept every single copy of my Model Rail's since issue No.1 in Autumn 1997 (18 years ago - hard to believe!) and often get much pleasure in dipping into back issues.  But the paper quality has really gone downhill.  It used to be good.

 

My friend and I buy four monthly titles between us and swap.  BRM, Hornby Magazine and Railway Modeller are all printed on nice heavy glossy paper.  I know the others are 20-25p more but I'd rather pay that little bit extra for a publication I am going to keep.

 

My wife's weekly "throw away" Bella (also Bauer) is printed on the same type of paper as MR.

 

The content of Model Rail deserves better.   

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I really enjoyed MR again this month - particularly the Hidden Railways location photographs, "Going Green" the article about modelling overgrown lines and step by step photographic guide on building Salescenes' kits. 

 

The thing that now lets this publication down is the quality of the paper. It's very thin and wavy.  I have kept every single copy of my Model Rail's since issue No.1 in Autumn 1997 (18 years ago - hard to believe!) and often get much pleasure in dipping into back issues.  But the paper quality has really gone downhill.  It used to be good.

 

My friend and I buy four monthly titles between us and swap.  BRM, Hornby Magazine and Railway Modeller are all printed on nice heavy glossy paper.  I know the others are 20-25p more but I'd rather pay that little bit extra for a publication I am going to keep.

 

My wife's weekly "throw away" Bella (also Bauer) is printed on the same type of paper as MR.

 

The content of Model Rail deserves better.   

Bella and Model Rail - and dozens of other titles in the Bauer stable - are all printed on similar paper because, with the huge quantities of paper we use, it keeps costs down if they are all on the same stock.

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I was disappointed to see in "Build better baseboards" that the wood list includes Sundeala. I was under the impression that people who know about making baseboards avoid Sundeala, for two reasons; (1) it's only really fit for making notice boards, and (2) it's expensive. In fact my local timber merchant will sell you a sheet of Latvian Birch Plywood cheaper than the same-size sheet of Sundeala.

In defence of Sundeala.  I used it, and am delighted with it.  Admittedly I am lucky enough to have my layout in a spare bedroom which does not suffer extremes of temperature and humidity.

 

You need to follow Sundeala's instructions carefully, especially with regard to priming it properly.  Also it needs to be braced, glued and pinned at the distances recommended by the manufacturer. 

 

I was surprised that information was not mentioned in the article. 

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