dibber25 Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Packed with practical features, advice, inspiration and real layout-building! News: - ‘USAs’ in colour. Our exclusive 0-6-0Ts are getting closer! Reviews: - Richard Foster examines Hornby’s ‘King’ 4-6-0. Layouts: - New Sodbury ('OO' modern image) - Hemyock (‘O’) Features: - Masterplan Movie Special: North West Frontier. Paul Lunn draws up a layout plan for a favourite movie. - Layout wiring: The fundamentals explained and demonstrated by George Dent and Dave Lowery. Install a Train-Tech illuminated buffer stop Chris Leigh builds a lattice girder bridge for his layout project. Peter Marriott makes budget balsa conifers. The dos and don’ts of building an incline. Make a ‘OO’ shed in 30 minutes. Inspirations George Dent reflects on gritty industrial landscapes, suggests some modelling and weathering techniques and assembles a scrap metal train. Workbench: Allan Downes builds and ‘vandalises’ a derelict factory. Make cliffs and a tunnel portal, with Peter Marriott. Regulars: Q&A, Show & Tell, Exhibition Diary, Backscene. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aberdare Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Well I shall be looking forward to reading this and and especially the 'O' gauge layout for obvious reasons. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted January 12, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 12, 2016 Interesting article about the film 'North West Frontier', not that I'm likely to be making a layout based on it, although there are some ingenious suggestions. I think I'd read that the railway scenes were filmed in Spain, but didn't realise some were also filmed in India, with different trains. I'll watch it with more interest, next time it's on TV! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oliver Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Just done a preliminary skim through this issue. I think devoting so many pages to "North West Frontier" is not a very good use of those pages. I like "Hemyock", is the name board on the ground frame intended to be a conversation starter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 14, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 14, 2016 I like "Hemyock", is the name board on the ground frame intended to be a conversation starter? Looks to me like a pretty good representation of the original. So do we now talk about nameboards on GWR ground frame buildings? (It also looks fairly typical of some of those.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oliver Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Have you looked closely at what the board says? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Have you looked closely at what the board says? If I'd noticed that when I read the page proofs, I'd have asked one of our Photoshop experts to 'fudge it' to save embarrassment. If you've ever seen the old British movie 'A Home of Your Own' you'll sympathise with the guy (Bernard Cribbins?) who who is chiselling the foundation stone and misses one letter out of the words 'public subscription'!! (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oliver Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Such things happen real life too. I used to maintain a water column on a major heritage railway. The column had LNER cast in relief with the E reversed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 14, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 14, 2016 Have you looked closely at what the board says? Maybe he thought he was modelling a Swindon broad gauge engine nameplate instead of a Reading works casting? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Todd Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Peter,has done a fair representation of Shakespeare Tunnel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47164 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Interesting topics covered, it's just a shame that the closing time for printing has missed a class 73 review, and the Bachmann container crane has been no where to be seen yet, and yet rail express reviewed it a couple of months ago . It used to be useful to see reviews in both mags in the same month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Interesting topics covered, it's just a shame that the closing time for printing has missed a class 73 review, and the Bachmann container crane has been no where to be seen yet, and yet rail express reviewed it a couple of months ago . It used to be useful to see reviews in both mags in the same month. The King and the 73 both have model of the month status, the King this time, the 73 next issue. It also gave time to accumulate three Class 73 samples in order to see just how widespread some of the issues mentioned on here actually are. I've now done the 73 review but when there's lots of adverse comment floating around, I prefer to examine as many samples as I can and be as thorough as I can. As far as I'm aware, we don't have a Bachmann container crane for review. If it is a Scenecraft item, they are not normally supplied for review. (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swisspeat Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Thanks very much David. I generally go to visit a location before modelling it but in this case things did not turn out and I modelled the tunnel portal from pictures on the www. Coincidentally 5 days after I had sent the words and pictures of the completed diorama to Model Rail I did travel through the tunnel. My next project is based in Derbyshire and I visited the location a couple of times before modelling it this time. Thanks for your video too. Kind regards Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 a good copy this month, plenty of inspiration, and pleased to see something not hemmed in by the Channel!. Hopefully this might signal more articles about 'foreign' railways, as some could learn a lot from looking beyond the horizon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Hopefully this might signal more articles about 'foreign' railways, as some could learn a lot from looking beyond the horizon. Hopefully not. I don't mind them showing the results of what has been learnt from looking further afield but if the mag gets any more stuffed with overseas content and 'inspiration' I'll be ending my subscription. It already seems to have dumped articles and layouts about N gauge. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt999 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 a good copy this month, plenty of inspiration, and pleased to see something not hemmed in by the Channel!. Hopefully this might signal more articles about 'foreign' railways, as some could learn a lot from looking beyond the horizon. Couldn't agree more.......Great Article by Paul Lunn and its nice to see something a bit different. Lets hope they do print some more 'variety' going forward! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Hopefully not. I don't mind them showing the results of what has been learnt from looking further afield but if the mag gets any more stuffed with overseas content and 'inspiration' I'll be ending my subscription. It already seems to have dumped articles and layouts about N gauge. G. We haven't dumped any articles about N gauge. Indeed, we never 'dump' articles. We're always happy to feature N gauge when we receive material from N gauge modellers. (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 We haven't dumped any articles about N gauge. Indeed, we never 'dump' articles. We're always happy to feature N gauge when we receive material from N gauge modellers. (CJL) It might not be policy but the snag is that it come across and appears that way - I can't remember when the last three N gauge layouts were featured in MR, yet RM seem to have had many more over the last six months. Surely it not just a matter of sitting back and waiting for material to be sent in? Layouts could be followed up from exhibitions and N gauge models featured more in the staff written specials. G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzine Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 It might not be policy but the snag is that it come across and appears that way - I can't remember when the last three N gauge layouts were featured in MR, yet RM seem to have had many more over the last six months. Surely it not just a matter of sitting back and waiting for material to be sent in? Layouts could be followed up from exhibitions and N gauge models featured more in the staff written specials. G Hi Grahame, It's easy to think that a particular aspect of our hobby has been neglected, not just in gauge, but in many other areas too, though it's true with only 12 months exposure and what is a relatively small number of pages, we'll never manage to meet everyone's wish list. That said, you've set me thinking, for my part, on whether I'm doing enough for N gauge in so far as layout design is concerned. Certainly the next few issues of Model Rail have layout designs for N and looking back over this last year the December issue had a large St. Ives scheme, OOn in October's 'Discover the taste of Jersey', a huge East and West Yorkshire Coalfield design in August, a car factory shunting layout in April and again, another huge design for Carnforth in January. As a designer, sometimes there are mitigating circumstances; problems with couplings, availability of stock and so on as to why I don't always include an N gauge layout. I am, however, keen to be as inclusive as possible and would love to hear what you'd like to see within my remit. I can't promise, but will do my best to promote anything that might help. Kind regards Paul (Lunn) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted January 19, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2016 Got my subs copy last week, enjoyed it other than the north west frontier article, never heard of the film so failed to be inspired by it! Other than that, very good, im liking how the harbour layout is looking already at this early stage and the industrial pictures are a beauty, the class 40 in ribblehead is lovely but boy do the wagons look overloaded! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 It might not be policy but the snag is that it come across and appears that way - I can't remember when the last three N gauge layouts were featured in MR, yet RM seem to have had many more over the last six months. Surely it not just a matter of sitting back and waiting for material to be sent in? Layouts could be followed up from exhibitions and N gauge models featured more in the staff written specials. G We get fewer 'N' gauge layouts to feature because there ARE fewer N gauge layouts. It's not technically N, I know, but we had a 2mm finescale layout as recently as the December issue. With four magazines using several layouts each month, I recently worked out that there's a requirement for around 20 layouts per month - upwards of 200 per year. There are three ways to go 1) repetition of the same layouts in different mags (as already happens) 2) An acceptance of lower standards - using layouts that don't look good in photos - a quick way to destroy a magazine's reputation or 3) Reduce the number of layouts featured in each issue. We've been reducing to two a month - a 4mm scale because that suits by far the largest majority of layouts/readers and one other ( maybe O one month, N another etc). If we received more N gauge material we would use it. And, yes, it is standard practice to go looking for layouts to feature by a whole range of means. However, scouring exhibitions is the primary method used by all the magazines - that path is so well trodden that it sometimes yields very little that hasn't already been seen. (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 If there is a move to more variety, especially non UK stuff, then I might consider taking out a subscription. Far too much narrow mindedness in UK magazines. The title just says 'Model Rail' , which should allow it to cover non UK railways. I know there have been a few tests on this, but this time the subject is a bit more different. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2016 There is a magazine that caters for Continental Modellers . So I don't see that any other mag has to stray in that direction. And there you have the problem. I'm quite interested in Swiss and German Railways as well as UK but buying that magazine inevitably means there is maybe only one or two articles that interest me, the others being the ready of the world , USA, Africa etc. so I seldom buy. Model Rail has traditionally been UK railways. I think it's lost it's way and gives the impression of thrashing around trying to find something different. Hence the "prototypical inspiration " articles, I have books on the real railway which is what I use for inspiration, I don't need more in a magazine. Also you've recently had an aircraft article ,one featuring a battleship and now the North West Frontier (what would Britain have done without Kenneth More?). I'd say that's a model railway magazine that's lost it's way Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mikes rail Posted January 20, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2016 I don't see a problem with the inspiration articles as to me it gives ideas for adding detail often from a subject outside that of which I am Modeling. As for losing its way yes it's a deferent approach but do we really want 4 magazines a month all printing the same article. As for the it's not the gauge I model problem again so what it's the way that a modeller has carried out the project that is important. I have played around in a number of scales over the years using tips and ideas learned from over scales. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 We get fewer 'N' gauge layouts to feature because there ARE fewer N gauge layouts. I appreciate that, but it's a matter of having an equitable balance and currently MR doesn't appear to have that. There are three ways to go 1) repetition of the same layouts in different mags (as already happens) 2) An acceptance of lower standards - using layouts that don't look good in photos - a quick way to destroy a magazine's reputation or 3) Reduce the number of layouts featured in each issue. We've been reducing to two a month - a 4mm scale because that suits by far the largest majority of layouts/readers and one other ( maybe O one month, N another etc). Those options are not fully mutually exclusive so all can be accommodated to some extent. It matters little to me if a layout in a magazine I subscribe to is repeated in a magazine I don't buy or read. And, of course, there are always different angles, nuances, reporting and pictures to present. If we received more N gauge material we would use it. And, yes, it is standard practice to go looking for layouts to feature by a whole range of means. However, scouring exhibitions is the primary method used by all the magazines - that path is so well trodden that it sometimes yields very little that hasn't already been seen. (CJL) If you're in that market then you probably need to compete with the others and really ought to do all those things (following up on exhibitions, commissioning articles, undertaking one-to-one interview reports about layouts, visiting clubs, and so on). But the issue is about being proactive rather than just waiting for modellers to send in suitable content and scouring exhibitions. do we really want 4 magazines a month all printing the same article. I don't think anyone has suggested that, although, of course, you'd have to buy or subscribe to all four to know that has happened (and how many people actually do that? - I guess most subscribe to just one or two). I believe that the model railway hobby is a broad church encompassing a wide range of abilities and interests, and that there's enough modelling to go around in magazines - it's a matter of being proactive and winkling it out. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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