New editor, Railway Modeller

[Crichel Down]

Since it has generated some discussion, perhaps I could clarify the position with regard to the ownership of Model Railway News, Model Railway Constructor and Railway Modeller.

 

Model Railway News was founded by Percival Marchall in 1925 (who was also the founder of Model Engineer in 1899 and was its publisher).  The Percival Marshall publishing group was acquired in the mid-1960s (about 1966?) by Model Aeronautical Press (‘MAP’), who changed their name to Model & Allied Publications (also ‘MAP’) to reflect their broader range of publications.  MAP later became Argus Press, and was then swept up in further amalgamations.  MAP changed the name of MRN to Model Railways in the early 1970s, but successive relaunches (including the short-lived ‘Your Model Railway ' title) failed to revive its fortunes, and it ceased publication in 1993.

 

Model Railway Constructor was founded in 1934 and privately published.  It eventually came under the ownership of the Locomotive Publishing Company, who in their turn were taken over by Ian Allan in the mid-1950s (about 1957?).  The Constructor was therefore ‘inherited’ by Ian Allan at that time with LPC’s other publications.  Publication ceased in 1987.

 

The Railway Modeller was founded by Ian Allan in the late 1940s, but it failed to take off and was sold to Sidney Pritchard of Peco in 1951, who formed a subsidiary company, Peco Publications & Publicity for the purpose.  Cyril Freezer had become editor of Railway Modeller before the takeover, and moved with the magazine to Peco’s HQ at Seaton.  The magazine was given a makeover in January 1952, and after that the title never looked back.  It remains part of the Peco group, and is now the longest surviving model railway magazine, having the been the market leader since the mid-1950s.

[VIA185]

19 minutes ago, Crichel Down said:

Since it has generated some discussion, perhaps I could clarify the position with regard to the ownership of Model Railway News, Model Railway Constructor and Railway Modeller.

 

Model Railway Constructor was founded in 1934 and privately published.  It eventually came under the ownership of the Locomotive Publishing Company, who in their turn were taken over by Ian Allan in the mid-1950s (about 1957?).  The Constructor was therefore ‘inherited’ by Ian Allan at that time with LPC’s other publications.  Publication ceased in 1987.

 

I'm not aware of MRC ever being owned by Loco Pub Co. It was my understanding (and I did work on it for a few years!) that it came with the takeover of Railway World (based originally in north London, while LPC which published mainly photos and postcards was based on the south coast. If - and it's a big 'if these days - my memory serves me correctly. I do remember EXACTLY when it ceased, with the June 1987 issue at about 3 weeks notice! (CJL)

[D9020 Nimbus]

And in the January 1986 issue of MRC there was a feature on Crichel Down (the layout)…

[Crichel Down]

I think Chris is right.  I was getting muddled up between LPC and the Railway World periodicals (which included MRC).

 

I have sometimes joked that the article on 'the Crichel Down affair' must have bored the pants off the readers of MRC,  and thereby contributed to the demise of the magazine only 18 months later.  (But that is an unwarranted libel on Chris's editorship.) 

[VIA185]

In a two-part feature "Bridge to Engine Room" in the November and December 2023 issues of Steam World magazine I provided some background to working for the World's largest transport publisher back in the 1960s. Hope it's OK to mention that. It gives a bit more background than I can give here. (CJL)

Edited January 17 by VIA185
spell changer

[kevinlms]

Regarding the MRC, a mistake occurred for the December 1984 issue, which probably few have noticed.

 

It was given the issue number of 607, which was also for November 1984, so repeated.

 

This error was never corrected, so right to the last issue (June 1987), the issue number was out by one!

[The Stationmaster]

Am I going to have to dig out my (few_ earlyish copies of MRC I wonder?

[kevinlms]

On 17/01/2024 at 00:37, Steamport Southport said:

 

That was a good thing IMO.

 

How many times do we see people asking where can I get a XYZ? Well there's your answer!

 

 

Jason

Just gone back to look at the first YMR issues.

 

The first one (with Dave Lowery as editor) was 1984 October.

 

Cover announces 'What Model Railway? Unique Buyers Guide' and has an HST photo!

 

Editorial page says 'For the first time comprehensive lists will cover currently available ready-to-run and kit locos, and this will be updated monthly as new models come on to the market'.

So I guess warned that there will be repetition!

 

So 16 pages (let's not separate out the ads).

 

11 pages of 'Getting Started', gauge Guide', 'Choosing a Theme', 'Beyond the Trainset', 'Scenics' and Glossary'.

 

That leaves 5 pages of RTR & kit sources, which includes 32 suppliers. There is a respectable list, I haven't counted them all but there are 125 'LMS' items and 85 BR Diesel and electric and 15 BR Steam in 4mm. Which suggests around 400 items.

 

November has the same 11 pages & 5 pages of RTR & kits.

December has dropped the 11 pages to 4, but the 5 pages of RTR & kits look the same.

January the 4 pages have been dropped, but the 5 pages of RTR & kits look the same.

February, the loco pages have gone and replaced with 7 pages of 'What Model Wagon'? in 4mm.

March, all replaced with 'What Model Loco'? in N Gauge.

April, all replaced with 'What Model Coach'? in 4mm scale.

May, Cover says 'Complete 'N' Gauge stocklists', but inside is 2 pages of N Gauge wagons.

 

BTW with the N Gauge additions, the number of suppliers listed, came to 40.

 

After that nothing. But it appeared to me that the first issue was a useful item, but unlike the October editorial promise/suggestion, it was not updated.

I would suggest, that the usefulness would have been better, if it was an occasional insert, rather than part of the magazine proper.

 

[kevinlms]

20 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Am I going to have to dig out my (few_ earlyish copies of MRC I wonder?

Maybe start a new topic?

[swtrains]

If I may add to this thread in its dying throes, and confirming that I still seem to be somewhat out of touch, when did our revered contributor Chris Leigh change from Dibber to Via?

 

And yes, I really do need to get out more......

[kevinlms]

11 hours ago, swtrains said:

If I may add to this thread in its dying throes, and confirming that I still seem to be somewhat out of touch, when did our revered contributor Chris Leigh change from Dibber to Via?

 

And yes, I really do need to get out more......

I believe that Chris has swapped around at various times. Nothing to stop anyone having more than one account on RMweb.

 

It does confuse people.

[DLT]

There were a few magazines that came and went during the 1980s, I remember Practical Model Railways and Scale Trains, but I think there have been more?

[kevinlms]

43 minutes ago, DLT said:

There were a few magazines that came and went during the 1980s, I remember Practical Model Railways and Scale Trains, but I think there have been more?

Modelling Railways Illustrated was one of the best to go AWOL.

[hmrspaul]

33 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Modelling Railways Illustrated was one of the best to go AWOL.

Unfortunately the editor died. He was also involved (manager??) of the short lived Collector's corner here in York. 

 

Paul

[spamcan61]

20 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Unfortunately the editor died. He was also involved (manager??) of the short lived Collector's corner here in York. 

 

Paul

MODRILL history discussed in these previous threads:-

 

 

[Phil Parker]

17 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Unfortunately the editor died. He was also involved (manager??) of the short lived Collector's corner here in York. 

 

Paul

 

Sadly, MORILL was sold to an unscrupulous person, who published an issue without paying anyone. That included Jim Wood, who was hugely out of pocket from it all. He did look at alternative publishing models, but nothing came of this. Sad, as it was an excellent magazine, and Jim was a really nice bloke. It wasn't his death that brought about the end of the magazine though.

 

And before someone suggests it, the time for MORILL has passed. The sort of articles it published, including the ones I wrote, have been superseded by changes in the hobby. I guess everything has its time, and for MORILL, this was the 1990s.

[Steamport Southport]

On 20/01/2024 at 08:46, kevinlms said:

Just gone back to look at the first YMR issues.

 

The first one (with Dave Lowery as editor) was 1984 October.

 

Cover announces 'What Model Railway? Unique Buyers Guide' and has an HST photo!

 

Editorial page says 'For the first time comprehensive lists will cover currently available ready-to-run and kit locos, and this will be updated monthly as new models come on to the market'.

So I guess warned that there will be repetition!

 

So 16 pages (let's not separate out the ads).

 

11 pages of 'Getting Started', gauge Guide', 'Choosing a Theme', 'Beyond the Trainset', 'Scenics' and Glossary'.

 

That leaves 5 pages of RTR & kit sources, which includes 32 suppliers. There is a respectable list, I haven't counted them all but there are 125 'LMS' items and 85 BR Diesel and electric and 15 BR Steam in 4mm. Which suggests around 400 items.

 

November has the same 11 pages & 5 pages of RTR & kits.

December has dropped the 11 pages to 4, but the 5 pages of RTR & kits look the same.

January the 4 pages have been dropped, but the 5 pages of RTR & kits look the same.

February, the loco pages have gone and replaced with 7 pages of 'What Model Wagon'? in 4mm.

March, all replaced with 'What Model Loco'? in N Gauge.

April, all replaced with 'What Model Coach'? in 4mm scale.

May, Cover says 'Complete 'N' Gauge stocklists', but inside is 2 pages of N Gauge wagons.

 

BTW with the N Gauge additions, the number of suppliers listed, came to 40.

 

After that nothing. But it appeared to me that the first issue was a useful item, but unlike the October editorial promise/suggestion, it was not updated.

I would suggest, that the usefulness would have been better, if it was an occasional insert, rather than part of the magazine proper.

 

 

However as it was supposed to be a launch of a new magazine aimed at a different audience maybe those new buyers found the articles interesting and informative. I certainly did.

 

And how many of those buyers were buying the magazine for the first time because of those guides? I was.

 

I'm afraid we are getting into the realms of "I don't like that personally so they shouldn't have done it!"

 

How many new RTR models and kits are you expecting to be made in a few months? It wasn't like today with a dozen new models a month.

 

It was the fact that you said it was repeated constantly in every issue that I was dismissing. You have even proved my point, it wasn't!

 

 

 

Jason

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, DLT said:

There were a few magazines that came and went during the 1980s, I remember Practical Model Railways and Scale Trains, but I think there have been more?

 

One of the best was the extremely short lived Loco Modeller.

 

Only five issues ISTR. With three to five kit builds in each with only a little bit on RTR, some prototype details and no layouts!

 

Loco Modeller eBay

 

 

I believe that the person running it had a burglary where he lost all his models. If anyone is interested in kit building they were good magazines.

 

 

Jason

Edited January 23 by Steamport Southport

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Sadly, MORILL was sold to an unscrupulous person, who published an issue without paying anyone. That included Jim Wood, who was hugely out of pocket from it all. He did look at alternative publishing models, but nothing came of this. Sad, as it was an excellent magazine, and Jim was a really nice bloke. It wasn't his death that brought about the end of the magazine though.

 

And before someone suggests it, the time for MORILL has passed. The sort of articles it published, including the ones I wrote, have been superseded by changes in the hobby. I guess everything has its time, and for MORILL, this was the 1990s.

The new owner also took over the subscriptions, which in my case wasn't refunded after publication ceased.

[kevinlms]

9 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

However as it was supposed to be a launch of a new magazine aimed at a different audience maybe those new buyers found the articles interesting and informative. I certainly did.

 

And how many of those buyers were buying the magazine for the first time because of those guides? I was.

 

I'm afraid we are getting into the realms of "I don't like that personally so they shouldn't have done it!"

 

How many new RTR models and kits are you expecting to be made in a few months? It wasn't like today with a dozen new models a month.

 

It was the fact that you said it was repeated constantly in every issue that I was dismissing. You have even proved my point, it wasn't!

 

 

 

Jason

Actually the ARTICLES within the magazine weren't an issue, the problem I was trying to make clear was that these guides were intended to be updated with new models, but they never were. The same information published in 4 consecutive issues, didn't really help me.

 

It seems unlikely to me that no new kits were produced, or even a manufacturer that had previously been missed was added.

There is an error in the list of manufacturers, in that 5 was listed as Airfix. No longer manufactured but stock still available. But there was nothing listed with the key code of 5!

Two that ought to have been listed here is the Airfix Class 31, also the GWR 0-4-2T. Both missing and never added. Both models were advertised elsewhere within the same October issue.

 

I conclude that it was an experiment that didn't succeed (advertisers didn't want to contribute?) and quietly dropped because of the number of extra pages, at additional cost.

 

I suspect that we will have to agree to disagree, on the value of such an ongoing supplement.

[Farang]

I remember Loco Modeller. It was published and edited by John Paige. Forty years ago, I sure by now he must be dead. It was of its time. Back then you had to build a kit of some sort to get a decent model.