MRJ 214 - just arrived

[Pennine MC]

In my area of interest signalling and operation, few people are actually bothered if it's correct or not, so a layout will receive "Wow, the best ever layout" type comments even if, for example, the signalling is wrong for the period modelled, ...

(And yes, I do wish that things like wagon re-numberings and liveries were correct, but none of us are perfect, which is one reason for the letters page.)

 

Thanks for drawing the comparison Simon, saved me the bother I think we might be getting into the area of 'does the hobby need guardian protectors' again TBH, and it is a tad bizarre how so much misunderstanding seems to have arisen from one unguarded comment.

 

I have a specialism, which is similar in that not everybody appreciates its finer points or is that bothered if they're not observed. I could probably think of half a dozen widely admired layouts on which I could fault the goods stock in one or more ways, but why would I? I'll admit I notice these things whilst subconsciously noting to myself that I'd do it differently, but to take these things too seriously would spoil it for me, let alone anybody else. If I'm asked a question on a wagon modelling matter, or if one arises naturally, I'll do my best to answer; if it isnt asked, or if the advice isnt taken for whatever reason, c'est la vie. Doesnt stop a good layout being a good layout, if somebody enjoys viewing it despite there being the odd wagon out of period or with the wrong number, it's still a valid viewpoint they hold.

[APOLLO]

I buy MRJ occasionally, because I like the mag, it's content, and its refreshing lack of multi page adverts.. My (OO) modelling will never appear in it, what with it's mixture of Crescent, Trix (illuminated semaphores), Hornby, Triang and Hornby Dublo, and thats just the siganals !!!!.

 

The mag gives me a bit of inspiration, especially the operation articles. I remember a while ago a complex article on fitting compensated springing to a Backy Deltic - entitled "Because she's worth it" - now thats nowt I could ever do, or even attempt to do, but that article was very interesting to me, in that it could be done. Some wonderful layouts appear also, and yes even I could nit-pick some of these, but I wouldn't dare - so I won't.

 

214 is a great issue, especially Black Lion Crossing. A bit like the nearby Porth-Y-Waen area. That Pub is superb, as is that Covhop (Hurry up with yours Bachman, I want 12 !). Upper Yard is also interesting, though I think it would have been better if just 1 or 2 photos had been black & white (or are they in sepia tone ?). Ah, well,

 

Sorry to hear about John Charman, his layout & articles in The Railway Modeller also inspired me back in the 60's, his was top-flight modelling back then.

 

Nice little mag is MRJ. I look forward to a quick look in WH Smiths, and I usually buy it.

 

Brit15

[lonesome_whistle]

Im glad i only play trains on my trainset now.... this finescale thing seems waaay to politicky for me

 

 

 

That might be the impression if your opinion is shaped by a few posts on RMweb but it's certainly not my experience.

 

If you take a look at the Scalefour Society's webforum you will see plenty of friendly and helpful posts and, tellingly, there is little or no need for any moderation as pretty much everyone who contributes is capable of conducting themselves appropriately. Go along to Scaleforum or S4 North and I'm sure you'd find the same to be true.

 

As regards MRJ, I can remember seeing seeing my first issue ( I bought numbers 1 & 2 from the Ian Allan bookshop in Birmingham that day) and it changed my approach to railway modelling. I would say that MRJ is probably more important than ever given that the standard of the rest of the model railway press has fallen in the intervening decades. Anyway, that's it from me, as we appear to be going over ground that been well-trodden on more than one occasion previously.

[beast66606]

Doesnt stop a good layout being a good layout, if somebody enjoys viewing it despite there being the odd wagon out of period or with the wrong number, it's still a valid viewpoint they hold.

 

I would guess that most layouts have 30,40, 50 - 100, more ? wagons but less than 10 signals, and frequently - well very from my observations of most layouts - wagons simply trundle past, signals stand there and invite scrutiny.

I didn't say I publically (unless I wrote it invisibly) commented on layouts (signalling) faults (actually I stated the converse was true), by definition if you know the layouts have problems with the stock then we are at the same level of critique - to ourselves.

 

An authentic model of Black Bush Station can be a truly superb model without any stock present, but if the signalling is wrong, then it isn't a truly superb model at all. It might be superb modelling of course, but that's a different matter (imho)

 

Im glad i only play trains on my trainset now.... this finescale thing seems waaay to politicky for me

 

I assist anyone who asks, the only politics I've ever seen (and granted I don't give two ... about it) is from those who have a chip about finescale rather than those who just get on and do it

 

 

 

PS - This started because of StationMasters comments about the MRJ quiz, probably time to let it go again so we don't head off down familiar territory.

[Andy Y]

PS - This started because of StationMasters comments about the MRJ quiz, probably time to let it go again so we don't head off down familiar territory.

 

Agreed. Any further partisan grenades will be chucked in the bin.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Jol

Not being on-ine works both ways. It is true that you can be inundated with requests, but keeping up to date on various forums and mailing lists is a way for a publisher to spot people coming along who may not only have new ideas but can also write well. I would suggest that it should part of the remit of any reasonably competent editor to be able to spot potential new contributors and commission articles from them. It is part of the difference between a professionally produced magazine that is worth its cover price and a society mag. The fact that MRJ hasn't had a resident editor for years suggests, to me, that it has has lost its way an is basically drifting.

 

Bill,

 

you are absolutely right about being aware of what's happening via the interweb, but that is different from being expected to run a hotline for readers/subscribers.

 

I don't agree that a selection of MRJ editors shows that it is drifting. You could say that it provides a wider choice of contributors and a wider choice of topics, etc. as a result. With any magazine a single editor usually has his favourites as well as his preferred subjects. Whether that suits your preferences is another matter. For example, I found that Tim Shackleton's editorship seemed to provide more articles on modifying RTR stuff. Good articles no doubt,but not my bag at all.

 

Jol

[billbedford]

As for MRJ. Well, it is as it is and just like Marmite, if you don't like it, why buy it?

And being as it is, it sells well enough and keeps going, and Paul Karau/WSP are obviously happy with it or they would change things. No amount of opinions on here will change how they carry out MRJ if it meets their own standards of successful. OK, they don't have an email address, but for sure this is better than advertising the existence of one and not replying to emails.*

When MRJ started it was filled with articles that explained, what for many of us, were new techniques and new ways of thinking about how to approach modelling. This phase lasted about seven or eight years and then it slowly morphed in to mag we have to day. Reading the comments here it is obvious that many people find this perfectly satisfying, but then I think of all the innovation that has come into the hobby in the last five or so year I wonder why so little of it is reflected in MRJ. We have had CSBs and sprung suspensions for rolling stock, DCC, with radio control coming up, people scratch-biulding using CAD and photo-etching, 3D printing, new sources of wheels and point kits, axle hung motors and gear boxes etc. etc. Yet all we get from Wild Swan is articles that could have been written 20 years ago. I'm being to think that there is so much of the new stuff around that if someone were to start a new mag, in print or on-line, to showcase this innovation it would quickly eclipse MRJ. It would be nice to think that Wild Swan take up the batten again, but I don't think it will.

[lonesome_whistle]

Read what I said bout the hairshirters a bit more carefully me old cock... and I have been off on in the Scalefour Society since about 95... by my reckonnig I make that best part of 20 years

 

Errm, what did you say about hairshirters Mickey, I must have missed it, was it in this thread?

 

only from Issue 1??? where was you at the start ?

 

Evidently, doing something more important than looking at model railway magazines..

[Andy Y]

I may as well have not bothered asking people to stop arguing.