highpeak Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 RMC appears to be trying to emulate Model Railway Journal, at least as far as its production schedule is concerned. It doesn't appear to have dawned on them yet that publishing a monthly magazine at 5 week intervals isn't quite the way to do things. Anyway, my subscription copy showed up today (May 28th) and is a pretty decent issue. The articles cover: - modifying a Broadway Limited E6 to more closely resemble Seaboard Coast Line 501, with an accompanying overview of producing etched parts. - laying out a hip roof - modeling a New Haven piggyback flat - drawings and photographs of a Canadian National Newfoundland division caboose - layout visit to a freelance layout featuring mainline and traction operations - scratchbuilder's corner covers color and texturing - using tissue paper and diluted white glue to model tarp-covered loads - an overview of animation possibilities using Arduino micro controllers Product reviews include: N scale kit for DL&W concrete tower Acrylic paints distributed by Micro-Mark as replacements for Polly S (brand names MicroLux and Vallejo) ExactRail N scale model of Trinity gondola Not a bad issue, most of the articles offer ideas that can be used on other projects. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 highpeak, I assume you mean the hard copy? My electronic copy turned up over a week ago here in the UK. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted May 28, 2014 Author Share Posted May 28, 2014 Hard copy. The official line from the subscription desk was that the issue was "printed late". None of the retail outlets had May issues on sale. Presumably it was printed late because it was edited late etc etc. Interesting that the electronic copy only got out a week ago, free of the delays caused by printing and the mail system. What odds the June issue actually getting out in June? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 The Tarp article would be useful to some British modellers - shame that they will not see it. It is a good edition. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Pete, It's precisely because RMC is so difficult to get hold of that I went for the electronic version. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 steve, I agree - I should have been more specific - modellers of the British prototype who would read nothing about US stuff. There’s a gazillion threads on modelling tarps used in the SW of England.... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Any sign of the June issue? Not seen my electronic version. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 No sign of it on newstands nor has my subscription print copy arrived. But it's not that long since the last one came out really, and there are still a few days of June left. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmporiaSub Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Although I have the electronic version of 'Railfan & Railroad', I'm still undecided on whether to renew RMC as either a hard copy or the electronic version. Maybe if I was to read it on something bigger than an iPad, then it might be better, but I'm not that keen on the format, as it is just the same as the printed version, albeit in smaller print, unless I enlarge it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 The web site still shows the May edition as current, no sign of June. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 June came and went without my mailman being troubled by a copy of RMC, but at least the web site now shows the June issue as current. Electronic-version subscribers, any sign of it? Nice to see US modelers have the same ability to have the "is it out yet?" thread that MRJ readers have enjoyed for years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 No sign of the electronic version yet. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmporiaSub Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 No sign of the electronic version yet. steve Appeared today!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Still not here. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Now, at last! So when will July's arrive? steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 About 5 weeks from now probably. They should just go to an issue numbering system like MRJ and forget the months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 RMC's Facebook page acknowledged that the JUNE issue still has not shipped from the printer. No indication of when it will ship either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 No sign of the July issue yet. This should be the last one of my sub and I am thinking of not renewing as it has become such farce. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 All mr hard copy mags are suffering. Expect closure of those that don't adapt. "Free" on-line mags that are heavily controlled by advertisers are the new success stories. Just don't expect independent, honest news and reviews Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 While I am sure that all print publishers would wish their gardens to have more roses in bloom, I think not managing to get a print edition out the door for two months is a bit beyond general hardship. I think Carstens would do themselves a favour if they explained exactly what the problem is. Word on MRH is that they have been having problems with their printer, and are in the middle of transitioning to a new printer. There was even a suggestion that the July issue might appear before the June copy as the new printer was working out better. Of course, one problem you can have with any vendor is not paying your bills, that generally affects the level of service you get. Whether this applies to Carstens is not clear and unlikely to become clear. Carstens might be advised to offer print-only subscribers free access to the online edition at least until they can get distribution of the paper magazine back to something approaching a predictable schedule. However, their legendary customer service (I'm using legendary in the sense of not existing in the real world) seems unlikely to dream up that idea. They've taken a bit of a shelling on Facebook to the point where the blog entries have all been deleted. Reviews still give the game away, as do comments on various web sites. I really like most issues of RMC, but I think Andy is correct in his statement that online publications are going to be the future. Even before the rise of the internet there were plenty of publications that had their day and went under (Mainline Modeler, Railmodel Journal etc). MRH spent quite a bit of bandwidth on a trumpet solo in the June issue claiming to have passed RMC in circulation. The point about independence of reviews is not without foundation, but I think print media are prone to similar influences, and in fact in hard times where ad revenue is becoming scarcer it might in fact be more of a problem for the print world. It's hard to see how Carstens can adapt their business to the internet age especially when you consider that MRH appears to have positioned itself to appeal to some of the same audience in terms of its content if not its medium. It may be RMC can survive by appealing to an audience that isn't that interested in pixels on a screen, but if you can't put ink and paper in their hands every month, that strategy would seem doomed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 My June issue just arrived, to be honest, between US Mail and Royal Mail it's not a whole lot later than I've had on occasions in previous years. My subscription expires with the August edition and I'm also wondering about renewal, if I do, it looks like digital is the way to go. I've generally found their customer service to be very helpful. Their online renewal system is outsourced and didn't work when I tried to renew, so I haven't got round to it although I do like the mag as it usually has something I'm interested in every month. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 While I am sure that all print publishers would wish their gardens to have more roses in bloom, I think not managing to get a print edition out the door for two months is a bit beyond general hardship.I think Carstens would do themselves a favour if they explained exactly what the problem is. Word on MRH is that they have been having problems with their printer, and are in the middle of transitioning to a new printer. There was even a suggestion that the July issue might appear before the June copy as the new printer was working out better.Of course, one problem you can have with any vendor is not paying your bills, that generally affects the level of service you get. Whether this applies to Carstens is not clear and unlikely to become clear.Carstens might be advised to offer print-only subscribers free access to the online edition at least until they can get distribution of the paper magazine back to something approaching a predictable schedule. However, their legendary customer service (I'm using legendary in the sense of not existing in the real world) seems unlikely to dream up that idea.They've taken a bit of a shelling on Facebook to the point where the blog entries have all been deleted. Reviews still give the game away, as do comments on various web sites.I really like most issues of RMC, but I think Andy is correct in his statement that online publications are going to be the future. Even before the rise of the internet there were plenty of publications that had their day and went under (Mainline Modeler, Railmodel Journal etc). MRH spent quite a bit of bandwidth on a trumpet solo in the June issue claiming to have passed RMC in circulation.The point about independence of reviews is not without foundation, but I think print media are prone to similar influences, and in fact in hard times where ad revenue is becoming scarcer it might in fact be more of a problem for the print world.It's hard to see how Carstens can adapt their business to the internet age especially when you consider that MRH appears to have positioned itself to appeal to some of the same audience in terms of its content if not its medium. It may be RMC can survive by appealing to an audience that isn't that interested in pixels on a screen, but if you can't put ink and paper in their hands every month, that strategy would seem doomed. The US is very strict on accurately publishing circulation figures, and MRH's claim, which referred to on-line downloads instead I think, has caused very strong rebuttal from MR. I think legal action is likely, as MRH has published some incredibly wrong self serving stuff in the past. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Still have not received the June edition in New Jersey. someone could have walked it to me by now. Their offices are about 40 miles away... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
torikoos Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 RMC is the exact opposite of RM as far as release schedules are concerned. RM brings out the 'september issue' when it's not even / or barely august, RMC has not released the July issue yet and it's nearly August, they need to have a chat with each other. :-) RMH beats their own drums a bit too loud sometimes (but they all do some promotional stuff), reviews are never impartial, not in MR, not in MRH, they're all sponsored. I'd rather they leave out the reviews if they can't be honest. Still I'm happy we still have these magazines, they all have something of interest each month, although I keep having to mention that RMC should stop posting stuff about classic toy & collectors trains, that belongs in another magazine, nothing craftsman/modeler about that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Unlike the other pubs, MRH isn't a so much a magazine, as much as it is a team of various suppliers, who formed a magazine to promote their own products and push their own agendas (including using their own editorial comments in the mag and on thier forum). So it's difficult to advertize if your product overlaps with one of the insiders. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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