October Railway Modeller

Newportnobby · September 08, 2011, 10:26:57 PM

I am really starting to think this publication should be renamed as either there is nothing happening in the N gauge world or there are just no layouts anyone wants to feature. It's packed with layouts but, although I haven't read it properly yet, just a feature on making trees and a review of the Farish 101.
Even the supplement gives only a passing mention to N plus a page at the very end. Not good enough

davieb · September 08, 2011, 10:50:46 PM

hi newportnobby

i've only one thing to add to that!

the october hornby mag has even less n gauge content

dave

EtchedPixels · September 08, 2011, 10:56:31 PM

N Gauge Society one has plenty of N gauge material. I don't know why people buy a lot of the others to be honest !

davieb · September 08, 2011, 11:10:20 PM

hi ep

the only reason i get them is to look at what is going on in the railway modelling world
and to get some ideas for my own layout

(and its unavoidable when well meaning relatives buy you a subscription for christmas)

dave

Dock Shunter · September 08, 2011, 11:14:11 PM

Luckily the Modeller and Hornby mags are not wrapped in a plastic cover like most mags seem to be these days so i usually have a flick through them in WH Sm@%&.....unless there is something N Gauge worth
reading then i will spend my pennies.......

Fratton · September 09, 2011, 12:52:13 AM

The trees article was good, I've got half the stuff to make some so gonna get the rest and give it a bash,,,,,,,,,,, I do agree sometimes the big mags forget us N gaugers but storage there's plenty of inspiration in them,,,,,,

Mustermark · September 09, 2011, 01:26:12 AM

I only bother with Model Rail. Most of the content is OO

but there is a decent amount of N gauge (layouts and reviews) and useful general modelling articles too.

I think the N Gauge Soc and N'spirations do a good job of filling the gap, and I like getting those because I know it's all N gauge!!!

longbridge · September 09, 2011, 05:50:46 AM

I gave the magazines covering British layouts away some time ago as they only seem to feature OO Gauge.

I now buy Continental Modeller because I am interested in trains worldwide and also the American Model Railroader mag which features some pretty good projects.

ToothFairy · September 09, 2011, 06:57:42 AM

NGS Journal and N'spirations are really all I need for scale-specific stuff, but RM still gives me a few useful ideas. Some stuff written about other scales can still have relevance to N.

But I wouldn't splash out on more than one non-N magazine in any one month.

- Michael

H · September 09, 2011, 07:46:28 AM

I thought that the October 'Railway Modeller' was rather good and that the new issue of 'Model Rail' was the one that was significantly under par (especially after the last two very good issues). I can't comment about 'Hornby' mag as I find that generally the worst of the five (for my specific interests) and I rarely purchase it but it does rather set its stall out to be OO transition era concentric. So it seems that none of the big commercial mags carried a lot of N gauge this time around but I accept that you can find inspiration and interest in other gauges/scales. Only a fool would dismiss them out of hand as there is always something to be learnt from checking out other scales/eras/regions layouts and articles.

However there are two issues regading content that are often trotted out in repsonse to comment about lack of various interests. Firstly, they can only publish what they are supplied with; so if you want to see something specific it's worth writing and submitting it, and encouraging others to do likewise by example. Secondly I guess that commercial editors are always looking to strike the 'right' balance to satisfy all railway modellers to maximise sales. Currently it's usually quoted that N gauge forms about 15% percent of the British model railway market so I wouldn't expect content to be much more than that. And that only works out at about only a dozen pages of the 80 or so editorial (article and features but not adverts) pages.

H.

Newportnobby · September 09, 2011, 08:17:10 AM

I agree with everything everyone has said, and buy RM like most N gaugers to get ideas that are transferable and also for the adverts/exhibition dates.
The NGS bi monthly is far superior because it is purely for us Nutters. I would only take issue with H on the supplement about main line trains in restricted spaces as this was surely where N gauge would come to the fore. Based on the N - OO page ratio, N gauge only got about 7% coverage.

michael · September 09, 2011, 08:25:28 AM

Quote from: Mustermark on September 09, 2011, 01:26:12 AM
I only bother with Model Rail. Most of the content is OO but there is a decent amount of N gauge (layouts and reviews) and useful general modelling articles too.

I think the N Gauge Soc and N'spirations do a good job of filling the gap, and I like getting those because I know it's all N gauge!!!

I get model rail as well which usually is ok, although this month the only n gauge bit is half a page of 101 review!

H · September 09, 2011, 08:47:30 AM

Quote from: newportnobby on September 09, 2011, 08:17:10 AMI would only take issue with H on the supplement about main line trains in restricted spaces as this was surely where N gauge would come to the fore.

You'd think so and I'd agree, but the supplement is basically one article written by one person who is probably an OO gauge enthusiast and therefore it's written from a OO viewpoint (or certainly trying to appeal to the 80% majority) and bound to major on OO. If you or I were to write such a supplement/article it would no doubt be from our N gauge experience and there would only be a passing mention of OO, even if it was an non-scale/gauge specific subject and meant to appeal to all. Therefore, as I've already said, the thing to do is to write and submit something that is more N gauge based or biased.

H.

moogle · September 09, 2011, 09:19:47 AM

Most of them have little or no N gauge as others have said.

Often its just a review of a model too.

Model Rail often has the most between the lot. I usually look through them in Smiths and buy if there's anything interesting.
Its a shame BRM and others are wrapped in plastic but it's their loss not mine.
Mind you, haven't browsed any since May and last bought one in January!
It's a good job I get the NGS journal.

In Germany they have a bi-monthly mag on newstands: http://www.alba-publikation.de/oxid.php/sid/x/shp/oxbaseshop/cl/alist/cnid/130
Lucky so and so's!
I did get a copy whilst there last year and it's

, even though I don't know any German!

Newportnobby · September 09, 2011, 09:28:19 AM

Quote from: H on September 09, 2011, 08:47:30 AM
Quote from: newportnobby on September 09, 2011, 08:17:10 AMI would only take issue with H on the supplement about main line trains in restricted spaces as this was surely where N gauge would come to the fore.

You'd think so and I'd agree, but the supplement is basically one article written by one person who is probably an OO gauge enthusiast and therefore it's written from a OO viewpoint (or certainly trying to appeal to the 80% majority) and bound to major on OO. If you or I were to write such a supplement/article it would no doubt be from our N gauge experience and there would only be a passing mention of OO, even if it was an non-scale/gauge specific subject and meant to appeal to all. Therefore, as I've already said, the thing to do is to write and submit something that is more N gauge based or biased.

H.

Can't fault your logic, H. Sadly I have neither the knowledge or expertise to create an article. I'm just hoping my layout planning/building doesn't outlast me, and it would never feature anywhere due to me running pretty much what I want rather than an exhibition level layout.