I haven't bought RM for years, so I can't comment on the current rate of N gauge articles, but I gave up because there was so little of interest for me. I appreciate 00 is by far the most popular scale, but the various derivatives that no one understands (P4, E4, S4, PDQ4, Unit4+2 etc, etc) seemed to occupy more column inches than N did. The NGS Journal, and some forum or other whose name I forget, give me all the inspiration I need. It would be a shame to see printed magazines go the way of local newspapers but I haven't bought one of those for a while either, so I suppose I am part of the problem.

Cheers,

Chris

I recently took out a digital subscription to RM (mainly to read the Southwark Bridge article in the January '25 edition which I hadn't seen until recently) and was surprised at the wealth of back catalog in the archive. Obviously enjoyed the James Street article in last month's edition, and like others, I enjoy seeing great modelling in whatever scale and there's a lot of inspiration to be had from those features. I don't pay much attention to product reviews, so not really concerned about bias, or lack of it. I think the digital subscription is good value for the amount of content you get access to. Just my 2¢.

Like Roy, I much prefer a physical copy than digital. If I was to go digital that would finish it for my friend as he's just not up with such tech. Half the time he turns his phone on to find he has 80 or so messages because he hasn't turned it on for days at a time.
Sounds like the subscription is the way to go, although I still can't think why I buy it

I've subscribed to RM and model rail for a number of years but increasingly find myself skimming through both although that may be in part due to having switched to the digital format some years ago but I get where Nobby's coming from

On balance I think RM does the best job of covering a range of scales and eras, but all the mags suffer from being out of date for news compared to what you can learn on here and elsewhere. I've always found RM reviews a bit bland and non-commital (for me MR reviews are better) but again, find here better with an often wide range of opinions that I can read, ask questions if I want and form my own purchase decisions from.

Where RM gives me excellent value is the back catalogue, and I probably spend more time going back to favorite articles from more years ago than I care to mention than i do reading new editions. Always amuses me to look at the old adverts too to find a loco I saved for months to get as a kid was on offer for  Something like £12.95

So on balance if i kept one subscription going it would probably be RM

My last comment has reminded me. I could do an article about uncoupling using electromagnets and the Peco metal strips on the couplings. I'm sure that would get published, I've just got to get round to it - maybe this winter....

@Hailstone

'HAILSTONE ON HOLIDAY'??
I dare not look in case you went to a nudist beach!

Quote from: EtchedPixels on Today at 01:11:27 PMThe world has changed. Try explaining to a teenager about seeing an advert in a paper magazine, sending an SAE for a catalogue, then sending another letter and a postal order for the items you wanted 

And having to wait up to 28 days for delivery!

I don't buy RM regularly as I'm not always in WHSnifs at the right time and when I am the mag is often in a plastic bag (my religion doesn't allow such purchases).

The subscription sounds good value for money so I might treat myself.

I have a digital subscription which I think is good value. I probably look at old issues more than I do the latest issues.
The reviews in RM have always been a bit "soft" but then most models these days have very little to criticise.
RM has always featured plenty of N gauge, probably more than any other magazine. One thing to consider is that they can only publish what they receive. If there is a lack of N gauge items it will be because they haven't been sent enough good N gauge items. If folk want more N gauge in the magazines they should send more articles to the magazines; it really is that simple.

Quote from: PLD on September 13, 2025, 11:33:15 PM

Quote from: Dorsetmike on September 13, 2025, 09:07:49 PM1: Is there any way somebody could acquire the rights to manufacture Union Mills locos?

Lots of wild suggestions were floated at the time Colin stopped.
All were lacking one absolutely vital element for an acquisition, which is a willing seller...

Indeed, my recollection is that Colin was approached but as UM was very much his "baby" and many skills/processes only in his head rather than formally documented, not only was their no real appetite on his part to sell on, it wasn't really a practical proposition either.

As a subscriber it is £3.95 a month (24mth) so is still very good value, along with digital access to EVERY previous issue online.

As someone who has dealt with getting publications printed costs as they are everywhere have gone up.

IT MIGHT be that this issue us more expensive as a one off as they have embossed and foiled cover of heavier weight paper - but I don't know that is the case but it is hugely expensive to do.

I get RM and Hornby and the one I would stop if it came to it would be Hornby and I have come close a few times.

On balance I think RM does a good cross section of scales and even the 'other' scales provide interesting reading to myself, but as ever each to there own where value is concerned.