Thanks for that, Buffin. NewportNobby has started a new thread about the topic of atmosphere and I'm sure there will be a lot of discussion. But your point is a good one. If that's the scene you grew up in, it would have to be more realistic to you than a sleepy branchline. I think it was C. Freezer, editor of RM for many years, that said that the correct background for a steam locomotive was a retaining wall.

QuoteI think it was C. Freezer ... that said that the correct background for a steam locomotive was a retaining wall.

Hadn't heard that, but it's a great debating point. His Minories springs to mind. But I'm well off topic now.

Well,it's not really off topic - after all the Minories plan first appeared in Railway Modeller. There are a few Minories based layouts on this forum, so let's not yet discount the power of the printed paper page! 

The quality of the printed page used to be much higher for "hard core" modelling, now it's mostly useless for that. I've got nothing against the current magazines thinking that "how to make flowers" is as heavy as you can go, and I'm sure they know their readership.

The older magazines however tended to have good articles on actual stock, drawings and construction details. The kind of stuff you need to know to make models. Some of the best reference material on many coaches is still old modelling magazines, in part because the article writer still had the real thing to hand ! Even more so for buildings I find.

Alan

Very good point. As you say, buildings in particular. 

I'm fortunate enough now to get a subscription to Railway Modeller as part of my regular Christmas present.  Always a good ruse if you can wangle it, plus is cheaper than buying the same number of issues from a supermarket or newsagent.

I started buying RM back in the 70's and have most of the issues since then, apart from some that have been damaged in the recent move.  I also bought Model Railway Constructor which, until it's demise I thought the better mag.

I am considering a move to the digital versions, mainly because of space - over 35 years of monthly magazines takes up a lot of space and paper copies actually need some care.  Which reminds me - what is going to happen to all those mags after you pass?  Morbid, maybe, but pristine collections can be sold, those in good condition also but they don't want damaged or defaced ones and tearing out the adverts would be considered as such.

I do prefer RM's way of keeping nearly all adverts to the two blocks, I hate having to hunt for the continuation of the article I'm reading amongst a plethora of adverts.

I browse other mags and occasionally buy.  (I've got The Railway Magazine and BRM currently, I'll buy Hornby next month because they are running Duxbury - the 00 layout I worked on at L&WMRS before I moved back to Northampton.)  I look in my local supermarket because there is usually one copy open that I can look through but the rest are still sealed in plastic - the best of both worlds?

I have interests in more than just N gauge, so I don't mind that the mags are not exclusive.  Besides, sometimes I can get ideas from other scales.  Finally, I joined the NGS a couple of years ago and apart from now a vested interest, I look forward to reading their magazine every two months.

One problem is that reading some one's description of a blow-by-blow account of how they built their baseboard gets repetitious and unfortunately the articles are not edited for readability.  Sometimes I want to re-write the articles for them.  Wish I thought they'd spring for a ghost writer, it could make such a difference.

John

I agree with most points made above. There's nothing wrong with worrying about what happens to them after your demise - I often think like that myself, the older I get. Those thoughts also apply to my layout, also. Regarding the mags, I'd be happy for them just to go to a good home for free, rather than them getting trashed. Most talk to me daughters about that one.... 

Glad to see another regular RM reader - I've always been loyal to the publication though I don't get it on a monthly basis as I did for many years (see my earlier post and photos in this thread). I get a bit peeved when I hear folk use the condescending term "Railway Toddler" (which many members of a certain modelling association here in Australia [that I have expressed distaste about before on this forum] have a habit of doing). The magazine has had a long history and has published many superb articles, plans and drawings over the years and deserves better respect than that. Because of it's longevity, not only has it featured pioneering work which had a profound influence on many of today's modellers (myself included), but, as Alan of Etched Pixels states, it's age has made it an excellent archive of information and drawings to produce accurate historical models. Being fortunate enough to own many early issues, I have what I consider a great modelling resource sitting in that study.

Ok, I know we have Google these days, but I'm sorry, Google just does not evoke the nostalgia and childhood memories that I get when I look through some of those issues. Plus, there are still things to be learned there - it was a 1960's issue that gave me the idea for water issuing from pipes (see Knowledge Bank).

At the very least, the Railway Modeller's age shows how modelling techniques and standards have evolved and improved over the last 60-odd years. If you take an issue at random from the decades of the 50's, 60's 70's 80's 90's and 2000's, it is quite fascinating to see the changes in layout standards. To my eyes at least, it was a definite gradual process - not just a quantum leap happening all of a sudden.

Just like ancient maps, documents and the like, the Railway Modeller has a most definitive place in the history of model railways. The same goes for the American mag Model Railroader, too, I reckon.

Phew! Having said all that, I also agree with others here that there has been a big improvement in RM under the current Editor and staff.

Cheers, George.

Very nice post George. I share your fondness for RM, in many regards due to nostalgia as I used to read my father's copy when I was a child 40 odd years ago. Having recently returned to the hobby, it was nice to see a familiar masthead, not to mention a similar stle and layout. Unfortunately I don't have the old issues to reminisce over!

Even here in the US you can find RM in Barnes & Noble (albeit at a significant mark up on the UK price). But now that RM has discovered the iPad I now get my copy that way which saves a trip to the shops as well as being significantly cheaper.

Mike

Speak of the devil. Got this e-mail as I was posting this...

Dear subscriber,

You have a new issue available in your Exact Editions account:

Railway Modeller
April 2013
Read the new issue here.

If you are an individual subscriber you can also read the issue on your iPhone and iPad via the Railway Modeller app.

Best wishes from

The Exact Editions team.

Thanks for that, Mike. It's silly, I know, but basically RM has been a major player in my entire life story and I get very protective of it. As you say, they have discovered e-publishing, so it will be cheaper for you, but being the old b*gg*r that I am, I have to say... NOT THE SAME!!! 

As an aside, I had a great day in Sydney on Tuesday with an old university mate from 40 years ago who is visiting Oz. I might be gettin' on but don't feel it. We went on a pub crawl and a harbour cruise and it was just like old times.

As another aside, I went in a couple of Barnes & Nobles when I was over on the Eastern Seaboard in 2005 - aren't they incredible places? Love the way they have comfy chairs where you can sit and read!

Back to the subject of mags - I have just returned from a quick shopping trip to our local Westfield and I see the newsagent has the Christmas issue of MRJ in. Great picture of a blue Deltic on the front posed on what appears to be Chris Pendleton's famous fine scale 4mm North Shields (or was it South?). I almost bought it for that photo alone! There is also a very useful article in there about making trees for the on-going, but nearly finished, I am led to understand, Fence Houses 2mm finescale project. Apart from the blatantly obvious out-there brilliant standard of the modelling, I have a personal interest in the project, as I grew up within half a mile of that station!

Cheers, and again, thanks for the nice post, George.

Just saw your post - electronic edition arrived! Well there you go! 

My subscription copy of Model Rail turned up recently. Although its an interesting and good issue there is a distinct lack of N gauge content. In fact it's so little that you'd wonder whether the scale/gauge actually existed.

I understrand and accept that there's plenty to appreciate and learn from other scales, but sometimes its nice to see a little of what is possible and can be acheived in our scale in commercial magazines.

H.

Just going through old mags again.... Geez I'm a hoarder. Hard to believe some of the mags I've got stashed away. Watch this space!

Anyway, turns out I do have an Oct 1957 issue - this is an ad for Triang and Peco in that same issue. Note the address for Peco - before the company moved to Beer.
[smg id=4294 type=preview align=center width=400]
And here is the Aug 1963 Railway of the Month: Borchester! Not the Frank Dyer version at all, but a layout that bears an uncanny resemblance to Stephenton!! Not surprising - they are both the same track plan from RM!
[smg id=4295 type=preview align=center width=400]
Stay tuned for more blasts from the past!

I subscribed to the digital issue of RM, and am very pleased with it, the photos, text and adverts are exactly the same as the printed mag, but did come with the ability to access a couple of years worth of back issues for no extra cost. also i can enlarge anything a little small to read. As an earlier poster mentioned, the build up of paper mags is ridiculous, I have years and years worth of football, miniature wargaming and various others. They are all going to have to go, just don't have the space anymore.

Sounds good that the digital RMs provide access to back issues for free. Didn't know that - worth keeping in mind. Yep, the mags do build up over the years. When I was rummaging around the other day I really was staggered by the stuff I've got. It really will have to go... of course I wasted just about a whole day, because when you come across a magazine you haven't seen for years, you inevitably end up sitting down looking through it (well I did, anyway). There's still some gems of wisdom to be found in them, though!

I've just come across the Southern E-Group's archive of selected Railway Modeller articles. I've picked out several to read at a later date, so I'm sure there will be something of interest to a lot of you 

http://www.semgonline.com/RlyMag/