Magazines

[PLD]

I really enjoy reading a magazine but find the Model Railway Magazines are a waste of money, instead I but "Steam World" and "British Railways Illustrated" a far more interesting read than seeing one layout after another and reading one review after another

Well what do you expect to see in a Model Railway Magazine? - Herds of B1s sweeping majestically across the plain??

   

(B Fawlty)

[longbridge]

I really enjoy reading a magazine but find the Model Railway Magazines are a waste of money, instead I but "Steam World" and "British Railways Illustrated" a far more interesting read than seeing one layout after another and reading one review after another

Well what do you expect to see in a Model Railway Magazine? - Herds of B1s sweeping majestically across the plain??

   

(B Fawlty)

Great question PLD, maybe you can enlighten me as to what you expect to see in a Model Railway Magazine 

[Ben A]

like digital camera reviews they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Hello Dave,

Is that comment fair or necessary?

You are entirely entitled to your views, of course, but seeing as Railway Modeller sells around 45000 issues every month it seems apparent that there is a market for these publications.

Having said that, it is to my shame that the publishers of Model Rail (to which I occasionally contribute) use printstock that feels so cheap I fear the paper "it is written on" is not worth very much!

cheers

Ben A.

[longbridge]

Hi Ben sorry you think I may have spoken out of line but I am afraid I call a spade a spade and say or type what I really think, I didn't think I would offend anyone an as an ex mod on this forum I would not have worried about what was written.
I do believe there are far to many layouts pictured and described in some model railway magazines, I also believe some of them are just space fillers, I also know full well that adverts pay for the mags but there are many railway publications that have survived for generations with far less ads than the current range of major model railway magazines, with regard to product reviews and after reading model railway magazines since the 1960s I do think some loco reviews are a waste of time, the reason being not all locos run the same, I have read glowing reviews of a loco that has proved to be a disaster for many owners sadly many of them were British N Gauge, everyone has the right to read whatever they like and good luck to them, me I like reading stories about real locos and those that drove and fired them, I have also found that Steam World and British Railways Illustrated have been a great reference for my modelling hobby.
Please note that this is a personal point of view, no way am I trying to influence anyones thinking how we go about our hobby or whatever we read so long as it brings some kind of enjoyment thats all that counts.

[Newportnobby]

I think at the end of the day it's a case of 'horses for courses' in that the monthly model railway mags are not gauge specific, don't carry many 'how to's' and have lots of ads. However, I get Railway Modeller as it seems the best balanced of the lot and has features I like. Very rarely do the monthlies criticise their review samples.
The NGS Journal doesn't carry so much about layouts and has more 'how to's', especially under the current editorship and, of course, is gauge specific, as is N Gauge Now! which is the quarterly 'new kid on the block'.
I guess one man's meat is another man's poison (and other trite adages)

[PLD]

I really enjoy reading a magazine but find the Model Railway Magazines are a waste of money, instead I but "Steam World" and "British Railways Illustrated" a far more interesting read than seeing one layout after another and reading one review after another

Well what do you expect to see in a Model Railway Magazine? - Herds of B1s sweeping majestically across the plain??

   

(B Fawlty)

Great question PLD, maybe you can enlighten me as to what you expect to see in a Model Railway Magazine 

Erm how about Model Railways....  (the clue is in the title)

Whereas you appear from your comments to expect/want something else... 

[red_death]

Longbridge

You still haven't actually said what you would like to see in a modelling magazine (you have said what you like about railway mags which are not the same thing)! You don't want reviews or layout articles which takes out about half of the potential articles! Perhaps you just don't like modelling mags...

I agree with you about not all locos running the same, but I'm sure that doesn't completely invalidate a review! For most locos for every 5-10 people with problems there has to be several hundred with no problems (we have done that argument recently on here so no need to restart it here).

Cheers, Mike

[longbridge]

You are right of course Mike my problem is I am not fond of model railway magazines, I find most them  boring that is why I mentioned to many layouts and reviews, IMO it is the same old same old with very little variation, I think regarding layouts the problem is with the magazines themselves, always the same format, my name is Joe Blow I used Peco points, some buildings are scratch built others are modified card kits blah blah blah, now what would be wrong in a layout review where the mag asks simple questions like OK Joe tell us how you built the scratch built building and what you did to modify the card kits, I believe there is to much repartition and not enough input from the modeller, of course there are exceptions, also what would be wrong with modellers doing a review of a product, I believe we would bet a less biased view, I believe the most interesting mag is Model Rail and Model Railroader at least they have a few "How To" sections and can be a decent read, I stopped buying those mags about two years ago.

[painbrook]

The Railway Magazine has a supplement '40 years of high-speed travel' which I found interesting and informative. Another good read was  http://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/product/5465/duchess-75-mallard-s-greatest-rival-britain-s-most-powerful-steam-locomotive-bookazine-by-robin-jones . Cheers john.

[Pengi]

I tend to agree with longbridge on this. I used to buy the magazines but found there was not very much on modern EMUs which is my interest.

My preference is to get most of the information I want from the internet - particularly as it is more interactive, e.g. videos, forums etc

So I've had a subscription to Modern Railways for some years now which caters for the era that I am most interested in and does give me inspiration for future layouts.

[Ben A]

Hello Dave,

Increasingly Model Rail does tend to write its layout articles by having photos of the layout taken, then one of the staff contributors calling the builder and asking them how they planned, built or approached various key aspects.   However, it is then written up as "by" the layout builder as that is what readers say they prefer.

Personally, I can see the merit in a layout article that is written more as a Q&A between MR and the builder and I will suggest it.

The internet certainly has its place, but it can get tiresome wading through uninteresting or irrelevant postings or content and and a website or forum is harder to casually flick through than a magazine.

cheers

Ben A.

[silly moo]

You certainly get a variety of different views when discussing magazines. I really enjoy getting them and don't need to worry about paper as I get digital versions.

In my opinion they all seem to go through boring patches when I wonder why I subscribed but what I think is boring someone else might find fascinating.

To someone living overseas they are invaluable as we don't really have model railway shows here or easy access to railway reference books.

I've been getting magazines for years but I never tire of looking at pictures of layouts whatever scale they might be in.

[DELETED]

I got to say the reviews in the mags I treat with more of a pinch of salt than it's possible to fit in the bag they enevitably come-in.  In some cases it's really quite obvious to me here's a bias (same fpor some "themed" project layouts).  That said it the same everywhere and you make your own mind-up though I have naver really gone by a magazine review in any hobby.

I fully support the mags and recently they have allot of basic how to's which I think allot of internet yet web only newbies are missing.  I've ordered N gauge specific mags and found them a little too concentrated on the scale rather then the bigger pic of creating the landscape etc.

I don't keep all my mags -do a purge every 6 months, but I usually find interesting things even if I don't read them first pass.  I am bad for probably buying most modelling mags each month but I really do resist when there is a plastic wrapper and usually don't buy them as a poinmt in principle.  The rest I do a good shake so all the guff phamplets fall out on the shelf (I tuck them in place) before I put it in my basket.

...I think the mainstream mags agre doing great these days and plasantly surprised how much N gauge is in there but they could be 50p cheaper and no plastic wrappers!!!

[JasonBz]

I buy RM most months, and have done since I was little - To me it is the hobby newspaper   
I buy MR quite often too, but mainly when there is an article of interest; it seems to have improved recently following a dip in standards that lasted several years ( IMO!)

I buy MRJ often too, though for some reason not the latest issue....Its like fine wine, it gets better with age

The other mainstream mags just dont do it for me at all, I'm afraid.

I like Model Railroader a lot, but having had a subscription, it can get a bit like Groundhog Day if you take it too often

[Bealman]

I agree with Jason when he says that to him, RM is the model railway magazine. I have every copy from circa 1957 through until 1968, then a large number of assorted issues from the1970s through until 1986. At that point I began getting it monthly again until 1998. I had half a dozen artlicles published in that period, all of which were about my layout, but with several "how I did it" bits in them. In fact one entire article was devoted to the signalling system. You'd have to like that, Dave! 

Since then, I've only bought the odd issue that has had something that interests me in it. As Dave says RM is running at around $13 in the newsagents these days, and to me that's a bit pricey.

However, I remain loyal to RM.... let's face it, it's been a big part of my life since I was 5 years old!!!