What model rail magazine do you read

[N Gauge Bob]

N Gauge Journal and that's it. Last year I looked at my collection of mags...40 years of RM bound, 150 copies of MRC, every Model Rail and BRM, and loads of miscellaneous ones....and I thought why?
So I advertised the lot twice and not one interested person...so I dumped them down the local charity shop. A couple of days later they had the binders in the window at 10p each and all the mags went to re-cycling!!
I don't buy any now. If you add up the big three it comes to around 100 quid plus a year..that's 2 good secondhand locos.
I might buy one mag if I'm at a show for the weekend away or if I go on a train journey.
All I need to know I can find at shows, groups and other on-line places.
Bob

[ParkeNd]

Have just come back to the hobby so have bought all the mags - unlike my other hobbies where I have stopped buying them because magazines in the same giant groups "share" articles and staff writers between them. The model railway mags seem not to be afflicted with this yet.

Railway Modeller seems to be not only the most interesting but a lot more colourful than it used to be.

[silly moo]

I've got four of them on short digital subscriptions meaning to cut down to two in a couple of months, the trouble is they've all upped their game and it's going to be difficult to decide. It would be nice to be able to buy a selection of all the articles you liked from all the different magazines, a bit like recording television programmes 

[E Pinniger]

I read most of the current British railway modelling magazines, BRM and Model Rail are my favourites of the "mainstream" publications, as they usually have plenty of modelling and prototype-related articles as well as the usual layouts and product reviews, but Hornby and occasionally RM can have some very good and well photographed layout articles. The general lack of N gauge content can be disappointing but as I also model in OO standard gauge and O16.5 7mm narrow gauge it isn't so bad (although narrow gauge-related articles aren't particularly common either)

I hardly ever buy magazines new, though (only if there's a particularly useful article that I really want), as second hand ones, sometimes only a few months old, can be found so cheaply at shows, preserved railway bookshops, etc.! You can also find specialist magazines cheaply from the same sources, a favourite of mine which is always worth looking out for is Modeller's Backtrack (discontinued ages ago unfortunately)

[stevieboy]

Back in the day I was always bought Railway Modeller by my Dad/Grandad. So on my return to the hobby I instinctively stuck to buying RM until this month. Having been on holiday this week I ran of reading material so bought Model Rail for a comparison.

Instantly I felt more at home reading MR. I may have caught a good issue (Nov) but the articles are much easier for a newcomer to relate too and the topics covered do not require as much implied knowledge. For example the article on headcodes/freight train types is the most useful one I have ever read. I am not a railway worker, nor was I around in the era of mixed freight but at some point I'd like my modelling to accurately reflect practices of days gone by.

Another useful thing that MR does is the style of the reviews. Flaws are not only pointed out, they are also explained. For example the 00 Heljan Class 16 has inaccurate battery boxes. RM would leave it at that, but MR explains why they are inaccurate.

I may have struck it lucky this month but I will be buying MR next month and end my run of RM purchasing for a while.

[Bigric]

I'm with Gwrwill on page 1 of this thread - I get them all (by subscription now , much easier & cheaper)) plus N Gauge Society Journal , plus Nspirations from Issue 1 . Every 2 or 3 months I spend a couple of hours going through the big mags & remove bits of interest that may be useful in future (sad , anal bugger that I am ), the remnants go in the bin ! The 2 smaller mags I keep intact . Works for me !! Cheers to one & all , Richttp://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/Smileys/NGF/smiley.gif

[CarriageShed]

...the remnants go in the bin !

I hope you meant the recycling. 

[Bealman]

I don't consider my self a hoarder (well, not by what you see on those stupid TV shows, anyway), but it's ridiculous I know, but I can't bear the thought of ripping pages out of my RM collection!!

Mind you, in my defense, many of the very old issues have huge nostalgic value to me.

George

[Jerry Howlett]

My railway room is now bursting at the seams with 14 years of NGS Journals and Railway Modellers, and I only get the RM when someone brings a copy over or we are in the UK. Horder NO!!! (thats another thread). I have only twice cut out bits from the RM and that was to use pictures as a scenery filler.
Hopefully now that Mrs H has treated me to a Colour Kindle I will be getting the RM as a download. Now where did I put the copy for March 1992 ?

[FeelixTC]

I started buying Railway Modeller in the early seventies, and continued to do so, for around five years until I became distracted by beer/girls/music.

A couple of years ago, when my interest (models; not birds) was rekindled, I started buying RM again, but never got the same level of excitement from it and didn't continue for long, it always seems a very short read.

You have to remember, I suppose, that when I first started buying it; it was a different world then. I would spend hours poring over the adverts, because there was a rich variety of product available by mail order (people of my age will remember postal orders and waiting 28 days for delivery) so much more than my local model shop.
Of course, nowadays everything is available to both browse (extensively) and purchase and if you order by 6.00pm; they'll fetch it round yesterday.

Half the mag is adverts (and I do understand the commercials) and the adverts, to me, seem irrelevant

I don't bother with any mags anymore, there's nothing you cant find a better version of on 'tinterweb.

[OwL]

NGS Journal and Todays Railways UK.

Out of all the real railways magazines, Todays Railways is the best for me because it is very factual rather than just the politically biased views of a railway journalist like other magazines tend to be. Todays Railways UK tells you what is going down on the network with real time news without actually blowing off steam and over thrashing every little issue formed from the opinion of just one editor.

[Newportnobby]

One feature of RM I like is the calendar of exhibitions as, apart from the larger shows, I tend to spot any smaller ones in the area which probably cost just £3 to get in but can be a mine of useful bits and pieces at very low cost.

[Jerry Howlett]

One feature of RM I like is the calendar of exhibitions as, apart from the larger shows, I tend to spot any smaller ones in the area which probably cost just £3 to get in but can be a mine of useful bits and pieces at very low cost.

£3! Does that include your OAP discount now ?.....................

[Newportnobby]

One feature of RM I like is the calendar of exhibitions as, apart from the larger shows, I tend to spot any smaller ones in the area which probably cost just £3 to get in but can be a mine of useful bits and pieces at very low cost.

£3! Does that include your OAP discount now ?.....................

Nah - but it does include a fish & chip supper and the taxi home
I've discovered that despite hitting the age of 60, I can't get a bus pass until March 2017 (so that should stop any 'bus pass' comments)

[cloughie]

o.k., no buss pass comments, but you get free prescriptions to get rid of your pink ballast, as for magazines I nick any that I find at Micks house