MRJ 251 thread.

[adrian]

That was a nice surprise today - the postman knocked on the door and handed me the latest copy of MRJ, issue 251, fortunately he had observed the Please do not bend request on the envelope.

Another cracking issue - headlining with Canada Street with some top quality photos and even a track plan! The supporting articles are also top class, the baseboard design article demonstrates a level of attention to detail which is to be commended - even the lightening holes are dimensioned! It was also nice to see the 4mm K3 article more as a hints and tips on turning and pattern making etc rather than just a loco build.

However there were a couple of minor slip ups in the proof reading, not too sure what happened but in the Canada Street article one low resolution photo slipped in (top of page 292 if you have a copy) and in the text it talked about its "2016 York debut" - this confused me completely because I remember seeing it at York and I was probably one of the folks mentioned in the article. I thought was it really only 7 months since I saw it? It seemed much much longer than that. I then looked back through my photos which restored the balance of things for me because they were taken at York in 2015.

So not needing any more excuse than that to indulge with a few photos - these are from 2015.


Although I should declare a less than altruistic motive for posting - for various reasons I have checked out of RMWeb completely, one of them being the tone and lack of respect in the MRJ threads. However this is not the place to discuss that, although PMs are fine by me if you want to discuss that side.

This is specifically to focus on the MRJ issue and the contents within - please note an adult conversation and original humour will be welcomed.(Definitely PM me if you want an explanation).

Finally to finish with the editorial piece reminiscing on the Manchester Christmas Show - the Corn Exchange show was too early for me however I do remember several shows at UMIST but for me it was the Co-op building by Victoria Station, first as a punter but then as an exhibitor helping out on my Dads trade stand. Wandering round seeing Bob Ledgers Coarse Scale O gauge Blue Diesels, chatting with Sid Stubbs about cutting gears and making wheels and seeing Chee Tor - all wonderful memories.

Perhaps best to gloss over some of the after show piss ups - although I do remember one where the hotel prices were rather eye watering so a few traders nipped round the corner to the off license to stock up on a few beers and came back to the hotel bar with their stock under the tables to magically refill the pints. Although half the stash was cans they also brought back a few bottle conditioned ales as this was pre widgets in cans era. With all the traders present not one had a bottle opener!! So being the impetuous youth I was, it was my job to go to the bar and request a non-alcoholic drink with ice. The bar man would have to go to the other bar in the hotel for the ice and in his absence I'd lean over the bar and use his bottle opener to open half a dozen bottles of beer for everyone else!

I never had the opportunity to visit the show whilst it's been out of town, it didn't seem quite the same festive experience. Anyway it's back in town and it's next weekend so we hope to be down to enjoy the Christmas markets and a little festive modelling.

THE Christmas Model Railway Show, Manchester 3&4 December 2016! | Western Thunder

 

[AJC]

Thanks Adrian - I appreciate your point regarding the other channel... I was at Warley yesterday and failed to loop back past the Wild Swan stand to pick up a copy in time. I haven't seen Canada Street in the flesh yet, an oversight to be corrected; flying the flag for high-quality 4mm modelling (which just happens to be EM).

Adam

 

[AJC]

Ok, now that I have my hands on a copy, I must say that I approve. What is impressive, is that each article provides a clear sense of how things are - or might be - done and the reasoning behind it; especially important in the piece about baseboards and Tom Mallard's superlative K3 for which I am lost in admiration though something of this quality is not something I could seek to aspire to in my own modelling since I have neither the equipment, nor, if I'm honest, the time to do so. That said, the techniques trascend the scale in which the work is done and that is extraordinarily valuable, especially the insights into pattern making. Karl Crowther has brought together an excellent collection of material, in my view with a good balance of showcasing and doing. This is a Good Thing.

Adam

PS - The letters page is the first in a very long time that has included content worth reading.

 

[Neil]

Like Adam I was struck by the rationale behind Tom Mallard's K3 article, particularly 'The most important point of all this is to determine what you want from your hobby, so that it serves you alone'. Though used in the context of setting very high standards to work to it struck me that it's equal justification for just buying a Bachmann K3, or making one out of Lego, and spending the time and money saved on a holiday/set of golf clubs/strong liquor/council tax bill.

 

[PMP]

Like Adam I was struck by the rationale behind Tom Mallard's K3 article, particularly 'The most important point of all this is to determine what you want from your hobby, so that it serves you alone'..

+1 from me.
Exemplified if I may be so bold by one of Adams posts on the darks side
Adam's EM Workbench: Binn's Road Finescale - Page 34 - Kitbuilding & Scratchbuilding

A lesson in how to get where 'you' want to be, not where others tell you, you should be. Respect for both gentlemen concerned

 

[allegheny1600]

Hallelujah!
It is such a relief to see a 'sensible' discussion of the latest issue of our finest model railway magazine (imho). Thank you all.
Canada Street is a joy to see and read about, Adrian's top photo is quite sublime and reminds me of how much I love the humble mineral wagon and all it's closely associated colleagues.
Thanks also for the "plug" for the Manchester show, hope you all enjoyed it.
Cheers,
John.

 

[AJC]

+1 from me.

A lesson in how to get where 'you' want to be, not where others tell you, you should be. Respect for both gentlemen concerned

Much obliged to you Paul. This is precisely my intention and, unlike some I won't mention, I've no desire to say whether that's right or wrong. I've posted much the same content over here, of course: http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/whats-on-your-workbench.3804/page-48

Adam

 

[queensquare]

An excellent issue all round. I've seen Canada Street a couple of times; at York in 2015 where we were exhibiting Wadebridge and opposite us at Pompey last month. The latter was a particular treat as I was able to nip across and give it the time it deserves in quiet moments. that early seventies grot ticks a lot of boxes for me and Canada Street captures it perfectly. The warehouse buildings with their faded lettering is some of the best structure modelling you will see

I've not signed out of RMWeb as there is still loads of good stuff over there but, sadly, the various MRJ threads aren't one of them. They now seem to run two threads for each issue, one that has multiple pages of infantile, unfunny dribble, the other with a patronising title which seems to fall silent the moment an issue hits the shelves.

It was also nice to see in the letters that at least some people liked my inclusion of not just an Irish layout but a French one as well - and on the cover - in 249 despite being told by a few contributors, in both thread posts and pm that Johny foreigner had no place in MRJ! The French delight is mentioned in another letter in 251 along with the possibility that it will be coming to the UK, Bradford-on-Avon to be exact, in 2018. It is modelling of a breathtaking quality and I urge everyone who can to make their way to Wiltshire to see it.

Jerry

 

[allegheny1600]

Jerry,
Good modelling is good modelling, wherever it comes from. If ignorance tries to alter that, then it shows itself up as being stupid as well as ignorant. I'm not a particular fan of narrow gauge modelling as such but I love Pempoul and other such classics, because they are outstanding examples of our art.
Some of the very finest examples of this art form are to be found in Continental Europe, the USA (North America, really) and many other places wherever railways are modelled.
Cheers,
John.

 

[SimonT]

I urge everyone who can to make their way to Wiltshire to see it.

Sshh!

 

[Simon]

Great pictures of "Canada Street" Adrian.

RMweb MRJ threads can be pretty painful, its mostly all that railway modelling "humour".

The French will be coming to Wiltshire on 30th June/1st July 2018, industrial qualities of organisation and promotion are required between now and then

Simon

 

[iak63]

Nowt wrong with a bit of sausage...

Mind, seeing the Canada Street article has been most inspiring. Having seen it in the flesh at York this year was great but those pictures...
The K3 article is another belter. Modelling to these standards is wonderful to behold, even if we don't have such a well fitted workshop.

Sláinte
Iain

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Canada Street ........some of the best 4mm scale modelling you'll see. It's nice to see a layout were everything is weathered, just as real life.

I've lost count of the layouts I've seen at exhibitions where the model construction is perfect but not a sign of weathering on stock or buildings, so unrealistic, yet on one occasion when I asked if it was to be weathered I was told "oh no ! I don't want to ruin it " ....they'll never know.

Superb scratch built K3 in 4mm scale, beats some of the 7mm models I've seen.

Col

 

[Stirling O]

I agree Canada Street is a wonderful piece of modelling as is the K3. However, MRJ is no longer the publication it used to be. It now has very limited appeal for me. In future rather than having a standard order for it I will browse it's contents before buying.

 

[phileakins]

MRJ is no longer the publication it used to be. It now has very limited appeal for me. In future rather than having a standard order for it I will browse it's contents before buying.

Same for me. I have every issue up to about 150 (including 0!) but found the amount of interesting material dropped off sharply, so I stopped getting it regularly. I also find the current price off-putting if all I want is a single article/photo.

 

[Martin Long]

I feel the same way. I wonder what it is that has happened in the hobby that reflects in the lack of interesting material in MRJ. Is it perhaps down to the lack of a permanent Editor? How do they get the contributions? Are they commissioned by the visiting editors who would then reflect their own interests? I would really like to know how the thing is put together.

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

I have to agree that there are some excellent articles but not on a regular basis. MRJ is no longer the 'must open whenever it arrives' publication it used to be.

I think that their pool of writers is too restricted, even the letters page sees the same names time and again! I am sure we all know a fair number of first class modellers who have achieved something worth sharing or who have come up with a new way of doing something. A 'proper' editor would be out there digging up the nuggets just like Bob Barlow used to do!

 

[queensquare]

Oh dear, I hope this thread isn't going to slip into an 'MRJ isn't what it used to be' routine, You'll be talking about sausages next:-(( Constructive criticism is welcomed but just 'it was better in the old days' is of little use.

As for the rose tinted view that when MRJ had a 'proper editor' there was a larger pool of contributors, I think you'll find the complete opposite was actually the case. Guest editors are out there trying to dig up new nuggets all the time, one of the advantages of having guest editors is that the net can be spread much wider.

There are some excellent modellers on this site doing fantastic stuff, a number of them have been approached about articles which will hopefully appear in the future.

Jerry - one of the guest editors who is neither 'proper', or bothering to look for new, exciting and interesting material

 

[Stoke5D]

I'm a subscriber and won't be cancelling but there's no doubt that the magazine does not on the whole always match the standard consistently achieved in the past. There's always something impressive in there but too much of it is not. Clearly the late lamented Bob Barlow also thought something was amiss in launching his own magazine in de facto competition. I'm sure the comment of Jerry about sourcing articles is true but I still agree with the suggestion that it would be a good idea to appoint a permanent editor if you wish for any consistency and progress.

One relevant thing that I've noticed in the last few years is that the standard of the mainstream magazines has increased significantly, such that they are now often covering stuff that was previously the exclusive concern of MRJ. This then prompts the question of what is MRJ for now? As I say, perhaps a permanent Editor could answer that question.


Andrew

 

[Steve Cook]

In a response to some of the questions raised, I've been lucky enough to be asked to contribute to MRJ on a few occasions, two were photo based (Dungeness Siding diorama and G3 wagon build) and the third was a rework of a Hornby coach into one that represented a Culm Valley resident. In the first two cases I was asked just for photos and captions, the third I was asked specifically to write in a 'chatty' style and take a slightly different approach to the photos. As far as I understand, each editor chooses a theme that they wish to portray and seeks material to support that - I don't see that that would be any different with a permanent editor.

As Jerry points out, the pool of contributors is pretty large - editors have social contacts, friends, clubs , exhibitions and internet forums to browse and select from. Within that, editors need to find people who can enthuse, describe and photograph, all to a deadline and a set number of pages. At least one editor has told me that finding people who can do enough of all of those is quite difficult, just being OK at one aspect isn't enough.

The word 'interesting' crops up a few times when people point out that MRJ is not what it used to be. My question is then what defines 'interesting'. Interesting to the raiser, or everybody who reads the magazine? Can finescale modelling ever be as exciting as it was when first broached from issue 0 onwards? What is mainstream now and visible on almost every modelling corner was practically unheard of 30 odd years ago, so that sense of freshness and discovery is unlikely to be repeated. Some modellers are doing fantastic things with the latest technology, but I get the impression that people are not as enthused by these things as they are not the result of hand tools and patience. To be honest, having seen Tom's K3 in MRJ I'm not sure how much further the hobby can go, short of everybody arriving at the same standard.

I would suggest that there simply aren't enough new techniques being developed at a rate that is capable of feeding the hunger of modellers, hence people are less satisfied with what MRJ includes. Perhaps a change of perspective to an appreciation of what has been achieved rather than getting a lesson in ground breaking processes is what is required.

Its certainly 'interesting' reading how others see MRJ, I'll continue my subscription to help support the magazine so we can all enjoy what it has achieved to date.

Steve