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An interview with the New Owner

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 3:31 PM

richhotrain
wjstix

To be fair, they're not actually journalists. Ken is a photographer / professional modeller, one of the guys is a chef, another owns a company that buys and sells used model/toy trains. 

 

 

 

That may be true, Stix, but you don't need to be a journalist to ask meaningful questions.

 Yes, but it's unfair to expect amateurs to do as good a job as a professional. It's not their job, it's an amateur hobby. 

Stix
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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 4:38 PM

wjstix

 

 
richhotrain
wjstix

To be fair, they're not actually journalists. Ken is a photographer / professional modeller, one of the guys is a chef, another owns a company that buys and sells used model/toy trains. 

 

 

 

That may be true, Stix, but you don't need to be a journalist to ask meaningful questions.

 

 

 

 Yes, but it's unfair to expect amateurs to do as good a job as a professional. It's not their job, it's an amateur hobby. 

 

BowBowBow

Alton Junction

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Posted by maxman on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 3:07 PM

AEP528

I realized today that the advertising situation has gotten worse: March 2024 was the last issue with an MRC ad.

 

I'm not certain what you think this proves.  Last ad for MRC in the other magazine was also March.

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Posted by AEP528 on Thursday, June 13, 2024 7:10 AM

maxman

 

 
AEP528

I realized today that the advertising situation has gotten worse: March 2024 was the last issue with an MRC ad.

 

 

 

I'm not certain what you think this proves.  Last ad for MRC in the other magazine was also March.

 

It's pretty simple: Less advertising = smaller magazine.

MRC was a full page ad. Now it's gone. If advertisers continue to leave, magazines won't survive.

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, June 13, 2024 4:44 PM

So, Firecrown owns the servers, and the building that they are situated in has to be vacated in 17 days. What happens then?

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by rrebell on Saturday, June 15, 2024 9:41 AM

richhotrain

So, Firecrown owns the servers, and the building that they are situated in has to be vacated in 17 days. What happens then?

Rich

 

A few options, if not already leased they could extend. They could let eviction action happen letting them have time to move stuff. They could abandon old servers and move everything to a cloud elsewhere. We are of course just speculating as non of us has access to the lease which could spell out the options, maybe the building owners want the old servers and are willing to forgo eviction for awhile for them (this would depend on the age and configuration of said servers).

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Posted by reasearchhound on Saturday, June 15, 2024 9:53 AM

Hopefully the MRC ad is just getting an overhaul - it needed it. Don't know the connection the guy in the ad had to the company (founder, president?) but they couldn't have used a worse guy for the ad (IMO). Instead of showing a younger person, designed to related to the younger generation, they chose to use someone who looked old enough to be MY dad - and I'm 71. Of course I am using hyperbole, and the guy in the ad may well have deserved to be honored by being in it, but I can't believe that photo ever made any modeler say, "Gee, I want to be just like that guy - think I get into model railroading, and buy an MRC system as well."
Note - I own MRC myself, in spite of the ad.

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Posted by wjstix on Sunday, June 23, 2024 3:45 PM

Just received my MR renewal notice in the mail. I see it says something re the subscriptions being based on number of issues rather than time, as they reserve the right to change how often the magazine comes out. So could MR be looking at going to every-other month, or quarterly?

Stix
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Posted by maxman on Sunday, June 23, 2024 5:29 PM

I thought it always said that.

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Posted by fiatfan on Monday, June 24, 2024 6:36 AM

Yes, been like that for a couple of years at least.

Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!

Go Big Red!

PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"

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Posted by wjstix on Monday, June 24, 2024 9:35 AM

Could be I just never noticed it before.

"The number of issues in an annual term is subject to change at any time, but the amount of time remaining on your subscription will not be altered."

Stix
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Posted by maxman on Friday, July 5, 2024 10:43 PM

AEP528

I realized today that the advertising situation has gotten worse: March 2024 was the last issue with an MRC ad.

 

I see that there is a full page MRC ad in the current, August, issue.  Does this mean that the advertising situation has gotten better?

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