What do you do with your old Model Railroader Magazines?

[Anonymous]

I'm Starting to have too many, and it's getting to be a pain to move them every time I move, etc.

What does everyone do with them?

I also have some old MR books from when I was a kid that are horribly outdated. It's time for some stuff to go!

(I might add a favorite music magazine of mine came out with a computer DVD containing the first 30 years of their existence for a mere $200. That enabled me to get rid of my collection knowing if I ever really HAD to have an article, I could get to it - without lugging around a 15 year subscription worth of mags!)

[Big_Boy_4005]

I was born in 1961. I got my first subscription in 1973. I own every issue back to 1950.

See all those blue binders?



And I do look at them, more now than ever because of the forum.

[Anonymous]

I have all mine lined up on a book shelf. I hope to put them in binders some time.

James

[Anonymous]

i havent ever boughten any yet. our local library has a subscription so i jsut go there to read it. heck save me $$$ which i dont even have now. althougth i dont buy them i do have a large collectiont that i have found thown out. i have a good shelf full of MRs, Trains, modle RR craftsmans, walthers catologs and what not. it all makes great reference material... but i sure dose take up a lot of space. and i dont have any better ideas on that

[Hawks05]

i have about 6 or 7. they are sitting in my desk along with the 3 Trains i have and the Walthers adds i get. i have another place just for reference books.

my friend said he'd give me a bunch but never did, i don't think he has them because he was going to throw them out when he moved so he probably did that.

[Jetrock]

I've got about half a shelf's worth of MR, a few I got from my dad when I got back into the hobby, some from the past two years that I bought at the hobbyshop, and quite a few from the "10 cents an issue" boxes at a railroad show I attended. I don't buy every issue or grab every back issue I can--normally I'll flip through and make sure there is something that will be immediately useful. Unfortunately for my pocketbook and shelf space there is something useful more often than not...

[krump]

you can send them to me... I think the binder idea is great, and neat / orderly. I'll need to start doing that.
I've started to develop a list categorizing all significant articles (by issue) that relate to topics of interest - how to make trees, realistic water, weathering methods, DCC etc.
Then, when I need a particular article, I can find it on the printed list...and go straight to the issue that it was in... works great in theory.
(in need the articles in front of me as I am a visual type learner, computer screens are great, but I want the paper copy in my hand when I get to work - being a detail freak)
cheers

[cisco1]

That article list sounds like a great idea. Its hard to get rid of such a valuable reference, so I have to keep adding to it. Only have issues from 1970 on at this point. Hope to get most of it in binders someday. Have a seven year old who comes to visit once in a while and loves model railroading. He's gotten a very good feel for a transistorized throttle and can take a train around the layout like a seasoned veteran! Went through my back issues a while back and surprised him with a big box full. You would have thought I gave him cash he was so happy!

[tutaenui]

I had a collection of MR that went back to 1953. Storage was a real problem, as I get 5 other model Rail publications. Now I only keep the current year intact but strip out the articles that interest me from the previous issues ( even if only remotely) and hold them in folders and donate the remains to the paper recyclers.
There is a German model mag that brings out the previous years issues on CD which is very handy.

[CP5415]

I keep mine, somewhere!
I have a few in binders, most are scattered about the house. especially in both "libraries" so that I continually read them.

Gordon

[Fergmiester]

I've amassed 12 years worth, which is now sitting in a corner. I'm seriously thinking about ripping them apart canabalising them and sticking the worthwhile articles in platic sleeves, then catagorizing them for easy reference.

[IRONROOSTER]

I save all of mine. I have all but but about 10 back to 1950 plus a few earlier ones. I also have RMC, NMRA Bulletin back to the early 70's. With the magazine index on this site I can finally find articles, plans, etc.
Enjoy
Paul

[tomwatkins]

I keep them. I made storage binders for them out of heavy cardboard. Each binder stores one year's magazines vertically. I also copy the table of contents pages for each issue and keep them in 3 ring binders.
Tom Watkins

[dknelson]

Subscriber since 1965; like Elliot/Big- Boy I have a complete collection going back to 1950 with a few earlier copies and the reprint of 1934 Vol. 1. I try to at least skim through them all on a regular basis because as my interests change I keep finding older issues with things of value. As a purely practical matter, the older issues are valuable for plans and structure articles, and by the late 1950s -- when some pioneers started to use styrene -- the techniques become more up to date. If I was to advise someone on acquiring older issues, I would consider going back to at least 1970 and I think you'd find plenty of useful stuff in each issue.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

I'd love to see MRR produce a DVD of all of their back issues from start to either now or 2000, or even better, include this year since it makes for their 70th anniversary [:D] Less paper, a lot less space, easier to find which articles you are looking for, and it's printable to bring a copy in the workshop if needed. And it would allow the younger ones like me to buy the back issues on a handy format.

[Anonymous]

I keep them. In unorderly stacks[:D]

[michealfarley]

I actually have duplicates from 1993-2001 due to inheriting my father's collection. I'd like for them to have a good home rather than recycling. Has anyone gotten creative with giving useful spares to others that could use them?

[Anonymous]

There's no way I can depart from my Model Railroaders! I own every one since 1995, including all from 1976-1979 and some from the 1980's, and early 90's.

[Anonymous]

Well I have only had a suscription since Christmas so I don't have too many. I guess when they start falling apart i get rid of them, that's what happened to the one I bought a while back.

[Anonymous]

I ended up with so many I started indexing them (Perl scripts running a database program through my web browser - 4 lines of code sets up a web server). Once I have the newer computer hooked up fully (it has issues) with the CDRW and scanner, these mags are going to start going through the scanner mill and getting burned to CD. I'll rearrange the articles into HTML documents with thumbnails and photos. Truly a task for the ages (because that's how long it'll take to accomplish).

Speaking of issues, if anyone has the following mags to sell, contact me at [e-mail]

MR 6/1946 or 3/55 or 9/73 - E2 article
RMC 11/66 - NW3 article
RMC 3/64 - NW4 article
MR 11/52 or 8/56 - Little Joe article
RMC 11/85 - HH1000 article

[Anonymous]

I save all of my magazines. I often go back to them for future reference and just to look back at old articles that I've enjoyed. I keep them all on a bookshelf here in the computer room.

[Anonymous]

I have issues from 1939 until last month.... only that there'e nothing between 1939 and 1994, I'm missing several issues between 1999 and 2003 and 5 of them got recycled....stupid "maid! I left them in a neat stack on a table to read the whole "easy DCC" articles, and that idiot put them in a recyling bin! that was the last time my mother hired someone to help her around the house!
Well, enough of personal tragedy, I keep my remaining MRs in binders, and those that don't fit in my room are stcked in my sister's room. This may sound crazy, but I want to have every issue of MR in a rooom (by the time I make it, MR will have been around for about 90 years).

[easyaces]

Between MR and MRC which are the only two magazines I usually get every month, I have back issues saved from about the mid 80's boxed up in my garage.

[mondotrains]

Hi Guys,
I had accumulated 20 years worth of back issues of MR Magazine but storage became a problem and it was very difficult to use them as reference because how could I possibly remember where that great article on "Making Trees" was? I thought of making a cross-reference list as some have previously suggested in this thread but realized that only a small portion of each magazine is worthwhile saving, especially with my limited storage space.

What I did was buy 3-ring notebooks from "Staples" or "Office Max". Then I bought plastic sheet protectors with 3 holes for mounting them in notebooks (I think I got 100 for a few dollars. Inside each notebook, I have a few of those section dividers...you know those heavy cardboard sheets with tabs that we used in high school to separate sections of our notebooks. Each tab allows you to write a topic on a piece of paper and slip it inside the clear or colored tab. Each of my notebooks has labels on the end which are visible when they are placed on my shelves. The labels indicate which subject tabs are inside. The following are the list of topics that have worked for me:

Weathering
Electrical
Scenery Techniques
Trees
Grass/Weeds
Roads/Crossings
Signs
Layout Plans
Backdrops
Photography
Detailing (Including Decaling)
Painting
Engines
Rolling Stock
Benchwork/Track
Layout Scenes
Operation
Detailing Buildings
Projects: Buildings
Projects: Structures

I went through all 20 years of MR magazines and cut out any article I thought would potentially be of use "some day" and placed it in a plastic sleeve. The sleeve was then placed behind a notebook tab per the above list. So far, I've found my list to work fine but I'm sure one of these days I'll find a need for another subject tab.

By the way, all my articles fit in 6 notebooks, with about 3-4 topics in each. Again, let me say that I try to be sure every article that might be of interest is saved. Every once in a while I go through the notebooks and get rid of articles that have become obsolete because I've either found a better article on the same subject or I've tried an approach suggested and didn't like it. Thus my notebooks have stayed less than full and my storage problem hasn't grown. My 6 notebooks take up a lot less space than 240 magazines. And, it's so great to be about to add a new turnout for a siding and just grab the notebook that has "Benchwork/TracK" indicated on the end-label and turn to that section and find the article on how to lay turnouts.

I should tell you that as I've gotten older, it's easy for me to forget how I laminated a control panel or what size hole I drilled to mount those Tortoise switch machines. So, I always write down how I do things....heck....the complete plan for my control panels, right down to the size holes for toggle switches and piano hinges is written down, placed in a plastic sleeve, and placed in one of my notebooks. I guess what I'm saying is that I've added my own "articles" to the ones cut out of MR magazine for handy reference.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

[Anonymous]

Mondo,

Awesome idea. You sound like an organization junkie like me. I can't even use mine as a reference, and it's only 4 or 5 years or so worth - just too much too sift through to find what I'm looking for.

Although MR is a great magazine, after all the ads, outdated electronics information (some of my mags are 15 years old), etc., I could really cut the fat off my collection by pulling out the articles I want and recycling the rest. Good call!

Maybe I'll really build a layout instead of just reading my "collection" of magazines now!

[Anonymous]

I harvest out all the articals I want then chuck the mag. At one point, I had more than 2000 magazines. I had to do something. They were taking over and they were everywhere, so take only what I wanted and get rid of the rest.

[Anonymous]

i have 8 years werth on a book shelf in order the rest stacked about

[AggroJones]

I keep em in milk crates. I've filled about 6 of them so far. A pretty sizable chunk is MR issues from the '70s and '80s.

[mondotrains]

Yup, I'm an organization nut.....must have been those 22 years I spent building computer systems for a large insurance company....the job required organization!

By the way, if any of you guys try my idea, please let me know if I've left out a category for my notebooks. Like I said, so far I've been able to find a spot for every article I want to save.

Have fun,
Mondo

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevlar9296

Mondo,

Awesome idea. You sound like an organization junkie like me. I can't even use mine as a reference, and it's only 4 or 5 years or so worth - just too much too sift through to find what I'm looking for.

Although MR is a great magazine, after all the ads, outdated electronics information (some of my mags are 15 years old), etc., I could really cut the fat off my collection by pulling out the articles I want and recycling the rest. Good call!

Maybe I'll really build a layout instead of just reading my "collection" of magazines now!

[Hawks05]

i might start going through my mags even though i don't have many. that way i'll save myself some room.