archived Model Railroader articles

[Anonymous]

Our local library doesn't have old Model Railroader issues archived very far back. Does anyone know a good source for old articles? I've found a good index for articles of all model railroad magazines, now I need to find the actual articles. Any ideas? Thanks.

[Big_Boy_4005]

The better collections are found at large metropolitan libraries. Local branches don't have the space or money for items with so little demand. Do you live near a major city?

Another option is the NMRA's library. I have never dealt wiht them, but I know their collection is large. The question is how do you access it.

If you are just looking for a few magazines, you could try to buy them used. There are a number of dealers that specialize in old magazines, and some are on the web.

[Sperandeo]

Hi "Griff,"

You can order photocopies of articles and drawings from back issues of "Model Railroader" and any other Kalmbach magazines from the Shopping section of this Web site or by e-mail to [e-mail]. For magazines of other publishers, NMRA members can order photocopies from the NMRA library in Chattanooga.

Good hunting,

Andy

[willy6]

Try an antique store, last year my wife and i stopped at antique store near my house just to look around, this guy had a collection of Model Railroader magazines from around 1979 to 1990 all in mint shape.

[jrbarney]

Griff,
If you live near enough to Chattanooga to visit, that's obviously best since you can look at the articles and decide which you want to have photocopied. I've found the staff pleasant, knowledgeable, and easy to deal with. If you can't visit, here's a link to their collection:
http://www.nmra.org/library/collectionindex.html
It is not limited to Model Railroader, but includes back issues of many prototype and model magazines. The copy fees, even if you are not a member, are reasonable.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[darth9x9]

Check local train shows. There are always older mags being sold by those who no longer need them.

[CNJ831]

Attempting to track down copies of more than a few random articles from some source like the NMRA is a hopelss task and you really don't know if the piece contains the exact info you're seeking anyway until you actually see it.

If you are truly serious about the hobby one of the best investments you'll ever make is to collect older bound volumes of MR. Over the years I've acquired a complete set of MR from 1940 to date and refer to them endlessly (especially those from the 1950's to the 1970's). Check out eBay for bound copies, often going for $35 or less per year. And don't wait for MR to appear on CD, we'll likely be in the ground before that happens.

CNJ831