Pelle,
I've always enjoyed your modeling from across the pond. I like the scenes and construction techniques you brought into the hobby mainstream and I look forward to the future layout as it shapes up (much to the dismay of some). My hope is to join the ranks of layout builders here soon...much of that inspiration come from Model Railroader and the many authors and builders that contribute to MR.
I must say I did enjoy the desert theme!
Chris Palomarez
Someone made me aware of this thread and I can confirm that I am working on a new project. We all have our preferences when it comes to model railroading. Some like operation most, others like collecting trains, then others have specialized in modeling structures, locomotives or cars. Some are experts in scenery, weathering or electronics. And then there is the generalists who do a little of everything which I think is the category I belong to. If I have to choose my greatest joy is in the construction. I tend to loose interest in my layouts when they are finished. Operation has never really appealed to me. I have participated in operating sessions and found it very entertaining but it has been on much bigger layouts than what i have room for.
My second Daneville layout only existed 14 months after it was completed and the last 6 months of its existence my mind was focused on developing ideas for the next layout. During the Christmas holidays in 2013 my Daneville layout was cut up in sections and moved to a friends basement. Standing in my completely empty train room imagining all the things I could build must be close to what an artist feels when he is looking at a white canvas trying to figure out where to place the first brush stroke. Everything is possible and nothing has gone wrong yet.
To those of you who think I am a bit over exposed in MR I am sorry to say that you have to live with seeing many new stories on the pages of MR from me in the years to come. If it is any comfort my new layout will not be a desert layout so it will be different from what you previously have seen from me.
Cheers
Pelle
PRR_in_AZThankfully, as others have expressed, the hobby is big enough to satisfy everyone.
If I may..If building was all there was I would take up wood working or maybe building WWII dioramas,then take several photos and then trash the diorama and start a fresh scene..
However,in our hobby we have many avenues to chose from,that includes collecting cars and locomotives to operation,from weathering to never ending building since we free to chose the avenue(s) that fills our needs.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I gotta agree with Nittany and the other folks who like building over ops. If it wasn't for folks like John Allen and others who demonstated to me at a young age how beautiful and visually complex a layout can be, I wouldn't be pursuing this hobby. Yes, I know John Allen was also into operating his railroad realistically, but that is less interesting to me. For me, the enjoyment is the creation of visually appealing models set in a beautiful and realistic landscape. I like to model railfan and as far as I'm concerned my railroad operations needn't be much more complicated than I simple oval of track. Maybe in the future I will change my mind but not in the near future. I feel Model Railroader does a decent job in balancing the magazines content between operations and protype related articles, technical things like wiring and DCC, and of course the visual aspects of the hobby. I like that Pella wasn't satisfied with his first efforts and wants to do better. If he decides to tear down and rebuild - more power to him. If Model Railroader wants to cover his rebuild over the course of a year in one or two page articles - GREAT! There's a fair amount of content in Model Railroader that doesn't interest me that I pass over. If model railroading was just about running a realistic operating railroad on plywood I certainly wouldn't waste my time with it. Thankfully, as others have expressed, the hobby is big enough to satisfy everyone.
BRAKIE Kyle If anyone feels that MRR publishes too many articles by Pelle, maybe they should write some articles for MRR instead of complaining. I suspect that is easier said then done because of MR article and photo standards and once your article meets those standards it may be rejected for any reason or may never published if accepted..
Kyle If anyone feels that MRR publishes too many articles by Pelle, maybe they should write some articles for MRR instead of complaining.
I suspect that is easier said then done because of MR article and photo standards and once your article meets those standards it may be rejected for any reason or may never published if accepted..
Absolutly correct. However, what MR expects from it's contributors is what the contributors themselves should aspire too, as writers. I think of Model Railroader as a highest quality magazine, devoted to it's topic. Therefore what they print must meet certain standards. Pretty basic stuff, really.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Doughless...I wonder how specific the language of the contract is that one signs with MR. I mean, is it possible that if an author really wanted to have is layout published in a timely manner, couldn't he write a SLIGHTLY different article and take SLIGHTLY different pictures and submit it to a competing magazine?
Something like that can be done, as I submitted different layout visit articles to both MR and Model Railroading. They were published a year apart, and MR was aware of the other article and indicated they were OK with it because it wasn't the same. Note that there really wasn't anything in common between them other than they were about the same layout. I don't recall enough of what the agreement with MR said to want to opine on it any further.
Rob Spangler
maxman Good grief. What the heck is the matter with you people?
Good grief. What the heck is the matter with you people?
It is always much easier to find a reason for not doing something than actually making the effort to do it.
Joe
wp8thsub camaro Does MR get written authorization to use the article from the author at the time they receive the article or just prior to publication. Having been published in MR I can answer what happened in my last case. I received payment for the aritcle, and in the process signed my rights to it away to MR. They didn't need my permission to do anything after that. I think it was published within two years. I do personally know authors who went through the same process with MR and other magazines and never saw their articles published. I don't see any wild conspiracy behind it, but it does happen. The same thing can occur with authors in any subject, whether with articles or entire books. In some cases authors attempt to negotiate to get the rights back so they can pursue publication with other outlets.
camaro Does MR get written authorization to use the article from the author at the time they receive the article or just prior to publication.
Having been published in MR I can answer what happened in my last case. I received payment for the aritcle, and in the process signed my rights to it away to MR. They didn't need my permission to do anything after that. I think it was published within two years.
I do personally know authors who went through the same process with MR and other magazines and never saw their articles published. I don't see any wild conspiracy behind it, but it does happen. The same thing can occur with authors in any subject, whether with articles or entire books. In some cases authors attempt to negotiate to get the rights back so they can pursue publication with other outlets.
Rob, just a thought here...but I wonder how specific the language of the contract is that one signs with MR. I mean, is it possible that if an author really wanted to have is layout published in a timely manner, couldn't he write a SLIGHTLY different article and take SLIGHTLY different pictures and submit it to a competing magazine?
Some are suggesting that there may be some unfavorable motivations for MR to hold an article. It would seem that there would be ways to get a layout published if someone was really worried about it.
- Douglas
cmrproducts
<SNIP>
Do you know this first hand? If so give is evidence or something that would make us believe you.
Or is this speculation or did you hear/see it from somewhere?
[/quote]
I remember that at the end of the Layout articles - the Owners BIO and the one stated the OWNER had died some time back and they were just NOW getting the article published.
If THAT ISN'T Holding and article - I don't know what is!
The only reason they published the article is the poor Owner died and they were going to lose the article - otherwise - HOW long would they have held onto IT?
I am NOT saying they do this to every article - but YOU wanted proof - and NO I am NOT going back through my issues to prove which one - it would be fairly obvious if one had read the Magazine and READ the BIOs at the end
As way TOO many of the BIOs state that the Layout is NO LONGER around as the Owner tore it down due to having made too many mistakes (as quoted in the BIOs) again if one just reads them.
So it is obvious they are holding the articles for quite a while - that is unless the Layout Owner feels that once they have been printed in MRR they have reached the pinnacle and need to start over right away (which I doubt)!
If that is the case - then I sure don't want to have them come and do my layout as I don't want to have to begin again - 14 years in and I am - maybe - halfway done! ;-)
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Yes, some bios do mention that the author is working on another layout, or it says in the article. I believe MRR finishes each issue over three months before the it is released. They always have what's coming up in the next issue, with the exception of the news and announcements as well as the reviews. They staff built layouts are usually started a year before they are published. Yes, it does take time. Some issues also have a theme so MRR probably waits to publish related articles together. You will also notice MRR is always on time because they have this buffer and aren't working on an issue at the last minute. A year seems reasonable maybe two, and people like Pelle are constantly building new layouts. I doubt very many sit around for years like you claim.
camaroDoes MR get written authorization to use the article from the author at the time they receive the article or just prior to publication.
MR isn't scrambling for articles and layouts to publish. They probably have an abundance of material waiting to be placed in the pages of MR Magazine since they show what is being published in upcoming monthly issues as well as special yearly issues.
So what if they hold on to it for a while. They most likely need written permission from the author to publish any article. Does MR get written authorization to use the article from the author at the time they receive the article or just prior to publication. There could be several reasons as to why it didnt get published promptly. Who cares.
Its unfortunate this thread has drifted so far from center.
BRAKIE cuyama Thousands of authors have proved this wrong, and do so every month. And if by some chance one did write and illustrate an article and have it rejected by MR, there are other outlets. Yeah,right but,how long have those "thousands of authors" been in the file cabinet? Months? Years?
cuyama Thousands of authors have proved this wrong, and do so every month. And if by some chance one did write and illustrate an article and have it rejected by MR, there are other outlets.
Yeah,right but,how long have those "thousands of authors" been in the file cabinet? Months? Years?
Jeez guys, I'm sorry. I was just courious if Pelle was starting another new layout, and if so, what he would be modeling. Didn't mean for it to take on a life of it's own.
BRAKIEYeah,right but,how long have those "thousands of authors" been in the file cabinet? Months? Years?
For lots of articles, only a matter of months. Commercial magazines have to keep an inventory of articles so that they can balance content from issue to issue. Some may sit for a while, some are used right away.What is your point now? Your earlier claim was that many articles are purchased and never published. That's clearly false.Come on, folks, let's use some common sense. Isn't it possible that those of us who have been published in Kalmbach and other commercial publications may know slightly more about industry practices than those who only pontificate on forums?But I do recognize that facts make it really difficult for those of you heavily into MR conspiracy theories. So I’ll move along and let you all continue spinning yarns.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
cuyamaThousands of authors have proved this wrong, and do so every month. And if by some chance one did write and illustrate an article and have it rejected by MR, there are other outlets.
Drew4950Quite simply, if it is a quality article, to keep the competition from publishing it.
Can you cite one instance of that happening? This isn't Apple buying patents so Samsung can't use them.
If it is a "quality article", why wouldn't MR just run it after buying it?
"Quite simply", that's silly. I've been around the hobby for a quite a while, I edit a (very small) hobby-related magazine, I've met and know dozens and dozens of model railroad authors, and I've never heard of that happening, even once.
cuyamaWhy would they pay for something and not use it?
Quite simply, if it is a quality article, to keep the competition from publishing it.
Modeling a railroad hypothetically set in time.
Wow, leave it to this forum to turn a nice story about a family supporting a young man’s interest in the hobby and an author’s graciousness into a gripefest.As some have noted and others ignored, Mr. Søeberg is a Contributing Editor. That means that he is likely contracted to provide a certain number of articles to MR each year. So yes, he will appear often, much like the staff writers.Since I regularly travel by some of the areas and industries he has modeled, I can vouch for the fact that he is a terrific modeler. I think it is good for the hobby to have a regular source of modern-era modeling articles. That will attract some younger (and hopefully, less cynical) folks to the hobby.
BRAKIEmay never published if accepted
Why on earth would they do that? Since MR pays on acceptance, it makes no sense for them to pay good money for something and then never publish it. Yes, there are a few stories of long delays from payment to publication out there (we’ve heard, Bob, 13 years) that have reached mythic proportions, but the magazine needs dozens of features every year. Why would they pay for something and not use it?
BRAKIEI suspect that is easier said then done because of MR article and photo standards and once your article meets those standards it may be rejected
Thousands of authors have proved this wrong, and do so every month. And if by some chance one did write and illustrate an article and have it rejected by MR, there are other outlets. Shaking my head.
Sir Madog I remember the time, when there was too much John Allen in MR. There was also a time of too much Tony Koester etc. Now there is too much Pelle Soeborg. So what! The guy is an excellent model railroader and his H2 articles are really helpful.
I remember the time, when there was too much John Allen in MR. There was also a time of too much Tony Koester etc. Now there is too much Pelle Soeborg. So what! The guy is an excellent model railroader and his H2 articles are really helpful.
MR has had "golden boys" as long as I care to remember some came with thought provoking ideas while others not so much but,IMHO all added something to the hobby that we still enjoy today..
KyleIf anyone feels that MRR publishes too many articles by Pelle, maybe they should write some articles for MRR instead of complaining.
cacole Without people like Pelle MR would have very little to publish each month, so why are people complaining about his work?
Without people like Pelle MR would have very little to publish each month, so why are people complaining about his work?
I agree, we should thank those who take time to write articles about what they have done. If anyone feels that MRR publishes too many articles by Pelle, maybe they should write some articles for MRR instead of complaining.
John Busby wrote: "The magazines have to produce a superior product to keep there place in the market. So the layouts they show are going to be the ones they see as superior."
Victor A. Baird
www.erstwhilepublications.com
I follow Pelles construction methods and have used several in my past layouts. That being said, I dont subscribe to every method because they are time consuming and laborious. I have several of his books and they are filled with information that I can use or discard. Whether MR overly uses his articles can always be up for debate, but he is a Contributing Editor working for MR and is credited in the front of each issue.
John BusbyAll layouts reach a point where it is time to demolish salvage and start again.
My normal ISL life span is 1-2 years before I decide its time to rebuild with a new idea I thought of.
The long term layouts was a 12' ISL-5 years and a N Scale 36" x72" hollow core door(aka door blank) layout 9 years.Both had great LDEs built for solo operation and both fell to changing scales from HO to N and then N back to HO.
The thought of changing either layout during their life span never crossed my mind.
John Busby I have never seen an incomplete layout in a magazine unless its part of a now very rare construction articals.
I have never seen an incomplete layout in a magazine unless its part of a now very rare construction
articals.
I doubt that, there are several layouts that come to mind in the last year of MRR. There is a part in the article that says what the owner is working on, or is planning on. Some say they continue to make improvements. While the photos look complete and the article mostly talks about what has already been completed, most are incomplete and may never be "complete".