Required Reading

[G Paine]

dehusman

I have a 1950's era Kalmbach layout building magazine that was made from MR articles re-published that advised mixing asbestos shorts in with the plaster used for scenery

I still have a copy of 'How to Build Model Railroad Scenery" from around 1967 that recommends mixing asbestos with plaster to make it stronger - just go to the hardware store and buy a bag. This was just before the asbestos/cancer link was proven.

[SeeYou190]

Colorado Ray

I have gotten up to the early 1950s.

.

You are about to enter my favorite era of Model Railroader magazine. In the late 40's to early 50's Linn Wescott wrote an excellent series of articles on wiring model railroads that contains diagrams for double slip switches and crossings that are more useful than anything I have seen printed since.

.

This is an era where layouts were getting more complicated, and model railroading was more like amatuer electrical engineering. These articles are fascinating.

.

I do not subscribe to the All Time Database. I actually own about 2/3 of the issues going all the way back to the 1930's. They are so much fun to browse through.

.

My biggest enjoyment was that nearly EVERYONE had a private custom roadname for their railroad layout, and the histories they wrote were just enjoyable to read. The writers all seemed like they were having a lot of fun with their railroads.

.

All this begins to change in the 1970's issues. Suddenly really good quality and affordable ready to run was available, and I guess the "golden era" of model railroading ended, and the "silver era" began.

.

-Kevin

.

[dehusman]

I have a 1950's era Kalmbach layout building magazine that was made from MR articles re-published that advised mixing asbestos shorts in with the plaster used for scenery and all the paints were oil paints thinned with turpentine.

How do you get to these old MR magazines?

Are pages or magzines downloadable or printable?

I would love to get plans for older cars and buildings.  Stuff you guys don't print anymore.

[Steven Otte]

There were a lot of not-so-evergreen modeling ideas in those early issues, too. I'm not talking about dyed sawdust foliage, which is pretty ingenious given what they had to work with at the time. But one that made my jaw drop was a working lift bridge that powered the rails on the bridge via two pins that made contact with two wells full of liquid mercury. OSHA would not approve. And then there's the asbestos ground cover...

[tomikawaTT]

Colorado Ray

With the recent talk about battery powered remote controlled locomotives, one of the "coolest" ideas from 1949 was "cold steam" using dry ice to power working cylinders.

Ray

Cool indeed.  Since the 'fuel' was cryogenic, the exhaust was cold - enough so that the stack would ice up like a mint julep glass.  Not practical for a working locomotive on an operator's model railroad.

I, personally, was impressed by the descriptions of operation on Frank Ellison's Delta Lines.  The track plan looked like a bowl of spaghetti, the rolling stock was eclectic (including not-much-modified Lionel tinplate) but the schematic unrolled into a point-to-point bridge route and the operating scheme rivaled the best in use today.  How has that influenced my present-day modeling?  Deciding to make my mid-point station an engine change point from combustion power to cat motors copies Mr Ellison's operating plan.  OTOH, the end points of his 'point-to-point' were built in the open (and connected by one loop-closing thoroughfare track.)  Mine are hidden staging, and close the loop as one facility (Minamijima/Takami) directly below Tomikawa, the visible main station.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[Colorado Ray]

The thread on Model Trains/Model Railroader spurred me to create this topic.

To fully appreciate our hobby, everyone should subscribe to MR and read through the "All-Time Digital Archives".  I've been reading three issues per lunch hour and have gotten up to the early 1950s.  I started reading my Dad's MRs in the late 1950s, so I'm looking forward to reliving those early days.

What I've found most fascinating is how "advanced" the early modelers were.  There were some amazing layouts in the '30s and '40s.  It's been enjoyable to read the early works of Frank Ellison, John Allen, et.al.  The 1940's war years were particularly interesting as to how the hobby coped with rationing.  It's also interesting to see how long tenured some of the hobby manufacturers have been.  And for those that complain about prices, the hobby was as expesnsive back then as it is now when adjusted for inflation. 

With the recent talk about battery powered remote controlled locomotives, one of the "coolest" ideas from 1949 was "cold steam" using dry ice to power working cylinders. 

Feel free to share any particularly noteworthy ideas you've found from the archives. 

Ray