In February of this year, I broke a 40+ year tradition of buying Model Railroader magazine. My Dad and I either purchased the mag at the LHS or subscribed to it since 1972. It doesn't have much of anything that excites me like it once did. I'm not sure what it is, perhaps too much effort is going into MRVP, I don't know. It's just all pretty pictures with no substance.
I do subscribe to MRVP, but now that I've seen what I want to see, that may be on the way out also.
I absolutely loved MR and eagerly looked forward to each and every issue. Columns, such as Paint Shop, were great fun to read and were a monthly favorite.
I was talking to a friend of mine that works at the LHS and his response was that I'm not missing anything. That pretty much summed it up for me.
Even the forums (all forums, not just this one) are stale. Maybe I'm suffering a case of burnout, but my modeling still goes on as strong as it always has. Who knows.
Sorry for the rambling...
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
trwrouteEven the forums (all forums, not just this one) are stale. Maybe I'm suffering a case of burnout, but my modeling still goes on as strong as it always has. Who knows.
Maybe you're listening to bad advance? Don't laugh I knew a guy that quit the hobby because he thought he couldn't measure up to the so called modeling standards of the time.He wouldn't listen to reason-thanks to bad advice from few of his follow club members.
IMHO MR has shown vast improvement over the past few months however,it will never become the ad filled magazine it was before the internet.Nor is our hobby the same as it was even 10 years ago.
On the other hand I gave up on MRH because of the dummied down photos with each modeling article and there's way to many ads-yes, folks,I'm well aware those ads pays the bills so,we need not go there.
BTW..If you take up competitive slot car racing on commercial tracks be sure you have deep pockets or can secure a sponsor.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Larry - No bad advice here! I'm not giving up the hobby. I have way to much fun with it. After all, the old MR mag said it's fun!
I also gave up on MRH. Again, too many cover shots and not enough substance. Yeah, it's free, but if its not enjoyable, why read it?
One problem that comes up of course is that when you're new to the hobby, everything in MR or RMC is new to you, so you're constantly learning new things from each issue. After a while, a lot of the stuff in the magazines will be stuff you already know. I find in each issue of MR I find at least one thing that's new to me, or that gives me an idea etc., and I figure that's worth keeping my subscription.
BTW if you aren't finding interesting articles, and you have 40+ years experience, maybe you should be writing articles?? I bet that would perk up your interest in the hobby.
Here we go again! Yet another thread ranting about how bad MR has become over the years!
First of all, I don´t think it is a sign of good taste to air this rant in a forum which is being paid for by the publisher of the magazine you are ranting about. I do get a lot out of meeting people here and also tons of inspiration.
Second, a magazine is as good as the contributions to it. In these days, less and less people take the time to write up a contribution. Neil and his team, IMHO, are doing a heck of a good job to cover this gap. Of course, there are issues which don´t catch as much of my interest as others do, but that has been the same in the past and will most likely be around in the future as well.
I think you are just being overfed a little, relax, take a break and come back after a little while!
Ulrich, thanks for the contribution. Not...
Everyone has their opinions, but yours is just different than mine. Does that make me a bad guy?
wjstix BTW if you aren't finding interesting articles, and you have 40+ years experience, maybe you should be writing articles?? I bet that would perk up your interest in the hobby.
trwrouteLarry - No bad advice here! I'm not giving up the hobby. I have way to much fun with it. After all, the old MR mag said it's fun!
That's good to hear Chuck..The hobby still needs us old heads.
Oh to be sure after 55 plus years in the hobby I've thought about "retiring" from the hobby but,what fun would that be?
I really enjoyed MR this year especially the fresh urban modeling ideas from Lance Mindheim.
I will have to agree with ULRICH on this. I have been in the Model Railroading hobby for 64 years and at times my interests change, like most things in life. I have more than one Hobby, when my body was younger, I enjoyed building classic and custom cars, which I did aquire quite a few over the years. Now they are gone, sold, kept only one. They included engine rebuilding, fabricating, welding,painting you name it. When I retired 14yrs ago, I slowly started selling them, or in my case gave three to my three son's. I still am into trains, mostly the craftsman side of it, Military Modeling and games workshop figure painting. The above you could say is diversify of what I feel like doing. The Mags. have nothing to do with it, what does however, that a song will always remind me of, by Glen Miller Band from the mid-forties, ''In The Mood".
My Experience and Opinon Only.
Take Care!
Frank
Of course the magazine has changed over the years because the hobby has changed. In the 40s-50s most everyone would scratch build. Then came the plastic kits with less emphasis on scratch building. Still you could scratch build with better detail. The diecut wooden kits were, I think, better than the plastic kits & an alternative to scratch building. Now we have beautiful laser kits & soon all will have access to 3D printing. That along with RTR gaining ground, the "How To" articles have taken a back seat. I haven't counted them, but I think there are just as many adds today...they are just 1x2'' & refer you to a website. I have to admit that I also have lost some interest in the magazine, but I think the editors are doing a good job of trying to find new & fresh content when not much exists.
Yup MR has all these beginner type articles which most of us old heads already know all about.Funny how they had that type of article and I thought it was really cool to learn how to do this stuff when I was a modeling greenhorn.
I can understand how all you folks that were born knowing how to do all this modeling stuff could get bored reading about things like the correct way to lay flex track,or scratchbuild a building or whatever.But I wasn't born knowing all that stuff infact at the ripe old age of 69 I am still learning and I hope to keep learning by reading and doing for a long time yet.
I have a idea for all of the "I know everything there is to know about this hobby" crowd. Share that knowledge with a newby.just don't tell them "This is the only way to do this." instead say"This is how I do it." Just be careful because you might just learn a better way.
Catt,
From a 72 yr Old.
Ok, I just turned 70, but I'm still a kid. I've been playing with trains since the early 1950s, and my first MR mag was the December 1955 issue. I have been an MR subscriber for as long as I can recall - likely since the 1960s. I've had a number of layouts - Lionel, HO, and even an N. My current layout was built a few years ago and is my first with DCC.
MR has typically been my most anxiously awaited mag for many, many years, although it tied with Playboy for a couple of decades. However, I can't say that MR (or Playboy for that matter) is as exciting to me as it once was.
Why? Well, I've been around the block a few times and have the MR basics pretty much under control. I fully realize that MR needs to continuously publish articles that tout the basics - in order to keep the newbies interested and educated. I have no problem with that.
What I've found is that my areas of interest now center upon the ads and the product reviews and of course the layouts. Whereas at one time 90 percent of the mag was important to me, now about 50 percent gets my full attention.
But I still look forward to its monthly arrival, and I'll be a subscriber for as long as I can order a renewal.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
There are only so many stories. And, is there really much difference between "Scratchbuilding a Depot" and "Scratchbuilding a Barn?" After a while, things do start to repeat. I'm beyond the beginner articles now, and a lot of the more advanced ones are too specific for me. I may be the odd duck, but I lke the ads. I don't sit and read the classifieds, but I look at all the product ads because they are all train-related.
I came back to the hobby about 9 years ago. At that time, I would pick up MR from time to time. It didn't hold my interest. But, then there was a staffing change, and I noticed that the magazine perked up a lot. It bacame more hands-on and oriented towards modeling, instead of just buying stuff and putting it on your layout.
It's still a better magazine, but I can see the OP's point. It might be time to let my subscription lapse for a year. I don't think it's the magazine; I think it's me.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
hmmm, 2014 now started N scale in 2012.... No complaints every article has some form of relevance for me on what to do. But it begs the question if Model railroading is known by a number of people like the back of their hands wouldn't they've gotten bored and moved on?
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
mobilman44it tied with Playboy for a couple of decades
mobilman44I've been around the block a few times
So haven't those girls in those old Playboys.
In the latest issue, I was a bit surprized to see that kitbash two Brownhoist cranes article - that sort of article I thought went away from MR with the 1980s (and into RMC, or the other 3 now-erstwhile competitors at the time).MRH isn't too bad, I usually find one or two tips of use in each "issue" - for example, an article (last year I think) involving conversion of NS Airslides into MSW open hoppers gave me an idea of what to do with 6 Walthers Airslides I had lying around (and for some reason I always found the fake Newspaper clippings at the end of a layout article detailing the reactions of the scale citizens to at changes the author had made to the layout funny - often more amusing than the "back page" humor articles...
So, sounds like the OP needs a vacation from the MR forums and press for awhile. Return when rested, and when come back bring pie.
Burlington Northern #24 hmmm, 2014 now started N scale in 2012.... No complaints every article has some form of relevance for me on what to do. But it begs the question if Model railroading is known by a number of people like the back of their hands wouldn't they've gotten bored and moved on?
I kind of went through the same thing with bass fishing. After 20+ year subscriptions to 2 big magazines, it got to where I couldn't stomach another article on how to fish a spinnerbait.
On the other hand, after only 5 years back into the hobby, I'm still looking forward to every issue of MR.
trwroute Burlington Northern #24 hmmm, 2014 now started N scale in 2012.... No complaints every article has some form of relevance for me on what to do. But it begs the question if Model railroading is known by a number of people like the back of their hands wouldn't they've gotten bored and moved on? That's the thing. Once model railroading takes hold, there is no turning back. It just won't let go! I've modeled different scales/gauges since the beginning, but have decided to return to N scale. I feel this might be the kick in the butt that I need. I still have several locos and a friend gave me 30 Intermountain kits to get me started. Plus, I'll be selling some, if not all, of my HO. The layout will be coming down in the next few weeks. Sometimes a new start is what's needed. I love the hobby and can't imagine being without it, plus, my wife is very supportive of it.
Model Railroader Magazine ceased being interesting to me back in the 90's. I don't even glance at it in the store anymore. The forum here is my only exposure to it now.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Doug from Michigan I kind of went through the same thing with bass fishing. After 20+ year subscriptions to 2 big magazines, it got to where I couldn't stomach another article on how to fish a spinnerbait. On the other hand, after only 5 years back into the hobby, I'm still looking forward to every issue of MR.
jeffrey-wimberly Model Railroader Magazine ceased being interesting to me back in the 90's. I don't even glance at it in the store anymore. The forum here is my only exposure to it now.
When I was in N Scale I couldn't wait for the newest issues of N Scale Railroading or N Scale Magazine every other month..I'm getting that way with MR this year.
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Doug,I know the feeling.I use to read Ohio Game & Fish but,got burned on reading how to catch a oversized sunfish (aka Large Mouth Bass) and how to catch Lake Erie Walleye..
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John (Catt) I think I was born with a throttle in my hand since I've always been more into the operation side of the hobby.I never did get into what some fellas call the cool stuff.
We got to remember that the MR stuff are all skilled at their hobby and not beginners. But their trying to do the best they can. Following new modelers and moderate with sometimes veterans to understand new techniques.
Sure the magazine has it's ups and downs that doesn't mean you need to complain about it. Like it was said before just stop buying the magazine and/or hobby and get a new one.
Nothing has changed but ourselves.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Have subscribed to MR since that late 60's. I still find interesting content but have to admit that the magazine is not the value it was in the 70's and 80's. The written content has definetely suffered as the years have advanced. MR of 2014 is kind of a Reader's Digest condensed version of earlier issues. It appears that the editorial policy has been to dumb down the writting and rely on video to explain how to do things. Everything evolves, so MR seems to be keeping with the trend to slicker glossier presentation while sacrificing real content. I recently dug through many old MR issues including some I picked up in the attic of an old house I rented back in the 70's that dated back to the late 30's and early 40's. The earliest issues were geared to modelers who had a passion for the hobby but very little money. The earliest issues told how to build really nice looking passenger cars from card stock and basic scraps of wood. A far cry from current issues of MR.
At 71 years of age I am still young enough to enjoy model railroading as a hobby and am building a free lance midwest layout for the first time after many years of enjoying the hobby from the "side lines." Retirement does have its benefits.
After 42 years MR is still my favorite mag. Even the old stuff can be new as newer products and techniques come along. And I still enjoy the layout visits and the project layouts.
But hey this is a hobby. If the mag doesn't do it for you then drop it.
Enjoy
Paul