The All Access Pass/Back Issue/Digital Archives Book Club Number 15 for the week of May 4, 2015 will focus on May 1943 Model Railroader

[dknelson]

This week the book club takes up an Archives issue of MR from deep into the World War II era, and while it is a small item, an announcement near the end of the issue tells the story: Trade Topics, the popular column which reviews new products, "this month bids farewell for the duration.  The reason is obvious. ..."  And yes the ads from Mantua, Walthers, Lionel and others all tell the same story: there can be no new products because the materials are not available and because the factories are engaged in war related production.  There are a few advertisers who have things to offer, although "while supplies last" suggests that they are selling off old stock. 

But there are hints of better things to come.  Another item in MR mentions that if the war lasts long enough hobbyists are going to find themselves behind the times because research and development into materials and techniques has continued.  Walthers ad is along the same line, and Lionel's ad mentions that due to war work it has built large new buildings; Varney's new factory is pictured as a news item.  

Mantua's ad says that even if "he" is away he can still enjoy getting the new Mantua catalog for 25 cents so he can plan -- the war will end and then the model railroader will start afresh. 

It is not mentioned specifically but the advances in small motors, paints, miniaturization, injection molded plastics, and other technological outgrowths of the war helped revolutionize the hobby and introduced its greatest period of growth. 

And readers's exchange is overflowing with offers for used and unused equipment being offered for sale.  Perhaps the families of servicemen need the money or have had to move to smaller quarters for the duration.    

Another sign of the war: paper is being rationed and MR will have fewer pages in the summer (color will be used in those issues falling below 52 pages to provide full value); fewer copies will be printed too and the advice is to either subscribe or buy your copy from the same news stand each month.

Yet in the midst of that war, the actual content of the magazine seems relatively unchanged: a prototype plan, a layout visit, a passenger car project, a scenery article by Frank Ellison.  An article on trucks (motor trucks) for the layout should be useful to the period modeler looking for ideas about trucks and trailers of the era.  An article on steam locomotive "gadgets" is of continued interest and value although superceded by a similar article in Linn Westcott's Model Railroader Cyclopedia - Steam Locomotives. 

I will let you provide the comments about that and other content but I do have to share one quote from an article that shows just how different an era of modeling this was.  The article is about hacksaws and the quote: "Hacksaw blades are practically indispensable to the modeler of railroad equipment."  Perhaps a hacksaw helped construct the rather nice Virginian hopper car on the cover.

Let's all be thankful we won that war. 

I know the older issues of MR seem to be not as popular as book club subjects but this issue really gives a flavor of how bleak things looked.  I look forward to your book club thoughts and comments about the May 1943 issue of Model Railroader.

Dave Nelson

   

[Shopcat]

I am always struck by the prose that is written in the older issues. The Midwest Pacific and the other story....I think there would be a lot of dispeptic feedback for the mag if that prose was used much today. Clearly was a tough time. We have nothing to complain about today.

[cprfan]

I am having trouble accessing the archive. Never had trouble before. Anyone else having a problem? I get the cover page and the first page inside then that's it. Just a broken link icon. I've tried several browsers, all with the same issue.

[dknelson]

Greg, I just tried (Monday 9:30 pm CDT) and had no problems accessing a couple of archive issues including May '43.   It sometimes does take a while for a given page to load fully.   I used my laptop; I have read that some guys have difficulty using their digital devices such as tablets, phones etc.

Dave Nelson

[NP2626]

Greg, it's working for me, although last week for a short time it didn't seem to want to open, later in the day, everything was fine.

This issue seemed pretty light, only 43 poages long.  Like Dave said, the War was taking it's toll!  I guess during the duration, Varney was out of the Model Railroad bidness and providing automatic screw machine parts for the war effort; but, production demanded a new building.  I found interesting information of Steam Engine equipment.

 

["JaBear"]

Some observations from the Bear.

Can’t say I agree with Frank Taylors editorial on “Picking Your Prototype”. While his reasoning has logic, I wonder what he’d say about the amount of model railroaders from overseas who model the US prototype, but also the amount of modellers who model a previous era.

Considering the threads that occur on what is what on a steam locomotive, Boomer Petes article is still relevant today. Not that I’m game enough to kitbash a steam locomotive, I personally find that a working knowledge of what I’m scratchbuilding certainly helps my build process. I should bookmark this article for future reference.

I found it interesting in Linn Westcotts article that 24” was considered the minimum radius for HO.

$50 first prize for a layout design would certainly not be sneered at. I see that the winners were announced in the August issue, with the plans in the September issue. I rather suspect that now we would dismiss them as “spaghetti bowls”.

I see that there is more, plus two photos, on Milton Cronkhites Q Gauge locomotives.

I had to laugh at the cartoon on sound locomotives.

Overall, paper rationing notwithstanding, I think that the magazine was giving great value for 25 cents, especially as some of the articles still have relevance today.

[cprfan]

Thanks for the replies. I did get it working but only in Internet Explorer. No go with Chrome or Firefox. The joys of computers. :) I'll dig further.

[cprfan]

My bad. It was my browser. It's working on all platforms. 

I read the editorial by Frank Taylor re: picking a prototype. I think for its time, he is quite correct. However, in our time, we have a wonderful game changer. The internet. 

I was into model railroading when I was a tween. My dad took me to a local club and that's where I was introduced to prototype modeling. It was the late 70s. The fellow that owned Juneco Models was a member there and would come by often with orders for the fellows. This is where I was introduced to Canadian specific details etc... There was even a fellow doing sound. 

My point being that there was no internet so I had to learn from magazines and hands on information. I could go down to Montreal West station and see the F units and E units hauling commuter trains and the Canadian. I have a life long love afair with them.

Now that we have the internet, I have discovered On30 and the beauty of Narrow Guage. If it had not been for that, beyond seeing that in a magazine, I would model what was close to me, that I could witness first hand. The internet has many detractors, calling it a time waster, which it can be. But I think for research purposes we are living in the golden age of prototype and modeling information.

[dknelson]

Greg I'd add to that -- not just the internet but such things as Morning Sun books. When I was younger I fancied myself a Pennsylvania Railroad modeler but there was so much I didn't know, the PRR books then were good but were mostly 3/4 views of locomotives, and there were things I just couldn't know because I lived far from the PRR.  So I switched to modeling something close by.  Even now I think there are advantages to modeling what you can see (or remember) and photograph yourself, but the resources are now there if you care to go further afield.  

Dave Nelson

[rrinker]

 Have to agree with Greg. At the time, without this thing we call the Internet, and other helpful products like the books you cna find that cover nearly any railroad in the country, and no other easy medium to share photos of the prototype - Frank Taylor made a lot of sense. Today, nearly anything goes, because the information is out there - not to mention plenty of RTR equipment for any major railroad. I've always modeled "close to home" - even my freelance concept before I switched to Reading was set locally. Not so much for the locomotives and rolling stock - even that plan was set in the 50's - but more for the scenery. Not my strong point, but at least if I tried to model what I grew up and lived around, it should be at least a little easier. This late in life, even if I moved to California, I would still model the Reading - as a reminder of "home".

 That layout contest - note how the guy sponsoring it says he does not want the kind of railroad you walk into, because he finds it "unrealistic" - wow, times sure have changed! And that $50 prize in 1943 - that's almost $700 today! Not by any means small change!

 Most know Frank Ellison from his series "The Art of Model Railroading" and being all about operation (John Page later said, in one of his Looking Back columns in the 80s, that Frank would just take off the pilot and trailing trucks of any locos that would cause trouble maintaining the schedule - sounds a bit extreme, but he was also confused in recalling the layout of Frank's house - there was no basement, not in New Orleans, but rather the first floor was raised above ground level). However, as seen in the cliff faces article, he was good at creating the sets for his stage as well.

 Short and sweet, what with paper rationed and a war on. I actually have the entire year in paper form, I picked it up on ebay before the 75 year DVD came out, it was in near perfect condition, complete year, and decent price, plus I was curious about what went on during WWII in the hobby. They are the oldest paper copies I ever had, and while I tossed everything else, I still hung on to these issues.

                      --Randy