Modeling Railroads of the 1950s Special MR editon

[Anonymous]

Has anyone received Modeling the1950s special edition yet? It was to be delivered by late august, however, Kalmbach usually is early. Wonder if this is a onetime magazine, or will it be annual like MR Planning and great model railroads? I am expecting this issue is going to be something great!

[Anonymous]

Arrived in yesterdays mail, and it's great! I've already read about 1/3 of it. Lot's of great info on what the world of the 1950's was like, and how to make your railroad look like it's set in that time and place.

I believe it's a one-shot, though they may follow up with other decades if there's enough demand for it.

[davekelly]

Man, I forgot all about this deal. Better hurry up and order a copy.

Joe,

It would be great if they followed this one up like you suggest. Would love to see one on the 60's!

Dave

[selector]

Ordered one, but not here as of yesterday's mail.

[Anonymous]

Yea, there's one article on setting the scenery, and they mention that billboards were quite common everywhere. It's been so long since I've seen a billboard that I completely forgot about them!

Funny thing is, I spent my first 6 years of life in the 50's, and this book reminded me of how much I've forgotten about them. [:P]

[selector]

QUIT TEAZIN' ME!!!!

[ARTHILL]

Got mine today. Could have been more, but as is, it is more than I expected. That's my era, so I loved it. They could do a volume 2 as far as I'm concerned.

[Anonymous]

I am waiting for the post staggers/mega-merger edition [:D]

But will have to pick it up at the newsstand, I forgot to pre-order. I am interested in the Diesel one they have coming.

[SilverSpike]

Ordered it a few weeks ago, still waiting with much anticipation for its arrival.

[rexhea]

Got mine yesterday. Boy! It sure brought back some gooooood memories. Lots of good info and pictures.
REX

[bscroggi]

I got mine Monday and I think it is one of the best efforts Kalmbach has put out in a while. Davekelly, I think you are on track (sorry!) about following up with the 60's. Thanks Model Railroader.
Bud

[potlatcher]

Based on these reports, I expect to see my copy in the mail this week, possibly even when I come home tonight. My primary modeling era is 1955 so I had no problem pre-ordering this magazine sight unseen, and I don't believe I will be disappointed.

However, my secondary modeling era is 1972, so here's my vote for Kalmbach to follow up with a 1970's version. The 1950's were a transition era from steam locomotives to diesel, but the '70's were also a transition era. First generation diesels were phased out in favor of second generation, timetable/train order and ABS were phased out in favor of CTC and radio dispatching, and many of the "old guard" railroads gradually disappeared into new mega-merger railroads (and some disappeared completely).

Opinions vary whether all these changes were good or bad, and no one can deny that a lot of railroads looked downright ratty during the '70's. Unlike the 1950's, it's a love-it-or-hate-it period for railroad fans, but I believe it is worth modeling.

I guess the only question for Kalmbach is whether modelers would take one look at the cover of a "Modeling Railroads of the 1970's" and say to themselves, "Yuck!" Or, would their curiosity be aroused enough to look inside to find a bunch of interesting modeling info that would be worth the cover price?

Tom

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly

It would be great if they followed this one up like you suggest. Would love to see one on the 60's!

+1

[Anonymous]

Do you have to order a copy, or can you buy one off the shelf? I really want it, but forgot when it came time to order.

[Billba]

I received a copy over this past weekend. Haven't read much of it, but it looks like a good variety of subjects. According to Model Railroader's add, it is supposed to be in stores by August 30.

[bikerraypa]

I got mine the other day and have read it pretty thoroughly. It's got some good info, particularly about using billboards (as mentioned above). My pike is Fall 1956, and I had never thought to put up an "I Like Ike" billboard with the election only a month or so away. Doh!

Ray out

[ereimer]

i don't model the 50's but i'm going to look at it when it hits the magazine racks anyway . i might buy it . what i think would be cool is if they'd do one every year but focus on a different decade . with my luck they'll do 50's to present date and then 40's backwards to the begining of railroads . since i'm modelling the 1900's it will take 9 years for them to produce the one i really want !

[CBQ_Guy]

I got mine a couple days ago in the mail. It's okay but there's something missing or slightly unsatisfying, though I'm not sure what. I think it could have probably used more meat . . . but I'm a bit of an info junkie so maybe it's just me.

Anyway, I'm really hoping they do one for the 1960's, the era I'm modeling.

[cwaldman]

I think there was a note sbout displaying until December or something like that, so it should be on stands somewhere. I am doing the 50's 60's and 70's so this is great. Lots of good information. Plus the billboard article was very timely for me as I have begun to scratch build some. I have several done. But I did like the one picture of the ad being changed. Nice idea. I may have to use that concept on my next one.

Cletus

[CNJ831]

Haven't gotten my copy yet but await it with great anticipation! Regarding further editions addressing different decades, I'd certainly think there would be decided demand for the 1940's and 1960's but, considering modeling interest breakdowns by decade that appear from time to time, I tend to doubt there would be wide demand for editions before and after these dates. Perhaps the 1920's-1930's could be combined, as well as the 1970's-1990's, for a broader (read more profitable) audience.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

Is anyone still waiting to receive their issue? I still don't have mine!

[SilverSpike]

QUOTE: brown_royce Posted: Today, 09:07:15
Is anyone still waiting to receive their issue? I still don't have mine!

Nope! Neither hide nor hair in these parts!

Maybe today, I'll check the mail again at lunch.

Keeping my fingers crossed though!

[Markgro]

Could someone please give a full rundown of the table of contents?

[Anonymous]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
8 You have to know where to look
A half-century beyond the 1950s, modeling information is still out there/By Tony Koester

12 Locomotives of the 1950s
Diesels on the arrival track, steam on the departure/By Robert S. McGonigal

18 Add realistic weathering to your motive power
Modeling steam and diesel locomotives of the 1950s/By John Pryke

28 A perfect year
Changing operations on the Surf Line were the key to selecting a favorite year/By Keith Jordan

COVER STORY
34 Modeling Chicago's Dearborn Station
In the 1950s, Dearborn was where western railroading began/By Gary Hoover

42 Freight equipment and operations
Train makeup, paint schemes, operation: the '50s are ideal for modeling/By Robert S. McGonigal

46 Moving citrus to market
Produce stays fresh in ice refrigerator cars/By Bob Smaus

52 Quick and easy citrus groves
Signature scenery for Southern California circa 1950/By Bob Smaus

56 The billboard did it!
Subtle (and not so subtle) clues to suggest it's the 1950s on your layout/By Paul J. Dolkos

62 Build a YMCA residence
Two HO scale DPM kits form a brickbuilding that's right for the times/By Richard Ivins

66 Kicking the tires
From pickups to semi-trailers, a look at some common trucks of the 1950s/By Lou Sassi

70 The 1950s railroad scene
More people, more structures, more details along the right-of-way/By Robert S. McGonigal

76 Modeling the right-of-way
The steam to diesel transition makes for a diversity of trackside detials/By Bill Darnaby

80 Moving Appalachian coal in O scale
This plan captures the essence of modeling two 1950s Eastern railroads/By John Armstrong

90 It's all about the memories
Youthful railroad-related experiences were...in the vernacular, swell/By *** Christianson

[egmurphy]

Since I forgot to order earlier, and since I don't have an LHS anywhere near by, I just ordered it online through the Model Railroader Store yesterday. I can wait for it to arrive.

http://store.yahoo.com/kalmbachcatalog/model-railroading-model-railroader-magazine-special-issues.html


Regards

Ed

[davekelly]

Just looking at the table of contents, I am now kicking myself for not ordering it earlier. Will have to do it ASAP. Pryke, Smaus, Dolkos . . .. should make for a great read!

[rrinker]

Question, which John Armstrong layout article is that? It sound similar to one in a 50's issue of MR I have.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Everyone needs this its great. Lets hope it becomesa yearly!

[Anonymous]

How about doing an issue on Modeling Railroads at the turn of the century (1900's). It's a period that isn't modeled quite as much, so that might impact Kalmbach's thinking in terms of potential sales, but it would be fascinating. If I was going to start all over and model a different era, it would (might? in the future?) be the 1900's. The urban railways of that time were incredibly interesting.

[Anonymous]

Still haven't received my copy out here in San Diego.. Anyone else still waiting???
George