dknelson wrote:
"We'll never know what his [Bill Wright] contributions to the hobby might have been but he did work on one of their soft cover books as an introduction to the hobby that stayed in print for many years."
I still have a copy of that Kalmbach soft cover book "The Practical Guide To Model Railroading."
That was one of the first books I read on the subject of model railroading when I was a kid.
I've only read MR for about 10 years, but in that time I have truly enjoyed Tony Koester's column and articles, as well as several of his books. I also enjoyed the writing and work of Jeff Wilson and Marty McGuirk.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
Check out the TC&WRy on at https://www.facebook.com/TCWRy
Check out my MRR How-To YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RonsTrainsNThings
I'm casting my vote for Jim Hediger, for the simple reason he's the only MR editor who remembers my name whenever our paths cross. I first met him at a RRISIG annual convention in 1998, and found him very pleasant and approachable. (And he actually answers my emails!)
I'll mourn the day he retires from Kalmbach...
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
jfugate wrote: Linn Westcott was a favorite. I liked the way Linn would kick around ideas he was having on how to innovate a certain aspect of the hobby. Even if he hadn't tried his ideas, he would suggest them, and even include diagrams in his editorials.Then a few years later, an article would appear in MR where someone had taken Linn's hypothetical theorizing on what ought to be possible and they had done it.I miss that sort of innovative speculation, and I think Linn being willing to share what could have been seen by some as half-baked ideas was wonderful and I applaud his willingness to possibly appear to be a dreamer and not down-to-earth. Linn being willing to go out on a limb like that actually helped keep MR in the forefront as a pioneering influence in the hobby.Somehow the current magazine feels more corporate, preferring to stick with the tried-and-true, and has less of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Linn Westcott era. I miss that the most, even though visually the production values of the current magazine are better than in Linn's day.
Linn Westcott was a favorite. I liked the way Linn would kick around ideas he was having on how to innovate a certain aspect of the hobby. Even if he hadn't tried his ideas, he would suggest them, and even include diagrams in his editorials.
Then a few years later, an article would appear in MR where someone had taken Linn's hypothetical theorizing on what ought to be possible and they had done it.
I miss that sort of innovative speculation, and I think Linn being willing to share what could have been seen by some as half-baked ideas was wonderful and I applaud his willingness to possibly appear to be a dreamer and not down-to-earth. Linn being willing to go out on a limb like that actually helped keep MR in the forefront as a pioneering influence in the hobby.
Somehow the current magazine feels more corporate, preferring to stick with the tried-and-true, and has less of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Linn Westcott era. I miss that the most, even though visually the production values of the current magazine are better than in Linn's day.
There was one article in particular which I think I still have somewhere in my modest pile. In this article he foresees a future where radio would ride on a locomotive and respond to the operator carrying his own radio. I recall laughing hysterically at some of the Buck Rogers stuff when I first read it but today, oh boy has things changes! To me that was a little peek into the future.
I think MR is not so straight-jacketed to the Corperate March in lokstep just yet, there is a good amount of individuality. If one was to go by the reviews however, cannot help but notice the VERY careful wording and thought that goes into reviewing a... less than ideal engine perhaps?
I believe that MRR lives and dies by the very products it talks about if one was to examine the amount of content placed there for us to follow up on should we want a custom bench work, helix or some other product.
I worry that the magazine itself might pass into history, there is a constant arrival of new product information on the Internet now. Some months I pick up a new issue and half of the content is already known about especially when one examines the "Product News" for the month.
There is a certain amount of .. shall we say.. class? in the articles. To read an article that is published is to read something that is rather neutral, non-confrontational or otherwise sanitized so that us old folks dont reach for the Nitro Pill Bottle. Maybe it's me who hunts for a little action but sometimes I feel too peaceful reading an MRR at times...*Snores....
I also got into the hobby when Linn was the editor and would echo the many comments about his ability to drive innovation. Gordie, Bill Rau, Art Schmidt, Art Curren, Andy, Jim and many others have also inspired. Paul Larson predates my first time reading, but I have many issues from his stewardship, and I think he was another great one . . .
David
JDH
Larry
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52481330@N05/
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/1/ppuser/8745/sl/c
For me, Paul Larson's name stands out. It was during his tenure as editor that MR was at its classiest and (to me) most inspirational. It was neat to see stuff way over my head--it gave me something to strive for. I especially liked the monthly double-page Trackside Photo.
Ed
Hmmmm. I'm going to go a bit counter-culture here.
Layout Design - Cyril Durrenburger - I still dream of having a railroad as clean as the Galveston Warves design he did in '82.
How-To - John Olsen - The Jerome & Southwestern was the first "Railroad you can build" series I encountered.
Imagination - Malcolm Furlow - Some may disagree with how he does things, but I don't think anyone can disagree with the fact he makes it all look incredibly good.
Wow, this is a tough one....kind of like naming your favorite dessert!
For me, the staffer who has increased my personal enjoyment of the hobby above all others would have to be Allen Keller. He came on board with the magazine in the early 80s to produce and manage the Kalmbach Video arm of the magazine. I still have all of the original how-to and layout tour videos he produced, my favorites being "Building Realistic Scenery" and "Weathering with Malcolm Furlow". I watched Layout Video Tour #1 again over the Christmas holidays for the ump-teenth time. The segments still look fresh after all these years.
Once he began his Great Model Railroads series under Allen Keller Productions, the quality and scope of the tapes really took off. I own all 55 volumes in his series and have learned so much from watching them countless times. I would have to say that Allen's contributions have increased my enjoyment of the hobby above anyone else - MR staffer or not. Without him, I would not have had the chance to learn, up close and personal, from such pioneers as David Barrow, Chuck Hitchcock, Howard Zane, Dick Elwell, Rick Rideout, George Sellios, Allen McClelland, Tony Koester, John Armstrong, Gary Hoover, the Reid Brothers and Gil Freitag.
It is very humbling for me to know that I will join that fraternity this May when my MA&G becomes Volume 56. As Wayne and Garth so eloquently put it, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!!"
In closing, I would say that everyone who has had a hand in producing my most cherished of all periodicals, Model Railroader, over the past 40 years deserves my heart-felt thanks. As with Allen's videos, the hobby would be stuck in a vacuum for me without MR.
Thanks to all of those, past and present, who continue to carry the torch!
Cliff Powers
www.magnoliaroute.com