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358 Posts
Hello,
I'm fairly new to the forum and was completely unaware that there is now a "Hornby magazine" devoted to the hobby. Reading posts on the forum this magazine seems to be the best of the bunch at the moment and the content looks very interesting. Further posts reveal dissatisfaction with both Model Rail and Railway Modeller, both of which I'm familiar with, and I must agree with most of the comments. Indeed one member commented that Scale Model Rail (a late 1970s production) was the best ever and again I must agree with him. Although following the hobby for 40 odd years now, I still classify myself as a "well below average modeller". When I buy a magazine I am always impressed by the efforts of others in producing beautiful layouts (and I classify the ones illustrated on this forum amongst that category) and they are always an inspiration to me, but what articles I seek are the ones classified "How to do......"
The subject of my post is nostalgia and I well remember that Railway modeller of the 1970s was stuffed with articles of "how to do..." including plans of goods sheds, stations; track plans, weathering etc. Four years ago I threw out my back issues of RM but I'm seriously reconsidering repurchasing them off Ebay and the like because I haven't found a magazine that gives me so much inspiration for a long time. Any recent magazine seems to devote a lot of time talking about decoders and DCC. Whilst this is an important part of the hobby, I'm afraid I am an absolute luddite as far as electrics are concerned, and the problems and cost of DCC do not endear me to that at all (I have 102 locos the cost to convert them would be horrendous). Indeed I consider myself fortunate to be able to solder wires to the track!
I fully remember the RM Railway of the Month for April 1970 (Peter Jenkinson's "Garsdale Road") and the June 1972's Railway of the Month (Peter Samuel's "Bude") and if ever 2 articles have inspired and reinvigorated me it has to be these. The same year in the junior modeller section there was a layout by Robert Barton on a 5' x3' board. I can't remember it's name but it was beautiful, composed entirely of Triang and accessable, cheap items, and I remember it well, again it inspired me.
The point is we all have a fondness for nostalgia, and although these layouts would not stand up to modern models, I've never had the same sense of inspiration since then. In the 70s I was a kid learning things, I'm still learning things now, but if I could produce a layout to make me proud it would be "Garsdale Road" or "Bude", they have left a lasting impression on me.
I will continue to purchase magazines seeking inspiration, and I will be interested to look at Hornby magazine, but if anybody wants to sell RM 1970-1975 let me know!
regards,
Clive
I'm fairly new to the forum and was completely unaware that there is now a "Hornby magazine" devoted to the hobby. Reading posts on the forum this magazine seems to be the best of the bunch at the moment and the content looks very interesting. Further posts reveal dissatisfaction with both Model Rail and Railway Modeller, both of which I'm familiar with, and I must agree with most of the comments. Indeed one member commented that Scale Model Rail (a late 1970s production) was the best ever and again I must agree with him. Although following the hobby for 40 odd years now, I still classify myself as a "well below average modeller". When I buy a magazine I am always impressed by the efforts of others in producing beautiful layouts (and I classify the ones illustrated on this forum amongst that category) and they are always an inspiration to me, but what articles I seek are the ones classified "How to do......"
The subject of my post is nostalgia and I well remember that Railway modeller of the 1970s was stuffed with articles of "how to do..." including plans of goods sheds, stations; track plans, weathering etc. Four years ago I threw out my back issues of RM but I'm seriously reconsidering repurchasing them off Ebay and the like because I haven't found a magazine that gives me so much inspiration for a long time. Any recent magazine seems to devote a lot of time talking about decoders and DCC. Whilst this is an important part of the hobby, I'm afraid I am an absolute luddite as far as electrics are concerned, and the problems and cost of DCC do not endear me to that at all (I have 102 locos the cost to convert them would be horrendous). Indeed I consider myself fortunate to be able to solder wires to the track!
I fully remember the RM Railway of the Month for April 1970 (Peter Jenkinson's "Garsdale Road") and the June 1972's Railway of the Month (Peter Samuel's "Bude") and if ever 2 articles have inspired and reinvigorated me it has to be these. The same year in the junior modeller section there was a layout by Robert Barton on a 5' x3' board. I can't remember it's name but it was beautiful, composed entirely of Triang and accessable, cheap items, and I remember it well, again it inspired me.
The point is we all have a fondness for nostalgia, and although these layouts would not stand up to modern models, I've never had the same sense of inspiration since then. In the 70s I was a kid learning things, I'm still learning things now, but if I could produce a layout to make me proud it would be "Garsdale Road" or "Bude", they have left a lasting impression on me.
I will continue to purchase magazines seeking inspiration, and I will be interested to look at Hornby magazine, but if anybody wants to sell RM 1970-1975 let me know!
regards,
Clive