[34C]

I broke a long standing habit today and purchased RM (Feb 22) for a layout article in which a friend's father had participated. It was pleasing to find a fitting obit.for Bob Essery, a major influence in small scale railway modelling all the time I have been actively interested in it, and some more. Presentation standard much improved too since my last visit, sometime in a previous millenium.

Clever inclusion in the bag, presumably a promotion connected to the availability of the RM archive online as a benefit of taking an annual subscription, a reproduction of the first issue of The Railway Modeller of Nov. 1949. Content peaked with the anecdotes of Terence Cuneo and his exploding live steamers.

But I also learned something hitherto unknown to me; 'TRM' was founded by Ian Allan Ltd.. Coming to this publication in the 1960s I had not a clue that it was not Peco's own title from the start.

 

[Babz]

You learn something New everyday

 

[John Edge]

That’s quite right!
I guess young Mr Allen then created the much lamented MRC and knew what he was then doing.
Personally, apart from MRJ, I would never buy any other British model railway magazine, I think MR is far better than the rest.

 

[34C]

I guess young Mr Allan then created the much lamented MRC ...

Cannot be so, as 'Model Railway Constructor' (and 'Model Railway News' for completeness) are both mentioned in a club's programme of activities, as having representatives delivering a talk. So what names' attached to those then?

Coming up in the next thrilling installment, if anyone is interested...

 

[Gresley Was Right]

That’s quite right!
I guess young Mr Allen then created the much lamented MRC and knew what he was then doing.
Personally, apart from MRJ, I would never buy any other British model railway magazine, I think MR is far better than the rest.

MRC was created way before RM, in 1934, by Ernest Carter the writer of many pre and post war books relating to small scale model railways. It was predated by Model railway News by several years, I think MRN began with Percivall Marshall in the 1920's. Incidentally the modern 'MR' is unrelated to the MRN in any way. Although one of its contributors, Chris Leigh, did used to also contribute to MRC in the 1960's. Personally not too sure about the current MR, it does seem to make a point of advertising a lot of 'products' to use on layouts.

 

[Bone]

It seems to me that apart from RM the other magazines are just catalogues with just a couple of articles in to justify them being called magazines.

 

[34C]

According to the piece on Birmingham Model Railway Club's winter season, speakers in their lecture programme included R. Raymond, ed. MRC and J. Maskelyne, ed. MRN. So that was the state of play for those titles in late 1949 when the new kid on the block appeared.

 

[John Edge]

MRC was created way before RM, in 1934, by Ernest Carter the writer of many pre and post war books relating to small scale model railways. It was predated by Model railway News by several years, I think MRN began with Percivall Marshall in the 1920's. Incidentally the modern 'MR' is unrelated to the MRN in any way. Although one of its contributors, Chris Leigh, did used to also contribute to MRC in the 1960's. Personally not too sure about the current MR, it does seem to make a point of advertising a lot of 'products' to use on layouts.

Yes, of course! I don’t know how that escaped me.
I must have been thinking of when he (Ian Allen) took over publishing MRC.
Mr Leigh contributed to the magazine through the 60s and 70s, eventually becoming editor.

Re: MR, there has to be a substantial amount of advertising simply due to costs. MRJ is an exception but all other UK magazines also carry a huge amount of advertising. One, I can’t recall which - you could tear the entire rear half of the magazine out and bin it without losing any editorial content!
Cheers,
John

 

[Gresley Was Right]

Yes, of course! I don’t know how that escaped me.
I must have been thinking of when he (Ian Allen) took over publishing MRC.
Mr Leigh contributed to the magazine through the 60s and 70s, eventually becoming editor.

Re: MR, there has to be a substantial amount of advertising simply due to costs. MRJ is an exception but all other UK magazines also carry a huge amount of advertising. One, I can’t recall which - you could tear the entire rear half of the magazine out and bin it without losing any editorial content!
Cheers,
John

Quite agree with you about advertising in that regard, looking at the content pages the current RM has 81 advertising pages and just 71 pages of 'magazine', if you take out the 13 pages of 'New Products' and 'News' (mostly the Hornby new products list!) that is a substantial reduction in content. However, what I meant about MR is what in advertising speak is called 'product placement' for example in the current MR is Chris Leighs article about populating the new Dapol G'0' Bubble Car where the figures are named as 'Model U', or the article by George Dent where there is product placement of 'Deluxe Materials' 'Phatic' glue and 'Tamiya' paints, these articles are not alone, I am sure they help the 'Great Magazines' budget across its many titles but might also make the less experienced unaware of other products or perhaps think they cannot or should not use them.

 

[boxbrownie]

Quite agree with you about advertising in that regard, looking at the content pages the current RM has 81 advertising pages and just 71 pages of 'magazine', if you take out the 13 pages of 'New Products' and 'News' (mostly the Hornby new products list!) that is a substantial reduction in content. However, what I meant about MR is what in advertising speak is called 'product placement' for example in the current MR is Chris Leighs article about populating the new Dapol G'0' Bubble Car where the figures are named as 'Model U', or the article by George Dent where there is product placement of 'Deluxe Materials' 'Phatic' glue and 'Tamiya' paints, these articles are not alone, I am sure they help the 'Great Magazines' budget across its many titles but might also make the less experienced unaware of other products or perhaps think they cannot or should not use them.

Agree with what you say, although having tried so many glues over the years a couple of years ago I tried the Super Phatic glue and it is excellent stuff, it is my go to product now for most jobs so at least he is not pushing some rubbish stuff.

 

[butler-henderson]

Not sure that is product placement rather than explaining what has been used; nothing worse that an article referring to various part found in the "spares box" "glued together" which leaves the reader completely in the dark on how they would achieve the same. MR is owner by Bauer Media not Great Magazines who are the distributors.It originated as a pull out in Rail magazine and has nothing to do with former MRN.
Hornby magazine meanwhile does folllow on from MRC in terms of magazine ownership.

 

[34C]

...However, what I meant about MR is what in advertising speak is called 'product placement' for example in the current MR is Chris Leigh's article about populating the new Dapol G'0' Bubble Car where the figures are named as 'Model U', or the article by George Dent where there is product placement of 'Deluxe Materials' 'Phatic' glue and 'Tamiya' paints...

I'd have to dig out the few old mags I retained for drawings and the like, to compare with past practise - the late sixties and early seventies. I recall being often frustrated back then by inadequate information on the products used, in 'how to do it' articles!

(Though not half as frustrated by the proliific loco builder's claimed ability to obtain RTR mechanisms, a gift not in the grasp of myself, then a teenager. GRRR!)

...nothing worse than an article referring to various parts found in the "spares box" "glued together" which leaves the reader completely in the dark on how they would achieve the same...

Ah yes. Near half a century on from such frustrations, I now inflict it on others! A copious 'projects parts' collection has built up, and I would now be hard pushed to tell where some of the contents of the collection came from. I was properly reproved (elsewhere) some years ago for mentioning just how useful the carrying wheel springs from old Bachmann split chassis locos were: "How is anyone to find such things, with no manufacturer spares support and ridiculous prices for old non-runners are now the only source?" . Quite so...