A new editor for Model Railroader

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

The news was posted today under Hot News: Neil Besougloff, who is currently the Editor of Classic Toy Trains, succeeds Terry Thompson as editor come June 1. Terry T will be publisher of MR and some other Kalmbach magazines. Not being a CTT reader I do not know anything about Neil but I am sure we all wish both fellows the best of success, especially since their success is also our good fortune, and thanks to Terry for a job well done.

Speaking personally I have been a subscriber since the Linn Westcott days, so soon I will have seen the tenure of five MR editors – and some pretty huge changes in the hobby. The one unchanging constant? My Model Rectifier model 401 “Ampack” keeps plugging along and it still looks great in its copper casing!

Dave Nelson

2

hear, hear!

3

I started in 2002/2003 and have enjoyed both Andy and Terry and Im sure I will enjoy Neil also. Here’s to the Editor and Former Editor. [raises glass] May you both have success in your new positions.

4

Either MR is changing editors a lot faster these days, or I’m getting older a lot faster! [:o)]

5

I resemble that! Then again, my first-boughten Model Railroader was edited by Frank Taylor.

The one constant has been that every MR editor has made the magazine useful and valuable to the hobby, and the individual hobbyist. Let’s hope that the (not-so) newcomer will continue the trend.

Congratulations on both promotions.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

6

Congrates to both and thanks. It has been a constant in my years starting in 1949. Great mag. It was my one contact during my 25 year sabatical.

7

Good luck to Terry. I have enjoyed his writing and his editorials for 2 years. He will be missed. And congrats to Neil and good luck to him!

8

Congratulations to Terry and Neil.

Remember Neil, over here 3 rail is called dual gauge[(-D]

Enjoy

Paul

9

Yeah,IMHO its both![:D] I started reading MR in the 50s but,can’t recall the editor…I think Lynn was editor the longest and as a editor he was one of the best movers and shakers in the hobby.

10

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the kind words. I officially start at Model Railroader on June 1, so I’ll see everyone then.

Sincerely,
Neil Besougloff
editor

11

The reference to Linn Westcott brought back some fond memories I have of when I got reinvolved with this hobby as an adult after having a small 4x8 when I was young. One of the first books I bought was a primer by Linn Westcott about HO railroading. I don’t think it is still in print but I think a lot of it would hold up today, even after all the advances we have seen in this hobby. I also recall that Bill McClanahan’s scenery book, which was the bible on scenery before Dave Frary’s work came out, had a chapter by Linn Westcott on zip texturing, a technique I still use today as I’m sure many others do as well. Linn Westcott’s last work was a book about John Allen’s magnificent Gorre and Daphetid railroad. Sadly, Linn Westcott passed away before the book went to print. Model railroading has come a long way since its earliest days but I hope today’s modelers don’t lose sight of the contributions made by the early pioneers of this hobby whose works laid the foundation for what we enjoy today.

12

I also started reading MR when Linn Westcott was editor. I still have some of the Kalmbach books he wrote such as Practical Guide To Model Railroading, HO Primer, and HO railroad That Grows. I built the “HO railroad That Grows” many years ago and still think it would make a good beginner’s project abeit using modern techniques and materials. To this day I follow his philosophy of “growing a railroad.” I still have copies of MR when he was editor and enjoy rereading them. They have a lot of good projects and ideas that can easily be adapted to the current modeling technology and materials of today.