I have over 75 issues of RMC from the 90s, as well as well over 200 issues of MR (from '92 to the present). I must say that some of the articles in RMC were top-notch. I miss some of the old things in MR, like Student Fare and Bull Session. I have noticed that the older MRs tended to have more complex and in-depth articles than the new ones. However, the new ones certainly go the extra mile for the pictures and such.
We are loyal MR subscribers, but also pick up Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazettte because it has a lot of information pertaining to logging.
Reading and studying this hobby is half of the fun.
Sue
I’ve been buying both MR and RMC since the mid sixties, I think they compliment each other. I also bought MM from the first issue to the unfortunate last, (for the model builder that I am, I thought MM to be the best of all). I have also bought a lot of Narrow Gauge Gazettes, (over 300 issues) and some RMJ’s, MRing and Fine Scale Modeler when I found articles of interest.
My point is that you can’t read too much and the more varied the sources the more you learn and the better modeler you can become. If all you’re doing is buying RTR and plopping them on the track, then MR’ll do ya.[;)]
I have not witnessed anyone being disciplined (slapped across the nose with a rolled up copy of MR). I have seen posts referencing other hobby mags as sources of info. Me ,myself, can get ideas for my layout or tools from model railroad articles and parts catalogs like Walthers. I built a “chopper” similar to the one by NWSL and a miter box for my Atlas Super Saw. Gee, I hope this didn’t offend anyone1
The topic of magazine comparisons comes up frequently on other forums, and I think it’s a valid discussion, particularly with the advent of the internet and in particular these forums.
I subscribed to MR for a number of years, but finally let go this winter. The things I really like to see, such as product reviews and prototype articles, were no longer worth waiting for. That kind of information is readily available at no cost on the web. Frankly, I trust independent and vocal forum posters to review the latest model by Kato or Walthers than I do the editors at MR, whose paychecks come from Messrs K and W. Plus, they don’t review everything that comes out, but the guys on the forums sure as heck do.
Yeah, I noticed the Wisconsin thing, but that didn’t bother me much. A lot of N scalers gripe about being under-represented, but even that didn’t bother me. I look at layout articles in terms of elements. Photo angles, switching area designs, things like that. I’m never going to build an MR project layout. If that’s all I ever hoped to accomplish, then shoot me now.
Lee
brothaslide, the responses to this topic have certainly gone far, far afield!!!
I have been a member of the forum for fourteen months tomorrow; in that fourteen month period I have referenced Railroad Model Craftsman magazine at least three times; N Scale and N Scale Railroading magazines at least six times; just recently I brought to a member’s attention a series of articles running in Railmodel Journal magazine concerning roundhouse construction.
Even Model Railroader magazine has taken an occasional shellacing over something printed - or, perhaps, unprinted - and I felt that these ‘hits’ were constructive and I certainly hope that the editorial staff of the magazine paid some attention to them. The forum has also been the subject of some criticism, again, constructive in nature.
Mr Bergstrom, the moderator/administrator, does have a policy of restricting information on other forums and several posts and responses have been deleted for violation of that rule; other posts and responses have been deleted because they had gotten out of hand and were tending to become abusive. In the absence of one of these circumstances I cannot readily think of one post and responses which were removed simply because they made reference to one of Model Railroader magazines competetive publications in the hobby press field.
I’ve subscribed to both MR and RMC for about 3 years now. I’ll go a step beyond the forum, and say that I’ve seen both magazines referenced in each other’s printed publications. I’ve seen MR referenced quite a few times in RMC articles, and I can think of at least a couple of times where RMC has been mentioned in an MR article (albeit by a contributing author, not part of the regular staff).
As someone mentioned earlier, I think both magazines complement each other nicely, and they know that.
[#ditto] I find they both have different things. I love the more in-depth coverage of scratch or kit-bashing from RMC. MR on the otherhand has great general articles and pictures of layouts… although my favorite article a few months ago was from RMC on deck bridges… it covered the gamut on guard timbers, guard rails, bridge re-railers, etc… of course, just my humble opinion.
Brian
To me it didn’t seem like they were under-represented when I got the mag. I thought they were well represented.
-Smoke
MR and Trains are available to read for free at my library. If there’s an article I gotta gotta have, I’ll buy the issue and I do buy MRP. RMC has only a few articles per year of interest to me. When I see one, I buy RMC. Saves me money that I can use to buy rolling stock and saves storage space.
I have actually a couple of times mentioned something I read about in another magazine. The thing is though I (guess it’s more or less because this forum is more focused on MR (gee I wonder why) than other magazines and naturally there’d be more MR fans than say RMC fans. Ya know what they say. When in Rome, Boy there’s a hell of a lotta Romans.
Not many other railroader magazines have forums and some have had trouble publishing issues on time in the past 2 years.
Andrew
I still subscribe to MR and get some good information from it but I prefer Narrow Gauge And Shortline Gazette, Light Iron Digest, and other magazines that cater to narrow gauges and scratchbuilders - especially in Large Scale and O scale. I also make use the many older MR magazines I have because there’s a lot of useful information pertaining to my special interests.
Given the circulation numbers, I would expect more reference to MR on this or any other forum. I have subscribed to MR, RMC, and NMRA Bulletin/Scale Rails for 35 years. I find MR and RMC to be nicely complimentary - MR focuses more on the layout and RMC more on the model building. I occaisionally pick up a copy of NG&SL and others as I see articles that interest me. The Bulletin under Whit Towers was truly a different and unique model railroad publication - one I miss. Since I am in a minority scale, S ( and a minority in S - standard gauge code 100), I don’t see much that strictly relates to me, but most things written in MR, RMC, etc. are adaptable to S. I get Classic Toy Trains, S Gaugian, and the NASG Dispatch which cover S topics/products.
So I don’t think there’s an unwritten rule so much as I think it just falls out that way.
Enjoy
Paul
I got into the hobby as an early teen, & had subscriptions to MR, RMC, & TRAINS. But my interest started to go dormant (but not dead) as I got further along in my teens. The cost became prohibitive.
Now that I’ve gotten back into things (I knew I would someday) cost of a subscription is still prohibitive. But I keep an eye out at Wally World, & my LHS for a copy that has something that may strike my fancy.
I’ll throw in and say I don’t think its a no-no and I’ve seen other mags referenced many times. Also, some of the staffs have worked at the other magazines at one time or another. IIRC, Tony Koester was the editor at RMC before coming to MR. Its only natural in narrowly focused industry for the staffs to either know each other or at least know of each other. Throw in the NMRA and you find all kinds of professional relationships that go well beyond the editorial staffs.
Rick
I have mentioned RMC quite a few times, but it was in the Coffee Shop. As a matter of fact, the only reason I am in this forum tonight is an e-mail sent to the editor of MR replying to his “three wishes” column. I said if he wants to promote this as a fellowship, they might make it a point to give the other magazines in the field their “props”.
RMC does cater more to the scratchbuilder and MR to the more laid back (I get both, and at times I can’t believe how much some scratchbuilders go through to get just what they want) railroader, but both certainly have great articles and very good staffs.
One thing I mentioned in my mail was RMC not only mentions MR, they even wished MR a happy 60th anniversary a few years back. No mention was made in MR on RMC’s anniversary, and I can’t remember a staff writer - other than maybe Tony Koester- ever refering to RMC.
It sure seems to me like we are all in this together, and even if I would NEVER consider doing what you did on your layout, I sure do like seeing it and totally support whatever it is. From Thomas the Tank Engine to SD90MACs with sound, whatever people want is what makes this hobby so neat.
Just my [2c]
I can’t see any harm in it. If any comments ,tips, or otherwise might benefit the body of modelers who frequent this forum, why not?
I’ve mentioned RMC a few times in the past. RMC is a great magazine and the only one I buy every month. MR has great pictures but lacks the “modeling” articles that RMC provides me.