Got my copy of MRP 2011 yesterday and it’s a keeper. No fewer than 3 shelf switching layouts of reasonable size (one of which is a British OO scale Great Western Railway branch terminus). There’s also a couple of 4x8 plans including one by Byron Henderson who generally regards the 4x8 as the work of the devil.
For those interested in real old time railroading, Don Ball’s 1895 Stockton & Copperopolis is prominently featured. Ball’s earlierr Moraga Springs & Northern was featured in the 1995 MRP.
Fans of David Popp are going to be happy with his article on the Naugatuck version 3.0 (much bigger than 1.0 and 2.0) and moving his time frame back to 1947 when steam was in charge.
Finally, for those of you who bemoan the featuring of mega layouts, six of the 11 plans are room size (10 x 11) or smaller.
All in all, it’s one of the best issues I’ve seen. Kudos to Tony Koester for an excellent issue.
Andre
Seein’ as how it’s a nice day and there’s a hobby shop not 5 miles south of hear I may have to mosey down there and pick one up. Don Ball’s an old timer and I do loves me some old time railroading. I check up on Byron once in a while on his blog and site and he’s mentioned some work in the dreaded 4x8 format. He can turn a sows ear into a silk purse though.
Lou
It is indeed an excellent issue, with a welcome return by Ian Rice. The thing about Model Railroad Planning is that it is an example where even the oldest issues are just as valuable and interesting as the newest, perhaps because it is about concepts and ideas rather than products. After a bit of effort I finally came across the first ever issue and now have a complete set which I turn to often.
David Popp’s article on his New Haven layout seems to lay to rest a rumor that was flying around the NMRA National Convention this last summer – that when the convention was over he was toying with the idea of ripping out his layout and starting again, in HO.
Dave Nelson
I’d call the hobby shop first. I ordered my MRP direct from Kalmbach quite a while ago and my experience is that there’s a several day time lag between the time the issue is shipped to those who ordered directly and the time hobby shops get theirs.
It’s worth the wait.
Andre
Andre, you called it. Not there. (yet, I suppose) I would have called, but the girl that works there only knows that there are “big pretty trains” there (G scale). Nothing else reaches her cortex. I’ve called on several occasions asking simple stuff like “got any Atlas code 83 flex?”. “Whazzat?” So, I’ll wait and check elsewhere next time.
Lou