On the arrival of the March 2025 issue, a partial list of recent MR April fool's jokes

Model Railroader
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OK the April issue has arrived, and I will only state it indeed has an April Fools joke, although I won’t reveal it in this post.
Over the past number of months I have been traversing the MR archives month by month for various reasons (kind of like the 'Decades - a look back…" thread, but differnt), and while I was at it made note of the April Fool’s jokes starting from the late 1990s onward (I had notice some previous known ones (e.g. using insects for scale horses), but did not record them - oops).
Anyway what follows is the ones I found from 1997 to 2024 and what section I found them, some issues didn’t have a joke or (more likely) I couldn’t find it (noted below as unsure or likely). If others want to add/fill in to this list, that’d be cool.

April 2025 - Not reveling it here.
April 2024 - News & Reviews - ACI Scan App
April 2021 - Ask MR - A Light Replacement For A Lift Gate
April 2020 - Unsure
April 2019 - News & Products - Wishy Washy 3-in-1 Weathering Powder Paks
April 2018 - Ask MR - Extreme Rail Gleaming
April 2017 - Product Review - Train Clap 2000 Audio DCC Controller
April 2016 - Product Review - Seed Scale Models Tower And Depot Kit
April 2015 - Use Vacuum Tubes To Boost Your DCC Signal
April 2014 - Product Reviews - Analog Rivet Counting Tool
April 2013 - Workshop Tips - Magnetic Fiddle Yard
April 2012 - Workshop Tips - Add Working Firemen To Your Operations
April 2011 - Weather: The Final Frontier In Modeling?
April 2010 - Workshop - Trees Smooth As Silk
April 2009 - Trains Of Thought - Tony Koester TonySAprilFoolJoke
April 2008 - News & Products - Railroader Immersive (RRi)
April 2007 - News & Products - Track Plans For Life
April 2006 - Unsure (Maybe the live cactus plants?)
April 2005 - News & Products - NERDI E-Field for layouts.
April 2004 - Product Reviews - Very Large Scale Boxcar
April 2003 - MR News - Model Railroaders Going Underground (Tube Modelers)
April 2002 - MR News -Say Hello To NOtrak
April 2001 - MR News - The Billionaire’s Railroad(s)
April 2000 - Unsure
April 1999 - MR News - (Likely)Ultimate Realism (RustTrak)
April 1998 - Bull Session - Dateline Mount Carbon, PA
April 1997 - Bull Session - (Meta) Tarantula Terrorizes Caroline Central

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The April 2012 joke reminded of an MR cartoon from the mid-60’s, where the modeler had a marionette of a brakeman amongst a bunch of freight cars. The text read; “Magnetic couplers realistic? Son, on my pike I have scale couplers operated by scale brakemen! Magnetic couplers indeed.”

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It wasnt bad at all. The 2012 one is my all time favorite… that or the review of the full size W&S boxcar

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Back in the 60’s there was an article about pressurizing your basement so you can remove those pesky lally columns that always seem to be in the way.
Also in the 70’s there was one about railroading on the moon!

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Welcome to the forum, Thirdrail! It’s good to hear from another N scale modeler.

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Welcome on board, Thirdrail.

David

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I’m too dense to be able to find the April Fools in the latest issue. If someone wants to enlighten me, I’d appreciate a private message so I can know how dumb I really am. :nerd_face:

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I remember reading that article, pretty sure it was summer 1967 (i.e.June, July or August). Having just finished 7th grade I wasn’t sure if it was serious or not.

The April 1968 entry was the “Muddle of the Month” award.

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Thank you all.
I really liked the article about Railroading on the moon. The MR staff really went to great lengths with that one. They actually constructed a "working " layout with tracks, rolling stock and scenery. Looked great, I was thinking at the time to follow their lead and try to make my own version. 50 years later I found the copy of that issue on the bay and purchased it.

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Did you ever get an answer???

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Yes! Several people messaged me.

I’m sorry for not saying that in this column.