Too much Model Railroading reading material available!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Over the last year or so, I tore apart all my old MR magazine (5 years worth or so), and scanned in any articles I couldn’t live without into my computer.

I just started contemplating doing the same with my MRR Planning and Great MRR’s. There is so much good stuff in there - I have about 5 of each.

Then I was thinking about just ripping out my favorite articles, and keeping them in a binder or something. But there are too many good ones!

I am making a huge effort to minimize myself of possessions - because owning too much stuff, even magazines, books, etc. can be a really big hassle every time you move, clean up your house, etc.

I’m thinking about just donating them to the local hobby shop or something.

Then there are certain articles I want to keep - like all of David Barrow’s stuff, because I like his modular approach. I did a search on the Magazine Index (at modelrailroader.com), and he’s got tons of articls out there that I never read.

I think I need to sit back and realize that I’ve read enough magazines over the years, and it’s not like I’m going to be missing out on something if I toss my old magazines.

I saw Nicholas Cage (yes, the actor) on TV several years ago. He was getting rid of many of his possessions. He said something to the effect of, “when you have too many possessions, your possessions begin to own you”.

I’m about to cringe as I drop the old mags off at the hobby shop - or better yet, maybe I should Ebay them.

Oh man - here’s another problem. The internet! Thanks to the internet, there are so many Model Railroads you could check out. I just discovered RPI’s NEB & W website. Wow man - crazy stuff. Ted York has a website on his Cajon Pass layout. There’s so much out there.

Does it sound like I have a psychological problem? Yes, I think I do. My wife is awesome - she’ll find some old box of stuff of hers, and within 2 minutes she’ll have it sorted for tras

2

May I point out, without wishing to cause offense, that you describe the pleasure you derive, and the inordinate amount of time you invest, in reading…but never doing.

You lament your lack of time, but state that you spend ‘tons of time’ reading. These two thoughts are incongruous. You DO have the time, but you spend it the way you WI***O.

My wife and I hoard magazines because we value the contents. Then, two years later, we throw 'em all out because we haven’t looked at them since.

Tell me something, do you look forward to getting the mags? Can’t wait to read them, right? Then, over the course of the next two or three months, you’ll compare ads and prices and articles. After three months, they get closer to the bottom of the stack. that is the time to let them go.

Each month, throw out the bottom edition. Yup, just do it. Don’t scan anything, don’t even leaf through it. Let it go. You’ll remember much of what you read, and much more will have changed in the intervening six months. New edition on the way.

My father tells a story that his father had a telephone installed in their home in the early 40’s, and my father, then 13, couldn’t wait to phone his friends. But, he was afraid to make the call, and asked my grandfather to place it for him. Burying his face in his newspaper, my grandfather told him, “When you want to make the call badly enough, you’ll do it.”

3

I have all but about 6 issues of MR back to 1950. I have a smattering of issues prior to that. I have all the RMC’s back to 1970 and about another 50 before that. Plus various assorted other model railroad magazines. I keep them all because they make a good library of drawings, prototype information, and modeling information. From time to time I’ll go back and read articles and issues or look up information. Now that the magazine index is online at this site, it makes it really easy to find things.

I have the room to store them and haven’t moved in 25 years.

Enjoy
Paul

4

Selector, I agree with everything you said. Thank you.

Let me get put up my feet and get comfortable on the shrink’s couch here…

I’ve had some problems holding onto things for sentimental reasons over the years. This all changed a couple years ago when several family members and I moved my ill dad from his home. He had so much stuff there, it was unbelievable. I saw so many things I hadn’t seen since I was five years old - stashed in sheds, closets, under workbenches, in toolboxes, etc.

Man, it was so much stuff, we were all in utter dis-belief. He was not a slob, but simply a master of stashing his stuff. A true master.

That very day, I realized how silly it was to hold onto things for sentimental reasons.

My wife and I have moved a couple times over the years, and I have gotten rid of a ton of stuff. My MRR magazines have been my last hold-out. I think because they cross the line of art and information. Fine pictures of fine layouts are like art. Tossing them seems like tossing paintings in the trash. It’s time to let them go… (a tear rolls down my 1:87 cheek as I say good-bye to one of the many updates of the Utah Belt…)

Thanks for your tips man. Everything you said was dead on. Consider them recycled. (unless my wife determines they’re worth ebaying).

Hey - I love the story of your father and the phone. That is awesome. Relates to many stories in my own life. You complain about something, it irritates you, you get annoyed, etc., until you finally get off your rear and do it. I love that story of your father - that’s a perfect one to pass on to others for all areas of life.

5

Which was one of the reasons I discussed putting the MR past issues onto CD or internet.

I think it’s time we need to seriously consider electronic media in place of magazines.

6

A music magazine I had the same difficulty with did just that. I tossed my old magazines, knowing if I couldn’t live without them, I could buy the digital archive. The digital archive is like 25 years on one DVD for $200. Have I been tempted to buy it since my recycling binge? Selector will be happy to hear: NO, I haven’t.

7

OK, how’s this for anal retentive?

I have about four years complete of MR and a couple other model RR mags. I took three evenings this winter and went through ALL of them, and wrote down the articles that I found interesting. I separated these into categories (i.e., structures, wiring/dcc, weathering, locomotives, etc.) and typed up an “index”. Now, if I want an article about, say, turnouts and signaling, I go to that section of the index and find:

  • Signaling Made Easier, Part 4, MR 4/04, pg 78
  • 1920’s PRR Semaphore Signals, RMC 4/04, pg 65
  • Adding Easy Car Detection, MR 5/04, pg 92
  • Simple, Reliable Turnout Controls, MR 9/04, pg 90

and so on.

If anybody wants a copy of my index (it is current through March 2005), you can go ahead and download a copy at:

www.westernallegheny.com

scroll down and click on the “Western Allegheny Railroading” link, then on the model railroading pages. You’ll see links to the index in PDF and Word format

I’d love to get some peoples’ opinions on this idea.

Ray out

[edit: fixed link}

8

You might consider donating them to a local library if they are willing to keep them available & not sell them at the next Friends of the Library Book Sale. Others may find them useful, new people may be introduced to the hobby & they will be there should the need arise for you to go back to find a print article.

My collection is from the mid 1980s & early 1990s. Then I was out of the hobby. What a joy it was to pour over those old issues as I got back into the hobby after being away from it for 10 years. I wish I had the intervening issues from 1993 to 2004.

Let’s not reha***he whole “Why don’t we put it all on a CD” thing yet again. If it happens it will happen. Another thread or (yawn) another poll isn’t going to make a whit of difference if it hasn’t happened already. Meanwhile I’ll keep my paper copies and try to fill in the missing issues.

Wayne

9

…er…bikerraypa, have you seen the link at the top of this forum? http://index.mrmag.com/[%-)][:-^]

10

Yeah, long ago, but for some reason they include a bunch of issues that I don’t have, and they also stuff from Railroad Model Craftsman that I don’t have, andScale Rails. I wonder why the Model Railroader forum would do that on me?? I TOLD them to only include the magazines on my shelf. They just won’t listen[:D]

Ray out.

11

Psssst - nobody tell Selector (who left me a message above), but I could not toss my remaining favorite MR articles.

I’ve scanned in all my favorites, and they are permanently archived just for my own personal enjoyment.

I have new standards for what I’ll keep, however. I will only keep layout articles that just really hit me in the gut. There are many, many great layout articles in our favorite magazine. But some hit me in the gut for sentimental reasons - local railroads, places I’ve been, etc., or simply articles by my favorite model railroaders.

You know what I’m talking about - those articles you just can’t stop staring at all the time.

It was a lot of work to scan in what I wanted to save, but let me tell you, when I’m sitting in starbucks, doing work on my laptop, when I need a 5 or 10 minute break from my work, nothing hits the spot like browsing through my collection of favorite articles that are categorized perfectly - the way I want them categorized!!!

How sweet it is!!!

12

I’m okay with that, CARRfan, because you took a big step toward changing behaviour that was becoming problematic enough for you to raise on this forum. For what it’s worth, I think it was an intelligent solution, and it it gives you pleasure without the clutter, so much the better.

I enjoyed this thread, but mainly because you shared that you have experienced what every one of us has been through in one way or another. You are with friends here, and we are all happy, I am sure, that you are able to master your mags.

My regards to you.

13

I guess I’m the oddball - I read a lot. And I love to read. Books, magazines, whatever. I’m ucrrently in dire need of a trip to the bookstore, so I started reading (for the uncountable time) some of my old MR’s. In fact, an about an hour I’m off to another train show, and if they have any piles of old MR’s that I DON’T have, I will probably buy them. I have a fairly complete collection from the mid 80’s til now, and a good fill in in the 60’s and 70’s. A few older ones, but not a lot.
I like the index idea - a LOG time ago I started creating a searchable database to index my collection but got sort of overwhelemed. Ths was before the online index was available. Now I just look in there, since I have more issues than I don’t, as long as I restrict it to Model Railroader. For example, I recently looked up articles on electromagnet uncouplers and found about 6 articles. Of those 6, spread over a number of years, I had 5 of the issues.
Oh, and I have most of the books. I REALLY need to aquire a copy of Model Railroading with John Allen, then I will consider my collection complete (no, i do NOT have every Kalmbach book). I’ve worn out TWO editions of Track Planing for Realistic Operation, my Creative Layout Design is getting ratty, and my 101 Track Plans is likewise very ratty looking.

–Randy

14

You’re not the only oddball here, Randy. I don’t have the collection you might, but I can’t imagine throwing them out any more than throwing out any of the literature or non-fiction books I haven’t picked up in years. An interesting life-time exercise is to re-read JD Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye at various times in your life. When separated by years & experiences, each reading brings a remarkably new perspective in how the reader relates to Holden Caulfield.

I belong to to many RR forums & this subject was brought up somewhere. Forgive me if I’m repeating myself in these forums.

I find that my railroading interests change over the years. When I first began in the hobby as a child, diesels had just taken over the scene. We didn’t get any magazines back in those early days, but had I saved only the articles I liked, all I would have would be articles on Trainmasters & the Erie. When I seriously got interested in modeling, I also became interested in the Ulster & Delaware prototype which became the Catskill Division of the NYC. Had I only saved articles from that era, I would only have a scant few articles. My current interests are logging & mining & I find myself pouring over articles in the magazines I thankfully didn’t throw away, articles that I wouldn’t have given more than a glance years ago.

So if you really have no space, get rid of them. If you are sure that you are so set in your ways that you will never develop an interest in other areas of modeling or railroading, get rid of them. If your mind is open, you haven’t stopped learning and old ideas often develop into new interests, then hang on to them.

Wayne

15

Thanks for letting me off the hook man! [8D]

To the guys above - I love reading too. I also love way too many things! I’ve realized within the past couple years that I encounter way too many “physical things” in life to carry them through life with me.

If you could visit my Grandmother’s house, you’d know what I’m talking about!

As for being open to getting into other types of train interests in the future, I may very well. Then I’ll just aquire the articles at that time. Thanks to the internet, this is a piece of cake. There’s no shortage of info out there about anything.

Also, the quality of the info gets better and better all the time. This is why I’ll only hold onto articles I can’t live without, as opposed to holding onto everything that may interest me in 10 years. Think about how much 10 years of MR weighs!

Also, my wife and I have moved several times in the past 3 years. Everytime I moved 3 big boxes of MR’s, I realized I had a problem! The worst part was knowing I had those 3 boxes, AND knowing I couldn’t wait for the next issue to come out each month. I had 4 or 5 years worth of MR and it was a hassle. I couldn’t imagine 10 or 20. Let alone 30, 40, or 50 (which is how many more years I expect to be “playing with trains”).

Muddy - I hear you man, books are cool. I rea

16

This has been interesting reading …

“Advice” is just that, for in the final analysis, YOU make the decisions in life. Nothing wrong with getting some amplification on a particular subject, but I believe these so-called dilemmas that we face along the way are mostly self-manufactured. As such, they can be overcome - perhaps not with the ease we are looking for, but they can be resolved.

I had a 32-year career in the military and I know all about moving. Had to lighten the load many times … now that I’m retired, the “things” I have are the “things” I’m keeping. It’s just a matter of priority insofar as what gets the attention and what doesn’t.

For example, I once had a 3,000 beer can collection - yes - 3,000 cans. That number has been trimmed considerably (got rid of the “extras”) and they are now on display in a basement room … why? Because they mean something to me - of different times, places and people I’ve associated with. When stacked away in boxes, they were as good as “trash” - now they “live.”

So - for you recycling is the answer. Go for it! For me - my 33 years worth of MRR magazines are now in MRR binders sitting on display in my trainroom. They had been stored away in cardboard boxes within metal file cabinets - pretty much forgotten.

Once my trainroom became reality (early this year) I began to think of what to do with those magazines. Pitch 'em - save 'em where they are - display 'em. I chose the latter and will leave it to my SURVIVORS to worry about!

See ya![tup]

17

siberianmo - Very interesting concept of “Letting your stuff Live”. How true. My MR’s were dead in their boxes. Now they live because I can access them on my computer.

I have many, many photographs (I’m only 30) that are “dead” or “hibernating” in boxes. Yet my digital pictures “Live” on my computer - I regularly give slideshows to visiting relatives, etc.

Yeah man - if stuff is in boxes, it’s dead weight.

Got some stuff in the garage I’m going to toss out today. I love that!!! Feels so good. It feels like losing weight - seriously.