I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of my copy of Great Model Railroads. I am not usually the first one to revieve such publications, so has anyone revieved their copy yet? Is there any word on when it should arrive? I know they are due in “late Octover,” a time period which is rapidly evaporating.
Ron
Hi Ron - my shipment arrived today. Your local dealer should have it in too. Or if you ordered it from Kalmbach it should be to you very soon.
They are at the mercy of the postal service, got mine on Monday. Good luck on your’s arriving shortly! Just in time for Halloween? Your postal person may need to be informed of the “Trick” part of the “holiday”!
Will
I picked up my GMR 2007 today. I have mixed feelings after reading several articles and looking through pictures. The color in this issue seems to be less brilliant than in past issues. I’ll confess to be a little disappointed. Any other thoughts?
I saw it at the LHS on Friday, it took just about everything I had not to pick it up and have a glance. I hope mine arrives soon.
Got mine last week… Is that a Screamin’ Eagle on your logo??? MOPAC RULES!!!
Yep, got mine earlier in the week and new MR today. I think the GMR is good with bigger pics etc. Enjoy yours! The brakeman.
Yes, I picked up my copy of the 2007 Great Model Railroads this afternoon from one of my LHSes.
First off, the layouts featured in 2007 issue of Great Model Railroads were impressive. What I usually do first with any magazine that I purchase or receive in the mail is to glance through it, look at the pictures and read the captions, if there are any. So, I haven’t had a chance to read any of the articles yet.
However, the one (disturbing) thing that really jumped out at me with this particular issue was the fact that the majority of the layouts - for the most part - were extremely large. Here is the acreage of just the first five layouts:
On a more positive note. I very much liked the detailing and handiwork of both Bill Darnaby’s HO Maumee Route (pg. 56) and Cliff Power’s HO Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf RR (pg. 84). Bill’s lineside detailing of a working Interlocking tower is impressive work.
I look forward to eventually reading through the 2007 GMR and taking note of things that I might consider adding to my modest 4 x 8 layout. I am curious how the rest of you perceived this year’s issue.
Tom
I got mine yesterday. I have only read the first layout article, but that is one nice layout. I want to know how much all those electronics cost!
I picked mine up at the LHS on Saturday. I am a follower of Bill Ds’ and his Maumee Route. I am really impressed and looking forward to see more of his work in the future! Kevin
Bought mine at the grocery store Thurs. P.M. $9.53 with tax.
I looked through GMR 2007 in my LHS and decided not to buy it, the first time in many years. I have come to dislike the extremely large layouts for the very reason you suggest, the presumption that large layouts are the truly great layouts. Small layouts, well done with good detailing and weathering are a lot more interesting and a lot less overwhelming.
I like small layouts, something many of us could hope to complete in our limited hobby time without lots of help. I sent MRR magazine editors an email awhile back, deriding them about seeming to focus on very large layouts in the monthly. I have not received any reply and don’t really expect to.
I see this month that MR has featured one small layout and I commend them for that and their small layout design contest. George Sellios’s layout is also featured and rightly so for what he has brought to the hobby.
My quibble is that many, if not all, of the model railroad magazines portray the large layout being the goal for a dream layout.
MY dream is a layout I can build myself within my finanical means. I can afford to buy pretty much anything I want for my hobby but choose not to do that and to focus on what I can build in a reasonable length of time. My selfishness is no doubt showing through as I do not want outside help. I want this to be my layout through my efforts.
Those big layouts can be real head scratchers. I’ve learned to pick them apart sorta like TK’s design elements and use them for smaller designs. For ex. I used a segment of a large layout for a corner yard and industry. Worked well for me.
I quit preordering it when I discovered my LHS had gotten it before I did. I’ll be making a trip there next Wednesday and if he has it in, that’s soon enough for me.
I agree, I pre ordered mine in July because I like to see it as early as I can. I am stewing here because my LHS has it and I don’t!!! I don’t know why they don’t make sure that all the prepaid issues are distributed before the LHS issues are available?
The posts on here caused me to stop by the local magazine/bookstore rather than order it. Sure enough, they had it.
I intentionally left it into the car instead of bringing it into the office so that I’ll get some work done this afternoon (one of the downsides to working on your own!).
Great looking issue. Some HUGE layouts. Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed there are that many huge layouts that we haven’t heard about yet.
Looking forward to digging in this week.
Got mine and I think it’s great, even at $8.95. Why does everyone always find fault with large layouts? If you go back over the past few issues of this, there are loads of smaller layouts. So if one year most layouts are large, that’s a good thing. Of course I guess the best would be some large, some small and some mid size. This is one magazine I really look forward to each year (along with MRP).
Well I didnt order it so I wouldnat have recieved it yet but I did try to find it at Walmart they usually carry the MR annuals but so far nothing but they did have I believe Novembers issue of MR so maybe oday or tomorrow they will have it. If not then its off to Walthers for a few other items I can only get there so I will most likely pick it up there. IF the funds are there I mean.
I have two faults with huge layouts:
I don’t have one, and that makes me jealous!
Some of the huge layouts (not necessarily in this GMR) seem like they are half staging areas… where is the fun in that!
I decided not to pre order mine But I got it at the LHS last week. I enjoyed the issue but the one thing I wish they had was another N-scale layout. I know they are out there and you cant tell me there is only 1 great n-scale layout a year.
As for the size of the layouts, They are insperational!! Take what you need from the pics and apply it to your layout. The other thing I found disturbing is a couple of the layouts are not finished!! No layout is ever complete but to have half of the layout in a foam stage? I dont know that is a strech… Now dont get me wrong I think a right up in the mag is fine but I think Bob Grech’s layout would have been more appropreate in the GR MRR issue. My 2 cents,
Curt