I’m Starting to have too many, and it’s getting to be a pain to move them every time I move, etc.
What does everyone do with them?
I also have some old MR books from when I was a kid that are horribly outdated. It’s time for some stuff to go!
(I might add a favorite music magazine of mine came out with a computer DVD containing the first 30 years of their existence for a mere $200. That enabled me to get rid of my collection knowing if I ever really HAD to have an article, I could get to it - without lugging around a 15 year subscription worth of mags!)
i havent ever boughten any yet. our local library has a subscription so i jsut go there to read it. heck save me $$$ which i dont even have now. althougth i dont buy them i do have a large collectiont that i have found thown out. i have a good shelf full of MRs, Trains, modle RR craftsmans, walthers catologs and what not. it all makes great reference material… but i sure dose take up a lot of space. and i dont have any better ideas on that
i have about 6 or 7. they are sitting in my desk along with the 3 Trains i have and the Walthers adds i get. i have another place just for reference books.
my friend said he’d give me a bunch but never did, i don’t think he has them because he was going to throw them out when he moved so he probably did that.
I’ve got about half a shelf’s worth of MR, a few I got from my dad when I got back into the hobby, some from the past two years that I bought at the hobbyshop, and quite a few from the “10 cents an issue” boxes at a railroad show I attended. I don’t buy every issue or grab every back issue I can–normally I’ll flip through and make sure there is something that will be immediately useful. Unfortunately for my pocketbook and shelf space there is something useful more often than not…
you can send them to me… I think the binder idea is great, and neat / orderly. I’ll need to start doing that.
I’ve started to develop a list categorizing all significant articles (by issue) that relate to topics of interest - how to make trees, realistic water, weathering methods, DCC etc.
Then, when I need a particular article, I can find it on the printed list…and go straight to the issue that it was in… works great in theory.
(in need the articles in front of me as I am a visual type learner, computer screens are great, but I want the paper copy in my hand when I get to work - being a detail freak)
cheers
That article list sounds like a great idea. Its hard to get rid of such a valuable reference, so I have to keep adding to it. Only have issues from 1970 on at this point. Hope to get most of it in binders someday. Have a seven year old who comes to visit once in a while and loves model railroading. He’s gotten a very good feel for a transistorized throttle and can take a train around the layout like a seasoned veteran! Went through my back issues a while back and surprised him with a big box full. You would have thought I gave him cash he was so happy!
I had a collection of MR that went back to 1953. Storage was a real problem, as I get 5 other model Rail publications. Now I only keep the current year intact but strip out the articles that interest me from the previous issues ( even if only remotely) and hold them in folders and donate the remains to the paper recyclers.
There is a German model mag that brings out the previous years issues on CD which is very handy.
I’ve amassed 12 years worth, which is now sitting in a corner. I’m seriously thinking about ripping them apart canabalising them and sticking the worthwhile articles in platic sleeves, then catagorizing them for easy reference.
I save all of mine. I have all but but about 10 back to 1950 plus a few earlier ones. I also have RMC, NMRA Bulletin back to the early 70’s. With the magazine index on this site I can finally find articles, plans, etc.
Enjoy
Paul
I keep them. I made storage binders for them out of heavy cardboard. Each binder stores one year’s magazines vertically. I also copy the table of contents pages for each issue and keep them in 3 ring binders.
Tom Watkins
Subscriber since 1965; like Elliot/Big- Boy I have a complete collection going back to 1950 with a few earlier copies and the reprint of 1934 Vol. 1. I try to at least skim through them all on a regular basis because as my interests change I keep finding older issues with things of value. As a purely practical matter, the older issues are valuable for plans and structure articles, and by the late 1950s – when some pioneers started to use styrene – the techniques become more up to date. If I was to advise someone on acquiring older issues, I would consider going back to at least 1970 and I think you’d find plenty of useful stuff in each issue.
Dave Nelson
I’d love to see MRR produce a DVD of all of their back issues from start to either now or 2000, or even better, include this year since it makes for their 70th anniversary [:D] Less paper, a lot less space, easier to find which articles you are looking for, and it’s printable to bring a copy in the workshop if needed. And it would allow the younger ones like me to buy the back issues on a handy format.
I actually have duplicates from 1993-2001 due to inheriting my father’s collection. I’d like for them to have a good home rather than recycling. Has anyone gotten creative with giving useful spares to others that could use them?
There’s no way I can depart from my Model Railroaders! I own every one since 1995, including all from 1976-1979 and some from the 1980’s, and early 90’s.
Well I have only had a suscription since Christmas so I don’t have too many. I guess when they start falling apart i get rid of them, that’s what happened to the one I bought a while back.
I ended up with so many I started indexing them (Perl scripts running a database program through my web browser - 4 lines of code sets up a web server). Once I have the newer computer hooked up fully (it has issues) with the CDRW and scanner, these mags are going to start going through the scanner mill and getting burned to CD. I’ll rearrange the articles into HTML documents with thumbnails and photos. Truly a task for the ages (because that’s how long it’ll take to accomplish).
Speaking of issues, if anyone has the following mags to sell, contact me at orphantrainlocos@aol.com
MR 6/1946 or 3/55 or 9/73 - E2 article
RMC 11/66 - NW3 article
RMC 3/64 - NW4 article
MR 11/52 or 8/56 - Little Joe article
RMC 11/85 - HH1000 article
