I’m wondering what columns from previous MRs do you miss? I’ll start with Workin’ on the Railroad, Along the line, and Student Fare.
The Lone Geep
Looking Back with John Page - they ran that during the 50th anniversary year. I have since managed to aquire many issues from that era. It’s why I really like the History by Hediger series they’ve been doing recently. There’s somethign about hearign first hand experiences of the past - last year at an open house I ended up with a sunburned head ebcause I stood outside listening to an old railroader talk about his experience sont he job. I find this stuff fascinating.
–Randy
Paint Shop!
Kinks.
Dave Nelson
Scratchbuilding: For example, going to my MR Library, the first issue I picked up just now was the January 1976 Model Railroader:
pages 48-49 – “Modeling telltales”
pages 74-75 – “Try covering some buildings with ivy”
pages 76-78 – “Scratchbuild a loading platform”
…not to mention the steam articles – All for $1.00 at the newsstand. The 1970s, and before, had a lot of these scratchbuilding articles, and you were not led to think that everything had to be molded plastics (although Plasticville USA “was the bomb”).
A trackside industry I’ll be scratchbuilding is “A factory for those pickle cars” from the February 1961 Model Railroader – Also note the series on traction sub-stations. I purchased a number of MR back issues in the mid-1960s from newspaper route savings for apx. 50 cents an issue.
Also, does anybody remember “The Bluebook” from those days?
Another sigh for “Paint Shop”
I rather miss reading One Reader’s Opinion. Even if I hadn’t agreed with everything written, I thought it nice to read something more substantial then what a letter to the editor provided. Tony Koester gets a column, which I like too, on his musings over various aspects related to our hobby. But ORO differed in that you had a variety of opinions and people presenting them that had been given about the same space as Koester gets.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Paint Shop return, I liked the specific focus on painting and weathering and how it covered both basic and advanced painting topics.
Alvie
Paint Shop. Bring it back.
Paint Shop, and …
has this become obsolete? Is it an idea whose time has come BACK, due to the economy—
DOLLAR MODEL.
I miss Model of the Month. A great way to showcase a good model without a full article.
Bull session…I always read that first.
Bull Session
Dollar Model
…and…Paint Shop.
sigh
I definitely agree with Bob B. and Larry that Model of the Month and Bull Session were two of the best regular features of the old issues of MR. And, yes, I indeed also recall the great old Blue Book series, too.
CNJ831
I always enjoyed Workin on the Railroad.
Paint Shop was one of my favorites. I think the trend to RTR sort of killed it. I used to buy a case of the old Athearn BB box car(usually undec or painted /undec) and re-detail/paint/decal virtually all of my cars. As good RTR started appearing, I bought them as I could do some fast detail/weathering to make them ‘layout ready’. They were good ‘place keeper’ cars until I go around to completing the ‘fleet’. Now one cannot even get undec cars(at least off the shelf at the LHS) or even find decals.
Looking through my collection of old MR’s(back to 1948), the Blue Book series of prototype information and paint schemes was really nice. Kalmbach has ‘sorta’ done this over with their inserts/PDF’s/soft cover books.
Jim
I agree, Paint Shop, Dollar Model (I’m sure that $5 model or even $10 model would be adequate today), Working on the Railroad, and a feature that I’ve always looked forward to - Railroads That You Can Model.
Years ago, well should I say decades when I was young one. I enjoyed reading Student Fare. Times have changed but the future is with the younger population as the average age of MR readers is what in their late 50’s age bracket. MR should do more to bring young readers into the Mix. Student fare or articles on young modelers layouts.
I miss what used to be the basic premise of Model Railroader and that was a magazine aimed at and for the builder/operator/craftsman.
Today all it appears to me to be is how to plug in your DCC, product reviews of an endless supply of RTR equipment from the “main” advertisers, fantasy layouts, and more advertising than Model Railroad News.
I used to get excited to see my new MR in the mailbox every month, now…
Mark
WGAS
Paint Shop sounds like it would be a good column to bring back as well.
I’m glad they brought back the scratch built model series. [Y] MR’s Scratch build articles are the best way to get started in scratch building. It solves a lot of the hardest problems like Where do I get blueprints? Where and what materials do I need? So on and so on. Doing this for the first time can be quite intimidating. BUT scratch building/kit bashing is a necessary skill for a really good layout.
Times have changed and so has our hobby. I am not missing any of the old MR columns, other than “Model of the Month”. I remember seeing those fantastic, highly detailed locos and cars back in the late 1960´s. It was those pics which made me finally part from my old Marklin stuff [swg]