I’ve been an on-again and off-again subscriber to MR for at least 10 years and have been a reader for longer. It just struck me that I cannot recall very many (if any) articles where a modern Class I railroad was represented either in a free-lanced or prototypical layout. I would guess that there are quite a few modelers out there that model the present. Is it because familiarity breeds contempt, or if we (railfans and modelers) see something on a regular basis would we be less inclined to see it print? Or are there no submissions of this era? I would be interested to see if anyone accurately models the modern era with as much realism and attention to detail as the ‘historical prototypers’ do. If I’m forgetting any such articles, please let me know, and I will dig up my old MRs! P.S. Why does the forum software lump my posts into one paragraph? The lines aren’t breaking like I want.
This is the age old problem since the beginning of model press. Not enough of one thing/ too much of another.
There are a lot of modern rail modelers, why not so much in print? Supply and demand. Many readers want older railroads represented, and fewer modern articles are submitted for publication. I would be happy to write some articles on modern rail, my job keeps me traveling to all parts of the country and I work with all railroads, so I have an unlimited opportunity to photo things and gather info. My problem is I have no idea how to submit something for print, and even if model railroader mag is interested in short articles on modern prototypes…
OK - kWhat IS modern? I think it depends on what era you prefer to model “Modern " could be anything after “your” date. Troop Trains of WW II could be modern. Diesel Streamliners could be modern. Or Amtrack Superliners. Most modern Railroads are configured to proces large shipments of unit cargo. Think 100 car “double-stsacvk”. Modeling facilities to lhandle such trains could be challenging. “Small” branch lines would be more practical to model . They serve as “feeders” to the main line. May MR descdribes such a ATSF branch line - supporting Grain movements. If you want Really modern stuff, look for Pele S’s (I can’t spell the guy’s name or pronounce it - but I know him when I see it) layout mimicking the Union Pacific & Western Pacific over Tehatchipi (sp - I am terrible) & Donner Passes. That is modern railroading on the Mainline! Rexcent passenger train artixcles have rexcognised Amtack Superlines. As you read each Mag issue ask ;yourself - how is this adaptable to modern?”[:)]
Randy
From what I’;ve learned, In most cases that’s true, but it is usually assumed that :“Modern” is the 80s-to now, the way Transition is the 40s-50s-(60s?) unless the context of the sentencence applies otherwise. If I guy is talking about a steam layout and says a modern facility, than your right to raise he flag.
And you hit the nail sqaure on the head with application. I love it.
Pelle K. Soeborg
Far too many to mention.
Well, there’s enough for me, and I’m…
They actually have quite a balance of era’s depicted, and as a modeler I can learn from articles on any era and apply them to my modern layout. No complaints from me, only that folks in Foreign countries get their issues before I do just a few hundred miles from Kalmbach.
[bow]
Maybe that’s because HARDLY ANYONE wants to/can write an article on modern Class I representations on layouts, or perhaps your perception is wrong. Nevertheless, there is so much contemporary information available if one is willing to get out of their house and drive 15 minutes to two hours to observe what’s happening now, or even subscrube to magazines on contemporary railroads such as TRAINS. Frankly, much of the information in Model Railroader is too modern for my modeling interests, but I still subscribe.
One thing about contemporary railroads. They only apply to today. However, information on earlier periods is usually relevant to current times. For instance, there is an ATSF steel viaduct crossing Alhambra Valley three miles from my home. It was built over 100 years ago. So, an article on its construction at the beginning of the 20th century is still relevant to the 21st century. On the other hand, an article on a model of a 21st-century-built locomotive has absolutely no relevance to my mid-twentieth century modeling.
Mark
What about Krauses, or something like that, back last Nov. with his excellent photos on his present day N-scale UP? BILL
MR has fairly frequent coverage of Eric Brooman’s Utah Belt, a now model railroad. Mr Brooman’s (model) railroad–it was my pleasure to visit his railroad in 2001 during that year’s NMRA national convention; unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of visiting his original Utah Belt which is the one which I became enamored with a quarter of a century ago–is always representative of railroading as it exists circa today. His only restriction is the current availability of equipment and, more specifically, locomotives; in that regards he must always wait for one of the manufacturers to produce a model of current locomotives in order to absolutely achieve the modern era. As was true of a lot of smaller railroads the UB maintained an all-EMD roster but a few years back management perceived the handwriting on the wall and the road acquired its first GE units.
The reason that MR has this frequent coverage of the Utah Belt is because Mr Brooman takes time to sit down and write about his modeling and MR deems it of sufficient interest to publish those submitted articles. There are, I am quite sure, many modern (model) railroads but neither you nor I will ever hear of them if their brass hats do not sit down and write up an article about their modeling. This has been commented upon on numerous occasions recently but it is worth repeating: THE HOBBY PRESS PUBLISHES WHAT IS SUBMITTED TO THEM BY THOSE WHO READ THEIR PUBLICATIONS.
One of the reason for so many articles dealing with the '50s and '60s and '70s is because the passage of time has delivered a vast quantity of models pertaining to that era into our hands. One of the things one frequently reads in an article on a layout is that the layout is set in, say, 1977. It’s your layout and you can be anachronistic if you wish but to me an SD70M-2 would have no business running on a layout set in
rtpoteet wrote:THE HOBBY PRESS PUBLISHES WHAT IS SUBMITTED TO THEM BY THOSE WHO READ THEIR PUBLICATIONS
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Psst…Wanna buy ocean front property in Ohio? They print what is in demand not what’s submitted.
The biggest problem is the majority of the modelers doesn’t understand modern railroads.
There is one other thing about “modern” modeling which needs to be kept in mind; keeping a railroad in the “modern” era will prototypically require the dispostion of less-than-modern motive power
Yes that’s why you still see SW1500s,GP38s and other locomotives built in the 60s still plying their trade.
Don’t sell those GP30s out the door by any “cut off” date…
http://www.trainpix.com/bnsf/EMDORIG/GP30/2402.HTM
Then how about those rebuilt NS SD9s?
I condsider my self a modeler of the modern era. All my older engines are still used by the railroads. That might come to pass soon because of the economy and price of fuel. Most of my older engines are being stored or scraped or sold by the railroads at the moment because they are not fuel efficient enough to keep in service at this time. i would agree most people would consider “modern era” as the late 80’s through today because most engines from the 80’s on still serve the mainlines today.
I to think most people do not understand modern railroads. At train shows i get asked questions like “why did you do that”, but if you had an u
Many shortlines still use RS’s and SW1500’s and GP7’s even. Depending on serviceability there will be the odd loke from the 60’s being used.
As for the comment regarding the demand on what gets published I’d still think that you could still submit articles. After all, I’m not so sure that there is a permenant staff that will be kept writing until they’re in their 90’s. New writers will have to come up sometimes…That is unless you begin to get tin hat-ish and start suggesting that computers can generate those articles—BTW some people already have suggested just that in other fields------[:-^]
Barry,The transition era is still popular so,articles on that era is still in demand so,regardless of how many modern railroad articles that gets submitted the chances are slim that they will be publish.
In short you print what is popular among your readership.
Yes. I did say that that is true–but OTOH, one could hand over a few pages of space to those who do model the “modern era”. And so one could submit articles still–even if it is a somewhat Sysiphian proposition here. After all, where are the new writers going to come from if’n they never submit anything?----having given up because everyone be telling them to give up------[:-^]
I also stated that publishers print articles which they deem will be of interest to their readership but THEY HAVE TO HAVE THOSE ARTICLES IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! and I must ask: in “demand” by whom? There has been great lamentations here on the forum about the lack of N-Scale articles in Model Railroader magazine . . . . . although the current issue–July, '09–has one . . . . . and how, boo-hoo-hoo, "Model Railroader is just an HO-Scale publication and they are only interested in publishing HO-Scale articles and I am going to quit buying the magazine and . . . . ." boo-hoo-hoo!!! I say this: if you are modeling in N-Scale and you want articles on detailing N-Scale equipment you go to either N-Scale magazine or N-Scale Railroading magazine. I don’t expect to find articles like that in Model Railroader; neither, for that matter, would I expect to find an article titled something like Kitbashing an XYZ Railroad 56 foot Grain Service Boxcar in HO-Scale from an Accurail Kit gracing the pages of the two N-Scale specific publications.
[quote user=“BRAKIE”]
There is one other thing about “modern” modeling which needs to be kept in mind; keeping a railroad in the “modern” era will prototypically require the dispostion of less-than-modern motive power
Yes that’s why you still see SW1500s,GP38s and other locomotives built in the 60s still plying
Thanks for the replies thus far, I wasn’t specific enough on my usage of the term “modern” era. I was thinking along the lines of the 1990s to the present. There’s plenty of layout coverage of the 80s and prior, it’s just that I cannot recall when I saw an NS or CSX themed railroad in MR. I have seen Pelle Soberg’s work with the UP as a prototype, and his work is amazing. As far as defining “eras”, I seem to think of anything from the 60s to the 90s as post-transition, or the ‘full-dieselization heavy-merger’ era. That’s the era that seems to be showcased the most in MR (which is fine). As a side note, I always enjoy layout tours that have steam in them too.
IMHO, I think that there is a great mix of modern, transition, and “old.”
Although I prefer the modern because it is more personally attractive, I absolutely do not mind older stuff. I’m even considering getting a steamer and using it for excursion trips.
Just my [2c]
R. T. POTEET,
We’re at now now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNIwlRClHsQ
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Stop it Paul…you’re killing me.
Mark [(-D][(-D]