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Railway modelling magazines. Which do you prefer?

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Cowley

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Actually thinking about this, do you still buy magazines these days even..?
I bought a copy of Model Rail last month and was pretty disappointed with the quality of the paper and the quality of the magazine in general actually.
Up to around five years ago I probably bought at least three different model magazines a month and Model Rail was always one of them.
Do any of you still buy this one or Hornby Magazine/Railway Modeller/BRM etc?
 
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BRblue33

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At one time i bought Model Rail mag's. i found Model rail was the one i liked the best . Hornby sometimes . Last time i brought a mag was 10 years ago.
 

Peter C

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I used to buy Hornby Magazine, Railway Modeller, and Model Rail on a regular basis until sometime last year or the year before. It's much easier for me to find news and layouts online (and cheaper too). Railway Modeller is definitely not "for the average modeller" as it was originally advertised; a lot of the articles focus on high-end topics, including extremely-detailed layouts and the reviews. The "Comment" section is also not known for being the best literature ever produced: they're often written by older members of the hobby and can be quite critical of those at the lower end (Charlie from Chadwick Model Railway on YouTube refers to one such article in one of his videos).

Model Rail was my preferred magazine for a long while as it tended to focus on cheaper ways of doing things - or it would at least give me more realistic things to aim for with my own layout. However, as you say, the paper quality is pretty poor and parts of the magazine are less good than others. There also seems to be an emphasis on "perfect" layouts and projects, as well as a focus on industrial or otherwise-smaller-scale layouts.

-Peter
 

Galvanize

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Used to buy Model Rail either then current issues at WHSmiths or Back Issues at Exhibitions etc, seemed to be something to suit everyone’s tastes with various genres covered, along with their “Layouts that never leave home” feature!

Railway Modeller and British Railway Modelling, sporadically used to get a whole bundle of Magazines in one go from a former Neighbour whose colleague was into Railway Modelling, when he was finished with the magazines, he’d pass them on to me via the Neighbour! Out of those two I think I preferred Railway Modeller, BRM just seemed a bit stuck in the past…although I did always enjoy the Lock’s siding Chronicles!

Haven’t purposefully bought a modelling magazine for a number of years though, partly down to the fact I’ve given up on the idea of ever having a Layout of my own!
 

43055

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Don't really have a preference really. Normally just look for what layouts and reviews there are to see if I would be interested.
 

Sprinter107

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I buy Model Rail, I look forward to Chris Leigh's articles. Railway Modeller tends to be hit and miss, i like more up to date modern stuff, that seems to be more steam era. It has a good circulation rate i believe, so its readers are obviously happy with it, and I have a subscription with BRM, but thats not as good as when I first took out the subscription. I'm finding i can get thro some issues of that in my break at work.
 

hexagon789

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If I buy any it's a digital copy, usually cheaper for a start and I'm trying to save space by reducing the amount of physical paraphernalia. Saving space for books rather than magazines.

It's an interesting one on actual magazines - I used to like Model Rail but I feel it's just not the same as I remember from about 10 years ago; Railway Modeller doesn't seem to do as much modern image now, but I do occasionally get RM or even Continental Modeller as I find the 'foreign' layouts are often quite interesting.
 

wireforever

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I got a selection of magazines last month as part of my birthday present used to get Hornby magazine on subscription but it seemed to cover steam era for a period prefer modern image modelling .Did try digital copies not for me but have got used to reading books on amazon tablet
 

Cowley

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I haven’t bought many magazines recently for various reasons, but one of them was that not many of them cover much N gauge stuff. Now I know that it isn’t the premium scale in this country but there still quite a few of us that use it.
Could I ask any of you that have bought modelling mags over the last few months to give me a rough idea of what N gauge layouts have been featured in the magazines if you get a chance? It’d be much appreciated.

I’ve been thinking about contacting a couple to see if they’d be interested in featuring mine and the most obvious one would be Railway Modeller because they’re locally based. But any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.
 

Peter C

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I haven’t bought many magazines recently for various reasons, but one of them was that not many of them cover much N gauge stuff. Now I know that it isn’t the premium scale in this country but there still quite a few of us that use it.
Could I ask any of you that have bought modelling mags over the last few months to give me a rough idea of what N gauge layouts have been featured in the magazines if you get a chance? It’d be much appreciated.

I’ve been thinking about contacting a couple to see if they’d be interested in featuring mine and the most obvious one would be Railway Modeller because they’re locally based. But any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.
Just looking at the June 2021 edition of Railway Modeller, and one featured layout is Chris Morris' N gauge "Dawlish Warren" - a round-and-round layout covering 1950s-1980s Dawlish. There are a total of seven layouts in that edition, and only one is N gauge - there's an O gauge one and a 009 one too. The May 2021 edition of RM has only the one N gauge layout again - this time, it's David Jenkinson's "Mossdale" - a "compact LMS period, Settle and Carlisle themed N gauge layout with a firm accent on electronics". There are six layouts in that edition.

Another magazine I've only just remembered is "N Gauge Now" - a family friend gave me a couple of issues from 2014 and they seem alright, but maybe a bit smaller in their print runs as despite their website (https://www.ngaugemodelling.co.uk/) saying they've got new editions being released, I've not seen (m)any in recent visits to WHSmith.
I'd certainly like to see your layout in a magazine - Railway Modeller would be a good option I'd say.

-Peter
 

Cowley

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Just looking at the June 2021 edition of Railway Modeller, and one featured layout is Chris Morris' N gauge "Dawlish Warren" - a round-and-round layout covering 1950s-1980s Dawlish. There are a total of seven layouts in that edition, and only one is N gauge - there's an O gauge one and a 009 one too. The May 2021 edition of RM has only the one N gauge layout again - this time, it's David Jenkinson's "Mossdale" - a "compact LMS period, Settle and Carlisle themed N gauge layout with a firm accent on electronics". There are six layouts in that edition.

Another magazine I've only just remembered is "N Gauge Now" - a family friend gave me a couple of issues from 2014 and they seem alright, but maybe a bit smaller in their print runs as despite their website (https://www.ngaugemodelling.co.uk/) saying they've got new editions being released, I've not seen (m)any in recent visits to WHSmith.
I'd certainly like to see your layout in a magazine - Railway Modeller would be a good option I'd say.

-Peter

That’s great Peter thanks for that. It’s confirmed what I was thinking.
I might order a copy of that magazine just to have a look at some point.
 

Peter C

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That’s great Peter thanks for that. It’s confirmed what I was thinking.
I might order a copy of that magazine just to have a look at some point.
You're welcome :)
If Railway Modeller isn't an option, maybe Hornby Magazine could work? Picking up a random copy from my shelf (January 2019) shows that they do cover (some) N gauge layouts. The N gauge layout in the issue I've picked up is Chelmsford and District MRC's "Melbury".

-Peter
 

GusB

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I started buying Railway Modeller back in 1988. The only other publication that I recall from the time was Model Railway Constructor, which I believe ceased publication a few years later. I kept the subscription going for a few years and then stopped when I left home. I've still got them in a box underneath the stairs.

My dad had a few more recent magazines lying around the house: RM, Hornby and Model Rail. I think I preferred Model Rail out of the three of them. One thing that struck me when I bought a copy of RM a couple of years ago was the price; I didn't notice until I got to the checkout and nearly had kittens!
 

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In my youth I liked Model Railway Constructor, then got married etc & drifted away from the hobby, came back now I'm retired and subscribe to Railway Modeller but wont be renewing it as I'm only really interested in 'O' Gauge.
 
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I used to regularly buy Railway Muddler, more to use it as a kind of Exchange & Mart of railway modelling than for the articles, given the number of small, niche traders that used to advertise in there (long before t’Internet was even a thing!). Haven’t bought any railway magazine, modelling or otherwise, for many years.

The Model Railway Journal could be a good read at times, though sometimes the style of writing could be a bit stilted.
 

Peter C

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I used to regularly buy Railway Muddler, more to use it as a kind of Exchange & Mart of railway modelling than for the articles, given the number of small, niche traders that used to advertise in there (long before t’Internet was even a thing!). Haven’t bought any railway magazine, modelling or otherwise, for many years.

The Model Railway Journal could be a good read at times, though sometimes the style of writing could be a bit stilted.
"Railway Muddler" :lol:
I agree with you that RM is very good for finding smaller shops. I've used copies for that in the past and there are some good deals to be had if you look for them!

-Peter
 

birchesgreen

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I buy Continental Modeller every month, my main layout is central European narrow gauge (also recently started 1970s BR N gauge layout)
 
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