You just THINK you're a WGH Ambassador

[Dave V]

Wow, Pudd...  That's

[Chulvis]

But the real reason people do not join clubs is that they do not work and play well with others. They tend to be arrogant and judgemental.

Perhaps in some cases, but the reality is that most people cannot or will not make the commitment of time to a club. Many are all pulled in different directions by life beyond the hobby, especially those with families. It's not easy to balance all of those things and some people have to make a choice as to what has to come first.

[Chulvis]

IF THIS OFFENDS YOU - I'M JUST TOO @$$@@! SORRY.

 $#@$#@# sick and tired of the "uber- dorks"

Let's get something clear.....

KALMBACH ISN'T MODEL RAILROADING

MODEL RAILROADER MAGAZINE "ISN'T".

N SCALE EXISTS AND IS ALIVE AND WELL THANK YOU - WE DON'T NEED M.R.'S QUARTERLY HAND OUT ARTICLE
%^#%$@ ARTICLE ONCE WHY WOUD i BUY THE ^$^%$^%#&^ BOOK....

Harsh - you bet........... they deserve more.

Damn, Pudds..Way to lay it on the line.

[wm3798]

But the real reason people do not join clubs is that they do not work and play well with others.    They tend to be arrogant and judgemental.

Ironically, the people who belong to some clubs fit this description to a tee...  Also ironically, I'm technically the "Ambassador" for the Delmarva Club, but I haven't heard hide nor hair from Kalmbach or WGH since I received my box of brochures three years ago.

Lee

[lock4244]

ZING! Well said, Pud. I got tired of MR long ago. It used to be pretty decent mag, but at some point in the 1990's something changed. I not sure what, but I could be the endless string of "an HO railroad you can build on a 4x8", "an HO railroad you can build on a door", and "an HO railroad you can build on a shelf" articles. Then there was the "A Railroad you can model" issues... Oh, can I model it? I'm a little slow in the head, eh. Thanks for the permission.

MR issues used to stand-out, and I can rememeber some real good ones, but I stopped buying once they became an endless blur. The lack of N scale also contributed

The Standard (Model) Railroad (Mag) of the World, yup, sounds like Kalmblaaaach.

[Dave V]

It's a shame, too, that MR of late has relegated N scale to the "don't take it seriously" pile.  After all, MR brought us The Clinchfield.  How many people were inspired by the Carolina Central?  They also ran articles a few years ago on David Haines' N scale AT&SF and Lance Mindheim's amazing Monon.

I like David Popp's layout...  although I wish he'd modeled summer instead of Fantasy Technicolor Autumn.  But there's more to N scale than that.  Heck, Jim Kelly was an N scaler, and he didn't just promote his own layout.

My wife re-upped my subscription to MR until the end of time, so I'm kinds stuck for the moment.  Even so, I still find articles even recently that I enjoy.  I thought Pelle Soeborg's article on realistic modeling to be right-on-the-money.  I don't care what era or local you model; you have to admit Pelle's UP/BNSF looks like the real thing.

My biggest issue is the combination of outcome-based articles (bucket of foliage clumps?) and the none-to-subtle advertising even in the project layouts (seems all the structures come from Walthers...  Hmmm!).  I can deal with the dearth of N scale, given that we have two other mags (plus all these forums) to cover that lost ground.

Model Railroader still has a place in my bathroom magazine rack...  I hope it comes around again soon.  I grew up with it, and still remember the wonder and excitement when I found it in the mailbox as a kid (my Dad is a model railroader too).  Kalmbach, however, really does need to get over itself and its narrow view on the hobby.  And, while I respect Tony Koester, and even quote him sometimes, I think it's time for TK to hang up the keyboard and move on.  Doesn't he have a giant Plywood Pacific NKP layout he should be working on?

[Mark5]

so ... who is this Mister? (MR?) 

I read them at the library, if its good I buy. I don't buy many.

As for MR bringing us Clinch, way before that RMC gave N more serious attention, so if you think MR is bad now, go back to the 70s.

That said MR is probably a needed gateway publication that is widely available. So the guy that loved his trainset as a kid sees it in the rack and picks one up and starts his model railroading journey.

I'm probably being a bit over optimistic here, but who knows?

[asciibaron]

i don't need a subscription to MR - i have the next 4 years worth of articles since they seem to enjoy raiding the archives and publishing the material with some shiny new graphics and a thesaurus

[lock4244]

Model Railroader still has a place in my bathroom magazine rack...

Mine too, but it's more of a roll than a rack...

[inkaneer]

Well looks like it is Kalmbachs time to be crucified.  We already did the NMRA, Hundman, Conway, Koester, Walthers, and a few others.  Who is next?  The thing is that everyone who has been crucified has contributed far more to this hobby than anyone voicing their opinion here and I include myself in that last group.  Empty barrels do make a lot of noise.

[3rdrail]

Allright, this has gotten a little out of hand. I am not sure that  this "Derric" even understood  that I was not asking to be an ambassador, just inquiring about the page for ambassadors. Since they do occasionally send out newsletters, I would assume WGH or Kalmbach would send one out if the program were discontinued.

Was just trying to poke a little fun, didn't mean to start a tirade against Kalmbach.

[TiVoPrince]

All hail
Hypnotoad...

[Chulvis]

All hail
Hypnotoad...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

lol... well done Tivo.

[Norm P]

But the real reason people do not join clubs is that they do not work and play well with others.  They tend to be arrogant and judgemental.

The clubs tend to not work and play well with others and are arrogant and judgmental?