Model Railroader to have a N Scale Column

[mcjaco]

New N scale column debuts in Model Railroader magazine

N Scale Insight by Jim Kelly will appear in the March 2011 Model Railroader

Published: January 19, 2011

Jim Kelly worked for Model Railroader magazine for 25 years and retired as its managing editor. Jim is also an avid N scale model railroader and is the newest columnist for the magazine. Beginning in March 2011 you can read Jim's N Scale Insight column, which will appear in every other issue.

[Pomperaugrr]

This should be interesting to see.  Hopefully it will be kept as a regular feature.

Eric

[Brakie]

The worm turns...

MR is a pro HO magazine and always has been but,of late I have notice more  N Scale layouts..This is indeed exciting news.

[chuck geiger]

People in hell are now drinking ice water

[up1950s]

I can see the HO jaws dropping when they find out there is another scale . I expect they will be careful to not step on the toes of everybody as usual , after all , they are in it to make a buck the safest way they can . Having puked up all that , I too look forward to any increase in N scale coverage .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

MR has never been "Pro HO" or "Anti N", it's always been a general interest model railroading magazine that heavily relied on reader submissions for content.

In that context, of course it's going to be heavily weighted toward the largest segment of the model railroad market.

That said, I'm glad that they have someone who can add some great perspective from another fairly large segment of the market.

[mcjaco]

Amen Ed.  Well said. 

[DKS]

MR has never been "Pro HO" or "Anti N", it's always been a general interest model railroading magazine that heavily relied on reader submissions for content.

This is absolutely true, and I can verify the fact. Although we can only speculate as to the reason MR decided to add a regular N scale column, it can only be a good thing for the scale.

I hope they keep up with it, and not let it die on the vine as they have some previous "regular" columns that have since evaporated (e.g. "Animator's Notebook").

[Brakie]

Ed,Look back over the years and you will see MR was and remains pro HO..It has nothing to do "with general interest model railroading magazine that heavily relied on reader submissions for content." Look at all of MR's "Golden Boy" modelers over the years all HO modelers with Godzilla size layouts.  These was the guys that got the most print.I don't recall a N Scale "Golden Boy".

MR treated N Scale as a joke until the Clinchfield Layout article and even after that there was very limited exposure to  N Scale -usually the Reid Brothers,then Lance Mindheim's Monon and excellent article on Bill Denton's Kingsbury Branch.

On the other hand maybe MR is testing the waters for a new annual  N Scale magazine?

[mcjaco]

^ As a former contributor for Kalmbach, you're very wrong.  It's driven by contributions.

No N scale?  Get pissy at N scale modelers, not MR.  Or go read the other N scale publications, as that's where they're going.

These ridiculous "conspiracy theories" are getting old.

[DKS]

Ed,Look back over the years and you will see MR was and remains pro HO..It has nothing to do "with general interest model railroading magazine that heavily relied on reader submissions for content." Look at all of MR's "Golden Boy" modelers over the years all HO modelers with Godzilla size layouts.  These was the guys that got the most print.I don't recall a N Scale "Golden Boy".

MR treated N Scale as a joke until the Clinchfield Layout article and even after that there was very limited exposure to  N Scale -usually the Reid Brothers,then Lance Mindheim's Monon and excellent article on Bill Denton's Kingsbury Branch.

On the other hand maybe MR is testing the waters for a new annual  N Scale magazine?

^ As a former contributor for Kalmbach, you're very wrong.  It's driven by contributions.

No N scale?  Get pissy at N scale modelers, not MR.  Or go read the other N scale publications, as that's where they're going.

These ridiculous "conspiracy theories" are getting old.

Hear, hear. Ed is absolutely right.

There are a number of factors at work here that make things appear "pro-HO/anti-N" when in fact it's not the case. First, look at the market share of HO versus N. Big difference. And the reason this has a bearing is that most of the articles in the magazine are contributed by modelers. So, if there are fewer active N-scalers versus active HO-scalers, then the proportion of features will naturally be skewed. Now add to this the fact that N already has two magazines devoted to the scale, which siphon potential contributions away from MR. And then, N-scalers tend to be younger, and younger modelers will be more Internet-oriented and less inclined to invest the energy required to prepare articles for publication--hey, it's way easier to just post on some forum, right?

So, bottom line, what we see is a consequence of real-world circumstances, not some clandestine pro-HO/anti-N policies. Trust me, as a contributor to Kalmbach myself, I've been asked by them and others if I'd consider contributing more (one publisher was practically begging me). Well, as it happens, I'm constantly publishing content myself online; I don't have much left to offer the print media. And I highly doubt Kalmbach is contemplating an N scale-only magazine, especially considering the dearth of contributions as it is, not to mention two others already existing. I could be wrong, of course, and I'd be thrilled to see it happen, but I wouldn't put money on it.

And in light of all this, what do you think Z scalers make of the fact that MR publishes articles about Z maybe once a decade? Conspiracy, or just circumstance? You decide!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't forget that N scale has TWO scale specific publications to further siphon off contributed material.

How many of my fellow asshats here would have submitted their stuff to MR if there wasn't NSR or N Scale?

It's also not a level playing field either, because there is no "HO Scale" magazine (probably because it is and has been pretty well covered by MR, RMC, and Mainline Modeler and Model Railroading - both RIP).

[Brakie]

Guys,Maybe you haven't notice the small changes in MR over the past 4-5 years toward  N Scale?

Again I urge you to check the past issues of MR-at least back to the 90s and you will see this slow change to more  N Scale exposure.

N Scale has been my primary scale since 2008 and I dabbled in N before that..I guess I notice these changes  because I also model in HO...

[Blazeman]

Going back to the 70's MR seemed totally behind N. There was the Enfield & Ohio, the NY & Quebec project layouts their staff did, then Walt Olsen did a couple multi-issue layout projects (and told me it wasn't worth the money he got).

They followed those with the Clinchfield in the 80's the A&LM and BN Prairie du Chein projects in the 90's and early new millenium and a Lou Sassi setup as well.

Maybe with Gordon Odegard passing away and Jim Kelley retiring, their focus shifted, but David Popp has brought that focus back on N with his series on his layout and then the Dick Christenson layout  last year using Kato track seemed well received here.

Andy S is a HO man all the way. Besougloff's son does N but he's into tin plate, I believe. Cody Grivno seems focused on HO. I can't figure out the other young guy  (Kawala). Maybe he's just a writer. So it seems the staff is a little short on N devotees, so any N emphasis will have to come from outside.

[lock4244]

It's always good when our scale gets some mainstream exposure, especially in MR.

But for me, it's a moot point. I stopped buying MR in the 90's and now don't see the point in the magazines in general. I get all the info, reviews and inspiration I need online... and largely here. I ask a question here and I tend to get a few points of view to chew on, and from folks that crank out some fine work that I am familiar with.