If You had to choose only 1??????

[JDouglasFisher]

So guys,

I noticed that there are 2 publications devoted to N scale. I'm not in the position to subscribe to both of them at this time (as I need to save the little resources I have for the longer term project.)

Which magazine of the 2 would be better suited towards my taste, N-Scale Railroading or N-Scale Magazine?

Some background:

as I stated in other posts, I have HO experience, though not recent. I do have a lot of modeling experience in 15mm (1/100?) as a result of my interest in the tabletop wargame "Flames of War". (which is recent up until about last year), so actual detail modeling shouldn't be a problem (someone once told me 15mm equates to TT, though I am not sure..)

We (meaning myself and the bride to be) have decided to stick with the B&O "BR&P lines" and am patiently waiting for Mr. Pietrak to return so I can buy his book on the subject. In the meantime, since there are no hobby shops within 60 miles of where I live, just about everything will unfortunately be mail ordered.  (and the ones I have access too at the 60 mile mark aren't spectacular)

So, which of the two magazines is better suited to a North Eastern Prototype modeler that favors earlier decades (1950's-1980's)?

Thanks guys,

J............

[Carolina Northern]

You're gonna get lots of noise on this one.

They're both located on and sometimes seem to be dedicated to the left coast.
A couple of years ago the choice was N Scale Railroading, no question. Now it's harder, N Scale Magazine is a much better book than it was since the buy out. I went for N Scale Mag. and haven't been disappointed in an issue since. I've had several, but not all issues of the other with no articles of interest.

Only one man's feelings - you'll get lots of others.

[John]

You can get your book from here

http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Rochester-Pittsburgh-Railway-Pietrak/dp/0962019534/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1299019545&sr=8-4

[Ed Kapuscinski]

N Scale Mag seems to publish a lot of work by our little a$$hat brigade here, if that means anything.

Honestly, I've found that it really varies from edition to edition which I like better.

[Mark5]

I tend to dislike the one that runs tons of pix of "new releases" that I already saw online months ago.

[sirenwerks]

Aside from the aforementioned out-dated new releases (which both mags are guilty of), I like NSR best. It seems to print more prototype modeling material, like Scott Lupia's and Tony Hammes' articles in the latest issue. Dave's piece in NSM was nice and, despite the crudeness of the outcome, I liked the effort of Ron Nowka's caboose too, but NSR seems to be more consistent with these types of articles.

Now someone prove me statistically wrong...

(I will say that each magazine could have improved the articles with photos of the prototypes - why is that so hard?)

[havingfuntoo]

Sadly when I look through old issues of all the magazines I own I find current offerings light on prototype information and scale drawings and more and more they refer you to their web sights for more complete information. Some of the publications are starting to feel as thick as kids comic books. If you are saving dollars use the web to see what content they are running and buy the issues that attract you to their content. I do not trust them to be worth the dollar I pay every issue.

[conrail98]

I'll throw my hat in for NSR. I had let my NSM subscription pass to give me an excuse to go to the LHS to buy it. After 2 or 3 issues, I stopped going as there wasn't a whole lot in it for me, however, I've renewed my NSR subscription for 2 years. Then, at the WGH show in Edison, I picked up the last 2 issues of NSM knowing Dave's article was in one of them. I also got this months NSR with Mark Lestico's Cascade Sub as the feature article. After looking at NSM and then NSR, I realized why I don't subscribe to NSM as there were only really 2 articles in both issues that were worth any time to read and the presentation of the latest issue of NSR is probably one of the best magazine presentations I've ever seen, model railroad hobby or otherwise,

Phil

[MichaelWinicki]

You can get your book from here

http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Rochester-Pittsburgh-Railway-Pietrak/dp/0962019534/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1299019545&sr=8-4

Great book and great author.

Paul doesn't get a lot of mentions on the net, but his assortment of railroad histories covering western New York state along with the north-western part of Pennsylvania is outstanding.

Paul's also a good guy.

[JDouglasFisher]

You can get your book from here

http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Rochester-Pittsburgh-Railway-Pietrak/dp/0962019534/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1299019545&sr=8-4

and

Great book and great author.

Paul doesn't get a lot of mentions on the net, but his assortment of railroad histories covering western New York state along with the north-western part of Pennsylvania is outstanding.

Paul's also a good guy.

YES YES... Was speaking to him online about a week ago and was ready to send him a check, but he's on his way to vacation (I won't specify where publicly) but asked if I was willing to wait till he returned mid-march. He's a frequent contributor to the BR&P (and I believe B&P) lists which have been nothing short of exceptionally friendly towards me on my quest to find something of interest. (Much like the A$$hats here which have tolerated my armchair modeling, dull questions, and occasional political outbursts of frustration..)

I have nothing but nice things to say about Paul P, (or for that matter, Brian DeVries and George Kovalchik from the list..) Although I will readily admit, Brian has been slightly poking and prodding me for a few years to get motivated.

....It seems to print more prototype modeling material, like Scott Lupia's and Tony Hammes' articles in the latest issue. Dave's piece in NSM was nice and, despite the crudeness of the outcome,.....

WOW.. Thats a blast from the past. Scott Lupia. Interesting bit of useless info for you guys. WE BOTH used to ride the Dover Drill (WPDJ-61/62) back when it was Conrail, and Bobby Apgar was the engineer. He used to ride it around the Dover area, and I used to catch it during the evenings when it would stop in Mountain View, on its way to Newark and to switch the Totowa Industrial. Ironically, Bobby never mentioned each other to us, and we didn't cross paths till after he retired to Florida. I got to know him somewhat while I was a member of the ELHS (and a frequent email list recipient) before the politics of that organization frustrated the hell out of me, and I bailed. (I've been told it has since gotten a whole lot better). Another person which I have only nice things to say of...

N Scale Mag seems to publish a lot of work by our little a$$hat brigade here, if that means anything.

Honestly, I've found that it really varies from edition to edition which I like better.

Well, sure it means something. Besides the entertainment value, its always nice when you read something that you may not understand, to be able to readily access the author, who can better explain (as sometimes things get dropped in the editorial process.)

Loretta pointed out something to me earlier. She said I could give up a weekend of lunches (as I pull my 40 work hours Fri-Sat-Sun) and would have the money to subscribe to the "other" magazine. Being a rather big guy, there's no imminent issue of starvation if I skip 3 lunches this weekend. hhhmmm...

I notice they both are released every 2 months, are they released together on the same month, or alternating (I.E. 1,3,5, and 2,4,6,)??..

Looks like I'm gonna have to pull the trigger on both, but I put this question out to the A$$hats here, I understand you guys write for NSM, but is there a reason why you don't write for NSR, or are they just not interested?

J....

[Brakie]

I enjoy both magazines and in that light I can't chose one over the other so I buy both since its only $12.20 every other month...

I want to start a subscription to both magazines but,keep putting it off due to the fact I already have 4  magazines arriving every month in my P.O.Box...

[bbussey]

... Looks like I'm gonna have to pull the trigger on both, but I put this question out to the A$$hats here, I understand you guys write for NSM, but is there a reason why you don't write for NSR, or are they just not interested?

Railwire members write for both publications.  You shouldn't judge one over the other based on which Railwire members are published where - especially since there has been a Railwire presence in both publications as of late.  You have to sample both and, if narrowing the selection down to one over the other, decide what is best for you.

[Brakie]

Railwire members write for both publications.  You shouldn't judge one over the other based on which Railwire members are published where - especially since there has been a Railwire presence in both publications as of late.  You have to sample both and, if narrowing the selection down to one over the other, decide what is best for you.

I agree..That would be the very last reason I would buy either magazine or as far as that goes any magazine.

Besides I see enough of their smiling faces on this and the other 2 popular  N Scale forums.. ;D ;D

[SecretWeapon]

I prefer N Scale Railroading. If I was stuck someplace(& I have been) I take grab NSR ever time. Although, ever since N Scale started showing more layouts & less techno stuff, its moving up the ladder IMHO.

[wm3798]

I like 'em both, but one of the pays me to say that! ;D

That said, it's like so many other questions about magazine content/style/quality.  It really does come down to the contributors.  While it's easy to throw rocks at Model Railroader, given the volume of staff-produced content, N Scale and NSR are both heavily driven by reader content.  If the magazine looks like dung, it's because that's what they've gotten to print.  The lack of proto photos probably has something to do with obtaining permission/a printable copy from the original source.  Recall that Kalmbach has a 75 year library of their own material to draw from...

NSR does a better job, I think, graphically, but like N Scale, their content can be all over the place.  My favorite juxtaposition there was the edition that carried a beautifully photographed, well written piece on the Reid Brothers' layout, followed up with "Unitrak Heaven" which featured a largely unfinished layout whose only remarkable feature was a vast array of Unitrak.  IIRC, many of the photos were murky flash snapshots.  

In N Scale, there's been a recurring nightmare article about the Midwest Central system, which features some pretty average modeling, and photography that makes it look worse.  But the author is enthusiastic, and a regular contributor.  But this month's edition includes some absolutely stunning modeling, outstanding photography, and just about every article is readable at least for entertainment value if not for information.

One thing I prefer to see is information that is more N scale specific.  i.e. working with particular N scale models, dealing with the various opportunities that N scale affords, that sort of thing.  How to paint a road, or build a tree is a little too general to be in a scale specific magazine.

But they also accept my dreck, so how critical can I be? ;D

Lee