Ls Magazine Ls Model Lsm 25
Elwanda Menhennett
As you have noted, the magazine has certainly been getting thinner. But keep in mind of the enormous amount of info contained in these fourms, which you can fully participate in, for free with a subscription.
I have "saved to favorites" about 160 post discussions that are of specific interest to me; and if you equate each thread to a magazine article, that adds up to a lot of "magazine content"... just in a different format.
The magazine problems are because magazines are in decline and also mismanagment. The magazine people don't know how to monitise the forums and want all their submitals the old fasioned way instead of reaching out to people with ideas etc. and cultivating their imput, afterall this is a hobby community and not a bunch of would be writers, for the most part. I toyed with the idea of submitting an article or two but the hoops they put you through without even saying they will print if you deliver the goods, they say they will file acceptical articles and they may or may not be printed and the time frame was many many years when I first looked into it.
Our hosts have recently embarked on a new business model, as almost all of us must realize by now. I think, can't be sure, that they may be getting ready to go full digital with an easing period. The newer generation of modeler is a phone jockey. They order out for almost all meals, socialize via the internet when they're not seated across a table from each other, and often resort to that default anyway when they are seated across from each other. No eye contact is de rigueur.
Yes, most of us old fogies still want the latest issue in the rack beside the john, especially if the primary purpose of the visit takes the typical old man's entire morning to accomplish satisfactorily. But they could/should cut out the paper issue before long with a sizeable inducement, AKA, new price...and I don't mean one with shipping and handling added.
selectorOur hosts have recently embarked on a new business model, as almost all of us must realize by now. I think, can't be sure, that they may be getting ready to go full digital with an easing period.
I could easily live with a digital edition, with an important caveat. Our local paper includes digital with print, and the digital format is very easy to read / navigate. If a digital MR was like that, I would enjoy it. Several years ago I looked at older online MR issues and the format and readability was poor IMO.
Kalmbach in general seems to be totally inept at dealing with the modern on-line world. They want to charge a ridiculous amount for access to old and mostly useless (other than perhaps interesting as historical items) information, along with access to generally but not always near-professionally done videos, all of which you lose access to as soon as you stop paying over and over for it every month.
They're as full of themselves as some of those YouTube modelers who try to charge up to about $5 a month for a "badge" on video comments and "priority" responses to those comments, plus a few extra minutes of video that people watching for free can't see. Most of them are finding that only a few people are that gullible.
I agree with Mr. Hensley 100%. At one time there were ads covering as many as four pages for such advertisers as Standard Hobby Supply, Hobbies for Men, Trainworld/Trainland and others I can't recall at the moment, in the same magazine issue. America's Hobby Center used to own the pages right after the table of contents and Varney and later, Pacific Fast Mail had the back cover. Where are they now? Those remaining are now on the internet. The rest are non-existant.
In today's world, we are getting notified directly by the manufacturer or importer of what is new, by e-mail. No more drooling over a magazine ad that may be out of date by the time you get the magazine. You drool over your still warm key board as you order directly from the purveyor, as soon as you see the item, cutting out all "middle people". You now order from an internet business that has the item stock level right on the website. No more mailing in your order, not knowing the item is not at hand, and no idea when it will be. This is contributing to less "magazine", but I like it.
We already have a digital-only magazine that is too much into the electronics-vs-the-trains for my taste but I have the option to go elsewhere so, I do. If/when MR goes digital only, goodbye to it as well. I like something can read anwhere. I like prototype information which is also in short supply these days. If you're one of the companies that paints model GG-1s for the Santa Fe, you wouldn't like to see meaningful product reviews of new car and locomotive releases. Such information as appropriate era, actual owners/operators, numbers series, date last in service should be staples of any publication that purports to serve the modeler but, all we get are the non-critical "the paint is smooth and it has a nice brakewheel" hogwash.
When the Pacific Car and Foundry 62 foot "beer cars" were first released by Eel River Models and later Exact Rail, back in the early 1980s, THREE hobby magazines did articles on them, including drawings, rosters, differences and kitbashing potential. Now, someone releases a car built to the tune of more than 14,000 copies, operated by dozens of railroads and private lessors and- the crickets are deafening. The Pullman-Standard PS-2, Center Discharge, 4750 cu. ft covered hopper has been a mainstay of grain movement since about 1972, and is offered in HO by THREE diferent manufacturers/importers. Have we seen anything in print about the prototype, to encourage the purchase of these models? No. We are now being offered accurate mass-market models of cars that were owned by only one railroad, in a group of less than 400. And even though it is a model of a PD&Q prototype it will NOT be offered in UP or BNSF-only PD&Q!
For my money, only RMC hits the mark-sometimes. Maybe its a sign of the times. It seems as if many are willing to model other people's models and "what's a prototype?" is the mindset. If you've seen a rail line that is now a hike/bike trail, you are looking at where the hobby press is going.
Counting number of pages never occured to me. Magazine is fine imo. I have noticed over the years the decline of those full page mail order adds as pre-ordering has become a "thing". This is one of the two mags I still subscribe to in hard copy. Collectable Automobile is the only other mag I get . The online versions don't come close to the mag as far as I'm concerned. Still enjoy reading these from cover to cover then saving them for reference material.
I've been thinking for several years now that the paper magazines may be going away. Lately, the magazine is almost becoming an ad for their digital services. The magazine has less to print because, face it, they themselves are migrating content from the magazine to online services you can't access without additional fees. No thanks.
I usually browse the web on a tablet, roughly 4x7 inches. It's bigger than a phone, but it's too big to carry around. My desktop is upstairs, but my "beer reefer" is down here in the kitchen. If the full page format of magazines is migrated from paper to digital, I probably won't bother anymore. I typically don't like narrated video as a way of conveying information. I don't watch newscasts with audio. Really, I don't need a newsreader standing in front of a police station when it's quicker to just give me a story to read. No one else in the household cares to hear model train videos, either.
There is competion on Youtube, from people who are quick to review a new model, or post their creative work and how they do it. Some of those are pretty darn good. Bottom line, they are faster, the visual quality is better than a magazine and they are focused on one topic. They don't have to be everthing to to everyone.
All print magazines are in trouble. People want instant gratification. My son sells internet service and companies particularly small business which takes in most hobby sellers and manufacturers do pay considerable amounts for things like being listed first or near the top of search. Anything relying on the USPS is in trouble. Want to add some operating interest to your railroad? Add a printing plant that produces weekly magazines. The prr had priority mail and express trains and dedicated B60b and R50 express cars serving this priority industry. No more.
southernpacificgs4I just received the July 2021 issue of Model Railroader. The total pages are 68!(included front and back cover) This in sharp contrast that some issues, years ago, have more than 150 pages. It is sad to see this happen.
And have been for some years - that is far some something new. Of model train publications, we've lost Model Railroading and Rail Model Journal quite some time ago; those were magazines I enjoyed reading.
It's maybe a bit like TV. Years ago there were three networks, if you were watching TV you were watching one of them (or perhaps "National Educational TV" which became PBS). Now you have many cable networks to choose from which has segmented the viewing population from three large groups to dozens of smaller viewing groups. "Star Trek" was cancelled by NBC in 1969 because it was 'only' getting about 25% of viewers in it's time slot. Now that would be like a Super Bowl's ratings.
Similarly, since MR and RMC primarly focus on HO and have done so for many years, there are separate magazines now for Z scalers, N scalers, two for O scalers, one for S-gaugers etc. Kalmbach themselves now have magazines for "large scale" garden trains, and three-railers (Classic Toy Trains). At one time, all those things would have been in MR.
wjstixSimilarly, since MR and RMC primarly focus on HO and have done so for many years, there are separate magazines now for Z scalers, N scalers, two for O scalers, one for S-gaugers etc. Kalmbach themselves now have magazines for "large scale" garden trains, and three-railers (Classic Toy Trains). At one time, all those things would have been in MR.
b37509886e