Model Railway Forum

When I started my first layout in the 70s I used to buy Model Railway Constructor Magazine every month. That is no longer printed since god knows when. I learned just about everything I know about building models and layouts from that magazine. Now I have retired and have come back to building another layout
My question is, what do people on here think is the best Magazine for ideas and practical articles about building models and layouts as all the mags I have bought lately seem to be full of adverts and not much in the way of articles. I have not bought many in last few years. What are the best mags now for info rather than adverts.

Hi sandy - I'm not sure whether any particular magazine is better than others. I buy Hornby Magazine (it's not produced by Hornby) every month, as I have since it came out, but I also buy the others if there is an article that is of interest. You don't have to stand in the shop and read them, but a quick flick through, identifies something you may find of interest. I have the Hornby Magazine in slip cases on bookshelves - there are a lot!! Barry (aka BB)

The Model Railway Constructor was certainly one of my top favourites. Not least because a few of my friends actually contributed to it.

The Railway Modeller I thought was better in those days too, as to was Model Railway News which was renamed Model Railways, but has now folded.

I now regularly take Hornby Railways mainly for the prototype articles although I have detected a few errors occasionally, and get BRM electronically.

sandy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 10:33 am .............................My question is, what do people on here think is the best Magazine for ideas and practical articles about building models and layouts as all the mags I have bought lately seem to be full of adverts and not much in the way of articles. I have not bought many in last few years. What are the best mags now for info rather than adverts.

Don't forget the internet is a huge resource for all things and railway modelling is no exception....and it's free!

This is worth looking at - https://issuu.com/drmepublishingltd/doc ... YTE3NzI0MA

teedoubleudee wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 12:21 pm

sandy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 10:33 am .............................My question is, what do people on here think is the best Magazine for ideas and practical articles about building models and layouts as all the mags I have bought lately seem to be full of adverts and not much in the way of articles. I have not bought many in last few years. What are the best mags now for info rather than adverts.

Don't forget the internet is a huge resource for all things and railway modelling is no exception....and it's free!

I suppose you are right teedoubleudee , but back in the 70s remember the constructor used to publish plans to build oo gauge Locos and things using plasticard. Which I think was new product in those days. It was fun and ready to run stuff was just not available in those days.
I have not noticed anything like that on the net. Of course, we didn't have computers then. Arr: heaven.

Magazines today are not like they used to be. I remember they had articles on building things from scratch, not like now when they show you how to assemble a kit that has already come with instructions....
Also too many '10 best ways/glues/paints/brushes/track pins/whatever' taking up 10 pages.
Too much photo editing in them also bugged me so stopped regularly buying them over 10 years ago, just picking up the occasional copy of interest.
I have Railway Modeller from Jan 1959 to Dec 2003 which I still browse into.

Railway Modeller continues to be one of the best, though I have been very impressed with the Hornby magazine as contrary to their title, they are very unbiassed in their reviews.

There was one magazine that I used to get that really grinded with me as they seemed to assume that their readers had unlimited bank accounts!

But anyway. In regards to the magazines, Railway Modeller is an old favourite, and if one has the spare cash, I would go for the Hornby magazine.

For a good view of some of the magazines available, some of the larger towns in the UK have a W.H. Smiths which usually stock a few of the more popular magazines.

Waiting for my wife to pick out a birthday card for her sister in our local supermarket I glanced along the magazines on the opposite side of the isle, I saw a magazine with a steam train on the front.
I picked up the magazine to find out the name of the train and where it was photographed, to my amazement it was a model train.l purchased the magazine and the rest is history. My wife’s sister is five years older, I have a half finished layout and empty pockets but I still think it was the best mag I have ever read.
Puddles

Hi
I have Constructor from about 1961 to mid 1970s and Railway Modeler from 1961 until about 3 years ago. They are insulating my loft at the present time. Quite rightly SWMBO is complaining and I want to get rid of them.
Free to good home. Recipient collects - Southampton area