N Scale Insight

[chuck geiger]

...Is more of a Jim Kelly chest beating page. I understand it's
the first issue with the column. I can't take any more articles
on his Tehachapi Pass layout. If I was given a column to write
for N scale in MR, it would be based on DCC, planning, scenery,
operations, locomotives, rolling stock, bench work and more.

In Neil Besougloff's editorial he welcomes Kelly and says he will
be talking about the several versions of his Tehachapi Loop. Will
this column expand to talk about Lestico, Vollmer, Kruse and more.
Or will it be more decades of dribble?

BTW - It's like they didn't even care what the 5 4x8 plans looked
like. DKS does em for free and they are awesome and these people
get paid to cook crap. Sorry had to vent about this issue of
MR.

[Brakie]

Chuck,Maybe they don't have a N Scale all around "Golden Boy" to write those columns..

Many of us went through the AM this,AM that,operating the AM,changing era on AM etc,etc for several years..Let's hope Jim's column isn't a repeat.

[Ken G Price]

In my opinion, I guess that a pole was taken and the Tehachapi Pass won out. Pictures and stories have been in MRR and both of the N scale mags and probably in others for the last 4 years. It is neat and all, but I have seen all the layouts showing it as I can stand. :-[

I remember that a few years back it seemed every magazine had stories and pictures of Horseshoe Curve. So this to will pass. We just gave to have patience.  ;D

[chuck geiger]

For cryin' out loud Ed's loop, thus small is better focused and detailed than
Kelly's - Maybe Ed should write the column. Oh he doesn't have the
Wisconsin pedigree it takes to write for MR. BTW rest of the magazine
blows. This could be my last year subscribing. Agreed Ken on the
The Curve, or Raton Pass or Cajon Pass.

[Puddington]

Ok; so be it resolved that a lot of people will hate Kelley's column because;

A/ They dislike the never ending coverage his various versions of Tehachapi Pass have gotten over the years (one might think all n scalers model is that and Horseshoe Curve....)

B/ His "modeling style" isn't your cup of tea (he doesn't super detail.....)

C/ He will probably write a middle of the road, non confrontational, not cutting edge column that will bore some and annoy others....

D/ You just have decided to hate Jim............

E/ All of the above.

Face it; MR isn't going to cut new ground in n scale with a column by Jim; albeit an n scale veteran and a fine modeler. This is kinda like a hockey team bringing back a hall of famer out of retirement to lace em up one more season. If they wanted new, fresh, cutting edge they'd have sourced Tom Mann, David Smith, Lee Weldon or a host of others who can model and communicate. Jim will plod along; share some wisdom; some humour and by the end of it most Asshats here will have long since ignored it....maybe some newer modelers will be inspired...maybe not.

MR threw N scale a bone; best thing to do is pick up the bone, play with it a while then bury it with the other bones we've been thrown.....

[chuck geiger]

Pudd good retort

[inkaneer]

The N scale article was pretty lame but I thought their plans for an N scale 4X8 layout showed their 1:87 bias.  Come on guys you got 32 sq. feet and you can't do better than 11.25" curves and #5 turnouts [except for two curved turnouts]?   Is this an attempt by HO'ers to keep N scale in the toy trainset and truck mounted coupler arena? 

[TiVoPrince]

Always 
the 'HO man' holding us down...

[esa123]

Regardless of who writes it I would like to see an article that talks about elements which are specific to n scale. For example how to choose the different microtrains couplers, install sound/ditch lights in very small engines or any number of things which are handled quite differently in n scale vs. Ho.

[Puddington]

I think that the best "we" will do; and frankly should expect from a scale specific column in MR is to not diminish or degrade our choice of scales. MR plays to what it considers the mainstream middle; that doesn't mean "Train Set Tony"; but nor does it mean "Fine Scale Frank".... They plan their publication to inspire the middle of the road (not what they did yesteryear with scratchbuilding articles, et la) modelers and to feature work with their advertising clients products. There is nothing wrong with that because for the "Fine Scale Franks" of the hobby we have other publications (N Scale, Fine Scale etc....)

You have to ask why MR would have a column on N scale ? It isn't to make the Asshats happy; they know they can't do that and it wouldn't sell anymore magazines anyway. They are in the business of making money buy selling magazines and if they feel a 'warm and fuzzy", "ol' uncle Jimmy" column will gain them a reader or two and will move their publication in a direction that Neil and his board have set, then that's what we get.

More than likely any n scale column direction came from their advertising clients rather than the population in general...........so cuddle up by the fire or on the biffy with "Uncle Jim" and relive the "loop" one more time.............. :-\

[DKS]

Regardless of who writes it I would like to see an article that talks about elements which are specific to n scale. For example how to choose the different microtrains couplers, install sound/ditch lights in very small engines or any number of things which are handled quite differently in n scale vs. Ho.

These may be a bit too specific for a regular column. Usually regular column topics are fairly broad and generalized. I have a feeling that topics such as those you cite are better addressed online in a forum such as Railwire.

[chuck geiger]

They will keep this generic, so they can employ past material like
they do with most everything. The Popp and Koester columns are
based on their layouts. This isn't a bad thing. These guys get to
use products they get for free on their layouts and write about
them.

One more time: http://i.pbase.com/g1/17/804917/2/127177838.ewSk4PL9.jpg

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Not only that though Chuck, they discus the monthly ins and outs of being a practicing model railroader. It's not always sex and fireworks, sometimes it is the "I don't know why I build a double deck layout, cleaning all this track before an op session sucks". And you know what, for those of us who don't have large layouts like that, but wish we did, that's valuable insight, and valuable insight that a one and done article in MRP isn't going to really give you.

Also, there's something else to be said. By having a recurring column by someone, even when some of the individual pieces are somewhat lackluster, you become attached to the author and their exploits. That increases your continued affinity for the magazine, and helps fight against losing subscribers.

I mean, look at how many of us otherwise hardcore mofos were excited to see the AM and V&O cars from FVM. Why? Because those are layouts that we can identify with, and they're products that let us bring those layouts that we read so much about home and make them "real" to us in ways that don't cause us to violate our principles too soundly (like having a V&O fuel tanker in Baltimore would've for me).

It's the reason I have some fantasy cars in my collection, but they're all fantasy cars that are realistically styles and plausible to show up. V&O boxcars heading to McCulloh Chemical in Canton? Nothing seems too weird there to me.

That's the thing, these don't have to be cutting edge, sometimes it's just nice to follow along on someone else's journey.

[wm3798]

Ed Said:  That's the thing, these don't have to be cutting edge, sometimes it's just nice to follow along on someone else's journey.

Which might be the problem with Jim Kelly... Aside from the newest of the new N scalers, we've all seen his journey already.  I wasn't aware that Popp has a regular column... I bought the January issue and didn't see it.  I'd be much more interested in reading him, mostly because I consider him a peer in terms of layout size, operational orientation, and the level of output.  (Of course there are subtle differences... he gets paid to play with trains, while I have more hair...)

I admire Kelly's long history, and let's face it, if he and Odegard hadn't done the pioneering work they did, we'd all be collecting stamps or something.  But I just don't know what he can bring to the table at this point to talk about the state of the scale today.  While I agree that the detaily stuff about putting ditch lights on an N scale locomotive is better fodder for a How To article than a column, I agree with Tivo that the column should focus on N scale specific issues.  Maybe things like translating an HO track plan to N without reducing its physical size.  Or something about the social aspect of N trak, and how that's impacted the growth of participation in N scale, and perhaps the hobby as a whole.

A regurgitation of Tehachapi (Sorry Gary!) just isn't going to attract my attention.

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Actually, I hadn't thought about that aspect. If he was working on something new, it might be one thing, but I can see his content being pretty boring and unengaging if he's talking about the same thing he talked about 20 years ago.

That said, I don't really remember reading his stuff from 20 years ago, so like they say about reruns on TV, "if you haven't seen it yet, it's new to you!".

That said, I'd honestly really enjoy a monthly column from Lee. (Now don't go getting a swollen head or nothin there homeboy) I think his sense of humor and approach to the hobby, as well as his communications skills, would do wonders for the magazine.

If anyone has an in there that would be receptive to having a bug put in their ear, perhaps it's time.