N Scale Insight

[seusscaboose]

i think you hit the nail on the head....   people hold up the V&O and the AM as historical references...  and it is because people followed their journey in the magazine...

if we only new someone with writing skills and modelling skills beginning their journey.

Help us Obi-Wan, you're our only hope.

[Ken G Price]

I want, NO I demand an N scale column by Dave Popp!!! He does not do Horseshoe Curve or Tehachapi.
Of course I stopped my subscription to MR, Trains, N-scale, N-scale Railroading, Scale Rails, and National Geographic magazines about a year ago when money was low. Now that I can resubscribe to magazines I have both of the N scales and Scale rails.
If David had a regular more then one page column in every issue I might resubscribe to MR. I will do Trains though.
Ed, yes I do want to get some V&O and AM for the same reasons as you state, even though I do west Texas in 1995.
Of course these are my thoughts for what it is worth.  ;D

[inkaneer]

On the plus side, these are the people who gave us "The Clinchfield" series.  I wonder how many people that project started on the N scale track.  Still, I hold no hope that this this column will ever compare with that multi issue project.   

[MichaelWinicki]

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. 

I'd love to see a regular column by Dave Popp.

I've referenced his multi-issue layout expansion article more so than another other N-scale piece that has appeared in MR over the years.

[chuck geiger]

Popp is farmed out working on their office layout MR&T and
it's off-shoot.

[wm3798]

Sorry Ed.  It's all I can do to post a hundred words or so on my blog once a month, much less endless bits of mindless prattle here.  Deadlines have a dampening effect on my creativity...  I'll put in a vote for David Popp.  Aside from being an excellent N scaler, he's also a Dave.  And we all know how we feel about Daves.

L. David Weldon

[Denver Road Doug]

I think the reality is...there's not a lot of large, quality (ops, or detail, or both), noteworthy n-scale layouts out there that also have an owner who (a) has skins on the wall, (b) is willing to share experiences about it, and (c) has the writing skills to pull it off.

So, Tehachapi is what we get until that changes.

[MichaelT]

I'd like to see a regular article by David Popp as well; I too have spent a number of reading sessions going through his Naugatuk (sp) railroad article, as well as the expand the layout series. I've read a number of his articles, i.e. he used to write the "Step by Step" articles didn't he? and found his information to be quite useful.

[BOK]

If you have a chance to check out Popp's expansion and reversion to the steam era for the Nagatuck in Model Railroad Planning 2011 you'll see his layout is really getting bigger.

I've talked to him a few times and he does do nice modeling work along with being a friendly, helpful guy much like my buddy Jim Hediger. Maybe Jim Kelly is a bit old for the column but we can be happy that David Popp is in the "wings".

Just my thoughts. BTW all of you guys do a great job modeling and layout designing...you are an inspiration to the rest of us.

Barry

[chuck geiger]

I think the reality is...there's not a lot of large, quality (ops, or detail, or both), noteworthy n-scale layouts out there that also have an owner who (a) has skins on the wall, (b) is willing to share experiences about it, and (c) has the writing skills to pull it off.

So, Tehachapi is what we get until that changes.

The Road Doug is right...they will go with Tehachapi because it shows what you can do in N scale, you might
not be able to do size wise in HO.

[Brakie]

I think the reality is...there's not a lot of large, quality (ops, or detail, or both), noteworthy n-scale layouts out there that also have an owner who (a) has skins on the wall, (b) is willing to share experiences about it, and (c) has the writing skills to pull it off.

So, Tehachapi is what we get until that changes.

And there lays the trap-false limitations of what can be done in  N  to include detailing,operation,switching etc.There are lots of great  N Scale layouts out there to include Dave Vollmer's, Ed Kapuscinski,Bill Denton and Lee (wm3798)layouts.

Why does it have to be large? You don't hear that in HO.In fact there has been several articles and books covering small HO layouts and on the same token very few covering small  N Scale layouts.

Some times I wonder if  N Scales worst  nightmare is  N Scalers?

What cha talking about Willis?

I have heard well meaning  N Scalers say you can't switch cars in  N and that's why there's few switchers,you can't see the numbers yada,yada,yada..What take of happy talk is that and it sure don't ring  N Scales promotional bell.

I fear we won't see much better from Jim Kelly's column since he will be pushing in the wrong direction of scenery,DCC and limited operation and and IMHO that sure don't ring  N Scales promotional bell..

[Dave V]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The thing that keeps me from submitting to MR is their photography standards.  Model railroading is my hobby.  I don't have the equipment or skills to take the kinds of photos they want.

That, and I don't want it published 3 years after I die... ;D

Ed touched on a point that I want to expand on.  I think overall the day-to-day "how do I fix this" or "how do I wire that" has largely been overtaken by internet forums.  When I was a wee lad, MR, RMC, and some other fallen flag magazines were my only window to the outside model railroading community save for the two local clubs and their annual open houses.  So if I wanted to do anything I had either to research it through my Dad's years and years of MR and RMC or just muddle through and f**k it up (which is usually what happened).  But now I can just ask an a$$hat and have an answer within minutes, and I don't even pay for the service (other than a thank-you).

How does Model Railroader compete with that?

[SkipGear]

We got our copies in the shop today. Not really knowing who Jim Kelly is, I read it with an open mind. I must say I didn't get the same impression many on here did. Yes it was a little dry but the whole point I got out of the column was to build modularly and plan to be able to move it at some point in time. He referenced his experience with his layout. If I was writing with the same theme, I would probably be referencing layouts I have built or worked on just the same. No it wasn't ground breaking but it sure wasn't damaging to N scale. Give him time to develop a style and see where it goes. I don't think he did a diservice to N scale. It just wasn't ground breaking.

[pnolan48]

Perhaps this is valid: there are many old, established HO scale layouts, regardless of size, and quite a few HO authors from the old print days. There are not that many old, established N scale layouts, and many of the N authors use the Internet.

I'm with Dave Vollmer. I can meet MR's photography standards, but it really is a chore. I think it should be a chore, or hard work, because they do have high standards. I get in the mood once in a while, and shoot a few scenes, but then I lose interest. So the images may sit for a year or two until I decide I should do something with them besides taking up a few bits on my disk.

I also believe that the writing part is not a true barrier, but then I'm a writer. So perhaps this is valid: if you can construct a model railroad that has a credible purpose and operations, you are probably organized enough to write about it, and smart enough to let editors smooth your story out.

[JDouglasFisher]

How about something new and fresh?

What if Jim Kelly scrapped the Tehachapi layout, and went in a completely different direction, like modeling the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad, Central of Georgia (Pre-Southern) or perhaps NC&StL?

Model something that was gone by the 60's, yet had a unique character all its own. Build a new layout to accompany it, talk about the research, history, and how-to's such as customer decals and painting, etc.

Bought this Month's MR, and have decided to divert funds for an N scale specific subscription next month instead. Shame too cause I grew up on MR, but they totally have lost their way.

J.....