I find it only useful anymore to see what’s new and what I can’t afford. The articles are often far too shallow to provide much use in considering the ideas. Most recently, an article about a new train house was interesting but provided absolutely no specifications that my mind could build off of. Pointless. I even tried to do reference measurements off the simple drawing provided to get an idea of scale only to find there was no scale or even general measurement references. The contributors here are right. It’s become a mag of advertisements and too brief descriptions and evaluations of new stuff that’s ALWAYS favorable. If the publishing house can’t manage to produce an affordable paper tabloid anymore, they should consider embracing the digital age and post a web version of their magazine. Considering that their profit appears to be coming from advertisements, with subscriptions covering printing costs, they could remain in the black and produce a more robust publication. I do not plan to renew my subscription any longer as well. This site provides invaluable information and leads on any new stuff I might be interested in. Thanks to everyone for those contributions, and Bob for his tireless effort in maintaining the site.
QUOTE…I don’t think we can place the blame on the readership submissions alone. GR has an editorial staff that determines what goes into the magazine. If they do not like the content they are receiving then it is their job as editors to go find it (or write it themselves…
Bingo… you get the prize.
That was one of my points, Why should I pay $7.00 for a magazine and then have to supply the content. It’s great that people supply How to articles But the magazine shouldn’t rely on that to fill it up.
It’s like me taking my car for oil change and pay the guy $120.00, then get told I hope you bought your own oil and filter and tools we will
supply the lift…
Nick
I agree with the suggestions for an on-line version. Model Railroad Hobbyist is on-line and it is free. I like it and the current issue has some editorials discussing on-line vs. paper and the demise of Model Railroad News.
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/
Paul
It would be interesting to be a mouse and hear who is holding up GR’s online version. I’m afraid the train is passing them by!
Paul Stanton said:
I agree with the suggestions for an on-line version. Model Railroad Hobbyist is on-line and it is free. I like it and the current issue has some editorials discussing on-line vs. paper and the demise of Model Railroad News.http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/
Paul
I’ve been reading MRH off and on for the last couple of years. I get email notifications of when the new issues come out, but I always forget to down load them. I wish they have a automatic download feature like you get when subscribing to a podcast.
MRH seems to be focused on HO, and N mostly. I send the editors of MRH a letter asking if they would be interested in publishing an article in large scale. They politely told me most likely not, unless the article had some sort of cross reference to another scale. For instance, researching & designing a building your modeling. But they wouldn’t be interested in say an article on a large scale kitbash, or scratchbuild. Disappointing, but I would love to see them get into large scale in the future. I think they have a huge untapped resource (as evidence by this forum and others!).
Craig
A timely thread as far as I am concerned.
Before the last issue arrived on UK newstands I had considered not buying the latest (December 2011) edition. By the the time it arrives here it has been out something like a month in the States and has been discussed in many places. I did buy the December edition - I knew there was an article about Ray’s In-ko-pah RR in it, but like many here, it presently lacks interest as far as I am concerned.
Admittedly a few years ago when I started out in the hobby it was a good read but the main interest in buying an American magazine is to savor American railroads. I am not interested in Euro-scapes: if I was I would buy the UK equivalent magazine; which I do not - even if I know the Editor who is a great live steam guy 
An awful lot of good large scale railroading information is to be found here and on another Forum I frequent (especially as most of my stock is discussed there). I have some ng Bachmann stock which is well featured on this Forum and I would add that it was because the great pics and information posted on this Forum that persuaded me not to sell all my ng stock. 
I have learned far more about American railroading in general by reading Trains and Classic Trains magazines but I do not take out subscriptions as I like to patronize my local news vendor.
FYI … GR is now offered online. Just read it on the forum the other day.
FWIW
Bob C.
Thanks Bob. They’ll have to tell subscriber services since the ad I got Monday didn’t mention it. Subscriber services and promotions at most publications don’t communicate! And I can say that from experience!
Let’s face it with all printed materials, and the invent of the computer and bringing us forward to today, there is less and less people paying for printed material now than even a year ago, thus revenues are way down. Eventually everything will be online on a probably subscription basis there and you will see for the most part a reduction (severely) in all printed matter, and everyone will move to the online or computer format some will be free and people will figure out a way to charge for more in depth coverage of almost everything. In other words a taste is free, and the drink from the well will have some monetary value placed on it. Regal
Used to be in the printing business up until 1978 it was dwindling even at that time, ink prices, paper, etc.
There is no free ride. The information you get here, or other forums, may be free to you. But somebody is paying.
As for the magazine, they keep sending me emails for a reduced rate subscription at $24.95. But they don’t offer any payment options other than Credit Card.
If they offered PayPal or payment by check, for this reduced rate…I’d have been subscribed for the last two or three years.
But I’m hard headed. I don’t want to pay an extra $5.00 just because I don’t want to pay by Credit Card.
I really think it would be a loss to the hobby if they were gone.
Ralph
I received it for about 10 years. It seem like it got to be more advertising then articles.
Been with out it for 15 years don’t miss it. There is just as much on the net!
Don
I still enjoy reading it. Its better then having nothing. The forums are great but sometimes I dont want to look at a computer screen. Its nice to sit on my deck, my new lean-to or laying in bed and thumbing through the magazine. Sometimes I just enjoy looking at the pictures (shut up Rooster) and seeing what others have done. Its also nice reading articles done by those on this forum. I would hate to see everything go electronic. Im still old school. Nothing beats a hard copy.
What magazine doesnt have a lot of advertisments besides the ones that come out twice a year. I think its still a great resourse and gives inspiration. I look forward to the new issue every other month.
Victor Smith said:Since my primary interest is quasi-British oddities, I take (the British) Garden Rail online: it's a darn sight less expensive :) Anything I want to see on paper, I print out. As for Garden Railways, I usually find something of interest in it -- and I like the gardening material -- it is, after all, GARDEN Railways, not Big Toy Trains Outdoors ;) (dons tin helmet, dives for cover). Incidentally, Shawn's Kittatinny RR is skedded for the April GR.
I subscribe, its way more cost effective. I only get two rags now, GR and the Gazette, I like the Brit GR mag but its so dam hard to find anymore I gave up, Narrow Gauge Down Under is also great but harder than an honest politician to find.
Just checked out the digital subscription rate … only comment: harumph!!
I happen to subscribe to Videomaker’s digital version and I certainly wouldn’t if they would offer a similarly crummy deal as GR.
I always place my GR issues in my computer bag un-read…I tend to travel a fair bit and I appreciate them on a long flight.
Chris, I checked out “Garden Rail”. Was happy to see those Brit’s publish in english,
I will have to sign up for that one, neat stuff!
I can still read it when the power is out and I don’t have to take my laptop to the bathroom ! I’m a magazine guy hands down!
This subject comes up every so often. I personally support it for the basic reason that it has been and will be the ribbon that you can link new folks to and a point of refference to get info on the hobby.
Sometimes it takes me 10 mins to go through, other times I see what is missing and work at writing an artical.
But I have gotten lazy and lost interest in writing this past year or so.
life goes on.
I’m in the ‘magazine guy’ group. Shawn’s points above reflect my feelings about the magazines. Like Victor I now only subscribe to GR and the NG&SLG.
I scan through each of them on receipt, then return to detailed reading of the articles that interest me. The price is just part of the cost of doing this hobby. Should my (nearly lifetime) railroad interests wain, I will re-evaluate the purchase!!
I almost always use my GR subscriber benefits to download the plans. I was sorry to see them decreased in number. I usually keep both paper (printed to scale) and electronic copies.
As to print vs. electronic editions, our regional daily newspaper (owned by the NY Times) stopped home delivery to our fairly remote (for California) village last November. They offered (and I subscribed to) an electronic (via email) edition. It now arrives daily sometime between 3:00 & 4:30am. It’s the complete paper in the same format as the print edition. It has 100% of the content and formatting of the print edition. They also included a reader that works well. Learning to use it was easy. Figuring out how and why some of the utilities work as the do requires more time.
Overall, my reading of the daily newspaper content has declined from 70 to 85% to less than 40% with the change to an electronic edition.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
I am sorry folks, but I am going to go against the anti-GRM grain. I enjoy it and read it because it gives me information I would not have otherwise. There are no cheap magazines! I live in the Mississippi delta and there is no one in 2 hours who is a large scale modeler so I enjoy the articles for the ideas they present. My first attempt at scratch build was a warehouse from GRM. That building got me fired up and I have built numerous buildings since. The GR emails add to the knowledge offered by the staff. I have also used the sales articles to purchase items when the price seemed competitive.
Ron
I subscribed for a couple of years, then found that I could find more information on my very specific tastes online rather than the magazine, that said, I have never had a magazine crash to the point that it was lost, but thats just me…