Back issue: April 2020

The February 2020 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can purchase a paper copy of this back issue online at:

www.australianmodelrailways.com

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

The digital version of the April 2020 AMRM has been released by Zinio.

Buy digital back issue of the April 2020 AMRM from Zinio.

(scroll down from current issue for all back issues).

The April 2020 cover.

The contents page.

This issue's feature layout is one we have featured before, back in 1993, when it was brand new. But, as with most layouts, it got a little tired as it aged, but rather than scrap it and start again, the owner, Martin Murden, decided to strip it back to baseboard and track and rebuild it. This article shows how successful this approach to renewing a layout can be.

This issue could well be described as an 'infrastructure' issue, as the theme is definitely buildings, starting with the first part of another multi-issue treatise, this time discussing the goods sheds of the SAR and how to model a typical example. In this first part, author Don Bishop describes the various types of goods sheds that could once be found serving the railway users of South Australia.

Don has also written an associated article describing the process of adding ridge capping to buildings.

Phil Jeffery's Beyond the Fence series continues with a description, images and drawings of a type of building that one rarely see modeled, the various types of Salvation Army Hall that one can still find dotted about the landscape.

Continuing the infrastructure theme is a short description by Roger Lloyd of one of the ways one can make it easier for oneself when wiring and ballasting track.

If you have ever thought about adding non-train movement to your existing layout, Jonathan Majer has a few words to say on the subject in his article describing how he animated some traffic on his layout.

However, locomotives have not been forgotten, with a description by Phil Knife of a most unusual class of WAGR steam locomotives and how he build a model of one.

Models of  locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure are all very nice, but to get the most from these individual models, one needs a layout to run them on, which can be a problem if you have only a small area available. Alan Shaw shows how he overcame his own lack of space and created a delightful little 'gem' of an N scale layout.

Speaking of layouts, this issue's Gallery features a glimpse of one of the great Australian exhibition layouts that few have even heard of, let alone seen.

When you have assembled all your rolling stock, built the infrastructure, constructed the baseboards and laid the track, you will need to control it all; a topic that regular columnist, Trevor Hodges, covers more than adequately in his In the Loop column in this issue.

Even the Reviews section is about infrastructure this issue, with reviews of the 5000 and 10000 gallon NSWGR locomotive water tank kits from Mechanical Branch Models, the latest 3D printed/cast brass NSWGR lower quadrant signal kits from Signals Branch (Ray Pilgrim) and a book completely filled with exquisite infrastructure images, the latest from Nick Anchen, Visions of Victoria The Magic of Kodachrome Film - 1950-1975.

Last, but not least, keep up with the latest intriguing happenings in the model railway world with the five image-filled pages of the Recent Releases/News section. 

We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.

Purchase this issue of AMRM in either paper or digital form.

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy.

Or click here to

online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.

You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 

James McInerney

Editor

Back Issue: AMRM October 2019

The October 2019 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can obtain a paper copy of this issue online at:

www.australianmodelrailways.com

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

The digital version of the October 2019 AMRM was released by Zinio on Wednesday 18 September.

Buy back issue of October 2019 AMRM

(scroll down from current issue for all back issues).

The October 2019 cover.

The contents page.

This issue's feature layout is Tony Scott's new (and quite extensive) 1970s era VR N scale home layout, Forest Creek, with photos by the incomparable John Dennis. 

Despite the opinion of some that scratchbuilding is dead, we seem to have no problem being offered plenty of scratchbuilding articles for publication! No sooner have we finished

Kevin Tiernan's series on building a NSWGR passenger brake van, than highly respected South Australian modeller, Gavin Thrum presents a major article on scratchbuilding an SAR Webb-era 'caboose' (goods brake van).

Even if you have no interest in SAR steam-era brake vans, Gavin's magnificently illustrated, step-by-step guide to constructing the model will be of use to anyone contemplating scratchbuilding a model of any sort. If you have never scratchbuilt anything before, but would like to have a go, then the techniques presented here will definitely help you on your way.

Scratchbuilding definitely seems to be the 2019 theme in AMRM, with Ian West's short, but informative, article will allow anyone with the ability to bend a piece of wire to construct working station platform lights.

AMRM regular, Jonathan Majer, presents an article on a subject not often covered; how to protect your layout from the depredations of small pests (no not the neighbour's kids... )

This issue's In the Loop looks into one of the basics of modelling, laying track, while October's Beyond the Fence comes from Graham Watson in Western Australia and highlights an item of Australia-wide civil infrastructure that often finds itself modelled.

Gallery features another couple of Eureka 50 class conversions by Ray Smith, describing how he fitted Laird crossheads to his models of 5154 and 5340 and scratchbuilt a model of a 3650 gallon turret tender.

The Reviews section is headlined by a review of what is probably the single most useful book ever published on the steam era NSW railways, Garry Saunders' New South Wales Railways in Colour 1855 -1957. Not only does this book thoroughly describe what is currently known about the colour schemes used by the NSW railways on locomotives, rolling stock and infrastructure, as well as the colours used by Sydney's tramways system, but also describes every class of locomotive, carriage and goods vehicle used on the system, what colours they were painted in their lives, plus going into the background of how and when they were introduced. This review is ably supported by a thorough look at the Southern Rail HO scale, r-t-r, QR 2300 class diesel locomotive, the Casula Hobbies HO scale r-t-r MLV/MLK bogie milk vans and bogie E flat wagons and a look at Where there's smoke Part 1 Scotland to the Cape, the new book from the publishers who brought us Northern Exposures, Lenses South and Shooting the West.

The Recent Releases/News contains some very interesting new models, quite a few of which should be available for purchase, or viewing at least, at the upcoming ARMA (NSW) exhibition on the October long weekend (at the new venue in Sydney's Olympic Park). 

We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.

Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website

Or click here to

online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.

You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 

Scroll down for back issues

James McInerney

Editor

Back Issue: AMRM February 2019

The February issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can obtain a paper copy of the current issue online at:

www.australianmodelrailways.com,

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

Digital back issues can be obtained from Zinio

(scroll down from current issue).

The February 2019 cover.

The contents page.

This issue's feature layout is a permanent HO scale home layout that reproduces the very popular location of Goulburn on the NSW Main South line.

Our feature article for this issue shows that two common beliefs are completely false! Firstly, scratchbuilding is not dead and secondly, there are younger modellers turning out some very fine models!
This issue sees the first part of Kevin Tiernan's very comprehensive, well illustrated and easy to follow series on scratchbuilding a passenger carriage in HO scale. 

AMRM's graphics designer, John Casey, takes time out from assembling the magazine to write and illustrate a very useful article on creating billboard advertisements for buildings.

Continuing the scratchbuilding theme of this issue is Doug Simpson with an article on how to create attractive buildings from photos, a great 'short cut' to scratchbuilding for those without the time or inclination to build everything in the traditional way.

Ready-to-run modellers haven't been forgotten either. Ian Dunn has written a Prototype File on the NSWGR four-wheel HG goods brake vans, outlining their history and areas of use, to go with the review (also published in this issue) of the recently released Casula Hobbies r-t-r HO scale range of HG brake vans.

This issue's Gallery catches us up with some of the changes on Peter Knife's Sn3.5 layout, based on Minnipa on the SAR's Eyre Peninsula, via more excellent photos from John Dennis.

This issue, Trevor Hodges' regular 'In the Loop' column takes an entertaining look at the proposition that one can model in too many scales at once (or can one?) and Phil Jeffery's Beyond the Fence article looks at some once common infrastructure, the PMG's wooden phone boxes and cast iron mailing boxes. This very useful article has already encouraged me to create a 'near enough' Australian phone box from a Peco British kit I had lying about!

The Reviews section features the aforementioned r-t-r Casula Hobbies range of HO scale NSWGR HG goods brakevans (and W&W derivatives) and the latest release from Eveleigh Press, The Steam Tram in Australia & New Zealand, as written by respected historian Bruce Macdonald.

Despite it being the traditionally quiet pre-Christmas period when the Recent Releases/News section was prepared, we still managed to fill five pages with lots of interesting information on new models, both released and due soon.

We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.

Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website

Or click here to

online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.

You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 

Scroll down for back issues

James McInerney

Editor

Back Issue: December 2018 AMRM

The December 2018 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can obtain a paper copy of the current issue online at:

www.australianmodelrailways.com,

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

Digital back issues can be obtained from Zinio

(scroll down from current issue).

The December 2018 cover.

The contents page.

This issue's feature layout is a permanent HO scale home layout that very nicely recreates the look of Sydney's outer suburban region.

Tom Carlos continues his Billabong Marina series with a description of the main industry on the layout.

Ron Geeves returns with another article on the Canberra Model Railway Club's school mentoring efforts, describing a computer-controlled exhibition layout built by the students involved in the program.

In possibly the easiest conversion ever described in AMRM, Peter Ennis shows how to adapt an Orient Express Reproductions SAR M van model to represent the vans hired by the VR between the wars for evaluation purposes.

Craig Mackie describes an easy to complete model of a very common everyday object.

This issue featured another 'On the Workbench' for the 'hardcore' modeller from Cliff Barrett. While ostensibly a description of the construction of a Mechanical Branch Models NSWGR water tank, the author's description of the construction process contains a huge amount of useful information that will be of value to anyone constructing complicated kits or scratchbuilding a model of their own.

Trevor Hodges returns with 'In the Loop', having penned an interesting essay on the advances in the hobby that we have enjoyed over the last 30 years or so. Gallery describes, using models constructed by Ian Denny, the interesting story of an aspect of interstate transport of priority traffic prior to the ISO container revolution that has been all but forgotten.

The Reviews section features the r-t-r Orient Express Reproductions model of the SAR F class steam locomotive and the latest batch of r-t-r HO scale passenger carriages from Casula Hobbies.

As one might expect in the issue prepared after the AMRA (NSW) Liverpool exhibition, the thirteen page Recent Releases/News section is chock full of very tasty new models, both available and 'on the way'.

We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.

Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website

You can also purchase a digital back issue direct from the Zinio site:

James McInerney

Editor