Friday 4 November 2016

Back Issue: AMRM December 2016

The December 2016 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue
direct from SCR Publications. 
Back issues of the digital version of AMRM are available from Zinio.



The December 2016 cover.






The contents page.


























Plus Reviews and a large post-Liverpool exhibition Recent Releases/news section.



As most are now aware, 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 from the Zinio site:




James McInerney
Production Manager






Monday 3 October 2016

It's great to see an AMRM article has provided inspiration.


Facebook member and AMRM reader, Steven Caines (www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009915570273), recently posted a Youtube clip that he says was inspired by Jonathan Majer's article Along the Line with a GoPro Digital Camera that was printed in AMRM issue 320 (October 2016). I think Steven has done rather a good job, both of the Youtube clip and the layout it was taken on. See the clip below.




James McInerney
Production Manager

  

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Back Issue: AMRM October 2016

The October 2016 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications. Back issues of the digital version of AMRM are available from Zinio:



The October 2016 cover.



The contents of the October issue


The October issue's feature layout is traditionally illustrated by John Dennis and this year is no exception. John has provided another collection of superb photos to illustrate the HO scale VR exhibition layout, Fogarty's Gap, supporting the text provided by the layout's builder, Bob Gartside.


Fans of the Victorian Railways should enjoy this issue, as not only is the feature layout a model of Victorian prototype, but we are also starting a major, three-part article on modelling VR timber bridges in this issue.
The first part of David Foulkes three-part series covers the prototype aspects of the longitudinal deck timber bridges, including two pages of superb Lindsay Bennett drawings.

The second part of the article, covering the bridges with transverse decks, is currently scheduled to appear in the December AMRM.


We haven't forgotten the modellers of NSW prototype, particularly those poor, neglected souls who model the 1980s, as Nathan Cox has written a basic 'how-to' on how he has modelled most of the PTC/SRA fleet of Supplementary Interurban Cars, converted from redundant 72'6" wooden cars in the late 1970s/early 1980s to cater for the growing demand for commuter carriages on the services to the west, north, south and Illawarra lines.


Now that more and more modellers are progressing to building layouts, rather than just rolling stock, there are lots of little details that need to be added to a layout for which information is not always easily available. Craig Mackie shows us how to model typical lineside fencing, in this case, supported by drawings of standard NSWGR lineside fences from the AMRM collection.


While many are happy to pull the current crop of excellent r-t-r locomotives out of the box and 'plonk' them on the layout, couple up to a train and drive off, there is still room to modify them, particularly when fitting DCC. Ben O'Malley not only takes us through the steps of fitting DCC to a modern r-t-r locomotive (in this case, a Trainorama 48 class) he also shows how to modify the circuit boards to achieve independent control of the marker lights.


There has been a lot of discussion over the years on how one gets 'new blood' into the hobby. Rather than just talk about it, the Canberra Model Railway Club has done something about it and their efforts are described in this issue by Ron Geeves.


Well, you have built your layout and now you are wondering how it looks from the point of view of a 'scale' person riding on it. Jonathan Majer has utilised a GoPro camera to find out! The article also contains a link to the video on Youtube of the result and you can follow it here: https://youtu.be/tLzha8ceBqY



This issue's In the Loop with Trevor Hodges features a light-hearted look at what can happen when a club exhibits a layout at a country festival and Phil Jeffery takes AMRM's Detail Hound for a walk around Bendigo in 1976, sniffing out some details that would look very good incorporated into a model scene. 

Trevor's In the Loop series is generating some debate and feedback, including Doug O'Loughlin's reply, in the form of an 'Under Construction' article, to Trevor's claim in AMRM Issue 318 (June 2016) that one can have too much space in which to build a layout. Doug thinks not...



Sadly, we have lost a few 'names' from the hobby recently and this issue's Gallery looks back on another lost 'giant' of the hobby, the late Kev Loughhead and his ground-breaking Moping Branch Railway.


In the Reviews section we look at the r-t-r HO scale SAR 'Centenary' cars from Orient Express Reproductions and NSWGR SHG/BHG goods brakevans from SDS. Those that still like to make things themselves may find the review of the HO scale kit for a VR upper quadrant signal released by San Mateo Line to be of interest, while the book, Servo Great Australian Service Stations, will be useful for those wanting to detail a service station scene appropriately and for those looking for something a little 'different', the cardboard cut-out kit for Transport Heritage NSW's 3642 may appeal!

The commercial scene continues to be buoyant with lots of recent releases and news of upcoming models needing to be illustrated/described in the eight or so pages of the Recent Releases and News sections.

As most are now aware, 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 from the Zinio site:




James McInerney
Production Manager






Tuesday 12 July 2016

Back issue: August 2016

The August 2016 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications. 
A digital back issue of the August 2016 issue of AMRM is available from Zinio:


The August 2016 cover.



The contents of the June issue


This issue's feature layout is John Harriott's rather spectacular rendition in HO scale of the outer end of the now long closed Tumut-Batlow branch in southern NSW.
It isn't often one gets to see such a large layout that has reached this level of completeness in such a short time.



The feature modelling article in this issue should please those who like modelling modern(ish) diesels as Kyle Bailey takes us through the steps of superdetailing an Austrains 80 class. 


Adapting proprietary models is a bit of a theme this issue with Keiran Haskell showing how he adapted a widely available American kit to represent a typical Australian suburban house.


A small, but important, detail for those who run steam locomotives is the ability to double-head and/or shunt from the front. Peter Jarvis shows how easy it is to add a working Kadee coupler to the front of the recently released Eureka 50 class locomotive.



Warren Miller has provided an article outlining the history of the model railway retail trade in Australia, which should give a little historical background to the ongoing debate regarding hobby shops vs online retailing!



This issue's Gallery looks back too, with a tribute to the late Kevin Hardacre and his major contribution to the hobby in Australia, Protype, from Chris Sim.


This issue's In the Loop with Trevor Hodges talks about the importance of a comfortable and practical modelling desk and Eric MaCallum makes some simple jigs to ease the burden of laying track straight and parallel.  


In the Reviews section we look at the new r-t-r Railmotor Models SCT class diesel locomotive and SDS Victorian GY open wagons, plus limited run urethane kits for an SAR ballast plough and ballast hoppers from Peter Carter and Stewart Gamble, as well as, from San Mateo Line, r-t-p VR upper quadrant signals, all in HO scale. (It is good to see the the really tiny 'cottage' producers are still at it, providing models that would be uneconomic for the large r-t-r producers to provide.) Also reviewed are layout and locomotive wiring 'kits' from North Coast Engineering (NCE) and the latest book from the publishers of Northern Exposures, this time covering the Sydney area and the Main South in the 1960s, Lenses South.

There has been a lot happening in the commercial arena over the last couple of months as well, plus the sad demise of two very prominent members of the model railway fraternity, enough to fill to overflowing our ten page Recent Releases and News sections.

As most are now aware, 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 from the Zinio site:




James McInerney
Production Manager






Wednesday 11 May 2016

Back Issue: June 2016

The paper version of the April 2016 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications. Back issues of the digital version of AMRM are available from Zinio:

The June 2016 cover.



The contents of the June issue


We haven't covered an exhibition layout for a while, thanks to a lot of really good home layouts coming to our attention lately, but 'public' layouts haven't been forgotten! This issue covers Peter Michalak's rendition in HO scale of Bridgewater, a prototype location on the South Australian main line to Melbourne in the Adelaide hills.Seven pages of photos and description in AMRM is almost as good as seeing it 'in the flesh'!


Adrian Gunzburg continues his two-part article on operating your layout, Australian-style, from the last issue. This section covers the practicalities of setting a layout up for operation.  


This issue features not one, but two layouts. The other is Chris Wilton's HO scale Glenbourne, which shows what the classic 'average' modeller can achieve in a very small space when he sets his mind to it! There are no excuses left now for the armchair modeller to claim they don't have enough space for a layout...


Do you have some old models tucked away in the back of the box that need some work to fix their flaws and bring them up to modern day standards? Andrew George gives us a few 'hints and tips'.


The 'regular' features are there too, including the first of a new series from Beyond the Fence creator, Phil Jeffery, who has taken AMRM's own Detail Hound for a walk through the yard at Yea, Vic, describing some very modelable detail he photographed there many years ago. In the Loop with Trevor Hodges asks if a layout can be too big and Chris Pearce shows how a quick modification of a Fast Tracks turnout building jig made his life a lot easier!  


Gallery looks both forwards and backwards with coverage of some of the models seen at the 2015 Hobsons Bay exhibition in anticipation of the delights that will most likely be on display at the 2016 exhibition, due to take place on the weekend of 2-3 July.



This issue's On the Workbench, AMRM's Production Manager covers the recently released HO scale Eureka Models r-t-r NSWGR 50 class 2-8-0 steam locomotive, starting with the prototype's history, reviews the model as it comes 'out of the box' and then illustrates some changes and additions, as well as weathering it, to make it into a suitable locomotive to shunt Lambing Flat's New Yard.


In the Reviews section we look at the new Austrains HO scale r-t-r NSW 41 class diesel locomotive (the reviewer's main complaint that was no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it to burst into flame like the prototype!) and KKG horsebox, SDS Models' JCW/NQJW container flat and two publications, Through the Lens by Graham Cotterall and Jason Ferguson, plus Modratec's 2016 signalling calendar.

Despite this being a 'quiet' time of year for commercial releases, we have still manage to fill six pages with the latest Recent Releases and News.

As most are now aware, 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.



Or click here to


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



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 from the Zinio site:




James McInerney
Production Manager