Back Issue: April 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. 

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This issue's feature layout is another fine NSWGR steam-diesel transition era layout; Dick Grace's home layout, Koolah, based on the long closed station at Coolah, north of Mudgee in the mid-west of the state.

The contents of the April issue

Dick Grace's Koolah, another fine NSWGR layout in HO scale, is our feature layout.

You have built your layout, the rolling stock looks good and the scenery provides a fitting backdrop to your trains, but aimlessly running generic trains doesn't appeal for long. Rather than tear it down and start again, why not replicate the traffic movements of the real thing and make it interesting again? Adrian Gunzburg starts a two-part work on operating your layout, based on the operating patterns of the real railways in the steam-diesel transition era. 

Who said scratchbuilding was dead? Peter Sansom has built two NSWGR 19 class locos using traditional techniques that work in any scale, not just the one in which he has built his locos.

Having trouble keeping your track clean? Jonathan Majer adapts a track cleaning method purchased in an American prototype product to fit in a NSW vehicle, not only making keeping his track clean and his models running reliable, but also providing an appropriate vehicle that can be utilised as part of an operational scenario. 

Multi-deck layouts are becoming more popular, but the helix necessary to move between the levels can be difficult be difficult to scenic realistically. David Bartle suggests a method suitable for the local prototype.

We also have the usual 'regular' features, including a Beyond the Fence from Phil Jeffery, describing some very 'modelable' trees and the latest In the Loop from Trevor Hodges, musing on ways of increasing the 'play' value of one's model railway (do I detect a bit of a minor theme for this issue... ;) 

Last, but certainly not least in the articles section of the magazine, this issue's Gallery takes a quick look at some of the models of real-life locations currently on the exhibition circuit. We certainly hope that we will be able to provide a more 'in-depth' look at these layouts in future issues.

Our experiment with the concept of an 'extended review' of a commercially available kit has proven popular with readers, with Kevin Tiernan having submitted this treatise on finishing the Oz Kits steam crane, almost before the ink was dry on the last issue! We have also come up with a name for this new section; On the Workbench (an) In-depth Review, as we expect it will become a regular feature. Submissions suitable for this section are welcomed.

We have also 'freshened up' the look of the Reviews-Recent Releases-News sections of the magazine with a little tweak to the graphics that we think looks better and is easier to read.

In the Reviews section we look at just some of the models that have been released commercially recently. Here you will find information on the SDS Models r-t-r MRC (and variants) refrigerator vans, the Southern Rail version of the WA L class diesel and the Auscision Downer EDI Rail GT46C-ACe locomotives, as well the kit for a NSW 20' milk container from Road & Rail Resin and a new book from Scott Whitaker on a subject dear to the heart of many modellers Railway Hotels of Australia -Volume One: Victoria!  

The Recent Releases and News sections have much of interest for those with wallets they wish to have become a little lighter!

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

Back Issue: June 2015 AMRM

The June 2015 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue either direct from SCR Publications or online from Zinio.
 .

The cover...

What's inside...

This issue's layout article highlights one of the largest layouts on the exhibition scene, both in size and scale, Paul Chisholm's O scale NSW layout, Arakoola.

Modellers of both the traditional steam/diesel transition era and the present day will find something of interest in this issue.

The feature modelling article is from Peter Jarvis and it describes the prototype history of the last batch of the NSWGR's Far West Children's Health Scheme cars and how to model them.

Answering the 'call to arms' in my Comment in the February 2015 issue regarding the shortage of modern era modelling articles is Chris Jones with a description of the private passenger train owned by Boyd Munro and some hints on how to model it.

We haven't forgotten the 'minority' states either, with another of Phil Knife's essays describing a prominent Western Australian locomotive and how to model it using a locally available kit. As with all of Phil's articles, not only is it an interesting read about a prototype that would be unfamiliar to most, the hints and tips in the article are useful for any modelling project, whatever the scale or prototype.

We weren't sure if we should publish this next article from Jonathan Majer (we are of the opinion that Maikha Ly does not need any more encouragement ;) ), but since it is a clever use of an instrument of horror, we decided to do it anyway! (We'll just have to try to keep it from Maikha... )

Rounded out with a useful hint on cleaning locomotive wheels from Ian Barnes and another 'Beyond the Fence' from Phil Jeffery, plus Trevor Hodges semi-regular column, the contents of this issue should inspire some modelling!

As should this issue's Gallery, with even more fine modelling from the VRMS's annual Victorian Prototype Modeller's Forum, this time showing just some of the HO scale models that were on display at a recent convention.

The commercial side of the hobby continues to deliver interesting models to a demanding market and the eight pages of reviews only scratches the surface of what has been released in the last couple of months. This issue's reviews cover the spectrum from the Southern Rail HO scale r-t-r Victorian V/Locity sets, through an HO scale kit from Peter Boorman's Workshop for a NSWGR ballast plough, Ray's Pilgrim's extensive range of 3D printed HO scale NSWGR lower quadrant 'Byles era' signals, SEM's re-released VR UB and UP bogie louvred van kits to another 'first', the Wuiske Models/Haskell Co. r-t-r HO scale QR 1550 diesel locomotive, the first Chinese-made r-t-r injection moulded locomotive for the Queensland market. 

Then the eight pages of Recent Releases and News will keep you up to date with the latest, including the news from Australia's mini-Nuremberg, the Hobson's Bay exhibition.

Contact AMRM 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

Back Issue: December 2014 AMRM

The December 2014 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue either direct from SCR Publications or online from Zinio.


On the cover...

What's inside...

We haven't had much from the west lately, so we are very pleased to present our first West Australian layout for some time, and it isn't WAGR! This exhibition layout, owned and built by well-known WA identity, Stuart Mackay, is based on the actual location of Watheroo on the (then) privately owned and operated Midland Railway of WA and features some of the colourful and unusual locomotives and rolling stock that was operated on this interesting system, which, at the time, was the longest privately operated railway in Australia.

To build a realistic model, one needs prototype information, and Phil Dunn has certainly provided some very comprehensive notes on the VR Z vans modified and recoded for passenger service.

This article will tie in very nicely with David Foulkes' construction article on adding buffers to Z vans, scheduled for a near-future issue of AMRM.

With all the very nice rail tank car models being produced lately, we need some where on our layouts to send them! Phil Jeffery looks Beyond the Fence again with some images of typical country fuel depots that should provide some inspiration for suitable models.

The rest of the issue appears to have become a bit of a 'how-to' on a number of layout building issues, with Craig Veitch presenting part 6 of his Void to Layout series, this time covering wiring it up and planning the operational sequences. 

Mal Smith, on the other hand, illustrates some basic track laying and scenery building techniques in this, the first of two parts detailing the construction of a diorama of the Bell's Grotto area on the Wolgan Valley railway.

Richard Gross also has some useful hints and tips on a number of aspects pertaining to the successful construction and operating of a layout.

Trevor Hodges continues to keep us 'In The Loop' with a discussion of some of the issues involved in fitting layouts into fixed spaces.

This issue's Gallery returns to the VMRS's Victorian Prototype Modeller's Forum with some photos of some exceptional modelling in N scale.

The Reviews section in this issue is another big one,  with reviews ranging over a wide variety of areas, including books, electronic aids, kits and r-t-r models. Here you will find considered opinions on the r-t-r SDS Models BMT milk tank wagons, Austrains 'Way and Works' set, Powerline's latest version of the NSWGR BCH and BWH hopper wagons , plus Casula Hobbies' Tulloch double-deck suburban electric trailers. If you are thinking of tackling Ezi Kits' NSWGR J522 locomotive kit or Andian's NSWGR 5000 gallon Commonwealth 'turret' tender kit, you will find the info here to be of much use! Under the broad heading of 'accessories' is a carriage internal lighting kit from ANE Models, a DCC control system imported by All Aboard Modellbahn and a DCC accessory decoder and button board from North Coast Engineering. You can't model something well if you don't know what it looks like and the three books (Train Hobby's NSWGR 53 class profile, plus Steam: Gone But Not Forgotten and Northern Exposures) reviewed will go a long way to providing a lot of very useful information on the late steam era of the NSWGR.

Then there is the nine pages of post-October long weekend releases and news.

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

Back Issue: October 2014 AMRM

The October 2014 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue, either direct from SCR Publications or online from Zinio.


On the cover...

October is our traditional 'John Dennis' feature layout issue, but, having run out of narrow gauge layouts to photograph, John has once more turned his camera towards Victoria's broad gauge scene with Greg Coombs' HO scale model of Yea.

Greg shows just what can be achieved in part of a small garage in the average home.

The contents of this issue should inspire a few modelling projects.

Many of us have Lima passenger cars in our collection. Brett Kavanagh has detailed a couple of them to represent the prototypes as running in their final years during the 1980s.

Mark Laidlay has prepared a comprehensive guide to adding more weight to the Eureka R class, complete with dimensioned drawings of the weights and an illustrated guide to assembly.

Another of Leon Oberg's grandsons, Bailey Thorpe, shows that talent must be genetic and provides the modern era modeller with a selection of useful photos of current operations. Leon is determined to get more young people into the hobby, even if he has to get his children to breed them for him!

Ron Cunningham returns with another Branchline Ramblings on current trends in the hobby (no, he hasn't demolished Werris Creek and taken up modelling the QR!)

This issue's Gallery features some of the superb steam locomotives modelled by Allan English, with an extended description of how he added some distinctive detail to his models.

Also included are a couple of very useful small articles, one by Bob Quick on a method of fixing the infamous Trainorama clicking gearbox and the other by Bruce Walker on making corrugated iron sheets. Ralph Holden also provides another Superintendent's Notebook, this time a cautionary tale on the dangers of digging holes in baseboards!

Unlike last issue, the Review section in this issue is a monster, thanks to the large number of models that have been released over the last couple of months. In HO scale we review On Tracks Models' NSWGR TRC vans, plus their VR BLX and VLX vans, Columbia Models NSWGR K wagon, Casula Hobbies' NPCF and SDS Models' NPRY cement hoppers, Orient Express Reproductions' SAR M vans and Austrains' NSWGR LFX and HCX 'dogbox' carriages. In N scale we review Aust-N-Rails VR/SAR FQX and NSW OCX container flats.

Once you have digested that, then there is six pages of News and Recent Releases! The commercial side of the hobby is certainly buoyant at the moment!
  

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

Back Issue: August 2014 AMRM

The Aug 2014 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue. 

The August issue cover.

The contents of the August issue.

Feature layout this issue is Geoff Small's little NSWGR exhibition 'gem', Whereisit , showing what can be achieved with a good 'eye' and the judicious application of r-t-r and ready-to-place models. 

The construction articles in this issue show a distinctive Victorian slant with another VR wagon construction article from Peter Ennis...

and, as encouragement to those who are prepared to 'have a go' rather than wait for one of the importers to produce the exact model they want, Christopher Jewell shows how he created a model of West Coast Railway's S300 from a blue and gold Trainorama S class diesel.

However, NSW has not been forgotten, as AMRM Editor, Ian Dunn, has followed up his recent review of the IDR 18' LV with an article on how to backdate it to an earlier version.

We'd love to print construction articles from other states, but we need someone to write something! Come on Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania, don't let NSW and Victoria have the magazine all to themselves!

Encouragement of another sort is described in Ron Geeves' article on the layout constructed by pupils of Kaleen High School under the mentoring of members of the Canberra Model Railway Club. Who was that saying that the 'old blokes' don't encourage the younger crowd! 

This issue's Beyond the Fence highlights a very common Australian building style that is rarely modelled. Hopefully models of these houses will now be less rare!

It looks like we now will have two semi-regular columnists, with the printing of the first of well-known O scale enthusiast, Trevor Hodges, new columns under the heading of 'In the Loop', where Trevor intends to be occasionally 'side tracked' by topics of interest to all modellers, not just those of a specific scale!

Along with the featured articles we also have some 'short and sweet' articles on subjects as diverse as modifying the current version of Peco turnouts for slow-motion point machines, adding a mini-scene featuring bee hives to your layout  and a simple method for neatly cutting windows in scratchbuilt passenger cars.

Last, but by no means least, in the article section of the magazine, this issue's Gallery features some of the magnificent models of Victorian (the state!) buildings that were on display at the 2013 Victorian Prototype Modeler's Forum.

The Reviews section in this issue is another relatively 'quiet' one, with reviews of Southern Rails QR VAK/VGK hopper wagons, Bragdon weathering powders, arched bridge kits from North Eastern Scale Models and the DVD Recordings from Hunter & Northern Lines 2013 from Train Buff Productions. This issue may be 'quiet', but going on the huge pile of models on my desk awaiting distribution to reviewers, next issue might be all reviews!

The seven pages of the Recent Releases and News sections, however, are anything but 'quiet', with coverage of the many interesting 'goodies' that have either just been released or will be arriving soon. As I have said before, you can forget those blurry thumbnails on the net, if you want to see top quality images of what has been released and what is coming, take a look in AMRM!

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:

http://au.zinio.com/www/browse/back-issues.jsp;jsessionid=C428397DA1AB0376D61147A637F62B6A.prd-main-news1?&prnt=&productId=500924101&offer=&categoryId=

James McInerney

Production Manager