Back Issue: August 2015 AMRM

The August 2015 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue from SCR publications. Back issues of the digital version are available from Zinio.


The cover...

What's inside...

This issue's layout article features another of those well detailed, prototypically operated layouts that the South Australians appear to be particularly good at!
This is not quite our usual layout description article, as it concentrates on the operational activity on one station that is part of a much larger layout. If you are looking for inspiration for actually operating a layout, this will be of great interest, and the modelling is very nice as well.

Some may have noticed that we have been doing a little more in the area of 'prototypes worth modelling' in the last couple of issues. After doing a 'train worth modelling' in the last issue, this time we feature a prototype station, something I have been wanting to see in AMRM for many years. Ian Imrie submitted the text some time ago, but was not able to provide photos. However, I have managed to source photos from various collections, including my own, to illustrate it, plus we have created a suggested trackplan for a single car garage and made some extra suggestions to support Ian's text.

With articles like this we always have problems fitting in all the photos we have available, but the advent of the digital age has made 'lateral' solutions possible. About half the photos that were available were printed with the article, while digital copies of those, plus the images we didn't have room for, have been placed on our Picasa site.

You can access the extra images here:

Extra photos for the Crookwell article

We haven't forgotten those who like to scratchbuild vehicles either. Tony Scott has built  a model in N scale of an item of VR service stock that would look good in any scale.

For those who aren't perhaps brave enough yet to start scratchbuilding their own models, a good way to 'learn the ropes' is to undertake minor modifications to r-t-r items. Richard Barrack, proprietor of Train Hobby Publications, has written up his experiences 'fine tuning' the Austrains NSWGR 'dogbox' carriages for his layout.

And now for something completely different...

David Baillie has looked into various methods of laying track to reduce the unwanted noise of moving models. Being a noise and vibration engineer with access to some useful bits of kit, he has taken a properly scientific approach to solving the problem. It also helps that he has made some rather nice models for us to view as well!

Plus, there are the usual spread of smaller articles on various topics, including our semi-regular features, Beyond the Fence, Recycled Rollingstock and Trevor Hodges' In the Loop. The Detail Hound also makes a reappearance after being confined to his kennel for some time!

This issue's Gallery pays homage to one of those many modellers who, whilst never becoming prominent in his own lifetime, managed to bring pleasure to his family and produced a body of work that is also worth noting to a wider audience, not the least for the audacity shown by attempting to model Sydney Terminal and Eveleigh Workshops and running sheds in his front bedroom!

As usual, we make an attempt to keep abreast of the commercial side of the hobby with the Reviews, Recent Releases and News sections. With eight pages of Reviews and Recent Releases, plus another five of News, there will be plenty of opportunities to 'do your bit' for the Economy!

We review the HO scale r-t-r Southern Rail VR FX flour hoppers and Victorian and South Australian Tulloch-built 10,000 gallon rail tank cars, Casula Hobbies LHO passenger brake vans, Orient Express SAR D vans and SDS NSW NRY/NRNY refrigerator cars, plus VR split-spoke RP25-88 wheelsets from SEM and a kit for a QR buffer stop from Queensland Scale Models. We also review two books, TULLOCH A History of Tulloch Engineers & Manufacturers Pyrmont & Rhodes 1883-1974 by David Jehan (Eveleigh Press's latest publication), plus Single Deckers from Newcastle The Cars Built At Walsh Island Dockyard Volume 1 – The Power Cars C3171 to 3220 by Roy Howarth and Glenn Ryan.

There are lots of interesting items mentioned in Recent Releases, as well as updates on the many projects underway in the commercial sector mentioned in the News section.  

While there is nothing quite like holding a fresh copy of AMRM in your hand (our photos look so good on quality paper) purchased from your local hobby shop or newsagency (if they don't stock it, ask them why not!) those who have fully embraced the digital age can obtain our online version of the magazine from Zinio International.

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.

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: October 2013 AMRM

The October 2013 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue directly from AMRM.

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The contents of the October issue.

This issue we Barry Lloyd's extensive home layout, based on the old South Australian Railways. It is a perfect example of what can be done with purchased items and good design. As is usual for the October issue, the photos are provided by the extremely talented John Dennis.

Continuing with our '50 years' theme, Ian Barnes has done some number crunching and analysed the statistical breakup of just what AMRM has covered over the last 50 years. It might sound a rather 'dry' subject, but that has not stopped Ian from writing a rather interesting essay. 

Once more, we have got together a variety of modelling project articles, ranging from 'serious' scratchbuilding to a simple modification of a r-t-r item to create a variation not available 'over the counter'. 

Dennis Toohey describes how to use jigs to construct multiple copies of items, in this case the framing for a rather large roundhouse.

Es Davies describes a very long term project to build a special load. However, repeating his steps should not take anyone else 30 years!

Peter Schierloh shows how a few minor mods can make a proprietary product look more realistic.

Peter Ennis returns with another in his ongoing series on constructing VR rolling stock. This time he backdates a Trainorama ZLP.

Following on from last issue, Gallery features part two of the feature highlighting significant commercial models of the last half century, covering the years 1979 to 1988, using photos of the display organised by the AMRA (NSW) branch at the 2012 Liverpool exhibition.

Not forgetting Beyond the Fence, featuring rural community facilities photographed by Maikha Ly, and other small articles containing information of benefit to the modeller.

Then the sixteen pages of reviews and new product news should , particularly if you are going to the AMRA (NSW) Liverpool exhibition, help plan your next couple of month's acquisitions! We review the Southern Rail Explorer/Endeavour railcars, overhead stanchions and NDHF concrete sleeper wagons, as well as the Trainorama GM class diesels, a rather clever little video camera that will fit on a N scale wagon and the two latest volumes of John Dunn's history of Comeng.

If you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed putting it together, you will be very pleased!

Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue.

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

or

Order a back issue from our website

James McInerney

Production Manager