Back Issues: August 2013

The August 2013 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue.

The contents of the August issue.

This issue we feature Matt Sawtell's interpretation of NSW's iconic Wolgan Valley Railway, complete with Shays, towering sandstone cliffs and the Newnes pub!

Bob Gallagher's three-part history of AMRM concludes with the story 'to date', including a section by yours truly on how today's AMRM is put together!

This time we have managed to put together a bit of a 'modeller's issue', with some very interesting articles that will, hopefully, inspire some busy workbenches!

The art of cutting up Lima cars is not dead, as Dennis Clarke ably illustrates. This article includes a full page drawing of the prototype from David Bennett.

'The Master', Frank Kelly, shows how to scratchbuild a steam locomotive in brass. The article is accompanied by superb O (¼") scale drawings from AMRM's newest volunteer draftsmen, Lindsay Bennett. Btw, there is no truth to the rumour that AMRM has a policy of only recruiting draftsmen with the last name 'Bennett'!

For those looking for tips on improving the running of proprietary models, Barry Lloyd's experiences with his 'Redhen' railcars may prove illuminating.

Our 'honorary Aussie', Dennis Murphy has provided another easy to follow article on building and 'naturalising' a simple US kit.

We have even managed to include scenery building in this issue, with this simple guide to growing trees from David Bartle.

It is not just the latest models that can benefit from sound and the sophisticated control circuitry of modern DCC chips. Mike Walters shows how easy it can be to fit sound to older models.

Continuing our '50 years of modelling' theme for 2013, this issue's Gallery features the first part, covering the years 1946 to 1979, of the display, organised by the AMRA (NSW) branch, seen at the 2012 Liverpool exhibition.

All this, plus smaller, though no less useful, articles should make this issue another one to remember!

Then, of course, we have twelve pages of reviews and new product news should keep you up to date with developments in the commercial side of the hobby. We review the Haskell/Wuiske QR HOn3½ QLX louvred van and KQJX cattle wagon, Ezi Kits HO scale NSWGR D class locomotive kit, some of the recent NSWGR  11'6" wheelbase vans from Austrains, the 'elephant wagon' variant of the NSWGR CW cattle wagon from IDR Railway castings, DCC Sound's customised Loksound DCC chip for the Auscision 422 class, the latest issue of Byways of Steam and Nick Anchen's latest book Engineman of the Victorian Railways Volume II.

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

Back Issues: June 2013

The June 2013 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue.

The contents of the June issue.

In keeping with the 'looking back' theme of our 50th anniversary year, this issue's feature layout is Andrew Collier's 'under construction' VR suburban layout, Glenburn, set in the 1920s/'30s and showing that a 'non-standard' era layout is eminently buildable with intelligent selection of commercial products and some scratchbuilding.

We continue Bob Gallagher's three-part history of AMRM with the second part, covering the 'middle years' when great changes occurred and AMRM nearly disappeared due to a disaster that occurred when the printer burnt down in 1980!

Those building their own Southern Aurora will be pleased to read the fifth part of Ian Black's magnum opus, covering construction of the MHN passenger brake vans.

We also have the second part of Peter Jarvis's article on constructing a NSWGR water tank.

For those 'south of the border' we have a Prototype File on the VR's Castlemaine B signal box. The author, John Gilbert, will follow this up in a future issue with the construction of an HO scale model based on the box.

John Burford, a regular contributor, has penned an 'autobiography' of his 50 years in the model railway hobby, paralleling the development of the hobby over the last half century.

With great topicality, Ben O'Malley has written a 'how to' guide on fitting a DCC chip to the recently released Auscision 73 class.

This issue's Gallery features photographs from the 2012 Adelaide Model Railway Show by well-known photographer (and airman), Maikha Ly.

All this, plus many smaller, though no less useful, articles should make our 300th issue one to remember!

Eleven pages of reviews and new product news should keep you up to date with developments in the commercial side of the hobby. We review the Auscision 422 and 73 class locomotives, the Wuiske/Haskell r-t-r QR QSC/QSCW/QLCP vans, the ILM RU 'dress-up' kit and two new books from Train Hobby.

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

Back Issues: April 2013 (50th Anniversary issue)

The April 2013 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue.
This was our 50th anniversary (1963-2013) issue and has been expanded to the
maximum number of pages we can have printed!

The contents of the April  issue

To mark our 50th year of publication, we are featuring a layout that has marked a number of AMRM milestones in the past, Brian Parry's Colo Vale. This fine layout has been featured on AMRM's first colour cover in 1980 and was also the feature layout for our 25th anniversary issue in 1988. The advances in production values AMRM has achieved in the last 25 years is amply illustrated when this article is compared to the previous one!

The general contents of this issue are generally on the theme of 'looking back' with the major component being the first part of Bob Gallagher's three-part history of AMRM, this installment covering the early years before he took over in 1975.

As an insight into the difficulties facing the pioneers of the hobby, Garry Kahler has written an article outlining how he scratchbuilt a NSWGR ACX composite sleeping car in HO scale, using materials and techniques not much changed since the 1960s.

Adapting and modifying proprietary kits has been a theme from the very early days of AMRM and Peter Jarvis continues the theme with the first part of a two-part essay on modifying and detailling the Casula NSWGR cast iron water tank kit.

However, not everything was 'golden' in years gone by. One of the biggest advances over the last 20 years or so has been the development of digital control systems. David Mitchell shows how easy it is to fit a DCC chip to a proprietary diesel.

Individual models are but a 'means to an end' to a fully working and scenicked layout. Craig Veitch continues his layout building saga with the latest installment detailing how he laid his track.

This issue's expanded Gallery section features some of the models constructed by one of the true pioneers of the hobby, Howard Armstrong, during the last 50 years.

All this, along with Beyond the Fence, Lineside, building modern structures, a useful workshop tool, solving the Eureka HUB car 'green window' problem and the return of Branchline Ramblings should give you plenty of reading entertainment till our next issue, which will be our 300th!

Then there is the seventeen pages pages of reviews and new product news, including a Prototype File and tandem reviews of the SDS and Southern Rail Tulloch 10,000 gallon rail tank cars, plus  reviews of the Eureka HUB cars and many other useful items, which should somewhat satisfy the need to find out about 'the latest'.

Due to lack of space, we have had to hold the next chapter of Ian Black's series on constructing the Southern Aurora, covering the MHN passenger brake vans, over till next issue.

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

Back Issues: February 2013

The February 2013 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue.

The contents of the February  issue

By way of preparation to mark our 50th year of publication, we are featuring Brian Rowling's (of Rowlingstock Productions fame) amazing O scale layout, which features models built by Brian (and others) over the last 60 years.

The general contents of this issue cover the usual wide range of topics including the next chapter in Ian Black's definitive work describing the construction of the NSWGR and VR's

Southern Aurora in HO scale. This issue covers the construction of the BCS lounge cars.

Those wishing to 'individualise' some of the excellent r-t-r NSW stock wagons that have been released recently will find these two articles to be of interest. 

The non-NSW modellers have not been forgotten, with an article showing how to model one of the many variations of VR four-wheeled open wagons.

Rural produce appears to be a bit of a theme in this issue, with how to model wool traffic covered in this article, equally applicable to all Australian systems.

Railway infrastructure/ layout construction has not been forgotten either, with this simple 'how to' on wiring a turntable.

All this, along with Beyond the Fence, Superintendent's Notebook, a Detail Hound, plus articles on theft prevention and masking models for painting should keep the modelling bench active for quite some time!

This issue's Gallery features some very inspirational models from a time period not often featured, the 1970s.

Thirteen pages pages of reviews and new product news should provide plenty of purchasing temptation (don't read if you have run out of money over Xmas!) Items reviewed in this issue include: IDR Models NSWGR BPV powder van and Model Etch VR Q bogie flat wagon kits, r-t-r NSWGR MHG goods brakevans from Trainorama and NSWGR OCY container flats from SDS, plus ILM screw couplers, a laser cut house kit and the latest book from Train Hobby.

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

Back Issue: December 2012

The December 2012 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue.

The contents of the December  issue

Rather than just one feature layout this month, we are showcasing a number of layouts that appeared at the 50th Australian Model Railway Association (NSW branch) exhibtion at Liverpool on the October long weekend.

The general contents of this issue cover a wide range of topics including

Construction of whitemetal locomotive kits.

A look at a rural model railway club that must be doing something right by its members

to have lasted 35 years so far and still be going strong.

Scratchbuilding a four-wheel stock wagon and, to make it even more impressive,

it's in N scale! 

Getting rid of those unsightly gaps between passenger cars.

Another installment in the ever popular 'Today's Railway Scene', covering the IRA.

Ian Black's definitive work describing the construction of the NSWGR and VR's

Southern Aurora in HO scale could not be accomodated in this issue, but will continue in the February issue with the next chapter describing construction of the BCS lounge cars.

All this, plus Beyond the Fence, the Superintendent's Notebook, a short article on improving the running of the Eureka CHG (applicable to all manufacturer's r-t-r rolling stock) and twenty pages of reviews (including the Austrains NSWGR 'American' end-platform cars, AndIan BLV 36' louvred van kit, IDR B four-wheel open wagon kit, SDS NSWGR milk tanker and VR KQ container flat , SEM GZ/RY/IZ open wagon kits, Orient Express SAR DWf four-wheel van, plus books, a signal and carriage lighting accessory) and new product news will provide hours of reading pleasure. 

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