Railway Modeller In New Format

" Ian Allan started The RAILWAY MODELLER in 1949 " Guess who publishes Hornby Magazine !

This web page gives a potted history up to 2009 to mark it=92s diamond jubilee :-

"Dragon Heart" wrote

And sold it very soon after its start; they then went on to publish Model railway Constructor - and closed it when they couldn't make enough money from it. Now it's Hornby Magazine (which fortuitously has nothing to do with Hornby) wonder what its long term future will be?

John.

I've heard this before, but I've never understood why it's called the Hornby Magazine when it apparently has no connection with Hornby. Can anyone explain?

On another tack, I bought the current issue of Steam Railway which I noticed had "two magazines included". I didn't bother looking to see what the other magazine was until I got home...

...Model Rail seems to be stuck in Groundhog Day. How long will that magazine last? It started out as a good magazine, but now seems to have forgotten to include any content in between the adverts!

Is that because so much of the content reads like adverts? There seems to be a lot of product placement. I swear MR is sponsored by Woodland Scenics!

MBQ

It's purely marketing. Ian Allen paid Hornby for the rights to use the name, in the expectation that the brand recognition would attract casual modellers and train set owners who otherwise wouldn't have picked up a dedicated modelling magazine. It seems to have worked, at least up to a point - it's often the only railway modelling magazine on the racks in smaller newsagents.

Maybe your copy had some pages missing. There's plenty of content in my copy :-)

Mark

I gave up buying any of regularly as couldnt remember if had read them after a couple of weeks. Occasionally buy one, last time bought Model Rail had read the interesting articles in rather a short time. However, did smile at the article suggesting 50 or so ways to save money in modelling. They never suggested make things instead of buying finished scenic products.

Cheers, Simon

IMO the model railway mags are good value compared the 12inch/foot alternative. The latter cost a lot more and can be read in a fraction of the time.

It's a while since I bought either and was surprised to find the last copy of RM I bought is dated as long ago 2003!

(kim)