Gentlemen/Ladies --
At the considerable risk of stirring up a hornet’s nest, I feel the need to
comment on the S magazine situation.
As some of you know, I am a regular columnist in two magazines: “Model
Railroad
News” (“S Curves” column) and “1:64 Modeling Guide” (“Engineering Department”
column). My effort in MRN is largely promotional. I can certainly understand
why very few of you would subscribe to MRN just for a small monthly column in a
magazine devoted entirely to new model railroad products, the lion’s share of
which are not S.
But I cannot understand why more of us aren’t supporting Bob Nalbone’s “1:64
Modeling Guide.” Readers may complain that the content is somewhat anemic, and
I sometimes agree. But that can be fixed. We have several authors on this
e-list that regularly contribute to the “S Gaugian” instead of 1:64MG. I know
you have your reasons. While the SG publisher does not pay for articles, you
regular contributors out there do get something in return, in particular free
kits to review and keep – and perhaps other things I do not know about.
On the other hand, Bob Nalbone actually pays dollars for articles. He has a
per-word rate, per-photo rate, and a per-cover rate. My experience with 1:64MG
is that each page is worth about $35 in my pocket.
Please keep in mind that 1:64MG contains no toy-train stuff. It is focused
entirely on the S scale modeler as opposed to the toy-train runner. Bob
Nalbone, its editor-publisher, is an experienced model railroader, unlike
former
editor-publisher Richard Bendever, who once characterized himself in an
editorial as unknowledgeable about model railroading. (I know that one of our
e-list members will not subscribe because of the previous editor-publisher.)
Bob needs more good material – and more readers/subscribers. Why can’t we
support him a little better? Writers and readers both, please examine your
motivations.
Before I sign off, let me add a couple of observations:
1. Several topics that appear from time to time on this e-list have already
been covered in 1:64MG by yours truly. Ed Loizeaux asked about whether Easy
Riders would work in S. Others are currently debating easements. Couplers
keep
coming up again and again. While you may not always agree with what I have to
say about these (and other) topics, I have covered them fairly thoroughly in my
1:64MG “Engineering Department” column over the past few years.
2. Bob Nalbone has not exactly figured out that he needs a more active
presence
among us. For example, thus far he has not had a table at any NASG national
conventions. He needs to get to know us, and vice versa. While I can
understand that he may not be able to justify the expense of traveling to St.
Louis or Duluth, I cannot understand why he does not ask the help of other New
Jerseyans who do display at these shows. Don Thompson and/or Mike Ferraro
(SHS)
are always there, and Jeff Wilson is at most. I would think that any of these
NJ gentlemen would be willing to baby-sit an adjacent 1:64MG display if only
they would be asked.
Dick Karnes
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