Whats New

Tony Miller    [Publisher: Great Western Study Group]    Softback

Jerry Clifford    [Publisher: Cygnet Magazines]    Magazine

Jerry Clifford contemplates the realism of our model railways in his editorial, demonstrating his points with a further tour around his own blossoming Somerset and Dorset empire in 2mm scale. Adrian Garner turns his own wheels and axles in 7mm scale, Alex Duckworth builds the distinctive EB1 in 2mm scale based upon a Mike Edge kit, and Nigel Ashton's superb 2mm scale model of Drws-Y-Nant forms the main layout feature. Gerry Beale EM-ifies the Accurascale Manor and gives it a new titfer, Guy Molyneux does a brilliant job of creating PGAs using modern methods and last but not least, Barry Norman introduces his new layout project with "Drifting away from Eye". There are also letters, and very sadly an obituary to the fantastic modeller and character that was Mike Doherty, I will miss him very much.

Paul Karau    [Publisher: Cygnet Magazines]    Magazine

Paul Karau is in the editor's chair, musing on the value and appeal of escaping into the ordinary everyday past, which serves to introduce Dave Hawkins' fine 4mm scale Bramsden cameo, a lovely model which has yet to receive its station(!) The inspiring and talented Kier Hardy reflects upon forty odd years of EM modelling, with particular reference to wheels and diesel drivetrains, while Karl Crowther extols the virtues of the latest "Rattery" from Sutton's locomotive Works - they do sound very good.... John Holden builds Scottish PO wagons in S scale, part two to follow, while Mike Lynch shows us his innovative and ingenious approach to creating an overall roof and fantastic illusion of reality and space with his model of Carlisle Citadel in steam days, recycling par excellence! John Chambers shares with readers a couple of his wonderful P4 wagons, Chris Cox continues his tour of South Bermondsey with a tour of the soap works and Bob Fridd and his skill at painting and modelling is remembered by Ricard Barton and John Minnis. All plus letters, but no small suppliers forum this time.

Karl Krowther    [Publisher: Cygnet Magazines]    Magazine

Edited by Karl Crowther, who offers an upbeat outlook on the hobby as it is and will be in the future, and complete with a letters page, small supplies forum and "real atmosphere". Articles start with Dave Barrett following up his Cirencester and Nottingham Goods layouts with the very splendid "Yard No. 2", to P4 standards, and featuring a magnificent evocation of LNWR warehousing in Stockport and some superb urban domestic structures too. Karl next starts to build two Stanier 2-6-2 locomotives in EM from Mike Edge etches, before giving us a tantalising look at Colwick Park, Paul Mulligan's very well observed and modelled bit of contemporary railway, OO to boot, it is very believable and completely worthy of being in MRJ. Next up is Byton Hand, a home based layout by Peter Sutherland, and a really beautiful and characterful representation of a Great Western cross country line in the Borders before the War, featuring some lovely Finney and Mitchell based locomotives. John Holden continues to build Scottish PO wagons in S scale before Brian McCulloch gives us his "Tale of Three Turrets", a really magnificent bit of architectural modelling of a distillery building and Aboyne Station in 4mm scale, just beautiful. Finally there is a decent preview and advert for Expo EM Summer in Baildon on the 14th and 15th of August.

John Clutterbuck    [Publisher: RCL Publications]    Magazine

Tim Shackleton paints industrial buildings, Sydney Leleux studes mixed gauge trackwork, Boston Lodge in 4mm scale, a huge Namibian petrol electric, battered Hudswell Clarke dieselsand prototype features on the Burma Mines Railway and a cubist styled Porter, the "Rolling Ingot". A bit quirkier than normal perhaps?

Francois Fontana    [Publisher: LR Presse]    Magazine

The second edition of this magazine that I have so far taken into stock, and as idiosyncratic and delightful as ever. The cover really draws you in, featuring a narrow gauge layout that goes under the byline of "1/32 Sinister Gherkins", the splendid creation of Michael K.B., a 1/32 scale narrow gauge line (running on 16.5mm) that runs from a gherkin canning factory to a gherkin distillery in a delightful flight of fantasy, all staged in individual boxed scenes with lots of figures(!) This edition's central "folder" with excellent 1/43 plans and lots of prototype information covers the railcars of the Economiques des Charentes, great modelling subjects, while the "building" feature covers O gauge Heywood-esque narrow gauge wagons built in wood on N scale wagon chassis. The "scenery" feature rather undersells its subject, a terrific working model of a French version of Volks' "Daddy Long Legs" at Brighton, the prototype being at St Malo. This edition's "technique" feature has Eric Fresne creating unique transfers for his wagons, while the layout plan is "My father's mine", a neat wordplay and a fascinating and humbling bit of modelling history that leads into an interesting two level layout idea. At the other end of the technological scale, but with considerable craft, seven participants create some really lovely Billard "DK Sets" in H0-9. These are for a great layout "A night in the Peloponese", also fully featured in this issue, and accompanying this is an article on the prototype, the Diakopto- Kalavyryta rack railway - of which I knew nothing until now. Alain Miglierina combines an old Jouef motor trolley mechanism with plastikard and paper to produce a Gn15 motor trailer and finally Eric Fresne demystifies DCC, using (joy of joys as I use them) the Z21 Multimaus. I'm still confused, but there is a lot of useful looking stuff here to explore(!) In addition to reviews of models and items of interest, including James Hilton's Small Layout Design Handbook, a feature records the sad passing of Andreas Schonfield, the man responsible for the joyful rejuvenation pf MinitrainS. All in all, this is another great and inspiring read from LR Presse.