Model Railroading in the 50s and 60s.


Greg, What question did I ask you? I really don't recall asking anyone to subscribe to the Digital Archive.
 
I'm reading over the August 1988 issue and noticed that Russel Larson is still the Editor. Russel sure had a long run at the helm. This issue shows another Model Railroad that inspired me. I have a thing about Camel back locomotives and Bill Henderson's Coal Belt layout certainly captured my imagination. It's weird, his article was only four pages long, however, it had a big influence on me. Not that I was going to build a layout using Camel backs; but, the amount of detail Bill put into his layout was inspiring!
 
for me it was photos of Jack Parkers amazing NP layout and steam locomotoives. I got fooled by the cover of a Mainline Modeler that had 5-6 photos of his layout. He didn't overdo anything.
 
Jack's layout was amazing Y3a! It was an inspiration for me as a Northern Pacific modeler. In fact, while Jack's layout highlighted Logan, Montana, mine started on it's eastern end with a staging track that was either Logan, Montana; or, western end at Garrison Montana. Jack was a wonderful Tool and Die Maker, having made the molds for many of Revell's Model Railroad Structures. He was responsible for all the tiny details so prolific in Revell's kits!

The October of 1988 issue of Model Railroader Magazine shows a first look at the magazine's Club layout, the Milwaukee Racine and Troy's (MRT) Downtown area of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Union Station area. Generally I am finding page count to be dropping with the magazine at somewhere around 160 to 180 pages. However both the November and December 1988 issues had more than 200 pages.
 
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I've had my copy of Model Railroader 1000th edition for a few weeks but hadn't looked at it.Now I have....Some great reading and pictures in that special edition...I have every issue except the June 2014 one since Feb 2010 when I first 'discovered' the bible of Model Railroading...Not specifically fifties and sixties but the passion of our hobby is wonderful and the Forum and great mags like MR are reasons I can keep in touch with all the new stuff and stay informed...Cheers Rod..
 
I think Jack Parker's N.P. layout was featured in Great Model Railroads and Mainline Modeler (Unsure). I have built 4 of Central Valley's (Jack Parkers business) Northern Pacific Stock cars and a couple of his flat cars and am very impressed with these models. I have not built any of their bridges or used their bridge parts to make bridges. but, i am sure they are all excellent.

I'm going to start looking over the 1989 of issues of Model Railroader shortly.
 
I remember being impressed with Model Railroader's February 1989 issue's description of Earl Smallshaw's Tenement Buildings. The detail Earl was able to put on the backside of these buildings was wonderful. All the clothes lines with the wast hanging out to dry was really well done. This particular issue had a nice article on Northern Pacific's RS-3 Number 852. I just completed N.P. Number 861 converted from an Erie model of a Bachmann Sound Value RS-3. had I remembered this article I certainly would have checked it out.
 
Mark - Any updates? I don't need the digital archive since I have this topic to follow!!!:D I pretty much learned detailing from Earl Smallshaw and Art Curren. Some of my more memorable moments with MR are scouring the April issues every year looking for the "spoof" article. Have you found the one in the 1000 issue yet?

Willie
 
I haven't been scanning back issues lately, busy with summer stuff, now.
 
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I've also had trouble with the Digital Archive as of late. Sometimes it will let me go through an issue without trouble then at other times it will let me get in a ways and then all of a sudden the pages will show a little symbol up in the left hand corner and I will not be able to get any farther. I've complained several times about this happening and never get a response from Model Railroader!
 
I was finally able to worm through a couple more issues of the 1989 issues of M.R. They where the May and June issues. The May issue was memorable for me as this was the issue highlighting Harry Brunks Union Central and Northern Layout. This layout is based on the Colorado and Southern's narrow gauge Clear Creek Line. A portion of this line still exists in Colorado as the Georgetown loop railway. On my way to ride the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge, I passed by the Argo Mill in Idaho Springs and the Georgetown loop, on my way to Grand Junction. It was neat to see these towns and things in real life. I remember pouring over Harry's layout plan, attempting to follow his main line. Harry Brunk became a huge influence on my modeling and my layout. It's my understanding this layout still exists, somewhere in Cheyenne Wyoming. I 70 follows along much of the old C&S through Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume and then passing through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
 
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Certainly other modelers have Landmark layouts that they consider to be very influential to the design and scenicing of their own layouts. What where yours?
 
Harry Clarks Indian River Valley. Scenery!!!! Hand made trees. Hundreds of them! Old Herron video.
 
I've completed the 1980s I found the December 1989 issue of MR to include a review of few of PBL's Sn3 locomotives that I want to read and there was also an article by Tony Koester on building turnouts.
 
So, the last post I made here was on June 20th. I have looked over 4 issues from 1990 and not found much that jumped out at me. I do see videos by Allen Keller advertised by Model Railroader. I guess until recently I did not realize that this was a Kalmbach operation. I always wanted to buy a couple of these videos. Now I can see them on MR Video Plus. I will be continuing on with my perusal of Model Railroader Magazines on into the 90s and possibly into the 2000.
 
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