I'd like to see more about

More Steam Please

It appears to me that MRH does lean toward diesels.  I have also seen this trend with fellow railroaders in my local clubs.  I was told by the younger generation that they like to model what they know.  I was born in 1968, after steam was long gone, but I still prefer steam over diesels, so my opinion is a little bias.  I think most modelers model the transitional period so they can run both steam and diesel.  I prefer steam engines from the 1890's.  

Not interested

Steam is before my time, both in modeling and in the real world. Even though my first trainset was a steam era set, steam modeling is not interesting to me.

I have no objection to it being covered, but I am unlikely to read a steam focused article,

Hadn't noticed

IMO, steam is a good era to model, even though I don't.

If you want more...

then maybe it's time to make some. It's simple. MRH can only publish what it gets. If most of the info is about diesels, or standard gauge or HO scale, then that is what will be in the mag. The staff is talented, but they have limits. So maybe it's time for some steam guys to tell their story.

What kind of articles are interesting?

I've toyed with the idea of doing a project and associated article, either kitbashing or detailing a steam locomotive.  But I've wondered, would anybody really be interested?  I know I would, and I do feel disapointed that MRH has been more modern era oriented, but I don't blame the staff for that.  As Art said, they can't publish what they don't have.  Personally, I would love to see some old-school articles about detailing cast metal steamers like Roundhouse and Bowser, or some of the excellent On30 work that is being done these days.  Also, you might be able to kill two birds with one stone, since there seems to be more steam modeling going on in the larger scales.

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You can't post if if we don't make it...

Modern Day!

Steam is not what it used to be in my opinion, so I don't miss it.  I understand that there are a lot of steam modelers out there but I am not one of them.  

I read a lot of hot air but

I read a lot of hot air but not much steam. Sorry could not help myself.

Not for me

I can appreciate good modeling of all kinds, but it's harder for me to get super excited about models depicting something I didn't see myself.

Born in 1962, never saw it firsthand....

But that hasn't stopped me from becoming very enamored with it. I was a diesel modeler for a long time  but the more I researched steam, the more intrigued I became by it. Once I saw my first real living breathing steam engine on " The Great Smokey Mountains Railway" I was hooked. Yes, I said, "living breathing". Steam locos are like living creatures to me, I don't get that from a diesel.  Unfortunately the one I saw has apparently fallen into disrepair.

Anyway, I hadn't thought about the question of not enough steam era in MRH till now but now that you mention it, theres does seem to be a dearth of it compared to the more modern stuff.

Michael

Modeling the 1960's

Even though I model the 1960's I still love steam and appreciate it.  I'm OK with things as they are; however, I would enjoy steam.  If it's steel wheels on steel rails then I like it!

steam V Diesel...

I have decided to model a diesel era more out of necessity than desire. The cost of a good looking and running steam engine in N Scale is the major hurdle. The only  smaller steamer that I have fits both good looks and operation is the Bachmann 2-8-0, and this does not have a working front coupler! I decided then to run Atlas/Kato GP's instead. Bachmann has since released their 2-6-0 and their 4-6-0, but I can buy a good diesel cheaper.

I really wanted to model a Southern Pacific mainline in the transition era, and the cost of 1 cab forward is more then a quartet of Kato F's, and about the same price as 3 SD9's....by rolling the era back 30 years to 1985, there are no turntables, steamers or passenger cars to worry about. The cost of a pair of GP35's is less than a GS4, a PS1 and a modern box car cost about the same....it really is cheaper to model the diesel era

' old-school articles about detailing cast metal steamers"

The back issues of railroad magazines from the 50's are overrun with them. No need to re-create them now in 2013. Probably couldn't get all the detail parts these days anyway?  When I was a kid a lot of model railroading was old guys talking about the details of obscure old steamers, then Athearn and others started making cheap plastic kits and building realistic  layouts and operations took off.Going back to those days of spending months of filing and soldering to get one loco running have no attraction to those of us who lived thru it :> ) .......DaveB 

A Few More Steam Stories

A few more steam stories would be appreciated. I model mid 1950's and always love to see steam. Thank you    Jim

Here is an interesting link

Yes. More steam

   While most of the models I own are post WW2 I do have some post depression era equipment too. A recent brass built super detailed PRR K5 pacific that I detailed for 1937. I am also currently assembling a suitable train to go with it. I would also like to see some prototype steam operation articles. I bet a majority of the readers had never hear of the railroad pay cars. It would be nice to have a pay car to go with my nicely painted F3c 2-6-0 in pin stripes and gold leaf lettering.

          Pete

What do you mean by "modeling steam"

Do you mean the actual locomotives such as articles on how to build a steam locomotive, or how to detail one, etc. Or do you mean more articles about modeling the Steam Era?!

I love to see both myself.  Especially how railroads operated during the Steam Era, such as more how-to articles on things like using Timetable/Train Order.  And I don't mean just a quick overview article, such as one that I'm shocked that was published in a competitor's issue just now.  I'm looking for more in depth articles on how to successfully apply using it on a model railroad. 

Ken L.

steam is romantic

i model the steam only era.  

years ago, as a young boy, i rode on passenger trains in india pulled by steam engines.  i was hooked.  the big monsters breathed and spit fire.  they smelled of all things burned.  they shook the very earth beneath my feet.  their rods and pistons and steel wheels were right out there in front, for all to see how they worked.  nothing was shrouded in mystery.

so, yeah, i have a romantic view of the steam era.  im also a bit of a history buff, so i really appreciate what the railroads did for the world, transforming many nations from a pre-industrialized world to a modern era.  but this is a romantic view, one that ignores the problems that such railroads inflicted.  still, i really like seeing an articulated engine crawl around the corner of a cliff face, with a short string of ore cars.

so im hooked on steam.  i very much enjoy reading steam articles in mrh.  but i also recognize that im 'old school' and that mrh needs to serve its majority readers who are likely of the diesel world.  besides, who am i to complain about an online free magazine!  mrh is amazing.

More steam

I would like to see much more about steam especially pre transition era.

Die-hard steam fan

I think the most steam we have seen lately in MRH...

is from the On30 group.  I too would like to see more steam in any scale.  I love SP steam, but I find the expense of a cab forward and brass SP steamers are unjustified in the budget.    However, my plans are to start modeling steam in On30.

I do remember the articles on tuning model steam engines to run well.  I know the diesels have less moving parts than the steam engines, but seeing rods moving gets the old blood moving.  I don't know about others, but I found the video of getting the UP Big Boy moving again something to be proud of.  When the UP Challenger came for a visit my wife and I had to get down there.  We took many photos while it was "breathing."  My wife said it was huge and reminder her of a dragon.  I wonder what she will say if the Big Boy makes it to town?

If you can get more steam into MRH it would be appreciated.

Den

Steam--but also, modeling modern note

I am a steam nut--working on the 1920's, when the smelly diesels were few and far between.  My first experience with steam was the Edaville Railroad--and my line will include some 2 foot trains.  (I do, however, plan on having 2 diesels.)

Someone noted that the modern era focuses on unit trains and big consists--but in New England, you still see many manifest freights--and I've yet to see a single intermodal car north of Boston.  So if you DO want to run modern equipment, head for the Northeast if you want 50's style trains with 2013 equipment.

More steam focused articles would be nice for certain!

Old subjects still matter

Two interesting comments:

And:

Yes, there are lots of old articles about detailing Roundhouse and Bowser locomotives.  However, given the advances in technology (DCC, RailPro, 3D printing, metal etching, etc.) it seems to me that there is an opportunity to revisit some of those subjects with a more modern spin.  A lot of people seem to think of steam models as either plastic RTR, brass, or old models (Rivarossi, Bowser, Roundhouse, IHC, etc.) with pizza cutter wheels, clunky detail, and poor control and reliability.  There are modelers updating their locomotives, but I don't see many of them publishing articles about their work.  I'd like to see more of that.

I disagree.  Not everything is available RTR, so if you want an accurate model of an obscure prototype, you might have to work on one of those old models.  And if you can't solder or file, there are a lot of things you can't work on, repair, or build.  I think it is important to demonstrate things like that in the hobby press.  Show people that older skills are still relevant and useful today.