February Reading

As I decide to blog more regularly then it also strikes me that the little things get blogged as well.

Since becoming a bit of a train junkie then I've been buying more model railway magazines than I used to.  I say more because I always bought the occasional one when there was something really good in a modelling sense that I could port across to my other hobby of model soldiers.  

So, here's what's on the reading table for February and why....

Possibly not one of the best issues for me (looking for G or On30 or scenery) but I'm suckered into this a bit by Part 2 of Build a Quarry Branch having got Part 1 last month.  Next up is a scenery article on building low relief structures - always useful for gaming and the garden layout may feature some as well.  OK, so the techniques from indoor OO to outdoor G of building are going to be very different, but the principles will be the same.  Finally there was the Build a Snowshed article - which scaled up may become a build a leaf shed...  For me personally, given my somewhat special interests then probably a C+ issue. 

This is not a constant purchase although close.  Star item for me was an article on the real life Pingauer Lokalbahn (Austrian Narrow gauge).  The excellent - if possibly too time consuming for me - series of modelling French Inspired Urban scenes continues.  A German N gauge "shed" layout, which provides some inspiration around the edges e.g. the diesel refuelling tanks.  More on an OO French layout building series.  Probably a B-. 

Last is the very occasional purchase being decidedly HO/OO or smaller (e.g. N) and (essentially) British. 

Two items of major interest int his issue.   3D Printing, featuring of all things a Dutch Tram engine!  I've yet to post Hoorn 2012 visit or videos, but last November I got to see a Steam Tram Engine in the flesh.  Second up was an article on real life small trains - tank engines with a carriage or two, box van or mixture.  Local interest here with one at Tiverton Junction.    Third attention grabber was an article on making your own transfers - but really the "wraps" or "skins" that are seen on some modern carriages and buses and overlap the windows: in the article its footballers.  Add in the usual range of articles on line side detailing and buildings and a solid B for me in this issue.