"What's Neat this Week column" ...

... in a monthly magazine???  Perhaps a joke, but kind of getting old ...

The whole column is getting old!!

The modeling etc is good but I get sick of the Smiley Faces!!

Maybe it should be renamed "More me this Month"!

  ".. in a monthly

".. in a monthly magazine???  Perhaps a joke, but kind of getting old ..."

Funny but I'd never noticed that. I guess I skim over the stuff I don't need and look for the part that interests me. :> )  Maybe the "week" means  this column is being displayed somewhere else too? .DaveB

How about ...

How about:

What's neat this week, next week, the week after that, and then the week after that

???

Ken is my hero!

I love the way how he take pictures and I've learned many tricks. I wish I had the same great place with this beautiful view. M space ist just 4 square yards.

Ken Patterson's videos

If I can't see the model on my layout, or see what it looks like on a layout, then it takes me a long time to buy it or I may never buy it. Yes, I am the camera man, however, I know what is in the other mags(rags) and it is not much. I can SEE the model, I want to SEE it on a layout. Ken provides this. He works awfully hard to keep this dying hobby going and I really appreciate it! Great job!!

What's neat this Week

That name came from a friend, the late Phil Sheahan.

20 years ago when I purchased  brass from him almost every week. He always tried to figure what I would like.

It was always the latest overland models in any road that I picked up along with various used steam for photo props in my articles.. he could never predict it. Phil always said "when you buy something its always based on what's neat this week in your mind". he was right.

So I named the column in honor of him.

 I like the name. When you look at the magazine in a given week you can see what's neat with the goings on around here and all the pre production models that show up, usually 4 months before they are announced. And you can look at it any week you wish for a month before it changes. It is all for fun and entertainment. Simply come hang out and enjoy the moments.There are a lot of good ones to share. 24 shows so far and a lot of folks love them.

Ken

What's neat

Septembers format changes,( in September there are 2 videos), now every show is divided up in to segments with usually 4 topics of Interest, including layout construction, product reviews, photography segments, and interviews with manufactures and other folks that can influence us and teach us something. All for free. We can do stuff in video that could never be done in the still pages of magazines. It is Joe Fugate's Magazine and the internet that is bringing on changes in this industry. Craftsman's actions today bear this out. 

If you have something to share on the show or want to be on what's neat with your model RR talents, Contact Me and come see me. I'll make it happen.  kensart1@msn.com

This is a new format in this industry. Video is going to change the way we view the hobby all for the better.

Operating on a shoe string budget, no staff and home equipment it's a wonder the show gets put together on time but because editing is fairly easy, I have the February 2015 already  in the can.

My column was to be only a photo and some text every month like Tony Koesters Trains Of Thought. With video the whole game changed. Fun educational entertainment about model trains and the talented modelers out there.

I actually hate writing articles,go figure with over 200 in the model press. Sort of funny.

I wish I could eliminate the text part all together and just produce a video every month.

The magazine won't let that happen.

Ken Patterson

What's neat

This is a nice way to see what is being done and how to do it better. Ken is big in this industry and his modeling skills are awesome. 

I like when one in this hobby who has exceptional skills shares what they know with the rest of us who are trying to build our skills in all the fields of this hobby.

I would like to say thank you and please keep "What's neat this week" as I find the items helpful in my modeling skills which I try to improve all the time.

Anthony

Now I am even more confused ...

... so, what MRH publishes every month, is just one week's worth of some "show" that Ken produces elsewhere?  I suppose that sort of explains the name (but still looks kind of silly in a monthly magazine --- would be more appropriate in a weekly edition).

And what Ken "showcases" are models from other manufacturers?  So, the article is really an advertisement of sorts (infomercial) for those new products?  I've never paid much attention to it ... usually don't get past the title and the cover shot ... just not really my cup of tea (always thought it was more about model railroad photography rather than showcasing upcoming models ... heh).

Some great tips

I always try to find one thing that I can take away from what Ken shows us. I liked the part about using a black-wash overspray from an airbrush to take the sheen off a diorama. Great tip that I hope to use soon.

Thomas Gasior

"so, what MRH publishes every

"so, what MRH publishes every month, is just one week's worth of some "show" that Ken produces elsewhere?'

   No I don't think so, somewhere up above he said it's named for an old friend who asked him that question whenever  he saw him.   As far as I can tell the column just runs monthly in this magazine but there was mention of video so I'm not sure how that connects to the magazine article? Might be part of the "extras" I never take advantage of?  Whatever the name I look forward to Ken's articles and photos each issue ( monthly) .......DaveB

What's neat series

Always enjoy your work and info!

Brad

I get a chuckle...

I always get a good chuckle at the repeated, insatiable naysayers who complain about content in a COST FREE, monthly, on line publication!! I personally think that MRH spreads the field fairly wide with content that might be of interest to an audience with multiple flavors or aspects of the hobby. What was last months bash?..."Yes it's a model"? Ken is doing a fine job in keeping the interest level peaked with more than a few here...myself included. I firmly know first hand how difficult it can be at times to generate content for a website on a monthly basis...so my salute goes to you Ken Patterson for keeping "what's neat this week" perpetuating with interesting material. I too have enjoyed your column and I have learned a thing here and there from it as well. You and MRH magazine obtain my full support Ken Patterson!

Gary Christensen

What Ken is saying ...

What Ken is saying is we ask him to try and cover more than one thing per column, so there's kind of something for more than one week, if you will.

Early on, I encouraged Ken to experiment with putting video in his column and it sort of took on a life of its own, with the video having a lot of very cool things demonstrated. If you just look at the text and stills, but don't watch the video, you're missing a lot of the cool factor in Ken's column.

Ken's become quite the videographer, and he keeps getting better. Lately, he's moving to have at least 4 mini-segments in each column, sort of something for each of the 4 weeks of month, in effect.

Think of the column title more like, "Hey dude, what's happening?" and you will get the meaning. Don't get so wrapped around the axle about what is actually something of an idiom - like "piece of cake". If he called the column "Piece of cake modeling" some of you would be complaining that there's no cake on the layout shots! (wink) ... "What's neat this week" is an idiom, okay?

ah ... an inside joke ...

ok.  I don't bother with the videos so that is probably what led to my confusion over the title.  Fair enough.

Hey Ken,

Didn't talk to you at the recent St Louis RPM meet, but hadn't heard that Phil Sheahan had passed away....any details?   I actually SOLD him a brass steamer instead of buying from him.

Btw....your bridge scene in the August Issue reminds me a bit of the ICG bridge at New Athens IL on the St Louis sub.    Down the road, i have to model that bridge, but actually need to do the previous one that was replaced circa 1981.

Sincerely,

@ctxmf74

If you're not watching the videos, you're missing one of the best regular features in MRH !

Keep it up Ken. Love it.