Don Wirth is  a Master!

Don's stable of HO Frisco steam power is impressive.

We have a Don Wirth article on converting a brass steamer to model a Frisco steamer ... coming in 2018.

That sounds like a cool article! Can't wait! Damn... you guys all the way up to next year in articles? That's actually kinda awesome!

... you guys all the way up to next year in articles?

We estimate we have 18-24 months of articles in our backlog. That's actually important because it enables us to balance each issue's topics out better. But it's not so good for contributors because it can take 12-24 months before your submission gets published.

It's the luck of the draw, really. If you happen to submit the one-and-only article on painting figures and we're looking for something a bit less common as to detailing to balance an issue, your article could get published within 3 months of submission. Or it could take 2 years if you happen to submit something we have a lot of (rolling stock detailing).

However, we never get enough steam-to-diesel transition articles to suit us in any category. More of the rolling stock articles are 1970s or newer.

I believe you were saying something about short articles as well. I'm actually thinking of starting on one involving the building of a cheap, practical programming track.

I've also been trying to think of things I can contribute... I was in the hobby 30 years ago, but consider myself a newbie because of how much has changed in 30 years, but a lot of what I do, involves outside of the box modeling... modeling on the cheap. Household items that can be used in modeling, and taking cheaper kits, or cheap cars, and seeing what I can do with them, as far as making them not so cheap. My modeling skills, however, are nowhere near what I see in the magazine, or in the forum, but I'm still having fun, and things like what I kitbashed out of three broken kit cars, or what I kitbashed out of two broken Bachmann bobber cabooses (cabeese?) I'm pretty proud of... even if they wouldn't win any real awards. That's really all that's been stopping me though, is the fact that I do still feel like a newbie in a lot of areas, but hopefully, I can find something that is a new perspective. Right now, in the back of my mind, is that little annoying voice that says "THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50 YEARS! YOU HAVE NOTHING THEY HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE!!!" but then, I get pleasantly surprised by my tip on the paint mixing trays for use with CA glue, and discovering that such an idea is new.

Plus, my writing style does tend to go more towards the humor (as seen with my "Ask Me How I Know" thread) and that doesn't always translate well in a lot of hobby forums.

It sucks to be passionate about a hobby, but then think you don't have a lot you can contribute. (insecurities, and all that)

I can find something that is a new perspective. Right now, in the back of my mind, is that little annoying voice that says "THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50 YEARS! YOU HAVE NOTHING THEY HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE!!!

Don't compare your known short comings with the perceived expertise of others.  Those new to the hobby have a fresh perspective that many of us who have been in the hobby for 50 years don't have.  Write the article and submit it.

Don

MRH Assistant Editor

This is one of the things I love so much about MRH. The staff are very encouraging. The people here are very encouraging. I feel welcomed here. That means a lot. Hell, if it wasn't for the encouragement of the people here at MRH, who have given me ideas, and moral support, I probably never would have started my layout. On another board, when I said "I want to do a layout using EZ track, because I have a lot of EZ track", I got replied like "why would you want to do that?" but when I mentioned it here at MRH, I got "Ooh, that's sounds cool, look at what these folks did with EZ track!" and it made me believe anything was possible! (in two days, I will be getting the last of what I need to scenic my layout... and yes, I will be taking photos!)

 I will do that short article, and it will include lots of pictures (as I recall, photos make an article when it comes to magazines) And yeah, I will make sure they are clear, and high resolution (I own a photo studio, so I'm sure I can come up with something!)

I'll probably come back and read Don's comment a few times every time I hit a stumbling block! (it helps)

Now... is "scenic" a verb, or would the verb be "scenick"?

I can find something that is a new perspective. Right now, in the back of my mind, is that little annoying voice that says "THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50 YEARS! YOU HAVE NOTHING THEY HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE!!!

Don't compare your known short comings with the perceived expertise of others.  Those new to the hobby have a fresh perspective that many of us who have been in the hobby for 50 years don't have.  Write the article and submit it.

Good point.

I know when I 'finished' the initial build on my On30 layout, I got emails from folks all over who saw my article in the On30 Annual or stuff I've posted online, asking for advice on how I did my scenery or rolling stock work.

I don't think there's anything special about my work and don't think I could contribute, but I found that other than a submission feeler to MR (who said they had all the On30 stuff they needed, which I correctly took as "we don't want anything on On30"), I was shocked to find people wanted to see what i was up to.

Heck, I got a photo of my layout in the 'yes it's a model' section here a while back, from a post I'd made to the forum!

I don't see anything special about what I'm doing and don't think I'm breaking any ground, but you just never know how others are going to see it.

You can never have too much detail or too many trees on a layout.