Learn more about Model Railroad Hobbyist
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MEET THE MODEL RAILROAD HOBBYIST STAFF
Joe Fugate is the founder, publisher, and editor of Model Railroad Hobbyist (MRH) magazine. Joe’s been a model railroader since the late 1960s and is a published model railroad author. Joe has a rich background in web software development, publishing, and video production – Model Railroad Hobbyist is just the latest of his hobby media projects.
Joe's HO Siskiyou Line layout, a pioneering mushroom benchwork configuration, was first discussed in depth by Joe in the January and February 1997 issues of Model Railroader magazine. Joe's also helped popularize the use of auto tail light bulbs for short management on DCC layouts.
Eric Hansmann is Editor-at-Large of MRH. Eric has been model railroading since the mid-1970s. He built his first HO scale layout following a John Armstrong plan in an Atlas track plan book. Eric has had articles published in the Layout Design Journal, Model Railroad Hobbyist, Model Railroad Planning, and Railroad Model Craftsman. He has worked in radio, printing, college recruitment, marketing and has owned a retail record store.
Eric was consumed by the narrow gauge bug for several years but settled into HO scale prototype modeling, focusing on the mid-1920s. He built a 10x16 HO scale B&O Wheeling Freight Terminal that offered a different pace of operations. He is now focused on designing, building, and operating a new layout inspired by a forgotten B&O branch in Pittsburgh. He posts regular hobby activity updates to his blog, http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/
Marty McGuirk is a contributing editor to MRH. Marty got into model railroading in the late 1970s when he saw his first issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Marty has worked in the hobby industry off and on, and is a well-published model railroad author. Marty has been an editor for Kalmbach on Classic Toy Trains and Model Railroader, and was the VP of Product Development for Intermountain Railway Company from 2001-2005.
Marty's an avid Central Vermont fan, modeling the "Southern New England" – an HO scale proto-freelanced railroad set in the 1950s and based in part on the real Central Vermont Ry.
Richard Bale is our News and Events editor and columnist. Richard writes our news column under the byline of The Old Yardmaster. He has been writing about the model railroad trade for various hobby publications since the 1960s.
Richard is currently introducing 3 of his grandsons to the hobby by involving them in the construction of his fifth layout. He enjoys building models, particularly structures, some of which appeared in the June 2006 issue of Model Railroader magazine.
Jeff Shultz is our Internet correspondent and Model-Railroader-at-Large. Jeff has been modeling off and on since age 8. Jeff's background is Internet support and system admininistration, so he spends a fair amount of time on model railroading forums. Jeff also is the "face" of MRH, and often the "guy behind the mike" for MRH's National Train Show videos.
Jeff models the Willamette & Western RR in HO Scale in what used to be his garage, a proto-lanced take on the Portland & Western RR. His MRH blog can be found at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/52 .
Les Halmos is our Advertising Account Manager and Modular Columnist. Les has been a model railroader since 1979. He rewrote and published the Modular Standards for the Northeastern Region of the NMRA in 1981(Modu-Rail Standards). In 2001, he founded the Free-Modu-Rail Group and has been active in building modules, documenting and promoting the Free-mo standards. Les likes computer layout design, electronic gadgets, DCC, and building models - and he's very pro-NMRA.
Les has a solid background in drafting, computers and High Tech Industrial Controls Sales & Marketing, he's now focusing on doing advertising marketing for MRH.
Patty Fugate is our Office Manager and Magazine Layout production specialist. Patty keeps the MRH Store (formerly Model-Trains-Video.com) and Model Railroad Hobbyist office running smoothly, and supervises the other office workers. She's also an experienced professional typsetter, having done complex projects like corporate annual reports. Patty does the layout of MRH.
Patty's a meticulous model railroad scenery maker, and knows the hobby well, although she's not a modeler, per se. Patty is also our founder Joe Fugate's wife, and she tells him "I think you need to go work on your trains for a while" any time she sees he's looking stressed!
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Comments
The Staff
That was a great idea to introduce the staff. It is always nice to put a face and name together. It seems that you have a great team and going a fine job.
Nick Biangel
USMC
Which one of the staff is responsible for the Mac-hostile pub?
I am very disappointed that your February "premium" edition is not for us Mac and Linux users. Whose not-so-great idea was that? Why don't you folks use "standard" computer technology that will run equally well on Macs and Linux besides Windows. I'm not going to use a Windows PC just to read your stuff, as Windows has no practical security.
I canceled my subscription to Model Railroader because they too discriminated against Mac users, issuing web-content with such nonsense as "due to issues beyond our control, ...doesn't work on Macs." Nonsense! The issues were totally within their control, but they *decided* to use Mac-hostile technology. Since I wasn't getting equal value for my money as did the Windows users, I wasn't going to give them any more of my money.
Of course, you are offering your online content for free to readers; however, I won't be clicking on any of your advertisers links if you continue to be Mac (and Linux) hostile! Please reconsider your position on this and use some platform-neutral technology. You don't want to be thought of like MTH and their DCS, do you (i.e., "non-standard)?
Garry Kaluzny
That's our goal, Garry!
Garry:
We're commited to providing a publication that works as well on Macs and Linux as it does on PCs. Our LITE Edition of issue 1 was a step in the right direction, but in depth testing on Macs has proven issue 1 did not go far enough. The LITE Edition works okay on some Macs, and not at all on others.
From the extensive Mac testing of issue 1 that was done by volunteers (thanks guys!) we have a laundry list of changes we're making to issue 2 to make it more Mac-friendly.
Unfortunately, Adobe is not very up front about PDF gotchas and shortcomings on Macs, and their documentation trumpets the great cross-platform nature of their PDF format. We found out different with issue 1, so that's the last time we listen to Adobe!
If you really dig, you can find some indications of all the Mac incompatibilities with the PDF format, but Adobe apparently has squelched that information so it's darn hard to find, even after hours of Googling on the topic. We've had to identify all the Mac-related PDF problems by our own hard-knocks testing, and no thanks to Adobe being more or less mum on the subject.
How would you like to be a Mac tester of future issues?
We believe issue 2 will be much more Mac friendly, and as I said, we're committed to resolving all our problems on Macs with our LITE edition so it will work on any computer anywhere on the planet. We want no limitations to anyone who wants to download our free magazine, and we will keep improving with each issue until we achieve this goal!
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Read my blog
how to submit material for possible publication
I took Earl Smallshaw's article on tenement buildings and kitbashed it into a model that can be placed anywhere on the layout not just against the backdrop. I added a front with bay windows and brownstone walkup porch. The article has 14 pictures and how to steps.
Respectfully,
Gloria Wells
GloriaW4@prodigy.net
You might try this link
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/submission_guildelines
Its located in the top right corner of the web site, call "Authors" and the drop down list provides submission guidelines for authors.
Dave
Building a TOMA HO Scale '70s/80s era
GMT-6
How about a preview
Looking forward to seeing what you have modeled. I found it interesting saying a background model can be used any place on the layout. On my layout I want to layer the buildings to give the impression of depth, an urban layout.
Bob Langer,
Facebook & Easy Model Railroad Inventory
Photographs removed from Photobucket.
PDF cards for different format presentations
I would like to suggest an idea. In light of your trying to present your product on different formats (PC, Apple, Android, Linux and others, I believe that a PDF explanation file should be made up for each different OS. Each file should include the control keys and functions for screen display for that particular OS. This would also allow you to add on additional functionality via links in the future. You would simply let the reader know through your main website that a new card is available for their OS and to please download it and print it out. Their should be two versions of each card. One would be a full page size and the other would be a wallet size for mobile users. Some people do not have the ability to shrink a PDF file. The wallet size could be made up as a fold over and could be printed on both sides, so as to allow the print to readable. This would also remind your readers and other people who see it about MRH magazine.
I hope this helps you spread the word.
Best Wishes and I hope that you all have wonderful new year.
Kenneth W. Frink
frinkkenneth@yahoo.com
208-466-0816
Mac-ability
I really don't understand this anti-mac label that some try to put on MRH magazine. I always download the Embedded Edition (I know it's marked PC.) and never have ANY trouble with either the download or clicking advertisers. Works the first time every time. It doesn't make any difference whether I use Adobe Reader or Preview on my 27" all-in-one desktop. I think some guys need to get off your case.
Dick
P.S. The standard and mac editions work too, but why settle for half a loaf?
I read it online on a mac
I read it online on a mac desk top mine might be bigger than 27 inches and I have the option of sending it to a 50 inch Sony Bravia. The videos look great on there as do the pictures!
Rob in Texas
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/43245
prep for an operating session • Delving into the past • The club blog
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDmC2GjPPfARE7xdZPSjGaw/videos
http://www.etmrc.org/
MRH image quality
The MRH switch to 300 dpi images in the magazine should look spectacular on HDTV 1920x1080. Haven't the need myself as my monitors are 30" at 2560x1440. Even at my monitor's resolution they look great so HDTV should be pure viewing pleasure.
Joe, 4K is here. Time to jack up the mag image resolution again.
Alan
All the details: www.LKOrailroad.com Just the highlights: MRH blog
When I was a kid... no wait, I still do that. HO, 28x32, double deck, 1969, RailPro
