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Comment This month is an extract from the Chairman’s report to the Guild’s AGM in April. You will no doubt all be aware of the pressures on the news media and some of the radical changes that they have had to make. The same applies to the magazine world with the number of titles and the volume of sales dropping away. According to Are Direct (previously Gordon & Gotch) the magazine market in New Zealand has dropped by over 12% in the past year. Some of this is connected to costs, however we cannot overlook the change in the way that people want to consume their news and other information feeds. We have seen the inevitable shift towards social media platforms (Facebook being the primary one for our hobby). This impacts on where people spend their time, and very importantly where people post their views, thoughts, model developments, WOMWB etc. I firmly believe we have reached a critical time where we need to innovate or die – just as the whole news media is having to do. The critical influence on our world today is how people want to take part and contribute. Membership of clubs is dropping and the number of people willing to put their hand up to manage those clubs is also evaporating. Time is just too precious to make that contribution, and so much is now so easily accessible online. So, we reach somewhat of a crossroads. We must consider our ability to relate to our audience (not just our members but the wider model railway world). We must make the connections and enable those connections to be under the control of everyone engaging with us. We also need to address the rapidly rising costs. The costs of publishing the magazine (and especially its distribution costs) mean that we must review our operations without increasing our subscription rates. Four issues a year has costs that now exceed our income. Considering the changing demographics and lifestyle changes discussed above, we have decided that rather than increase subscriptions, we move the Journal to two printed issues per year (in March and September) while developing a completely new website with news and articles that would otherwise have gone into the Journal. Our website effectively then becomes the Journal online as well as the social media platform to bring modelers together to show their wares and discuss their interests – and access to the Journal Archive as a bonus. Our new website went live on 15th April 2024. It is a complex piece of work and the interactivity of the site itself and the opportunity for modellers (not just members) to contribute has worked well. Membership access did cause difficulties for a few members; however, this has been ironed out and the site is now working as it should. In the wider hobby, we are seeing almost unbelievable developments occurring , many of which are being well utilised and are making an enormous contribution to modelling our local scene – both past and present – in a whole new way. We will now be able to bring these developments to you more quickly through the interactive nature of the site. Change can sometimes be difficult to come to terms with, however we are certain that we are on the right path. We hope you continue to enjoy what we can achieve together as part of your enjoyment of the hobby. Alan Curtis Managing Editor Alan Curtis (Acting) Design Editor Celyn Bennet Social Media Editor Lewis Holden Email: secretary@nzmrg.org.nz Advertising Please send all bookings and digital ad files to secretary@nzmrg.org.nz or by mail to the publisher’s post box. Publisher New Zealand Model Railway Guild Inc PO Box 180 116, Royal Heights, Auckland 0656. ISSN 0028- 8470. Articles and Contributions We welcome contributions of ar ticles, photographs and other material. To discuss or send possible contributions please email these to editor@nzmrg.org.nz or post to the publisher’s post box. NZ Model Railway Guild Inc Chairman: Alan Curtis Secretary/ Treasurer: Alan Mathewson Membership: Alan Curtis Committee: Clive Anderson, Terr y Bradley, Andrew Stevens Auditor: Philip Smith Correspondents Auckland Neville Connew 09 - 836 3751 Hamilton n-connew@xtra.co.nz Trevor James 07- 856 6866 tkjames@actrix.co.nz Bay of Plenty Russell Jones 021- 045 1931 russell@hdb.org.nz Wairarapa Rex Fowler 06 -377 1135 rwg_bgfowler@xtra.co.nz Wellington Mark Andrews 04-564 4247 marksmodelworks@gmail.com Canterbury Trevor Corrin 03 -980 -7571 riversidemodels1.64@gmail.com United Kingdom Ian Hammond +44(0)1440763742 hammond.bse@btinternet.com The New Zealand Model Railway Guild provides a link between model railway enthusiasts with a focus on modelling the New Zealand prototypes. 4 NZ Model Railway Journal September 2024
page 5
Contents 6 Volume 81 | Issue 426 September 2024 11 16 18 22 6 | TREVOR’S SHED - A PHOTO ESSAY. A look at Trevor Cheer’s Layout. 11 |BUILDING WA 289 PART 2. John Atkinson - It’s never too late to star t again. 16 | TITANIUM SOLDERING CLAMPS. Brian McKenzie shares another approach to clamping parts while soldering. 18 | WOOLSHED. Bruce Alchin builds Garth Cook’s new Woolshed kit. 20 | ALL BITS COMBINED. Michael Jarka gives a histor y of the Auckland Bus Company ‘ABC’. 22 | GRAMPS’ AND COLE’S MINING COMPANY. Ashburton modeller Andrew Hewitt shares a 1:37 scale Tasmanian inspired layout concept. 29 | THE STOKER STORY Stoker model products. 30 | PRODUCT REVIEW: CRAFTMASTER MODEL RAILWAY BASEBOARDS. Lewis Holden reviews. 32 | CHRISTCHURCH MODELLERS GROUP A summary of recent news compiled by Peter Ross. ON THE COVER A scene from Trevor Cheer’s layout. A coal train crossing the small through truss bridge over the gorge, B303 (built by Paul Berntsen) hauls a load of unbraked Q wagons, kits designed and built by Tony Simons and finished by Trevor. https://thejournal.nz www.facebook.com/nzmrjournal NZ Model Railway Journal September 2024 5

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Comment

This month is an extract from the Chairman’s report to the Guild’s AGM in April.

You will no doubt all be aware of the pressures on the news media and some of the radical changes that they have had to make. The same applies to the magazine world with the number of titles and the volume of sales dropping away. According to Are Direct (previously Gordon & Gotch) the magazine market in New Zealand has dropped by over 12% in the past year.

Some of this is connected to costs, however we cannot overlook the change in the way that people want to consume their news and other information feeds. We have seen the inevitable shift towards social media platforms (Facebook being the primary one for our hobby). This impacts on where people spend their time, and very importantly where people post their views, thoughts, model developments, WOMWB etc. I firmly believe we have reached a critical time where we need to innovate or die – just as the whole news media is having to do.

The critical influence on our world today is how people want to take part and contribute. Membership of clubs is dropping and the number of people willing to put their hand up to manage those clubs is also evaporating. Time is just too precious to make that contribution, and so much is now so easily accessible online.

So, we reach somewhat of a crossroads. We must consider our ability to relate to our audience (not just our members but the wider model railway world). We must make the connections and enable those connections to be under the control of everyone engaging with us. We also need to address the rapidly rising costs. The costs of publishing the magazine (and especially its distribution costs) mean that we must review our operations without increasing our subscription rates. Four issues a year has costs that now exceed our income.

Considering the changing demographics and lifestyle changes discussed above, we have decided that rather than increase subscriptions, we move the Journal to two printed issues per year (in March and September) while developing a completely new website with news and articles that would otherwise have gone into the Journal. Our website effectively then becomes the Journal online as well as the social media platform to bring modelers together to show their wares and discuss their interests – and access to the Journal Archive as a bonus.

Our new website went live on 15th April 2024. It is a complex piece of work and the interactivity of the site itself and the opportunity for modellers (not just members) to contribute has worked well. Membership access did cause difficulties for a few members; however, this has been ironed out and the site is now working as it should.

In the wider hobby, we are seeing almost unbelievable developments occurring , many of which are being well utilised and are making an enormous contribution to modelling our local scene – both past and present – in a whole new way. We will now be able to bring these developments to you more quickly through the interactive nature of the site.

Change can sometimes be difficult to come to terms with, however we are certain that we are on the right path. We hope you continue to enjoy what we can achieve together as part of your enjoyment of the hobby.

Alan Curtis

Managing Editor Alan Curtis (Acting)

Design Editor Celyn Bennet

Social Media Editor Lewis Holden

Email: secretary@nzmrg.org.nz

Advertising Please send all bookings and digital ad files to secretary@nzmrg.org.nz or by mail to the publisher’s post box.

Publisher New Zealand Model Railway Guild Inc PO Box 180 116, Royal Heights, Auckland 0656. ISSN 0028- 8470.

Articles and Contributions We welcome contributions of ar ticles, photographs and other material. To discuss or send possible contributions please email these to editor@nzmrg.org.nz or post to the publisher’s post box.

NZ Model Railway Guild Inc Chairman: Alan Curtis

Secretary/ Treasurer: Alan Mathewson

Membership: Alan Curtis

Committee: Clive Anderson, Terr y Bradley, Andrew Stevens

Auditor: Philip Smith

Correspondents Auckland Neville Connew 09 - 836 3751

Hamilton

n-connew@xtra.co.nz

Trevor James 07- 856 6866 tkjames@actrix.co.nz Bay of Plenty Russell Jones 021- 045 1931

russell@hdb.org.nz

Wairarapa Rex Fowler

06 -377 1135 rwg_bgfowler@xtra.co.nz

Wellington Mark Andrews 04-564 4247

marksmodelworks@gmail.com Canterbury Trevor Corrin 03 -980 -7571 riversidemodels1.64@gmail.com

United Kingdom Ian Hammond +44(0)1440763742 hammond.bse@btinternet.com

The New Zealand Model Railway Guild provides a link between model railway enthusiasts with a focus on modelling the New Zealand prototypes.

4 NZ Model Railway Journal September 2024

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