N Gauge Japanese Magazines

[Dani]

Please forgive me if this is not the right place to write this post...

I use to go each month to the kiosk to check the N scale available magazines in my country, and I buy them when I see good articles. That's the available press in Spain:

"MasTren": http://www.mastren.com
"TrenMania": http://www.trenmania.com/
"Maquetren": http://www.revistasprofesionales.com/

But I was wondering if I find these good magazines in my small country (with not so many adepts to railway modeling like Japan or other countries), how many magazines are edited in Japan, and how many directly related to N gauge? Can anybody make a list? May be it's possible to subscribe in PDF format or check main pages or old issues in their webpage...

Thanks!!!

[The_Ghan]

Well, I can't really answer your question because I don't know ... but you can start by looking here: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/827/0/1

Cheers

The_Ghan

[Dani]

Thanks!!! Good source!!!

[Webskipper]

Check out RM Models issue on the E5.

Wish it was printed in English, too.

Many RM articles are seen on the Kato Japan site.

[westfalen]

There are one or two solely N scale Japanese magazines, I get this one http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10135679, but because it's the most popular scale there general model railway magazines like 'RM Models' or 'Hobby of Model Railroading' are as much focused on N scale as American magazines are on HO, though the latter seems to have a lot of narrow gauge articles.

[clem24]

I can't read most of the Japanese (only katakana and hiragana and some kanji) so I usually end up looking at pictures LOL. From that perspective, the N. Magazine is one of the worst. 90% of their pictures are of box stock train sets, setup on adhoc layouts with usually nothing more than some box stock buildings on a grass mat. On the odd occasion, they'll feature a diorama but they only dedicate maybe 1 page with tiny pictures. And their idea of "detailing" a train is to stick on the detail parts that came with it LOL.

I personally like RM Models, but the actual N scale content can be very low. I also like how whatever is on the cover (say a diorama) is usually covered inside the magazine in detail. Whereas with N., it's just an advertising feature - so many really nice detailed scenes on the cover are just that - you won't find any traces of it in the mag.

My 2 cents...

[westfalen]

July 'Hobby of Model Railroading' arrived today. Not much N scale this issue after what I said a couple of posts ago but interesting just the same.

[Webskipper]

Anyone a regular subscriber to RM Models?

I'd like a copy of the Kato Camera Car article in RM MODELS No. 196

[clem24]

I'd like a copy of the Kato Camera Car article in RM MODELS No. 196

Is it just me or does this camera car seem really.. Pointless? What does this one do that the Tomix one didn't? It's still the same old crappy low res cam. And no DCC support. Let's see something in HD at least!

[bikkuri bahn]

I can't read most of the Japanese (only katakana and hiragana and some kanji) so I usually end up looking at pictures LOL. From that perspective, the N. Magazine is one of the worst. 90% of their pictures are of box stock train sets, setup on adhoc layouts with usually nothing more than some box stock buildings on a grass mat. On the odd occasion, they'll feature a diorama but they only dedicate maybe 1 page with tiny pictures. And their idea of "detailing" a train is to stick on the detail parts that came with it LOL.

I personally like RM Models, but the actual N scale content can be very low. I also like how whatever is on the cover (say a diorama) is usually covered inside the magazine in detail. Whereas with N., it's just an advertising feature - so many really nice detailed scenes on the cover are just that - you won't find any traces of it in the mag.

My 2 cents...

I generally don't read the N scale only mags, but when I do, this is the impression I get with this one, or any other N scale only stuff.  Basically advertising along the lines of "lets line up a bunch of pretty trains", rather than modeling.  The special editions/"mooks" are better, as they often focus on a theme, like painting techniques.  RM models the best in terms of a balance and concern/observation for the prototype, and TMS though a bit stodgy, still promotes the handcraft aspect of modeling, and actually profiles real model layouts.

[The_Ghan]

I bought a few copies of RM from HS but nearly hung myself over the shipping cost - even SAL was over the top.  The only print I'm buying in future (unless I'm in Japan) is the catalogs.

Cheers

The_Ghan