Read the title carefully (Craftsman)

I love trains, I like pictures of them, but I am not a perfectionist. The hobby has so many facets, it is hard to get bored or feel like there is nothing new to learn. But I find that Model Railroad Craftsman does not help me learn as much as other available magazines.

The articles I find in this magazine seem to be written for people who are extremely interested in super detailing a model. The focus of the 'how to articles' I find in this magazine is for the expert craftsman, just like the name of the magazine. Certainly one cannot fault the magazine for this focus, as it lives up to its name.

But, and this is a big BUT, I don't find this magazine nearly as helpful for beginners or novice/intermediate skilled modelers as I do other magazines like Model Railroader Magazine (MR).

In a recent issue, the author assumed I knew all kinds of things about the 'box car' he was studying, no analyzing. I was amazed at the amount of detail he was focusing on, but I was even more dismayed at the amount of information the person assumed I already knew. One supposes that 'craftsmen' probably already have a sound skill level and knowledge basis upon which to build. This left me rather highly disillusioned with the magazine. In reading several other articles in other issues over the past few months, I have the same frustration.

Now there is nothing wrong with this approach, but as a person who is seeking to build a foundation of good skills and practices on modeling, this magazine is just too advanced. Not many of us are going to build a double slip switch from scratch, nor are we going to count the rivets on a boxcar hatch cover. Heck, I can't even see them, much less count them anymore!

Interestingly, I like the ads in train magazines, they serve as a general catalog of new products and sources. Here again, MRC falls short of my expectation; it is pretty light on advertising, something some call a benefit.