From the pages of Canadian Railway Modeller: Morgan Turney, in his own words

  Year two! Publishing a magazine is hard work, as Morgan discovered. So making it to a second year is worth celebrating. To mark the occasion, he had a special anniversary box car made; maybe some of you have one. (Only 250 were made.) A miss with a CRM hat, though, as Morgan explained. And a new feature announced: One evening projects.  As this issue begins the second year for Canadian Railway Modeller magazine, we want to thank all those who have supported us during our first year. Our policy is to deliver a quality product unique to the Canadian modelling scene and to this end, we have succeeded. Our future goal is to  maintain this specialized product at its optimum level and with that in mind,  certain priorities have been set and are being implemented to carry us through these recessive times.   Our schedule has been behind and we will take ALL the steps necessary for correction. There have been some personnel changes at "head office". Nadene McBride ...

  One year of issues done! Morgan is pretty proud of that, as he should be. He is also looking ahead, mentioning for the first time something that would become a regular feature of CRM: Canadian Archives, which brought readers H.O. scale plans of locomotives from the Ontario Society of H.O. Model Engineers. And to remind younger people of what the world of model railroading was like over 30 years ago, Morgan talks about an upcoming article about how to convert a Con-Cor passenger car into something that would stand in for The Canadian. (Something I did to make a reasonable facsimile of a Park car.)   And who would have believed that we would make this far; a whole year has gone by and with this issue Canadian Railway Modeller is ONE YEAR OLD! Congratulations are definitely in order.    To all of us, our readers, contributors, hobby shops, advertisers, staff, printer, lithographer and, yes, even our post office. It hasn’t been without challenges, but by golly we ...

As the new year begins, Morgan has had to apply for a GST number. And he’s now in the clothing business, selling sweatshirts. Still some challenges, but he says they will soon be off the siding and on to the mainline. And already he’s beginning to note the role CRM will play for future historians of Canadian railway modelling. (Like this blog, perhaps, although he Internet wasn’t even a dream in 1991.)   Well, another issue headed down the track, it’s a good sign! It means we need to start working on the next one. Things are happening at a rapid pace around here, in more ways than one.   You will soon notice hobby shops selling Canadian Railway Modeller sweat shirts. The shirts will only be available through Canadian hobby shops and we trust that you will give them your support if you are interested in purchasing one. It will help both the shops and the magazine through these tough economic times that we all face.  All Canadian hobby shops listed in our  Hobby Sh...

  More challenges with issue number four! This time it’s the need to raise the price per issue and dealing with the implications of the new “Gouge and Screw Tax” (GST), as Morgan called it. There were also farewells and welcomes for new people to help keep the magazine running.   Murphy's law! Needless to say, that old sidewinder has caught up with us lately and when he rears his ugly head, sometimes it's a battle controlling him. As predicted, he shows up at the most inappropriate times, especially when things are running on schedule, or so we thought!   Despite the challenges from good old Murphy, Canadian Railway Modeller magazine goes out into the world, one issue at a time.   Congratulations are in order to Ted Deller, who will become the new news anchor at CBC Saskatoon very soon. Ted has edited for us in fine fashion and will continue to produce material for CRM from time to time.   In the next breath, we stumble at the loss of Laura Ayers to anot...

By the third Dome Car, Morgan was beginning to note some of the challenges in publishing a magazine—like mistakes! But he was also feeling proud that CRM was now counted among the 60 or so model railroad magazines being published back then.   After retrieving the mail the other day, I was astonished—and amazed—to learn just how packed the hobby magazine publishing industry is.   To my surprise, I counted no less than 60 publications listed as "periodicals of possible interest to the model railroader and/or rail fan'' as compiled and issued by the DataServe Multimedia Network. In the detailed list, 45 were American, seven were German, three from Great Britain and one each from Austria, Belgium, Switzeland and Italy. And ONE from Canada!   Well, I'll tell ya, was I proud? From your letters as readers, I can now understand your feelings of pride when you write ''we need you", "keep up the great work,” “nice to have a Canadian modelling magazine....

  In his second Dome Car, Morgan runs up against the challenge facing any editor--especially one that is a one-person staff and depends on contributions from writers. Not enough articles! Plus challenges with photography. Just two issues in, he is facing the question of getting enough good material to keep the magazine going.  Summer is fast approaching, and finally we can go railfanning in shorts. That is until the bugs begin their summer!   Some of us have already seen the new GE Dash S units (look at the size or them fuel tanks!") and out here, the Prairie Dog will be pulling its Sunday passengers to the sounds of puffing  steam and the shrill of the whistle. We never tire of those sights and sounds.   The intention of this column is not as a crying towel, but as a place to call attention to certain needs and to express some feelings. I won 't carry on with the crying very long, as tears don 't produce results. Its results that I am interested in, to brin...

  It's finally out! After a twenty-year gap, a publication appears that dedicates itself to modellers who "do it Canadian".   I am, as the Editor of CANADIAN RAILWAY MODELLER, very pleased and take great pride i n presenting the Premier issue of CRM to you, the modellers who want more information in regards to Canadian roads and railways.   And to those who have been so patient, from our very first subscriber to those who have submitted articles, I com [1] mend you for your support and faith that the job would be done.   And done it is! Aricless from modellers from coast to coast. Canadian models, Canadian equipment, Canadian structures, Canadian trains. Every article about an aspect of modelling Canadian roads. And with advertisers: Every ad about a piece of equipment that is Canadian or that can be  made into a Canadian road. This is terrific!   The idea for this publication is not new. But it is different. We will try to get it right, to be the best that...

  In 1990, Morgan Turney started Canadian Railway Modeller, Canada’s major national model railroad magazine.   From then until 2018, he produced 121 issues. The last one came out in summer of 2018. In each of those issues, he wrote what he called “From the Dome Car,” an editorial about the magazine, various aspects of modelling, or about the state of the hobby in Canada. (And an occasional rant!)   From 1995 to 2013, I worked with Morgan on CRM, starting as a volunteer editorial assistant before becoming the associate editor. It gave me a front-row seat on the hobby in Canada during that time, as well as a life-long friendship with Morgan.   In some respects, Morgan’s musings are a snapshot of the history of the hobby in Canada during the time CRM existed—from his position at the centre of it all. (That position being his basement office in Winnipeg.)   I originally thought it would be as easy as taking a screen shot of each Dome Car, but it turns out too ...