From the Dome Car: Train Nine, Track Four (November-December, 1999)



 










My turn to write a Dome Car again! This time, I give readers a peek behind the editing curtain by answering questions about articles. Questions like why it takes so long to publish them, and why we edit them at all. And I proclaim the advantage of e-mail, still a relatively new technology back then. (We were still getting a lot of articles sent to us on disks.) And I let readers know about their chance to see, for the very first time, the great Waterloo Region Model Railway Club layout. (In the pages of CRM.) These days, we get to see it often online. But back then, CRM was the only way people across the country could learn about it—another great reason why the magazine was such a good thing for Canadian modellers. 

One of the questions we get asked most frequently is: "When will my article be published?" As a freelance author myself, I know how hard it is to wait to see if an article is accepted by a publication, and then wait to see it in print. But the truth is that most publications, including this one, can't tell you exactly when an article will be published. "Sometime in the future", is the best we can do. 

There are several reasons for that: One is that we normally work ahead a couple of issues. Since we're a bi-monthly, this means at a minimum that a new submission won't appear for at least two to four months. 

Second, we have a number of items in the queue already, and we need to publish them first. 

Finally, we have to perform a bit of a juggling act, trying to balance the number of CN/CP, steam/diesel, passenger/ freight car, N scale/HO scale, etc. articles we get. We try to make sure that there's a good balance between eras, railways and other types of articles. Your article on MOW cars may come along at a time after we've just published one or two articles on that subject. As a result, it will need to wait a bit. 

Another question concerns editing. Why do we edit articles? One answer is because we're editors; if we didn't edit, we wouldn't have any work to do! More seriously, a big reason is space considerations. With a limited number of pages per issue, we want to make sure we have enough room not only for other articles, but also for photos, diagrams and parts lists, etc. 

We also try to edit material which would be unclear to a national audience unfamiliar with a regional railroad or to clarify steps in a construction article (if we don't understand it, readers won't either). 

Where possible, we are happy to send edited material back to authors for approval—something made easier by e-mail. 

Another purpose of editing is to help some authors get published at all. There are many skilled modellers out there who would prefer to be poked in the eye with a sharp stick rather than write an article. We can help; even if all you can do is jot down some ideas in point form, if we think we can use it we can work with you to knock it into shape. All we ask is that you send it on disk or, better yet, e-mail it to us. 

We continue to be grateful for all those who take the time to share their modelling with our readers. 

Recently, we've been able to uncover a few more authors by scouring club newsletters; one of the best sources, in this regard, is The Interchange, the publication of the Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders. Writing for your own club newsletter is a good way to get started in writing about your modelling. As a bonus, we might see it and ask permission to reprint it in CRM! 

Finally, a note about an upcoming article: There's something special happening in the small town of Maryhill, Ontario (near Kitchener): One of the largest HO scale club layouts in Canada is taking shape. The layout, which replicates CP Rail around Sudbury in the 1970s, is in a 2,000 square foot Quonset hut. It features a 1,500-foot mainline and 500-foot branchline on two levels of what can be best described as a 'mushroom design'—the ceiling of one level is the floor of the next. We'll be giving you a first look at this amazing creation in the near future. 

Well, it's winter again, which means two things for Canadians: Your lawn looks exactly the same as the one belonging to the neighbour who spends countless hours and dollars on greenery—they're both brown or covered with snow; and, it's time to get back to modelling and working on the layout.

From all of us here, please have a very safe and happy holiday season. We'll see you in 2000!






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