My 2 cents on the various mags: I guess I am fortunate to have a well stocked hobby shop nearby, it stocks: MR, RMC, Model Railroading, Railmodel Journal, Mainline Modeler as well as the specialty mags like N Scale and Narrow Gauge Gazette or whatever its title is. Being I'm into HO standard gauge, I don't read those. I do not suscribe to any of these mags, I look forward to checking each one out for its content each month. Honestly, I often buy a mag just to have something to read at lunchtime more than for an article that is of particular interest to me. The $4.50 or so for the mag means nothing to me if it entertains me for an hour or two. I look primarily for articles which may reveal a new tecnique, either scenery, structure building or freight car darta, etc. I almost never buy Railmodel Journal. Yes, it is printed on wonderful paper and it prides itself on being true to prototype, but its articles aren't really articles, there isn't enough reading in one to keep me busy more than 15 minutes typically. If I want a list of detail parts for a given car or loco featured that month I will buy it. Mainline Modeler is a great mag but I seldom buy it, it frankly is too advanced for me! I don't care much for Model Railroading, but buy it several time a year. RMC and MR I buy almost every month. Some months have nothing of interest and I take a pass, but not often. I enjoy reading constuction articles even when they are for items which I have no use for. Like I said, I'm passing time. These two mags have well written articles usually starting with some historical info I find interesting. Yes, after having read these mags for over 20 years, there is a lot of repetition. Hey, there are new people entering the hobby all the time and they need that info. At this point I basically know all I need to know as a minimum, the mag isn't to educate me but entertain me. MR and RMC do that best, IMHO.