The Classic Machinery Network

The way I see it at least we got a magazine that has mostly Classic kit in it.Just remember a few years back we had bugger all bar sales pamphlets and one construction equipment magazine and very little on Classic machinery in general.Hopefully Peter will take our comments on board to his bosses and they may give him the go ahead for more Classic machines to be featured.I have every sympathy with the managing editor.A survey carried out by the magazine found that some readers were interested in new plant.Maybe they should take Eartmovers mag and let C P & M,concentrate on what it says on the tin. Classic Plant.I think Classic plant should mean Classic plant.
It is very hard to please everyone.

I have said it before I love both magazines !! But at the end of the day they are both totally different publications

I am simply happy to have two magazines about my favourite passion plant & machinery, they are both in my opinion very good magazines but as others have said it is an impossible mission to please everyone As in everyday life there will unfortunetly always be the serial whingers who don't like this and don't like that

I for instance do not like the articles in CP&M about old trucks but at the end of the day I am sure many people do enjoy that kind of stuff, so I just live with it and don't read them.

I say keep up the good work on both magazines

Nick

It looks like my post was Binned??? anyhow Peter Simpson is the Captain of the ship, he needs to read his Mag front to back and think about the direction things are going, from my side of the glasses it's Down Hill Slowly, only a few articles are worth reading, if it didn't have the Motorway stuff + plus a few small add's it would not be worth reading, it realy is going to the dogs, do something to put an end to this bland script.

tctractors

tctractors wrote:It looks like my post was Binned??? anyhow Peter Simpson is the Captain of the ship, he needs to read his Mag front to back and think about the direction things are going, from my side of the glasses it's Down Hill Slowly, only a few articles are worth reading, if it didn't have the Motorway stuff + plus a few small add's it would not be worth reading, it realy is going to the dogs, do something to put an end to this bland script.

tctractors

its still in the dick hamptons thread TC so i copied the relevant bit to put here

The Classic Plant Mag, I think is printed by JCB, all the time there is some feature about the latest thing that JCB think we need, or have just built Via 3 robots and 1 worker, the Classic Mag Team think we need these **se Kissing dittys to keep a balance of the latest " What-ever " that fills the pages, they should stick to the plot and stop printing stuff that does not fit the Mag Title.

I'll add my comments on magazines to the discussion.

Generally CP&M has interesting articles with 90% + very interesting and the articles on related companies such as US truck builders interesting, but some of the coverage on UK firms seems to be lacking depth (prehaps the authors are holding material back for there next book ?). The new machine stuff as long as short anouncements is OK but some look more like press release material that would be better just as shorter summaries f recent new machines rather than filling ap age as its more relevant to Earthmovers target audience. But then Earthmovers are featuring a few articles on older machines or company history so its reasonable for CP&M to cover Unusual new machines but not every new machine.

The biggest issue with CP&M is the new layouts poor and the increasing use of coloured backgrounds for text makes reading some article or features hard. (Yes others also do it but not as much). Tractor & Machinery has a better layout IMO.

CP&M has less advertising so appears a bit thin especially compared to Earthmovers and T&M. The format of its sister magazine "Old Tractor is now better generally than CP&M were as previously CP&M was superior to Old Tractor. (Bring back the old format ?).

More articles on the history of less well Known manufactures would be good but is the info out there ? and writing articles is not as easy as it first appears as I've found trying to write articles for Wikipedia and Tractor wiki. Also more artcle detailing the model histories of popular machines and the variations that the Tractor magazines seam to be able to do better or is it that the authors of the tractors articles have more info available as they have been researched in greater detail and the machines sold in far higher numbers originally. ?

We as enthusiasts are fortunate to have a growing number of magazines covering our interests but we are also getting too many to chose from if we have wide raning interest in historic vehicles and machinery in general.

With CP&M, Earthmovers, Construction news, Tractors, Old tractor, Vintage Tractor, Classic Tractor, Old Glory, Steam ?, Vintage spirit, Classic commercials, Classic Massey, Ford & Fordson Tractors, Stationary engine, and others with some occasional articles of interest. Its as stated by another member above a decision each visit to the newsagent as to which magazine to grace with my custom as prices increase and relavent content / format influencing that disision each time. (I've dropped my Construction new subscription as the price has risen and content of interest dropped) Is CP&M next to go ? (I have every issue up to now as with Earthmovers ). I could buy a couple of proper Books each month if I dropped a few mags with them heading for £4 each.

Also sites like this have plenty of interesting photos and Info for free so ALL the magazines need to keep there eye on the content to retain interest!!

Rant over Dave

Oops, and all I did was mention that an article on Dick Hampton had failed to appear on that other thread .....................

I've got to agree with TC and the others who say that the new stuff in Classic Plant just detracts from the magazine. There was discussion about this on the ACMOC board in the past too.

I too started at issue one, but no longer subscribe as the content is diluted with dross, and I now 'review' in a shop before deciding to purchase or not.

Earthmovers is good at times too, but I find it too similar from month to month - I think they featured more unusual plant in the early days rather than yet another article on a reduced tail-swing 360 degree etc, etc.

One of the problems in specialist magazines is attracting advertisers, as it is the adverts that usually keep it afloat as opposed to subscribers alone, and the vintage tractor mags attract a lot of ads from restoration companies and suppliers whereas there isn't much to compare in vintage plant - you'll realise that from the quite low numbers of earthmoving machines in preservation compared to the hundreds of tractors.

I'm amazed by magazines like Vintage Roadscene, which is as the title suggests, is packed full of period articles, and very little advertising. This month (I bought it as it has an article on the the first motorways and the Ford Thames based 'Powertruc' self-propelled compressor) it has 68 pages with only eight pages of advertising.

Another benefit that some specialist magazines have is access to specialist transport photo collections of trucks, trains etc, which seem lacking in construction except for the collections of enthusiasts as post here (thanks to all of you who do ). But the bigger companies in the industry, both plant makers and contractors, must have photo collections which are yet virtually untapped.

I'm begining to sound like a publications consultant. Oh, wait a minute, I am ........

Dave.

i dont subscribe to any magazines, i simply read what catches my eye. i was dissapointed with last month's cp&m, the feature on the jcb 5c was obiviously a copy (or very close to) the original sales brochure. stuff like this is'nt helping. all the more puzzling when peter simpson is quoted as saying there is loads of content waiting to go in the magazine

nicky lamb wrote:Fair comment TC,I have just cancelled my standing order for Classic Plant and Earthmovers at my local newsagent.I still prefere Classic Plant mag but there is alot of mini digger,JCB stuff in there that doesn't float my boat.That type of content would be more suited to Earthmovers I think.Some of the features are good and I don't just refere to the 1960's motorway stuff.I would like to see regular features on allsorts of muckshifting companies from big outfits to small outfits.There is endless content other than just JC Balls or SE Davies.lets see some more of Tarmac,Wimpey,McAlpine,Blackwell,Becher,Budge,Merriman,VHE,Manghan Shaw,Gravelle,Morshan,Dick Hampton,Public Works,Shellabear Price.....the list of interesting topics is endless and that's before you feature the smaller outfits.I have decided to buy these mags whenever I flick through them and if they don't tickle my fancy,then back on the shelf they go!!

Absolutely agree with all your comments---Innes

I would like to see articles on Wimpey,Blackwells etc etc.but who is going to spend time and write about them for the mag?
I know Peter is keeping a close eye on this thread and it has givern him something to think about.I have put a few ideas forward as well.
They way I see it you can cut the amount of "new " machine articles or increase the number of pages to accomodate the material that is available waiting publication in the magazine.
Martyn

There seems to be a lot of anti JCB feeling,just wondered why.

B100 LOADER wrote:I would like to see articles on Wimpey,Blackwells etc etc.but who is going to spend time and write about them for the mag?
I know Peter is keeping a close eye on this thread and it has givern him something to think about.I have put a few ideas forward as well.
They way I see it you can cut the amount of "new " machine articles or increase the number of pages to accomodate the material that is available waiting publication in the magazine.
Martyn



There seems to be a lot of anti JCB feeling,just wondered why.

I just have to say Martyn,

I am lost for words over what I have read in this thread, I am dissapointed to read the VERY negative comments from many people I did not expect to read such things from !

I know that you and me have had a fair bit of contact with Mr Simpson and probably have a bit more background knowledge on what is planned so perhaps we are seeing things in a different light

Nick.