Yes the vintage mags. have less stuff because a lot had not been invented or only in 1s and 2s and the word was getting out. Look for mags from the 70s- early90s. I still have most of mine from the late 70s-mid 80s and I look at them as they have real information. During that time frame RCM(my fav.)had 3 construction articles per issue, engine, radio, tequniques, product test without authors names so they could be honest; a different world. The AMA was similar but had from the the other sectors of the hobby, but it was about making models not about people and their models. The old guys spent a lot of time at the local hardware store and were not ashamed of it. RCM, Model Builder, AMA, Flying Models, Model AIrplane News are good ones.

Speaking of model trains and hardware stores, there is a small town near by and in the town square there is a "real" hardware store still. Upstairs there is a HO setup that goes through the attic of all the stores on that block; each attic has its own setting and style. From what I understand you have to have a yard master and a switchman before the engineer can drive one train and if you want to go the whole track it takes more than that.