Unsolicited Praise For Another Great Issue

[wallyworld]

By way of unsolicited feedback, the consistency and variety of the material in Classic Trains is exceptional and is the only magazine I have subscribed to where I have not found any disagreement from my side as a reader with it's editorial prerogatives. It is a wonderfully balanced publication as well as having layouts  of the most stunning images of color photography , some rare, some provoking fond memories. The D&H cover leaps out at the reader..even the non rail fan members of my family were spied thumbing through the issue simply based on the cover.  I seldom ,if ever, impressed by a magazine to the extent I have with Classic Trains..a class act. ..It is very reminiscent of Trains under David P Morgan's leadership, a paean to the romance and colorful vanished world of railroads, before uniformity and local color faded away.  

[selector]

I don't know how much feedback the editorial staff gets from year to year, or month to month, but I agree, and I hope they get some satisfaction when they read your comments, and hopefully more to follow.  I have only ever subscribed to two magazines in my life, now in my 60th year.  They are Sky and Telescope, which I ceased years ago, and now Classic Trains.  I would....should I say it...........aww, what the heck....I would pay a lot more for those four issues each year if I could be sure the same orientation, philosophy, balance, and quality were to persist until I gasp my last.   I also purchase every special edition, and eagerly await the fast locomotives special about to be sent off to customers.

I really like the high overhead shots taken from aircraft, shots inside busy commuter centers and stations, technical information, and anecdotal accounts of life 'back then'. 

Keep it coming, Gentlemen.

May I suggest a special edition heavy into steam mechanics, some stories about line-side fixes that helped them to get to the next service facility?  What seemed to break or require an inordinate amount of attention at stops, and why?  Even a comparative in-depth look at a modern steam programme would be great where the differences in what was possible, the limitations, expectations, between now and then.

Best wishes.  And thanks ever so much.

Crandell

[Firelock76]

I wasn't planning on subscribing to "Classic Trains", but I was VERY favorably impressed with a rapid response from Mr. McGonigal to an e-mail of mine requesting some research assistance for a friend, so I did.  Hey, one good turn deserves another, right?  I'm not sorry, the magazine is a class act, I should have subscribed years ago. The only possible improvement I could see is a section devoted to in-depth coverage of railroad preservation projects and success stories, similar to "Locomotive and Railway Preservation" magazine  that was around in the 90's.  Yep, the old "Eleanor P."  which I miss terribly. 

Keep up the good work folks! 

[daveklepper]

I can second Wallyworld's comments in toto regarding the magazine itself, but I also like TRAINS a lot and enjoy keeping uptodate with North American Railroading and rail transit from a very balanced and carefully honest perspective.

[thomas81z]

enough cant be said about classic trains, in the rail wasteland called florida it saves me every issue

i come from nh & i lived right near the main line for guilford rail & amtrak ,

my son & i railfanned everyday allday or we were downstairs running ho scale layout ,man i miss all that

so this is my solace thank you Ct

[Great Western]

I always look forward to getting and reading Classic Trains.  I have learned a lot about the American railway scene, especially in the end of stream to early diesel eras from its pages.  The period I model is 1950 to 1970 in 1:29 scale. 

Garden Railways is also bought mainly for garden railroading information and Trains, when I can get it, provides most present day facts and figures for me.  Model Railroader is not on the list but I do look at the MR web site: of particular interest is the thread about prototype information for the modeler..

The order of preference is as per the list above.

I do also enjoy reading the Classic Trains Special Issues.   Here again much information of interest is to be read.

Many thanks Kalmbach.