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.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
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
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!
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.
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
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.
Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad
http://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)