Which is why I buy Railpace " The Northeasts Own Railnewsmagazine everytime I am in a major hobbyshop that carries it...I understand that Chicago and the midwest is in Trains Mag backyard but please hire some correspendents out here like Dave Klepper who I enjoy his stories a lot.
It's a big country. Kind of hard to cover the whole thing all the time.
I have a similar complaint about some other magazines, albeit for the east. Yet all of them manage to cover railroad stories from all over the country over time.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
divebardave Which is why I buy Railpace " The Northeasts Own Railnewsmagazine everytime I am in a major hobbyshop that carries it...I understand that Chicago and the midwest is in Trains Mag backyard but please hire some correspendents out here like Dave Klepper who I enjoy his stories a lot.
That being said, I have a LOT of Trains magazines, the complete DVD collection for one, and that claim is absurdly wrong. There are so many featured Chicago free stories and Chicago Free issues I wonder if you want NE stories only. (Cool area)
You could rant about a California obsession and have a just as strong case.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
No publication can cover everything completely evenly. Stands to reason that a publication based in the Midwest might have slightly more midwest content (which is perfectly fine with me). Back in the day Rail Classics seemed to be California - centric, and I recall reading some complaints about that.. didn't bother me.. trains are trains..
Murphy SidingI dunno. That other magazine is too Northeast-centric.
Calling it a "nesmagazine" is a stretch, too. Way too many uninformed editorial comments in the various captions/articles. Or at least it was last time I read one of those crappy things.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
[quote user="Ulrich"]
"...No publication can cover everything completely evenly. Stands to reason that a publication based in the Midwest might have slightly more midwest content (which is perfectly fine with me)..."
Back in the day Rail Classics seemed to be California - centric, and I recall reading some complaints about that.. didn't bother me.. trains are trains..
[/quote]
I can't really argue with what Ulrich stated in the highlighted area of his comments....TRAINS seems to have a fairly well balanced presentation of not only mostly American RR's, but also a a lot of information on our Canadian friends. There is a broad cross- section in the readership that is present on these Forums. The magazine doesa seem to have a particluarly upper midwestern rails approach, BUT reading through the Forum Poster's comments; there is certainly, a pretty broad representation of all interests available.
If one magazine does notsuit an individual's appetites, my suggestion is to pick up other Kalmbach Publications, to broaden out one's railroading interests. And then if one wants mre variety, the other publications mentions certain should round-out, railfans other areas of interest.
It's a big country, 3,000 miles wide last time I looked, with lot's of railfans in it, and "Trains" has to keep them all happy. I think they're doing a pretty good job. They don't hit it out of the park with every issue, but do manage to "put it in the stands" most of the time. I've got no complaints.
I subscribe to "Railpace" myself. Others might not care for it but I find it very enjoyable. A guilty pleasure of mine are their NJ Transit and Amtrak rants.
I would opine that the OP would have garnered more support if he had suggested Wisconsin-centric instead if Chicago-centric.
When a deadline looms, it's hard to roam very far from base to get a story/photo.
Would the OP prefer indepth reviews of dive bars in Chicago and the midwest.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
rrnut282I would opine that the OP would have garnered more support if he had suggested Wisconsin-centric instead if Chicago-centric.
Agree. Back when Wisconsin Central was around, it was my impression that it was their darling. Just home town decision I guess.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
BaltACD Would the OP prefer indepth reviews of dive bars in Chicago and the midwest.
For him, relief is just a 6-pack away.
I have been reading TRAINS since 1979, and it has varied over time. Years ago there was a period of several years where the coverage was all Midwest, all the time. I seriously considered not subscribing any more, but kept on taking the magazine and the coverage became more balanced; don't know what changed, but something (more likely someone) certainly did. The Wisconsin Central coverage did get a little tiresome, but after a while it subsided. I was astounded three or four years ago to see an article on the shortline that is nearest my out-of-the-way hometown, which was very much appreciated (at least by me). I always try to keep in mind that my areas of interest are not exactly huge traffic areas, and not the center of interest for great hordes of railfans.
How many railroads serve or connect through Chicago? How many serve Boston? I would wager Chicago has a lot more railroads and railroading action. And so it ought not surprise the area generates more stories. Much as I love the B&O in the Potomac Valley, I can't expect the same amount of coverage as the UP or other Chicago feeders.
The original post reminds of the complaint from one subscirber after an article on European rails was published--he wanted no knowledge of railroads outside the United States.
Johnny
Deggesty The original post reminds of the complaint from one subscirber after an article on European rails was published--he wanted no knowledge of railroads outside the United States.
Could have been worse, Johnny. Remember the guy who was so incensed at the "All Diesel" issue he tore it in half and sent it to David P. Morgan?
Which kind of strikes me as bordering on lese majeste'.
Hey, several years ago "Classic Trains" put out an issue that was mostly about interurbans. That's not a subject that interested me much but I found that issue absolutely fascinating, this was an aspect of "steel wheel on steel rail" that I knew little or nothing about.
But, "CT" did get a grouchy letter from a subscriber, "What's interurbans got to do with REAL railroading?" What can I say? I found that issue so good I kept it! It's never going into the recycle bin!
There's an old saying, "I can't give you a recipe for success, but I can give you one for failure. Try to please everyone."
Wayne
I recall the irate letters when the mag had an article about European rails which is my main point of interest but if it has steel wheels and runs on rails, I'm interested. It's all the same church, just a different pew.
Trains has many extremely parochial readers, apparently.
charlie hebdo Trains has many extremely parochial readers, apparently.
But thank goodness apparantly not in the majority.
DPM also noted that the first All-Diesel issue did not result in any subscription cancellations. While I do have my preferences, if it's any form of railroading or rail transit, I will be interested.
Any such publication will have it's hard-core purists, and so will associated forums. Sometimes they're right, and sometimes they're just being fussy.
Where you run into problems is when someone's perceived concept of the platform differs from the actual concept of said platform, as illustrated by the European trains "problem."
Didn't DPM himself do an article on European rails, I think specifically British, and get some grief at the time over it? Not a lot mind you, but some?
More lese majeste' in my opinion. I don't call him "David The Great" for nothing.
If the original poster's statement were true, I don't believe that I would have traveled to the four corners of the lower 48 to hunt for trains. I do see other magazines (I gave up on Railpace because I found that that magazine was too parochial), but Trains is still the go-to place for thorough and authoritative coverage. If anyone feels that his or her area is not covered well enough, please feel free to remedy that.(Subtle dig...run a decent steam locomotive in New England, and Mr. Wrinn will be knocking on your door!)
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
.....And not one person has looked at a rail map of North America and the US (don't get MSNBC involved!) and noticed where the density of rail lines is? ....
Just spent Friday explaining who Big 4 was to a surveyor in St. Louis who encountered the remains of them 4 times in two weeks. Do a story on them (pre- 1922, and not NYC ad-nauseum).
Never had much faith in some of the other "pulp" that was poorly produced, poorly editted and /or opinionated beyond stupid.
https://chi.streetsblog.org/ and https://www.streetsblog.org/ the Streetsblogs update me on transit news from around the country.
Right with you, MC!How many folks these days know why some of the NYC's passenger trains went to Central Station instead of LaSalle Street, or why some, but not all, of them later switched...or where the Pere Marquette trains went before Grand Central...or which railroad was the "guest" at Dearborn Station, or why the C&NW station had some guest railroads for two years...or which railroads served which 63rd Street Station......or how some gal named Bernice helped the Pennsy get all of its trains into the south end of Union Station...Oh, we could go on!
Through the years I've found something of interest in each issue. Personally I'd now like to see an in-depth series on the functioning of the railroads during WWI and WWII. Also cities like Cincinnati during their robust times (not thinking CUT).
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