henry6Operations and railroaders were not in charge...those representing stockholders and other investors were...they didn't care about trains and railroading they cared about money.
Railroads being controlled by investors is an old story. I agree, Pennsylvania Chairman Stuart Saunders was in charge. He and Alfred Perlman did not get along with each other very well. Perlman resented his subordinate position and said the PC was not a merger but a "takeover." He sure felt taken over. But in the end neither the railroaders nor the stockholders came out very well.
blownout cylinderI enjoyed the article about the GCT
The two page photograph deserves to be an icon in its own right.
I fail to see how Trains considers itself THE magazine of railroading? The spirit of Al Kalmbach, David P. Morgan and lovely Rosemary Entringer are no longer to be found between the covers of what was once really THE Magazine of Railroading! The number of pages has dwindled while the price continues to climb and Union Pacific at 150 and Grand Central Terminal at 100 both deserved an entire issue devoted to them and not just some loose articals between two covers combined with other subjects that are not related to the subject at all. Both issues in my opinion are Bummers and a Rip Off considering the price of the magazines. I saved my money!
I cancelled my subscription to Trains several years ago and until Kalmbach can turn out a 100 page magazine each month I won't even consider purchasing a single issue. Railroad news can only be read by subscribing to the magazine while the same information can be obtained from several sources at no charge: Railfan & Railroad, Railpace, Railway Age and Progressive Railroading magazines are four that come to mind and all the news is available on their online sites for free!
Kalmbach needs to return to their roots and bring back the type of magazine that Al Kalmbach envisioned when he launched it in November 1940. One well known book dealer in Minnesota discontinued advertising several years ago because the rates continued to climb to the point he could no longer afford even the small quarter inch space that he used to take out.
Several well known newspapers and magazines have bit the dust putting the blame on the internet but the core problem is the lack of professional writers like David P. Morgan who was the best editor Trains ever had or Freeman Hubbard who held the same position at Railroad Magazine. Both Morgan and Hubbard also authored several excellent books on railroading as well and are still good reads even today as are the books on railroading that S. Kip Farrington, Jr. wrote in the 40s and 50s. Like Lucius Beebe, who can probaby be credited for the beginning of mass produced railroad books that started in the 30s, these men were real writers and when one started to read these men's prose, it was hard to put a book down until read from cover to cover. Not many men can fill their shoes today.
"Kalmbach needs to return to their roots and bring back the type of magazine that Al Kalmbach envisioned when he launched it in November 1940. ....
Several well known newspapers and magazines have bit the dust putting the blame on the internet but the core problem is the lack of professional writers like David P. Morgan who was the best editor Trains ever had or Freeman Hubbard who held the same position at Railroad Magazine. Both Morgan and Hubbard also authored several excellent books on railroading as well and are still good reads even today as are the books on railroading that S. Kip Farrington, Jr. wrote in the 40s and 50s. Like Lucius Beebe, who can probaby be credited for the beginning of mass produced railroad books that started in the 30s, these men were real writers and when one started to read these men's prose, it was hard to put a book down until read from cover to cover. Not many men can fill their shoes today."
Boomer, I have to agree with you on most of what you are saying...I picked some key points here. I will defend Jim Wrinn, however, as doing a fairly good job, one of the better attempts at Editing Trains since DPM. But in Train's overall defense, fluff and lip service has become the staple of publishing overall, not just here. And both Hubbard and Morgan came along at a most romantic and changing time in railroading and were able to capitalize on the national as well as fan feelings. Beebe and Clegg and their brethren photographers likewise were able to capitalize on the time and the technology. Today anyone with a cell phone is a news or art photographer with any problems erased or modified in the computer. Can, or even should, Trains, etc. return to those glory days of yesteryear? Be nice if they did. Be nice if they could. But I don't believe technology nor society will allow it to happen.
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Norm
Trinity River Bottoms Boomer I fail to see how Trains considers itself THE magazine of railroading? The spirit of Al Kalmbach, David P. Morgan and lovely Rosemary Entringer are no longer to be found between the covers of what was once really THE Magazine of Railroading! ---{snip}--- Not many men can fill their shoes today.
I fail to see how Trains considers itself THE magazine of railroading? The spirit of Al Kalmbach, David P. Morgan and lovely Rosemary Entringer are no longer to be found between the covers of what was once really THE Magazine of Railroading! ---{snip}---
Not many men can fill their shoes today.
My 27 and one-half cents:
I recently discovered that my local library has trains back issues in hard bound, annual collections. Back quite a ways, too.
And yes, there seems to be more "meat on the table" in the issues past than has been been offered here in some time.
It's hard to put an exact finger on the (decline) problem, but I think that at least part of the problem is they appear to be writing more to the people side of railroading, rather than the business and plant. That's the way it looks to me anyway, and frankly I have people all around me, all the time. I don't need a magazine to cater to my social fancy when I'm surrounded by clowns and their personal issues 24/7 as it is.
But, maybe this isn't entirely the doings of the magazine staff.
Looking at the way "reality TV" has gobbled up the television dial at the expense of just about everything "cerebral", (gosh I hate all the "pop"crud) maybe the magazine is simply writing to their perceived audience., where today's ADHD mindset seems to begrudge just about every subject a 15 second attention span?
I see that Newsweek has just put out it's last print version ever. And a few other mags I've relished in the past have gone "electric only", so perhaps that is the inevitable fate here, as well?
Where will it end? Well pehaps the publishers need to start thinking about issuing free E-readers to a public who otherwise might never see their nice advertising?
Just a thought
There are always people crying "O tempora o mores." Since the above critic assures us he has cancelled his subscription his information does not come from actually reading the magazine.
Thank you, Trinity River Bottoms Boomer, for mentioning that gracious lady, Rosemary Entringer. She was a wonderful part of the Trains editorial team; I believe she read every word--and corrected spelling, punctuation, syntax, and anything else necessary--of every issue of the magazine before it was printed.
She welcomed me when, one September morn in 1968 (in on the Pioneer from Minneapolis, out on the Morning Hi to Chicago), I arrived at the Trains office unannounced, and introduced me to Frank Shaffer when she had to return to her work. Frank and I had a pleasant conversation--and he even mentioned me in his column soon after.
I well remember some of her own contributions to the magazine; especially her account of one of her rides home from college via the Rock's suburban service.
Would that Trains could find someone like her to read, proof, and edit the copy of each issue!
Johnny
Let me add that Miss Entringer let me read the proof of David P. Morgan's book about locomotive 4501. I wish that I had caught his error in describing the accomodations of the sleeper Pearl River. I do not remember at the moment just how he described the car, but it as a ten section, two compartment, drawing room car. I did not notice the error until I was reading the copy of the printed book that I bought.
I do not remember just what form the proof was in; it was not really easy to read, but it was much easier than reading the negative of the instructions for using an LCD watch--printed in about 2 point type; I did this several times when I was working, and I did have to make corrections every time.
John WR As I say, Henry, I think we just have to agree to disagree here. However, I do believe that had Alfred Perlman been in charge of Penn Central from the beginning it would still be operating.
As I say, Henry, I think we just have to agree to disagree here.
However, I do believe that had Alfred Perlman been in charge of Penn Central from the beginning it would still be operating.
Eh, probably not. Not unless he could have gotten a hold of the capital money that Conrail got. He knew what the RR should look like - double track CTC, modern humps, good R&D department, but he had the NYC selling off assets at a good clip to keep up with his capital plan. When the merger occurred, the NYC was on the way to being decently downsized and modernized. The PRR still looked like it did in 1950 - except it was completely worn out. There probably wasn't enough stuff to sell off to keep the PRR side of the house modernized. "Profitable Conrail" looked a lot like the NYC mains with a moderized PRR Pittsburgh Line tacked on. It took a decade or so, and a whole bunch of dollars to get it there.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
I'll have to look at the issue at Kirkwood Library which is near the Amtrak station. I don't get the magazine anymore either, but I can remember going thru GCT with my parents to ride NYC from New York City to Niagara Falls. I'll never forget the round information/ticket counter with the clock. I watch for it when they show a movie in the station.
oltmanndEh, probably not. Not unless he could have gotten a hold of the capital money that Conrail got.
Alfred Perlman was a bright, hard working guy who really understood railroads. Maybe, just maybe, he would have gotten that money. But of course he didn't and nobody did. And what happened was not really a merger. What happened was, as Perlman pointed out, "a takeover." In the end it was all sad, very sad.
SunnylandI'll never forget the round information/ticket counter with the clock. I watch for it when they show a movie in the station.
The information booth with the clock is a New York icon, one of the many icons that make up Grand Central Terminal. And when you see Trains you will see the information booth and brass clock.
Well, I can't say "Trains" isn't as good as it used to be 'cause I don't remember it "when it used to be." I had other interests at the time. Certainly writers like Morgan, Kneiling, and Lucius Beebe (who DOES take a bit of getting used to, once you "get him" he's great!) only come along in decades. BUT, I do enjoy "Trains" and look forward to it's arrival every month. They don't "hit it out of the park" every issue but no magazine does.
The Kalmbach pub I REALLY love is "Classic Trains," WOW! I haven't had a bad issue yet, wish I'd subscribed a long time ago. If you love the old days that's the one to go with. Too bad it's a quarterly.
The other mags like "Railfan and Railroad" and "Railpace" I enjoy as well. All complement each other.
Firelock76I do enjoy "Trains" and look forward to it's arrival every month.
I'm with you, Firelock. There are certainly things from the past I remember with gratitude for being part of them (like going through the old New York Pennsylvania Station and Washington's Union Station). But we live today, not 5 or 25 years ago. For today I'll continue with Trains.
The past is a great place to visit but not anyplace to live.
I can see some of the nostalgia for earlier times when there were proofreaders and other such editors who knew their stuff. But, overall, I also remember when there were mistakes even back then that were missed and other readers would point them out.
I'd love to see something written about Buffalo Central Terminal as well.
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
henry6 The past is a great place to visit but not anyplace to live.
The Richmond authoress Helen Glasgow said it best:
"The past is like a great cathedral, a place to go to for comfort and inspiration. But you can't live there."
Classic Trains is indeed a Winner! I don't expect Trains to return to the past. It won't happen nor can it with a whole new generation of railroaders and railfans alike and the fact that railroading itself has changed dramatically as well. But Union Pacific at 150 and Grand Central Terminal at 100 both deserved an entire issue or a special like the othes that cover locomotives, passenger trains, etc.
I do flip through Trains every month here in Germany as it is sold at the newsstand in the Deutsche Bahn's Nuremberg passenger station! The other magazines, Classic Trains, Model Railroader, Great Model Railroads and Model Railroad Planning are also available as is Railfan & Railroad and Railroad Model Craftsman and several British railway magazines not to mention the many German publications.
A Kalmbach Fallen Flag that was really neat was Trains Illustrated. An annual publication that would be welcomed by many dedicated readers I think would be Classic Model Railroads. The premiere issue would of course include a cover story on the Gorre & Dephetid and the Texas & Rio Grande Western! It would cover not only the layouts built by the pros but also the layouts constructed by the MR staff like the Pine Tree Central.
John Allen's GD Line is legendary and the T&RGW Brass Hat was no other than Bill McClanahan who authored the excellent scenery book published by Kalmbach. It's only weak point was that Bill didn't include more on his layout other than a few photos. Stiil, it is a great read despite all the modern scenery methods today.
"Junior", (Ed Seay, Jr.), who runs the MAL Hobby Shop in Irving (Dallas), Texas, still has his PTC layout running in his shop! While not as large as the late Bobbye Hall's Hobby House in Big D, you still get the same big friendly Texas greeting when you enter his shop that everyone received personally from Miss Hall herself when you walked into hers. I sure miss the good hot black coffee that was always free and next to the Coke (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.) machine! and right across from the magazine rack!
How about it MR, why not give Classic Model Railroads a try?
Firelock76"The past is like a great cathedral, a place to go to for comfort and inspiration. But you can't live there."
Or perhaps like a great old railroad station.
blownout cylinder I'd love to see something written about Buffalo Central Terminal as well.
Buffalo.....That seems to ring a bell with me, and believe TRAINS did do a comprehensive article some years ago....Time gets away, but at least 10 yrs. ago, perhaps. And I very well might be remembering it incorrectly....That being, of another large station...But it's worth checking out to see if I may be correct and you might be able to find it....
Quentin
Quentin, you are right; there was an article several years ago. After reading BOC's suggestion last night, I planned to repond, but I did not get to it. Thank you for responding this morning.
John WR Firelock76"The past is like a great cathedral, a place to go to for comfort and inspiration. But you can't live there." Or perhaps like a great old railroad station.
Richmond's got one of those too! The old Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac station on West Broad street. It's now the Science Museum of Virginia, a great example of adaptive use. Much of the old RF&P flavor is still there. The station's no where's near as impressive as GCT, but pretty impressive in it's own right.
Secrets of Grand Central Terminal...from ther NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/01/18/nyregion/100000002009351/the-secrets-of-grand-central.html?ref=nyregion#100000002009351
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