What do Trains readers think about TRP and Railfan and Railroad and those "Other" train mags out the

[Anonymous]

I like Railfan and Railroad but now I think they are stealing news from Trains..
Like this months issue on Pittsburgh and there Transit Currents which Trains Borrowed from them and calls City Rail...

[NW_611]

Eh, why not respond. I asked myself a similar question after reading a couple of back issues of R&R recently.

TRP is, as far as I'm concerned, a very photocentric publication that goes out of its way to tell you things about the F-stops and other hyper-technical photographic detail. Good execution of standard sunlit photography, lousy railroad detail. Sample text:

"This photograph of a locomotive was made at 12:30 in the afternoon with a Nikon 123 SLR using Kodak Ektachrome from production lot 123456, an F-stop of such-and-such, exposure length of this, light meter reading of that, etc. Oh, it's a Lehigh Valley unit of some sort. Mike Bednar wrote about that road."

R&R is what it says it is, a railfan publication. I don't read this one to learn about the industry or where the trends in traffic are, but rather to learn about past eras and off-the-wall things that Jim Boyd's buddies decided to write about. Sample text:

"We were hanging out in the Bethlehem, PA area while waiting for a train show, and we found LVRR 123 on the Bethlehem Steel job interchanging with the PB&NE. PB&NE radio traffic is on 123.4560, and the LVRR crews use 123.4567; be careful, because we had to engage in a running gun battle with plant security. Extra 2200 South says LV 123 is an EMD SW-x which arose like Venus from La Grange on 01 January 1955. For further information, check out Hal Carstens' The Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England available from Carstens Publications."

Trains does that business and enthusiast mix thing that's probably been commented on before, and I really like it. There's some sort of 'professional objectivity', for lack of a better word, that keeps one reading, especially since Jim Boyd's snide anti-Penn Central/Norfolk Southern remarks don't appear. Sample text:

"Bethlehem Steel's private railroad is the PB≠ it interchanges with the Lehigh Valley at points x, y, and z. In recent years, traffic levels have declined and it is thought by steel industry observers that the plant will be shuttered soon. LVRR SW-x 123 works the plant job on 03 January 2006."

I don't say any of the above to slate the foregoing publications; I more or less generalized what I think their content's like. They all seem to serve disparate branches of the hobby, and I think that's a good thing. I just wish TRP weren't so expensive, or was lengthier.

[garr]

I like all the railroad publications, otherwise I wouldn't subscribe to all that I will mention. Each one seems to fill a niche, however a little overlap is going to happen.

TRP has good photography, a strong geographical feature article, and 1st person rail story in each issue.

CTC is evolving, but seems to be finding solid footing in my opinion. With the internet so widely used, it is hard for a monthly news magazine to compete on freshness yet I found new and interesting tidbits in each issue.

Classic Trains' time machine articles are very entertaining but the mag has not fully filled Vintage Rails shoes.

Speaking of time machines, pick up a current copy of Railfan and Railroad and compare it to one from the mid-70's when Railfan was 1st published. Nothing much has changed-be it graphics or editorial/article approach. I have every issue and will continue to subscribe, but even the nicest house needs a little remodeling and fresh paint every now and then. They are also sitting on the Fort Knox of railroad folklore, how about more reprints from the "Railroad" magazine archives or at least some special anthologies from these archives that can be purchased.

Jay

[oltmannd]

I'll second NW 611's comments about Trains and R&R. I haven't subscribed to R&R in a while, but get hand-me-downs that I go through from time to time.

When I lived in the NE, I used to read Railpace. It had really good, pure railfan articles in it complete with topo maps plus a hodge-podge of news, sometimes mixed with commentary. Lots of tidbits you wouldn't pick up elsewhere plus generally good photos. A fun magazine.

[Anonymous]

I must weigh in on this as I am a confirmed Alcohaulic. TRP is must reading for those of us so afflicted as its' Alco coverage is second to none. I wish it were a monthly instead of a quarterly but I guess it takes a lot of time to gather and verify the information they furnish.
The last time I bought Railfan and Railroad it appeared to be little more than a glossy papered newsletter. I was surprised at how few pages it had - not a good value at the newsstand price.

[Anonymous]

I insist that any college or university that I use have "Railway Age" in there library.
Railway Age is a seroise publication and is the widely read in the Industry. Trains though read by some in the industry is often ingored by Managment. Railway Age holds a Confrence "Passenger Trains on Freight Tracks" and the big wigs attend....Could Trains do the same thing? Like a call for papers or a Confrence with railfans and corprate exuctives just to shoot the ***?

[Modelcar]

...I used to purchase Railfan and Railroad mag...{by subscription}, but dropped it some years ago....It's forerunner..."Railroad" mag. was a real deal....Such great railroad stories, and "drawings" in the mag....It was really great. I have some of those copies back into the 40's. Of course TRAINS is a good publication...and I've subscribed to it for umpteen years.

[CShaveRR]

We've had threads like this before. Thankfully, all of the magazines are different from each other. They all have their place, and I read nearly all of them. (Sarah had me get an issue of TRP for a specific article recently; I enjoyed the article but couldn't get enthused about the magazine itself. Maybe it's because I'm not a photographer.)

I, too, expected more archival material when Railfan took over Railroad. But, looking through the old issues of Railroad that I have, there's very little worth salvaging. Not too many of those fiction stories would hold the same appeal for me as they did when I was a wide-eyed newbie (in both the railroad and the journalism fields).

CTC Board used to have the best "local news" coverage around, but the recent "improvements" have done away with it.

Can you imagine what a valuable resource Extra 2200 South would be if it were a monthly, or even bimonthly, magazine? Guess what, folks...that's what it was, once! Diesel Era could probably take over if they wanted to do the detailed coverage.

I think Classic Trains is a perfect complement to Trains, which is probably what was intended.

Finally, I gotta tell a tale about the time I took a certain Trains Managing Editor into my favorite hobby shop. The first thing I saw her grab was the current issue of R&R! Can't blame her, though--she probably had seen Trains before, and the issue at the shop would have been two months old to her! Besides, one has to keep tabs on the competition.

And, having said that, I have to say that Trains is still the magazine I most look forward to receiving every month.

[samfp1943]

All the Railfan magazines seem to fit into a place in the hobby. R&R (a Carsten's pub) I always bought for the photos, and an infrequent story, my impression of it was, that it was always a tag along to TRAINS. For the longest time I bought MODEL RAILROADER and TRAINS, but since I have not made models in years, dropped the MR. TRAINS ILLUSTRATED was always a favorite, and I subscribed, until it quit. I used to buy RAILWAY MAGAZINE, (a UK publication), similar to trains, always interesting, and has lots of quality photos and UK railfan material. The magazines help to keep those of us who do not do a lot of traveling, in touch with what is going on around the country. [ Lately, have been learning about the BNSF, et al; in the Northwest, interesting stuff, and the material on the MIssissippi River bridges is really intersting, Thanks, Naniamo73 ]

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

...I used to purchase Railfan and Railroad mag...{by subscription}, but dropped it some years ago....It's forerunner..."Railroad" mag. was a real deal....Such great railroad stories, and "drawings" in the mag....It was really great. I have some of those copies back into the 40's. Of course TRAINS is a good publication...and I've subscribed to it for umpteen years.

You sure you didn't get Railroad for those cheesy girls in mini skirts posing with trains pictures? [:)]That mag in it's latest years was a one man show - Freeman Hubbard?

[Kurn]

Ya mean the "Railfanettes"?I remember one memorable pic of a blond in hotpants with her ample chest thrust out to here and they tried to say she was a brakeman or something.

[espeefoamer]

I remember one photo in Railroad of a miniskirted sweet young thing boarding a PCC in San Francisco[:p].

[NW_611]

WRT "Railfanettes", it would appear that this is another example of being born too late. First the glory days of the Powhatan Arrow and now I missed this, too? Bother.

[Modelcar]

Kurn....Saw the exact fit to the one you describe at the AUTOTRAIN station in Sanford, Fl., several years ago and it was an Amtrak uniform....still can't figure that one out...And I had my camera and didn't even record the event.....!

[motor]

I'll buy TRP and Classic Trains if there's a couple of good articles inside. I subscribe to Trains. R&R is hard to come by in my area. BTW what are we doing pitching non-Kalmbach publications on Trains.com? [:I] [(-D] Not that I mind...

motor

[Anonymous]

CTC Board of which I subscribe, underwent an editorial staff change. The new editor at one time was on the Train's staff, yep Mr. Paul D. Schneider. After assuming the position, it appears the very important news, the columns of all the Class ones plus the shortlines have been reduced to Railroads Today and Railroads Yesterday. The details of which rr is doing what apparently been replaced by the today and yesterday stuff. Mr Schneider sez more bang for yer buck hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
craig

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I've purchased and subscribed to TRAINS since 1967 (!) and have obviously been quite satisfied with it as it has evolved over the years.
"Railfan/R&R", as mentioned above, seemed to orient itself as a tag-along and filled that niche. I bought it more often in the past but now get it only if it has an interesting article.
I purchase "Extra 2200" and "Diesel Era" regularly. These two tend to complement each other in the technical aspects of the hobby and fill that niche quite competently.

I have purchased "CTC Board" regularly but have been disappointed in its change of editorial direction. It seems to be turning into a photographic journal and its tone is becoming highbrow and somewhat standoffish.

[Anonymous]

Yes I agree that we could do more to bring out the sexy side of railroading..
Like howabout a calleder with shirtless conducters or something..

[chad thomas]

My first exposure to train mags was getting hand me down issues of CTC Board and Pacific Rail News. Eventually I subscribed to both. Back then I lived in the sticks and the nearest hobby shop was hundreds of miles away. I don't even remember if I was aware of Trains mags existance. When I moved to LA I had hobby shop access I quit subscribing to anything and bought over the counter. I regularly bought every issue of Trains,CTC Board,Pacific Rail News and Flemsies plus Railfan & Railroad and Diesel Era when they had articles I was interested in. I miss the by railroad news format of the time, and CTC Board was the last to do this and unfortunately even they dropped news from there mag a few months back (Bad Move).

These days I get every issue of Trains as they are best overall railroad magazine today. I still pick up a CTC Board from time to time but sience they dropped the news I lost interest in what has to me become "a pretty picture mag". I buy more R & R then I used to but I still don't buy every one. Railfan & Railroad seems to me to be a bit heavy on the advertiseing and light on content plus they are more of an east coast mag.

In addition to that my aunt gets Progressive Railroading and Railway age and she keeps them for my dad and I. Interesting reading but definately geared tward the professionals.

These days I also try to suport the historical society's publications. So I regularly pick up SP Trainline and WP Headlight, and from time to time DRGWs Prospector and ATSFs warbonnet (I think thats what it's called). These mags tend to be spendy but the money goes to a good cause.

Unfortunately buying all those mags tends to fill up bookshelf space fast. At one point I had to make some tough decisions dureing a long dx move and I had to throw away about 6 feet worth of mags. That was a tough one although I did keep a select few that had great articles like the 1978 Ted Benson's Railroads of Nevada, an epic.

[bowlerp]

I subscribe only to Railpace, for several reasons: 1) I contribute photos occasionally; 2) they now accept digital image submittals; 3)Their photo reproduction quality is top notch, almost as good as TRP; 4) I use the specific railfan guides they publish.

I buy all the others from the newstand when they have content that I value or appeals to me. All are fine publications for their niches. Some of those niches, like TRAINS, are large; some like TRP, are quite small.

I mourn when any of them dies for business reasons, like Passenger Train Journal. They are all valuable as source of information, with only a little duplication of content. All of the editors know much more than I do about what is going on in the rail business, or in the railfan community. It is fun to talk to them at events like photocharters or conventions. Three cheers for all of them.

Peter Bowler, Akron

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

Kurn....Saw the exact fit to the one you describe at the AUTOTRAIN station in Sanford, Fl., several years ago and it was an Amtrak uniform....still can't figure that one out...And I had my camera and didn't even record the event.....!

We had a brunette conductor who worked with me a few times. She is now an Amtrak Engineer on the Crescent out of Birmingham I think. She was quite chesty and not at all shy...

LC