Best Issue of Trains Magazine ever?(OK-best *so far*)

[Anonymous]

You got me to thinking. Any article by Fred Frailey is worth reading. My favorite of his was a two parter in 1988 on the UP from KC-STL. March 1983 was an all Rock Island issue, March 1984 covered the SF Middle Division in KS & OK. Perhaps my all time favorite story was Jan 1981 which covered in great detail a 24 hour day of the Frisco at Springfield, MO. I also enjoyed commentary by David Morgan.

[bryanbell]

The July 2003 Chicago issue is my all-time favorite. I just dug it out and reread it a week or so ago.

Bryan

[Anonymous]

Mountain Railroading Issue. It was awesome. Worst Issue. The current one, only issue that I haven't read cover to cover

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

November 1990

Yikes![:O] That one is my favorite too! ....And there's nothing in it about open access, either.[;)]

[Anonymous]

November 1990

[samfp1943]

Some of my favorites are DPM's article on 'Voyaging coast to coast on an iron ocean"
Aug 1971--cost was $234.72 !!
Nov 1966 5th all diesel issue
Dec 1968 7th all diesel issue
I have to tell you this kind of thing is very dangerous for a railfan, every time I pick up one of the back issues it criesout to be read and memories refreshed..no way to keep them in order.
Do I have a favorite? you bet, it is the one I am reading NOW!
Oh, for the days of 50 cents an issue[sigh], wish I had had the chance to buy a life time subscription as Kalmbach gave to new "Model Railroad" readers for $50.00.. "Darn" the Luck!!!
Sam

[carnej1]

I really enjoy the old "annual motive power survey" issues which TRAINS published starting in the early 1960's and continuing into the early 1990's. I collect these and have a pretty good set of them. Although I wi***hey still did this, in the modern era they do much more coverage of contemporary motive power so I guess there's less demand......

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

My favorite(so far.....) would be the 50th Anniversary issue, sometime in 1990.

Well, I said the "next" issue would likely be the best mostly because I think the magazine does an excellant job, and I hope/believe that each successive issue will be better than the last.

I thought that the motive power issue with the Grinstein locomotives on the cover was pretty good (oct '02)

The "Fast Freight" issue was superb (nov '01)

The "Helpers" issue was a fav of mine (aug '01)

And I even enjoyed the 'Fastest freight in America" issue on the train everybody said they wanted, but which nobody wants to use. (feb '03)

The issue outlining UP's plans for the golden state route was another good one.

The stories on rail's dirty dealings such as whem Gould built around SP in San Francisco and left them high and dry, or how SP manipulated against it's competitors creatively thru aquiring the cotton belt, or even the crafty angle built into the business plan of the Roscoe, Snyder, & Pacific are things I never tire of reading about. And story's such as the one exposing Al Perlman's eccentric side from an inside source keep my attention.

[Anonymous]

My fav. issue of Trains would be any issue featuring the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast Extension. Something about the images of Little Joes rolling through majestic mountains and forests really strikes a chord for some reason. I think that in a past life I was a MILW Road Employee who ended his life when the PCE was shut down in 1980.

[Murphy Siding]

My favorite(so far.....) would be the 50th Anniversary issue, sometime in 1990.

[PBenham]

The 25th Anniversary issue (November, 1965) has, in my mind, yet to be topped! Hot on its heels are a pair of entries: October,1961(NewHaven: What Went Wrong) and the classic reply in January ,1962 (New Haven: What Next) in which an author using a pen name, whom I suspect to be John G. Kneiling, uncannily predicted the state of the New Haven in the metro New York area 1978- today!

[Noah Hofrichter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates

I think that the "best issue ever" of Trains magazine has gotta be the next issue., and have felt that way since the day I picked up my very first issue.

I keep waiting for one I could call "the very best", and I'm still waiting [:)]

I have to agree with this one. I don't own all the back issues, so I can't say for sure, but of the Back issues I've read, none of them really compare to the modern issues from when I do have all the issues for a certain year. But, I never have yet seen an issue that I would call the best ever, they are all just normal. Some may be slightly better, but there is nothing to me that sticks out.

Noah

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates

I think that the "best issue ever" of Trains magazine has gotta be the next issue., and have felt that way since the day I picked up my very first issue.

I keep waiting for one I could call "the very best", and I'm still waiting [:)]

[#ditto]VERY WELL SAID! [:I]

[njmidland]

The 1980 issue (was it October?) dedicated to the Rock Island on its demise. If only they had done one on the O&W back in 1957 or the L&NE in 1961...

Being a dining car fan this current issue ranks high as well.

[chad thomas]

My favorite was the ?,1978 issue on railroads of Nevada by Ted Benson.

A close second would be the recent issue that had Mark Hemphill's article on the SP demise.

[trainfan1221]

Mine will always be the issues that first got me going on the magazine and more into my hobby. They are the 1980 issues beginning with the Article about the restoration of Berkshire 765 and the end of the Western Maryland. Just because the whole thing to me was so new, and I really enjoyed the contents and the editorials by DPM. The revamped magazine has never been as good, in my opinion. But I will always be a loyal reader.

[CShaveRR]

I would have to agree with Joe about that UP issue--November 1995. It sold out very quickly, and I couldn't get extra copies for friends and relatives.

Unfortunately, the timing was bad--it was October 1995 (soon after I received said issue) that CNW was operationally absorbed into UP, and that's when the first meltdown began. Things haven't lived up to the rosy picture painted in that issue since.
(Admittedly, things have gotten better in some ways, though.)

But I really think that everyone's going to have a different favorite--I like the Chicago issues (two have been published since I've been subscribing, and the original 1948 issue is in my collection), Mutt likes the issues with Louisville in them. I think everyone likes issues that deal with familiar stuff--stuff you can relate to--and increases your knowledge and familiarity with it.

Somehow, I missed the swimsuit issue...you sure that wasn't Railroad Magazine?

[JoeKoh]

as everyone has said every issue has been great reading. the one that sticks out for me is the one where they featured union pacific.in that issue they featured a step by step pic of the train what it was hauling and where the cars were going.very well done.
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

I think that the "best issue ever" of Trains magazine has gotta be the next issue., and have felt that way since the day I picked up my very first issue.

I keep waiting for one I could call "the very best", and I'm still waiting [:)]

[ericmanke]

I'll put my voe in for the 75th anniversary of EMD as well. 2nd would be the issue that contained part 2 of the Wisconsin Central Story.

[cpbloom]

My best is an issue that came out in 1999 titled.......

CONRAIL Mission Accomplished. [:(]

[Kevin C. Smith]

My time frame is since 1972 (started subscribing then)...

Either the PRR sesquicentannial or another PRR heavy issue whose year/month escapes me (and I haven't time to look it up) but the cover article was about the Pennsy G5's.

I don't think any line (even the L&N) brought out the best of DPM quite like the Pennsylvania.

But add my voice to the chorus, "there ain't been a bad one yet!"

[locomutt]

They all are great magazines in one way or another;
However;some of MY favorive articles were done by David P. Morgan.
Especially the ones of Louisville's Union Station,The various railroads
Kentucky Derby Trains,and the people associated with them.

[Anonymous]

My personal favorite is the issue in 2003 dedicated to Chicago, but like eolafan says, they are all great in some way.

[eolafan]

If you can wait about six months, I will drag out all 400 plus editions in the boxes in my basement and re-read them all and then give you my opinion. THEY ARE ALL GREAT IN SOME WAY!

[Anonymous]

For me it is the EMD Issue or the Amtrak 25 Issue liked both of them. But several of them have been very good.

[Anonymous]

Who Shot The Passenger Train (1959?)

[Anonymous]

Probably the 75th anniversary EMD issue.

Hard to believe it's been almost 9 years now.

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

Allright allready. Since everyone has opinions about each month's magazine,and what it should and shouldn't be......What is your recolection of the best issue ever? And why? This should be interesting, given the range of tastes we have on this forum.[:)] Thanks

Trouble maker.

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