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Trains Magazine, Covering the Railroad Industry for over Sixty Years!

Trains Magazine, published by Kalmbach Publishing Company, has been covering the US railroad industry since the 1940s when Al C. Kalmbach originally started the magazine in 1940. Over the last sixty years Trains has always been based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has seen the industry go through quite a bit (especially in the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, during the industry’s darkest days) of change and over that time it has become the largest railroad magazine in the country. For instance, if you are one of those folks who enjoy reading about our country’s railroading history, try and find older volumes on the magazine which predate, say the 1980s (they can usually be found at antique stores, or the easiest method, eBay). The stuff included in them is quite interesting!

Throughout the years Trains has begun to broaden its topic of articles, and now includes pieces from not only all of North America but also interesting or important pieces from around the world.

Trains Magazine is a monthly publication, which you can usually pick up at not only hobby shops but also most bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble and Borders (even Wal-Mart carries the magazine). If you are after a magazine that covers the industry in general then Trains is very a good choice. Likewise, if you are new to railroading and are interested in railfanning or just learning more about the industry, Trains is also a good choice. I subscribed to the magazine for nearly sixteen years until its price, honestly, just became too expensive for my taste.

However, the magazine is still quite good and while I haven’t always agreed with some of the material included in it, generally they do a very good job of covering all the important topics and issues going on around the industry from month to month.

For instance, some of the different types of material that can be found in Trains Magazine include a newswire for the latest immediate news (such as abandonments, obituaries, and individual Class I/Regional/Shortline happenings) monthly editorial columns from Don Phillips of the International Herald Tribune, feature articles (usually about US/North American railroading, but not always), anecdotal railroad stories (these are always pretty funny!), preservation news, and answers to questions from readers.

While the magazine is geared towards railfans, it also tries to remain business in nature and report on the industry in general. Like I mentioned above, I have not always liked the direction the magazine has sometimes taken, such as featuring articles from outside the US/North America, but this is purely a personal opinion. For more information about Trains Magazine please click here to visit their website.

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(A deep thanks to the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University for allowing Ron Nixon's historic collection of the fallen flag railroads to be featured here. Please note that the photos featured on this page feature their corresponding image number so that you may quickly and easily find more information about it from their website. To view Ron Nixon's entire collection please click here.)

In general, Trains does a great job of not only reporting the news but also in keeping a balanced magazine which caters not only to railfans but also business folks perhaps interested in only keeping up with the industry itself. So, whether you are just starting out in the railfan hobby or looking for a magazine which covers the industry from end to end, than Trains Magazine would certainly be a good choice. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing a subscription to Trains please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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