Train Mags

[John]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/business/media/loyal-subscribers-keep-hobby-magazines-afloat.html?hp&_r=0

Lance Prucnal’s family, like others in the digital age, has canceled most of its newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

 Mr. Prucnal’s wife dumped Family Circle, Taste of Home and Better Homes & Gardens because she no longer found enough interesting recipes. His daughter said goodbye to Glamour. And he didn’t renew Newsweek and The Dallas Morning News because the family was getting their general-interest news from television.

But Mr. Prucnal refuses to part with Model Railroader, Classic Trains and Classic Toy Trains. When it comes to the toy train magazines that fuel his passion, he has drawn the line.

“I would probably give up my train club before I would give up my train magazines,” said Mr. Prucnal, an employee at a Walmart outside of Dallas and a Navy reservist, who spends about $120 a year on these publications. “There’s a lot of ‘how to’ articles and a lot of product news.”

[Rossford Yard]

I feel about the same.

My MR subscription arrived today, and the email announcing the digital version, which I also paid extra for, also came.  No digital, all paper for me.

Somewhat related, in the N scale dept., I noticed both my LHS and Model Train Stuff seem to stock NSR at a 5-6 to 1 ratio over N Scale.  Probably indicates the relative popularity, although I recall the subscription numbers from the last issue being pretty close.

I used to mock Steve Martin and the Jerk when my mags arrived (the phone books are here, the MR is here....) and one day, my young son brought in the mail mocking Homer Simpson, as in "Whoo Whoo, the MR is here!"  So, I guess I get pretty excited when they arrive....

[kalbert]

*like*

[conrailthomas519]

Every trip to the mailbox is like Christmas!

[John]

I renewed my NScale Railroading for 3 years, but will let my NScale magazine lapse when it's up this go around ..  MR and RMC are the other two I still get ..

[davefoxx]

I still subscribe to MR and Classic Trains.  I enjoy receiving these magazines in the mail, just as much as the quarterly magazines that I receive from the ACL-SAL and Conrail Historical Societies.

[Bob Bufkin]

I get both N scale mags.  Long time subscriber to Trains.  Also get Railpace and Diesel Era.  Only pick up MR if I see something in it that interests me.  Pick up Classic Trains at newsstands but I really should subscribe to it.

[muktown128]

I subscribe to MR, Trains and N-Scale.  I pick up NSR at the LHS.  I think I have every issue of N-Scale and NSR.  I noticed that N-Scale was pretty thin on the last issue, but NSR had a lot of articles.  I let my Trains subscription lapse a few years ago, but renewed it because I like to read the online weekly news articles.  I enjoy getting these weekly updates.   

Scott

[sirenwerks]

NSR, RMC and Classic Trains

[PRRATSF]

I subscribe to MR, Trains and NSR, Dropped N Scale when NSR came out, and pick up Classic Trains at Barnes n Noble. My Wife says I do a happy dance when one shows up in the mailbox.

[peteski]

N-Scale Mag. and MR.  Subscribed to MR since 1987 and the N-Scale since its start.  I have couple of issues on NSR.

[MVW]

I was a devoted MR reader for decades ... but no more. I get all I need from hangouts like this. Besides, I recently picked up a MR at the bookstore, and found it to be completely devoid of any joy.

No LHS, so I never see the N scale mags. I'm mildly interested ... but I prefer spending my limited modeling dollars on other things.

Jim

[Nato]

               Too many of them and not enough time to read em all, but I still get a grundle including some obscure specialized ones like "Private Varnish" published by the Association of Private Car Owners, and several from Railroad Historical Societies "The Streamliner" UP, "The Great Northern Goat" GN, then some mainstream od balls like "Passenger Train Journal". Nate Goodman(Nato).

[jmlaboda]

I use to be that way towards my magazines but to be honest I haven't bought any mags in about 4 months (the last time I had to go to the VA Hospital in Salisbury, N.C.) and then it was NSR issues that I picked up.  To be honest between the eZines Model Railroad Hobbiest and those produced by various historical societies, as well as the posts to various forums I am on I have plenty enough to read.

What is more, more often than not eZines such as MRH, The Keystone Modeler and the Seaboard - Coast Line Modeler (and the forums I like to read on a regular basis) provide me with more useful information that than any of the magazines I previously would purchase, modeling wise or prototype (with the exception of NSR and N-scale).  On a rare occasion, though, there are issues of Classic Trains that feature passenger rail subjects that are a "must have" for reasons that some here know all too well.

Just as an example, the latest Seaboard - Coast Line Modeler issue has a great article on Fruit Growers Express 40' steel insulated boxcars that were leased by some of FGE's owners and that carried these roads' initials instead of one of the FGE reporting marks.  While I was well familiar with the varieties of 50' cars that wore reefer yellow the mention of 40' cars carrying railroad initials has never been seen in any model or railfan magazine that I have looked at.  I have been reading various "mainline" magazines (modeling and prototype) all the way back to the mid-60s yet not a one ever mentioned that some of FGE's 40-footers ever carried railroad marks.  And a number of issues of other digital eZines have been equally of value.  And I was able to get it at no cost at all to me, which is part of the reason I sometimes can't buy magazines, because of me being on disability (believe me when I say I would rather be able to work than not being able too... it definitely is no picnic, to say the least).

As much as I have valued printed mags in the past (and there are still specific copies that I am always on the look-out for) they do not hold nearly the value that they use too.  For me the convenience of having them in digital form (and books too) is perfect for my purposes and with my portable 350 Gig hard drive they are far easier to store than what the hard copy mags are, taking up less space than a dollar bill.

[alhoop]

...............  I noticed that N-Scale was pretty thin on the last issue, but NSR had a lot of articles.   

Scott

Actually N-Scale had 7 articles - NSR had six.

# pages                  N-Scale 56                   NSR 64
# pages of articles N-Scale 26                   NSR 36
# advertisers         N-Scale 28                   NSR  35

N-Scale has more paid circulation than NSR.
I think they both are hurting for good articles and resort to a lot of page filler. (eg NSR's article on the New Haven)

Al