Has anyone received their copy of this annual? The person I know who has one received an advance copy because his project is in the magazine.
My dealer said he knows nothing about them. I pre-ordered back in December from FireCrown’s site, got an acknowledgement in January, and then nothing. The notice I received included tracking data:
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
RINGGOLD, GA 30736
January 17, 2026, 11:56 pm
That sounds like USPS is still waiting for the bundle. Anyone else know anything? It seems like MRP shows up six to eight weeks after the published publication date.
Bought my copy in my local bookstore in January. I’ve stopped buying special issues through the mail both to support my local businesses, and because it’s cheaper to pay the cover price than the small discount plus shipping. That, and I rarely got them in the mail undamaged. I agree, it’s a good issue. I just wish the paper stock was a little heavier so it doesn’t feel like I’m going to tear the pages as I’m turning them.
I was looking forward to this and Great Model Railroads. My local hobby shop doesn’t carry magazines any longer but when I discovered the shipping charges were greater than the prices of the issues themselves, I decided not to buy.
I checked at our local Barnes and Noble today. Only had MR in stock. I usually buy the Annuals at B&N as they contain an MR subscription card for $34.95 per year.
Mark B.
UPDATE: My MR message on my MRP26 pre-order now says “tracking number expired, payment not received.” Off to Barnes & Noble and the train store. Ridiculous performance.
Got tired of waiting and went to a local train shop. They have been around for 40 years. Said they had not received theirs (nor has the other train shop in town) and they directed me to Fred Meyer, an area drug, grocery, and department store. Fred’s had a pile of them. So I got one and it looks like one of Tony K’s best.
I was able to find both issues at a local hobby shop. The store that is nearby is not selling magazines any longer; I was told something about the difficulty in dealing with unsold issues made it no longer worthwhile for their business.
Great Model Railroads has a “display until” date of January, so I’m grateful to the store that kept it out.
In my last communication with Firecrown I received a message that indicated a degree of willingness to investigate the high shipping costs, but I never heard back. Maybe they are shipping them wrapped in something far more valuable than plastic or paper.
I know Firecrown pushed a message initially about their intention to invest in and build Kalmbach’s legacy titles, but I have my doubts. The $18 shipping fee for the two annuals should cement the likelihood of lower sales.
My LHS told me the same thing. They used to sell lots of magazines, both periodicals and special issues but for the reason mentioned, they have cut way back on what they offer. They don’t stock as many titles as they used to and they don’t have as many of MR and RMC as they used to. They don’t want to deal with the unsold issues and who can blame them.
I stopped buying both issues as of 2025. My layout is built and running for more than a decade, and I used to buy them for ideas and inspiration if I wanted to change something or get creative. With these new owners and the cost to ship magazines, not worth it anymore. I bought the first one they came out with (I think 1995) and have all of them up to 2025.
