While going through some stuff in a closet, I found an old issue (October 1990) of Trains magazine. Of course I had to read it again.
It had an article, about 12 pages, on WC ops and another long article on a short line.
It seems the format has changed from these long, detailed articles into smaller two or three page articles. I really miss the old style.
Has anyone else noticed this trend? I wonder why.
Larry
Find a 1960 Trains magazine and you will really notice the difference. And one huge difference is in the word count per column inch – the modern trend is to spread the words out so even an article the same number of pages has far fewer words.
And it is not only Trains and other Kalmbach magazines. Find an older copy of your local newspaper and I almost guarantee you will notice the same thing. The assumption is we now have a television-age attention span and don’t care to read.
Dave Nelson
I believe Trains explained this several years ago. The attention-span is part of it, but it also reflects a general trend in publishing anyway. I’ve been reading Trains for 30+ years and I actually prefer the newer format, as it covers more topics (though obviously in less “depth”). For example, I like the relatively new monthly sidebar on abandonments and acquisitions, etc. as it provides more context than reading the STB announcements.