Thanks to the staff and writers at TAINS magazine for the latest issue dealing with the 1970’s. I lived right through that decade and it was my first full decade of being a railfan, so I especially recall it with fondness. The issue brought back many fond memories of a very colorful and interesting time in railroading where I lived at the time (Wausau, WI and Chicago, IL). Jim
Nostalgia is nice, but I can’t say I care for the sharp turn of the magazine away from today’s railroad issues and back towards fandom. I think a lot of the gains seen in Mark Hemphill’s tenure such as industry advertising and greater discussions of the here and now in actual railroading terms are endangered. And yes I have seen that the typical here and now columns on locomotives and the industry today have been retained and I applaud that. When TRAINS serves to inform fans and the industry both I think it provides more value everywhere. Having lived through the 70s and seen the changes and hardships I also thought the flip title based on the TV show was lame.
LC
TRAINS has always had non-contemporary features. I bought it in the '60s to learn hwhat it was all about as a foundation. Same goes for today. I agree with Jay.
If we didn’t have these types of features, all it would be is a million pics of BNSF, UP, NS, and CSX motive power with a pic or two of a recent dinner train.
Mitch
I hope Railroad Reading has not been dumped. I always enjoy first person short stories and appreciated that I could read them each month. A long story on the seventies is one thing but a whole issue? By devoting the whole issue to the seventies it turns off those that would rather forget the era. I hope this is not a trend, if so I don’t like where the magazine is going but then the editors probably don’t care what I like. I’ll wait for the April issue before I make a final decision.
Man the 70’s seem like a looooooog time ago. What were the dinosaurs like then?
Adrianspeeder
ps: hehehehehehe
I agree that one extreme or another, being either 100% nostalgia or 100% contemporary issues would not be for me, but a reasonable mix is what I am looking for from TRAINS, and I believe we are seeing just that currently.
I just recieved my first issue last week and really am enjoying the Magazine. I just got my That 70’s issue yesterday the 29th so have not had a chance to look at it.
And the 70’s were not all that long ago. I remember watching the old huge steam engines in the late 50’s pulling long trains out of Ogden heading east.
SrBldr[:)]
Matt liked the issue because of the “kitty” on the cover.Being born in 1970 it helps explain some of the whats and whys the changes that took place while i was growing up.I think trains does a good job in mixing the past the present and what might become in the railroad industry.
stay safe
Joe
TRAINS has always mixed the past with the present. Nothing has changed with this issue.
…I’d just like to get the current issue…
I like the issue in general, but there were a few examples of the magazine trying to be
“CUTE”
and I prefer not having that kind of thing in Trains. Good autobiographical stories are fine, but comparing a railroad system with some fictional television characters was a waste of space in my opinion, and I think many readers agree.
This was not their first issue of a single topic/theme. Never cared for the concept. Seems like mountain passes was the previous one but last month’s long article on the UP nearly took over the whole magazine.
Sometimes I think it’s the art department that takes over from the editorial personnel. Borders around articles use up a lot of white space - you have a much larger ‘gutter’ with the rule running down the middle. If they want to create blank paper to make the issue thicker, I’d rather they go back to having an m quad, or at least a double space, after the period at the end of a sentence.
Once your eyesight goes, those periods get lost in the shuffle!. I’ve had to re-read several times because of the run-on effect the ‘missing’ period provides.
Art, the Septugenian, but for only two more years.
[#ditto] I’m with “Modelcar”, haven’t gotten new issue yet!
I’m still waiting for my issue to come in the mail.
Mitch-
You are missing my point. It is not one feature about the past we are talking about here. It is a change of direction. First, ALL the feature articles in the March issue are from the 70s. By my count there are 14 feature articles inthe issue all dealing with the 70s. I find some quite interesting, but I read Classic TRAINS when I want a complete magazine about the past. Also, as others have noted Railroad Reading has disappeared, Mark Hemphill’s column is gone (although Mark did write the SP article which is most interesting) and the look and feel is definitely changing.
Obviously Jim Wrinn needs to find his footing as Editor and perhaps future issues will be different, but I hope we’re not seeing a new trend that will again split TRAINS core audience both railfans and railroaders.
LC
I too am among those who subscribe to Trains for news more than memories. I enjoy the retrospectives but the last time my subscription was not renewed the magazine had most of the space devoted to the past. Mark’s efforts at becoming more contemporary were among the reasons I again subscribed.
As has been pointed out there is a new editor and he’ll have to do a bit of trial and error while making his view of the publication known.
My only wish is that Trains would cover more of the exciting things which are happening outside North America.
Dale
There was an issue a while back about all the railway in Iraq.
I saw the cover and didn’t think I would be interested, but I did read it and was pleasantly surprised.
I, however, really am not too interested in RRing outside of North America, there are PLENTY of magazines out there all about British Railways, and what not, if I want to read about them, I’ll just buy one of those ones.
This issue is an interesting one. I like the idea of viewing Trains by the decade.
There has been some truly excellent writing in TRAIN magazine this past year, but this issues article on the demise of the ROCK ISLAND railroad is not one of them. In fact, it is the type of writing I don’t expect to see in any good magazine.
The author writes like a burned out hippie left over from the '60s. We don’t really need to hear about his angst, politics, girlfriends, bad manners, or anything else. This magazine is about TRAINS, not about Me, Me, Me.
Whatever his problem, it’s way past time to get over it. And it’s time for the Editor to be more selective.
Boy, this new issue has certainly got some dander up. I, like some others, have yet to receive the “70’s Issue.”
I agree with what has been said about variety. I like news about the past and the present. Phillips and Hemphill’s columns are excellent. Railroad Reading is always good for a chuckle and a fond rememberance.
Let’s hope that this issue is only a one time deal and that things return to normal next month.
Does the new editor ever peruse these forums?
Does the new editor ever peruse these forums?
[/quote]
It would seem to be in his own best interest to do so. [:D]