What is the current Trains mag Circulation and does ABC Audit Bureau of Circulation count Railroad Clubs and Libraries where you might have multiple readers. My bathroom library at work has Trains Mag in its collection along with Maxim ,Gun Collector and National Review.
Let’s see, “Trains,” “Gun Collector,” and “National Review,” all good and worthy titles, in my estimation.
I wouldn’t bother with “Maxim,” nothing but a damn tease. 
And C&O, did you take my suggestion and forward that gerbil commercial over to the “Model Railroader” and “Classic Toy Trains” Forums? Those folks will love it, trust me.
Trains reached its highest total paid circulation (subscribers plus newsstand), approximately 134,000, during the late 1990s into 2000. The most recent figure I’ve seen, a year or two ago, was in the range of 94,000.
It’s quite a good magazine. Lot of excellent content considering a circulation of 94,000.
And the rest of the 324,067,520 people in the country don’t KNOW what they’re missing!
Bruce Kelly (7-9):
Your post was a real gem of a reply!
That TRAINS Magazine has lost some 40,000 readers in less than 20 years is unsettling. Do you know, Bruce, if Railfan & Railroad Magazine is having such a comparable loss too, or are they increasing readership?
Thanks,
K.P.
Yes but what is the pass around and reread? One issue of “Trains” must get passed around at least 3 times and many readers archive there old issues for years in there basements. Cant say that about most other magazines other then the exception of Playboy which at one time was the best selling magazine in America. (Had great writers like Norman Mailer and Hunter S Thompson in addition to real women with no artificial anything).
Firelock (working on that Gerbil thing)
Internet seems to be where most folks are getting there Train jollys in addition to other sins. The Internet was still a baby in 2000. Trains is shortchanging itself by not having a marketplace page on there site.
R&R peaked at 52,000 paid circulation in 1992. It’s currently at about 17,000. It should be noted that a small portion of that 17,000 is in the form of paid digital subscriptions. I don’t know what percentage of Trains’ current circulation figure is digital.
I would opine that the 2000 readers lost per year would run heavily with companion obituaries. One might argue differently, but I don’t think the magazine has declined in quality, so a large portion of the loss might then be attributed to a dearth of new subscriptions.
I was going to blame a part of the problem on video games, but a look at the timeline suggests another foe - and we’re using it right now. The home computer, and the web as we know it now.
Used to be you got your railroad “fix” via magazines. Nowadays, if you want to look at ALCO C636’s, all you have to do is type it into a search box and you’ll get more information than any magazine could include in an article.
And part of the problem could be a public no longer enamored with the rails.
And how does railroad employment track with that period? It seems like it has declined also.
We see a similar trend in amateur radio - while there are “youngsters” coming into the hobby, it’s still made up of a lot of old fogies like me…
I agree about railroad employment, and will go further to suggest that companies perhaps used to have a subscription to Trains (and other such periodicals), but when it comes time to tighten the budget, magazine subscriptions may be under the gun, too.
There are ways the circulation can be expanded. Public Libraries in growth areas are always looking for quality and non-controversial magazines to add to their collections. Sometimes all it takes is for a subscriber to sponsor a three year gift subscription to the Library to cover the initial trial period then the Library will carry the renewal on it’s own.
Railroad clubs and their sponsoring of rail outings also helps. Doesn’t have to be a chartered train can be as simple as a chartered bus.
and add this comment by Bruce Kelly from this Thread:Posted by Bruce Kelly on Sunday, July 10, 2016 1:21 AM
"R&R peaked at 52,000 paid circulation in 1992. It’s currently at about 17,000. It should be noted that a small portion of that 17,000 is in the form of paid digital subscriptions. I don’t know what percentage
Amen! Its better to have a bird in the hand.
I’ve said it before, but one advantage the printed page has over a PC or a laptop is you can take it into the bathroom with you!
I wouldn’t take a tablet in there either. Accidents happen you know.
Print for me, but we’re definitely in the post-literate age. Most people are used to WATCHING stuff, not reading it. They even watch books, explaining (according to my theory) the prevalence of mystery stories atop the fiction best-seller lists. These are more TV shows that they passively watch just to see how everything turns out.
I think we railfans are more literate than most, but still it would be surprising if TRAINS hadn’t seen a circulation slump, along with everybody else in the print game.
91,279 average circ in the second half of 2015.