I would love to see Trains magazine do an article on the bridges over the Mississippi River. I counted 49 all together, too many for much detail on each of them. Any other suggestions ?
I would like an article on the Union Pacific line along the Salton Sea.
I think the secret to a good Trains Article is “comprehensibility.” My favorite articles in Trains are about lines that I am familiar. The reason for this is obvious, my personal knowledge forms the background to the article and, thus, I get more out of it.
However, Trains can’t make every article about something that I am familiar. Thus, I think the secret is to cover subjects that they can be comprehensive with and the article itself can form the background.
For instance, I find the most interesting articles are comprehensive studies of short lines. Usually, the shortline is small enough to cover comprehensively in one article and I am left with the impression that I understand the gravamen of the article. However, if the Article is about the Sunset Route or Santa Fe’s LA - Chicago Main, I leave feeling as though I learned very little–as there is simply too much inforation to cover in one article.
Just my opinion.
Gabe
Third coast railroads…
You guys remember there is something besides east and west?
Guys?
Hey guys?
Hey, you guys?
Aw heck, they hung up…
Ed
Are you meaning the gulf coast, or the Ohio River Valley that nobody talks
about?[}:)]
Bridges across the Ohio would be a great sequel to bridges over the Mississippi.Pittsburgh to Cairo had some great engineering.
Well, they do a pretty good job the way it is. So, I’d just have to say the things that that they’ve done over the past several years that I’ve liked best, under the hope that they’ll do more…
First of all, let me say that the gimmicky theme of the recent "That 70’s issue " was bad. It seemed emotionally patronizing, just a little too “cute” for my tastes,…I’m really glad they did one, and I sincerely hope it was the last of it’s kind…-- dashes to ashes,…etc.
On the Positive side:
I think that the articles where they offer a fresh perspective on an old personality, are da bomb. Such as the article on Al Perlman, written by Harry Bruce. I’d definitely like to see more stories like that.
The issues where they’ve focused on indepth aspects of railroading, such as the issue devoted to “Helpers”, as well as the multi issues devoted to “the yard” were good.
And, of course, any of the recounts of when multiple RR’s battled for control of a town or territory is always a good read .
I would like to see an in-depth article or two on product to reciever/buyer/consumer from one coast to another tracking it from start to finish and showing any delays (and why), how the cost is divided among different railroads, etc.
Also, more railroad reading. I enjoy reading real railroaders perspectives through their experiences.
G’day, Y’all,
I think the hand they play now is a royal flush. They seem to have something for everyone. I ealy enjoyed the aticle about the Adirondak Scenic RR because it gave me such hope for the future of RRs. Why? Because the class 1s seem to be becoming trunk railroads, not wanting to bother with the single carload shippers. This means that there is a future for shortlines, even those run by amateurs. Who knows, I might finally get one. It could happen.
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A
I would like for them to stick with North America Railroad, I could careless about China
Cuba, Swiss, Vatican, ect.ect railroads.
I love articles on operations and personal experiences, and it’s a bonus when they do it together.
Articles that come to mind are the one on Rock Islands GM parts Hotshot, the Up Perishable operation , and the SP/Cotton Belt GP 20 deliveries.
I also love railroad history, and look foreward to every issue of Classic Trains.
Jimmy
I enjoy the trackside guides. Help you to find the action in an unfamiliar city you might be visiting for other reasons. I also like the stories about the loads being carried, point of origin and destinations. Stories about real railroaders and their experiences are also very enjoyable. Love the news. Come to think of it; there is not much I don’t like about the Trains content. Foreign rail operations that don’t connect to US railroads are less interesting.
If TRAINS is -THE- magazine of Railroading, it should reflect ALL railroading (incl. “railwaying” [sic]). Inclusion of non-North American trains, especially modern / current-day operations, would suit that need the best - e.g. the Iraqi Ry visit by the American contractor.
A few years back, I had THREE subscriptions to British rai magazines (THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE, RAIL and MODERN RAILWAYS), which carried some non-British news / articles, but most of the time were (just as) parochial in their home (i.e. British Isles) perspective as American rail mags have been.
The magazine THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE has a series that would remind you a bit of the old Don Steffee speed surveys called “Practise & Performance”, where the writer details with tables of actual timed runs that their ‘society’ members have documented of different types of equipment. Past columns included the former British Rail Intercity unit’s non-stop Edinburgh-London run with the then-new class-91 electric hauled train (sometimes known as Intercity 225 (225 kph, vs the known IC125 for 125 mph)), as well as Eurostar runs to Brussels early on.
One thing that does peeve me happens when maps accompanying TRAINS’ articles don’t indicate the location of all the places cited within the article’s text, some of which are not shown on other maps or atlases.
Dan
The more comprehensive, the better. I think TRAINS does a pretty good job of covering all the varied interests inherent in railroading, although they were much better about it in the past with David P. Morgan and John G. Kneiling. You need to be exposed to the critics of railroading and the futuristic dreamers along with the industry hacks and railroad historians in order to constantly improve the genre.
I’d like to see “Bellefontaine; Railroad town, USA” revisited. Otherwise, I’'ll have to leave it up to the editor and his people.
I think Trains does a good job. They have a well balanced selection of material. But I think we need a more news oriented publication on western railroading (eastern too for you right coasters). No, I don’t want Trains to change into one. I think we need an entirely new publication for this. Nothing fancy. I know, I know, whats wrong with the internet? Well I would rather have a hard copy I can read when and where I find the time. That is not easy to do with the internet, besides, my eyes don’t like looking at a computer screen any more than the have to. And another thing with the internet. Most of the railroad news on the net is newspaper articles written by non RR people. I want more RR detail oriented news written by RR people. I want to know when a new siding is installed, or CTC is extended, or detectors are moved. Things like that are the news I am interested in. Not another newspaper article about a darwin award canidate or another NIMBY whineing about something. And yes I would be willing to pay good $$$ for it.
Chad-Look for a magazine called CTC Board in your local hobby shop.
I wi***hey would bring back the annual Motive Power Review, the ones written by JDI were awesome. I would like to see an article on a major railroad (like UP) listing how many of each model are on the roster, how many are based at which shop and stuff like that. I think an article about UP’s 1200+ SD70Ms would be pretty interesting if it discribed how they were all used.
Anything but George Drury travelling Europe is usually good.
Well, since you’re asking, I would love to see an article on the locomotive rebuilders and scrappers such as Larry’s Truck & Electric, Chrome Crankshaft, etc.
I’d like to see an article on GE Locomotives particularly the new hybrid they are advertising on TV so heavily…
LC
Thanks for the tip but I have read CTC board science the late 80’s. It is a great magazine but they have shifted away from news to add photography content. They don’t cover details like they used to. I’m thinking more along the lines of the old Flemsies that Bill Shippen used to put out.