Model Railroader
Encyclopedia
Model Railroader is an American
magazine
specializing in the hobby of model railroading. It was founded in 1934 by Al C. Kalmbach
and is based in Waukesha, Wisconsin
. It is published monthly by Kalmbach Publishing
. It promotes itself as the oldest magazine of its type in the United States, and is commonly found on newsstands and in libraries.
MR is considered to be a general-interest hobby magazine, appealing to a wide range of hobbyists, rather than specializing in a particular scale, or facet of the hobby (such as prototype operations or scratch building
and kitbashing
). Model Railroader covers a variety of scales and modeling techniques for engines, rolling stock, right-of-way, structures, and scenery. It reviews products including ready-to-run models as well as kits, tools and supplies. The magazine presents blueprints and photographs of prototype equipment, as well as photographs of models and layouts.
A long-standing philosophy of modeling is manifest in its editorial features of layout design and operation, in which the model is viewed as a three-dimensional and temporal compression of the real world, so that, for example, the motive power, freight, trackage and scenery of a real-world railroad are formed into a layout which captures the spirit of not only the equipment and region of the railroad but also its purpose and how it operates.
His first wife, Bernice, herself a journalist, encouraged and helped Al put The Model Railroader together. Though they originally saw it as a sideline business to their commercial printing operations, soon they were devoting seven days a week to the venture.
The magazine was well received by model railroaders, and the young publisher carried the entire first press run (272 copies) by streetcar
to be mailed. By July 1934, paid circulation exceeded 1,000 copies. Growth continued, but the magazine was not an immediate success. The magazine became profitable after three years. It took Kalmbach seven years to pay off the loans used to launch the magazine.
World War II
introduced paper rationing, which affected the growth of the Kalmbach Publishing Company. At the end of the war, MR's circulation was about 20,000. By 1950, MR's circulation had grown to more than 100,000, thanks in part to a boom in interest in model railroading. As of 2007, the magazine had a monthly paid circulation of more than 160,000.
The magazine, and Kalmbach Publishing, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.
Regular monthly columns and departments include:
Other special issues on various aspects of the hobby are released on an irregular basis. Titles have included 102 Track Plans for Model Railroaders, How to Build Realistic Layouts, and How to Build More Layout in Less Space.
A weekly Web video show, Modeler's Spotlight Video - Inside Cody's Office, is available to magazine subscribers via MR's website. The show introduces new products, offers modeling tips, and interviews notable people in the hobby.
Many of the blueprints, layout plans, articles on operation and signaling, and methods of construction of bridges, structures and scenery are also collected in books published by Kalmbach Books. These are useful to modelers in general, railroad historians, and are valuable references on the steam and diesel eras.
Past MR articles are also collected in PDF
form and distributed via the magazine's website.
Model Railroader staff members participated in the production of the Dream-Plan-Build video series, which was offered by subscription. The DVDs focused on prototype railroading information, layout visits, and modeling techniques.
The model train hobbyists the magazine has profiled over the years include a number of celebrities, including Michael Gross
, Rod Johnston (husband of cartoonist Lynn Johnston
), Gary Coleman
, and Rod Stewart
.
Model Railroader also has several other "sister" magazines, also published by Kalmbach, including such titles as Trains magazine, Classic Trains, Garden Railways, and Classic Toy Trains. They are often advertised in Model Railroader, and on occasion, an article will refer to these other magazines.
The magazine is published under ISSN 0026-7341. Individual issues use the UPC
074820085486.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
specializing in the hobby of model railroading. It was founded in 1934 by Al C. Kalmbach
Al C. Kalmbach
Al C. Kalmbach was the founder of Kalmbach Publishing, a publisher of magazines and books geared towards enthusiasts of several different hobbies....
and is based in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
. It is published monthly by Kalmbach Publishing
Kalmbach Publishing
Kalmbach Publishing Co. is an American publisher of books and magazines, many of them railroad-related. It is now located in nearby Waukesha, Wisconsin...
. It promotes itself as the oldest magazine of its type in the United States, and is commonly found on newsstands and in libraries.
MR is considered to be a general-interest hobby magazine, appealing to a wide range of hobbyists, rather than specializing in a particular scale, or facet of the hobby (such as prototype operations or scratch building
Scratch building
Scratch building is the process of building a scale model "from scratch", ie. from raw materials, rather than building it from a commercial kit, kitbashing or buying it pre-assembled....
and kitbashing
Kitbashing
Kitbashing or model bashing is a practice whereby a new scale model is created by taking pieces out of commercial kits. These pieces may be added to a custom project or to another kit. For professional modelmakers, kitbashing is popular to create concept models for detailing movie special effects...
). Model Railroader covers a variety of scales and modeling techniques for engines, rolling stock, right-of-way, structures, and scenery. It reviews products including ready-to-run models as well as kits, tools and supplies. The magazine presents blueprints and photographs of prototype equipment, as well as photographs of models and layouts.
A long-standing philosophy of modeling is manifest in its editorial features of layout design and operation, in which the model is viewed as a three-dimensional and temporal compression of the real world, so that, for example, the motive power, freight, trackage and scenery of a real-world railroad are formed into a layout which captures the spirit of not only the equipment and region of the railroad but also its purpose and how it operates.
History
The Model Railroader began publication in the summer of 1933, with a cover date of January 1934. A press release announcing the magazine appeared in August 1933, but did not receive much interest. The bank refused to loan Kalmbach any money, many felt sorry for him, and a few told him he was crazy.His first wife, Bernice, herself a journalist, encouraged and helped Al put The Model Railroader together. Though they originally saw it as a sideline business to their commercial printing operations, soon they were devoting seven days a week to the venture.
The magazine was well received by model railroaders, and the young publisher carried the entire first press run (272 copies) by streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
to be mailed. By July 1934, paid circulation exceeded 1,000 copies. Growth continued, but the magazine was not an immediate success. The magazine became profitable after three years. It took Kalmbach seven years to pay off the loans used to launch the magazine.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
introduced paper rationing, which affected the growth of the Kalmbach Publishing Company. At the end of the war, MR's circulation was about 20,000. By 1950, MR's circulation had grown to more than 100,000, thanks in part to a boom in interest in model railroading. As of 2007, the magazine had a monthly paid circulation of more than 160,000.
The magazine, and Kalmbach Publishing, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.
Features
Typical feature articles in each month's issue include:- Layout tours - A layout story with a detailed track plan and behind-the-scenes modeling and construction tips.
- How-to projects - Tips and techniques for modeling scenery, structures, rolling stock, and electronics.
- Prototype information - Detailed drawings historical and technical information on how real railroads and lineside industries function.
- Track plans - Sample designs for model railroads the average hobbyist could build.
Regular monthly columns and departments include:
- News and Products - Quick looks at new products available in the hobby.
- Workshop - Helpful modeling and operating tips, plus answers your questions.
- Step-by-Step - Tackles a different project each month to help you build a better layout.
- Information Desk - Learn about the prototype (real railroads) to help you be a better modeler.
- DCC Corner - Get to know model train operation using Digital Command Control.
- Product reviews - A look at new models on the market and how well they perform.
- Trackside Photos - Inspirational photos featuring the work of fellow hobbyists.
- Trains of Thought - Every month model railroad expert Tony Koester looks at the philosophical side of model railroading.
- The Operators - How to reproduce prototype operations on a model railroad.
- N Scale Insight - From March 2011, former editor Jim Kelly will begin a column looking at N scale modelling.
Special issues and other media
Model Railroader publishes two annual special issues:- Great Model Railroads showcases 10-12 spectacular model railroads, including large, inspirational photographs, detailed track plans, and how-to information.
- Model Railroad Planning deals with aspects of designing and constructing a model railroad. Typical articles focus on reproducing prototype track arrangements, overcoming modeling obstacles, and researching prototype railroads.
Other special issues on various aspects of the hobby are released on an irregular basis. Titles have included 102 Track Plans for Model Railroaders, How to Build Realistic Layouts, and How to Build More Layout in Less Space.
A weekly Web video show, Modeler's Spotlight Video - Inside Cody's Office, is available to magazine subscribers via MR's website. The show introduces new products, offers modeling tips, and interviews notable people in the hobby.
Many of the blueprints, layout plans, articles on operation and signaling, and methods of construction of bridges, structures and scenery are also collected in books published by Kalmbach Books. These are useful to modelers in general, railroad historians, and are valuable references on the steam and diesel eras.
Past MR articles are also collected in PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
form and distributed via the magazine's website.
Model Railroader staff members participated in the production of the Dream-Plan-Build video series, which was offered by subscription. The DVDs focused on prototype railroading information, layout visits, and modeling techniques.
Cultural impact
Collecting back issues of Model Railroader and similar magazines is a popular sub-hobby among model railroad enthusiasts. Hobbyists who only read the magazine are sometimes called "armchair model railroaders."The model train hobbyists the magazine has profiled over the years include a number of celebrities, including Michael Gross
Michael Gross (actor)
Michael Gross is an American television, movie, and stage actor who plays both comedic and dramatic roles. His most notable roles are as the father Steven Keaton from Family Ties and the Graboid hunter Burt Gummer from the Tremors franchise.-Early life:Gross was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son...
, Rod Johnston (husband of cartoonist Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston, CM, OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award.-Early life:...
), Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
, and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
.
Model Railroader also has several other "sister" magazines, also published by Kalmbach, including such titles as Trains magazine, Classic Trains, Garden Railways, and Classic Toy Trains. They are often advertised in Model Railroader, and on occasion, an article will refer to these other magazines.
The magazine is published under ISSN 0026-7341. Individual issues use the UPC
Universal Product Code
The Universal Product Code is a barcode symbology , that is widely used in North America, and in countries including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for tracking trade items in stores. Its most common form, the UPC-A, consists of 12 numerical digits, which are uniquely assigned to each trade item...
074820085486.