Railroad Model Craftsman is an American magazine specializing in the hobby of model railroading . The magazine is published monthly by White River Productions , which acquired the title from Carstens Publications in 2014. Its first issue in March 1933 was called The Model Craftsman because it covered other areas of scale modeling as well. Founded by Emanuele Stieri, it was second editor Charles A. Penn who helped grow the company and lead the publication towards the hobby of scale models. In April 1949 it changed its focus to model trains and changed its name to Railroad Model Craftsman to reflect this change in editorial content. While it can claim to be the oldest model railroading magazine in continuous publication in the United States, rival Model Railroader counters with the tagline "Model railroading exclusively since 1934." (However, both were predated by The Model Maker , which dates from 1924, and showcased working models of steam engines, trains, and boats.) Over the years, several other titles have been folded into the publication, including Toy Trains, Electric Trains and Hobby Railroading, Miniature Rail Roading, Model & Railway News, and The O Gager.
49-507: The company was founded in 1933 by Emanuele Stieri, a prolific how-to writer, and was the first editor-in-chief of the fledgling publication. Published by Model Craftsman Publishing Corp., the company moved headquarters from Chicago to New York City in 1934. The company was acquired by Charles A. Penn in 1935. The company relocated to suburban Ramsey, New Jersey in 1940. During the 1940s, the staff consisted of Charles Penn as editor and publisher, Robert W. Thompson as managing editor, Lewis Austin as
98-409: A Scene with Kathy Millatt, It's My Railroad with Steve Brown, Rehab My Railroad , History According to Hediger with Jim Hediger, The Hills Line with James McNabb, Tuck's Toy Trains with John Truckenbrod and many more. MRVP made its debut back in 2013 and is available to magazine subscribers as part of trains.com . The model train hobbyists the magazine has profiled over the years include
147-495: A mimeographed leaflet first distributed in 1970 as CTC Board , the publication later transferred to a more traditional magazine format. White River Productions acquired CTC Board: Railroads Illustrated from Hundman Publishing following the production of the May 2006 issue. A new editorial focus was chosen for the magazine, and it was renamed Railroads Illustrated with the first edition dated February 2007. Cinthia Priest has been editor of
196-484: A model railroad utilizing a modern shallow shelf design. Model Railroader Model Railroader ( MR ) is an American magazine about the hobby of model railroading . Founded in 1934 by Al C. Kalmbach , it is published monthly by Firecrown Media of Chattanooga, Tennessee . Commonly found on newsstands and in libraries, it promotes itself as the oldest magazine of its type in the United States, although it
245-455: A newly constructed suite of offices with an attached warehouse. Koester and Boyd worked together to push more modern prototype content and fine scale modeling features in contrast to the more loose interpretations of the hobby previously published by Hal Carstens. Boyd would be named editor of the new Railfan & Railroad magazine launched by Carstens in 1974. By 1980, Jim Boyd and Bill Schaumburg were listed as associate editors (Bill joined
294-500: A number of celebrities, including Michael Gross 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. White River Productions White River Productions
343-483: 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
392-464: A space-available basis. Receiving Yard - (Formerly "Dispatcher's Report") This section features announcements from various hobby manufacturers of new model railroading products available. Descriptions are brief and contain contact information for the manufacturer or their representative, compiled by associate editor Harry K. Wong. Railbooks - Various new books and recordings related to the world of railroading and scale models are reviewed in-depth by
441-406: A tour of a model railroad; to historical research related to a structure, piece of equipment, or entire railroad line; to the construction, painting, and detailing of a scale model. Safety Valve - (Formerly "Postmarks" from 2014-2019) A column of letters submitted to the editors by the readers of RMC expressing opinions about or sharing news related to features published in the magazine. Printed on
490-435: 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 longstanding philosophy of modeling is manifest in its editorial features of layout design and operation, in which
539-512: Is Chris Lane. Diesel Era was founded in 1990 by publisher Paul Withers to document the history of diesel locomotive development in North America. The title was acquired from Withers Publishing in April 2021. The magazine will change from a bi-monthly to a quarterly publication, increased to 64 pages. The editor is Tony Cook. White River publishes books that focus on fine railroad photography, with
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#1733104831681588-539: Is an independent publishing company that specializes in books and magazines targeted to railroad enthusiasts and historians. Kevin EuDaly founded the company in 1992 to published the book Missouri Pacific Diesel Power, which he also authored. Several other titles followed, and the company became his full-time venture beginning in 1996. The company expanded when it took on publishing newsletters and managing membership databases for several railroad historical societies. The company
637-643: Is edited by Chris Lane. The only annual publication dedicated to HO scale narrow gauge model railroading, the first HOn3 Annual was launched in 2009 by Carstens Publications. White River Productions acquired the HOn3 Annual from Carstens Publications in September 2014. Using the same successful formula as the On30 Annual , the HOn3 Annual features narrow gauge model railroading in HO scale (1:87) exclusively. Chris Lane
686-476: Is headquartered in Bucklin, Missouri. Established in 1933, Railroad Model Craftsman was published by Penn Publications until purchased by Hal Carstens and Carstens Publications in the 1960s. White River Productions acquired RMC from Carstens Publications in September 2014. This monthly magazine focuses on projects and research for active scale model railroad enthusiasts. Stephen Priest was named editor starting with
735-547: Is the editor. Launched in 1995, Model Railroad News is a monthly publication dedicated to the latest model railroad new product announcements, product reviews, and industry news. The magazine temporarily ceased publication in October 2011. White River Productions acquired the title and resumed publication with the March 2012 issue. The magazine is edited by Tony Cook. Railpace Newsmagazine focuses on railroad news and photos from around
784-466: Is the editor. Published continuously since 1975 by Benchmark Publications, the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette caters to active model railroaders with an interest in building models of narrow gauge railways and equipment. The magazine was sold to WRP in 2017, with Bob Brown remaining as editor. The magazine is published six times a year. Founded by Joe Giannovario in 2002, O Scale Trains Magazine
833-496: Is the editor. The first new title launched in-house by WRP, HO Collector is a new quarterly magazine dedicated to the history of HO scale 1:87 model trains. Not only will feature content trace the lineage of popular and obscure models, but will also focus on collecting, repairing, and operating vintage model trains. The magazine debuts with the Spring 2017 issue. Tony Cook is the editor, with Tony Lucio as associate editor. Dating back to
882-407: Is the long-standing competitor to Railroad Model Craftsman , which - originally named The Model Craftsman - predates MR by one year. 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
931-531: The Northeastern United States and Maritime Canada . The publication was founded in 1982 by Tom Nemeth, Denis Connell, and Bill Chaplik. On January 20, 2020, White River Productions acquired Railpace Newsmagazine, retaining Tom Nemeth as Editor. Carl Perelman continues to perform his duties as News Editor. All of the content in the magazine is contributed by readers. The original Passenger Train Journal
980-565: The UPC 074820085486. 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
1029-646: The January 2015 edition, succeeded by Otto Vondrak in May 2019. Railfan was the first title established in-house by Carstens Publications in 1974. Originally scheduled as a quarterly, frequency increased to bi-monthly in 1977 and monthly in 1987. Carstens merged it with Railroad Magazine in 1979. White River Productions acquired Railfan & Railroad magazine from Carstens in September 2014. The magazine covers railroad topics throughout North America, including freight and passenger lines. Heritage railways, preservation, and historical topics are featured as well. Steve Barry
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#17331048316811078-527: The January 2015 issue, the primary editorial staff consisted of Stephen Priest and Tony Cook, the first major change since the 1980s. Harry K. Wong later joined the staff as an associate editor. The magazine was completely redesigned, and some columns were retired, while others have been renamed ("Safety Valve" became "Postmarks" in 2014, restored to its original name in 2019). The magazine continued to produce in-depth features focused on scale model construction and prototype research. In February 2019, Otto Vondrak
1127-452: The accompanying art work, maps, and track plans were produced by illustrators Ken Lawrence and Otto Vondrak. After years of financial struggle, Carstens Publications president Henry Carstens announced the company's permanent closure on August 22, 2014. On September 1, 2014, White River Productions of Bucklin, Missouri, announced their acquisition of Railroad Model Craftsman as well as sister publication Railfan & Railroad . Beginning with
1176-423: The award in 2022, ending a 50-year run. Scratchbuilder's Workshop - (Formerly "Scratchbuilder's Corner") This regular monthly column was launched in 2002. Each month, veteran model builder Bob Walker discusses tips, techniques, and philosophy related to the construction of scale models from scratch, otherwise known as " scratchbuilding ." Walker retired from the column in 2019, and a number of authors contribute to
1225-417: The company, and the name was changed to Carstens Publications in 1969. Tony Koester joined the staff as an associate editor in 1968, and later became managing editor in 1971. By 1972, Jim Boyd was working full-time as editor of Flying Models , but was also listed as an associate editor of RMC. The last big move came in 1973 when the publishing company moved to rural Newton in northern New Jersey, housed in
1274-429: The editors and other authors. Timetable - A listing of model railroad related events taking place around the country, submitted by readers, and published on a space-available basis. Dremel Kitbashing Award - Co-sponsored by hobby tool manufacturer Dremel , is awarded to a hobbyist who completes a well-executed kitbashing project in any scale, using a variety of model building techniques. Dremel ended its support for
1323-400: The emerging trend of Railway Prototype Modelers, who seek to reproduce scale replicas of actual existing pieces of railway equipment as closely as possible, and share those techniques with other modelers. Although the magazine is not scale-specific, most of its plans are published either in HO scale or O scale , with instructions on converting them to other scales. Almost all of the content in
1372-484: The first On30 Annual was produced in 2006, published by Highlands Station, the publishers of Model Railroading magazine. With the closure of Highlands Station, the publication moved to Carstens Publications starting with the 2008 edition. White River Productions acquired the On30 Annual from Carstens Publications in September 2014. This annual publication is dedicated to narrow gauge model railroading in O scale (1:48), as well as product news and reviews. The annual
1421-473: 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 bi-monthly 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 a viewer mail segment (along with
1470-453: The hobby experience as a whole, authored by Mike Schafer (editor of Passenger Train Journal ) and modeler Bill Navigato. The last edition of this column was January 2021, when the authors announced their retirement. Collector Consist - Previously authored by Keith Wills, the column was reactivated in 2019 and is authored by Tony Cook, editor of HO Collector magazine. This quarterly column explores pioneering examples of scale model trains from
1519-449: The last fifty years. Company Photographer - This quarterly column was reactivated in 2019 to demonstrate various photography techniques as it applies to model railroading. Painting and Weathering - A new quarterly column launched in 2019 to demonstrate various methods of painting and weathering models. Branch Line on a Shelf - A new bi-monthly column launched in January 2022 where author Scott Thornton describes his process to build
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1568-500: The loans used to launch the magazine. World War II introduced paper rationing, which dampened the growth of the Kalmbach Publishing Company. At the end of the war, MR's circulation was 18,000. 1949, MR's circulation had grown to 82,000. 1950, MR's circulation had grown to 104,000, 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. 2017
1617-493: The magazine during its entire run. The final monthly edition of Railroads Illustrated was published in December 2014, with news and some feature content consolidated into an expanded Railfan & Railroad magazine. Future editions of Railroads Illustrated will be released on an annual special edition basis. Steve Jessup was named editor in 2019. The only annual publication dedicated to O scale narrow gauge model railroading,
1666-519: The magazine is generated by readers, with very few articles produced by the editors. Publisher Hal Carstens died on June 23, 2009, with his son Henry Carstens assuming day-to-day control of the company. Enjoying a long career as RMC's longest serving editor, Bill Schaumburg retired in February 2013. After his departure, the staff of the magazine consisted of editor Chris D'Amato, associate editor Jim Ankrom, and part-time associate editor Scott Lupia. Most of
1715-682: The magazine's website and available through their digital archive. 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. Model Railroader also produced Model Railroader Video Plus (MRVP) which does layout tours, tips and tricks, and shows like: Cody's Workshop with Cody Grivno, Drew's Trackside Adventures with Drew Halverson, Off The Rails with Gerry Leone, Ask MRVP with David Popp (now called Ask Trains ), Let's Make
1764-409: 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. The magazine is published under ISSN 0026-7341 . Individual issues use
1813-405: The model railroad editor, Leon Shulman as the model airplane editor, and Louis H. Hertz as the research editor. After World War II, Robert Thompson was succeeded by his brother Jim as managing editor. In December 1940, the magazine absorbed The Modelmaker, which was first published by Spon & Chamberlain in January 1924 and was the only magazine dedicated to model building until Model Craftsman
1862-438: The monthly Craftsman Workshop column in its place. Test Track - In-depth product reviews of new tools, models, and other equipment related to model railroading, compiled by associate editor Harry K. Wong. Editor's Notebook - News and editorial commentary by editor Otto Vondrak. Look Both Ways - Launched in 2014, this monthly column explores some of the philosophy and reason behind the construction of model railroads and
1911-469: The occasional blooper at the end). 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
1960-554: The second version of the "Myrt" was demolished when Kalmbach sold their building at 21027 Crossroads Circle and moved to Brookfield, Wisconsin, with everyone being employed by Firecrown media. In May 2024, longtime publisher Kalmbach Media divested of Model Railroader and other railroad interest magazines to publisher Firecrown Media. Typical feature articles in each month's issue include: Regular monthly columns and departments include: Model Railroader publishes two annual special issues: Other special issues on various aspects of
2009-454: The staff as an associate editor in 1952, after previously contributing several articles. As of 1954, the magazine staff consisted of Charles Penn as editor and publisher, Jim Thompson as executive editor, Hal Carstens as managing editor, Sam Skean, Bill Schopp as technical editor, and Edwin P. Alexander as research editor. In 1962, Hal Carstens was named publisher and president following the retirement of Charles Penn. Hal Carstens later purchased
Railroad Model Craftsman - Misplaced Pages Continue
2058-835: The staff in November 1976). In 1981, Bill Schaumburg succeeded Koester as managing editor, and Chris D'Amato and Jim Ankrom joined the staff as associate editors in 1982. By the mid-1980s, Boyd was dropped from the masthead as he was now concentrating full-time as editor of Railfan & Railroad . The magazine was published 12 times a year by Carstens Publications, located in Newton, New Jersey . As its name would suggest, Railroad Model Craftsman concentrates more on scratch building and kitbashing than its closest competitor. In-depth features relating to prototype historical research, model construction techniques, and high-quality detailing and finishing are common themes. The editors have also closely followed
2107-477: The staff moving to nearby Brookfield, Wisconsin . Another thing Model Railroader has is their own model railroad layout, the Milwaukee, Racine and Troy (AKA the "Myrt"), was located on the second floor of the former offices and just celebrated its 45th anniversary since being built (the original was located on the 3rd floor of the old offices at 1027 N. 7th Street which was in operation from 1975 to 1989 ). Sadly,
2156-576: The year's final issue garnered a reported circulation figure that fell below 100,000. The magazine, and Kalmbach Publishing (now Kalmbach Media ), celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2019. The magazine had to relocate 4 times, the original location was on 545 S. 84th Street (now a car wash) and later relocated to 1027 N. 7th Street (now part of Milwaukee Public Television and Milwaukee Area Technical College ), from 1989 to 2024, they moved to 21027 Crossroads Circle in nearby Waukesha and in 2024, Kalmbach recently sold their building to Silgan Containers and
2205-467: Was founded in 1968 as a quarterly publication, increasing to monthly frequency in 1979. Acquired by Interurban Press in 1987, it was later sold to Pentrex in 1993. Publication ended in 1999. White River Productions resurrected Passenger Train Journal in 2006, with Mike Schafer as editor. The magazine is produced quarterly, and focuses on passenger train and rail transit development past and present in North America. With Mike Schafer retiring, Kevin J. Holland
2254-495: Was founded. The magazine also increased to 74 pages. As the magazine's editorial focus shifted entirely toward the hobby of model railroading, the publication was renamed "Model Railroad Craftsman" in April 1949. Feeling the name was too close to that of Model Railroader , publisher Al Kalmbach asked for a slight name change as professional courtesy. As a result, "Railroad Model Craftsman" debuted in July 1949. Harold Carstens joined
2303-483: Was named editor in 2022. White River Productions acquired The Railroad Press from the publishing company of the same name during the summer of 2014. Founded in 1989 as The Railfan Photographer, it later morphed into The Railroad Press. The quarterly publication was renamed Trains & Railroads of The Past , with a focus on the late postwar era in North American railroading between 1960 and 1980. Jaime Serensits
2352-477: Was named the eighth editor of Railroad Model Craftsman, effective with the May 2019 issue, and splitting his duties as associate editor of Railfan & Railroad . The rest of the staff consists of Harry K. Wong as associate editor, and Todd Gillette as graphic designer. In April 2020, Justin Franz joined the staff as associate editor. The main part of the magazine is dedicated to the features. The subjects can range from
2401-699: Was one of the first magazines dedicated to the two-rail O scale modeling community. Upon Giannovario's passing in June 2013, his wife Jaini continued publication until the title was sold to WRP in 2018. The magazine is published six times a year with Martin Brechbiel as editor. Garden Trains Annual was launched in 2021 to cater to the garden railway enthusiast, combining the hobbies of model railroading with outdoor gardening . The annual publication features tours of home layouts, tips and techniques to build your own models, as well as ideas for landscaping and plantings. The editor
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