Model Railroader subscribers?

[Frenchie]

I have just discovered (not that they bothered to tell me) that Classic Trains magazine is no longer distributing paper copies outside of the US, this with two issues still left on my paper issue subscription here in the UK.

I wonder if this is the start of US outline magazines disappearing from the shelves outside of the US and a switch to digital only editions?

I hope not, I need physical paper, I just don't get on with digital versions.

I am a french subscriber to Model Railroader magazine since about 35 years. My subscription ends next march and the last issue I received was september's.
It's now impossible to contact Kalmbach for this, it's now Firecrown media.
I sent them a message, I was told they had a technical problem with message reception.
They asked for "clarification".
I answered with, again, all details. NO REACTION from their part.
Two days ago I sent them a new message and this morning I received the exact same answer word for word !
I suppose I'll never receive the missing issues, I am very disappointed and I won't renew my subscription.

 

[jmupton2000]

I am a french subscriber to Model Railroader magazine since about 35 years. My subscription ends next march and the last issue I received was september's.
It's now impossible to contact Kalmbach for this, it's now Firecrown media.
I sent them a message, I was told they had a technical problem with message reception.
They asked for "clarification".
I answered with, again, all details. NO REACTION from their part.
Two days ago I sent them a new message and this morning I received the exact same answer word for word !
I suppose I'll never receive the missing issues, I am very disappointed and I won't renew my subscription.

Just looked it up, seems MR is also digital only outside the US now as well. I presume all Firecrown publications are like this.

Would have been nice to have actually been told about this!!!

Fortunately I have been able to at least complete my 2025 collection of Classic Trains as a US retailer is sending me a paper copy for a fairly reasonable postage price.

What I will do for 2026 and beyond editions, i do not know.
.

 

[Frenchie]

Just looked it up, seems MR is also digital only outside the US now as well. I presume all Firecrown publications are like this.

Would have been nice to have actually been told about this!!!

Fortunately I have been able to at least complete my 2025 collection of Classic Trains as a US retailer is sending me a paper copy for a fairly reasonable postage price.

What I will do for 2026 and beyond editions, i do not know.
.

Thank's for the infos John. You're right, they could have warned the subscribers. Times have changed, respect is fading away.

 

[jmupton2000]

...and if you decide to go with a digital sub outside of the US, you have to pay from a US bank account.

Are they deliberately trying to kill off the entire railroad part of the company or something?

 

[Frenchie]

...and if you decide to go with a digital sub outside of the US, you have to pay from a US bank account.

Are they deliberately trying to kill off the entire railroad part of the company or something?

I don’t know what's cooking and I wonder if they really know themselves.
Well too bad, I remember the first issue I read, april 1984, with late Malcom Furlow's articles.
Great memories and over 40 years younger...

 

[Frenchie]

Still no news concerning my subscription. I suppose I'll never receive my missing issues,
that is oct, nov, dec 2025, Jan, feb 2026.
March was supposed to be the last issue.
Kalmbach lost yet another customer. They should keep an eye on Firecrown publications.

 

[Espeefan]

Ever since they cut back on going out for layouts and doing more articles inside I haven't found enough in each issue to justify a subscription. Same with Craftsman. I look at each issue at the newsstand and see if anything interests me. I miss Mainline Modeler and Model Railroading, and to a lesser extent, Rail Model Journal. Those magazines were more your average guy knocking stuff out, and in most cases killing it!

 

[Frenchie]

Ever since they cut back on going out for layouts and doing more articles inside I haven't found enough in each issue to justify a subscription. Same with Craftsman. I look at each issue at the newsstand and see if anything interests me. I miss Mainline Modeler and Model Railroading, and to a lesser extent, Rail Model Journal. Those magazines were more your average guy knocking stuff out, and in most cases killing it!

Among my favorite articles in Model Railroader were " a RR or a line you can build ", with well drawn and inspiring plans beautifully decorated by talented artists. Plus many photos of the real place.

 

[jmupton2000]

They finally and begrugingly refunded me, but only for the cost of one issue, not two!! All these dealings have been with the company that handles the subscriptions who, reading between the lines, also seem to have been caught out by Kalmbach/Firecrown's zero interest in outside of the US sales policy.

From Kalmbach/Firecrown themselves, total silence. Attempts to comment about the situation on their Facebook pages/posts sees the comment ignored, deleted or the whole post vanish altogether.

They have well and truly pulled up the drawbridge!!!!

 

[Frenchie]

They finally and begrugingly refunded me, but only for the cost of one issue, not two!! All these dealings have been with the company that handles the subscriptions who, reading between the lines, also seem to have been caught out by Kalmbach/Firecrown's zero interest in outside of the US sales policy.

From Kalmbach/Firecrown themselves, total silence. Attempts to comment about the situation on their Facebook pages/posts sees the comment ignored, deleted or the whole post vanish altogether.

They have well and truly pulled up the drawbridge!!!!

Yep, sad and pathetic, end of an era.

 

[trailrider]

Monthly issues keep getting thinner and thinner. RMC seems to be getting thicker. If MR goes totally digital, I'm not sure what I will do. Even the lightest laptop is too heavy when sitting on the throne! American Rifleman is going online only. I already spend too much time on the confuser! Folks getting upset thinking AI will take over everything humans do now. Might not be a bad idea at that. There ain't much human intelligence on this planet! (Cynical mode off!)

 

[Ericsauto]

They finally and begrugingly refunded me, but only for the cost of one issue, not two!! All these dealings have been with the company that handles the subscriptions who, reading between the lines, also seem to have been caught out by Kalmbach/Firecrown's zero interest in outside of the US sales policy.

From Kalmbach/Firecrown themselves, total silence. Attempts to comment about the situation on their Facebook pages/posts sees the comment ignored, deleted or the whole post vanish altogether.

They have well and truly pulled up the drawbridge!!!!

What issues do you need? I could maybe email the PDF of them.

For the record, I am canceling my subscription.

 

[michaeljoe]

Bathrooms are secondary libraries!

Maybe some,

 

[Twinboystrains]

I accidentally let my subscription lapse. Paid a week later. Knowing I would miss the February issue. Still waiting for the March issue to appear in the mailbox. If it doesn’t, it’s the last time I will subscribe to a print version. Like others, YouTube and forums are the go to for me.

 

[bnsf971]

Monthly issues keep getting thinner and thinner. RMC seems to be getting thicker. If MR goes totally digital, I'm not sure what I will do. Even the lightest laptop is too heavy when sitting on the throne! American Rifleman is going online only. I already spend too much time on the confuser! Folks getting upset thinking AI will take over everything humans do now. Might not be a bad idea at that. There ain't much human intelligence on this planet! (Cynical mode off!)

I haven't checked, but many magazines are available for tablets like iPad or Fire. They are much more manageable than a laptop.

 

[Frenchie]

It's certainly generational but I prefer print issues. I find comfortable to have the printed article beside me at the workbench if I have to refer to it. I also find screens awkwards to work with.

 

[Ericsauto]

It's certainly generational but I prefer print issues. I find comfortable to have the printed article beside me at the workbench if I have to refer to it. I also find screens awkwards to work with.

I understand. If you change your mind, the offer is there.

 

[Greg Schneider]

I just got a subscription offer from Model Railroader for a years subscription for 35 bucks. Granted I did buy two Model Railroaders when we went on our Amtrak trip and couple of months ago, and I did look at the pictures, and 35 bucks isn't that much anymore...but the mag is smaller and a lot of different scales covered; but it wasn't really that interesting. I have over 70 years of Model Railroader magazines, along with MRC...but: I don't know. Has Model Railroader lost it's edge and do you still subscribe or just search the internet...?

Hi John, Looks like you've got a number of responses to your post about MRR magazine. I discontinued my subscription in 2023. In 2020 a single copy sold for 6.99. 2025 price is 8.99. If your looking to buy a years subscription from the publisher, Klambach/ Trains .com, it is 44.95 for digital and 54.95 for print and digital. Best deal is from Dragon Forms/ Firecrown Media 39.95 digital ,49.95 for print and digital.

I get it, production prices have increased, but looking at the increased amount pages of advertising, and the income that generates, you would think that Klambach could offer a better rate. Why pay for digital, and print? I enjoyed the Q&A in the Railroad Post Office , and Allen Garteners DCC Corner. ( This was my motive for purchasing a subscription. ) The how to articles are few now. Okay Cody Grivino does do one from time to time. Klambach offers books on various topics, but these will set you back as much as 20.00 .

Currently I get the strong impression that the magazine is more so focused on the pro/ long time modeler, and photos of their layouts. I would rather see a more informational format to the magazine, helping the newbies to the hobby as well as the more experienced modeler.

 

[jmupton2000]

UK modelling magazines have gone the same way. Every increasing cover prices, more and more advertising and progressively less actual content.

What content their is, often appears multiple times slightly reworded in different publications, the reviews of new products are often hopelessly biased towards the manufacturers with many just copying and pasting the manufacturers blurb rather than actually doing their own evaluation of the product.

I haven't seen any honest reviews for a long time now, if a model is a pile of inaccurate crap then say so!

It's all a bit of a mess and one reason why I have not bought a UK model mag in several years now.

 

[NorthTexasRailroad]

Good topic of conversation. I'd also gotten an offer in the mail, but from what I'd seen in a couple issues that I'd bought at Barnes and Noble I didn't think more about it. I may subscribe to Railroad Model Craftsman...that sounds like it is doing well and seems more worthwhile. Agree that get a lot of information off the internet and then focused books that I've gotten in the last couple years.