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.[1] 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.[2]) 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.
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.[3] 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 the model railroad editor, Leon Shulman as the model airplane editor, and Louis H. Hertz as the research editor.[4] 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 was founded. The magazine also increased to 74 pages. [5]
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 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.[6]
The Carstens era
In 1962, Hal Carstens was named publisher and president following the retirement of Charles Penn.[7] Hal Carstens later purchased 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 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 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 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 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.[8]
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 the accompanying art work, maps, and track plans were produced by illustrators Ken Lawrence and Otto Vondrak.
White River Productions era
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 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 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.[9] 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.[10]
Magazine sections
The main part of the magazine is dedicated to the features. The subjects can range from 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 a model railroad utilizing a modern shallow shelf design.
A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object. Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes such as anatomical structures or subatomic particles. Models built to the same scale as the prototype are called mockups.
HO or H0 is a rail transport modelling scale using a 1:87 scale. It is the most popular scale of model railway in the world. The rails are spaced 16.5 millimetres (0.650 in) apart for modelling 1,435 mm standard gauge tracks and trains in HO.
A railfan, rail buff or train buff, railway enthusiast,railway buff or trainspotter, or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.
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 Kalmbach Media of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Commonly found on newsstands and in libraries, it promotes itself as the oldest magazine of its type in the United States, although it is the long-standing competitor to Railroad Model Craftsman, which - originally named The Model Craftsman - predates MR by one year.
Kalmbach Media is an American publisher of books and magazines, many of them railroad-related, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Railroad Magazine was a pulp magazine founded by Frank Anderson Munsey and published October 1906 to January 1979. It was the first specialized pulp magazine with stories and articles about railroads. The magazine merged with Railfan to form the new Railfan & Railroad, published by Carstens Publications beginning after the final Railroad issue in 1979.
Garden Railways (GR) was a quarterly American magazine about the hobby of running large-scale trains outdoors, also called garden railroading. During its run, it was the world's leading magazine on that subject. Each issue featured hobby news, product reviews, how-to articles, featured railroads from around the world, photo galleries, and much more. Publication ceased after the Fall 2020 issue.
The Virginian and Ohio is both the name of a fictional railroad company created by W. Allen McClelland and the HO scale model railroad he built near Dayton, Ohio featuring this railroad. The V&O is famous in the model railroading world for setting a new standard for freelanced (fictional) model railroads designed to operate in a prototypical manner and was a major influence upon many model railroaders of the time. He used the words "beyond the basement" and "transportation system" to reinforce the idea of moving freight from shippers and industries beyond the confines of the limited model railroad geography and layout you had in your basement. This required the notion of interchange with other (model) railroads as well. The V&O had a shortline railroad on the layout, the KC&B, to provide a source of interchange traffic.
The Golden State Model Railroad Museum is an operating model railroad exhibit located in Point Richmond, California, within the boundary of the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline park. It is located in the Brickyard Cove area and features dozens of realistic city and country scenes, with trains from different eras running on several layouts in different scales. It is on the US National Register of Historic Places.
J. Anthony Koester, more commonly known as Tony Koester, is a well-known member of the United States model railroading community. Along with his friend Allen McClelland and his Virginian & Ohio, Koester popularized the idea of proto-freelancing with his HO scale model railroad, the Allegheny Midland. At Purdue University in the early 1960s, he studied electrical engineering, communication, and art. While at Purdue, he was also a member and president of the Purdue Railroad Club. In 1966, with Glenn Pizer he co-founded the Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society to preserve the memory of his favorite railroad.
Railroads Illustrated, formerly known as CTC Board, was a monthly magazine, published by White River Productions (WRP), devoted to railroad photography. WRP purchased CTC Board magazine from Hundman Publishing after the May 2006 issue, and rebranded the magazine as Railroads Illustrated, and used the CTC Board name for the news section. December 2014 marked the final monthly issue, with future expanded editions to be released annually. The news section and some feature content now appears in an expanded Railfan & Railroad, which was acquired by WRP in 2014.
Harold H. Carstens was president of Carstens Publications, publisher of Railfan & Railroad and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines. While attending Fairleigh Dickinson University at night, Carstens joined the staff of Railroad Model Craftsman in 1952. While in the Army, he studied art and journalism at the Philippine Institute for the Armed Forces. The position of managing editor opened up in 1954, and Carstens later advanced to Editor and Vice President in 1957. When owner Charles Penn retired in 1962, Hal Carstens became President. In 1973, Carstens moved the company to a new facility in Newton, New Jersey, where it is located today.
Pacific RailNews(PRN), originally named Pacific News and later RailNews, was an American monthly magazine about railroads and rail transit, oriented for railfans. It was published from 1961 until 1999. Although its coverage primarily concerned the western United States and western Canada, the magazine included less-detailed news on railroads and rail-transit from non-western states, as well as Mexico.
The New Electric Railway Journal was a quarterly American magazine primarily about electric urban rail transit in North America, published from 1988 to 1998, with an international circulation. Its name was a tribute to a much earlier magazine with similar coverage, the Electric Railway Journal, established in 1884 and published until 1931.
Carstens Publications, Inc. was a publisher of books and magazines related to the railroad and airplane hobby fields until its permanent closure on August 22, 2014. Many of the titles published by Carstens were older than the company, and have long established histories in their respective markets. Carstens was the chief competitor to Kalmbach Publishing in the scale model hobby and enthusiast field. What made Carstens stand out from the competition was the in-depth detail and active voice of the books and magazines. The company's list of monthly magazine titles included:
Railfan & Railroad is an American monthly magazine that has been in publication since the 1970s. It was the first magazine title established in-house by Carstens Publications. As a magazine dedicated to trains and rail transportation, it stands out from its main competitor Trains as a publication focused on the enthusiast and related activities. Established in 1974 as Railfan magazine, it merged in 1979 with Railroad magazine, which Carstens purchased at that time. The magazine was renamed Railfan & Railroad, but the two former titles were listed separately on the masthead until 2015. The magazine was acquired by White River Productions in September 2014. The magazine is produced monthly, edited by Steve Barry.
Flying Models was an American monthly magazine dedicated to model aviation published by Carstens Publications. It was the oldest continuously published magazine dedicated to model airplanes, having started as Flying Aces in October 1928. Flying Models was acquired by Carstens Publications in 1969 and ceased publication in 2014. The headquarters of the magazine was in Newton, New Jersey.
White River Productions 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 is headquartered in Bucklin, Missouri.
Model Railroad News is an American magazine specializing in the hobby of model railroading. It is the only monthly magazine dedicated exclusively to announcing news of upcoming model releases and reviewing new products in all popular scales. It was founded in 1995 by Mike Lindsay and Lamplight Publishing. During this period it was headquartered in Merlin, Oregon. The magazine temporarily ceased publication in October 2011. The magazine has been published monthly by White River Productions since they acquired the title in 2012. The editor is Tony Cook, who also serves on the editorial staff of Railroad Model Craftsman and as editor of HO Collector magazine.
Earl Lloyd Moore was an American model railroader who published over a hundred pieces in various American model railroading magazines between 1955 and 1980 under the name E. L. Moore. His articles dealt primarily with scratch-building HO scale structures from low-cost, simple materials, primarily balsa wood. Moore prided himself on being able to construct complex models in little time for little money. He often noted that his projects could be built for a couple of dollars worth of materials in a couple of weeks of evenings. Moore undertook this work while a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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