Railfan and Railroad Magazine Problem

[ladder2]

Does anyone know if Carstens is in financial trouble? It is almost August and I never received June 2014 yet and May was
received the middle of June! Calls to the office state that they blamed it on the printer each time I called. One would think they could find another source if thats the only problem. Anyone else having a similar problem?

[mackdave]

The last issue I received was May, their website shows a June Issue which I didn't get. Next Friday will be August. That's three issues behind. I hope it's not money.

Dave Mackay

[lv414]

Nobody reads magazines anymore in this time where you can see and read it when it happens

[charlie6017]

Nobody reads magazines anymore in this time where you can see and read it when it happens

I definitely read magazines........particularly the articles with topics about railroading many years ago.

Charlie

[Sir Ray]

Could be this (from late June this year):
Giant magazine wholesaler files for bankruptcy

One of the country’s largest magazine wholesalers officially went bust on Monday — one month after closing its doors after losing its largest customer.
Source Home Entertainment, which trucked magazines from warehouses to retailers for Time Inc. and other publishers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection after losing money for years.
While Time Inc., which publishes some of the best-read magazines in the country, like People, Sports Illustrated and InStyle, was the hardest hit by Source’s shuttering, the entire industry felt the blow, and some retailers could see a magazine shortage this summer as the industry looks for other companies to fill the void and get their titles to stores.

Can't find hard evidence that Carstens used Source Home Entertainment as a distributor or not...

[ladder2]

I just noticed that Otto Vondrak is listed as an employee of sorts for Railfan, Otto can you shed any light on this subject or are
you sworn to secrecy as an employee?

[ladder2]

If Kalmbach is among the creditors, does this mean that Trains subscibers are having serious delays also? I have a "feeling" that
Railfan and Railroad has its own money problems, as they have not answered my e mails lately and in 4 more days they will be
3 months behind! Plus the fact that they asked me to renew back in April and my subscription wasn't due to run out until Dec.!

[Sir Ray]

I have a "feeling" that Railfan and Railroad has its own money problems, as they have not answered my e mails lately and in 4 more days they will be
3 months behind! Plus the fact that they asked me to renew back in April and my subscription wasn't due to run out until Dec.!

Rail Model Craftsman is a pretty fair magazine (when it's available), sometimes they take angles that MR doesn't (I did like their occasional historic series on industries and facilities). I think that often they have very in-depth articles spanning many pages, which is great if you are interested in that topic (and not so much if you aren't).

I really hope they don't join the likes of Model Railroading, Mainline Modeler, and Rail Model Journal, ended in the mid-00s magazine massacre...

[umtrr-author]

Nobody reads magazines anymore in this time where you can see and read it when it happens

"Nobody" is a pretty broad statement. Please don't include me in it.

[CJPat]

We never became the digital society because, by and far, it is more comforting "holding" the document in your hand as it give you the feeling of more control of the document. That, coupled with the higher resolution of seeing an actual photo or text rather than a redering in some lower resolution than your eye can provide.

I prefer the written document over the electronic version.

[kilroy]

The digital v. paper thing is pretty much generational. When I started working in 1981 there was one PC in a department of about 50 people and it didn't get much use. We all had calculators on our desks. Think that's the way it is today?

I read a newspaper. I prefer it I guess because I'm use to it. My son doesn't look at the paper except for the Sunday comics. Read the sports section? No way, he looks at ESPN.com and a bunch of other sites.

In the not too distant future electronic subscriptions will be cheaper than the paper ones as demand for electronic media will increase as us old foggies push up daisies and the citizens who grew up with a smart phone in their hand at all times take over.

Hell, even the NRHS now requries you to pay your dues on-line. No more paper invoices.

[Ken W2KB]

The digital v. paper thing is pretty much generational. When I started working in 1981 there was one PC in a department of about 50 people and it didn't get much use. We all had calculators on our desks. Think that's the way it is today?

I read a newspaper. I prefer it I guess because I'm use to it. My son doesn't look at the paper except for the Sunday comics. Read the sports section? No way, he looks at ESPN.com and a bunch of other sites.

In the not too distant future electronic subscriptions will be cheaper than the paper ones as demand for electronic media will increase as us old foggies push up daisies and the citizens who grew up with a smart phone in their hand at all times take over.

Hell, even the NRHS now requries you to pay your dues on-line. No more paper invoices.

Already cheaper in some cases, to wit, this weekly newspaper. If I were to subscribe to paper - $85, for the on-line, $38. Less than half for on-line:

e-Edition & Print (In-County Only)
1 Year(s) Subscription for $ 38.00

e-Edition & Print (Mass.and R.I.)
1 Year(s) Subscription for $ 65.00

e-Edition & Print (Nationwide)
1 Year(s) Subscription for $ 85.00

e-Edition only
1 Year(s) Subscription for $ 38.00

[CJPat]

Kilroy, you're killing me. I may have to get rid of my spats and just wear my galoshes.

At my desk, I have a laptop in a docking station with 2 monitors. It is still faster to pull up my hand calculator to get a quick answer. And I'm an engineer.

But in the end, you are right. It is generational. They integrate computers at every grade in public school. If that's all they show you, you get used to it. Of course they tried that with the Metric System all through my Jr. High and Sr. High Schools. It's relatively dead unless you go into the pure sciences.

[ladder2]

This discussion about paper vs. digital is interesting but does not answer my and others question: What happened to Railfan and Railroad magazine. In 12 hours its August 1st and still no answer to when will we receive our June, July, and August copies (PRINTED NOT DIGITAL) editions. Carstens has not answered my e mails, Otto Vondrak who is associate
editor has not offered any enlightenment either through this column or via e mails from the office. I guess my $30..
is down the drain!

[charlie6017]

This discussion about paper vs. digital is interesting but does not answer my and others question: What happened to Railfan and Railroad magazine. In 12 hours its August 1st and still no answer to when will we receive our June, July, and August copies (PRINTED NOT DIGITAL) editions. Carstens has not answered my e mails, Otto Vondrak who is associate
editor has not offered any enlightenment either through this column or via e mails from the office. I guess my $30..
is down the drain!

I'm cringing as I write this because I really like Railfan & Railroad (FAR more than Trains Magazine!), but if you don't get anywhere
in the near-future, maybe submit a complaint with the Better Business Bureau?

I see Carstens has a Facebook page, but it doesn't appear to be very active.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carstens ... 5517762923

Good luck!

Charlie