1940 Model Railroader Poll Results

Jim,

  Thanks for sharing that. These old magazines are so useful for many reasons, projects, polls, ads, etc. I prefer the actual paper magazine...sometimes you have the typical bonus of a musty basement smell I am used to from my youth! However, online is fine, too.

Tom

@PRR8976 posted:

Jim,

  Thanks for sharing that. These old magazines are so useful for many reasons, projects, polls, ads, etc. I prefer the actual paper magazine...sometimes you have the typical bonus of a musty basement smell I am used to from my youth! However, online is fine, too.

Tom

Glad you liked this.

Funny you mention paper copies.  "Gotta do some bragging":

At the "big" train show at "the Egg" in Albany, NY this past winter I picked up the first 7 Bound Volumes of Trains Magazine.  They cover Nov 1940 through Oct 1947.  They start with an index for the Volume and then 12 Issues including  front and rear covers.  Actually the first volume contains a bonus, Volume 1 Edition 0 which is titled "Special Preview Edition".

Great resource for me, that loves MainLine Steam!

Last that I looked I had a full inventory of Trains magazine from 1940 up to 1990 or so. Try to read some of the writings of David P. Morgan which are usually very good. I think he became editor in the early 1950's.

Tom

@PRR8976 posted:

Last that I looked I had a full inventory of Trains magazine from 1940 up to 1990 or so. Try to read some of the writings of David P. Morgan which are usually very good. I think he became editor in the early 1950's.

Tom

Totally agree.  Since you have a complete library, when did the magazine change over to the large size pages?

Unfortunately, I don't have them organized and handy, I would guess (?) maybe sometime in the 1950's?

I just retired last October. That is still on the to-do list.

Tom

This was a neat look at the Model RR Hobby and life in general from that time..

And who in the Detroit Model RR Club back in 1940 would have thought their club would still be around in 2024?

Thanks for posting! 

Glad you liked it Jon.  Thanks for the info Tom.

BTW was reading through old Trains magazines previously mentioned.  In the March 1942 issue they had an article on Welded Rail.  It really surprised me, I didn't know that it was being employed that early.  Anyhow those old magazines have a lot of value if you model or just want to know more about what was going on back then.

That Trains editor David P. Morgan could really write...some of his writings were compiled by Kalmback in a book (I think I have the title right)..."Confessions of a Train Watcher."

Tom