Railway Magazines

[willas00]

Hi All,

First of Merry Christmas.

Any way... I was reading a friends rail magazines the other day and they where really interesting. So I decided to look into getting a railway magazine every issue from 2011.

I notice there are many you can buy but I don't know what one.... I want a magazine that's about todays railways but I understand some magazines come with freebies like DVD's on occasions so my question is which magazine would you go for or recommend?

 

[Dai.]

If I were ever to read any it'd be The Railway Magazine or RAIL. Both have informative pieces on the modern railways!

 

[MCR247]

I buy Todays Railways UK

 

[Intermodal]

I find RAIL is very good but if you're interested in modelling as well, or like comprehensive move lists, go for Rail Express.

 

[asylumxl]

I personally like RAIL and Modern Railways. But that's me.

 

[scotsman]

RAIL, even though it's known as LIAR. I stopped buying after it going up to £3.20

 

[Z12XE]

Printed Railway Magazines?

Are those things *still* around??!

 

[Dai.]

Printed Railway Magazines?

Are those things *still* around??!

The medium will never die. It's too big for it to just pop out and there isn't a good way to portray an online magazine yet.

 

[CosherB]

As an enthusiast rather than a railyway professional I've subscribed to Railway Magazine for years now. But now I crew a steam loco as a volunteer I have just taken out a subscription to Steam Railway as well.

 

[junglejames]

RAIL, even though it's known as LIAR. I stopped buying after it going up to £3.20

Not this again. I kept hearing this 'LIAR' thing on another forum.
Im glad there are actually some people that read it. I find it one of the best.

Dont even look at the price now. It lands on my doormat every fortnight, and the price doesnt need to worry me. Although it might the next time i look at the subscription costs!!
Anyway, Sunday papers are up to £1.50 now, and they are just full of rubbish, so twice as much for something more than twice as good, seems a bargain!

Depends what you want in a magazine. If you want more technical things, then Modern Railways is usually good. If you want up to date news on the whole of the network, be it strange turns, fleet changes, fares information, or any other big bits of news, then Rail is one of the best.
The contributors arent scared to voice their opinions either, so you often get more than one different opinion in it.

 

[Aictos]

For me, Rail and Rail Express covers everything I need from modelling to news to movements etc...

 

[Oracle]

RAIL, defo..I once had a photo published in it! I have boiught probably every issue since it was RAIL ENTHUSIAST many years ago.

 

[Train wasp]

I’ve just started to buy Rail magazine again for the first time in over twenty years. I find it’s a good read and it comes out twice a month.

 

[scotsman]

Not this again. I kept hearing this 'LIAR' thing on another forum.
Im glad there are actually some people that read it. I find it one of the best.

Don't get me wrong, it is good. They just don't check their sources or facts. 'LIAR' I believe actually originates from the fact that bashers tried to use it for gen!

 

[theblackwatch]

For me, Rail and Rail Express covers everything I need from modelling to news to movements etc...

I agree about Rail Express but I may be slightly biased! Another advantage of Rail Express is that, in addition to the printed mag, you can take out a subscription for a digital version (which is £18 per year, a big saving on the printed mag). You can see the latest digital issue at https://gb.zinio.com/checkout/publi...=500597990&offer=500597990&bd=1&rf=mortonssrc although it only allows you to look at a limited number of pages at full size (you need to subscribe to read them all).

 

[philcfc1905]

I buy Rail today uk, The Railway Magazine and Railways Illustrated. All three get me through the month with great photos and articles.

 

[d1015fan]

i do like to read railway hearld and rail talk (both free via online), railway hearld is published weekly usually and railtalk monthly.

Printed wise I usually read Rail Express for both modelling and railway news, Traction - becuase its a good historical portrayal of the railways from primary and secondary sources. Occassionally I read the others if there is something of interest in them. Todays Railways UK is good as well because has updates for Platform 5 books.

 

[junglejames]

Don't get me wrong, it is good. They just don't check their sources or facts. 'LIAR' I believe actually originates from the fact that bashers tried to use it for gen!

Very rarely do they quote something as a fact if it isnt. If they do, then you usually see it admitted in the next issue.
The problem im guessing, comes from the fact that they also publish things that they have heard through the grapevine. But they always admit that it is not actually confirmed. Im guessing people are taking these bits as gospel, even though the magazine always says it hasnt been confirmed.

Magazines arent always the best for Gen, because its quite often last minute stuff. However ive never had a problem with info ive got from the magazine.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Much of the problem with the occasional inaccuracy in Rail is probably down to in the past few years they have taken on general journalistic staff rather than railway experienced ones; there is bound to be a learning curve but usually these people do pick things up quickly.

My own two bugbears with it are that occasionally the same small one paragraph snippet of news will appear twice on different pages and that the last line or two of an article sometimes simply isn't there!

Overall, it's still a very good magazine, and I buy it ( and have bought it ever since issue 1 ). One thing that I do like about it is that unlike the other general magazines it does show a lot of the business perspective that you would normally have to buy a very expensive specialist publication to see.

What I don't like about it is that the rolling stock update only lists locomotive changes and not units or hauled stock as well. But that's a minor point.

For the record, the full list of railway magazines I read is as follows:

Rail
Steam Railway
Today's Railway's Europe

This selections gives me a pretty comprehensive coverage of the current situation for the UK ( current and heritage ) and keeps me up to date with Europe ( including heritage ) as well.

 

[junglejames]

Not come across that one with bottoms of articles missing!!
My only problem with it is the fact at very odd times, the proof reader has obviously been working with his/ her eyes closed!! You get odd spelling mistakes, and bad grammar. Its very rare though. Probably the same with a lot of magazines/ papers.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I do like quite a few!

Modern Railways & RAIL magazine are very interesting, but I find these seem to focus on development and up to date news, and are not for the 'common' enthusiast which tend to go for older stuff. I like to keep upto date and get a variety of magazines both enthusiast & modern focused ones. Although I am not a big 'classic' diesal fan I do like Traction magazine for some reason it also has a dislike for EMUs too (Cheeky!) but I always find it a very good read.

I like the RM for being both of the above (Thats how I see it anyway) and I am subscriber so I always get it 2 days early too.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Today's Railways UK, hands down the best, not even in the same field as the other mentioned, and I ain't exaggerating.

I read RAIL via a friend, but to be honest, i wouldn't use it to wipe my ar*e based upon recent issues. Railway herald is very good too, as is the Railway Magazine, but avoid others (especially those based on traction) as they seem to rave over Class 37s working freight from A-B, and don't give mention to issues which may actually involve people who read it (such as fare rises etc)... Please exclude Rail Express from this rant, I have never read it

My top 4:
1 (the best) - Today's Railways UK
2 - Railway herald
3 - RAIL
4 - The Railway magazine

End of rant, but go TRUK mate

 

[junglejames]

Today's Railways UK, hands down the best, not even in the same field as the other mentioned, and I ain't exaggerating.

I read RAIL via a friend, but to be honest, i wouldn't use it to wipe my ar*e based upon recent issues. Railway herald is very good too, as is the Railway Magazine, but avoid others (especially those based on traction) as they seem to rave over Class 37s working freight from A-B, and don't give mention to issues which may actually involve people who read it (such as fare rises etc)... Please exclude Rail Express from this rant, I have never read it

My top 4:
1 (the best) - Today's Railways UK
2 - Railway herald
3 - RAIL
4 - The Railway magazine

End of rant, but go TRUK mate

Very interesting observation. However a few things in it make me wonder how good an assesment it is.
RAIL- Wouldnt use it to wipe your a*s*, is the 3rd best. Says a lot about Rail magazines in general!! The Railway Magazine- Very good, but comes behind a magazine that you wouldnt wipe your a*s* with.
Or perhaps you just hate railway magazines in general (except for TRUK), and so even the very good ones are not even good enough as toilet paper? Im lost.
Also, is that Traction Magazine you mention? If so, its a very very unfair assesment. Traction magazine is aimed at a totally different audience. It looks back at classic traction, and mentions interesting workings from today that involve classic traction. It has never claimed to be a magazine for the modern railways, with up to date info on things like fare rises.

Also, you dont mention 'Modern Railways'. Does this come even further down the food chain?

So just to add to the debate on rail magazines. If you are interested in classic traction of yesteryear, then Traction magazine is a very good buy. It has some interesting articles in it. Dont get it if you want news from todays railways though.

 

[MCR247]

TRUK - Todays Railways UK

 

[junglejames]

I buy Rail today uk, The Railway Magazine and Railways Illustrated. All three get me through the month with great photos and articles.

Railways Illustrated. Isnt that the one with Pip Dunn as editor?
Always liked him when he was at Rail magazine, but havent read Railways Illustrated.

 

[imagination]

Modern Railways and occasionally RAIL is what I read. I'm mainly interested in the current state of affairs on the railways though...

 

[lancastrian]

For the current Railway scene I purchase RAIL & Modern Railways, I also read Railway Magazine & Todays Railways UK (my son buys them). For current Heritage Information I buy Steam Railway & Heritage.

 

[Pumbaa]

If you're interested in the technology, recent (and well analysed) developments in the network and disinterested in which locomotive recently changed colour or whether or not a tractor is still alive, then Modern Railways is very good.

 

[tbtc]

If you're interested in the technology, recent (and well analysed) developments in the network and disinterested in which locomotive recently changed colour or whether or not a tractor is still alive, then Modern Railways is very good.

Sounds like me!

 

[Failed Unit]

My advice is to try a few for a couple of issues as they all cover different things. For me modern railways is the only one that goes so far in depth on many technical issues. Railways illustrated is good if you want to take photos. As others have said express covers models. So if you want something special then pick those. But they all cover things slightly different so it is a case of picking a style you like. Sods law will dictate that the announcement you were most interested in will miss the print deadline! But what works for someone on here may be unreadable to someone else! Just like newspapers people love or hate the daily mail.