Model Railroader Magazine Print Subscription

Model Railroader Magazine Print Subscription

I became a subscriber to Model Railroader in sixth or seventh grade. I took a hiatus while in college, but resumed my subscription after I graduated and still receive it every month to this day. I love walking to the mailbox and finding a new issue of Model Railroader (and its sister publication about the prototype, Trains) waiting for me.

While the magazine is undoubtedly thinner than it was in its glory days in the 1990’s – I still have and reference my older issues – , it is still a solid publication that advocates strongly for the hobby. The staff does a fine job of recycling popular topics without making the reader feel like he is re-reading an article from two years ago.

Model Railroader is geared toward the novice and intermediate modeler. Railroad Model Craftsman and Model Railroad Hobbyist (a free digital publication) are more suited for advanced hobbyists, although their production value feels cheaper and I don’t enjoy reading them as much as Model Railroader when I just feel like casually browsing to get ideas for my layout or next rolling stock project.

The magazine’s product review section is one area that could be improved. There is an inherent conflict of interest when the magazine is reviewing products manufactured by prominent advertisers in said magazine. The result is occasional milquetoast reviews of products that the hobby community is less than impressed with because of incorrect prototype details, dimensions, or paint.