Trains Magazine Sold

Kalmbach sells: Trains

Kalmbach rail magazines, Trains.com sold to Firecrown Media

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Trains Magazine, the company’s other rail magazines, and Trains.com are among assets that have been sold by Kalmbach Media to Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Firecrown Media, the two companies have announced today (May 1).

Other Kalmbach titles involved in the transaction are Classic Trains, Model Railroader, Classic Toy Trains, FineScale Modeler, and Astronomy, as well as Kalmbach’s online stores.

The publications involved will continue to be based in Wisconsin.

Firecrown Media owns a wide range of transportation brands including Flying, Plane & Pilot, Boating, Yachting, and the supply chain site FreightWaves.
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Of interest:

What will happen regarding "The Lifers"?

According to a Kalpub "masthead" staffer I know, there are some 100 of such still on the rolls. Will the lifetime commitment continued to be honored, or will it go the way a carwash chain's around here did when "one fine day" they announced "oh we don't honor that anymore".

Finally, might a redux of "Airliners" and "Ships And The Sea" be in the works.

I am hoping this will be a good thing for the magazine.
The past 4-5 years the magazine hasn't been run the best. Between major spelling and information errors, to posting extremely watered down, or vague news stories they have had a lot of criticism recently. Personally, I think if they went with the Railfan and Railroad approach of posting a few well researched/written news headlines per week.

Firecrown also owns AvWeb.com

While I hate to see a family company like Kalmbach disappear, this seems like an ideal fit.

They kept a couple science related websites, so the company will remain, but the core business is now gone...

CPF66 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 7:31 am I am hoping this will be a good thing for the magazine.
The past 4-5 years the magazine hasn't been run the best. Between major spelling and information errors, to posting extremely watered down, or vague news stories they have had a lot of criticism recently. Personally, I think if they went with the Railfan and Railroad approach of posting a few well researched/written news headlines per week.

yes , I went from an online digital subscription to the premium sub with access to all magazines for about $ 90, then at the end of the year , I missed the reminder , and lost access to everything. I was so annoyed I didn't bother renewing at all. At least with the digital 3rd party sub, i got to keep the magazines i paid for.

There are already rumors and speculation about the future of the Kalmbach discussion board(s). Apparently the new owner doesn't have them for their current publications.

Perhaps a "market opportunity" for this venue.

This has got me wondering about delays and when the next issue will come out (not to mention who it will be printed under, Kalmbach or Firecrown). I collect the magazines, and have about 100 of them, including the first 15, 100th, 500th, 1,000th, and last. Glad to see it in better hands though.

Well, this issue arrived quite literally less than 5 minutes ago, and it IS under Kalmbach. The June 2024 issue is possibly the last Kalmbach-printed issue of Trains Magazine.

Well let's see what happens to the "Lifers"

disclaimer: I'm one of such

CPF66 wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 7:31 am vague news stories they have had a lot of criticism recently. Personally, I think if they went with the Railfan and Railroad approach of posting a few well researched/written news headlines per week.

There were some inconsistencies and it was very puzzling. Kalmback titles were usually impeccable in their research and writing as their authors were the voice of the hobby for decades. Now it makes a bit more sense. I will probably remain a Classic Trains subscriber as that was my favorite title. I hope the folks working there get a fair deal and some support to put out a better quality journal from the new owners.

I have now learned from the staffer I've long known (he is now on Firecrown's payroll) that Kalmbach Publishing will be dissolved and will no longer exist as a corporate entity.

Their building in Waukesha has been sold and those remaining will RELO to a smaller facility in Brookfield.

How the shareholders (those holding greater than 1% and must be disclosed within an Audit Bureau of Circulation public record filing) including many a name long associated with Kalmbach, will be remunerated is, of course, privileged.

The "Welcome to Firecrown" letter appearing in August TRAINS is ominous for those of us who still prefer our publications in print. The letter states to the effect of that we were set to give up print but decided to keep it. For how long beyond an "ease the pain" interval, who knows?

Sad, but hardly unexpected. Print media as we know it is going the way of the magnetic tapes...

The giant Tribune printing plant in Chicago is now set to be a casino, and the vast majority of Publishers Row is either lofts or converted to other business uses (at least one of the R.R. Donnelly facilities became a data center).

...and who knows for how long they will honor the "100 or so of us lifers".

If the number is really that low, I'd be surprised if they didn't.

When I bought my website, there were well over 100 active subscriptions (some being 2-3 years in length) for which I received zero of the money collected.

I faced the choice of cutting the privileges or honoring the obligation, which wasn't going to really cost me anything in the immediate. I chose to honor them, and for the most part, people are renewing as their terms expire. I'd much rather have the prospect of future renewals than permanently lose subscribers over ill will.

Granted, those of you who are lifers might not be a financial risk, but others who hear that you lost your lifetime subscription might be just as inclined to walk away when renewal comes up.

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If my lifetime subscription is no longer honored, I've got my $$$. A 12 month now is presently $58.95. When I signed up for life during '59, it was $60.00.

Even if I'm no longer that much of a railfan, I think I got my $$$ out of it.