Many years ago on this forum, I started a thread with the Railroad Magazines covers. I believe when this forum shut down a several years ago that thread was lost.
I started a new thread on RR Line and now that forum is gone.
It was all started in 1882 by Frank Munsey with Argosy. Argosy was a pulp magazine There were literally dozens of pulp magazines on the marked in the early 1900's. Adventure, Railroad, Fishing, Flying and so on.
Munsey turned Argosy into a story and railroad magazine. The Argosy magazine is from April 1919
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131025160601-56166547.jpeg)
Eventually, Argosy was dropped in favor of an all railroad magazine for men. The magazine below is from October 1906
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131025160601-561631361.jpeg)
The Judge's father, Mr. Eaton, subscribed to the magazine and had decades of copies of them. Bill, inherited the magazines and were kept in the Eaton's attic over the past 40 years.
Fast forward and Bill and I have been reading the articles and donated many of those early magazines to the local ACL/SAL Historical Society. However, I found the water color covers fascinating so I copied all ones given to the historical society.
Bill still has several years of magazines.
I'll post the covers here. I've also gone back and resized all the covers to one pixel size for the best quality and color with Irfanview. Irfanview is the program I use for all photos, cropped, resized, cleaned and posted on this forum.
Please enjoy the efforts of Bill to keep these so we may all enjoy the wonderful water color covers
February 1958 -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131025160601-56167918.jpeg)
May 1931 -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131025165057-561691929.jpeg)
Thank you Tom & BIll for saving all these old covers.
So once again the adventure starts again. Hopefully Tom it will last this time around!! :)
And a great start to begin with.
Jerry
Neat stuff Tom! 8)
This is gonna be fun. Thanks Bill and Tom
terry
Bill and Tom, thanks for saving these magazine covers for us to enjoy.
And thanks Tom for starting another thread and posting them.
Those first two covers you posted don't seem very railroady.
It looks like the editors then were trying to get sales by being a bit scandalous.
Quote from: Jerry on October 13, 2025, 05:32:32 PMThank you Tom & BIll for saving all these old covers.
So once again the adventure starts again. Hopefully Tom it will last this time around!! :)
And a great start to begin with.
Jerry
Jerry,
You are welcome. I don't mind doing this over are the covers are wonderful and very well done water colors.
I'm sure this forum will last, Jim, our CEO, says he isn't going anywhere.
Tom
Quote from: Vietnam Seabee on October 13, 2025, 05:49:37 PMThis is gonna be fun. Thanks Bill and Tom
terry
Terry,
Yes, and this time it will stay.
Tom
Quote from: Rick on October 13, 2025, 06:20:54 PMBill and Tom, thanks for saving these magazine covers for us to enjoy.
And thanks Tom for starting another thread and posting them.
Those first two covers you posted don't seem very railroady.
It looks like the editors then were trying to get sales by being a bit scandalous.
Rick,
You are welcome also. I agree, but the covers to get much more railroady themed.
Tom
Tom, I remember those threads, and I'm glad to see the subject reopened. I only have a half-dozen issues but the magazine is the original source for Don Steffe's (sp?) "speed survey". I've always been proud of the years when the B&M had a dozen or more RDC trains making the 65 MPH Start to Stop listing for the 12 miles between Haverhill MA and Exeter NH (speed limit 70 mph).
Also, I have to ask: Is the "Piggyback" issue really 1929? The vehicles and the half-dollar price make me think post-1940 at least.
I realized the magazine was called Railroad Man's Magazine and then Railroad Stories prior to being called simply Railroad Magazine.
About ten years ago Bill and I took many of his dad's magazines to the ACL/SAL Historical Society. I found some covers I copied that were part of the ones donated. I found these in a separate file from the ones I posted on RR Lines.
I'm gong to contact Ken Murdock, Curator of the Museum, and see if I can pull them out and photograph the covers I didn't copy. I'll let you know later in the thread.
Here are some I copied prior to letting them go.
The last photo above is called Railroad Man's Magazine - May 1931. I don't know what month the change took place but here is November 1931 and it is Railroad Man's Magazine Stories.
November - 1931
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-181025155747-56177732.jpeg)
August 1934 -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-181025155747-56178528.jpeg)
Quote from: jbvb on October 18, 2025, 03:32:39 PMTom, I remember those threads, and I'm glad to see the subject reopened. I only have a half-dozen issues but the magazine is the original source for Don Steffe's (sp?) "speed survey". I've always been proud of the years when the B&M had a dozen or more RDC trains making the 65 MPH Start to Stop listing for the 12 miles between Haverhill MA and Exeter NH (speed limit 70 mph).
Also, I have to ask: Is the "Piggyback" issue really 1929? The vehicles and the half-dollar price make me think post-1940 at least.
James,
I may have copied the date/year wrong on the piggybacks. I thought it looked to modern for 1929. However, I no longer have the magazine to check. If I get to the ACL museum, I'll see if I can find the true date.
Mystery solved - It is the February 1958 cover.
Tom
Tom,
I'm really glad that you decided to bring this back, I really enjoyed seeing them on the RR line forum.
Tom, "Monk" must have been stealing for a long time because back in 1931 that was a lot of money.
It woks out to over 21 million in todays dollar.
I wonder if the story by E. S. Dellinger titled "Easy Money" was about theft too?
Quote from: elwoodblues on October 18, 2025, 06:49:42 PMTom,
I'm really glad that you decided to bring this back, I really enjoyed seeing them on the RR line forum.
Ron,
I agree and happy to do it again. These covers are just to nice and colorful not to share.
Tom
Quote from: Rick on October 18, 2025, 06:56:02 PMTom, "Monk" must have been stealing for a long time because back in 1931 that was a lot of money.
It woks out to over 21 million in todays dollar.
I wonder if the story by E. S. Dellinger titled "Easy Money" was about theft too?
Rick,
I can only assume it was easier to steal from boxcars in 1931. In todays money, one boxcar may get you 21 million.
I was wondering if the "Sunk without a Trace" story was true.
Tom
Tom really great to see this come alive again.
I was if that was a true story also "Sunk without a Trace"?
Jerry
Quote from: Jerry on October 19, 2025, 10:48:22 AMTom really great to see this come alive again.
I was if that was a true story also "Sunk without a Trace"?
Jerry
Jerry,
It would have been an interesting read.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tom
Always enjoy the Railroad Magazine and it's varients.
Sunk without a trace, having lived around the Great Lakes I can imagine that could certainly true. There are hundreds of ship wrecks in GL history many that were without a trace.
Tom,
You certainly seem to manage your retirement time better than I do! Thanks for the time and effort you put into this site.
My lone trepidation is given the posts to other sites and their ultimate demise, I am typing my post with fingers crossed. Third time charmed?
Glad to see this thread back Tom, always enjoyed the trip back in history..... 8)
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on October 20, 2025, 09:44:08 AMAlways enjoy the Railroad Magazine and it's varients.
Sunk without a trace, having lived around the Great Lakes I can imagine that could certainly true. There are hundreds of ship wrecks in GL history many that were without a trace.
Karl,
I agree, these are very well done covers. Lost without a trace is scary when there are no answers for what happened.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tom
Quote from: BandOGuy on October 20, 2025, 09:48:17 AMTom,
You certainly seem to manage your retirement time better than I do! Thanks for the time and effort you put into this site.
My lone trepidation is given the posts to other sites and their ultimate demise, I am typing my post with fingers crossed. Third time charmed?
Chip,
Hey, good to see you my friend. I've been retired no for 27 years and finally got a handle on things.
Your post came through just fine. I've certainly lost my share of posts in the forums shutting down, but I persevere. Glad you are enjoying the thread.
Tom
Quote from: GPdemayo on October 20, 2025, 04:29:29 PMGlad to see this thread back Tom, always enjoyed the trip back in history..... 8)
Greg,
I'm happy to post the covers. Interesting to see what was new back then.
Tom
June 1934 -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-181025155747-56179626.jpeg)
October 1934 -
If this RI disaster occurred 61 years prior to 1934, then the train wreck happened in 1873. I wonder if he saved his wife or some other passenger.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-181025155747-561801309.jpeg)
At least he saved the girl!! The others are on there own!! ;D
Thanks for the new covers Tom.
Jerry
I wonder what that first cover is about.
I don't remember seeing any old RR pics of turbaned engineers.
Would be nice if he put the woman down and try to help some others still in the water.
Quote from: Rick on October 25, 2025, 07:07:48 PMI wonder what that first cover is about.
I don't remember seeing any old RR pics of turbaned engineers.
Would be nice if he put the woman down and try to help some others still in the water.
Kyber Pass is in what used to be India (now Pakistan), the rail line to Kabul, Afghanistan. That's -always- been a part of the world subject to banditry and tribal warfare.
Remember Sherlock Holmes' first line to Doctor Watson, "You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive."
dave