Just received the July 2018 issue in the mail. Sadly, it appears Trains Magazine is stuck in a downward spiral regarding monthly content. As someone that has subscribed for many years, the subject matter inside has gradually continued to be unexciting and dull, even since the early 2000's.

For instance, the June 2018 edition includes an interview with the FRA chief and a trip to Taiwan (honestly, who would get excited to read about that?). Similarly, July 2018 featured stories about a German railroad along the Rhine (snore)and a piece about Amtrak's Viewliner's (pretty uninspiring).

It seems the "good old days" of impressive prose and vivid photographical accounts by men like Benson or Steinheimer are long gone. I used to love to look into the mailbox and anticipate the arrival of Trains Mag, but I'm lucky if I find myself even skim through the pages.

I have a theory though. Could it be that social media and railroad forums have changed the appetite of the old school railfan? In other words, could the market be so oversaturated that any railfan can literally look up information or photos related to subjects or geographic regions they care about, therefore making Trains Magazine redundant? Any thoughts, friends?