Yesterday, while driving around, I stopped into a Barnes & Noble to see if the last issue of RMC was on their shelf. It was, so a copy came home with me.

I read through the issue when I got home. There is a very nice article on Great Northern’s Plywood boxcars in there and some good coverage of the Spring Prototype Modelers meet in Malvern, PA.

I had an email waiting for me that sent along a copy of a press release from White River Productions and Carsten Publications. Railroad Model Craftsman and Railfan & Railroad were sold to White River Publications and will continue to be published.

This first time my name appeared in an issue of RMC

Yesterday, August 22, 2014 the rumors were put to rest with a post of the Railroad Model Craftsmen’s Facebook page.

It is with regret that Carstens Publicatons, Inc. will be closing permanently at close of business on Friday, August 22, 2014. Carstens Publications, Inc. has been a leading publisher of leading hobby magazines for over 50 years. Unfortunately the current economic climate has placed us in this position. Discussion is continuing with several parties who expressed desire to take on the continuance of the magazines. At this point there is still hope that all three titles will remain in existence. But I can offer no guarantees. We thank you for your patronage over the years, and wish you the best of luck in

your endeavors.

 

Henry R. Carstens, President

Carstens Publications, Inc.

The cover above is from the February 1983 issue of RMC. It was the first time my name appeared inside an issue. I supplied photos for Eric Neubauer’s article on the PRR G32c gondolas. That started my relationship with RMC. They later published modeling articles, prototype drawings and illustrations of mine for other people’s articles over the next few years. They really helped me when I was fresh out of art school.

One of the things I liked most when doing the illustrations was taking the ride up to Newton, NJ to drop off some drawings. I’d meet and have lunch with Bill Schaumburg. He would talk about all kinds of stuff, not just what was happening in the hobby but that always came up. When I first read the news that is what came to my mind.

I will miss the magazine, but I will miss the people and the conversations more.