# Marc Horovitz Fired From GARDEN RAILWAYS



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Kalmbach has fired Marc Horovitz as editor of Garden Railways, and will turn the magazine into a quarterly, instead of its current bimonthly schedule.
I have this from a reliable, inside source.
This action is apparently part of a company-wide "belt-tightening" which will include bringing all editorial staff in-house. The new editor is named Kent Johnson. The December issue will be the last under Marc's editorship. As far as I know, most of the supporting editorial crew will remain with the magazine.
As luck would have it, I just renewed....


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Sorry, I let my subscription lapse 2 years ago...


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

With going to quarterly publications, guessing the price isn't going down either...


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I let it lapse this year, I tried it out sort of, to contribute my pennies to the hobby, but couldn't stand all this whimsy modelrailroading and no serious stuff. When I joined up the G1MRA forty two years ago, the beauty of the garden railway was you can at last have room for large radius curves and pointwork. Garden Railway magasine still advocates LGB radiusses... Useless to me!


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I heard the same thing. GR was a much better magazine when Marc owned it. Lot's "how to", fabrication, operation etc. It was mostly narrow gauge then but the methods transferred to any scale. After Kalmbach took over it became what other above said.

Marc wrote for Live Steam magazine for many years too, before the GR days. The column was called "Small Scale Steam"

It's too bad. I know Marc personally, he is a great guy. He's contributed a lot to our hobby.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh rats! I just renewed as well. I don't suppose that will happen again.

The publisher really should change their name to _Clambake Publishing_. They dishonor the founder's name with the kind of stuff they have been doing lately.

My $0.02,
David Meashey


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

This is a reprint that I did for LSC felt important to repost her especially for Tom Trigg:
As I said in my letter to the editor ,Marc, in the last edition, I thought the longevity of GRW was due to Marc, and I still do, but as the force behind Kalmbach became more evident, more adds, less articles and pages, I believe the end was near. Feel bad for Marc as he definitely had the spirit of garden railways. Sorry to see him go. On another sad note, Top Trigg the moderator to the forum has posted his last farewells and is moving into a hospices location. for those that know, Tom he has been a source of much information and advise for over 7 years or more, If you get a chance and are still able to get onto the forum it might be nice to give him a big thank you for all that he has done for the hobby, Bill


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Marc has also contributed several interesting and very informative articles in Steam in the Garden, I hope he continues to do so. LiG


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

The hobby will be poorer for this. I have had the pleasure of knowing Marc for some time and have had him out to my RR several times. He a great guy and I will miss his input to the hobby. Be well Marc and you are welcome at my place any time.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Sorry to hear about Marc and GR.

I am another one who let my subscription expire without renewing. I fear it is indicative of the general state of model railroading.

While I still have my layouts I seldom run them anymore and there are very few Garden Railroad layouts I know of that are still in operation in Arkansas.

I’m afraid the average age of model railroaders will continue to rise and the hobby will continue to decline due to lack of new blood, decline in manufacturers and lack of retailers.

I would love to be proven wrong.

Jerry


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Too bad, nice guy for sure and a sad note of the hobby status. I am building a new layout at my new place in Kansas. Have done it twice before, so hope I know what I'm doing. It is a raised layout. Wichita club seems to be doing okay, we are all sorta old though.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Very sad....the hobby is crashing...


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

I let my sub go a few years back, I thought the mag lost its spark some time back, and also felt the columunists ran out of new things to write about long ago. It aint what it was. Oh well, onto the next chapter I guess.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Gary Woolard said:


> Kalmbach has fired Marc Horovitz as editor of Garden Railways, and will turn the magazine into a quarterly, instead of its current bimonthly schedule.
> I have this from a reliable, inside source.
> This action is apparently part of a company-wide "belt-tightening" which will include bringing all editorial staff in-house. The new editor is named Kent Johnson. The December issue will be the last under Marc's editorship. As far as I know, most of the supporting editorial crew will remain with the magazine.
> As luck would have it, I just renewed....


 Could be worse, you could be Marc


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Glade I caught this before I renewed. Looks like price will stay the same for less issues.  Later RJD


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

With the reduction in issues, I wonder if advertisers will be getting refunds? We bought and paid for advertising in each issue for the next year for the 2019 NGRC. This means we will get two less issues than we paid for. Unless they just run it for the next x issues we paid for, which will mean our ads will run for two issues after the convention.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Its a shame but it seems all of the magazines under this publishers umbrella have gone seriously down hill. Be it from the aging modeling population, move of the younger and more active ones to online groups on Facebook and other locations and many other factors I am sure. I have quite a collection of early issues back when Marc owned the magazine. Much better content, but then all the model railroading magazines, no matter the scale, had better content back then. I myself have gotten burnt out on G for the most part, and with track in 7.5 gauge ride on scale the same basic price as G, my wife and I have started to build a small railway in our back yard and bought a small GE 25 tonner to ride behind. Our local small scale live steam group is pretty active, has some new and younger blood in it. Not sure how the other Indy large scale group is doing, but at the last show, the guys running the modular layout were old enough to be my father and I am 45. Best wishes to Marc, hope to keep seeing him at steam ups and so forth for years to come! Mike the Aspie


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## greghile (Jun 10, 2008)

My family and I had the pleasure of visiting Staver Locomotive yesterday at an open house. As one person said in another post, it has to be seen in person to fully appreciate, and they were right — photographs alone just cannot do the facility justice.

A couple observations:

There were a number of visitors from the other event across the street who were totally unaware of the news about Garden Railways and Marc, who were in the dark about Cordless Renovations and other vendors closing their doors, who had yet to take a position in the ongoing debate between track power versus dead rail, or lamented the lack of NMRA LS standards, or who even knew what large scale live steam railroads were for that matter. But they all appeared to be pretty fascinated by what they saw.

Perhaps no more so than my son-in-law, Aaron, who took excellent video of one of the trains operating, and started designing a layout as we stood there. He had never seen a LS layout before but he was enthralled by what he saw and is looking forward to NGRC 2019. (In the interests of full disclosure I do need to report that Silas, Aaron’s four-month old son and my grandson, was less impressed than his daddy, but we’ll work on him.)

Many, many thanks to Karl and Jenn for their gracious hospitality, and of course for all the incredibly hard work they, Joe, Larry, and the rest of the crew put in. 

All in all, it was quite uplifting for those of us who sometimes fret about the direction our hobby seems headed.

The Other Greg


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Yes we are a long way from the days of Lynn Westcott, John Armstrong, Thornburgh and DP Morgan and the likes. Recently I submited a large article on a narrow gauge pike I do in the winter when its too cold and humid to run outdoors (except when I need to test some loco) And I realised that the editor wants no more than three pages text! Immagine a Thornburgh on building a loco or Gibb Kennedy article on building a wood sided coach in three pages... I sincerly think that part of the problem is the editors are not model railroaders themselves. Its the same all over. Here the problem is compounded by the fact that no store want to stock gauge one, as they pay their adds...


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## chama (Jan 2, 2008)

*Ouch!!!*

I know Marc casually and have had the pleasure of running one of my locos on his backyard railroad. As all have said, a huge loss to the hobby.

Regrettably, I renewed in 2017 for three years, so at least 2020 before I can let it lapse. Probably longer since I'd think if you bought a subscription which described the number of issues per year, they'd be bound by contract to deliver that many issues no matter how long it took.


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## BluePukeko (Jul 9, 2015)

Can't say that I'm happy with the magazine going quarterly.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

So renewed my Garden Railways and Model Railroader subscriptions. Shortly after renewing I started receiving emails for time to renew. Kalmbach must be hurting for subscribers if they're hitting me up again after just renewing.


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## Lake Valley #1 (Dec 31, 2012)

Well... that, as they say, is that... and nothing lasts forever, but this loss of Marc as editor of GRw will hasten it's demise I fear. Too bad... I looked forward to it's arrival every other month. Maybe we can 'con' Russ Reinberg to 'fire up' Finescale Railroader magazine in some incarnation or other... collaborate with Marc somehow on it? I dunno... those two 'heads' working together would probably come up with a genuine 'whiz-bang' magazine! I'd sure buy it!


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## greghile (Jun 10, 2008)

Lake Valley #1 said:


> Maybe we can 'con' Russ Reinberg to 'fire up' Finescale Railroader magazine in some incarnation or other... collaborate with Marc somehow on it? I dunno... those two 'heads' working together would probably come up with a genuine 'whiz-bang' magazine! I'd sure buy it!


I second that motion!


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

So do I, Russes magasine is missed.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Deleted by op.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Cataptrra said:


> I do believe Model railroading is almost an EXTINCT hobby, Millennial's and Generation Z folks, just aren't interested in this hobby of ours.


"They" said the same thing about my generation (GenX). We were too involved in video games, Dungeons & Dragons, skateboarding, and R/C cars to care about model railroading. When you looked at the demographics of the hobby 30 years ago, it's easy to see how you could draw that conclusion. There were few teens or 20-somethings involved in the hobby. They were playing video games, D&D, skateboarding, and building R/C cars. The train clubs were populated by the 40 - 70 crowd, and their kids/grandkids had little active interest.

Fast forward 30 years, though, and look at the demographic. It's _still_ the 40 - 70 crowd. Guess what--those 40-somethings? They were the teens who were deemed "not interested in trains" 30 years ago. I went from "lone wolf" 20-something to "one of many" 40-somethings in the club. My fellow GenX'ers didn't suddenly materialize out of nowhere. They just finally came to a stage in life where they had the time and money to get involved in the hobby. 

There are young folks involved in the hobby, in pretty much the same numbers as what I experienced growing up. They're not going to fill a stadium anytime soon, but they're there. And the rest? The seeds have been planted by their 40-something parents. It may not take root for another 30 years, but I'd not count them out by any stretch. 

I would agree that overall the number of folks involved in the hobby is declining, but you hear that across many pursuits. Magazines across the board are suffering partly due to that, but also due to competition from digital media. GenX'ers and millennials grew up with technology, so the old school print medial just doesn't have the immediacy and interactivity that digital media offers. That's a nut that all "old school" media are having trouble cracking. Newspapers and TV are fighting the same battles. 

I don't know what the future holds for the hobby, but I'm not pessimistic about it at all. We have far more available today than we did in the 1980s, even if it is a shadow of what was available in the 2000s. We have the advent of 3D printing, which is revolutionizing small-run production. We have computer and tech-savvy folks creating really innovative sound and control systems for our trains--systems which use the technology that GenX'ers and millennials are used to using. 

Things ebb and flow. I think when you look at model railroading, it was immensely popular in the 50s and 60s when Lionel ruled the roost as far as inspiration. I think we saw another "golden era" in the 90s as manufacturing technology and electronics technology combined to give us very smooth-running models with cool features. Folks didn't have to spend hours tweaking a locomotive to get it to run smoothly; it did right out of the box. I think we're in something of a lull right now, but with the technology at hand, I can easily see things turning around and inspiring more folks to get involved again. 

Later,

K


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Initially when I read this post I was shocked and suitably angered. I could deal with the retirement of editors, but retrench! 

Having read the posts I agree with following:
Yes the hobby will be poorer for the loss of Marc Horowitz and his wife working on Garden Railways.
Yes, I disagree with the format changing to quarterly instead of bi-monthly editions.
Yes I agree with Kevin with the observations he has made in regards to generations and technology.

For me:
Keep making quality models of a high standard
Use technology to augment my skills
Plant the seed of model railroading with younger generations for the future.
Write articles, presentations, and how to make things for publication,

I intend on leaving a legacy for others to aspire to achieve the same way Marc Horowitz, Kevin Strong, Burl Rice, Marty Cozad, David Fletcher and Ralph Holden have inspired me in Large Scale.

Change is inevitable and sometimes it really sucks, I'm stepping up to plate to carry the torch for future modellers.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Problem is, when I first started there were two very good magazines for people to see and pick up, that is no longer true. The internet and forums may still offer places for new people to go to, if they are interested, or even know of the hobby. But forums seem to be dwindling also. The Facebook pages about the hobby seem to be doing well though and some bargains on the sale/swap forum.


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## vincent creek (Jun 13, 2017)

I emailed Becky James, at bjames at Kalmbach com and requested that she cancel my subscription and refund the costs. She did both.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I will be keeping my subscription for the foreseeable future. I always find something interesting or useful in each issue. I have an article in the upcoming issue.


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## peninsok (Feb 9, 2009)

Sorry to read this. I first met Marc on the Garden Railway Cruise, Vancouver to Alaska, in 2006. Ann & I stayed with Marc & Barb for a few days prior to the 2009 Garden Railway Convention in Denver. As editor of The Garden Whistle, the newsletter covering the New Zealand Garden Railway scene, I know how hard it is to get articles. Even getting short notes on which to base articles is difficult. wish Marc well in whatever he does in the future.


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## on30gn15 (May 23, 2009)

Hmm. Guess the only constant really is change.
Over on Google Plus a Model Railroading group owner posted this about half an hour ago, "From my other feed:
Intermountain (and some other brands) lost their manufacturing source in China."
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ErhardBaltrusch/posts/jRht45SYb1L


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

All print media is shrinking, both in size and in staff. My daily newspaper has only two sections most days and they are small. The Sunday paper is smaller than the Wednesday paper was (the weekly ads come out on Sunday and Wednesday) and the Wednesday paper is the size of what used to be the daily paper.


This is definitely a sign of people reading news and other things on their "smart" phones. Us old dinosaurs who like to have larger print, pictures, and be able to keep stuff until we need it are soon going to be very disappointed.


Marc leaving is sad, but it was inevitable given the current state of print media.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

DELETED BY OP for obvious reasons. Every opinion I state is always TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT from HOW IT IS MEANT!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> if it can't be controlled via a smart phone, which I do not have, nor do I want one of the blasted things, they get bored with it and leave.


And this type of attitude is why it is dying. A 'smart phone' can be nothing more than a train controller - you don't have to install a telephone number and use it as a phone. What's wrong with a remote transmitter that happens to be touch controlled not a knob. [Yes, I know a knob would be nice, but don't believe that you can't see the screen in sunshine. Most people manage to read their phone screen on the beach!]

I spent Saturday morning running my train from my smartphone - and I am retired and living in Florida too. [It has a Bluerail receiver.]

Microsoft is going through a big upheaval as no-one is buying personal computers (except big corporations, for the moment.) They are reinventing themselves as a cloud service, etc. You can do most computing things on a phone - and you don't have to make phone calls.

*If you (the manufacturer) want to attract younger people, then get with the program! * Re-engineer your stuff to work with a smartphone.


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

"Klambake" is clearing out others in their organization too. Several of their more informed contributors are gone from Trains Magazine... sad...sad...
Fred Mills


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

I was somewhat amazed how easy it was to get my DCC control set up with a free app on any cell phone. Digitrax has an cheap wi fi hub. Easy to set up, easy to use.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

"I was somewhat amazed how easy it was to get my DCC control set up with a free app on any cell phone. Digitrax has an cheap wi fi hub. Easy to set up, easy to use."

HUH!??

Mike, I like you a lot, but what does this have to do with Marc getting fired as editor of Garden Railways?

Just confused,
David Meashey


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dave Meashey said:


> "I was somewhat amazed how easy it was to get my DCC control set up with a free app on any cell phone. Digitrax has an cheap wi fi hub. Easy to set up, easy to use."
> 
> HUH!??
> 
> ...


 ------------------------------------------
David, 

The site has problems and there was another instance where a post landed in the wrong thread, I'll give Mike the benefit of a doubt here.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

John;

OK, thanks. Was not aware of the wondering posts problem.

David Meashey


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe just to abuse this thread a little more...

If the train control app runs on a smartphone and it's iOS or Android chances are it will run on a tablet running the same OS. For those liking a larger than smartphone screen size.

Done.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Back on track...

Has anyone actually talked to Marc? How does he feel about the whole situation; his fate, the magazine(s) fate and the industry's fate? Now that everyone has, for all that, written such eloquent obituaries. 


"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"
Mark Twain


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Deleted by OP.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

David,


Mike was simply replying to the comments about millennials only wanting to do things on their "smart" phone (they are as dumb as computers, not smart at all). It is a side thread within this one.


This is the attitude that is killing print media (the wanting to do it on the smart phone). Mike is correct in placing his post.


Just a fyi, no emoticons needed!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> The site has problems and there was another instance where a post landed in the wrong thread, I'll give Mike the benefit of a doubt here.


John, the thread had deteriorated into a discussion of shrinking audiences for print media, and someone mentioned the rise of smartphone and tablet reading. (I have both a reading/library app and the NYT app on my tablet.) This provoked "*Orville Fugitte" t*o comment that neighborhood children wouldn't run his trains as they weren't controlled from the smartphone. . which got us to Mike's comment.

Amazing how these threads digress.*
*


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Pete Thornton said:


> John, the thread had deteriorated into a discussion of shrinking audiences for print media, and someone mentioned the rise of smartphone and tablet reading. (I have both a reading/library app and the NYT app on my tablet.) This provoked "*Orville Fugitte" t*o comment that neighborhood children wouldn't run his trains as they weren't controlled from the smartphone. . which got us to Mike's comment.
> 
> Amazing how these threads digress.*
> *


Yes, I saw that, but let it ride...actually tho' it was David that raised the issue.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

I'm disgusted at the way Marc has been treated. Over 2 decades building a quality magazine, the input of also his wife too. Now it's all been thrown away.


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## trainsbt (Jan 11, 2008)

It is a shame that the fad of digital media is taking the same course as digital music. Started out with tapes and LP's then went to cd's. Now they realize that the old LP's while having pops and hisses still relayed the "live" sound better than digital.

Nothing will ever take the place of physically holding a bound volume of printed matter in your hand. The intrinsic value of the smell of it, the weight of it cannot be duplicated digitally. I find that other publications that I once read regularly, once converted to digital, have lost their appeal.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting Marc, but through his work, I feel that I know him. Thanks for all the work you have done, and hope that you will find something pleasurable to be involved in, in the future.


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## Michael789 (Sep 3, 2016)

I just noticed this thread. I re-upped for 2 years about a month ago. 

Admittedly, the magazine has slipped a bunch. Most issues have less than 60 pages. However, I admit the last issue (August I believe) was one of the better ones I have seen in a while.


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## Mike Paterson (Dec 27, 2007)

I just received notice to renew and they specifically state that there will be 6 issues with the renewal.
Mike


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Mike Paterson said:


> I just received notice to renew and they specifically state that there will be 6 issues with the renewal.
> Mike





I wonder if that means a year and a half?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike Paterson said:


> I just received notice to renew and they specifically state that there will be 6 issues with the renewal.
> Mike


Me too. But I don't think they have publicly announced the switch to quarterly format? The renewal people didn't get the message . . .


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Pete Thornton said:


> John, the thread had deteriorated into a discussion of shrinking audiences for print media, and someone mentioned the rise of smartphone and tablet reading. (I have both a reading/library app and the NYT app on my tablet.) This provoked "*Orville Fugitte" t*o comment that neighborhood children wouldn't run his trains as they weren't controlled from the smartphone. . which got us to Mike's comment.
> 
> Amazing how these threads digress.*
> *



If you're going to make accusations at least get it right and at the right person that implied or started that ball rolling. 



#1. I DID NOT bring up this subject, I replied to one that started it with my opinion on it.


#2. I never stated once that "neighborhood children wouldn't run *"MY" *trains, _however I did state_, _*they WOULD NOT run THEIR TRAINS UNLESS they could be controlled by some type of digital device, smartphone, computer, whatever you want to call them.*_


And that _*is all*_ I will state on that subject.


_*EDIT: I have deleted all my prior commentary on this subject. This is one of the main reasons I left these forums like these many years ago in the first place. Seems nothing has changed here. Have fun with your trains. 
*_

_*I WILL BE REQUESTING HERE AND NOW THAT MY ACCOUNT BE DELETED BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THIS SITE*__*.*_

_*I'M DONE AND I'M GONE.*__* GOOD RIDDANCE.*_


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> If you're going to make accusations


Did I make any accusation(s) ? 

Sorry you took it that way. 

[I sent a PM apology on the assumption that Cataptrra won't be reading this and won't get deleted any time soon.]


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete;

It's the same person who used to go by the handle of "White Kitty." Used Clay as his first name back then. As I recall, he was always contentious, but claimed somebody else always started it. Current actions are not a surprise.

Just FYI,
David Meashey


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Cataptrra said:


> _*I WILL BE REQUESTING HERE AND NOW THAT MY ACCOUNT BE DELETED BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THIS SITE*_[/COLOR][/COLOR]


Your wish is my command. Alas, I cannot simply "delete" your account, so you have been added to the list of banned users. Good day and happy trails.

Later,

K


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## Mike Flea (Apr 8, 2014)

I didn't renew my subscription when It came due in December, but I'm still receiving the GR emails, and my on-line subscription still works.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Anymore, with most any magazine other than Steam in the Garden, I buy it at the news stand if and only if there is something in there that interests me. All the rest of the ads and mumbo jumbo I can read online between forums and fb groups. BTW, hows the Sammie running Mike Flea? I still love the color scheme. Mike the Aspie


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## Mike Flea (Apr 8, 2014)

As far I as I know, it's still running, but haven't had it out since the 26th of December.


Waiting for the weather to cool down, we went from winter to summer again this year, not much of a spring, unless it was raining. I just can't handle the high humidity anymore. Part of the problem, is we have no trees in the back yard, and the one huge willow that the neighbor had, we cut down years ago. It would keep the back yard cooler from 2pm on, but I just couldn't see it dropping branches on my new garage( at the time), so I split the cost with him, to get it cut down. It was about 50 ft tall with a 5 foot diameter trunk!


Eh, maybe I'll try this weekend, thanks for asking.


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

While I appreciate everybody's annoyance at Kalmbach for its recent actions regarding Garden Railways, it IS still pretty much all we have for a widespread print publication for our hobby. Dropping subscriptions is not going to bring Marc back, nor is it going to bring back six issues per year. Only increased readership will improve the magazine. Of course they are not helping themselves much with lousy customer service. All their renewal stuff still says six issues per year and everybody knows that is no longer true. I've been trying to renew for several weeks now, but their online system is not working and they have yet to answer any of my emails on the subject.


Nonetheless, I would encourage folks to consider renewing or we will likely end up losing the magazine altogether.


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## Michael789 (Sep 3, 2016)

*GR issues*

I talked with GR folks on the phone, and they stated that if someone signed up for a 1 year subscription, they will get the 6 issues they thought they were getting. It will now just be over a 1.5 year term. (Apparently they are making as many updates as they can, and will have that info corrected and updated everyone when they can.) As long as they give me the same amount of issues I thought I was getting when I signed up, I am fine with it. 

I see no other mention of garden railroading in other publications, so this is pretty much what we have. We can either support it by buying, or we can let it disappear as a publication.


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## on30gn15 (May 23, 2009)

Michael789 said:


> I see no other mention of garden railroading in other publications, so this is pretty much what we have. We can either support it by buying, or we can let it disappear as a publication.


True, there is that. 

My current subscription's last issue is December.
Hmm ...


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I will keep going, I can still learn something from it.


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## wsakalaucks (Jan 28, 2019)

Hear hear!!



East Broad Top said:


> Cataptrra said:
> 
> 
> > I do believe Model railroading is almost an EXTINCT hobby, Millennial's and Generation Z folks, just aren't interested in this hobby of ours.
> ...


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Michael789 said:


> I talked with GR folks on the phone, and they stated that if someone signed up for a 1 year subscription, they will get the 6 issues they thought they were getting. It will now just be over a 1.5 year term. (Apparently they are making as many updates as they can, and will have that info corrected and updated everyone when they can.) As long as they give me the same amount of issues I thought I was getting when I signed up, I am fine with it.



Picking up on an older thread....


Have people actually received their issues now with the expiry date of the subscription extended to show the correct number of issues one has subscribed and paid for?
Mine still shows the original date - ie I loose two issues a year.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Knute;

Ditto for me. Shows December of 2020. If that is true, I will not renew & Klambake has lost me for good.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## GaugeOneLines (Feb 23, 2008)

We live in a rapidly changing world and our hobby as well as the magazine publishing business are feeling the detrimental effects. Ten years ago I owned the single largest news stand in North America, we stocked 6500 titles of magazine and 300 newspapers. The business is still going but now carries less than 100 magazines and just two newspapers! As regards railways, they just do not register with people today, I live in Canada's Capital and look for trains, seeing one a month maybe.......there are probably a couple of hundred thousand people living here who have NEVER seen a train in real life..........no wonder the hobby we love is failing. It will never die, but will be even more irrelevant in a few years than it is now. It's going the same way as the TV repair store, video rental shop and the 35mm SLR camera.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Talking of Marc, I was talking with him at the Staver event, and was surprised (pleasantly) to hear that he has started a new magazine.
This time on Automatrons.
https://automatamagazine.com
Of course, on-line only, as that's all that makes sense for a speciality magazine these days.
Once an editor, always an editor?
Regards,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I may rethink and renew GR after all. 

What reasonable alternative is there?

I've been away from the hobby for some time but when I put power to the rails, everything still runs so why shouldn't I?

I'll be 75 this month. I bought most of my trains up to 20 years ago and many of them were already over 10 years old.

The truth is that the trains run better now than I do so perhaps they are helping keep me young(er).

I'll sell the O but keep the G running.

Jerry


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I'm mot sure what the problem is in North America.


There are at least five German magazines dedicated to G-Scale that I can think of immediately, each one publishing typically six times a year with 60 to over 100 pages plus a whole bunch more covering all scales including "G".
And the German speaking population is just a fraction of the English speaking one globally.
Sure, trains are much more popular and 'in-the-face' in Europe, but that didn't really change that much in Europe and in North America since the hey days of G here in the 80's and 90's.
One big difference I always notice between the few German magazines I subscribe to and Garden Railways is the amount of "real" content.
The last issue of one of them, Volldampf" had 76 pages with about 8 pages of ads, or about 10%
The other 90% waswehat I call "real" content.
Garden Railways seems to be about the same, except close to the opposite, 90% ads and 10% "real" content - well maybe not quite, but you get the drift.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

_This came in my email:_


Your subscription to *Garden Railways* will expire with the FAL 2019 issue!

Now is the perfect time to lock in our low renewal rate! Renew now to get another year of DIY projects, locomotive reviews, and gardening tips for just $27.95.


_4 issues for $27.95 - $7/copy. I think not._


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete;

I had not actually bought a copy in years, so I checked the price on the latest issue. $7.99!! I will probably check at the bookstore on occasion. If they have something that really interests me, perhaps I'll invest in an issue.

The hobby shop where I work part time will not stock _Garden Railways_. Not enough paying customers.

Perhaps my money will be better spent subscribing to the online _Steam in the Garden_.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Pete Thornton said:


> _This came in my email:_
> 
> 
> Your subscription to *Garden Railways* will expire with the _*FAL 2019*_ issue!



Pete,


Did the Fall 2019 expiry date listed give you the extra issues (vs only 4/year now) that you had paid for?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

krs said:


> Pete,
> Did the Fall 2019 expiry date listed give you the extra issues (vs only 4/year now) that you had paid for?


I really have no idea. I don't keep track of when I start/renew subscriptions.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Well Folks;

I got my latest issue of Garden Railways today. The current address label shows an expiration of WIN 2021. That is slightly better, but no cigar. My math says that is 9 issues; I paid for 12.

The jury is still out,
David Meashey


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## John Gaarde (Oct 11, 2008)

My label now indicates my Garden Railways subscription expires with the first issue of 2022 vs. the first issue of 2021 previously. This amounts to four extra issues which makes up for the two I will not receive in 2019 and the two I will not receive in 2020. This is just as they promised they would do. John


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