Railfan & Railroad is an American monthly magazine that has been in publication since the 1970s. It was the first magazine title established in-house by Carstens Publications. As a magazine dedicated to trains and rail transportation, it stands out from its main competitor Trains as a publication focused on the enthusiast and related activities. Established in 1974 as Railfan magazine (ISSN 0098-0714), it merged in 1979 with Railroad magazine, which Carstens purchased at that time. The magazine was renamed Railfan & Railroad, but the two former titles were listed separately on the masthead until 2015. The magazine was acquired by White River Productions in September 2014. The magazine is produced monthly, edited by Steve Barry.
Founding and early days
As early as 1968, future Railroad Model Craftsman editor Tony Koester visited publisher Harold Carstens to pitch an idea for a "railfan's" magazine, at the insistence of his friend Jim Boyd (who was at the time an occasional contributor to RMC). At the time, Carstens cited the lack of potential advertisers and stiff competition from the long-established Trains and Railroad magazines as a reason for not starting the new publication. As a result of that initial meeting, Carstens did make an offer to Koester to join the staff of RMC.
By 1971, Jim Boyd had joined Carstens Publications to work on sister publication Flying Models, and Koester was editor of Railroad Model Craftsman. In the fall of 1974, publisher Hal Carstens had a change of heart given the popular rise of the railroad enthusiast movement, and the increased potential for advertising revenue. He tipped off Boyd and Koester that he intended to produce a quarterly publication, starting with a Winter 1974 issue. The new publication would be known simply as Railfan as an indicator of its intended target market. Within a matter of weeks, Boyd and Koester had produced the first issue of the new magazine.
Rise in popularity and expansion
The 1970s were a period of dynamic change for American railroads, as many were facing bankruptcy in the face of shifting traffic patterns and increased labor and fuel costs. Unprofitable branch lines were abandoned or sold, and many railroad companies sought merger partners in order to avoid bankruptcy. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the industrial Northeast (known colloquially as the "Rust Belt") where competing railroads sought to reduce redundant routes and modernize their physical plants. With this rapid modernization, many historic pieces of vintage railroad equipment were scrapped, though a great many more were saved, thanks to the rise in railfan activity and the development and support of the railway preservation movement. By the mid-1970s, preparations were underway to celebrate the nation's bicentennial, and with it came a renewed interest in railroad heritage, namely the return of several steam locomotives to main line excursion service. Amidst all of this change, Railfan & Railroad not only reported on these activities, but also encouraged them and the "railfan" culture.
Response to the new magazine was favorable, and Railfan went to a bi-monthly schedule starting with the August 1977 issue. Part of the success of the new magazine has been attributed to Boyd's skill as a photographer and writer, as well as his real-world railroading experience and his personality. Upon the purchase of the defunct Railroad, the title was changed to Railfan & Railroad starting with the May 1979 issue. The masthead listed the publication serials of both titles until 2014.
Railfan & Railroad increased production to a monthly schedule starting with the October 1987 issue, and with it, added Mike Del Vecchio as an associate editor. Associate editor Bruce Kelly, whose articles and photography had appeared in various rail publications since 1982, came on board in 1988 to assist with news and caption writing, column editing, map design, and overall production.
More changes came to the magazine staff in the 1990s, first with the departure of Bruce Kelly in 1996. Prolific railroad photographer and New Jersey native Steve Barry replaced Kelly at the same time. Mike Del Vecchio took a position with industry journal Railway Age in 1996, which opened the door for the arrival of Chris Kimmler.