Western Railroad Discussion > TRAINS Mag. turning into Railway Age?

In reading a recent commentary by Fred Frailey in the Oct. issue of TRAINS, I thought I had accidentally picked up a copy of Railway Age! Mr. Frailey completely overlooked the history behind the recent SMART crew consist proposal at BNSF and HOW it came about and by whom. Also overlooked was mention of nearly unanimous opposition of this proposal by union members. I realize Mr. Frailey was focusing on Joseph Szabo of the FRA and his position regarding safe train staffing numbers. Please be aware there is much more to this whole story than simply Mr. Szabo -as has been discussed at length here on TO. This is NOT a case of BNSF & SMART vs. Mr. Szabo as Mr Frailey states. This is a case of Mr. Szabo & rank and file union members at BNSF vs. certain Gen. Chairmen at SMART and BNSF. Please get it right!

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It was a quasi-industry rag in the '50's, so just coming full circle - now that the artistry in photography is in actuality digitally driven, rather than God-given talent.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

ATSF100WEST Wrote:
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> It was a quasi-industry rag in the '50's, so just
> coming full circle...........

...............and the main reason I cancelled my subscription 30 years ago.

I stopped mentioning TRAINS Magazine when I worked for BN several years starting in 1979 because it was regarded among the rank-and-file as being heavily non-union. === === = === JLH

I, too, got very, very tired of TRAINS totally
ignoring the essential contributions of the
rank and file to every railroad. TRAINS treats
everyone who is not a RR executive as though
they don't even exist -- a shameful, very
ignorant attitude. I, too, quit subscribing
because of that.

The last thing this poor, suffering world needs
is any media outlet taking regular people for granted --
when more people die every year from on-the-job
injuries that from handguns!

For SHAME< TRAINS!

stampedej Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In reading a recent commentary by Fred Frailey in
> the Oct. issue of TRAINS, I thought I had
> accidentally picked up a copy of Railway Age! Mr.
> Frailey completely overlooked the history behind
> the recent SMART crew consist proposal at BNSF and
> HOW it came about and by whom. Also overlooked was
> mention of nearly unanimous opposition of this
> proposal by union members. I realize Mr. Frailey
> was focusing on Joseph Szabo of the FRA and his
> position regarding safe train staffing numbers.
> Please be aware there is much more to this whole
> story than simply Mr. Szabo -as has been discussed
> at length here on TO. This is NOT a case of BNSF &
> SMART vs. Mr. Szabo as Mr Frailey states. This is
> a case of Mr. Szabo & rank and file union members
> at BNSF vs. certain Gen. Chairmen at SMART and
> BNSF. Please get it right!
>
> Posted from iPhone
**************************************************
Just got around to reading this piece today, and my reaction was the same as yours. Mr. Frailey's discourse would lead the uninformed TRAINS reader to believe that this agreement was negotiated by SMART at the national level and would apply systemwide on the BNSF which is simply not true. Maybe Mr. Frailey and TRAINS think that union General Committees and Crew Consist Agreements and the facts behind this particular proposed agreement are subjects too challenging for their readers to understand. However, I believe the purpose of these handy omissions was to avoid clouding the point being made that Mr. Szabo is out of touch with the fact that everyone in the industry has come to accept the inevitability and safety of one-person crews.

Sort of reminds me of the "featherbedding" campaign mounted by the railroads when they eliminated the firemen. Does anyone recall what position TRAINS and its columnists took on that issue?

It is all about the advertising revenues. If Trains can show industry suppliers and service companies the magazine has significant readership in the industry then suppliers will buy ads in the magazine to reach the market.

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Trains has always been a higher class publication evening DPM days. I like it for good layout and typography. Too many other pubs aimed at railroading appear to be produced by amateurs.

I only read Railpace.

Fred Frailey's articles alone are enough to quit buying Trains.

portlander Wrote:
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> Fred Frailey's articles alone are enough to quit
> buying Trains.


Fred Frailey's articles alone are a reason to continue buying Trains.

I've liked Trains Mag more than I've disliked it. The only time I came close to dropping my subscription was when John Kneiling was on his rants, which was pretty much every column he wrote. I'm sure some of you enjoyed him, but not me. YMMV.

TRAINS magazine is starting to look more like RAILFAN & RAILRAOD in a sense.....more and more adds and less content! I could care less about all the political BS and polotics, we get enough of that on this website. Frailey use to write VERY good articals on various railroads and operations but I,ve noticed now it,s more of a political slant which to me is boring.I havent subscribed to ANY magazine in years, it,s just way too expensive with the probability that your going to get many bum issues in that twelve month period. With that said, I,m very selective in which issues I buy off the stands.

Jim Wrinn and the TrainsMag team have done a good job trying to be even handed on a lot of sensitive issues. And provide enough article and picture content to attract readers.

You can't please everybody, not even some of the time. Look at the uproar on this board between folks who are looking for some family time and guys who want to maximize every start opportunity. Or the fights over extra board staffing.

Fred Frailey has his opinions, and he makes clear arguments in their favor. Many of the SMART opponents do the same.

It seems like it's time for the membership to decide who makes decisions that affect future workers....

It's an op-ed piece doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

I agree. And as a former Trains columnist, I can say that Trains has been wide open to any columnist's opinion, without regard for the effect on advertising. And I think the quality of feature articles and photography is superb.

When I was thinking about which magazine to which to start submitting the articles that eventually became "Diverging Approach," I asked a number of colleagues in the industry which magazine I should approach. The responses I got can be summed up as:

1. If I want to know what the industry thinks, I read Railway Age or Progressive Railroading. If I want to know what's really going on, I read Trains.
2. Trains has 100,000 subscribers, neither of the others has more than 20,000.

This is not to demean Railway Age or Progressive Railroading in any way, I read and enjoy both. But there is a distinction.

Ed Ellis

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jim Wrinn and the TrainsMag team have done a good
> job trying to be even handed on a lot of sensitive
> issues. And provide enough article and picture
> content to attract readers.
>
> You can't please everybody, not even some of the
> time. Look at the uproar on this board between
> folks who are looking for some family time and
> guys who want to maximize every start opportunity.
> Or the fights over extra board staffing.
>
> Fred Frailey has his opinions, and he makes clear
> arguments in their favor. Many of the SMART
> opponents do the same.
>
> It seems like it's time for the membership to
> decide who makes decisions that affect future
> workers....

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I, too, got very, very tired of TRAINS totally
> ignoring the essential contributions of the
> rank and file to every railroad. TRAINS treats
> everyone who is not a RR executive as though
> they don't even exist -- a shameful, very
> ignorant attitude. I, too, quit subscribing
> because of that.

Trains Magazine does, in fact, publish articles written from the perspective of railroad employees. One of the October 2014 articles' authors was an employee of the Michigan Northern. This article is typical, not the exception. But you have to read Trains magazine to know this.

>
> The last thing this poor, suffering world needs
> is any media outlet taking regular people for
> granted --
> when more people die every year from on-the-job
> injuries that from handguns!
>
> For SHAME< TRAINS!

"Regular people" die from injuries caused by handguns, but the "media" often does not give much coverage of these incidents other than a few paragraphs in a newspaper or 20 seconds on a TV newscast. My local newspaper DOES cover on-the-job fatalities.

RS11 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've liked Trains Mag more than I've disliked it.
> The only time I came close to dropping my
> subscription was when John Kneiling was on his
> rants, which was pretty much every column he
> wrote. I'm sure some of you enjoyed him, but not
> me. YMMV.

I LOVED Kneiling. I place a lot of value in somebody who will call a spade a spade, and he took on management, government and rank and file with equal vigor.

I don't agree Frailey all the time esp. last month but he is one the main reasons why I still subscribe. For the map of the month it would of been nice to see what track is left in Toledo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/14 18:19 by mococomike.

Im courious to know what you guys thoughts on the old Pacific Rail News are.

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