Trains is a monthly magazine about trains and railroads aimed at railroad enthusiasts and railroad industry employees. The magazine primarily covers railroad happenings in the United States and Canada, but has some articles on railroading elsewhere.
It was founded as Trains in 1940 by publisher Al Kalmbach and editorial director Linn Westcott. From October 1951 to March 1954, the magazine was named Trains and Travel. Jim Wrinn, a former reporter and editor at the Charlotte Observer, served as the longest-served editor from 2004 until his death in 2022.
Trains was long among the 11 magazines published by Kalmbach Media, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In May 2024, Kalmbach Media sold Trains, along with other railroad and astronomy-related publications to Firecrown Media.
Tri-State Railway Historical Society maintains a complete collection of magazines between 1940 and 2025, generously donated by Fred Hunt.
We recommend utilizing RMI: Railroad Magazine Index to search for content that may be of interest. Click "Advanced Search," and select "Trains" under Magazine(s).