Kalmbach Mags, Trains.com Sold to Firecrown Media

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2026 11:54 pm

wesp wrote:

The Saturday Evening Post will cease its print editions after the January 2027 edition.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/busi ... -ios-share
(No pay wall)

THAT THING IS STILL IN EXISTENCE?!?!?

I haven't seen or heard from that magazine in decades--and I used to be professionally involved in the periodicals industry!

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 367

Christopher Stone wrote:

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

In other news we neglected to share here:

In the July 2026 issue to subscribers was a letter entitled "Dear Subscriber." It announced that they are dropping two print editions annually, starting with this September's issue and continuing with next February's print issue.

A common ploy in the industry. The aforementioned Car and Driver, for example, prints just six issues a year now, each one a third the thickness they were 20 years ago. Advertising and articles are each way way down. I'm sure there's a lot more similar examples. Anyone seen a Reader's Digest recently? Very sad.

Hot Rod Magazine is down to four issues a year. And I remember Car & Driver (or was it Motor Trend or Road & Track) trying a thing 10-15 years ago, when QR codes were fairly new, where the print magazine had a relatively barebones version of an article and then to get the full article, with more photos and charts of all the data and specs, you had to scan the QR code and go to their website. It went over extremely poorly with the readership.

As for the Firecrown takeover, I went on a Trains Magazine charter not too long after they took the reins, it was for the 60th anniversary of Vermont Rail System, and that had to have been the worst-run event I've ever been to. It was a 2-day event, and the first day was so poorly run that half the riders didn't return for the second day.

psa188 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2026 1:50 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

The problem is that it's not worth fighting for the small amount.

I agree, which is why I'll just let my subscription just run out.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3013

Saturday Evening Post is still around. Like you, I thought they had gone away long ago. The last time I dealt with them they were publishing monthly I think, not weekly.

I had no idea they still existed until they contacted me saying "We're doing an article on tourist railroads and we want to use some of your photos for the article. Here's our rates for photos" I said "OK, sounds great and they paid as promised.

I always wondered what my great grandfather would have thought about it. He probably would have been really impressed, they were a big deal at one time.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

wesp wrote:

The Saturday Evening Post will cease its print editions after the January 2027 edition.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/busi ... -ios-share
(No pay wall)

THAT THING IS STILL IN EXISTENCE?!?!?

I haven't seen or heard from that magazine in decades--and I used to be professionally involved in the periodicals industry!

Christopher Stone · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:23 am **Posts:** 76

NJDixon wrote:

Hot Rod Magazine is down to four issues a year.

Wow, that's sad! This in spite of absorbing the old Car Craft magazine a few years back.

I picked up a copy of Hot Rod at the airport a few weeks ago.... Waste of money. Made me wonder if they're just "stirring the pot" of unused material to come up with enough to fill the pages.