Mini AH: Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine

In June 1979, Hal Carstens, publisher of RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN magazine, learns of a source for dirt-cheap brass Erie Stillwell passenger cars. In his excitement, he suffers a near-fatal heart attack. He decides to retire early.

After several weeks of negotiations, Tony Koester and Bob Hoeckele take over as publishers at Carstens Publications. Koester will be publisher of RMC and RAILFAN, while Hoeckele will be publisher at FLYING MODELS and the other Carstens magazines. Bill Schaumburg leaves RMC to head up the Carstens Books division.

Koester moves Jim Boyd over from RAILFAN to take his place as managing editor at RMC. (Tony will continue to write his "Editors Notebook" column, now retitled "Publishers Notebook," while Jim takes over Hal's old "Notes on an Old Timetable" column.) Bob Mohowski is appointed the new editor of RAILFAN. Bob Hayden and Art Curren are hired to take over Mohowski's and Schaumburg's old jobs at RMC.

Tony Koester also creates a number of "editorial associates," who will write regular columns for RMC. A new regular column on layout design, headed up initially by Al Westerfield, will appear. Allen McClelland is tapped to write a regular column on operations. Dave Frary will write a column on scratchbuilding, kitbashing and detailing; and Malcolm Furlow starts a column aimed at beginning model railroaders, of all ages.

Koester also launches an aggressive campaign of seeking advertising revenue in order to provide capital for a heavy investment in the magazine. Better quality paper is used, and RMC goes to full-color photography throughout the magazine.

RMC also innovates in promotional campaigns aimed at increasing public awareness of the model railroading hobby, including events at shopping malls and television programs, culminating in a Carstens-sponsored series on public television.

While these changes are expensive, they pay off. By 1989, RMC's circulation has risen to 250,000, reflecting the rapid growth in the hobby spurred by RMC's efforts. National Model Railroad Association conventions now regularly draw as many as 15,000 to 20,000 attendees.
 
My favorite PoD for the era would be that kids wouldn't be stuck with the crappy AHM/Riverossi, Tyco and Life-Like Train sets, but Athearn sets with pre-assembled cars and engine
 
My favorite PoD for the era would be that kids wouldn't be stuck with the crappy AHM/Riverossi, Tyco and Life-Like Train sets, but Athearn sets with pre-assembled cars and engine

That could actually tie in with this POD, in that Tony Koester was big on pushing the advertisers in RMC to produce products that readers indicated they wanted (versus Carstens, who seemed to think that kind of push would offend advertisers). Maybe RMC leans on Athearn and Atlas to mass-produce train sets for the beginners/kids market...
 
That could actually tie in with this POD, in that Tony Koester was big on pushing the advertisers in RMC to produce products that readers indicated they wanted (versus Carstens, who seemed to think that kind of push would offend advertisers). Maybe RMC leans on Athearn and Atlas to mass-produce train sets for the beginners/kids market...

Yeah, a set with Athearn cars and engine, Atlas track(and more than the figure 8, a switch or two) and an MRC pack would have resulted in far fewer frustrated parents at Christmas time
 
Sure, plus Athearn, Atlas and MRC (maybe even Walthers) could throw some catalog ads in with the trainsets. Seeing the range of products out there might clue some people in about just how much potential the hobby has, so that more kids progress from trainsets to being hobbyists (the better quality of the Athearn equipment helps a lot here too).
 
Even with more reliable gear, having more sets for the region would be good, rather than almost every set having a Santa Fe, UP or Chessy in front.

Back to reliability, something like 'Power-Loc' track, since in the '70s with the popularity of the roadracing 'HO' sets running on carpet, people were used to not needing the plywood for nailing things down, would be good for the real low end sets that probably never see plywood.
 
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