About Us

Classic Trains Logo

Classic Trains unabashedly celebrates North American railroading from the 1940s to the formation of Conrail. First published as Trains Classic in 1999, Classic Trains emerged as a regular publication in Spring 2000 and has since delighted railfans and rail historians each quarter with photos and stories that command attention.

Besides publishing a cascade of rare photos found in Kalmbach’s David P. Morgan Library, Classic Trains regularly features articles that often share the untold stories of railroading from a prior generation.

Here's just a selection of products we offer online:

Photo of the Day

A week-daily update of vintage photos from the lenses of famous or fortunate photographers who captured North American railroading in all its forms.

Steam locomotive with freight train in snow

Railroad of the Month

Each month, Classic Trains editors celebrate one of the many “fallen flags” of railroading with an article that introduces the railroad in the first week followed in weeks two through four with photo galleries featuring passenger trains, freight trains, and locomotives.

Steam locomotive with freight train on curved trestle

Archives

Read our very first issue from 2000 — online. With a new website, we’re able to offer PDF-versions of our entire catalogue of regular issues.