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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

Cowcatcher Magazine

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Contact Us

COWCATCHER STAFF

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Tim Blackwell

COPY EDITOR

John Dycus

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Stacey Blackwell

STAFF CONTRIBUTORS

Tom Marsh

Pat Hiatte

Stories and photographs may be submitted to the Cowcatcher Magazine and will be considered for publication if space is available and material is relevant to model railroading and rail enthusiasm in the region or in general. Letters to the editor are encouraged and will be published if space is available. All correspondence should be submitted by:

Email: cowcatcher@verizon.net

or via mail to: Cowcatcher Magazine Editor, P.O. Box 176, Keller, TX 76244.

Submissions will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included.


To contact the Cowcatcher Magazine:

Cowcatcher Magazine
P.O. Box 176, Keller, TX 76244
(817) 379-5528
cowcatcher@verizon.net


Change of Address and Subscription Information

You may notify us of your change of address by emailing: cowcatcher@verizon.net
with the subject line “Change of Address”

Please include your first and last name, old address and new address. You will receive a confirmation from us.

It is important you notify us of your change of address. Because we mail third class to keep your subscription cost as low as possible we do not receive returned mail nor notification from the post office of a forwarding address.

For other information about your subscription, see Info & Updates.


Article and Photo Submission Guide

Cowcatcher Magazine encourages authors to submit all manner of material on model railroading and rail enthusiasm – model and prototype photographs, industry news, personality features, show advances, how-to stories and retrospectives. Contact us prior to submission to determine suitability and possible publication date.

We reserve the right to decline a submission, with gratitude, and to edit for length, style and readability. Manuscripts will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Deadline is the sixth day of the month prior to the first month of publication date. An article for the March/April issue, for instance, should be submitted no later than Feb. 6. Include full contact information and all photo/article credits.

Cowcatcher Magazine pays for content in some cases, but alas, they are rare. You will receive a byline, either at the beginning or end of the story. Also, having an article published achieves points for industry designations.

Let us hear from you. Cowcatcher Magazine is about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm, and together we will tell the best story we can.

Stories

You don’t have to be a seasoned writer to submit work. We will help you look good!

Use short, straightforward sentences. Copious detail. No first-person. Get to the point, and don’t forget the “5 Ws and the H” – who, what, where, when, why and how. Double-check your facts.

Feature articles should be 700-1,800 words (as reference, this guide is about 460 words). News items may be shorter.

Organize a how-to story in step-by-step order with accompanying photos marked for each step.

Email articles in Word or plain text to cowcatcher@verizon.net . In some cases, we will accept printed manuscripts but please contact us before sending.

Not sure you want to write a complete article but have a news tip or worthy story? Just send us the facts in an email and we’ll take it from there!

Photographs

Digital photos should be 300 dpi and saved as a .jpeg, .eps or .pdf. Do not embed photographs in other documents, like a Word, Publisher or PowerPoint file. We can also scan high-quality printed images in black and white or color.

When taking photographs, especially of train models or layout elements, strive for depth of field, whether using natural or artificial light. The foreground and background should be in focus, which can be achieved with a good light source and a high “f” stop on most digital SLR cameras. Limit ISO settings to 1600 if possible.

When shooting photos for the cover, leave plenty of space at the top for the magazine’s title. The subject of the picture should fill the bottom two-thirds of the frame.

Send only original artwork to avoid copyright infringement. Photographs from other sources will be considered, but first check with our editorial staff.

  • Delivery Delays

    We are experiencing delays in the mailing of the May/June 2022 edition. We appreciate your patience!

  • May/June 2022

  • Order Today!

    PURCHASE THE CURRENT ISSUE TODAY!

    JUST $6.95, includes shipping (U.S. only)!

     

    Allow 3-5 business days for delivery upon placement of order.

     

    ** Email us for international shipping rates**

     

  • Re-Discovery

    Just about every weekend, Ron Natinsky mans the Model Train Garden, unofficially the OBGT (Our Big Garden Train), on a small plot a stone’s throw behind the Butterfly House at the Texas Discovery Gardens in Dallas. It has been his labor of love for four years, since agreeing to donate his time and what was left of his G-scale collection to create a public garden railroad experience. Each year, about 25,000 people visit the railroad at Fair Park.

     

  • Expanding a small oil company

    On the N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, the Ozark Oil Co. has provided small-batch petroleum products for Whitehurst, Pine Ridge and Van Buren since 1961. Until recently, two small tanks were enough for Ozark to manage its customer base. But the arrival of Walthers’ Cornerstone Oil Storage Tank Kit signaled additional capacity to meet growing demand.

     – Cowcatcher Magazine

     

  • ‘Loose car’ deliveries

    Incorporating “loose car” deliveries is applicable for railroads large and small in modeling railroads in any era. An example is a small family-owned lumber company in Houston. The lumber transfer and storage facility near downtown is on the former Southern Pacific Sunset Route mainline and receives regular deliveries of centerbeam cars. It is a perfect fit for anyone looking to model a modern small industry served by a big railroad, either on a permanent layout or a module.

  • PLUS…

    The Rocky Mountain Train Show returned with gusto in early April after being sidelined in 2021 because of the pandemic. …

     

    Canadian railroads make the grade on Amtrak’s annual host railroad report card, but some U.S. freight railroads fell short. …

     

    The Monon’s Thoroughbred was the Hoosier Line’s racehorse and the “lifeline of Indiana” on the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway. …

     

    THESE STORIES AND MORE, PLUS A FULL CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND THE BUSINESS PULSE OF THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY!

     

  • Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad





    Visit the new N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, the official model railroad of the Cowcatcher Magazine, and track progress. All aboard!
  • Product News & Review

    Athearn EMD SD70ACu Locomotive

     

     

    The Cowcatcher reviews Athearn Trains’ newly released HO-scale SD70ACu diesel locomotive in the March/April 2022 issue. The Canadian Pacific model sent for review is highly detailed and rugged, with plenty of gusto to pull a lot of cars.

     

    More product reviews!

     

    See product news!

     

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  • Cowcatcher Tracks

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  • Back Issues

    Be sure to check out our Back Issues page for any issues you may have missed. We have expanded descriptions for issues published beginning in 2007. Click here to order.

     

    See our most recent issues and order today!

     

  • Article & Photo Submissions

    We encourage readers to submit articles and photos. For details, visit our guide here .

  • HMA Promotional Video

    https://youtu.be/bxrwl13N1Rc

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