Saw this on the HO Steam list:

A flag that lovers of North American steamers could
ill afford to lose, is being lowered. The annual renewal
notice for LOCOMOTIVE QUARTERLY , brings the unhappy news
that they will cease publication with the Summer 2006 issue.

As most of you know, they were our only periodical
devoted to presenting graphic historical images of
any and all steam locos regardless of persusion.

It's true they let the pictures do the talking, and
didn't bother with detailed descriptions of the locos.
It is also true that no periodical,went about a
continent wide, catholic presentation, in the last
thirty years either. This is what they were about!
I know that whether:it was seeing some geared steamer
crossing a real logger's fill (as opposed to
a beautifully executed miniature one, in Bob
Brown's magazine); or gazing at big three
foot gauge mallets in Mexico; or in a hundred other
images from Smith's 1870 glassplates, to the
images of Dreyfus' Hudsons doing ninety, they
played a role in my life and in that of other
steam loco afficionadoes that cannot be replaced.

One can seek out texts on a given railroad's locos,
and visit archival image collections in museums and
libraries, to get images of what one wants; if you
have the time and money.

However, without what a general presentation,
such as LOCOMOTIVE QUARTERLY brought to the public,
...there will be many people who will never know what
is there to be sought out.

For old guys, like yours truly and some (most?)
of the folks here, that may not be
a necessary role. For most people that never
saw a steamer as a real factor in
providing the continents transport it will be.
I will miss them very much, and I believe
they will be missed by all to whom steam
locomotives are important.
Good-Luck,
Peter Boylan