Editing Rails (magazine)

{{Short description|New Zealand magazine}}
{{about|the former New Zealand magazine|the current England magazine|Rail (magazine)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
|title           = Rails
|logo            = 
|logo_size       = 
|image_file      = 
|image_size      = 
|image_alt       = 
|image_caption   = 
|editor          = Robin Bromby (1971–1975)<br />Bob Stott QSM (1971–2003)
|editor_title    = 
|previous_editor = 
|staff_writer    = 
|photographer    = 
|category        = [[Rail transport in New Zealand]]
|frequency       = Monthly
|circulation     =  
|publisher       = Southern Press Limited
|founder         = 
|founded         = 
|firstdate       = August 1971
|lastdate        = December 2003
|country         = New Zealand
|based           = [[Wellington]]
|language        = [[New Zealand English]]
|issn            = 0110-6155
|oclc            = }}

'''''Rails''''' was a New Zealand–based monthly periodical covering [[rail transport in New Zealand]] published by Rails Publishing Ltd from August 1971, which in 1972 changed its name to Southern Press from August 1971 until December 2003. The company was jointly owned by Bob Stott and Robin Bromby; Bob Stott was Editor and ran the editorial content and Robin Bromby was Managing Editor mainly responsible for the business operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://natlib-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=NLNZ&docid=NLNZ_ALMA21243679290002836&context=L&search_scope=NLNZ|title=National Library of New Zealand – Rails|publisher=[[National Library of New Zealand]]|access-date=24 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=A Note About Rails Magazine|journal=Rails|date=November 1974|page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Light at the End of the Tunnel|journal=Rails|date=April 1975|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://search.sl.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=SLNSW_ALMA21135463930002626|publisher=[[State Library of New South Wales]]|title=Rails catalogue entry – State Library of New South Wales|access-date=24 October 2019}}</ref>

The editor for the entirety of ''Rails'' existence was Bob Stott QSM. Robin Bromby was managing editor from 1971 to 1975, at which time Bob and Jan Stott become the owners of the magazine. The magazine's existence spanned the final years of central government control of railways in New Zealand (the [[New Zealand Railways Department]]), corporatisation in the 1980s (the [[New Zealand Railways Corporation]]), privatisation of the railways in 1993 ([[Tranz Rail|New Zealand Rail Limited]], renamed Tranz Rail in 1995) and finally the purchase of Tranz Rail by [[Toll Group|Toll Holdings]] followed by the renationalisation of the rail network in 2003.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Rails|date=December 2003|title=A message from the publishers of Rails|page=105|volume=33|number=5}}</ref>

The magazine was initially printed by the Masterton Printing Company. In 1973 Robin Bromby established the Dunedin office, and the printing was transferred to Allied Press (owner of the ''[[Otago Daily Times]]'' newspaper). There were some difficult moments and, in 1973, the partners agreed to close the magazine to prevent further losses. New Zealand Railways was eager to see the magazine continue and committed to regular advertising, the revenue from that making it possible for Rails to survive. The rescue was very much at quarter to midnight; the next edition was about to go to print and the inside cover contained the closure announcement. At the last moment, that announcement was pulled and a full-page photograph of an Invercargill tram substituted. The economics of the magazine were further underpinned by the decision by Stott and Bromby to begin publishing rail books and this ancillary business enabled the company to turn the corner.<ref>Comment by Robin Bromby, December 2019</ref>

''Rails'' and editor Bob Stott were often cited as authorities on rail-related subjects in the general news media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=154856|title=Tranz Rail passenger trains coming to end of the line|date=11 October 2000|access-date=26 October 2019|work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> Stott continued to comment on railway-related matters after ''Rails'' ceased publication,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10526022|title=Steel backbone an economic lifeline|date=8 August 2008|access-date=26 October 2019|work=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> and has had regular opinion columns published in ''Rails'' former competitor, ''Railfan''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1971 establishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Defunct magazines published in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1971]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines published in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Rail transport magazines]]
[[Category:Mass media in Wellington]]