This is the November 1943 issue of Railroad Magazine. Its painted cover features a freight train being pulled by a diesel engine in the country next to another set of tracks.

Among the articles are “Queen of the Valley” (Reading Company), “Big Hook – On Call 24 Hours a Day,” “Oversize Shipments,” “Locomotives of the New York, Susquehanna & Western,” “Indian Railroads Girded for War” and more. There are also “True Tales of the Rails, fiction and several “Short Hauls,” such as “Locomotives of the Month” and “Along the Iron Pike.” There are numerous black & white photos and illustrations.

This issue has 164 pages and measures approximately 6.5 x 9.5 inches.

During World War II America’s railroads carried much of the nation’s cargo and war materiel, as well as members of the armed forces from coast to coast. The strain on the system was enormous, and by war’s end many of the railroads, their locomotives and rolling stock were worn and in need of repair.

Railroad Magazine was a pulp magazine that was first published in October 1906 and was founded by Frank Anderson Munsey. A railroad man born in Maine in 1854, he moved to New York City in 1892, where he authored a few books and published periodicals and newspapers in many cities. The magazine's first offices were located in the Flatiron Building in New York City. At the time of its founding, there was no organized railroad enthusiast movement, and initially the magazine was targeted towards railroaders and retirees. The magazine title was later combined with Railfan to form the new Railfan & Railroad, published by Carstens Publications.

The magazine was published under different names and formats throughout its history. Originally titled The Railroad Man's Magazine, it was the first specialized pulp magazine with stories and articles about railroads.