As of 2010[update] it was, for three years running, the railway magazine with the largest circulation in the United Kingdom, having a monthly average sale during 2009 of 34,715[2] (the figure for 2007 being 34,661).

From the start it was produced in Linotype on good-quality paper and well illustrated with photographic halftone and occasional colour lithographic plates.

In 1910, following a dispute with the proprietors, Nokes resigned and started a rival, very similar, magazine, Railway and Travel Monthly.

[4] The magazine claims a record for the longest unbroken published series, begun under the title "British locomotive practice and performance" in 1901, characterised by detailed logs giving the timings of notable trips, recorded by observers with a stopwatch[5] (the September 1930 column was 'pulled' by the editor as being too critical of Nigel Gresley's London and North Eastern Railway steam locomotives).

From 1981 to 2004 the performance series was written by Peter Semmens (1927-2007), who also served as chief correspondent from 1990, notably reporting on the Channel Tunnel construction.

† died in office ‡ nominally Deputy Editor The Railway Magazine has a presence on the National Preservation forums.

This has been noted as a valuable source of information for the magazine in order to keep in touch with its readership online in the internet age.