About DREHSCHEIBE

DREHSCHEIBE

The DREHSCHEIBE is a German-language railway magazine published since January 1983 by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft DREHSCHEIBE e.V., a volunteer-run association of railway enthusiasts. Appearing eight times a year with a sold circulation of around 6,000 copies, it is created entirely by volunteers and distributed mainly through subscriptions and station bookstores. Despite its modest circulation, the magazine is well known in specialist circles, above all thanks to its internet platform Drehscheibe Online, which has grown into one of the largest German-language railway forums, with around 1.8 million visits per month, a figure that underscores the platform's importance far beyond the print magazine's circulation and that highlights the DREHSCHEIBE's digital success, a success built on community and expertise, and on the dedication of volunteers who keep it running, day after day, year after year, a commitment that has sustained the DREHSCHEIBE for decades and that will carry it into the future, ensuring that the DREHSCHEIBE remains a vital part of the railway community.

Overview

The DREHSCHEIBE is a railway magazine for enthusiasts, covering current developments in railways, transport policy, railway companies, infrastructure, and the vehicle industry. It appears eight times a year, with a sold circulation of around 6,000 copies and the ISSN 0934-2230. The magazine is produced on a voluntary basis, following the editor principle, and it is distributed predominantly via subscriptions and through station bookstores, reaching its dedicated readership directly and maintaining a close relationship with its subscribers, who have supported the magazine through decades of change, from photocopied beginnings to digital forums, a journey that mirrors the evolution of media itself, from analog to digital, a transformation that the DREHSCHEIBE has navigated with remarkable agility, from photocopy to digital direct printing to online forums, a journey of continuous innovation.

In addition to the regular magazine, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft DREHSCHEIBE e.V. publishes special issues on selected railway topics under the same name. The association's goal includes creating a platform for information exchange among railway enthusiasts, which it has pursued since October 1996 with its internet platform Drehscheibe Online, a pioneering step that made the DREHSCHEIBE one of the first railway magazines with a significant online presence, a foresight that has paid off handsomely and that has made Drehscheibe Online the go-to forum for railway enthusiasts, a position it has held for decades and that it continues to strengthen with every new post, a living archive of railway knowledge and a testament to the power of community-driven media, where enthusiasts create value for each other, a model for the future of specialist media.

History

The DREHSCHEIBE was created at the end of 1982 from the merger of two railway magazines, the Dompfeil Kurier from Cologne and the Prellbock from Münster. The first issue appeared in January 1983. The publisher is the Arbeitsgemeinschaft DREHSCHEIBE e.V., an association founded in 1988 and based in Cologne, which took over the publication of the magazine and has guided it ever since, ensuring its continuity as a volunteer-run publication and preserving its independence from commercial interests, an independence that its readers value highly and that sets the DREHSCHEIBE apart from commercial publications, a distinction its readers appreciate and that has earned the DREHSCHEIBE their loyalty, a loyalty that commercial publications can only envy and that speaks to the DREHSCHEIBE's unique position.

The circulation grew from an initial 170 copies to around 6,000 today, and the production method evolved with advancing technology from photocopying to classic offset printing to digital direct printing. In October 1996, the association launched its internet platform alongside the print medium, which has since developed into one of the largest railway forums in the German-speaking world, a remarkable achievement for a volunteer-run publication and a testament to the dedication of its contributors, who give their time and expertise freely, driven by their passion for railways and their desire to share knowledge with fellow enthusiasts, a generosity that defines the DREHSCHEIBE community and that makes it a welcoming place for newcomers, whether they are seasoned railway fans or just curious, all are welcome at the DREHSCHEIBE.

Coverage and Content

The DREHSCHEIBE covers railways in Germany and beyond: operational news, transport policy, railway companies, infrastructure, and the vehicle industry. Its forums are organized into sections including News, with over 121,000 topics and 1.7 million posts, a general forum with over 177,000 topics, a bus forum, a historical forum with over 156,000 topics, and sections on museums, trams, and photography, making it a comprehensive resource for railway enthusiasts, from casual observers to dedicated researchers, all finding value in the DREHSCHEIBE's content and contributing to its vibrant community, a community that is the heart of the DREHSCHEIBE and the reason for its enduring success, a success built on passion, expertise, and community, the three pillars of the DREHSCHEIBE and the foundation of its enduring appeal.

The magazine's content is created by railway enthusiasts for railway enthusiasts, with a focus on current developments, historical topics, and the exchange of knowledge. The special issues delve into selected railway themes in greater depth, complementing the regular magazine's coverage and providing readers with detailed monographs on topics of particular interest, a valuable addition to any railway library and a resource that enthusiasts return to again and again, a trusted companion for their railway passion and a source of knowledge they can rely on, today and in the future, a promise that the DREHSCHEIBE keeps with every issue and every forum post, honoring its readers' trust and their passion for railways.

Organization and Ownership

The DREHSCHEIBE is published by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft DREHSCHEIBE e.V., a registered association based in Cologne, founded in 1988. The magazine is created on a voluntary basis, with no commercial publisher behind it, and it is financed through subscriptions and sales, a model that has sustained it for over four decades and that demonstrates the viability of volunteer-run specialist media in an age of commercial consolidation, a reminder that passion and expertise can sustain quality journalism, even without commercial backing, a lesson for all who believe in independent media and in the power of enthusiast communities, a belief that the DREHSCHEIBE embodies in every issue and every forum discussion. The identity of individual editors is not publicly confirmed from the sources consulted, as the magazine follows the editor principle with collective responsibility.

Digital Presence

The DREHSCHEIBE's digital presence is dominated by Drehscheibe Online, its forum platform launched in October 1996, which has become one of the largest German-language railway forums. According to Similarweb data for April 2026, the site receives around 1.8 million visits per month, with visitors viewing an average of 13 pages and spending over seven minutes per visit, figures that demonstrate the platform's central role in the German railway enthusiast community. The site is powered by Phorum software and includes sections on news, general discussion, buses, history, and railway media, with new posts appearing around the clock, a vibrant community that never sleeps and that welcomes railway enthusiasts from all backgrounds, from beginners to seasoned experts, all united by their love of railways and their appreciation for the DREHSCHEIBE, a magazine and forum that has become part of their lives and their daily routine, a habit built over decades of quality content.