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Hello there! I'm Trevor Ridley, and apart from owning Atlantic Publishers I am editor of European Railways magazine. As the title suggests, the remit is to provide a forum to illustrate and inform on the varied aspects that is the railway scene throughout Europe - both historical, as well as present day.
The magazine has a long history, being originally founded way back in the fifties by the book dealer Robert Spark. It was he who first began importing literature from abroad in any significance relating to overseas railways, especially the European scene, due to a demand from American enthusiasts returning to the US after WWII. From these earlier tentative, and rather unlikely beginnings, Mr Spark conceived the idea of publishing a small quarterly journal for subscription only. He continued with this format right through until issue No. 149 in the early 1990s, at which time he was not a well man, and due to his untimely death in the mid 90s, the journal ceased publication.
At around the end of 1998 I acquired the booklist from Mr Spark's widow, although the copyright for the title 'European Railways' remained at that time with the Spark family. A couple of years later, with the retirement of David Joy from ownership of Atlantic Publishers, I purchased the publishing house. David and I had been close friends and colleagues over a number of years and indeed it was the two of us together who conceived the magazine GardenRail way back in 1993, and Narrow Gauge World a few years later – and the rest in that respect, is, as they say, history.
However, long before these events with Atlantic Publishers, I had, as an independent publisher launched a monthly modelling magazine called Euromodel Rail Review. This was at a time well before the advent of the digital age in design and publishing and as a consequence the old tried and trusted ways of the age were extremely labour intensive and therefore very expensive by way of production costs for such a specialist title as perceived at that time. We managed to reach issue No 14 when I sold the title, at which time it carried on for a further twelve issues bi-monthly before ending with the then owner. That the title in its relatively short life is still talked about today with affection is testament to the ethos behind the title and its presentation, such that I was keen to explore the possibility of reviving the concept under the Atlantic banner. 
The opportunity arose in 2002 with the acquisition from the Spark family of the Intellectual Property to the title European Railways. In addition to which I endeavoured to also acquire the rights to my old title of Euromodel Rail Review, which was sitting dormant with the then owner, and incorporating it into ER. Naturally we kicked off with issue No 150, some nine years after the previous issue - perhaps the longest gestation between issues of a magazine in the history of publishing.
My interest in the European scene has been a consistent aspect of my enthusiasm for railways, ever since teenage years. It was especially fostered when, not long after college and university I lived and worked in Switzerland, that most signature railway country.
The magazine's current format of a twice-yearly 'special' seems to fit well with the specialist nature of the subject for the UK market, with its somewhat xenophobic attitudes. Having said that, the title has quite a dedicated following elsewhere in the world, especially the USA and Australia in particular - even across the Channel, a case of 'coals to Newcastle'! The mix of historic and modern continues to appeal, and the erudite writings of regular columnists, such as Colin Boocock, Stephen Rabone (who acted as editor in the early days of ERR), André Papazian in France and Michael Watts (who now acts as features editor for the modelling material) are much appreciated and enjoyed. As regular readers will know, the journal includes a significant input of modelling material with the prototype providing valuable prototype reference and stimulus.
An interesting, and unexpected development seems to be the interest and contact with professional and related pressure groups regarding the development of railways throughout the continent of Europe, and includes your editor acting as consultant 'expert' for radio here in the UK.
Another aspect, which follows on from the original ethos of the title, is the inclusion of occasional features from outside of continental Europe by way of comparison and added interest. We try to be vital and exciting, and to include articles which can appeal not just to the diehard railway enthusiast but also provide stimulus and information to the more general traveller such as our ongoing series 'Through the Tunnel'. Altogether ER has a rich and varied 'landscape' to draw upon and we will endeavour to maintain the impetus. So keep watching for all the excitement of European railways and modelling in the pages of ER!