Switching scrap metal, stopping for coal, heading into a tunnel, and more Trackside Photos

Pere Marquette no. 1410, a United States Railroad Administration 0-8-0 working the Holly Turn out of Saginaw, Mich., switches a scrap metal gondola in its namesake town of Holly, Mich., on a fall day in 1950. Jay Qualman of Milford, Mich., photographed the action on the HO scale Michigan Lines layout he built along with his wife, Brook Qualman, and their friend John Bussard. The Holly Hotel in the background gained notoriety when temperance crusader Carrie Nation attacked bar patrons in 1908.

A Union Pacific passenger train led by Electro-Motive Division E7 no. 990 rolls past the New York Central interchange yard. Though the UP and NYC never directly interchanged in real life, both railroads prowl the same rails on Pete LaGuardia’s HO scale Western Illinois Division layout. The UP locomotives are Life-Like Proto2000 models; NYC Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 no. 7010 is from Atlas. Paul Dolkos photo

Denver & Rio Grande Western class K-27 2-8-2 Mikado no. 463 stops for fuel while workers unload a gondola of coal on the upper track into the tipple. The action takes place on the Sn3 model railroad built by Mike Schwab of Santa Cruz, Calif. The tipple was built from a Crystal River kit; the locomotive is a PBL brass import. Mike shot the photo.

Northwestern Pacific no. 323, a 2-8-0 Consolidation, is about to enter Alto Tunnel with its passenger train after leaving the scenic views of Mount Tamalpais behind. The action takes place on the HO scale Sonoma Mountain RR belonging to Jan Swaney of Santa Rosa, Calif. The locomotive is a brass import from Pacific Fast Mail; the car is from a custom-painted Roundhouse kit. David Elam photo

A Grand Trunk Western train of empty auto parts boxcars rolls past the scrapyard on their way to be spotted on a loading spur at a nearby auto parts plant. Jim Sloan of Sarnia, Ont., kitbashed the HO scale Athearn cars following techniques from an article by Mike Budde. Jim added Evergreen styrene strip exterior posts, painted, and decaled the models, then upgraded the couplers to Kadees. He also shot the photo.

Behind Nickel Plate Road Electro-Motive Division GP9 no. 483, the midday passenger local rolls over the trestle above County Park, where residents wile away a pleasant fall day at the fishing pond. Barry Trogu of Toms River, N.J., photographed the scene on his HO scale Pennsylvania & Southern RR. The locomotive is an Athearn model, while the coach is a Branchline Trains kit (now sold by Atlas). The bridge is scratchbuilt, and many of the scenic details are from Barry’s yard.