Western Rail photo gallery and roster

An orange-painted locomotive.

FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman GE B23-7 No. 4201, built for Conrail in 1978 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD SW14 No. 102, built for Illinois Central in 1951 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD GP30 No. 2508, built for Rio Grande in 1962 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD GP9R No. 8319, built for Southern Pacific in 1955 […]

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Bachmann HO scale ACS-64 electric

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Amtrak’s ACS-64 Cities Sprinter has been rushing passengers up and down the Northeast Corridor for nearly five years, including a stretch not far from the Bachmann Industries headquarters in Philadelphia. Now you can add it to your layout with Bachmann’s latest sound-equipped HO scale release. The prototype. The Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS) 6,400kW (the -64 […]

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MRC Synchro Sound2

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MRC Synchro Sound2 To get truly big sound out of your Digital Command Control-equipped locomotive, you need a big speaker. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible in smaller scales. Model Rectifier Corp. has addressed this problem with the Synchro Sound2, a standalone speaker equipped with a DCC sound decoder. The Synchro Sound2 is meant to be […]

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Menards HO Wally’s Service Station

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Menards HO Wally’s Service Station Price: $59.99 Manufacturer Menards 5106 Menard Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 www.menards.com/trains Era: 1955 to 1960s (as decorated) Comments: Menards has added Wally’s Service Station to its rapidly growing line of HO scale structures. The factory-assembled model features more than 20 light-emitting diodes (LEDs); a weathered base; and an assortment […]

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Atlas Master Line HO scale Pullman 10-1-1 sleeper

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Atlas Master Line HO scale Pullman 10-1-1 sleeper Price: $64.95 (undecorated, $54.95) Manufacturer Atlas Model RR Co. 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 www.atlasrr.com Era: 1930 to 1950s Road names: Pullman; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Chicago & North Western; Norfolk & Western; Northern Pacific; Pennsylvania RR; Southern Pacific; and Union Pacific. Also available undecorated. Comments: […]

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Steam engine water treatment

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A water tank on the Pacific Coast Railroad in Washington displays discoloration brought by impurities in the local water. Al Farrow photo, Martin E. Hansen collection Q Did steam locomotive operators test the water prior to filling the tender? Was water treated then or prior to filling the tank? Without treatment would there have been […]

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Atlas N scale Alco C-628 diesel

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Atlas N scale Alco C628 diesel Big Alcos are back in N scale from Atlas Model Railroad Co. We reviewed a direct-current (DC) version from an earlier production run in the August 2004 Model Railroader. The latest run is available with a factory-installed ESU LokSound decoder that operates on Digital Command Control (DCC) as well […]

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Trains Photo Contest 2019: Go West!

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2018 Grand Prize: Todd Halamka Having lived and worked in Chicago for nearly my entire adult life, the city continues to nurture two passions — buildings and trains. The Chicago River and the Loop elevated rail are two key components that define the urban core. The newly opened Chicago Riverwalk invites residents and visitors to […]

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Trainfest 2018 show report

Bachmann HO scale 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive

Bachmann HO scale 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive HO scale locomotives 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive. Pennsylvania RR; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; New York Central; Southern Ry.; and Union Pacific. Dual-mode Sound Value SoundTraxx sound decoder, die-cast metal chassis, crew figures, and E-Z Mate Mark II couplers. $349. Bachmann, 215-533-1600, www.bachmanntrains.com Bachmann HO scale Pennsylvania RR […]

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