New model trains for the week of June 4, 2020

Electric train

HO scale locomotives Pennsylvania RR class P5a boxcab electric locomotive. New fictional paint schemes (one road number each): New York Central (lightning stripe), Great Northern (Empire Builder), and Milwaukee Road (maroon-and-orange scheme). New road numbers: Pennsylvania RR (1930s passenger type painted Dark Green Locomotive Enamel [DGLE] with brown roof and Gold Leaf Roman lettering, freight […]

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Remembering Texas & Pacific passenger trains

GP1702011

In June 2020, Classic Trains is celebrating the history, heritage, and splendor of the Texas & Pacific Railway. Enjoy this photo gallery, originally published online in February 2017, as the perfect salute to the T&P. Return each week for another salute to the railroad of the month! See what we did last week for the […]

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Remembering the Texas & Pacific Railway

Steam locomotive hauling freight train emitting large plume of smoke.

History of the Texas & Pacific What grew to become the 20th century’s Texas & Pacific Railway sprouted from some of Texas’s earliest railroads. The Lone Star State’s pre-Civil War network included 11 operating companies. One of the earliest was the Texas Western Railroad, chartered in 1850 and soon renamed Vicksburg & El Paso. In […]

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Remembering the Texas & Pacific Railway

T&P’s 70 2-10-4 Texas type steam locomotives, built by Lima 1925-29, were the road’s biggest, most numerous, and best-known power. No. 636 rolls an extra east near Mineola, 79 miles east of Dallas, in 1951. R. S. Plummer History of the Texas & Pacific What grew to become the 20th century’s Texas & Pacific Railway […]

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Birmingham (U.K.) out as 2022 NMRA host

The ripple effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted another National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) National Convention. Birmingham, England, scheduled to host the 2022 NMRA National Convention, announced that it will no longer be able to host the event. Birmingham’s decision to back out as host was driven by scheduling conflicts with another event […]

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Plans for a C&NW yard office

CNWButleryardofficedrawings

In the July 2020 Model Railroader, Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno shows how he scratchbuilt an HO scale model based on the Chicago & North Western yard office in Butler, Wis. See a PDF version of this by clicking here. […]

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Brightline negotiating to operate Miami-Aventura commuter service

Train descends ramp from station

Wednesday afternoon rail news in brief: Virgin Trains, Miami-Dade in talks on commuter operation Virgin Trains USA is in talks with Miami-Dade County about creating a commuter-rail operation on the southern end of its existing Miami-West Palm Beach Brightline route, a $350 million proposal that would see the privately owned passenger operation build five stations […]

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New model trains for the week of May 28, 2020

HO scale locomotives 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Baltimore & Ohio; Chesapeake & Ohio; Great Northern; New York Central; Pennsylvania RR; and Union Pacific. One road number per scheme. Die-cast metal boiler and frame with brass details, light-emitting-diode headlights, can motor, and front and rear metal couplers. Can be controlled with […]

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