Santa Maria Valley 203 brings a cut of interchange cars into Guadalupe yard, as SP 2581 departs back to San Luis Obispo with the returning Guadalupe local on September 17, 1954. Video by Brian Moore. […]
Operations at Guadalupe Yard
Era: 1946 - 1970
SP’s short-lived Houston station
Southern Pacific built this structure, which it called Grand Central Station, in Houston in 1934 to replace an 1886 depot. But Grand Central had a short life, being razed after only 25 years to make way for a new central post office. Classic Trains coll. […]
HO scale Elmira, N.Y.
Name: Railroads of Elmira, N.Y. Layout owner: Joe Leahy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33 x 36 feet Prototype: Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Erie RR Locale: Elmira, N.Y. Era: early 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: approx. 210 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (sidings and secondary track) Maximum grade: 2 percent […]
West meets Midwest in New Orleans
As Southern Pacific Alco PA diesels move toward New Orleans Union Station in the background, an Illinois Central E7 rides the turntable at the IC roundhouse. It’s 1954, 2 years before New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal opened. James G. La Vake photo […]
BONUS ARTICLE: N scale through the Northwoods
Steve Miazga’s updated N scale Missabe Junction is featured in the September 2018 Model Railroader. Check out This first article about Steve’s layout from the November 2013 Model Railroader. Steve Miazga grew up less than two blocks from the Soo Line main in Rhinelander, Wis. As a kid, he saw the Soo’s first Geeps and […]
HO scale Baltimore & Ohio RR Pittsburgh Division
Name: Baltimore & Ohio RR, Pittsburgh Division, P&W Subdivision Layout owner: John Babcock Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 19′-6″ x 23′-3″ Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio Locale: western Pennsylvania Era: 1966 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 125 feet (double-track main line) Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 42″ to 48″ […]
Troubleshooting vintage O gauge locomotives
Troubleshooting vintage O gauge locomotives isn’t difficult. There are some common issues to look for when they won’t run, and most are fairly easy to fix. It happens to all of us sooner or later. You place your favorite vintage locomotive on the track, power up the transformer, and the darn thing just sits there, […]
HO scale Arcadia & Betsey River Ry.
Name: Arcadia & Betsey River Ry. Layout owner: Harley “Skip” Luyk Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 28 feet Prototype: freelanced logging line Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: 1910 to 1957 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 74 feet (main), 87 feet (branch line) Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: mix of […]
HO scale Piney Fork Branch
Name: Piney Fork RR Layout Owner: Seth Gartner Scale: HO scale (1:87.1) Size: 23 x 31 feet Prototype: New York Central Locale: eastern Ohio (Minerva to Dillonvale) Era: early 1960s Style: multilevel, walk in Mainline run: 260 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 (industries), o. 5 (yardns), no. 6 (main line) Maximum grade: […]
Southern Pacific Extreme Trains at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum
Mid-1950s Southern Pacific trains are featured in this edition of Extreme Trains: a 106 car mixed freight with three cab forward helpers; The City of San Francisco streamliner with Alco PAs; and a PFE refrigerator train with two cab forward locomotives. Video by Bill Rogers. […]
Southern Pacific Extreme Trains at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum
Mid-1950s Southern Pacific trains are featured in this edition of Extreme Trains: a 106 car mixed freight with three cab forward helpers; The City of San Francisco streamliner with Alco PAs; and a PFE refrigerator train with two cab forward locomotives. Video by Bill Rogers. […]
HO scale B&O Paquettin Division
Name: B&O Paquettin Division (updated 2018) Layout owner: Mike Tricker Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 16′-6″ x 16′-6″ Prototype: inspired by Baltimore & Ohio Locale: Appalachia to New Jersey Style: partial mushroom Era: early to mid-1950s Mainline run: 78 feet (excluding helix) Minimum radius: 18″, 15″(waterfront) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (waterfront) Maximum grade: […]
