Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet stands out

Streamlined diesel locomotive with Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet passenger train

The Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet stands out among mid-century passenger operators.     Of all the major U.S. railroads that fielded impressive fleets of passenger trains between the end of World War I in 1918 and the arrival of Amtrak in 1971, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific — more commonly known as the […]

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The MTH Premier Hudson is a modern classic

The MTH Premier Hudson Pacemaker front end

The MTH Premier Hudson is a modern incarnation of arguably the most iconic steam locomotive ever made in O scale. The classic 4-6-4 wheel arrangement, originally offered in by Lionel in 1937, can be seen on artwork from decades ago and carried on today by the works of artists like Angela Trotta Thomas. Due to […]

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Pennsy and Monon crossing at Limedale, Ind.

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An interlocking tower and station are nestled between the tracks where the Monon crosses the two tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Limedale, Ind., in May 1944. A Monon local freight is switching the station and interchange tracks in the distance. Linn H. Westcott photo […]

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Lionel The Chessie Legacy Greenbrier

Lionel The Chessie Greenbrier front

The Lionel The Chessie Legacy Greenbrier is big. It’s colorful. It’s a steam engine. Should steamers be colorful? Like it or not, fantasy paint schemes on them seem to be an attractive alternative to the prototypical (mostly) black models. This one was featured in 2022’s Volume 2 catalog. A look back at previous offerings indicates […]

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Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale

Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale | Jack Burgess, a dedicated model railroad enthusiast, has masterfully recreated the Yosemite Valley Railroad, an iconic prototype railroad that operated in central California until 1947. Over the course of 31 years, Jack poured his heart into crafting an intricate and historically significant model railroad, capturing the […]

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Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale

Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale | Jack Burgess, a dedicated model railroad enthusiast, has masterfully recreated the Yosemite Valley Railroad, an iconic prototype railroad that operated in central California until 1947. Over the course of 31 years, Jack poured his heart into crafting an intricate and historically significant model railroad, capturing the […]

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Delaware & Hudson passenger trains remembered

Wooden coaches on Albany–Binghamton train 208 at Albany Union Station, circa 1945–46.

Delaware & Hudson passenger trains     All through July 2023, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the grit and grandeur of the Delaware & Hudson in its bicentennial year. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Kansas City Southern passenger trains selected from the files in Kalmbach Media‘s David P. Morgan Library.   Only from Trains.com! […]

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The On30 Narragansett Railroad layout

The trackplan for the Narrgansett railroad layout in On30 scale

Facts & features Name: Narragansett RailroadScale: On30 (1:48)Size: 24 x 22 feet Prototype: freelancedLocale: Rhode IslandEra: 1929 to 1935Style: walk-inMainline run: 150 feetMinimum radius: 18″Minimum turnout: No. 4Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open gridHeight: 57″Roadbed: noneTrack: flextrackBackdrop: hand-painted tempered hardboardControl: direct current Download a PDF of this trackplan! Buy the August 2023 issue of Model Railroader! […]

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First run of the Lionel Pennsylvania RR L1 Mikado

Lionel Pennsylvania RR L1 Mikado cab detail

With the release of the Lionel Pennsylvania RR L1 Mikado, it seems that we’ve returned to pre-pandemic manufacturing timelines with the manufacturer. This Legacy engine, cataloged in Lionel’s 2022 Volume II edition, has been delivered in less than a year. This is another product made with tooling acquired from MTH Trains a few years ago. […]

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Diesel locomotives by generation

Color photo of HO scale passenger engine in green and yellow paint.

If you’ve read stories about diesel locomotives on Trains.com or in Kalmbach Media’s railroad magazines and books, you’ve most likely seen references to diesel locomotives by generation. But what does generation mean? Unlike automobiles, locomotive manufacturers don’t bring out new models each year. The same basic locomotive model can stay in production for years – […]

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The MTH VO1000 diesel is a solid switcher

MTH VO1000 diesel

The MTH VO1000 diesel is a  good-running, heavy, and well detailed model of the Baldwin switcher. The latest run features Protosound 3.0 with freight sound effects, LED lighting, and a fan-driven smoke unit. In addition to the four road names produced by the manufacturer, there have also been several other special runs commissioned. Read more […]

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Pennsylvania 6200 turbine locomotive

Front view of Pennsylvania 6200 turbine locomotive

Pennsylvania 6200 turbine locomotive was an experimental locomotive that served on passenger trains in Indiana and Ohio. But it is perhaps best known as the Lionel No. 671 Pennsylvania Turbine.     The first of several turbine projects the Pennsylvania considered was also the only one that produced an actual locomotive: steam-turbine-mechanical No. 6200. Pennsy […]

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