An accidental beginning

SP 4229

SP 4229, the cab-forward on which author Anderson was firing as the second engine of a doubleheader when lead engine 4208 threw a rod, hauls L.A.-bound freight 766 up Casamilia Hill on the Coast Line in 1947. Jim Morley As an 18-year-old kid going firing on Southern Pacific’s Coast Division in 1953, my life was […]

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Night moves

  Canadian Pacific train No. 493 meets opposing traffic at Reeseville, Wis., on June 14, 2014, as the last light disappears from the sky. Photo by Matt Krause […]

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Night moves

  New England Central GP38-2 No. 3850 leads a southbound local on the Palmer Subdivision through Windsor, Vt., on May 10, 2013. Photo by William Gill […]

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O gauge United Aircraft TurboTrain by MTH

CTT-PR0913_50A

The 1960s were dark days for railroading in general, and passenger railroading in particular. Government regulation, unwise union contracts, mismanagement by railroad owners, and the transition from a manufacturing economy to an information economy were wreaking havoc in the transportation world. In spite of the fact that customers had largely fled the passenger train in […]

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S gauge American Flyer passenger cars by Lionel

passenger

With the invigoration of Lionel’s American Flyer product line and the sale of S-Helper Service to MTH Electric Trains, the S gauge market appears to be entering a new epoch that may permanently divide old school and new school S gaugers. Before we step through the looking glass into this brave new world, I wanted […]

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Dick Iannacone’s realistic S gauge layout

Dick Iannacone's realistic S gauge layout

Inspired by a lifelong love of American Flyer trains and the beauty of his home, New England, Dick Iannacone built this highly realistic 16 x 20-foot S gauge layout set in the steam-to-diesel transition period of the late 1930s into the 1950s. Enjoy additional photos of his outstanding layout in the gallery below. […]

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MR Insider: N scale convention 2013

An airplane in the sky

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The 2013 National N Scale Convention was held in Milwaukee the last of week of June, so the MR staff joined in the fun. This MR Insider video covers some of the events, including the train show, a tour of Kalmbach Publishing Co. […]

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Kato USA HO scale GE P42 diesel locomotive

KatoUSAHOscaleGEP42diesellocomotive

Kato USA HO scale GE P42 diesel locomotive Are two motors better than one? A typical HO scale locomotive uses a single direct-current (DC) motor mounted on the chassis. Earlier this year, Kato introduced a new approach on one of its HO scale Japanese locomotives by using two compact coreless motors mounted in the trucks. […]

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Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck

BachmannHOscalehirailtruck

Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck Price: $109.99 Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1980s to present Comments: This HO scale hi-rail truck from Bachmann Trains features a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder that operates on both direct-current (DC) and DCC layouts. The truck’s plastic body shell doesn’t represent […]

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Atlas Model Railroad O scale Budd short dome car

AtlasModelRailroadOscaleBuddshortdomecar

Atlas Model Railroad O scale Budd short dome car Mention Vista-Dome and most modelers immediately think of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s Zephyr fleet. Of these trains, the California Zephyr was the most famous, with five Vista Domes in its regular all stainless-steel consist. Three railroads participated in the CZ’s daily service between Chicago and […]

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‘The Lone Ranger’ revels in railroading

Courtesy Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer Productions (4)

FULL SCREEN Courtesy: Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer Productions FULL SCREEN Courtesy: Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer Productions FULL SCREEN Courtesy: Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer Productions Courtesy: Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer Productions The Lone Ranger, the timeless legend of radio and screen, is retold by Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer this summer in an over-the-top, in-your-face movie about the dynamic duo of the Old West. The […]

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