May 2012 Trains Express PDF download

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The Western Maryland, or “Wild Mary” as it was known to its many fans, was a a tenacious regional railroad, running west from Baltimore to the mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It was known for its fast freights, coal traffic, and the iconic Helmstetter’s Curve. Download this month’s Trains Express PDF package at the […]

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Atlas HO scale trash flatcar

Atlas HO scale trash flatcar

Atlas HO scale trash flatcar Modern era HO modelers can now add a trash train to their operating scheme with this flatcar and containers from Atlas Model Railroad Co. The prototype. Specialized 85-foot flatcars and high-cube 20-foot containers have been hauling trainloads of solid waste since the 1980s. This railroad business came from opposition to […]

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Bowser HO scale C-630M diesel locomotive

Bowser HO scale C-630 diesel locomotive

Bowser HO scale C-630 diesel locomotive Modelers of Canadian roads in HO scale will be pleased with Bowser’s latest Executive Line locomotive release. The manufacturer has modified its Alco C-630 model with prototypically accurate details to represent C-630M locomotives built by Montreal Locomotive Works, Alco’s Canadian division. The M designation indicated that the engine had […]

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Previewing a future that never was

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Townspeople of South Charleston, W.Va., inspect C&O 500, first of the road’s trio of colossal steam-electric-turbine locomotives intended for its new Chessie train, on Dec. 4, 1947. Ogden Willis, William J. Sparkmon coll. When Robert R. Young took over control of the Chesapeake & Ohio, he started looking for ways to improve the railroad. After […]

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Bachmann HO scale Baltimore & Ohio EM-1 2-8-8-4 steam locomotive

Bachmann HO scale Baltimore & Ohio EM-1 2-8-8-4 steam locomotive A Baltimore & Ohio EM-1 2-8-8-4 is available for the first time as an HO scale ready-to-run plastic model. The Bachmann Spectrum series EM-1 includes a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder that operates on direct-current (DC) and DCC layouts. To add sound effects and […]

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New products for March 15, 2012

Bachmann HO scale Alco S-4 diesel locomotive

Bachmann HO scale Alco S-4 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Alco S-4 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripe paint scheme); Erie RR; New York Central (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie reporting marks); Southern Pacific; Union Pacific (“Dependable Transportation” slogan); Western Maryland (speed lettering). Directional headlights; die-cast metal chassis, fuel tank, gear tower, and […]

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All about the Readers’ Choice RR

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The Readers’ Choice Railroad Tailor-made to what our readers said they wanted in a layout We were encouraged to find that many of you are reading and willing to build a layout when you’re inspired by numerous how-to ideas, simple instructions, and intriguing photographs, much like those we’ve included in CTT’s Retro Railroad (2009) and […]

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Rusting tracks at LaSalle

Today, it’s a busy Metra station, but on Sept. 27, 1979, LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago was a place for rust and weeds. An extended strike crippled the Rock Island Railroad, leading to the desolate scene. Photo by Ralcon Wagner […]

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Thank you, Q

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CB&Q Hudson 4000, a sister to the 3012 that surprised Bob Jack on a freight, works tonnage at Galesburg, Ill., in 1954. Robert Milner Steam died in various ways, depending on the railroad. I nominate the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, “The Q,” for having done it in the most agreeable fashion. On some roads, steam’s […]

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