The MTH Baldwin VO1000 is a sturdy O gauge switcher

MTH Baldwin VO1000 front view

The MTH Baldwin VO1000 switcher has arrived. This Premier line model was announced in mid-April 2022. It’s a solid locomotive for any size layout with wonderfully detailed features. It’s not uncommon for MTH to put smaller locomotives like the VO1000 in its scale RailKing lineup; however, for this run we get a purple box and […]

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Soo Line passenger trains remembered

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Soo Line passenger trains were simple affairs serving wide swaths of the rural Upper Midwest.     While passenger service was not a big part of Soo’s business, the road strived to maintain quality service, and with partner CP, offered Canadian connections. In 1889 MStP&SSM inaugurated the Minneapolis-Sault Ste. Marie Atlantic Limited, among the first […]

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The Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 makes a comeback

Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 in Strasburg paint

The Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 “Mogul” type locomotive graced the company’s 2022 Vol. 2 catalog. It’s a welcome re-release as the previous 2016 models were struck with gearing issues. These caused many of them to run poorly at slow speeds. Many were returned to Lionel and never made it to the the second-hand market. This new […]

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Former Cotton Belt Consolidation

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Southern Pacific 2864 was one of eight 2-8-0s transferred to California from SP affiliate Cotton Belt in 1956. Built during 1920–23, SSW’s 36 700-series engines were the road’s top freight power until 4-8-4s came in 1930. SP 2864 stands at San Francisco in April ’56. D. S. Richter photo […]

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Largest 2-6-2 Prairie fleet: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy

Member of Largest 2-6-2 Prairie fleet parked in grass covered rail yard

Unsurprisingly, the largest 2-6-2 Prairie fleet operated on the U.S. prairies with the railroad that originated the type.     As the railroad industry approached the late 19th century, it became obvious that what had been considered the preferred locomotive — the 4-4-0 American — could no longer provide the horsepower nor the speed necessary […]

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Sneak peek: Broadway Limited Imports T-1 4-8-4

Color photo of N scale steam locomotive

After looking at the photos, you might be asking, “Hey, where is the paint and lettering?” Well, this isn’t a production model. Instead, Broadway Limited Imports sent us a pre-production sample of its N scale Reading Co. class T-1 4-8-4 steam locomotive. The model, scheduled for release this fall, features a dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, […]

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Broadway Limited Imports N scale Reading T-1

A pre-production sample of the Broadway Limited Imports N scale Reading T-1 paid a visit to our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno discuss the features on the die-cast metal and plastic model and take the 4-8-4 for a spin around the 4 […]

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Menards Cripple Creek County Jail

Menards Cripple Creek County Jail

The Menards Cripple Creek County Jail is a place where your O scale folks can do the time if they’ve committed a crime. It has a sort of dark demeanor of a place you can take your 10-year-old who filched a candy bar to and scare them straight! This building has what the movies call […]

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Carey Tarkman’s Standard and O gauge layout

Carey Tarkman has built a 15 x 20 foot layout that includes both Standard gauge and O gauge. It includes Lionel, MTH, and American Flyer motive power. The elements needed to give life to a display featuring prewar models differ from the norm. They demand different skills and artistry from the builder. He or she […]

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