Bowser HO scale Presidents Conference Committee streetcar

Bowser HO scale Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) streetcar

Bowser HO scale Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) streetcar There were many variations of the Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) streetcar, and this HO PCC car from Bowser accurately models its specific prototype. The model has a smooth-running mechanism, easily handles tight-radius curves, and can be converted to Digital Command Control. Prototype. By the mid-1920s the presidents […]

Read More…

HHP-8 passenger set by Lionel

THE LIONEL HHP-8 STARTER SET IS A STRIKING, TOTALLY-OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CONCEPT. Taking a step or three away from the typical 4-4-2-powered starter set, the HHP-8 set features a unique locomotive and some interesting passenger cars. This is a modern outfit (most sets are based on railroad equipment from the 1940s or ’50s) that looks pretty sharp […]

Read More…

Santa Fe Flyer set by Williams by Bachmann

WHETHER YOU ARE AN ADULT OR A CHILD, I’D SPECULATE THAT YOU GOT INTO MODEL RAILROADING WITH A STARTER SET.No matter the scale, that first starter set can make or break your interest in the hobby. A well-constructed set with interesting components can snag you and make you want more. By contrast, a poorly made […]

Read More…

Shades of the Q

Bloomer Line GP9 No. 7561 spots grain cars at Cullom, Ill., on Aug. 13, 2007. Though Bloomer operates ex-Illinois Central track, its locomotives are an unmistakable homage to Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Matt Lastovich photo […]

Read More…

Susquehanna surprise

A supplement to the Classic Trains Online Look Back e-mail newsletter Susquehanna 2514, a well-cared-for Pacific built for the Erie in 1905, strides out of Pompton Lakes, N.J., with a westbound commuter run. Theodore B. Kerr The New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad evokes in me almost palpable feelings of ownership. Having been born a […]

Read More…

CTT Visits a layout factory

Having a professional builder design and construct a toy train or scale model railroad may not be for everyone. But for those who want to take full advantage of 21st-century technology this may be the way to go. CTT Visits a layout factory […]

Read More…

Coal cars’ reporting marks exposed

Coal cars, reporting marks

BNSF 9801 led this coal train through Willow Creek, Ind., on Jan. 1, 2009. DETX 994336 is one of 5,700 coal cars owned by Detroit Edison Co. Kathi Kube It’s easy enough to identify reporting marks for Class I railroads, as well as a multitude of short lines and regionals, but the reporting marks on […]

Read More…

Five more weird coal moves

When the TRAINS staff began preparing its April 2010 report on obscure coal moves in North America, we got more photos than we bargained for. In no particular order, here are five more cool coal moves. Two SD90MACs on lease to Wheeling & Lake Erie lead two run-through Union Pacific diesels on a Powder River […]

Read More…

Build a 1:22.5-scale combine

Build a 1:22.5-scale combine

Download the PDF of this project here. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create the larger piece. Despite our best […]

Read More…

Accucraft Forney locomotive

Acccucraft Forney

Subscribers: Don’t miss the exclusive highlight video of this impressive locomotive! Acccucraft Forney Marc Horovitz 1:20.3, gauge 1, live-steam 0-4-4 ForneyAccucraft33268 Central AvenueUnion City CA 94587Price: $659Web site: www.accucraft.com Freelance, live-steam Forney; all-metal construction; two double acting, piston-valve cylinders; piston-valve reversing; link-and-pin couplers; 50 psi blow-off pressure; single flue, gas-fired boiler; boiler fittings include safety […]

Read More…