LIKE THE UNITED STATES, much of Canada is flat and empty with a humongous mountain range over on the left side. Factor in absurdly bad winters, and railroading in Canada requires industrial-strength solutions. It takes quite a bit of effort to haul people and things today, and it was not any easier in the steam […]
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O gauge EMD BL2 diesel from Williams by Bachmann
THERE WAS A SHORT TIME when the influence of General Motors’ automotive engineering was felt in the real world of locomotion. The two most significant of those designs were the Aerotrain streamliner and the BL2 diesel road switcher. The concept behind the BL2 was, more or less, to take the mechanicals of an F unit […]
Ask Trains from October 2008
Q My 5-year-old grandson asked me, “Where do engineers go to the bathroom?” I told him that locomotives probably have a restroom similar to those on airplanes. What restroom facilities are available on locomotives, and where are they located? Who runs the train in his absence? Are comfort breaks governed by either federal or union […]
A look back in time: October 1958
As of October 1, 1958, Class I railroads own or lease 27,622 diesel locomotives, 1,532 steam locomotives, and 559 electrics. . . . Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line are mulling a merger. . . . New York Central unveils a system for transporting ballistic missiles in conventional 70-foot baggage cars. . . . […]
Rapido HO scale TurboTrain
Rapido HO scale TurboTrain With a recorded speed of 170.8 mph, the TurboTrain remains the fastest passenger train to run on North American rails, and that was 40 years ago. The Rapido HO TurboTrain includes a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder and is available in all the different prototype versions. For this review […]
Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD F7 A-B set
Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD F7 A-B set An HO scale model of an Electro-Motive Division F7 A and B set puts sophisticated, configurable sound in a direct-current locomotive. Though the BlueLine locomotives from Broadway Limited Imports don’t have Digital Command Control (DCC) installed, they do have a sound system. The engine features synchronized […]
International Hobby Corp. HO scale USRA Light Mikado
International Hobby Corp. HO scale USRA Light Mikado This 2-8-2 Mikado is a medium-size steam freight locomotive that comes ready-to-run and performs extremely well. It includes a Digital Command Control socket for easy conversion to DCC. The model comes decorated in 11 road names and includes a USRA 32-foot rectangular coal tender. Made by International […]
O gauge 2-10-0 by MTH
Okay, so Czar Nicholas II lost the Bolshevik revolution and allowed Russia to slide into four generations of murderous totalitarian rule. But let’s not dwell on the negative – look at the bright side: American railroads got all those 2-10-0s Decapods that were built in the United States to help the Russians fight the Kaiser […]
O gauge GP7 by Lionel
Let me get this out on the table. The GP7/GP9 is a key locomotive in the history of American railroading. In the realm of O gauge train operations, I own at least four traditional Lionel GP7/GP9s and a Geep set from Williams. That having been noted, I can think of few locomotives that make me […]
O gauge 2-10-0 by MTH video
Enjoy a streaming video of the O gauge Premier Line 2-10-0 Russian decapod by MTH. It retails for $999.99 (no. 20-3310-1) and features can style motors, O-31 operation, die-cast metal construction, ProtoSound 2.0, and coil coupler on tender. […]
O gauge 2-10-0 by MTH video
Enjoy a streaming video of the O gauge Premier Line 2-10-0 Russian decapod by MTH. It retails for $999.99 (no. 20-3310-1) and features can style motors, O-31 operation, die-cast metal construction, ProtoSound 2.0, and coil coupler on tender. […]
News & Products for September 4, 2008
HO scale locomotives Northern Pacific Electro-Motive Division F7 diesel locomotives. “Main Street of the Northwest” slogan. Five-pole skew-wound motor with flywheels, prototype-specific details, and magnetic knuckle couplers. Sound-equipped units have individual sound boards installed in both A and B units. A unit only: without sound, $139.98; with sound, $209.98. A-B set: without sound, $279.98; with […]
