Proto 2000 GP9 Walthers’ latest run of HO scale Proto 2000 GP7 and GP9 diesel locomotives feature Proto Max metal magnetic knuckle couplers, limited-run paint schemes, and a dual-mode QSI Quantum sound system with dual speakers. Electro-Motive Division built more than 3,600 GP9s from January 1954 until December 1959. Surprisingly, a fair number of these […]
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Bachmann HO scale Baltimore streetcar
Peter Witt-type streetcar Before the age of the interstate highway system and city buses, streetcars were the backbone of urban mass transit. A new HO scale model of a Peter Witt-type streetcar that served on the streets of Baltimore is now available from Bachmann. The prototype for this Spectrum series model is similar to streetcars […]
Railfanning Tokyo
Scott Lothes Shinjuku is the best place in the world to feel the crunch of a commuter train rush hour, and in the August 2008 issue, Trains Magazine takes you inside, with photos and stories that capture the station’s frenetic pace. But if you want to watch the trains themselves, Tokyo has a host of […]
A look back in time: July 1958
July 1958 in railroad history One of steam’s greatest chapters comes to a close July 2 when class S-2 No. 746 makes the last revenue freight trip of a Nickel Plate Road Berkshire, Bellevue-Conneaut, Ohio. . . . Fan trips: Burlington Route assigns O-5A 4-8-4 No. 5618 to a July 4th weekend Railroad Club of […]
Wheeling & Lake Erie locomotive roster
The Wheeling & Lake Erie, an Ohio-based regional railroad, has quite a fleet. See the pdf below for its current locomotive roster. To read more about the Wheeling & Lake Erie, see our special issue, “24 hours inside a railroad,” July 2008 Trains, which hit newsstands on June 10, 2008! […]
Bachmann 80 ton 3 truck shay
Bachmann 80 ton 3 truck shay This model is very detailed. The intricate connecting rods are entertaining to watch. Just like the real-world prototype, it handles the roughest track with ease. The model has directional lights and when running, a red glow from the firebox. A good buy available in DC or DCC. […]
Slow postwar steamers
Q: I have two postwar steamers that run, but very slowly. The no. 681 Pennsy turbine has been run so much that the drivers have grooves in them. My no. 736 Berkshire has a similar malady. Since they have sentimental value from my early days, I’d still like to run them, rather than buying new […]
Online Bonus: Pend Oreille Valley Railroad
By the time Milwaukee Road pulled the plug on its Western operations in March 1980, the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad had already been in business nearly six months. Local business leaders organized the Port of Pend Oreille in 1978, and on Oct. 1, 1979, they took charge of the trackage between Newport and Metaline Falls, […]
Wheeling & Lake Erie’s predecessors
The Wheeling traces its history back to April 6, 1871. It reinvented itself on May 18, 1990. The pdf below shows all of its predecessor railroads. To read more about the Wheeling & Lake Erie, see July 2008 Trains, which hits the newsstands on June 10, 2008! […]
Bachmann Dynamis DCC system
Dynamis Digital Command Control (DCC) system Dynamis Digital Command Control (DCC) system Features such as a wireless throttle with a large display and intuitive, easy-to-use programming menus make the Dynamis Digital Command Control (DCC) system a great choice for both novice and expert DCC users. The system is produced by Bachmann in conjunction with Electronic […]
Athearn HO EMD FP45 and F45
Athearn’s new HO scale Electro-Motive Division FP45 Though the prototype was designed to lead the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s top passenger trains, Athearn’s new HO scale Electro-Motive Division FP45 has the heft and power to haul practically any consist you could throw at it.Equipped with onboard sound and Digital Command Control (DCC), the newest […]
Walthers HO Flexi-Van
HO Walthers Flexi-Van Here’s a well-done model of the unique Flexi-Van intermodal car and trailer system that was developed by the New York Central RR in the late 1950s. It comes assembled with a pair of trailers decorated in appropriate prototype paint schemes. Individual trailer kits and extra bogie wheels are offered separately.This Flexi-Van equipment […]