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Rock Island buys GM’s two Aerotrains for suburban service out of Chicago, where they join RI’s own Jet Rocket Talgo train, powered by an Aerotrain-style locomotive. . . . Illinois Central buys eight sleeping cars (four 10-5’s, four 4-4-2’s) from New York Central for City of Miami service. . . . Pullman-Standard’s first 85-foot flatcar […]
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. . . . […]
New Jersey challenges the constitutionality of the Transportation Act of 1958, under whose provisions the Erie and New York Central seek to discontinue their Hudson River ferry service. . . . Reading Company completes a $500,000 upgrade at its Port Richmond Marine Terminal on the Delaware River in Philadelphia; new ore-unloading machinery nearly doubles the […]
SP announces it is standardizing on silver livery for all passenger equipment; although Armour yellow will be retained for cars assigned to Overland Route trains, SP’s tow-tone gray and bright Daylight colors will fade away. . . . On August 12, the Transportation Act of 1958 is signed into law. Among its provisions are greater […]
Name: Oklahoma & Western RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6 x 12 Prototype: freelanced Locale: Western Oklahoma Era: 1950s Style: tabletop with shelf Minimum run: 29 feet Minimum radius: 19″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the August 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan […]
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 […]
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 […]
Name: Chicago & North western Des Moines Subdivision Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24′-0″ x 38′-0″ Prototype: C&NW Period: 1955 Style: walk-in Minimum radii: 28″ main line Minimum turnout: no. 6 main line, no 4 spurs Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this […]
Name: Western Maryland Thomas Subdivision Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12 x 12 feet Theme: Appalachian coal-hauler Period: 1950s to 1960s Minimum radius: 11″ Minimum turnout: Peco medium Maximum grade: None. Originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Model Railroader. Also appeared in 102 Realistic Track Plans. Click here to download a PDF of this […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Santa Fe Scale: HO (1.87.1) Size: 24 x 49 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Union Pacific Era: 1951 Style: walk-in and around-the-walls Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the June 2008 issue of Model […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Soo Line Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10′-6″ x 18′-0″ Prototype: Soo Line Era: summer 1947 Style: shelf Mainline run: 18 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 5 percent Originally appeared in the June 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Virginia & Western RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 37 feet Prototype: freelanced, based on Norfolk & Western Era: 1940s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 600 feet Minimum radius: 32″ on main line, 24″ on branch line Minimum turnout: no. 6 on sidings and branch line, no. 8 on […]
