Lionel O gauge Union Pacific 4-12-2 steam locomotive

PN1012-union-pacific

The Union Pacific was known for the large steam power it used to speed freight across the wide-open west. Perhaps the line’s most eccentric design was the 4-12-2. That was a heavy locomotive designed to pull heavy freights at higher speeds over the vast, fruited plains. Alco constructed 88 of the 782,000-pound giants for the […]

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O Gauge Lake Shore Limited Set by Williams by Bachmann

CTT-PR1112_01

The new locomotive I probably had the most fun testing in the past year was certainly the least complex – the new Williams by Bachmann 4-6-0. This O gauge locomotive is a nifty model of a generic steamer that could have been seen in general operation anytime between the 1890s and the 1930s – possibly […]

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How to create memorable railroad photos

In the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual Creative Photography Awards Program, first-time entrant Todd Halamka placed second in the color category in 2012. Todd is relatively new to photography, but he combines a lifelong love of trains with a long career in architecture, drawing on his design experience to create memorable and unique […]

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Athearn HO scale EMD DDA40X diesel locomotive

Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division DDA40X diese locomotive

Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division DDA40X diesel locomotive When I took the Athearn Genesis series DDA40X out of the box, I was impressed by its sheer size and heft. Then I put this HO scale model of the world’s largest diesel-electric locomotive on the track and was soon in awe of its sound system and […]

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Bachmann HO Schnabel car

Bachmann HO scale Schnabel car

Bachmann HO scale Schnabel car This new HO ready-to-run car from Bachmann represents one of the largest freight cars in North America. Specialized freight cars like this huge Schnabel car are employed by railroads to carry extra-heavy and oversize loads. The empty car is a scale 169 feet long, and it expands to 200 feet […]

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Con-Cor HO scale PRR MP54 commuter cars

Con-Cor Ho scale PRR MP54 commuter cars

Con-Cor Ho scale PRR MP54 commuter cars Pennsylvania RR fans modeling the electrified Northeast Corridor in HO have a new option for commuter service. Con-Cor International has released its MP54 multiple-unit (MU) cars in prewar and postwar paint schemes and several body styles. The smooth-running models are prototypically accurate with an impressive amount of detail, […]

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Fox Valley Models N scale Milwaukee Road ribbed-side bay-window caboose

Fox Valley Models N scale Milwaukee Road ribbed-side bay-window caboose

Fox Valley Models N scale Milwaukee Road ribbed-side bay-window caboose Price: $32.95 ManufacturerFox Valley ModelsP.O. Box 1970Des Plaines, IL 60017www.foxvalleymodels.com Era: late 1960s to early 1970s (as painted) Comments: A Milwaukee Road ribbed-side bay-window caboose is the latest N scale offering from Fox Valley Models. The firm offers the caboose based on the 1939-41, 1946, […]

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Sunset over Sidney

Local railfans wave at a passing westbound as the sun sinks over Sidney, Ohio, on June 7, 2011. This former New York Central line served as the Conrail – and now CSX – route to the St. Louis gateway. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]

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Violet hour

The light fades on the Sidney, Ohio, depot on April 13, 2012, as westbound train Q377 rolls by. Like many other organizations charged with historic preservation, the Sidney Big Four Passenger Station Preservation Association is just keeping everything standing … for now. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]

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