HO scale structures Canadian National sand house. Laser-cut wood kit with Mt. Albert siding and color-coded scale lumber, window castings, doors, and base. Footprint is 2” x 9”. $49.95. Kanamodel Products, www.kanamodel.com Monroe Models HO scale Hickson Depot kit The Hickson Depot. Laser-cut wood kit with peel-and-stick trim and shingles, cast chimney, train-order signal, station […]
FULL SCREEN Trains Magazine Collection Skiers disembark Boston & Maine’s Snow Train at North Conway, N.H. FULL SCREEN Trains Magazine collection Passengers enjoy their ride aboard the Boston & Maine Snow Train. FULL SCREEN John Gruber collection The front cover of Boston & Maine’s 36-page booklet advertising its 1940 season. FULL SCREEN John Gruber collection […]
Athearn Trains HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD70ACe HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD70ACe. New paint schemes: Montana Rail Link, CSX, Ferromex, and Union Pacific (Missouri-Kansas-Texas heritage scheme). Five-pole skew-wound motor with two flywheels, factory-installed detailed parts, and detailed cab interior. Direct-current models, $189.98. With SoundTraxx Digital Command Control and sound, $289.98. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, […]
This graph shows the calculated drawbar horsepower curves for five classes in the first wave of 4-8-4s: Lackawanna Q-1, Canadian National U-2-a, Northern Pacific A, Santa Fe 3751, and Canadian Pacific K-1. Neil Carlson In the days of steam it was a normal practice to estimate the horsepower potential of a locomotive. Baldwin Locomotive Works […]
Most model railroaders get started in the hobby with a ready-to-run train set. These sets include a locomotive, cars, track, and a power pack. In these videos you’ll see members of the Model Railroader magazine staff showing you how to set up and run some recently released model train sets. Are you new to the […]
Two high-horsepower GE locomotives approach Elm Grove, Wis., with eastbound Canadian Pacific coke train 852. The train is descending the subcontinental divide. (Water west of the divide flows into the Mississippi River, while water east of the divide flows into Lake Michigan.) Photo by Matt Van Hattem […]
Wisconsin & Southern Jordan spreader WSOX 9 shatters a drift near Minnesota Junction, Wis., on Feb. 3, 2011. William R. Beecher Jr. William R. Beecher Jr. Fond du Lac, Wis. The snow stopped. The sun actually rose under glorious high pressure after two solid days of blizzard that left Central Wisconsin under almost 2 feet […]
Cab units once roamed North America in epic buffalo-like herds, hauling freight and passengers from places like Syracuse and Montpelier to Cheyenne and Cucamonga. Whether they hailed from the forges of Alco, Baldwin, or Fairbanks-Morse, cab units were generally seen as the last vestige of the art deco era of streamlining. And no diesel was […]
Wm. K. Walthers Inc. HO scale locomotive crane A revised version of the Walthers HO scale American locomotive crane is now available ready-to-run. It comes assembled with an upgraded DC mechanism. The prototype for this diesel-electric crane dates to the mid-1950s. These 25- to 30-ton capacity locomotive cranes are self-propelled and capable of moving several […]
For railroad builders in North America, a 2.2 percent climb was considered the standard maximum grade for a well-engineered mountain railroad. But why this number? And how did its adoption become so widespread? Using modern-day analysis of some famous mountain railroad grades, Trains Magazine’s September 2011 issue explores the origins and adoption of 2.2 percent […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP7 and GP9 diesel locomotives. New paint scheme on GP7 is Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripes). New scheme on GP9 is New York Central (two-tone gray). Separately applied details, wire grab irons, and plastic handrails. Both road names offered with and without steam generators. Direct-current models with Quick […]
Still dressed in royal blue, a mail-express car and “comboose” 307 bring up the rear of NAR mixed train 75 at Egremont, Alta., in August 1972. J. David Ingles collection Several great trains have carried the name “Blue Train.” The most famous ones were in Europe and South Africa. Then there were the trains of […]
