Fledgling museum

20190423

Rolling stock of the Colorado Railroad Museum huddles on a few tracks in Golden. A Galloping Goose is visible at far left along with a selection of narrow gauge steam and Burlington Route 4-8-4 No. 5629. Across the street is the Coors brewery. Classic Trains collection […]

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Lionel No. 151 Semaphore with unique feature

model semaphore next to orange box

Lionel No. 151 Semaphore signals made their debut in the cataloged lineup for 1947 and remained popular members right through 1969, the final year of the post-World War II era of production. During that two-decade span, Lionel must have produced tens of thousands of the out-of-proportion trackside accessories. Collectors and operators of O-27 and O […]

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Fairbanks-Morse Train Master diesel locomotive

Blue-and-gray Train Master diesel locomotive with freight train at crossing

The Train Master diesel locomotive holds a unique spot in history. At its introduction in 1953, it was simply a logical extension of Fairbanks-Morse’s locomotive line, yet the Beloit (Wis.) builder recognized that what Trains Editor David P Morgan termed the “fat, robust, gadget-packed 2,400 hp six-motor hood unit” could become something special. Which it […]

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The Musselshell & Yogo Peak RR

Three orange, red, and black model train engines on a bridge over trees

Yogo Peak, at 8,812 feet above sea level, is located in the Little Belt Mountains on the Judith Basin between Lewiston and Great Falls, Mont. Winding its way through the basin is a tributary of the Missouri River known as the Musselshell River, named by the Lewis & Clark Expedition in 1805 for its abundance […]

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Atlas N scale H24-66 Train Master

Color photo of N scale locomotive painted gray, maroon, and yellow.

Atlas Model Railroad Co. recently released a new run of its N scale Fairbanks-Morse H26-44 Train Master diesel locomotive. The six-axle road locomotive, part of the Atlas product lineup since 2000, is now offered with a factory-installed speaker (Silver Series) or a dual-mode ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder (Gold Series). Prototype history Fairbanks-Morse produced the […]

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The Georgia & Florida RR layout in HO scale

A model railroad track plan with two men standing inside of it

Facts and features   Name: Georgia & Florida RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 12 x 13 feetPrototype: Georgia & FloridaLocale: Central and South GeorgiaEra: late summer, 1966-1972Style: around the wallsMainline run: 55 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 4Minimum grade: noneBenchwork: open gridHeight: 40″Roadbed: corkTrack: Atlas code 83 flextrackScenery: cardboard strips covered with plaster gauze and SculptamoldBackdrop: 1⁄8″ […]

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The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4th Street Spur layout in HO scale

A shelf layout track plan

Facts and features   Name: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4th Street SpurScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 1′-6″ x 8′-0″Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa FeLocale: downtown Los AngelesEra: 1950-1953Style: shelfMainline run: 8 feetMinimum turnout: No. 4Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: 1⁄2″ plywood secured to wall with shelf bracketsHeight: 48″Roadbed: 3⁄32″ basswood Track: Atlas code 83 Scenery: extruded-foam insulation board […]

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Empire Builder

20190402

The 1947 Empire Builder, its E7s already in their second livery, poses for a publicity photo in western Montana. In the distance, a freight waits to follow. Great Northern photo […]

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Dispatchers’ workday

20190410

At the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh Region desk F (foreground), the dispatcher for the Esplen (south end of the Ohio Connecting Bridge)–Brownsville, Pa., line works with a new style of trainsheet, while his colleague on desk I, Pittsburgh–Gould Tunnel, Ohio, uses the standard type in 1956. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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